This features written and video interviews conducted by Alex Kline with some of the top talent out there. The interviews take place at some of the top events of the year including the Primetime Shootout, Jordan Brand Classic, McDonald’s All American, Rumble in the Bronx, Hoop Group West Virginia Tournament, Nationals in Orlando, as well as tons of other outlets from all over the country and Canada. The typed interviews vary from simple Q&A’s to long, descriptive articles depending on the importance. Diaries are also done from players to coaches and many more. For videos, make sure you check out our Youtube page, www.Youtube.com/TheRecruitScoop.

This features the most up to date recruiting articles out there from new schools getting involved with players to new offers, upcoming visits, commitments, favorites and much more! The page is updated with news as much as possible. On top of that are interesting links from the week, as well as links to other articles Alex Kline has written for different websites. Following this will keep you up to date on the latest news in the game of recruiting.

By Alex Kline

Coming off an injury, the progress of Jon Severe was supposed to be slow. After tying a school-record with eight made 3-pointers, some college coaches are beginning to consider him as the best player on his loaded team.

A 2013 6-foot-3 combo guard from Christ the King in New York, Severe has emerged as arguably the best player on a team featuring UConn signee Omar Calhoun, top-100 point guard Isaiah Lewis and talented role player Jordan Fuchs, among others. One D1 assistant coach believes he may be the best player on the team – not potentially – but right now.

Severe has an excellent shot and can shoot from range. He can dribble well, but needs to improve on that if he wants to have the ball in his hands more often. Severe has the ability to drive to the basket and finish in traffic. He is also a strong defender, who continues to get better in all aspects of his game. The New York native has developed his game into a much more compete ball player, as opposed to just a shooter.

After being hurt over the summer, along with the season before that, Severe has had an unlucky history with injuries. At the same time, he is finally having his breakout year during his junior season. Because of this, the Christ the King star is now hearing from plenty of schools. He has offers from, “Houston, Xavier and Drexel,” with interest from, “Providence, Texas, Rutgers and Florida.” There are a number of other schools who are exploring the option of getting involved as his stock seems to rise every game.

 As the Long Island Lightning program is coming off of a huge year last season that featured Kareem Canty, Nkereuwem Okoro, Daniel Dingle, Kamari Murphy and Melvin Johnson, look for this year’s U17 squad to be highlighted by the rising senior with the hot shot, Jon Severe.

(Photo courtesy of the NY Post)

By Alex Kline

Coming into his junior year, BJ Johnson was a local name, but his game has earned him some face time in the regional, and soon to be national, spotlight.

A 2013 6-foot-5 point forward from Lower Merion in Pennsylvania, Johnson could end up being the most notable player to come out of the high school since Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. The junior has his squad winning and is doing it all the right ways, on and off the court.

As a point forward, Johnson can play all over the court as he shoots well and is a strong passer. He must work on getting strong, becoming a better defender and working on his ball handling ability. With that being said, he has excellent athleticism and ability to attack the rim. Johnson can be used to in a multitude of ways as a point guard, shooting guard, wing, small forward and, at times, a power forward if he is playing against smaller competition.

Currently, the Lower Merion stud has offers from, “St. Joe’s, Boston University and Albany,” with a vast amount of interest from, “Temple, Rutgers, Penn State, Villanova, Xavier, La Salle, Penn, Iowa, Georgetown, Providence, Drexel, Rider and Seton Hall.” He is on the verge of breaking out and once he shows off his strengths against bigger and better competition, more offers could come in.

Temple, Villanova and La Salle have been to a number of his games this year, but  Johnson remains open.

“I haven’t started visiting colleges yet, so there are no favorites at this time,” he said.

Oddly enough – in regards to much talk of players’ reclassifications and postgrad years – BJ Johnson is the complete opposite. Despite being a junior, he just turned 16-years old in December and is very young for his grade. At the same time, he has no plans of following the trend of reclassification.

“I have a late birthday so I started school early,” the high-academic student athlete explained. “If I felt that I needed another year to develop more as a player then maybe I would reclass, but I really haven’t thought about it.”

If he stays on pace and continues to develop his skills as a guard, and even as a combo forward, look for a few high majors to offer, including a school who could use his services such as Iowa.

(Photo courtesy of Lower Merion Basketball)

By Alex Kline

On Wednesday night, Nerlens Noel – arguably the top player in the class of 2013 – made a drastic decision to alter the fate of high school and college basketball.

According to an ESPN report, Noel will move back to the class of 2012 – his original class – and graduate this year as a senior. A 6-foot-10 center from Tilton School in New Hampshire, and a native of Massachusetts, the top shot blocker in the country has already made some choices in regards to where he is considering for college.

Dave Telep is reporting that the Everett native will take his first visit to Syracuse on February 11th for their game against UConn, a school he is also looking at and has visited. Noel has also been to Providence, but will consider North Carolina, Florida, Georgetown and Kentucky, as well. A decision will come in the spring for him, but this could shape up to be a big recruiting weekend for the Orange. Along with Noel comes Tyler Ennis, a 2013 6-foot-2 point guard from St. Benedict’s in New Jersey, and a native of Canada, who will also be on campus that weekend.

With the decision of Nerlens Noel impacting the class of 2012 and 2013, along with high school and college basketball in general, one has to wonder where arguably the most talented player in the nation will land? If Syracuse can reel him in he would join a duo of DaJuan Coleman and Jerami Grant. One crucial factor in Noel’s recruitment could be the draft status of Orange sophomore center Fab Melo, who may or may not declare for the NBA Draft after the season. Sources indicate that Melo, along with sophomore guard Dion Waiters, are highly considering the move and, in that case, Noel may be able to gain a vast amount of playing time during his freshman year.

Look for Nerlens Noel to make more decisions on visits after February 11th.

(Photo courtesy of ESPN)

By Alex Kline

This weekend, a number of talented players were offered. Three big scholarships were distributed from an ACC, Big-10 and Big East school to three rising underclassmen.

After a thrilling victory over DeMatha (MD) on Friday night, 2013 6-foot-4 Paul VI (VA) guard Stanford Robinson received a long awaited offer. With Marquette, UMass, Virginia and Virginia Tech, as well as Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon in attendance, Robinson played very well in the upset victory. Maryland decided to offer the talented guard a scholarship the following day. The Terps join the Hokies, Golden Eagles, Minutemen and Cavaliers, as well as Drexel, Miami, NC State, Pittsburgh, Villanova, South Florida, Seton Hall, VCU and Xavier to offer the Team Takeover (DC) standout.

Earlier in the week, 2014 6-foot-4 guard JaQuan Lyle of Evansville Bosse (IN) attended the Ohio State-Michigan Basketball game. On Saturday, Lyle took an unofficial visit to the Buckeyes’ campus and left with a scholarship offer from Thad Matta and company. The talented sophomore guard, who has averaged a near triple-double this season, is being carted by the entire Big-10, among other schools. He took in the Wisconsin-Illinois Basketball game the weekend before – the Illini have offered – and he also has offers from Indiana, Xavier, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State and several others.

After playing his first game in front of legendary coach Jim Boeheim, Isaiah Briscoe picked up an offer from Syracuse on Sunday night. A 2015 6-foot-3 point guard from St. Benedict’s (NJ), Briscoe is the younger brother of Iasia Hemingway, a senior of the Syracuse women’s basketball team. The freshman guard already had offers from Miami, Arizona, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, DePaul and Baylor. Besides the local schools, Briscoe has been to the Syracuse campus on multiple occasions to see his sister, as well as to take in Midnight Madness last October with his teammate, Tyler Ennis, who received an offer from the Orange back in December.

(Photos courtesy of DMV Elite, Rivals and St. Benedict’s)

By Alex Kline

Coming into his freshman year of high school, the pressure and hype of Kavon Stewart was fairly high. Currently in his junior year, the talk and attention has drifted away from Stewart towards his teammates, but he remains optimistic on the court.

A 2013 5-foot-11 point guard from Hudson Catholic in New Jersey, the junior has improved upon a number of parts to his game. With a much better pull up jump shot, Stewart’s increased strength and muscle definition is evident on the court. Clearly – because of his size – he needs to continue to add muscle and be able to finish at the rim with contact. He also needs to take more of a leadership position as the floor general and get used to running plays on the court. Because of his slick speed and excellent ball handling skills, Stewart plays a street ball type of game but can be limited in certain offensive systems. This is where choosing a college will determine how successful he can be at the next level.

Currently, a few schools who have offered Stewart are in solid contention for the guard. He lists scholarships from, “Rutgers, UMass, Cincinnati and Towson,” with interest from, “Xavier, Miami, Florida International and a few others.” The Minutemen of Massachusetts are one of two schools in the Atlantic-10 who have made a strong impression on the New Jersey native.

“UMass is the school recruiting me the hardest,” he said. “I’m really cool with Coach Kellogg and think he’s a great teacher of the game.”

Stewart went on to mention another A10 program he is interested in.

“I am really waiting on an offer from Xavier,” Stewart said. “I love their offense and the freedom a guard like Tu Holloway has for them.”

The junior point guard hopes to get on a few college campuses before the summer is over, including Miami, Florida International, UMass and Xavier. Whether or not more schools offer is to be determined, but Stewart is part of a very talented Hudson Catholic team, never the less.

While he may not be the player that was as highly hyped heading into high school, Kavon Stewart has a chance to enter college in a big way as the floor general and his team has the goal of winning a county, state and TOC championship before Stewart graduates in 2013.

“As long as we’re winning, that’s what matters,” he said.

(Photo courtesy of NorthJersey.com)

By Alex Kline

Not since Danilo Galinari of the New York Knicks has a native of Italy made such a splash on the American basketball scene. While Galinari did it at the professional level, one senior is making his presence felt in the high school game.

Amedeo Della Valle is a 2012 6-foot-6 point guard attending Findlay Prep in Nevada. Right off the bat, Della Valle’s skills and size strike many suitors as he has great size and continues to grow as he came in at 6-foot-5 to begin his senior year. An import from Italy, the big guard came to Las Vegas with more than hopes of attaining his basketball dream.

“I came to America because I love the country,” he said. “It can provide me with a great opportunity and the experience itself can make me a better person.”

Due to his size, Della Valle creates a number of mismatches on the court. At the same time, he has not had much of an opportunity to play the point guard with teammates, Nigel Williams-Goss and Oregon signee Dominic Artis, running the show at the point. He has exhibited a number of talents though, as he has great court vision and shooting ability for a big guard. In college, he could be placed at various positions, which makes his stock even higher for someone who will sign in the spring. In order to take his game to the next level, it is the off court preparation in his lifting and strength that will help him have a successful college career.

Currently, the talented guard has a number of options around the United States. He has received offers from, “UConn, Arizona, Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, California, Loyola Marymount, Portland, Utah, Oklahoma State and UCLA.” Ohio State also recently reached out to Della Valle and could be out to watch him play again after seeing him at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts.

With a decision looming after the season, Della Valle’s recruitment has been slow, as of now. He has only taken one visit – an unofficial to Arizona with his teammate and Wildcats signee Brandon Ashley.

“I want to wait it out a little bit,” he said. “My goal is to get as comfortable with the coaches and campuses as possible.” With Ohio State looming around his recruitment, official and unofficial visits are expected to be setup in the near future.

(Photo courtesy of Draftology.com)

By Alex Kline

After making moves to new prep schools in New Hampshire, sophomores Jared Terrell and Abdul-Malik Abu are having big years for their schools.

Terrell, a 2014 6-foot-3 shooting guard from New Hampton School, has emerged as one of the premier scorers nationally in his class. A power guard with an excellent body and athleticism, he has become an elite defender, as well. Because of his body and overall size for a guard, his aggressive style of play makes him a threat not only on the defensive side but the offensive end when he attacks the rim. Terrell can also shoot the rock as he is a key factor for a New Hampton team that also features 2014 stud Noah Vonleh, Notre Dame bound Zach Auguste and Boston College bound Olivier Hanlan.

He currently has a mass amount of college coaches calling about him. Terrell has scholarship offers from, “Providence, Cincinnati, Temple, St. John’s, DePaul, Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, UMass and Rutgers,” with interest from, “UConn, Tennessee, West Virginia, NC State, Iowa State, Memphis and Pittsburgh.” It is still very early in Terrell’s recruitment and there do not appear to be any favorites or schools recruiting him harder than others. Look for even more schools to get involved during the spring.

Abu, a 2014 6-foot-7 combo forward from Kimball Union, is quietly emerging on some college coaches radars and is working his way up. With a big body, as well, he may be a bit undersized in height but he makes up for it with his stature and high basketball IQ. A true team player, he tries his best to get his teammates involved. The sophomore has a similar game to Penn State bound forward Brandon Taylor, who is a similar size but is playing at a high level. Abu does not have a consistent jumper like Taylor’s, but he must work on his handle to play at the next level, especially if he wants to go high-major.

If he grows an extra inch or two, Abu’s stock could rise. He is already garnering plenty of attention from coaches, nonetheless. He currently maintains offers from, “Iowa State, New Hampshire, UMass, Wisconsin and Michigan State,” with interest from, “Rutgers, Providence, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Oklahoma.” His recruitment could certainly be bolstered by an extra inch of growth, but if not look for him to still end up playing at a very high level in college.

The natives of Massachusetts, and Expressions Elite teammates, will be playing together at the 2012 Mary Kline Classic on Saturday, May 5th at 5pm in Pennington, New Jersey.

(Photo courtesy of Rivals and Expressions)

By Alex Kline

Tyus Battle may only be in the eighth grade, yet he is already gaining the hype and exposure some of high school seniors desire to attain. While he is adjusting to this – and enjoy it at times – there was a point when the young phenom was not at all involved in the world of basketball.

The son of longtime AAU basketball coach Gary Battle, Tyus grew up as a baseball player. Until the age of six, he refused to pick up a basketball and hone what would ultimately be his future.

“I just didn’t like basketball,” he smiled. “I would be bribed with two scoops of ice cream from my dad. I started to try it out and began to like it. Now, I love it.”

Whether Battle’s baseball career would have panned out is another story, yet the hardwood has certainly treated him well. Coming from great genes, his father was a 2,000 point scorer at New Haven and played professionally overseas in Germany. His stepmother was a standout basketball player at Miami, as well.

Currently, Tyus Battle is 6-foot-4 and in the class of 2016. He is projected to grow to 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7 and will have a big AAU season ahead of him playing with the Team Final U14 and U16 team over the spring and summer. Before his middle school career comes to an end, though, he must make a big decision.

The lead guard who has the ability to play the 1, 2 and 3 will choose between three Garden State powers for high school. A native of Edison, New Jersey – Tyus Battle is looking at Gill St. Bernard’s, St. Joseph’s Metuchen and St. Anthony. At Gill, he will have a chance to come in and play early minutes with 2013 sensation Jaren Sina. With St. Joe’s Metuchen, he can star along with one of the 2015′s in the country in Karl Towns. At St. Anthony, he can become the next star to play for Friars’ hall of fame coach Bob Hurley and replace UCLA bound Kyle Anderson. The decision process and hype of youth basketball is new to him, but hasn’t phased the young man.

“The adjustment to high school basketball is going to be totally different to what I am used to,” he said. “I will have much more responsibility academically and athletically.”

His father keeps him grounded though.

“He has to enjoy it,” said Gary Battle. “Being ranked as the top eighth grader in New Jersey means nothing unless he enjoys it and takes advantage of the opportunity. As long as he stays level headed and works hard the sky is the limit.”

Battle has a variety of abilities as he is an impressive offensive threat. The 2016 combo guard/wing can take it to the basket and score. A team player who uses his energy to make an impact on the defensive end, Battle draws comparisons to Kentucky freshman Michael Gilchrist and former NBA standout Penny Hardaway. This is due to his length and lanky frame, as well as his intensity and energy on the court. Battle brings an amazing attitude to win while playing. He needs to get stronger and become more of a leader, however, as he is quiet on and off the court. While his play is similar to Gilchrist, he is nowhere near the rebounder that the future NBA lottery pick is. If the future superstar uses his energy on the rebounding front, he could average a double-double every game with points and rebounds.

Some colleges have already taken notice of his potential and skills as Rutgers, Seton Hall and Cincinnati are expressing interest, according to his father. Battle has already been to a basketball game at Rutgers, but keeps in mind that he is, “still a kid.”

Whether he ends up fulfilling the comparisons to Gilchrist and Hardaway is one thing, but it appears that Tyus Battle already understands the full landscape of basketball at a young age. He plays because he loves the game of basketball. He plays team ball and simply wants to win. Battle will more than likely be one of the premier players scouts and college coaches will chase after over the next few years. He may be young, but Tyus Battle is ready for it.

(Photo courtesy of BBallSpotlight)

By Alex Kline

Hidden in the state of Delaware may be two of the most talented sophomores in the northeast.

2014 duo Ben Bentil, a 6-foot-8 power forward, and Austin Tilghman, a 6-foot-1 point guard, are making the most of their impressive gym at St. Andrew’s in Delaware. Bentil – originally from Ghana – is projected to breakout this year, according to his high school and AAU coach Terrell Myers, who played professionally overseas. As Bentil has already matched up and played well against Villanova bound Daniel Ochefu, he will have to make the most of his talented, bulky point guard – Tilghman – and their newly merged AAU team, ECE/NJABC, this spring and summer.

Bentil is a high octane big man with plenty of energy, strength and athleticism. He is controlled, yet aggressive when he has to be and is a force down low. The sophomore is a strong transition player, but is also working on becoming a much better shooter and becoming an all-around talent on the offensive side of the ball.

Currently, he is being targeted by Indiana, Penn State, Villanova, Rutgers, La Salle, Delaware, Temple and St. Joe’s, among others. Bentil has offers but is currently not focused on the recruiting process as he continues to develop on the court. He visited Villanova unofficially for their Midnight Madness in the fall and enjoyed it. He has also been to numerous St. Joseph’s Basketball games over the course of the season. As Bentil has been to numerous college campuses, he always goes with his close friend and teammate, Austin Tilghman.

With great court vision and the ability to setup and convert the pick and roll with Bentil, the sophomore point guard is extremely gifted. Tilghman uses his bulky body to get to the hole and create matchup problems against smaller guards who are not as strong. While he lacks a jumper coming off of screens, Tilghman intends to improve upon this area before he takes his game to the next level.

The talented floor general has similar college choices to his teammate and acknowledges he has been to St. Joseph’s a lot. He has taken an interest in them and they have certainly reciprocated. On that notion; however, he has no offers at the moment and i hearing from a variety of schools ranging from the Atlantic-10 to Big East.

Together, these two could go as a package deal or go their own ways. Tilghman and Bentil are a very young, dynamic duo who has amazing chemistry and have yet to break onto the scene as national names. After this summer, that may change permanently.

(Photo courtesy of St. Andrew’s)

By Alex Kline

Lenny Kadisha is only 14-years old, yet the hard working freshman has a boatload of potential that could get him very far.

A 2015 6-foot-4 combo guard from Wadleigh High in New York, Kadisha is averaging 9 points and 10 rebounds per game during his freshman campaign as a starter for the 15-5 Manhattan PSAL AA squad. While he has not yet received the attention or hype of most players from the Big Apple, Kadisha is bound to be a hidden gem that schools have already found out about.

The strong guard goes hard to the basket as he uses his athleticism to make the impossible look easy at times. With some comparisons to NC State signee Rodney Purvis, Kadisha does his job as a combo guard by getting his teammates involved through his high basketball IQ, passing ability and the tools to score it himself. With most of the tools to succeed on the court, the freshman simply plays like a freshman at times. Kadisha gets in slumps and can be streaky at times. Being that he is a freshman, the guard will likely get out of this mental funk with more experience at the high school level. If he can do this – with his size, talent and ability to work for his goals – Kadisha is bound to be one of the top guards to come out of the tri-state area in 2015.

A number of schools have already taken a liking to the freshman. Kadisha received a scholarship offer from Arizona on Thursday. Along with the Wildcats, he has offers from Iowa State, St. John’s and Providence. Along with that, he has interest from Memphis, Rutgers and a number of other schools. Kadisha has taken an unofficial visit to St. John’s and plans on visiting Providence in the spring.

This spring and summer he will begin to receive more attention as he will be participating at the Reebok Breakout Camp, Pangos All American Camp and Mary Kline Classic.

As New York has been known for producing some of the top guards over the past few decades, Lenny Kadisha’s size and talent could determine his status as one of the better guards of the 21st century out of the state.

(Photo courtesy of Wadleigh Basketball)