ENGLEWOOD, N.J. — Sterling Gibbs is only a rising junior, but the Seton Hall Prep point guard may make the call on college this summer.
After scoring 16 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in the New York Panthers 59-58 semifinal loss to Team NJABC at the Joe Brown Memorial Tournament, Gibbs said he plans to take unofficial visits this summer to Oklahoma, Indiana, Villanova, Kentucky and Duke.
His father, Temple Gibbs, said his son could decide later this summer.
“We want to make a commitment by the end of the summer. I just want to get him set,” Temple said.
Gibbs and his older brother, Pitt sophomore Ashton Gibbs, both won gold medals this summer with USA Basketball. Sterling won a gold with the U16 team in Argentina, and Ashton won it all with the U19 team at the FIBA World Championship in New Zealand. That team was coached by Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon.
Sterling and the Panthers won the Reebok Summer Classic last weekend in Neptune, N.J. Their team is coached by Nets point guard Rafer Alston.
Sterling has previously said that Villanova was his favorite, but a slew of coaches were on hand Wednesday — the last day of the first portion of the July evaluation period — to check him and the other recruits out. Rutgers head coach Fred Hill, St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli, FDU head coach Greg Vetrone, Rider coach Tommy Dempsey, Pitt assistant Brandin Knight, St. John’s assistants Chris Casey and Oz Cross, Providence assistant Pat Skerry, Seton Hall assistant Kevin Murphy, St. Peter’s assistant John Morton and coaches from Temple, Columbia, Drexel and Albany were on hand.
TEAM NJABC WINS TITLE
Team NJABC downed Team Philly 66-56 to win the championship.
Markese Tucker of Trenton Catholic scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and his TC teammate Frantz Massenat had 9 points and 7 assists.
David Appolon had 16 points for Team Philly, which was playing without star guard Juanya Green.
In the semifinals, Tucker had 15 points, Massenat 14 and Wayne Newsome 11 for team NJABC in their win over the Panthers. Deshaun Wiggins scored 11 for the Panthers.
In the other semi, Team Philly beat the Playaz behind 19 points from Lamin Fulton and 14 from Ameen Tanksley. Myles Davis had 17 and Ronald Roberts 13 for the Playaz.
(Photo courtesy Jay Gomes, NJHoops.com)
FREE THROWS
Oak Hill guard Doron Lamb will visit Kansas in August, per The Shiver. He has visited Kentucky and plans to see Oklahoma. Lamb said his list consists of Kentucky, Oklahoma, UConn, Rutgers, Arizona, Marquette, and Pitt..Ryan Rhoomes, the 6-8 big man from Cardozo High, said he has offers from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Rutgers, George Mason and VCU. “I’ll probably decide in the next couple of weeks or months,” he said. “I’ll probably visit St. John’s because it’s close. That’s probably first on the list.”
Ashton Pankey, the rising senior forward from Jersey City St. Anthony has a list of Rice, Miami, Providence and Siena, according to New Heights director Kimani Young…Teaneck coach Curtis March said former Teaneck and Queen of Peace guard Javae King-Gilchrist will attend Jackson (Texas) Community College and holds an offer from Texas. Shomari Barber, his former Teaneck teammate, will attend Harvard..Martelli told a funny story about how Villanova coach Jay Wright was a counselor of his in the summer of 1975 at the National All-Star Basketball Camp run by Ed Rush. Martelli was a student at Widener College at the time…Speaking of Joe’s, Linden big man David Bruce will not suit up for the Hawks next year because of academic reasons. Daryus Quarles, a 6-6 senior wing who committed to Joe’s, will play for Paulsboro.
CORRECTION: Life Center Academy is not closing, Living Faith Christian Academy is closing. Life Center Academy just finished a $17 million sports complex on its campus, according to head coach Wilson Arroyo. The team features Syracuse commit Dion Waiters and will face a tough independent schedule that includes Findlay Prep, Oak Hill, St. Anthony and St. Patrick.
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