Melvin Opens it Up; Abraham Skips Visits
Cleveland Melvin, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound senior forward
Cleveland Melvin, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound senior forward
There were two key developments on the high school basketball/recruiting front today…
First, Nike on Thursday announced its Elite Youth Basketball schedule for the summer. The top players will once again be invited to attend positional Skills Academy with Utah’s Deron Williams (point guards), Boston’s Paul Pierce (wings), Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (wings) and Phoenix’s Amar’e Stoudemire (forwards/centers) held separately over June 24-30 in Chicago, IL.
That event will once again be followed by the LeBron James Academy at the University of Akron from July 5-7. All five Skills Academies will be closed to college coaches.
By then, LeBron could well be a New York Knick or a New Jersey Net or a Miami Heat…or a Cleveland Cavalier. The Lebron-a-thon begins July 1, so don’t be surprised to see Bron Bron working his cell phone hard at the camp.
Hamady N'Diaye can hardly believe his college
Joel ‘Air Jamaica’ Wright has verbally committed to play for Manhattan College.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward had initially committed to Fordham while at Brooklyn Thomas Jefferson, but he and Fordham ultimately parted ways.
Wright is now at Central Jersey Each One Teach One (CJEOTO) after spending the first half of the year at Central Carolina Sports Academy, which he said has since shut down.
Wright said he picked Manhattan over interest from Providence, Pittsburgh, Baylor, Miami and Drexel. The story was first reported by Gotham Hoops Scouting.
“I picked them because it’s still a chance to be home,” Wright said. “[Coach Barry Rohrssen] is a cool dude. We had a relationship. I’m going to school where I can get exposure and my family can see me play. I want to be home so my mother [Diana Wilson] can see me play and enjoy my college career.”
Tom Barrise has not yet been named head coach at Fairleigh Dickinson University, but all signs point to him being named the head coach as early as next week.
Barrise spent Wednesday night scouting Wayne (N.J.) Valley senior point guard Jason Rosenberg put up 18 points and 9 assists when Passaic Valley beat Wayne Valley, 68-60, in a North 1, Group 3 playoff game at PV.
Barrise, who still works for the Nets and was their interim head coach for two games this year after Lawrence Frank was fired, has also scouted Paterson Kennedy senior wing Shondel Stewart.
Barrise indicated he would reach out to the coaches of those players “next week,” a source with knowledge said.
NEW YORK (NBA.com exclusive) -- Could Tracy
The No. 1 high school prospect in the nation could be close to announcing his college choice, setting the dominoes falling for the top prep point guards.
Brandon Knight of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest on Wednesday told the Orlando Sentinel he plans to announce “sometime soon.”
The 6-foot-4 Knight lists Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, and Miami as his final five.
“I’m pretty ready. I want to make sure I make the right decision,” Knight told the Sentinel after scoring 25 points in a 77-63 victory over Williston in a Florida Class 3A semifinal.
