Kentucky, Louisville, Carolina Among Those in Pursuit of Antonio Blakeney

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. –– Kentucky’s John Calipari, Louisville’s Rick Pitino and North Carolina’s Roy Williams were among the head coaches in hot pursuit of shooting guard Antonio Blakeney here at the Peach Jam Saturday morning.

Continuing to show an ability to get to the rim and score in a variety of ways in the mid-range, Blakeney  went for 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting as E1T1 rebounded from a tough Friday night loss to the Playaz by downing Team Takeover, 86-61.

“When I play, I don’t pay attention to the coaches that’s over there,” the 6-foot-4, 185-pound Blakeney out of Sarasota (FL) Oak Ridge told SNY.tv following the game. “I find out after the game.”

Elijah Burns to Notre Dame

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — For second time in a week, Notre Dame has landed a player from the New York/New Jersey area.

Elijah Burns, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound four man from Blair (N.J.) Academy verbally pledged to the Irish. He told SNY.tv he also considered Seton Hall, Temple, VCU and George Washington.

Last week, Matt Ryan, a 6-6 small forward and sharpshooter from Iona Prep, also pledged to the Irish.

“I chose Notre Dame because of my relationship with the coaches and also what it does for you after basketball,” Burns said by phone. “That’s one of the main reasons, a degree from Notre Dame is second to none and it can set you up for life.”

St. John’s Pursuing 6-9 Bosnian Stretch Four

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — While virtually every other high-major coach in the country is here at Peach Jam, St. John’s coach Steve Lavin is in Bosnia pursuing additional frontcourt help for this coming season.

Sources said Lavin is “intrigued” by 6-foot-9 Bosnian forward Amar Alibegovic, currently playing with Bosnia & Herzegovina in the U20 European Championship Division B tournament, where he is averaging 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. Alibegovic, who also plays with the Italian team Stella Azzurra, will play next week with the Bosnian Senior National Team.

It is still possible Alibegovic could sign to play professionally in Europe, but he remains an amateur for now, sources said.

Alibegovic, 19, is the son of former Oregon State player Teo Alibegovic, who played with Gary Payton on the Oregon State NCAA Tournament teams in the late 1980s. The son was born in Oregon and holds passports from the U.S., Italy and Bosnia.

Playaz Guard T.J. Gibbs Breaking Out at Peach Jam

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — T.J. Gibbs is breaking out.

The youngest of the three Gibbs brothers from New Jersey, T.J. grew up in the shadows of older brothers Ashton, who played at Pittsburgh, and Sterling, now the point guard at Seton Hall.

On his Playaz Basketball AAU club, T.J. plays alongside highly acclaimed guard Isaiah Briscoe, who is being courted by some of the biggest programs in the nation.

Yet here at this Peach Jam — and specifically in a dramatic 81-78 victory over E1T1 Friday night — Gibbs has asserted his own primacy.

In a game that featured Briscoe, future pro Ben Simmons and highly touted guard Antonio Blakeney, it was Gibbs who was the leading scorer as the Playaz (4-0) remained unbeaten.

Malik Monk Drops 40 at Peach Jam, Setting A New Standard For Guards

http://www.youtu.be/TfToVQRzr38

By JACK LeGWIN

Special to ZAGSBLOG

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — A couple weeks after receiving a Kentucky offer, Malik Monk has gone to work at Peach Jam, leading Wings Elite to wins over Southern Stampede, Jackson Tigers and, on Friday night, against Team Penny in a game in which he went off for 40 points.

Playing in front of John Calipari, Bill Self and Billy Donovan, the 6-foot-3 Monk threw down some dunks that left the rim shaking. On one sequence, he put a spin move on a defender and posterized him with a lefty dunk moments later.

While he has offers from some of the biggest schools in the nation, he says that the college decision hasn’t really crept into his mind yet.

“Nothing really yet,” Monk told SNY.tv . “I’m just waiting until the end of the summer, and then I’m going to focus on everything. I’m not really focused on that, we’re just trying to win.”

Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Carolina, Syracuse, Arizona Watch Harry Giles

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — As Harry Giles works his back from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee, he continues to attract a Who’s Who of college coaches at Peach Jam.

Three Duke coaches, including Mike Krzyzewski, two Kentucky coaches, including John Calipari, two Syracuse coaches, including Jim Boeheim, Kansas’s Bill Self and North Carolina’s Roy Williams were among those on hand Friday morning to watch the 6-foot-10 Giles when Team CP3 lost to Team Takeover, 72-61. Arizona coach Sean Miller has also watched Giles here.

“You see them in the game, but you don’t pay no attention to them,” Giles, who wears a large black knee brace, said after going for 7 points on 3-for-3 shooting and 4 rebounds against Takeover.

Giles, the No. 1 player in the class of 2016 by 247 Sports, currently has offers from Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Maryland, Missouri, NC State, Ohio State and Wake Forest.

He says he has no favorites right now.