Zach Braziller

Zach Braziller

Kadeem Jack will announce his commitment to Rutgers tonight on the MSG Varsity, a source close to the situation told The Post. Jack, who is in Turkey with a group of New York City stars, chose the... Read on

Kadeem Jack will announce his commitment to Rutgers tonight on the MSG Varsity, a source close to the situation told The Post.
	 
Jack, who is in Turkey with a group of New York City stars, chose the Scarlet Knights over West Virginia, Miami, and Arkansas. A New York Post All-City first team selection, Jack (6 feet, 9 inches) averaged 16.9 points per game for Rice last season, and will attend South Kent (Conn.) in the fall.
	 
Rutgers has put the press on Jack since Mike Rice took over the floundering program and brought along expert city recruiter Van Macon, formerly of Hofstra and Fordham. They had told Jack, the eighth-ranked power forward in the Class of 2011, according to Scout.com, he could become the face of the program and they would build around him.
	 
“That definitely does interest me,” the Queens native and Rice High School star said earlier this month. “It makes me feel like they are serious about what they are doing.”
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Jefferson star Grace commits to Manhattan College

August 17, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

Talented guard Davontay Grace verbally committed to Manhattan College this morning, Thomas Jefferson coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard told The Post. The 6-foot-2 Grace initially committed to St. John’s... Read on

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Braziller's recruiting roundup: Jack cuts list to four, Harkless takes charge

August 16, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

Kadeem Jack has inched closer to picking a school. The former Rice standout headed to South Kent (Conn.) in the fall for a postgraduate year narrowed his list of suitors to Rutgers, Miami, Arkansas... Read on

Kadeem Jack has inched closer to picking a school.
	 
The former Rice standout headed to South Kent (Conn.) in the fall for a postgraduate year narrowed his list of suitors to Rutgers, Miami, Arkansas and West Virginia on Sunday.
	 
“I feel like I can make an impact at all these schools right away and that’s what I want,” said the 6-foot-9 forward originally from Trinidad & Tobago who now resides in Queens. “I know all the coaches want to develop me, make me the best player I can be.”
	 
The eighth-ranked power forward in the Class of 2011 according to Scout.com, Jack has visited all four schools, with official visits to Miami and Arkansas and unofficial visits to Rutgers and West Virginia. He plans to take official visits to the latter two sometime this month.
	 
Jack said Miami and Arkansas made the cut partly because they were the first two to seriously recruit him. St. John’s was in the mix – former Rice coach Maurice Hicks is now the Red Storm’s direction of basketball operations – but Jack said “they weren’t there at the end.” He declined to elaborate. West Virginia has earned a reputation for making city standouts – such as Devin Ebanks (now with the Los Angeles Lakers) – significantly better, and reached the Final Four last March under Bob Huggins.
	 
Rutgers has put the press on Jack since Mike Rice took over the floundering program in New Brunswick, N.J., and brought along expert city recruiter Van Macon, formerly of Hofstra and Fordham. According to sources, they have told Jack he could become the face of the program and they would build around him.
	 
“That definitely does interest me,” he said. “It makes me feel like they are serious about what they are doing.”
	 
Beyond its scenic locale, Miami has one distinct advantage: the presence of rising sophomore guard Durand Scott, Jack’s teammate at Rice for two years. The two still talk often, and Jack said joining Scott would lessen the difficult transition all freshmen go through.
	 
“It definitely is an added bonus,” Jack said. “He wants me to come, but he doesn’t want that to impact my decision.”
	 
Damion ReidKadeem Jack has cut his list to four: Rutgers, West Virginia, Miami and Arkansas.

Wherever he ends up, Jack said he hopes to decide before leaving for South Kent the first week of September.
	 
“I’m gonna sit down with my mom, [Louisa Hall], and [advisor] Damian Leslie, go over the pros and cons of each school, and see what is the best fit," he said.
	 
Harkless takes charge of recruiting: Maurice Harkless’ list of eight (St. John’s, Rutgers, Maryland, North Carolina State, Memphis, Florida, Cincinnati and Arizona) remains the same. One difference is how he is going about the process. The 6-foot-8 small forward from Jamaica, Queens, who initially committed to Connecticut, is organizing his visits, such as the official he will take to Maryland on Sept. 2 and the unofficial to St. John’s on Sept. 18.
	 
Basically, the South Kent-bound Harkless is handling his own recruiting, a decision made jointly by Harkless and advisor Nate Blue. Blue is still there to assist, but felt it was a necessary step so Harkless is sure to be comfortable with the school he selects. Harkless calls coaches and they have now been told to contact him directly, instead of Blue.
	 
“It’s a part of becoming a man -- making your own decisions,” Harkless said.
	 
Nunez down to six:Bronx native Angel Nunez has cut his list of schools down to six: Miami, West Virginia, Florida, Louisville, Arizona and Rutgers. The talented 6-foot-7 wing, who spent last season at Winchendon (Mass.) and plans to attend Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) this year, hopes to commit in early September.
	 
“The reason why these are the schools is they have been recruiting me from the beginning and they have consistently been on me strong,” he said.
	 
Nunez, ranked 20th in the nation in the Class of 2011 among small forwards by Scout.com, has visited Arizona and Rutgers. He doesn’t have any other visits scheduled and said he could commit without taking any more trips to prospective schools.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller's news & notes from the World Basketball Festival at Rucker Park

August 15, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

I’ve never pretended to be overly intelligent, but my decision to make my return from vacation at Rucker Park for Nike’s World Basketball Festival on Saturday wasn’t one of my brighter ideas.
	 
The place had more security than the White House, making my job tougher than it needed to be. The day was long and players often scattered after games.
	 
This would’ve been a difficult task in the heat of a busy week, when I’m used to conducting interviews, and gathering information quickly, but not fresh off laying out on a beach in Asbury Park, N.J., and spending my day eating and swimming.
	 
Being the pro that I am, I found a way to be productive, and got plenty of good information, after a slow start. Next year, however, I’ll be better prepared for the event – vacation a week earlier.
	 
By the end of my day Saturday, I took a seat in the stands; I needed some time catch my breath. I’m actually in good shape – for a reporter of course after I began jogging consistently in the spring. This was work fatigue.
	 
There were far more interesting notes to the day than my struggles. Here are a few.
	 
-- Jermaine Sanders won’t make his college decision until late in the recruiting process, but as of now, Cincinnati has to be considered his leader. Sanders took an unofficial visit recently.
	 
“It was a great experience,” said the 6-foot-5 sharp-shooting Sanders, who also holds offers from Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova, Providence, and UMass. “It was something new. I really like the coaching staff. They were telling me I’m their No. 1 recruit.”
	 
-- Former Rice star Kadeem Jack has already whittled down his lengthy list of college suitors to seven: Oklahoma, Rutgers, Miami, Arkansas, Xavier, St. John’s, and West Virginia. He plans to cut it to four tomorrow after discussing the programs even more with his mother, Louisa Hall, and mentor, Damian Leslie.
	 
“I’m looking for a place I can go and develop and become a better player,” the South Kent (Conn.)-bound 6-foot-9 Jack said. “I’m looking for a family environment.”
	 
-- Shaquille Stokes said he is “100 percent” sure he will return to Lincoln in the fall. There were plenty of rumors the rising senior was considering a move to Word of God Academy (N.C.), John Wall’s alma mater, but has opted to remain at the Coney Island dynamo.
	 
“Lincoln is family, I don’t want to leave that,” said Stokes, who has drawn interest from Big East schools West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Rutgers, in addition to mid-majors Hofstra and Siena.
	 
The return of Stokes, a 20-point scorer in his sleep, bolsters an already strong Railsplitters club that features an all-senior frontcourt of possible Division I talents in Jordan Dickerson, Chris Ortiz, and Kamari Murphy. Isaiah Whitehead, arguably the city’s top incoming freshman, could share the backcourt with Stokes.
	 
“He’s real good,” Stokes said of Whitehead. “He’s gonna be a McDonald’s All-American.
	 
-- Jevon Thomas, formerly of Thomas Edison and Our Savior New American, took his first unofficial visit, to St. John’s on Friday. He met with the coaching staff, new head man Steve Lavin, and assistant Tony Chiles, his lead recruiter. The St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.)-bound point guard doesn’t plan to commit until after his upcoming junior year, but the Red Storm are at the top of his list, which also includes offers from Villanova and Georgia Tech
	 
Damion ReidShaquille Stokes plans to return to Lincoln despite rumors to the contrary.

.
	 
“It’s close to home and I like what Coach Lavin is doing,” Thomas said.
	 
-- Kareem Canty has yet to formulate a list of colleges, although he plans to commit by Sept. 1. He has received offers from Rutgers, Iowa State, George Mason, St. Bonaventure, Florida International, Iona, Hofstra, Marist, St. Peter's, Wagner College, and Houston.
	 
(Earlier in the day I tweeted he was down to four, but was recently told he has yet to cut his list).
	 
The former Bishop Loughlin standout, who has yet to pick a prep school, took an unofficial visit to Rutgers on Tuesday, and plans to visit George Mason and St. Bonaventure in the near future. He enjoyed his time in Piscataway, N.J., but said the Scarlet Knights’ conference will factor little into his decision.
	 
“All [my schools] are on the same level to me,” he said.
	 
-- Former Thomas Edison star Ede Egharevba has fully enrolled at Queen City Prep (N.C.). He holds offers from Rice, LaSalle, Fordham, and Hofstra. He plans to wait until after the year to commit.
	 
-- In other news, Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio said rising sophomore wing Jermaine Lawrence took an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech on Saturday. Wings Academy guard Gerrell Martin has received an offer from Quinnipiac, and is drawing serious interest from LIU, Stony Brook, St. Peter’s, and Maine, his father, Ghandhi Martin said. Also, former Cardozo forward Ryan Rhoomes will attend St. Stanislaus College Prep (Miss.), his mother, Aretha, said.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller's news & notes from NYC Summer Classic

August 01, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

Behind the yawns and dreary looks, there were smiles and sighs of relief. The live recruiting period came to an end Saturday with New Heights’ NYC Summer Classic at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gym, meaning red-eye, cross-country flights and 12-hour days of watching basketball has come to an end.
	 
The event drew plenty of coaches, from Florida to Kansas to St. John’s, Louisville and Rutgers. It was a fine event, made that much better for the talent evaluators now that they will be given a chance to exhale and compare notes with their respective staffs.
	 
There was plenty of talent on hand, and I caught up with a few locals. Here are news & notes from the day.
	 
-- Malcolm Brooks’ recruiting – or lack thereof – has infuriated Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is a Division I player, the longtime coach has repeatedly said. Plenty of schools have looked at Brooks and like him, just not quite enough to offer him a scholarship for the 2010-2011 season.
	 
That may have changed on Saturday. University of Baltimore Maryland County and Binghamton – schools that have scholarships available – expressed an interest in Brooks. St. Peter’s and Manhattan would take him, had they had offers left. Although Brooks, who helped Cardozo reach the PSAL Class AA title game last March, is all set to attend the Robinson School (N.C.), he wouldn’t be against to changing those plans.
	 
“I would take it if it was a good situation,” the 17-year-old Queens native said. “I would go to [Binghamton].”
	 
-- Former St. John’s coach Norm Roberts spent a few hours at Fordham on Saturday to catch with old friends and watch some basketball. He reiterated his plans to return to coaching at some point, but not until the right situation comes around. In the meantime, Roberts plans to spend time with his family. As for attending a recruiting event without a coaching job, he smiled.
	 
“It’s the same thing,” he said. “You’re still looking at talent.”
	 
After a rough month playing out of position and switching AAU teams, Angel Nunez looked to find his comfort zone. He led Team Tri-State to a 1-1 mark, including a 23-point performance in a victory over the Juice All-Stars. The 6-foot-8 wing started July with the powerhouse New York Gauchos, but switched to the Juice All-Stars for the AAU Super Showcase after he was playing out of position in the paint. He showed his entire repertoire at Fordham: knocking down long jumpers, finishing in the paint, blocking shots on the defensive end and setting up his teammates for easy shots.
	 
“You could see today he’s definitely one of the best players in the country,” said Eric Martinez, Nunez’s mentor.
	 
Nunez, who attended Winchendon Prep (Mass.) last year and will be at Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) this fall, plans to cut his list to five sometime in August and make a decision shortly thereafter. He has received scholarship offers from Arizona, Connecticut, Louisville and St. John’s.
	 
-- Fordham recruit Jeff Short confirmed his plans to attend Notre Dame Prep in September. The former John F. Kennedy star just came home after a whirlwind month with the New York Panthers, his first summer on the AAU circuit. Although he would likely have a handful of interested schools had he not committed to Fordham on May 27 after helping the Panthers reach the final four at the Fab 48 event in Las Vegas and win the Desert Duel in Phoenix, Ariz., Short has no regrets.
	 
Damion ReidBoys & Girls star Mike Taylor led Team Lucky Runnin' Rebels to the 17U Gold bracket final.

“I’m happy I’m here,” he said. “My family can come see me play and it’s close to home.”
	 
-- Aside from Queens native Maurice Harkless, the breakout star of this summer from the city has to be Kareem Canty, the Bishop Loughlin guard who said he expects to attend Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.) in the fall. Before his AAU season began with the Long Island Lightning, Canty didn’t have any offers. Now the combo guard has a handful of them, the latest Rutgers and Iowa State, in addition to George Mason, Iona, Hofstra, Marist, St. Peter’s, Wagner College and Houston.
	 
“Kareem was the best point guard in New York City this summer,” Long Island Lightning coach Abdu-Allah Torrence said.
	 
-- July was a quiet month for Boys & Girls standout Mike Taylor. While other elite prospects were crisscrossing the country playing in front of college coaches in exotic locales, he was back home taking summer classes and working out with his teammates.
	 
“It makes no difference because I’m pretty satisfied with the schools I got,” said Taylor, who led Team Lucky Runnin’ Rebels to the 17U Gold bracket final on Saturday. “Playing against the best of the best is good, but working on your game is better to me.”
	 
Taylor plans to trim his college list, which includes scholarships offers from Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Virginia, to five by the end of the summer.
	 
-- Former Wings Academy star Deshaun Wiggins, who initially committed to Seton Hall before coach Bobby Gonzalez was fired and spent a postgraduate year at Bridgton Academy in Maine last year, has a new list of suitors after a successful July with the New York Panthers. It includes Hofstra, Fordham, Rice, and Oregon State, although Wiggins has yet to be offered by any of those programs. If the southpaw scoring guard had his pick, he would already be headed to the Pacific Northwest.
	 
“If they offer me, I’m gonna go there,” he said.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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A look back at the AAU Super Showcase

July 29, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

I woke up late Wednesday morning, picked up my BlackBerry, and headed immediately for Twitter. Just hours after landing in Newark International Airport, I was already going through AAU live... Read on

I woke up late Wednesday morning, picked up my BlackBerry, and headed immediately for Twitter.
	 
Just hours after landing in Newark International Airport, I was already going through AAU live recruiting period withdrawal. I had to read the reporters’ tweets on the goings-on at the AAU Nationals.
	 
My first visit to central Florida was wildly successful. I made plenty of contacts with AAU and college coaches, personally met two of my favorite head coaches, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Rutgers’ Mike Rice. The event is run extremely well and on time, updated schedules are handed out every hour, and there are 12 courts at your fingertips at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.
	 
And, last but not least, the air conditioning. Oh, what air conditioning. That might’ve been my favorite part of the trip. It was 100 degrees outside, yet I hardly broke a sweat.
	 
The basketball was played at a high level; three New York City-area clubs reached the Gold division quarterfinals, and two of them – Team Next and Long Island Lightning – held leads late before falling short. Many kids raised their stock. Below are a few of notes I would like to point out that I didn’t get to.
	 
-- Chris Ortiz is going to help Lincoln. The 6-foot-7 forward showed a soft touch around the basket, ability to play on the perimeter, and that he is rugged rebounder in helping the Westchester Hawks reach the Gold division quarterfinals. He wasn’t the only Railsplitter forward to impress; Kamari Murphy led the Lightning to the Gold quarters as well, and displayed a perimeter shot that was previously missing. He still needs to get stronger, but the 6-foot-8 rising senior has plenty of time, since he is only 16 years of age and plans to go to prep school after his senior year.
	 
-- Tony Hargraves and Co. are doing big things with the Riverdale Hawks. What the program lacks in superstar talent, it makes up for in cohesiveness and unselfish play. The 17U club, coached by Jesse Shapiro, reached the Silver division Copper semifinals while Hargraves’ 16U team lost in the semifinals. They also reached the Round of 16 in the AAU Nationals.
	 
-- Jevon Thomas is the best New York City point guard right now. The 6-foot Jamaica, Queens native, who is headed to St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey, already has offers from St. John’s and Villanova, but there will be plenty more on the way, several coaches told me. The prototypical point is a one-man fast break, but he has expanded his game offensively and can get wherever he wants on the floor. It’s a shame Thomas will be taking that breathtaking ability to New Jersey. He’s one reason the Gauchos backcourt – with Omar Calhoun at the two – may be one of the best in the country next year.
	 
-- Speaking of Calhoun, Christ the King’s 6-foot-4 shooting guard, he didn’t shine quite as he did at Nike Peach Jam earlier in the month. He looked sluggish at times and his jumper wasn’t falling. That didn’t stop several head coaches – such as Florida’s Billy Donovan and Villanova’s Jay Wright – from keeping a close eye on the rising junior.
	 
-- Team Next is my favorite AAU team to watch. It’s 32 minutes of fast breaks. While the shot clock rarely comes into play during these tournaments, Michael Moore’s club, led by Half Hollows Hills West point guard Tavon Sledge and Bronx native Achraf Yacoubou, a Villanova recruit, takes that to the next extreme. They lack size and depth, yet made it all the way to the Gold division quarterfinals, where Moore’s kids fell to Team Takeover from Washington, D.C., the Nike Peach Jam champions.
	 
-- I can see why new schools keep on popping up on Kadeem Jack’s list. He has added muscle to his 6-foot-9 frame, you can see the maturating in his offensive game – particularly his jump shot – and his mobility is better than it was during the high-school season. That being said, he still lacks much of a back-to-the-basket game. By this time next year, after a season at South Kent (Conn.), the former Rice standout will be flat-out scary.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller's news & notes from AAU Super Showcase Day 3

July 27, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Maybe it was my morning coffee or the lack of sleep the last few days, but I was imagining an all-NYC semifinal in the Gold Division. Team Next was all over Team Takeover from Washington D.C. and Long Island Lightning had the St. Louis Eagles down, too.
	 
By the time my adrenaline rush settled down, the city came crashing back down to earth, too. Team Takeover, the Peach Jam champion, went on a furious, fourth-quarter run to send Team Next home and the Lightning fell apart late with a pair of costly turnovers. Finally, I had a few hours to myself, although I was disappointed somewhat.
	 
Then, the sad and unsettling news at Drexel broke -- former New York City standouts Jamie Harris and Kevin Phillip are facing armed robbery charges. My free time now involved plenty of phone calls. I did get to watch some basketball. Below are a few notes from the final full day of the AAU Super Showcase.
	 
-- Much of the country’s top prospects make the rounds on the AAU circuit to gain college interest. While Amadou Sidibe, Cardinal Hayes’ 6-foot-8 rising junior, doesn’t mind the many eyes watching him, getting game experience is more important.
	 
Sidibe, a native of the Ivory Coast, only started playing basketball when he arrived at Hayes his freshman year.
	 
“I hadn’t played in that many games,” he said. “With AAU, I’m getting more confidence with my moves. I’m trying to get better at everything.”
	 
That’s been clear. He has finished around the basketball at a higher percentage and isn’t as tentative as he was during the high-school season, although the long forward did lead Hayes to the CHSAA Class A title game this past March.
	 
Sidibe committed to Fordham and interim coach Jared Grasso, but decommitted because he didn’t want to stay close to home. He has received an offer form Yale and has interest from Boston College, Rutgers, Northeastern, and Iona.
	 
-- Chavaughn Lewis wanted to make his own legacy entering high school, so he opted for St. Mary’s of Manhasset, L.I. instead of a traditional New York City powerhouse. The Flushing, Queens native, a rising senior spending his first summer with Team Next, wanted to make a name for himself.
	 
“There are a lot of stacked teams in New York City,” he said. “We play a lot of city teams. I’d rather get more exposure.”
	 
That was one reason he opted to leave the Long Island Lightning for Team Next, a program featuring a high-major backcourt in Villanova-bound Achraf Yacoubou and Half Hollows Hills West point guard Tavon Sledge. The move has paid off as the 6-foot-4 Lewis has drawn plenty of mid-major interest from Canisius, Norfolk State, Central Connecticut State, Fordham, Hofstra, Marist, and LIU.
	 
“It puts me at an advantage,” Lewis said of playing with Team Next. “I have to focus on my role, not having to worry about what everybody else is doing.”
	 
-- Early in the spring, there were rumors flying that Tavon Sledge was headed for Lincoln. Unfortunately for the Railsplitters – and fortunately for the rest of the PSAL – they didn’t have legs. His AAU coach and mentor, Michael Moore, confirmed Sledge plans to return to Half Hollows Hills West on Long Island.
	 
I don’t root for any teams, but I was disappointed with the news. Sledge is one of my favorites players to watch. Athletically gifted and blessed with sprinter’s speed, the 5-foot-6 point guard enjoyed a solid AAU Super Showcase, leading Team Next to the quarterfinals, where it fell to Team Takeover (Washington, D.C.), the Nike Peach Jam champions. He ended one game by blocking a 6-foot-9 center and wowed a number of major college coaches with a dunk in traffic.
	 
Sledge has drawn significant interest from St. John’s, Virginia, West Virginia, and Iowa State. After this week, that list should double – at least. He plans on committing sometime in August, he said.
	 
-- Archbishop Stepinac’s Conroy Baltimore rarely leaves the paint during the high-school season. This summer, though, he has been given the opportunity to play more on the wing with the Westchester Hawks. The result: Baltimore has showed his versatility and his college looks have grown. He has visited Holy Cross, Central Connecticut, and Fairfield, and received interest from New Hampshire, Marist, Vermont and Wagner.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller's news & notes from AAU Super Showcase Day 2

July 26, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Sure, I was excited for my trip here. I wanted to get out of New York for a few days. But the AAU Super Showcase wasn’t going to be breaking any ground. I’ve been to ABCD Camp and... Read on

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Sure, I was excited for my trip here. I wanted to get out of New York for a few days. But the AAU Super Showcase wasn’t going to be breaking any ground.
	 
I’ve been to ABCD Camp and Hoop Group Elite Camp, seen plenty of Division I college coaches before.
	 
Boy, was I wrong.
	 
The setup at ESPN's Wide World of Sports is tremendous -- the Milkhouse and Jostens Center are situated adjacent to one another, giving coaches and reporters 12 different games to choose from. There are 200-page pamphlets with each team and its players (numbers included) available, and updated schedules handed out.
	 
Plus, it’s in the heart of the live recruiting period. I’ve seen more big names than I can recall, from Florida’s Billy Donovan to Louisville’s Rick Pitino to Michigan State’s Tom Izzo in my very hotel.
	 
I also like the idea of kids playing with their AAU teams rather than a hodgepodge of talent mixed together like ABCD was. It offers coaches a better understanding of how prospects can fit into the team concept. While AAU is mostly based on individualistic talents, I haven’t seen too much of that here.
	 
I’ve met plenty of coaches, many of who have been nothing but friendly, offering insight and intel on many of the city prospects. Two of my favorite head coaches: Rutgers’ Mike Rice and Izzo, who I struck up a conversation with at 11 p.m. in my hotel elevator. St. John’s assistant Tony Chiles couldn’t be nicer, and he may be one of the hardest workers in the nation; I don’t think he’s missed a game this month. Here is the latest from the AAU Super Showcase, a must-see event if you ask me.
	 
-- Hunter Cotton figured he would have to wait until his postgraduate year started at Northfield Mount Hermon to see his recruiting pick up. For a smart kid, he was dead wrong.
	 
The 6-foot-7 Cotton, who starred at Dalton for four years, recently picked up offers from Hofstra and Holy Cross. He has also drawn interest from Davidson, Princeton, Virginia Tech, Cornell and Hartford. He credits his decision to travel with the Westchester Hawks on the AAU circuit this summer, a first for the versatile forward.
	 
"I'm loving it, it's great," he said.
	 
At Dalton, Cotton rarely appeared in front of college coaches and played out of position in the paint. With the Hawks, he is often on the perimeter, where he has shown a consistent jumpshot and playmaking ability.
	 
"It's helped me expand my game," he said. When asked what it was like to play in front of coaches like Rick Pitino and Bill Self, Cotton broke into a wide smile. "The [first live recruiting event] my eyes lit up. This is the thing I only read about."
	 
-- Arguably the best frontcourt talent from the city in the Class of 2014 doesn’t even reside in the five boroughs from the fall through the spring. That would be Dakari Johnson, a highly rated 6-foot-9, 14-year-old forward who plays for the Gauchos. He moved down to Lexington, Ky., with his mother three years ago, and stays with his grandparents in Brooklyn during the summer so he can play with the Gauchos.
	 
“It helps my fastbreak game, running up and down with them,” he said. “Kentucky is more of a halfcourt game.”
	 
He is physical, blessed with soft hands and a relentless motor. I would like to see him be more assertive, but that will come in time. Johnson, who led the Gauchos to the final of the 15U AAU Super Showcase, hasn’t decided on a high school just yet, but said “there is a good chance” he will attend Scott County HS. If he had his choice and could return to the city, the rising freshman said he would go to Rice. With Kadeem Jack recently graduating, the Raiders could use him.
	 
“He’s got great upside,” one Division I head coach told me.
	 
-- At this time last year, Holy Cross swingman Evan Conti had just finished a memorable month in Israel, where he led USA to the gold medal in the Maccabiah Games. He prefers Israel to Kissimmee, Fla., but understands the importance of this month.
	 
Conti, who helped the Rising Stars go 3-0 in Silver division pool play and reach the second round of the playoffs, recently picked up interest from Wagner College. He already has offers from Bucknell and Hartford, whose head coach John Gallagher watched his first four games in the AAU Super Showcase. He also has interest from George Mason, Drezel, Quinnipiac and Delaware.
	 
-- Salesian standout Kevin Punter, a talented 6-foot-3 guard who has led Long Island Lightning Dingle Blue into the second round of the Silver division playoffs, has seen his recruitment pick up this month, although he is still awaiting his first offer. The Bronx native and rising senior, who is in his first year with the Lightning, has heard from George Mason, Iona, Northeastern, Wagner College and Marist.
	 
Damion ReidFormer Dalton star Hunter Cotton has seen his recruitment take off this summer playing with the Westchester Hawks.

-- Gauchos 15U guard Jevon Thomas has received his first two offers, from St. John’s and Villanova. He doesn’t plan to commit until after his junior year at St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.). The talented point guard begins classes at the New Jersey prep school next week.
	 
-- His backcourt mate, DaShawn Suber, will be at rival St. Patrick. The Class of 2012 guard opted to leave Rice after longtime coach Mo Hicks took a job at St. John’s. It was a tough decision to leave, he said, but Suber will be playing for one of the nation’s elite programs and will count Kentucky-bound forward Michael Gilchrist, the unanimous No. 1 player in the Class of 2011, as a teammate. Suber was also told by new coach, Kevin Boyle, that he will run the point with Kyrie Irving now at Duke.
	 
“It will help my game tremendously,” he said. “Mike likes to get rebounds and get out [in transition] – that’s the game I like: up and down.”
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller's news & notes from AAU Super Showcase

July 25, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- First, I made my 7 a.m. flight at Newark, which, to those who know me, is a minor miracle. Next, my hotel not only allowed me to check in early, it upgraded my room at no extra cost. I have a living room and two television sets. For someone who has been without TV for the last week, it’s a pleasure. And lastly, when I asked the front desk to call me a cab, they told me it would be at least 10 minutes. Seconds later, my taxi driver was in front.
	 
Since I don’t have a totem – Inception fans, you understand – I pinched myself, but didn’t wake up. Yes, if the start to my trip to Orlando was any indication, my first experience at the AAU Super Showcase was going to be a success.
	 
While my first day was tiring, it was well worth it. Here are a few recruiting notes and observations from Day 1:
	 
-- I’ve felt like this since I first laid eyes on him at Thomas Edison two years, but I’ve seen enough to go public: Jevon Thomas is going to be a star. The standout point guard, who started out at Edison two years ago, transferred to Our Savior New American last year, and is now enrolled at St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.), is an ideal point guard (minus his lithe 6-foot frame) because of his vision, quickness and unselfishness.
	 
He carried the Gauchos 16U club to a double overtime victory over Team Takeover (Washington, D.C.) in the second round of the Gold division playoffs and had them up nine at the half against Gardner Road (N.C.) before the team ran out of gas.
	 
He is smooth, strong with the ball, and his jumpshot is improving. Furthermore, Thomas understands the job of a point guard is to make his teammates better. There are times he holds the ball too long, but in the open court, he is breathtaking, splitting defenders like they are nonexistent and rarely wasting time before finding others in transition.
	 
No wonder Thomas has received significant interest from Syracuse, Villanova, Xavier, St. John’s, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Washington. Scout.com ranks him as the 15th-best point guard in the Class of 2012.
	 
-- Former Rice star Kadeem Jack has a college list that keeps on growing. Xavier, Cincinnati and West Virginia have joined the fray of suitors, which already includes North Carolina, Kansas State, St. John’s, Arizona, and Texas, among others. Jack, who will prep at South Kent (Conn.) in the fall, plans to commit in September so he can enjoy his final year of high-school basketball.
	 
“I waited a little too long [this past spring] and it stressed me out,” the 6-foot-9 power forward ranked eighth in the nation at his position by Scout.com. “I want to have fun the season before college.”
	 
-- Former St. Raymond guard Harold McBride, who spent last year at Impact Academy (Fla.), isn’t sure yet where he’ll end up next year. He has looked at Central Jersey Each One Teach One (CJETO), a popular destination for city standouts, but is keeping his options open. McBride is happy with his current decision to play for Albany City Rocks, a team featuring highly recruited forwards Tyler Harris of Half Hollow Hills West and DaJuan Coleman of Jamesville DeWitt, here in Orlando.
	 
“It’s a better position for me,” said McBride, who helped Albany City Rocks to a 1-1 effort on Saturday in Gold division pool play. “The ball is in my hands. I can set everybody up and look good.”
	 
-- Cardozo sharpshooter Malcolm Brooks' hopes of being at a Division I school in the fall have been all but dashed. So he is doing the next best thing: attending prep school with an eye to ward 2011. St. Peter’s, St. Francis, Radford and Binghamton are all interested, but don’t have any scholarships left. St. Peter’s, Brooks said, promised him a spot after a year of prep school.
	 
Philip HallFormer Rice standout Kadeem Jack, who will be at South Kent in the fall (Conn.) plans to pick a college in September.

“It could open up new opportunities for me,” said the 6-foot-3 Brooks, who is playing with Team Next/Rich Soil in the Super Showcase Gold division. “It could be better, give me another year to get stronger.”
	 
-- With the emergence of rising senior Kamari Murphy and development of rising senior Jordan Dickerson, Lincoln’s frontcourt promises to be arguably the best in the city. That was only if Chris Ortiz, who is playing with the Westchester Hawks, came back. The former Christ the King forward, who had to sit out last year after transferring into Lincoln because of PSAL rules, isn’t sure of his future plans.
	 
“I’m going to see how this summer goes,” the versatile 6-foot-8 forward said, sounding doubtful one moment, then saying he would “likely” be back in Coney Island the next.
	 
The reason for his uncertainty? Ortiz has one year left of high school and wants to make the most out of it. His college hopes are resting in the balance.
	 
“Gong to workouts, team camp, I played well with them,” he said of the Railsplitters. “But I think there could be something better.”
	 
-- Rising senior Kareem Canty remains a hot commodity for 2011 for mid-major programs. This summer alone, he has received offers from George Mason, Iona, Hofstra, Marist, St. Peter’s and Wagner College. The other day, Houston extended an offer. Canty, a 6-foot-2 combo guard formerly of Bishop Loughlin, likes the Conference USA program, which reached the NCAA Tournament last March, and said they would be one of the five schools he visits. “I like the environment, I like the coaching staff, and I can relate to [assistant] coach Ulric [Maligi].”
	 
As for next year, Canty said it is “looking like” he will attend Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Mass.) for his postgraduate year. Dana Dingle, his AAU coach with the Long Island Lightning, suggested the prep school and Canty enjoyed his recent visit there.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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Braziller heads to Orlando for AAU Super Showcase

July 24, 2010 , ι By ZACH BRAZILLER

At this time last year, I heard all about Las Vegas and the various AAU tournaments from my co-worker Marc Raimondi. He called frequently, asking me boys hoops questions. I gladly answered our girls basketball beat writer's every query, but I was upset – upset with myself.
	 
What was I doing in Brooklyn, when all these players and college coaches were enjoying wall-to-wall basketball? I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.
	 
No, I won’t be in Sin City this week – I’ve been there twice before and I’m not sure I could handle working in that town – but I will be at a big live recruiting event. I’ll be at Walt Disney World in Orlando, for the AAU Super Showcase presented by Champion, which has an abundance of national talent plus nine local teams in the 17U division. I will also catch the playoffs of the 16s, where the loaded New York Gauchos and surprising Riverside Hawks are still alive in the Gold Division.
	 
While powerhouses such as New Heights and the New York Panthers are in Las Vegas, the five boroughs are well represented in Orlando. Although the Metro Hawks aren’t one of them, the Gauchos, Juice All-Stars and Long Island Lightning all promise to do damage. Then, there are also lesser known organizations like the New York City Jaguars, Team Next (also known as Rich Soil) and Rising Stars.
	 
Such highly recruited standouts as Christ the King’s Omar Calhoun (Gauchos), Lincoln’s Kamari Murphy (Lincoln) and Team Next’s Achraf Yacoubou (Long Island Lutheran) will be on hand. The showcase is arguably more important for players not on the national radar; hundreds of college coaches will be on hand to assess the talent.
	 
I’ll be there from early Saturday morning – my flight leaves Newark International Airport at 7 a.m. – until late Tuesday night. I plan on spending each day writing features, providing blogs with recruiting news, and offering tournament updates. And for up-to-the-minute musings, follow me on
	 Twitter.
	 
zbraziller@nypost.com

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About the Author

ZACH BRAZILLER A co-founder of FiveBoroSports.com, Zach Braziller has covered high-school sports in New York City for six years, beginning with an internship at the New York Sun. A graduate of Drew University, he moved on to serve as the sports editor of the Queens Courier newspaper for five years and also worked for SNY.tv in that time, covering the area’s three local hockey clubs and the New York Giants. Braziller’s work has also appeared in The New York Times and the Houston Chronicle.

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