Washington Will Play At FIBA
Hofstra junior forward Greg Washington from Centereach will play for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6.
Harris Near Top Of Ratings At 2
Booth Five Star All-Star
Cameron Booth of Hampton Bays High School made the N.B.A. All-Star Team at the Five Star Camp held at E.Stroudsburg University. Cameron, who will be entering his junior year this fall, was also picked to be a starter for the game.
Adduci Eastern All-Star
Joe Adduci of Kings Park High school made the All-Star Team at the Eastern Invitational Camp.
Harris Leads Rocks To Semis
Tobias Harris scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Albany City Rocks to the Final Four at the Peach Jam with a 75- 73 win over Louisiana Select
Tyler Harris Out Of Shadow
6ft 7 Tyler Harris of Half Hollow Hills West, younger brother of Tobias Harris, showed once again that he is a blue chip prospect on his own, scoring 14 points to help lead his team to victory in the Hoop Group Elite underclassman All-Star Game. The many college coaches in attendance came away impressed with Tyler 's skill level and IQ for the game.
Harris the “Story of the Summer”
Two Long Islanders In Top 50
Rivals.com's rankings of the top 150 players in the class of 2010 nationwide shows two Long Islanders ranked in the top 50. Tobias Harris comes in at #29, and Rod Odom at #44. GO TO RANKINGS
Moore All-Star At Reebok Camp
Amityville Head Coach Jack Agostino just got back from Reebok All American Camp and reports that Brentwood's JJ Moore was one of the top five
players in the camp. His team won the championship and he was picked as an All-star. He has developed into a terrific wing player and word from the grapevine is that almost every Big East school wants him.
Anderson All-Star At Eastern
Ramel Anderson from Upper Room was selected for the All-Star Team at Eastern Invitational camp. Last season, he averaged 15 points, 5 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds per game, shot 56% from behind the arc and 97% from the foul line and bigger things are expected this year.
JJ Moore Gets Louisville Offer
Brentwood's JJ Moore has received an offer to play for St. Dom's Rick Pitino and his Louisville Cardinals. He is the third Long Island player to receive an offer from Coach Pitino, who would also like Rod Odom and Tobias Harris on his team next season.
Harris 19th, Odom 96th On ESPN
Tobis Harris was ranked 19th and Rod Odom 96th on ESPN's national rankings of the Class of 2010. Harris was the highest ranked player in New York State.
Player Updates
Hills West's Tobias Harris attended the Amare Stoudemire Nike Skills Academy, a camp that consisted of only top big men, with no guards or wings of any kind, and was recognized for having the best face-up offense in camp....Brentwood's JJ Moore will be attending the Reebok All-American Camp...... Lindenhurst's Kamil Parzych will be missing many of the summer's top events and camps with an injury. Hopefully he will be back in time for his senior season.
Tobias At NBA Top 100 Camp
Long Island's Tobias Harris attended the NBA Players Association Top 100 High School Camp and continues to impress. He finished as the camp's 6th leading scorer, and was recognized for his excellent inside/outside game by all the scouts, finishing the camp ranked as one of the elite preformers. No other New York based player recieved that ranking. There is no doubt he will be going to one of the top basketball programs in the country next year. The question is, which one?
Long Island's 5-Star All-Stars
Long Islanders were selected as All-Stars at every level of the 5-Star Camp held at Fordham University. Tavon Sledge, a junior who will be attending LUHI this fall, was named an NBA Division All-Star, and Steven Pandales, a sophmore from St.Anthony's, Marc and Neil Nembhard, juniors at Commack, and Kevin Liddy, a sophomre from Kellenberg, were all named All-Stars in the In the NCAA Division. In the NIT Division, it was Kevin Coyle, a sophomore from Holy Trinity, and Adam Priest, a sophomre from New Hyde Park.
Ambrose Captain At Albany
Tim Ambrose from Brentwood and OSNA was named a captain of the University of Albany basketball team. He is the first junior captain since 2005-06. He was ninth among the America East scoring leaders at 14.3 points per game and led the squad in steals with 35. Ambrose, who received last year's team most valuable award, scored 20 or more points seven times, including a career-high 29 vs. Vermont during the regular season. He also posted his first career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Boston University. Ambrose was a member of the 2008 America East All-Rookie Team.
Quincy Hankins To Nebraska
Quincy Hankins, a 6′8 240 lb forward from Roosevelt that spent the last two seasons at Polk County Community College in Florida has accepted a basketball scholarship from Nebraske. Hankins averaged close to 16 points and 12 rebounds a game last year for Polk CC. Other schools like Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, Seton Hall, South Florida, and South Carolina were also recruiting him.
Transfers
Nick Taldi from Belmore JFK transferred from CW Post to SUNY New Paltz......Steve Velazquez from Hauppauge transferred from Castleton State to Dowling..... St. Mary's Marcos Tamares transferred from UMBC to Norfolk State, where he joins former St. Mary's teammate Aleek Pauline and former St. Mary's coach Rob Jones, who is an assistant there. KNOW ANY OTHERS?
Akeem Bennett To St. Francis NY
West Hempstead's Akeem Bennett has signed a national letter of intent to join the D1 St. Francis Terriers. Bennett spent the last two years at Western Oklahoma State Comunity College, and was named Second Team All-Conference last season.
Bilbo And Milk On IS8 Champs
The Panthers captured the championship at IS8 this season with two Long Islanders on the team. - Paul Bilbo of St. Dominic and Matt Milk of Upper Room. IS8 is a popular league based in Queens that attracts top players and teams from all over the region.
Harris Ranked 31st By Scout.com
Tobias Harris was ranked 31st nationally in the class of 2010 by Scout.com
Two LI Players Will Play In France
A team of New York players has been selected to play in an international 16U basketball tournament in France, and two of the players chosen are from Long Island. LuHi's Tyler Harris and Westbury's Sheldon Hagigal join players from New York City and Westchester, and the team will compete in the 21st Annual International Tournament of Roche-Sur-Yom.
Holder Selected For Classic
Long Island's Victor Holder was named to the Queens/Long Island Team for the prestigious 2009 Wheelchair Classic.
Posey All Tournament
Congratulations to Marquis Posey from St. Dominic for making the Gym Rats All Tourney Team.
McCann All Tournament
Congratulations to Charles McCann (6-3 F), Lightning-Kelly, rising Junior, on making the GymRat Challenge All Tournament Team. McCann attends St. Mary’s, where he is an honor roll student.
Ustunel To New Haven
Western Suffolk Community College's Sean Ustunel has signed his letter for a scholarship at Division 2 New Haven. Sean moved to America two years ago from Turkey to live with his aunt in Commack and pursue his dream of playing basketball in America. He is young by sophomore standards having turned 19 in April. This past year Sean averaged 11.5 points and 8 rebounds. This is the 4th year in a row that Western Suffolk has had a player receive a scholarship: 2006:Alvin Vivican(Brentwood)- Adelphi
2007:Chuka Iloegbu(Brentwood)- Coppin St
2008:Steve Mears(Mercy)- C.W. Post
All three played on conference championship teams that went to the NCAA tournament in their first year.
Creighton Breaks Record!
Greenport's Ryan Creighton scored 25 points in his final regular season game to become the all-time leading scorer in Long Island history! He now has 2,622 career points. We'll have more on his historic accomplishment later. Creighton still has his eyes on a State Championship, and the Class D Playoffs begin February 20th. 2/11
JT Pate Scores 2000th Career Point
James "JT" Pate scored his 2000th point on a 3 pointer with 5:34 remaining in the 3rd quarter as Babylon defeated Hampton Bays 72-47 2/11
CI's Bamiro With Globetrotters
Former Central Islip and Stony Brook star Solomon Bamiro is now playing for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Harris Gets OK To Play From Docs
LuHi's Tobias Harris got the OK from doctors to return to action, and will be dressed for Saturday's 5 PM game against All Hallows at Adelphi and Sunday's 5:30 PM game against Bishop Ford, also at Adelphi.
Harris Gets UConn Offer
Speaking of UConn, 10th grader Tyler Harris has stepped up his game at LuHi to help make up for the absence of his brother Tobias, who is out with an injury. In so doing, he caught the eye of the Huskies and received a scholarship offer from them!. Go Tyler!
Kendall Harris Thriving In Pa.
Brentwood is one of Long Island's best teams this season, despite the fact that one of their top players moved to Pennsylvania over the summer. He now plays for Pocono Mountain East, and according to the local newspaper, is "... a big reason why East is 10-2".
They had a few more things to say about Harris, who represented Long Island at last summer's Empire Games: "A bruising 6-foot-6 forward, Harris transferred to Pocono East last summer from Brentwood High School in Long Island. While the move with his parents was tough at first, having some family in the area has helped the senior. "It's different," said Harris, who had 18 points, including three dunks, and nine rebounds against rival Pocono West. "I miss my friends, but my cousins are here so the transition has been a bit easier." We all wish him continued success!
Tobias Out 6-8 Weeks
Tobias Harris suffered torn ligaments in his ankle and will be sidelined 6-8 weeks. He will be in a cast for 2-3 weeks as the ligaments heal. This is the same ankle that was sprained early in the summer and prevented Tobias' participation in the Reebok All American Camp
All-Star game. It most likely never properly healed due to Tobias' hectic summer schedule.
Harris Preseason All-Star
Long Island Lutheran's Tobias Harris was named to the Pre-Season 2K Sports New York State High School All-Star Team. The team will be honored in a live presentation at halftime during the 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs Cancer Championship Game at Madison Square Garden on November 21, 2008.
Suero Off To Good Start
Gerardo Suero of OSNA, Long Island's leading scorer last season, is now playing for Wabash Valley JC in Mt Carmel, IL. Through their first 6 games, he is averaging 9.8 ppg for the 6-0 Warriors with a high game of 19 against Danville Area CC on 11/13
Foley Named Captain at Columbia
Former St. Anthony's star Patrick Foley was named team captain of Columbia University's basketball team. Foley is a junior.
Cajuste Walks On At Seton Hall
Jericho's Matt Cajuste made the Seton Hall basketball team as a walk on. The 6ft 7 freshman had numerous D2 offers, but wanted to take a shot at Big East competition.
Vickers Transfers To NYIT
Mickell Vickers, a former All-Suffolk County player from the famous Babylon basketball family, has transferred to NYIT for the upcoming season from Nyack College. He will be a graduate student.
Agudio Starts Pro Career
Walt Whitman's Antoine Agudio, who finished his career at Hofstra with a school-record 2,276 points, is playing for Banvit of the Turkish Professional Basketball League and is averaging 9.7 points per game after three games. Last season, Banvit was a Turkish Cup Finalist, and finished 4th in Group B at FIBA Eurocup.
TJ Carey Gets Short End Of Stick
Second year Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker continued to generate controversy, cutting five of the players he inherited from his predecessor after they had already registered for classes. Amaker notified the five before classes began in early September that they no longer had spots on the team, too late for them to transfer to other schools. The cut players were never even given the opportunity to compete for their spots, even though some of them had started games last season. One of the players was former St. Dom's star TJ Carey, who appeared in 27 games and made seven starts as a freshman, averaging nearly 12 minutes per game. Speaking to the New York Times, Carey's father said “If you want to cut my son, fine. You could have done it last year. Give them the opportunity to move on." The move was apparently made to make room for Amaker's highly regarded freshman recruiting class.
St. Mary's Guard Impresses at IS8
NYHoops.com covers New York City basketball, and in their coverage of IS8, mentioned a Long Island player that has played well in the prestigious league and that many of you might not be familiar with. Here is what they had to say: "Justin Bailey 6’1” PG/SG, St. Mary’s (LI) and Playaz Club Sr’s. Yes he’s a sophomore who joined the Playaz senior team probably to play while their established stars like Dominic Cheek went on recruiting visits. To his credit he fit in seamlessly with a brand new team thanks to his steady and smart play. He moves well without the ball and shoots it quickly and accurately because he sets his feet well coming off screens and squares up on every shot. He has also demonstrated an ability to make good decisions passing the ball in transition but we’ll need to see him more to determine if he projects as a point guard. He has good instincts and poise and those things combined with a reliable jump shot will likely make him a player D-I’s should have their eye on." - John Miciotta/NYHoops
Player Notes
Boston College Coach Al Skinner is the third Long Islander to offer Rod Odom a scholarship, joining Ralph Willard up at Holy Cross and Joe Jones at Columbia. ......LuHi sophomore Tyler Harris received an offer from Duquesne. He, Josh Malone of Deer Park, and Tobias Harris all have nice write-ups on NYHoops
Bilbo Commits To Hofstra
St. Dominic Senior forward Paul Bilbo committed to Hofstra University today on a full scholarship. Bilbo, who is an excellent student, chose Hofstra over several schools such as Manhattan, Colgate, and Columbia amongst others. Bilbo averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Bayhawks last year and has improved greatly over the summer months.
Devietri Hurt At IS8
Chaminade star Dan DiVietri, playing for the Long Island Lightning, strained his knee at an IS8 game against the Rhode Island Breakers last weekend, but the MRI confirms that there is no tear and he should be OK to tryout for the Metro Classic and back in time for the start of the high school season. His Lightning team went on to win the game behind 31 points from John Glenn's Phil Izevbehai.
Player Notes
Bay Shore's Chris Obi is receiving interest from several mid-major Division I programs after choosing to take the junior college route. He is attending Lewis & Clark, where he was named Second Team All Conference and listed as one of the top point guards in Region 24, which is considered one of the toughest in the nation. "We are expecting Chris to have a huge year. His recruitment has really picked up and will continue to do so once the season begins".said L&C Assistant Coach Milton Stith............We might have missed a player for the Preseason Long Island All-Collegiate Team. St. Mary's grad Tyson Johnson finished last season on a roll for the University of Wyoming, and they are looking for big things from him this year. Johnson scored in double figures in 10 of the last 12 games, averaging 12.5 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line.......LuHi's Tyler Harris, a 6ft 4 sophomore, has been offered by Fordham University......Neal Fishenden, who was a top player on the SJB JV last season, is now at Sayville...... West Virginia, Georgetown, and Pitt will be among the schools visiting Long Island's Rod Odom up at the Middlesex School to see him work out. Princeton will be making their second visit in as many weeks......Tyrese Redd, formerly of Hempstead High School, is now attending Westbury High School....... LuHi's Darren Faust is a starting guard at Johnson and Wales University, and was their 3rd leading scorer last year........The Leading scorer from Hempstead JV team, Marquis Posey, is now at St Dominic.....Glen Cove's Melsahn Basabe, who attends the St. Marks School in Massachusetts, was named to the NBA Division All-Star Game at 5 Star Camp this past summer.
"Fatty" McMillan At Uniondale
Devon McMillian, a highly regarded player with a national reputation from NYC's Lincoln HS, has transferred to Uniondale. The addition of McMillan to the already loaded Uniondale roster makes them one of the early season favorites for the Long Island Class AA title. McMillan has to keep his grades up though, something he has had trouble with in the past.
Player Updates
Derek Klein, an all-conference point guard last year at Lawrence High School, transferred to LuHi.......Greg Kelm, SJB's starting center last season, transferred to Lindenhurst....Pat-Med prospect Keenan Burton, who led the JV team in scoring as a 9th grader, transferred to St. Anthony's.....Ahmad Reid, a freshman starter last year on the Port Washington varsity, has transferred to St. Dominic HS............10th grader Sheldon Hagigal, who played JV for LuHi last year, has transferred to Westbury HS....... Shawn Midy, a 6'5 sophomore from Deer Park HS, and Jorden Parks, a 6'4 freshmen from Hempstead, are now at Upper Room......Know any other good players that have switched schools? Let us know!
Article About Rod Odom
Word about Long Island's Rod Odom is rapidly spreading, The 6'8 junior that attends the Middlesex Prep School in Massachusetts is now getting lots of attention from top schools, and from the press too. HERE'S A GOOD ARTICLE ABOUT HIM Wouldn't it be wild if both he and Tobias Harris ended up at Louiville, playing for St. Dom'd grad Rick Pitino? It could happen!
Sinnickson 5 Star Most Improved
Dylan Sinnickson, a 6'3' junior guard from Chaminade was voted Most Improved Player in the NBA Division at the Prestigious 5 Star Sixers Camp in August, and also finished in the final four in the 1 on 1 tournament. Sinnickson recently led his team (Team Flyers with players from Chaminade H.S. and All Hallows H.S.) in scoring (10 points and 7 rebounds) in their opening round game at the IS 8 tournament, losing to a talented Jackson H.S. team 72-45.
Harris Will Transfer, Has Top 10
Tobias Harris will leave Hills West and transfer to Long Island Lutheran for his junior and senior seasons, according to his father Torrel. He will be joined there by his brother Tyler, a highly regarded 10th grader. After finishing his first round of college visits, Tobias has put together a list of his top ten: They are, in no particular order, Louisville, Syracuse, Rutgers, Georgetown, Virginia, Maryland, Marquette, West Virginia, Wake Forest and USC.
LI Player Rated In Top 10
Rod Odom, who is from Suffolk County, but goes to prep school in Massachusetts, was ranked one of New England's Top 10 Players in the Class of 2010 after a very strong summer. The 6'8 Odom has had serious interest so far from: Seton Hall, Louisville, Providence,
UMass, GW ,Xavier, Holy Cross ,Bucknell, Arkansas,
William & Mary (offered early), Columbia (offered), Harvard, Yale, UPenn (offered), Bucknell, Holy Cross, and Davidson. LINK
Two Long Island Stars At 5-Star
Both Jonathan and Jordan Ward-Adams of Center Moriches had great weeks at the 5-Star Sixers Camp this past week. The camp was topnotch competitively, and loaded with Division 1 recruits. Jonathan was named All-Star Game MVP of the Class of 2010 Division, and won the most promising prospect award of the 5-Star Backcourt Camp. He also won the 1 on 1, free-throw, and 3 on 3 competitions, and best defender and best playmaker awards. Jordan was named best lead guard in the 5-Star Backcourt Camp, and won the 3 point competition in the Senior/Post-Grad Class of 09 and 08! Wow!
Player Updates
Josh Malone, a 6'4 guard from Deer Park, was selected to the Hoop Group Elite Camp Session IV NBA East Senior All Star Game. The prestigious camp had over 500 campers, and Malone was selected as one of the camp's top seniors. Malone is a returning All County player at Deer Park.
Tyler Harris, the 6ft 4 left handed younger brother of Tobias Harris, made the Eastern Invitational All-Star team, scoring 8 points and pulling down 4 rebounds for the NCAA Blue team. Tyler played well throughout the week at the camp
Tom Cahill from Wantagh will be playing at SUNY Oneonta
Tom O'Connell from Sayville won the 3 point shooting contest at the highly regarded Keystone Camp
Leon Taylor from Southside and Justin Williams from Malverne, who play for the Long Island Kings, excelled at the AAU Nationals. Taylor's long range shooting and lightning quick moves impressed many at Disney. He averaging 10 pts, 4 assists, 6 rebs, and 3 steals - particularly impressive considering he played with 2 other great guards. His relentless defense is what raises his game over most, and he is now getting interests from mid majors. Williams was also highly impressive, and interest rolled in quickly for the 6'3" scorer. Justin creates problems for defenders with his strong frame and quick first step. Scoring at will, and in many different ways allows him to play multiple positions
Harris Visits St. John's
Tobias Harris took an unofficial visit to St.John's University and came away very impressed with what coach Norm Roberts is doing there. Those of us old enough to remember can tell you that the good St. John's teams of years past always seemed to have at least one Long Island player that played a big role, so going after Harris is another sign Roberts is on the right track!
Russell Arrested Again
LongIslandBasketball.com Player Of The Year and East Hampton star Mike Russell has been arrested and charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, both felonies, and petty larceny and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief. He is being held on $11,000 cash bail at the Suffolk County jail in Riverside. It was his second arrest. Russell was scheduled to begin his promising college basketball career this fall.
Long Island Super At Showcase
Two Long Island players turned heads at the 16U and 17U AAU Super Showcases in Orlando. Tobias Harris helped lead his Albany Rocks team to the 16U finals as he continued to frustrate opponents with his inside / outside game. Even in a 83-69 loss in the final, he "carved up the All-Ohio defense". Rod Odom, who by the way is from the small town of Ridge, which is in the Longwood School District, led his team to the Elite 8 of the 17U Division, scoring 15 points, pulling down 10 rebounds, and shutting down a 6'9 center in a win over Boo Williams
Tobias Harris Update
The news about Harris keeps pouring in! Tobias followed his strong performance at Reebok Camp with another one at the high profile Peach Jam Tournament. As a result, Wake Forest, Florida State, Texas, Louisville, Miami, and Syracuse have all now made scholarship offers to him, adding to his already impressive list. The continued surge of positive press has followed his frequent play in the post as he pushes past 6'8 and fills out. In the post, he brings that combination of perimeter skills and post skills that we're all familiar with here on Long Island, and the country's top prospects are having trouble matching up with him. Here are some more highlights: At Reebok Camp, he outplayed top prospect Renardo Sidney, "taking him off the dribble time and time again"..... In a feature article by one of those websites you have to subscribe to, they say he is becoming one of the top prospects in the country! Here are links to the articles:
Prahalis Has 12 for USA U18 Team
Sammy Prahalis had 12 points and four assists in the USA's blowout of Puerto Rico at the FIBA America's Cup. The USA Team is now 3-0
Sammy Making Her Mark
Sammy Prahalis recorded game-highs of seven assists and six steals to go with nine points as the US 18U National Team won their opening game over Venezuela in the FIBA Americas Championships
Another Elite Long Islander!
Tobias Harris isn't the only Long Island underclassman big time colleges are lining up for. 6'8 Rod Odom, who has been a bit under the radar locally because he plays at a prep school in Massachusetts, has been attracting lots of attention with his strong play at top notch national events too, and many top D1 programs are showing interest. We'll keep you up on his progress, and hopefully, we can get him to participate in a few events back home so his fans can see him play!
Another Elite Long Island Player
We're hearing about another terrific Long Island player you probably have never heard of. Melsahn Basabe is a 6"7 forward from Glen Cove that attends St. Marks School in Southborough, Mass, and was a sophomore last season. He is one of the top ranked players in his class in the State of Massachusetts, is described as having great potential by recruiters, and is drawing attention from division 1 colleges.
Sammy Prahalis on USA Team
It's killing us, but we just don't have the manpower to start covering the girls side yet. Our biggest regret has been missing out on documenting the incredible high school career of Commack star Sammy Prahalis. Sammy is without a doubt one of the greatest high school basketball players ever to come out of Long Island. We're going to make an exception this time though, because we want you to know that she was one of only 35 girls nationwide to be invited to try out for the U18 US National Team. And as if that wasn't enough, she went on to make the 12 woman squad that will represent the USA at the FIBA Americas Tournament. Congratulations Sammy, and good luck at Ohio State next fall!
Harris Reebok All-Star
Tobias Harris of Hills West was named to the Underclassmen's All-Star Team at the prestigious Reebok All-American Camp. Amityville Coach Jack Agostino, who was selected to coach at the camp, was impressed with the way Harris played, and wrote to say that Tobias represented us very well.
MORE FEEDBACK ON HARRIS:
Bilbo Eastern Invitational All-Star
St. Dominic big man Paul Bilbo was named an All-Star at the Eastern Invitational Camp.
Rashad Green To San Francisco?
It is being reported that Rashad Green, who had a good first season at Manhattan, has decided to transfer to the University of San Francisco. It was thought that Green was looking to step up to a higher level D1 program, but the programs are on a comparable level, so Green must have left the Jaspers for other reasons.
What Does It Take?
St. Dom's star Brian Katz, who will be playing his basketball at Yale next season, is known for his deadly jumper, his ability to move without the ball, and a knack for hitting clutch shots under pressure. What does he do during the offseason to stay at the top of his game , while still keeping his Ivy League caliber grades up? Here is his workout schedule:
Monday- Individual basketball skills training.
Tuesday- Strength training (primarily upper body)
Wednesday- Ball-handling, shooting and strength
Thursday- Strength training (primarily legs/power)
Friday- Ball-handling, shooting and strength
Saturday- Speed, agility, quickness, explosion, vertical and conditioning.
His workouts last at least an hour, and he also plays whenever he can - on summer leagues teams, in pick-up games etc.
Harris Putting Spotlight On LI
Tobias Harris, the 6'7 and growing phenom who averaged 30 points a game as a sophomore and led his Hills West Colts to a Suffolk Class AA title, is helping lead the resurgence of Long Island basketball and will focus national and regional attention on all our players and teams in his final two high school seasons. Harris has been to all the high profile camps and participated in all the high profile tournaments and showcases, and the list of college teams recruiting him is nothing short of incredible. As of now, Harris has scholarship offers from from Louisville, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Marquette, Baylor, St. John’s, West Virginia, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, Delaware, Hofstra and North Carolina State, and Kansas, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Auburn, Seton Hall, Texas, Arizona State, Memphis, Oklahoma, Providence, DePaul and Syracuse are now showing interest too. Couple all that attention with Long Island's convincing win over New York City in the head to head season series last year, and the fact that four Long Island teams played for State Championships last season despite it being a supposed "down year" for Long Island basketball, and you can see where things are headed. Catch an interview with Harris tonight at on News 12 at about 8:20pm.
Augustin Breaks Out
Marc Augustin, a 6-3 sophomore from Valley Stream Central, was chosen to participate in the Reebok Breakout Underclass Camp June 20-22, in Chicago
Butlers Going JC Route
Floral Park stars Bill and Brandin Butler have signed commitments to college. Bill Butler will be attending Division 1 Eastern Wyoming Junior College, and brother Brandin Butler will be attending Division 2 Des Moines Junior College in Iowa - which is ranked 7th in the nation.
Malone On Rumble Finalist
Deer Park's Josh Malone was part of the Panthers team that advanced to the finals of the Rumble In The Bronx Tournament, where they fell to the Gauchos. In the final, Malone helped lead an 8-2 run that gave the Panthers an early lead, but they could not hold it and ended up falling 76-63
Line Forms To The Right For Harris
June 15th was the first day college coaches could contact members of the Class of 2010, so we checked in with the highest profile member of the class, Tobias Harris of Hills West, to see if anyone had contacted him. Wow! Check out this list (in no particular order):
Virginia, West Virginia, UCONN, Texas, Florida, St.John's, Maryland, NC State, Memphis, Syracuse
Notre Dame, Louisville, Rutgers, South Carolina
Wake Forest. and Providence.
Nick Taldi To CW Post
Bellmore star Nick Taldi has committed to play at CW Post next fall.
L.I. Has 4 McDonalds Nominees
The participants in the 2008 McDonald's All-Star Game have yet to be announced, but four Long Islanders were nominated. They were: Byron Freeman/St. Mary's, Brain Katz/St. Dominic, Gerardo Suero/OSNA, and Robbie Ptacek/ Bayport-Bluepoint.
Harris Lining Up More Suitors
We've had very little feedback from the King James Tournament, but according to one popular hoops blog, Tobias Harris had a good tournament and is getting interest from more schools as a result.
Greenport's Duell On Red Storm
Greenport's Matt Duell made the men's varsity basketball team at St. John's as a walk-on, and dressed for St. John's win over St. Francis.
Kenney Will Play For Mt. St. Mary's
After working hard on his game all summer long, Kellenberg's Ed Kenny has made the Mount St. Mary's team as a walk-on. Mt. St. Mary's is a D1 school in the NEC.
Romanelli Will Play For Marist
Bethpage star Geno Romanelli will be playing for Marist this season. Romanelli made the D1 Red Foxes as a walk-on. At Bethpage, he was a 3 year varsity player who led his team in rebounds, ppg, steals, field goals, 3pt field goal percentage, and minutes played. He was seleceted All County as a junior and senior and all conference as a sophomore.
Walsh To Molloy
West Hempstead star Kevin Walsh has committed to Molloy College.
James Merrill To Farmingdale State
Uniondale star James Merrill is playing for Farmingdale State.
Hucks Commits To L.I.U.
Bay Shore's Booker Hucks will attend LIU next season.
Holloway Commits To Indiana
Terrell Holloway, who is now at Harmony Prep in Ohio after leaving Hempstead, has committed to Indiana, according to Scout.com. Holloway has not obtained a qualifying score on his SAT or ACT as of yet.
Some Good News!
Last fall, James Wilson had just come off a very strong summer and fall and was set to be the starting point guard on a powerful St. Dominic team with State Championship aspirations. James was attracting interest from a nice assortment of colleges and looking forward to a memorable senior year - when out of nowhere an athlete's nightmare came true for him. He tore his ACL in practice and was out for what seemed destined to be his dream season. But there is a happy ending; his dream seasons are still ahead of him! After successful surgery, he diligently rehabbed the knee and enrolled for a year of Prep School at St. Thomas Moore. Word now is that he has been offered, and has committed to play college basketball at St. Rose, a member of the Div. 2 Northeast 10 Conference. Our congratulations to him, and to St. Rose too! They got themselves a heck of a player!
Vallins Will Play For Hofstra
Friends Academy's David Vallins, who led his team to the State Class C Championship Game, will be playing for Hofstra this season. Vallins had originally planned to attend Skidmore, but impressed Hofstra Coach Tom Pecora and was invited to play for the Pride.
Chris Jimenez Update
You might have heard that St. Anthony's star Chris Jimenez was injured last spring by a hit and run driver and suffered a broken leg. He is recovering day by day and is doing well."Things could have been much worse", said coach Mike Ryan . "My concern is for his well being at this time, both physically and academically, and I am not concerned about when he may return to playing. We'll see how things go." Thanks for the update Coach, and glad to hear the good news Chris!
Machado Leaves St. Mary's
In a bit of a shocker, St. Mary's prospects for this season took a hit when projected starting point guard Scott Machado left the school. Apparently, his family moved to North Carolina.
Tobias Harris Article In Newsday
How many rising sophomores did more than Tobias Harris this summer? GO TO ARTICLE
Greg Cerillo Update
Greg Cerillo Jr., formerly of Faith Academy High School in Farmingville, is the 3rd leading scorer in the history of Long Island High School Boy's Basketball! After being part of the undefeated 2003/4 National Championship squad at Suffolk Community College, Greg went on to play at St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, but was plagued by injuries. After college, he attended open tryouts with the Strong Island Sound, and earned a spot first on the practice roster, and then on the playing roster for several games last year. He is looking forward to another opportunity to play with The Sound again this season !
Torek Williams to SUNY Cortland William Floyd Senior Torek Williams will be headed off to SUNY Cortland in the fall to play basketball
Danny DiVietri All-Star At Pocono
Danny DiVietri, a rising Junior at Chaminade HS, performed very well at the Hoop Group's Pocono Invitational Hoop School Session 4. Danny made the All Star Game, won the hot shot and 1 on 1 competitions, and was also named co-mvp of the camp as his team won the championship.
Craig Wilson To Robert Morris
Craig Wilson, who led his Malverne team to the State Federation Championship, has decided to attend Robert Morris College in Chicago, Illinois. Robert Morris is Division I NAIA.
Harris In Spotlight
Tobias Harris received a nice write-up in the Basketball Spotlight scouting service blog and just got back from UConn's Elite Camp. We're still waiting to hear if he will return to Hills West this season or transfer.
Velazquez One To Watch
Editor Ted Thomas has a team in the Island Garden Summer League, and came home from a game raving about new addition Steve Velazquez of Hauppauge. Velazquez was nailing NBA range 3 pointers, taking his man off the dribble and exploding to the hoop, rebounding, blocking shots, and playing excellent defense against a well coached AAU club. He even played a little point guard for his short handed Suffolk Breakers team! Look for a big season from the rising senior from out east with the strong all around game!
Wingate Chosen For High Major
Nigel Wingate of St. Mary's was one of the 24 chosen to compete in The Real Scout High Major Classic 2007 on July 31st.
Usera All-Star At E.I.B.C
Recently during a session at the Eastern Invitational Basketball Camp at the College of New Jersey, Alexander Usera, a junior from Brentwood, was honored by being selected to the NCAA Division All-Star Team. There were ballplayers from across the country represented at this session, which was attended by numerous college coaches and recruiters from around the country.
Preventing Sports Injuries
Harris, Akol, Leek At Reebok 135
Long Island had three players invited to participate in the RBK University Camp. 135 of the nation's top players will participate. Tobias Harris of Hills West, one of only 7 players invited from the class of 2010, leads the way for the Island, while OSNA''s Leek Leek will represent 2009 and Teeng Akol 2008. Congratulations to all three!
Elite College Prep Clinic
If you have aspirations to play college basketball someday, this clinic is for you. The Elite College Prep Clinic, featuring Dowling College Women's Basketball Coach Joe Pellicane, is designed to help the serious-minded player advance to the top level. It is a very intense instructional camp intended to prepare athletes with instruction to advance work habits designed to raise a player’s potential Fees: $225 per player (Camp T-shirt & Instructional DVD included) Monday, July 30 – Thursday, August 2 6PM – 9 PM 8th Grade – 12th Grade
Prep Stars Caught Off Guard
Interesting article in Washington Post about the effect of the Prep School rule changes
NCAA Cracks Down On Preps
The NCAA has changed the rules for prep schools.
Adelphi Lands Richard Byrd
All-State player Richard Byrd of Copiague, who was a consensus All Long Island selection and Newsday and Suffolk County Coaches Association Player of The Year, will be playing for Adelphi next season.
Chris Obi To Lewis & Clark
Bay Shore star Chris Obi signed a National Letter of Intent with Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois. Lewis & Clark finished fourth in the country this past season and is bringing in a stellar recruiting class with the addition of Chris Obi. "We are extremely excited about Chris Obi coming to our program. He has had an outstanding high school career and we feel he will do the same at Lewis & Clark Community College." - Coach Stith, Men's Assistant Basketball Coach.
OSNA'a Dahl To Hillsborough
7'2" Marial Dhal signed with Hillsbourough Junior College in Tampa, Florida. Hillsbourough has sent over 5 big kids to division one schools the last few year
Akeem Bennett Waiting To Hear
New York Insider.com is reporting that former West Hempstead star Akeem Bennett should be hearing about his eligibility from the NCAA Clearing House any day now, and is considering L.I.U, St. Bonaventure and Quinnipiac.
Suas #1 At Nike Hoop Jamboree
Rising 7'2" junior John Riek Suas of Our Savior New American was the number one player at the recent Nike Hoop Jamboree in St Louis Missouri. This camp included the top 120 underclassmen in the country.
TJ Thomas Drafted by Braves
St. Dominic's small forward TJ Thomas, who is headed to San Diego State to play baseball for Coach and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, was a late round selectiion of the Atlanta Braves!
Daniyan To SUNY Plattsburgh
Longwood star Errol Daniyan has also decided to play for a D3 powerhouse and will attend SUNY Plattsburgh College in the fall. Plattsburgh is coming off back to back conference championships and a trip to the D3 NCAA Tournament.
Atkinson To Williams
Northport star Ben Atkinson will be playing his college ball at Williams College next season. Best known for its academics, Williams also has a first rate Division III basketball program. Atkinson also considered NYU and Cornell.
LI Lightning Player In Top 20
Roderick Odom, who plays for the Long Island Lightning Eichenger team, has been ranked the 20th best player in the New England class of 2010. Odom attends the Middlesex School in Massachusetts and is a 6'6 guard.
Students Raise Over $100K
Jericho's Justin Resnick and his fellow students held a 3 on 3 basketball tournament to raise money for a program for autistic children at the Ascent School, and it was a great success! The kids raised over $100,000 and put together a first rate tournament as well. SEE NEWS 12's COVERAGE Devin Karch, Joey Wood, Mike Florin, Ismael Pierre and Steve Morse of the New York Warriors program were champions of their division at the tournament and they and their coach wanted to pass along their congratulations to the organizers. Us too! Congratulations to Justin and all involved for doing something very special!
Harris All Tournament At Gibbons
Hills West freshman Tobias Harris was voted to the 15U All Tournament Team at the prestigious Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. Harris scored 135 points in five games to lead the Baltimore Stars to the semi-finals
Barnes To NYU
Lindenhurst star Chris Barnes has decided to attend NYU, a school with a rich basketball tradition and strong D3 program.
East Hampton Hoops Star Arrested
In a story we can only describe as unbelievable, The East Hampton Star and Independent newspapers are reporting that All State basketball player Mike Russell of East Hampton has been arrested and charged with attempted robbery. Russell and two friends are suspected of beating and robbing Hispanic men in three separate incidents. GO TO FULL STORY
Kings Park's Simon On Champs
Kings Park's Justin Simon, a key member of one of the school's finest teams and a First Team All-Long Island player in 2000, was back in action and helped to lead his Media Kitchen team to the championship of the New York Knicks and Continental Airlines' 4th Annual “Fly to the Garden” three-on-three corporate basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden. There is a full recap of the event on the Knicks website. Simon is second from the left. His high school team lost an OT game in the playoffs to one of the mighty Amityville State Championship teams.
Russell Goes For 37 At King James
East Hampton's Mike Russell has accomplished many great things on the basketball court, but he still has some doubters who say that Long Island basketball - on the East End in particular - just doesn't measure up. Russell let the 25 Division One coaches at his game at the King James Tournament in Ohio know that he is indeed for real, scoring 37 points against Tulsa PWP of Oklahoma for Team Underrated.
Katz Commits To Yale
St. Dominic junior guard Brian Katz has committed to Yale, where he will play for fellow Long Islander James Jones. He chose Yale over Columbia, Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth and Penn. He is an excellent student, a terrific shooter, a smart player and is constantly improving on all other aspects of the game.
Iloegbu To Coppin State
Brentwood's Chuka Iloegbu, who was a key part of their 2004-2005 Long Island Championship team, has signed a letter of intent to play for D1 Coppin State University in Maryland. Iloegbu averaged 17 points, 9 rebs, 7 asts, 3 stls at Suffolk Community College / Grant.
Harris All NY Frosh Team
The High School Sports Media website named Hills West freshman Tobias Harris to their All New York Freshman 1st Team. He was the only Long Island player named to either the first or second team.
Rashad Green Going To Manhattan
After a year of prep school, St. Mary's star Rashad
Green has decided to play for Manhattan. He becomes the 13th Long Islander to commit to a D1 school this season, and will join St. Doms star Antoine Pearson on the roster. Pearson had a terrific freshman year for the Jaspers.
Akeem Bennett Looking Ahead
Former West Hempstead star Akeem Bennett is finishing up a strong year of prep school and eagerly awaiting his grades. He has qualified on the SAT, and is expecting good news on his report card as well. Then he can turn his attention to choosing a college. He has interest from Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee State, Winston-Salem State and Eastern Kentucky, and is hoping for interest from more schools after playing in a few AAU Tournaments for the Lightning this spring.
Tamares To UMBC
St. Mary's star Marcos Tamares recently signed a Division 1 national letter of intent with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County of the America East Conference. This past season he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds along with 3 blocks to help lead his young Gaels team to the NSCHSAA AA Title game.
Franchese To Adelphi
Danny Franchese, a small forward from Hicksville High School has committed to play next year at Adelphi University. This past season, Danny led his Hicksville team to a 16-4 record and a first round playoff victory (first for Hicksville since 1980's). This season he averaged 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Tyson Johnson To U of Wyoming
Former St. Mary's star Tyson Johnson has signed a letter of intent with the University of Wyoming. Johnson had been at Blinn Jr. College in Texas where he averaged 21 points and 8 rebounds a game.
Lieberman To Be Honored
Roslyn HS senior Jason Liberman will be the 2007 recipient of the Jules D. Mazor Outstanding Jewish High School Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, which will be presented to him at the April 29 National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum inductions at The Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack. Jason was All County the last two seasons and will be playing Division 1 basketball at Princeton next year. In addition to Jason's’ award, two others with ties to basketball are being inducted: Senda Berenson, “The Mother of Women’s basketball” in the U.S. and Lennie Rosenbluth, the 1957 College Player of the Year, who led UNC to the NCAA Championship over Kansas in triple OT. For more information, please call Alan Freedman at (631) 462-9800, ext. 119.
Parris Will Leave Charleston
Javon Parris, who played at Our Savior New American, will transfer from the College of Charleston. A redshirt freshman, Parris appeared in 22 games for the Cougars in 2006-2007, averaging 4.6 minutes and 0.9 points per game. Parris is looking for a junior college and will visit Barton County College in Kansas.
Dorman Selected For USA Team
Ben Dorman of Great Neck has been selected as a member of the Open Men’s Basketball Team that will represent the United States at the 12th European Maccabi Games in Rome, Italy. The Games will take place July 2 - July 13, 2007. Dorman, a 6’ 6” junior at Great Neck North, has been a varsity starter for the past two years and earned a place on the Long Island Basketball.com Honor Roll this season as one of Long Island's top players. He was also selected to the 2007 Nassau County Top 40 All Star Team, and received the Coaches Award for Most dedicated in 2005 and 2006. Congratulations to Ben and good luck to the team!
Jackson MVP Of All-Star Game
Upper Room's Corey Jackson was named to the Basketball Coaches Association of New York All-Star Game, and took home the MVP trophy for scoring a game high 27 points and dishing out 10 assists. He also pulled down 10 rebounds!
Small NSCHSA Player of the Year
Scout.com is reporting that Prentice Small was named NSCHSAA Player of The Year.
RJ Rutledge To Monmouth
RJ Rutledge became the 3rd member of LWA's State Championship team from last year to join a D1 program, giving a verbal commitment to Monmouth after spending a year in prep school. LWA's Tyrone Nash will be going to Notre Dame next year after prepping and Josh Marshall redshirted at Sacred Heart this year. Max Shillalies, who was also part of that team and led this years team, will be attending Hamilton next year.
Carey Selected For Jordan Game
St. Dom's TJ Carey has been selected to play in the 2007 Jordan Classic Regional Game. He was the only Long Island player to be selected to the Suburban Team while 8 players were selected from New Jersey.! We still have a lot of work to do!
Hometown Heroes
John Glenn's Trevor Coston not only led his team to the Suffolk Class A Finals, but passed the 1,000 pt scoring mark and also broke the school record of 1,041 career pts, which was held by Kevin Carpenter, the current JV/Assistant Varsity Coach.....There is a nice feature on Tobias Harris of Hills West on the Metro Hoops website.
Prentice Small To Lehigh
Scout.com is reporting that SJB's Prentice Small has given a verbal commitment to Lehigh.
Dowling Commits To Bentley
South Side star Tom Dowling has verbally committed to Bentley College. Bentley is currently 18-0 and is one of the top teams in NCAA Division II. Our congratulations to Tom and to Bentley!
LI Lightning Player To St. John's
Mike Cavataio, who has played with the Long Island Lightning for the past three years, will be paying at Madison Square Garden next year for St. John's.
Booker Hucks Getting D1 Interest
There is an article on RealScout.com about Bay Shore star Booker Hucks and the colleges showing interest in him. GO TO ARTICLE
Zajac Will Attend Qunnipiac
Lindenhurst graduate Ed Zajac who is currently doing a post graduate year at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut has verbally committed to play next season at D1 Qunnipiac of the NEC.
Sinn Makes UMass Team
LongIslandbasketball.com All Long Island selection Michael Sinn from Jericho has made the team at UMass. UMass has a great Long Island tradition. Roosevelt's Julius Erving, Malverne's Al Skinner and Rick Pitino from St. Dom's all played there.
Tyrone Nash Going To Notre Dame
LongIslandbasketball.com's Player of The Year - Tyrone Nash from Lawrence Woodmere Acadamy - has finally decided on a school and selected Notre Dame. Nash turned down a number of offers and is attending prep school this year. He will enroll at Notre Dame in '07
Sands Commits To Yale
Carey's Mike Sands has committed to Yale, according to High Hoops. He is the 4th Long Islander to commit to a D1 program so far this fall and the 3rd going to an Ivy League school. The 6'7 Sands was a Long Island Basketball.com All-County selection last season, and was named by the coaches to the Nassau County Preseason All-Star team this fall. Yale is coached by Long Islander James Jones. SCOUT.com STORY
TJ Carey To Harvard
St. Dom's star TJ Carey has made a verbal commitment to Harvard. Carey was named All Long Island and the Outstanding High School Athlete of the Year by the Nassau Sports Commission.
Liberman To Princeton
Roslyn's Jason Liberman, Nassau's leading scorer in the Long Island All-Star Game and also in the Nassau County All-Star Game, has made a verbal commitment to Princeton.
Hills West's Iceman Harris
Half Hollow Hills West 9th grader Tobias Harris, who averaged 10 points a game last year as an 8th grader on the varsity, has been working with Hall Of Famer George "The Iceman" Gervin in the off season. GO TO STORY
Beinert Chooses Holy Cross Chaminade's All-State player Andrew Beinert has decided to join Long Islander Ralph Willard at Holy Cross next season.
Rashad Green Update
Rashad Green is attending Bridgton Academy this fall, and New York Insider.com has a report on how he's doing at the prep school. GO TO STORY
Harkins Transfers
Rich Harkins, one of the top point guards in the Long Island Lightning program, has decided to transfer from Kellenberg to Long Island Lutheran High School. Rich is one of the most talented point guards on Long Island and has flourished on the AAU circuit. He led the Lightning 16U team to a highly successful AAU season this past spring and is currently beginning his junior year. He is expected to be an impact player with Lightning next spring during the all important college recruiting period.
Harkins is the 2nd big name player to transfer to LUHI, joining Matt Rooney, who transferred from Stony Brook.
Smith Taking Junior College Route
All-State player Sean Smith from Copiague decided to take the Junior College route and is attending the University of Arkansas JC at Fort Smith this fall.
Player Rankings
Its the time of the year that all the various scouting services and websites start issuing their player rankings. Streetbeat New York has theirs ready first. Streetbeat looks at players in NYC, Westchester and Long Island. In the Senior Class, they rank Andrew Beinert 6th, Markeys Deans 8th, T.J. Carey 13th, Quincy Hankins 19th, Steve Priestly 21st, Chris Barber 22nd, Brian Hutchinson 24th, Roland Davis 26th, T.J. Thomas 33rd, and Ray Jones 38th. You'd have to agree with most of the names, but there are definitely some names missing and the order is a bit off. The underclassmen lists however are really off.
Long Island Stars at Five Star
Long Island players excelled at the legendary Five Star Basketball Camp. West Hempstead's Akeem Bennett was named an All-star in the NBA Division and was voted the Best Defensive Player. Bruno Rotellini from Hills East was named an All-Star in the NIT Division and Best Defensive Player. He also nailed 44 of 50 shots to win the Foul Shooting Championship. Finally, Irving Fayman from Bridgehampton was nominated for the All-Star team in the NCAA Division and as Top Point Guard in Backcourt Camp.
Rooney Transfers
Returning All-State player Matt Rooney, a member of Long Island's outstanding junior class, has transferred from Stony Brook to Long Island Lutheran.
WB's Losito To Utica
West Babylon's Thomas Losito will be attending Division 3 Utica College.
Linning To SUNY Cobleskill
Hempstead's Jamal Linning will be attending SUNY Cobleskill and majoring in Graphic Design.
Rashad Green Going Prep
There was some last minute interest from NC State, but it looks like Rashad Green has decided to join Tyrone Nash and Akeem Bennett and go the prep route this fall.
Morris Not Returning To Killer Bees
Bridgehampton's prospects for this coming season took a hit when Corey Morris, a returning All-State player, moved to North Carolina.
Malave Most Improved At Five Star
Carlos Malave, a senior guard at Bellport High School, was named the Most Improved Player at Five Star Basketball Camp's Bryn Mawr session. Malave excelled by leading his team to the finals with his great floor leadership. He was a "pass-first" guard, focusing on getting all his talented teammates involved in the games. The coaches were impressed with his all-out effort at every station, as well as his extra work hours after the day was over. Malave is looking forward to leading the Bellport Clippers to a great season this year.
Alvin Vivican Will Play at Adelphi
Alvin Vivican, who played at Suffolk CC (Western campus) last season and was a part of the Brentwood HS Long Island Championship team has accepted a scholarship to play at Adelphi College this season.
Gordan All-Star at Five Star!
St. Anthony's freshman Rexton Gordon was named to the NIT Division All-Star Team at the famed Five Star Basketball Camp held at Robert Morris University.
Josh Marshall To Sacred Heart
Josh Marshall, who was an All Long Island First Teamer and helped lead LWA to the Federation Class A Championship game, has decided to attend Division 1 Sacred Heart of the NEC. Marshall is playing for Team Underrated this AAU season.
Suffolk's Carter Player Of The Year
Former Walt Whitman star Nick Carter was named NY State JUCO Player Of The Year after helping Suffolk Community College to a 22-6 season. He averaged 17.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.0 steals a game. He will be playing at Stony Brook next year.
Nash Going To Prep School
After getting offers from a number of big time programs, LWA forward and LIB.com Player Of The Year Tyrone Nash had decided to attend prep school. The 17 year old Nash is an excellent student, but hopes to polish his game and mature both mentally and physically before going off to college.
Pearson Signs With Manhattan
Antoine Pearson from St. Dominic, a Long Island Basketball.com All Long Island selection, has signed a letter of intent to attend Manhattan College next year.
C I's Washington To Hofstra
Greg Washington, who is attending Winchendon Prep School after playing at Central Islip, was one of three players to sign a national letter of intent to play at Hofstra next fall. Washington was ranked among the top 300 recruits in the nation by Hoop Scoop."Greg is tremendously athletic for a 6-10 kid," said Hofstra Coach Tom Pecora. "We feel the sky's the limit as to how much he can develop in his four years here. He has the potential to become a truly outstanding big man during his time at Hofstra."
Daye Kaba Commits To BC
Daye Kaba, one of the impressive trio of players from OSNA in Centereach that helped the Long Island All-Star Team defeat New York City in The Metro Classic, will be joining Malverne grad and former New York Net Al Skinner and his Boston College Eagles next fall.
Patrick Foley To Columbia
St. Anthony's star Patrick Foley will join Hills West grad Joe Jones at Columbia next season. He is the first member of Coach Jones's 2007 recruiting class and a terrific addition to the Lions. Good school, good coach, good kid ! GO TO STORY
Feurtado Commits To Drexel
Uniondales Lance Feurtado, who was a key supporting player on last years Nassau County Class AA Championship Team, has committed to Drexel. Feurtado, who this year was chosen to be part of the Long Island All-Star Team that beat New York City in the Metro Classic, will move into the lead role at Uniondale this season along with teammate and fellow all-star Steven Priestley. We will get to see plenty of Lance in college, as Drexel is in the Colonial Athletic Conference along with Hofstra.
OSNA's Pitt To Stony Brook
Our Savior New American's Rio Pitt became the first member of Stony Brook's class of 2006 recruiting class when he verbally committed to the America East program. GO TO FULL STORY Chris Martin of Christ The King also gave a verbal commitment.
Nash Gets Offer From Kentucky
LIB.com Player Of The Year Tyrone Nash got a scholarship offer from The University Of Kentucky.
Tim Ambrose Going To Albany
Scout.com is reporting that OSNA guard and Brentwood native Tim Ambrose will play for fellow Long Islander Will Brown at the U. of Albany in the America East Conference. You might recall Brown's team put a scare into UConn in the NCAA Tournament. Ambrose is the 9th Long Islander headed to a D1 program next fall.
Stith All Tournament at Bob Gibbons
Hempstead's Malik Stith was named to the All Tournament Team at the Bob Gibbons Tournament in North Carolina after leading his New York Panthers to the 16U Championship.
Wilson Keystone All-Star
Craig Wilson, a 5'9", All-County, All New York State Basketball Player who is a point guard for Malverne High School, attended Keystone Camp at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA in June and made the All-Star Team.
Max Paul To Kings Point
Pierson star Max Paul will be attending the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point next fall.
Greco Will Attend Steven's Institute
George Greco, an All County guard from Oceanside H.S. will play for Steven's Institute of Technology in the Fall. He averaged. 23.6 pts 6 assists and 4 steals a game as senior. He will play for new coach Josh Loeffler in the Skyline Conference. Greco, who is an honor student, was recruited by a number of schools and decided to attend Stevens Tech because of it's strong academic program and it's commitment to Athletics. Greco plays the point for Long Island Lightning- Sheehy and will be playing in the D-1 Nationals in Disney World later this month. The team finished 4th in the country last year in Little Rock Arkansas.
Upper Room Quartet Off To College
The Upper Room basketball program has enjoyed great success over the last couple of years, and is sending four talented players off to play college ball this fall. Girard Fitts will be playing at Molloy, Anthony Brazill at North Carolina Wesleyan , Anthony Williams at SUNY Potsdam and Farris Thomas at SUNY Plattsburgh. Congratulations to all off them and to the school
Stith Makes A Name At Camp Next
Hempstead's Malik Stith was named one of the top players at the invitation only Camp Next at Fairleigh Dickenson U. The camp is for current 9th and 10th graders and is a stepping stone to the ABCD Camp.
TJ Carey Named Top H.S. Athlete
TJ Carey of St. Dominic and the Long Island Lightning has been named the Outstanding High School Athlete of the Year by the Nassau Sports Commission. Carey was recognized for the combination of his strong basketball skills, stellar academic record and overall leadership qualities.
Sands All Tournament at Gym Rat
Mike Sands from Carey HS was named to the All Tournament Team at the Albany Gym Rat Challenge for his impressive play with The Long Island Lightning.
Zollo Headed To Molloy
LongIslandBasketball.com All County selection Joe Zollo from Patchogue-Medford is headed for Molloy College and the NYACA. The 6' 7" Zollo had some mid-major interest as a walk on, but decided on Molloy for their excellent teaching program and hopes of making an immediate contribution.
Local Stars At Jordan Classic
Tyrone Nash of LWA had 12 points and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes and Daye Kabba of OSNA had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 27 minutes as the Suburban Team defeated the New York City team 140 to 125 in the regional game of the 2006 Jordan Classic, which was played at Madison Square Garden. Nash is said to be attending prep school next fall, while Kabba will play for Malverne's own Al Skinner at Boston College.
2006 Consensus All Long Island
Only two players appeared in the top ten on all three of the All-Long Island Teams published in 2006. They were Tyrone Nash, and Rashad Green. Another ten appeared on two out of three lists. They are Chris Barber, Akeem Bennett, Lance Feurtado, Patrick Foley, Josh Frazier, Josh Marshall, Gil Montalvo, Antoine Pearson, Prentice Small, and Sean Smith. Very surprisingly, Newsday doesn't have Gil Montalvo or Patrick Foley listed at all, while NYHOOPS and LIB.com both have them listed as 1st team.