Sheridan Hoops Top 20 Prep Prospects
College coaches are crisscrossing the country visiting
College coaches are crisscrossing the country visiting
As reported earlier today on my Twitter, two of the top prospects in the Class of 2013 — Jabari Parker and Beejay Anya — will take key official visits to ACC schools at the end of October.
The 6-foot-8 Parker, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2013, will take an official visit to Duke the weekend of Oct. 27, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told SNY.tv.
Duke and Michigan State have long been considered the frontrunners for the Chicago Simeon forward.
Isaiah Watkins, a 6-foot-8 power forward from St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J., has verbally committed to Duquesne.
“I know they’re in the rebuilding stage, but I like the team concept and the way they use their forwards,” Watkins told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I really love the versatility of all the forwards. They can bring up the ball, shoot from the 3 and take you off the dribble. Those are all things I like to do.”
Watkins, an athletic big man who averaged 12.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to help St. Ben’s go 35-3 last season, chose Duquesne over Iowa State, Villanova, Arkansas, Harvard, and Florida State, among others.
“He’s a versatile four that can face you up, knock down shots from 15 to 17 (feet) and has a great motor and is a beast on the glass,” CIA Bounce coach Mike George told SNY.tv. “He’s an outstanding teammate with a high basketball IQ.”
James Young will take an unofficial visit to Kentucky this weekend but is not expected to commit on his visit.
“Yes, we are taking an unofficial visit,” his Godfather, Sean Mahone, told SNY.tv Thursday night by phone.
The 6-foot-5 Young out of Rochester (Mich.) High recently had home visits with Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse and Michigan State. Arizona did not come in for a home visit.
No official visits are currently set.
Jordan Mickey made his choice Thursday night, picking LSU over SMU, Ohio State and Oklahoma State.
The 6-foot-9 , 220-pound Mickey, the Rivals No. 20 power forward in the Class of 2013, is out of Arlington (Texas) Grace Prep.
“At LSU, coach [Johnny] Jones and his staff, I’m looking forward to playing with them,” Mickey told SNY.tv before the decision was made.
Asked after the decision on Thursday why he made it, Mickey added: “Just my relationship with the coaches and being able to go down there for two years and see the atmosphere of the school.”
Ish Wainright is down to four schools.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound small forward from Montrose Christian told SNY.tv he’s down to St. John’s, Texas, Baylor and Ohio State.
“I cut it down to four,” he said.
The Rivals No. 11 small forward in the Class of 2013, Wainright said he cut Duke, SMU, Florida and UCLA from his list.
Notre Dame has landed its point guard of the future.
Mike Brey’s team scored a major coup Thursday when Demetrius Jackson chose the Irish over Illinois.
“I will be attending the University of Notre Dame because I feel like I can develop as a person and as a player,” the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jackson said on ESPNU.
The Rivals No. 6 point guard in the Class of 2013 out of Mishawaka (Ind.) earlier informed the Illinois coaching staff of his decision, according to the Champaign News-Gazette.
