By CHRIS RUSSELL
Melo Trimble of Maryland has been named the ZAGSBLOG National Player of the Week.
On the week, Trimble led the Terrapins to back-to-back conference wins over Rutgers and Michigan State. The freshman torched the Spartans on Saturday with five 3-pointers and 24 points.
“I’ve seen Melo do that many times, and it doesn’t shock me,” Maryland head man Mark Turgeon said.
BY CHIP MILLER
DraftExpress now has Kentucky freshman shooting guard Devin Booker projected to be the 20th pick in the NBA Draft.
Andrew and Aaron Harrison have fallen to the late second round, at 46th and 50th respectively.
That means the Wildcats could lose three of their current four guards, with only freshman point guard Tyler Ulis remaining after the season.
By EDDIE GIBBON
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Ranked 37th in the ESPN.com national rankings, 6-foot-8 2015 power forward Ted Kapita has not played a game this season for Huntington (W.V.) Prep due to a lingering hip injury.
“I have a pinched nerve in my left hip,” Kapita said after his team’s victory over Our Savior New American (N.Y.) at the 2015 Hoophall Classic. “I’m going through a tough time with my leg right now, and not playing is making me kind of mad.”
When asked if he plans on playing this season Kapita was non-committal.
By EDDIE GIBBON
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In one of the biggest individual and team matchups of the Hoophall Classic, Thomas Bryant and Huntington (W.V.) Prep handled Cheick Diallo and Our Savior New American (N.Y.).
With Kentucky head coach John Calipari and Syracuse associate head coach Mike Hopkins sitting front and center, Huntington Prep won, 76-57, and Bryant finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-9 Diallo — who is considering Kentucky among his five schools but remains wide open — went for 24 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.
“That’s great [that Calipari was there],” the 6-foot-10 Bryant said. “It shows me that I keep improving, and each and every day I will keep improving because having coaches like Calipari and all those guys coming to your games it shows you that you’re doing something right.”
By EDDIE GIBBON
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In a game that featured national stars Thon Maker, Jamal Murray and Traci Carter, an under-the-radar prospect stole the show.
In the third game of the day here at the Hoophall Classic, Life Center Academy (N.J.) defeated Maker and Orangeville Prep (Ontario), 60-54. The star of the game was Malik Ellison who scored a game-high 28 points with Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning among those on hand.
Kentucky coach John Calipari is at the Hoophall Classic for Sunday and Monday.
The event features numerous Kentucky targets.
On Sunday, Kentucky’s targets include Thon Maker of Orangeville Prep (Ontario), Cheick Diallo of Our Savior New American, Thomas Bryant of Huntington (W.V.) Prep and Omari Spellman of the MacDuffie (MA) School, which also features his son, Bradley Calipari.
The 7-foot Maker is expected to visit Kentucky and Kansas, among others, if he reclasses next month, his guardian, Ed Smith, told SNY.tv Saturday night in New York.
On Monday, Kentucky targets Jaylen Brown of Marietta (GA) Wheeler, Ivan Rabb of Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd, Stephen Zimmerman of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and 2016 guard Jayson Tatum of St. Louis (MO) Chaminade College Prep will all play.
By EDDIE GIBBON
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In a game hyped to be one of the best matchups of the Hoophall Classic, Findlay Prep (NV) routed a Stevenson (IL) team led by Villanova-bound senior point guard Jalen Brunson, 84-58.
Paced all night by the stellar play of junior guard Derryck Thornton, Findlay pulled away in the fourth quarter.
“It was a big matchup, but I really didn’t try to focus on that,” Thornton said after scoring 15 points in the win. “I just focused on getting the win.”
