Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
NY/NJ Recruiting Roundup: Alkins to Visit Indiana, Villanova; Briscoe Trips to Seton Hall, Rutgers; Tucker to Visit Syracuse, Draws UConn, Indiana Interest
NEW YORK — Between Seton Hall’s Basketball Tip-Off Party on Friday, the Michigan-Rutgers football game on Saturday and the Jim Couch National Training Showcase on Sunday, there was a lot going on in the New York/New Jersey hoops world this weekend.
Here are some recruiting notes from those events:
**Rawle Alkins, the 6-foot-5 2016 Christ the King guard, was among those on hand at Seton Hall Friday night and also has upcoming visits planned to Villanova (Oct. 24) and Indiana (Oct. 25), he told SNY.tv. He will also trip to either Providence or N.C. State the weekend of Oct. 17.
“I went to [Seton Hall’s] Midnight Madness,” Alkins told SNY.tv at the Jim Couch event Sunday at Mott Haven Campus in New York. “It was fun. They had a suite for me. I was hanging out with a lot of celebrities. They talked about the program. They showed me around a little bit.”
Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard “should be in to check me out,” Alkins added. “They’re gonna be in this week.”
Providence coach Ed Cooley also made his pitch to Alkins last Thursday.
His message?
“Just how they love me,” Alkins said. “They’re only recruiting two people in that class, that’s me and Braxton Blackwell. They said how when you see Providence, you see a family, a team that’s working hard. They’re not the most known team but he can promise me that he’s going to come out on top against all those top teams. Providence has a great fan base. They have really good support and they would love for me to go there as a combo guard, point guard or shooting guard.”
Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin were also in recently to see Alkins, while Florida has offered.
“I have no favorites at the moment,” he said. I’m just listening to what everybody has to say.”
**Isaiah Briscoe, the 6-3 point guard from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic, also attended Seton Hall’s event and said it was “great.”
He also attended the Michigan-Rutgers came on Saturday, won by the Scarlet Knights, 26-24.
As we reported last year, Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead is recruiting Briscoe to the school, but that recruitment began before Kentucky got involved.
Briscoe recently visited Kentucky and UConnand told SNY.tv he may now commit in the fall.
He’s due to trip to Missouri this coming weekend and St. John’s Oct. 17.
After previously telling SNY.tv he was looking at deciding in the fall, he confirmed a Star-Ledger report that he plans to decide soon, telling SNY.tv, “Yes, I am.”
**Jordan Tucker, the 6-7 wing from White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac, picked up an offer from Syracuse and will visit for their Midnight Madness Oct. 17.
“‘[It felt] really good,” he said. “That was my biggest offer. I worked really hard for that offer, tried to impress not only Gerry McNamara but coach Jim Boeheim. He felt that I could fit into the Syracuse system.”
Tucker said he grew up a Duke fan, but hasn’t yet heard from the Blue Devils, though.
Indiana assistant Chuck Martin has been out to see him and UConn head coach Kevin Ollie is due in soon.
“UConn’s coming to my school either this week or next week,” Tucker said. “I like the way they make their players better. They produce pros. I want to go somewhere where they’re going to prepare you for the next level.”
As for Indiana, Tucker said he didn’t know much.
“I actually don’t know a lot about Indiana,” he said.
Tucker has the body of a wing or a big two guard and is working on his ball-handling skills.
“I’m trying to get the rebound, start the break, put the ball on the floor, transitioning into a guard rather than justing being a forward,” he said. “That’s what’s going to change me from the other people that are my height.”
**Nate Pierre-Louis, a 6-2 point guard from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s Prep, will trip to UConn for their Midnight Madness after assistant Karl Hobbs watched him last week.
“Coach Hobbs came [to St. Ben’s] and they told me they liked me,” Pierre-Louis said. “And Coach [Mark] Taylor said they offered.”
He added: “I’m going there the 17th. I like how coach Ollie really develops his guards and they’re national champs.”
Texas Tech, SMU and Miami also recently offered Pierre-Louis.
**Sid Wilson, a 6-6 wing from St. Raymond’s in The Bronx, recently added offers from St. John’s and Minnesota, and hopes to pick up a Syracuse offer.
“Mostly Syracuse,” he said. “Coach Boeheim watched me play at camp last weekend, and coach Red [Adrian Autry] is supposed to come in this week.”
Wherever he lands, Wilson said he plans to bring “a motor, athleticism and defense.”
**Bryce Aiken, the 5-9 2016 point guard from The Patrick School, visited Seton Hall Friday and will also trip to Midnight Madness events at Providence Oct. 17 and Villanova Oct. 24.
**T.J. Gibbs, a 6-2 2016 shooting guard from Seton Hall Prep, will also visit Providence’s Midnight Madness after hitting Seton Hall and Rutgers this weekend.
**Devonte Green, the 6-1 2016 point guard from Manhasset (N.Y.) St. Mary’s, holds offers form Maryland, Notre Dame, Boston College, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Seton Hall. He said Maryland was among those recruiting him the hardest.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
NEW YORK — Between Seton Hall’s Basketball Tip-Off Party on Friday, the Michigan-Rutgers football game on Saturday and the Jim Couch National Training Showcase on Sunday, there was a lot going on in the New York/New Jersey hoops world this weekend.
Here are some recruiting notes from those events:
**Rawle Alkins, the 6-foot-5 2016 Christ the King guard, was among those on hand at Seton Hall Friday night and also has upcoming visits planned to Villanova (Oct. 24) and Indiana (Oct. 25), he told SNY.tv. He will also trip to either Providence or N.C. State the weekend of Oct. 17.
“I went to [Seton Hall’s] Midnight Madness,” Alkins told SNY.tv at the Jim Couch event Sunday at Mott Haven Campus in New York. “It was fun. They had a suite for me. I was hanging out with a lot of celebrities. They talked about the program. They showed me around a little bit.”
Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard “should be in to check me out,” Alkins added. “They’re gonna be in this week.”
Providence coach Ed Cooley also made his pitch to Alkins last Thursday.
His message?
“Just how they love me,” Alkins said. “They’re only recruiting two people in that class, that’s me and Braxton Blackwell. They said how when you see Providence, you see a family, a team that’s working hard. They’re not the most known team but he can promise me that he’s going to come out on top against all those top teams. Providence has a great fan base. They have really good support and they would love for me to go there as a combo guard, point guard or shooting guard.”
Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin were also in recently to see Alkins, while Florida has offered.
“I have no favorites at the moment,” he said. I’m just listening to what everybody has to say.”
**Isaiah Briscoe, the 6-3 point guard from Roselle (N.J.) Catholic, also attended Seton Hall’s event and said it was “great.”
He also attended the Michigan-Rutgers came on Saturday, won by the Scarlet Knights, 26-24.
As we reported last year, Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead is recruiting Briscoe to the school, but that recruitment began before Kentucky got involved.
Briscoe recently visited Kentucky and UConn and told SNY.tv he may now commit in the fall.
He’s due to trip to Missouri this coming weekend and St. John’s Oct. 17.
After previously telling SNY.tv he was looking at deciding in the fall, he confirmed a Star-Ledger report that he plans to decide soon, telling SNY.tv, “Yes, I am.”
**Jordan Tucker, the 6-7 wing from White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac, picked up an offer from Syracuse and will visit for their Midnight Madness Oct. 17.
“‘[It felt] really good,” he said. “That was my biggest offer. I worked really hard for that offer, tried to impress not only Gerry McNamara but coach Jim Boeheim. He felt that I could fit into the Syracuse system.”
Tucker said he grew up a Duke fan, but hasn’t yet heard from the Blue Devils, though.
Indiana assistant Chuck Martin has been out to see him and UConn head coach Kevin Ollie is due in soon.
“UConn’s coming to my school either this week or next week,” Tucker said. “I like the way they make their players better. They produce pros. I want to go somewhere where they’re going to prepare you for the next level.”
As for Indiana, Tucker said he didn’t know much.
“I actually don’t know a lot about Indiana,” he said.
Tucker has the body of a wing or a big two guard and is working on his ball-handling skills.
“I’m trying to get the rebound, start the break, put the ball on the floor, transitioning into a guard rather than justing being a forward,” he said. “That’s what’s going to change me from the other people that are my height.”
**Nate Pierre-Louis, a 6-2 point guard from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict’s Prep, will trip to UConn for their Midnight Madness after assistant Karl Hobbs watched him last week.
“Coach Hobbs came [to St. Ben’s] and they told me they liked me,” Pierre-Louis said. “And Coach [Mark] Taylor said they offered.”
He added: “I’m going there the 17th. I like how coach Ollie really develops his guards and they’re national champs.”
Texas Tech, SMU and Miami also recently offered Pierre-Louis.
**Sid Wilson, a 6-6 wing from St. Raymond’s in The Bronx, recently added offers from St. John’s and Minnesota, and hopes to pick up a Syracuse offer.
“Mostly Syracuse,” he said. “Coach Boeheim watched me play at camp last weekend, and coach Red [Adrian Autry] is supposed to come in this week.”
Wherever he lands, Wilson said he plans to bring “a motor, athleticism and defense.”
**Bryce Aiken, the 5-9 2016 point guard from The Patrick School, visited Seton Hall Friday and will also trip to Midnight Madness events at Providence Oct. 17 and Villanova Oct. 24.
**T.J. Gibbs, a 6-2 2016 shooting guard from Seton Hall Prep, will also visit Providence’s Midnight Madness after hitting Seton Hall and Rutgers this weekend.
**Devonte Green, the 6-1 2016 point guard from Manhasset (N.Y.) St. Mary’s, holds offers form Maryland, Notre Dame, Boston College, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Seton Hall. He said Maryland was among those recruiting him the hardest.”
