With most AAU events for the spring already behind us, many of the top players attended individual camps last weekend. The most notable of those camps was the invitation only Pangos All-American Camp. While the dynamic is a bit different at an individual player camp than an AAU team event, the cream still rises to the top. More on that later. This was also a big week for ESPN and Scout to release updated player rankings for the classes of 2015, 2016 and even 2017. Scout only jumped into the mix with their updated class of 2015 rankings but there was a fairly significant amount of movement and also a few PC recruits made their debut or were no longer part of the top 100. For the Scout 2015 rankings, click here. For the ESPN 2015 rankings, click here. For the ESPN 2016 rankings, click here. For the ESPN 2017 rankings, click here.
Jon Rothstein broke the news that Niagara graduate transfer, Antoine Mason had set up 3 visits. The first will be to Auburn June 6th-7th. The second is to Providence June 8th-9th which is right in time to catch Cooley before he leaves for his USA Basketball responsibilities. Boston College will get the 3rd visit but that date has yet to be finalized. The Auburn visit will be official while the PC and BC visits will be unofficial presumably because of the closer proximity from Queens, NY. I wrote an article for ScoutFriars.com earlier this week where I did a breakdown of these 3 schools and how Mason might fit or not fit. Click here to check out that article.
Seattle 2014 PG Tramaine Isabell remains an option and he is in the midst of setting up visits. He spoke to ScoutFriars.com’s Jeff Ferrucci last week and indicated that he is between Missouri and Providence and hopes to have a decision in the next 2-3 weeks.
Weekend visitors are 2015 SG Dupree McBrayer (Friday) and 5th year transfer Antoine Mason (Sunday-Monday). In addition to the weekend visitors, 2015 Putnam Science Academy players Mamadou Diarra and Kealan Ives will take an unofficial visit to Friartown on Monday. One other note – Ed Cooley will be leaving Providence Monday to head out to Colorado Springs for the USA Basketball U18 training camp.
To read a good feature from the NY Post on Dupree McBrayer’s journey from NYC to Vegas back to NJ and what the future holds, click here.
No new offers this week.
Jalen Lindsey and Paschal Chukwu have reported to PC and are taking summer courses.
I like to see players that understand the game and are simply ball-players. 2015 G Isaiah Briscoe fits that mold. He doesn’t whoa you with bounce and speed but as his defender you now his name because your getting a good look at the back of his jersey every time he beats you. He can operate in tight spaces and has good vision as he attacks the rim.
6-9 2015 PF Steve Enoch was impressive with his energy and effort. He battled on both ends, effectively rebounding and scoring on put-backs as well as getting out on the break for slams. Enoch also showed some ability to knock down the outside shot.
Speaking of Malik Beasley, is there a more athletic SG in the country. Malik was a highlight waiting to happen during full court drills. Although he didn’t break loose during his game the anticipation of him getting one off was definitely in the air. Beasley was solid during the game and I can see why he was one of the hottest players on the circuit this Spring.
Kaiser Gates had a good night doing what he does best, hitting open jumpers and getting out on the break. Gates was good at rebounding the ball and starting the break with his ability to put the ball on the floor.
Heading into Saturday’s action at the Pangos All-American Camp, 6-foot-9 power forward Steve Enoch from Norwalk (Conn.) High was a pretty big mystery to most observers. Not because his talent is tough to figure out, but because the class of 2015 prospect hasn’t yet gotten much exposure.
On Saturday, Enoch got plenty of exposure and he made the most of it.
Physically impressive, Enoch is a good athlete, has an ideal frame for a big man and he is extremely tough. Enoch can play rough-and-tumble basketball on the interior and he is an excellent rebounder. But, he’s not without skill and his jump shot looks very fluid. Seeing him step out and knock down a three with confidence was impressive.
Enoch’s summer coach George Mathews of High Rise Team Up has seen what the rising senior big man is capable of up close.
“We think that he’s a high-major player,” Mathews said. “He just hasn’t been seen by a lot of schools yet.”
Enoch looked the part of a high-major player this weekend and is likely earning himself a spot in the 2015 Rivals150 the next time it is updated.
Briscoe finishes in style
All spring long, five-star point guard Isaiah Briscoe has been building his case to be considered the nation’s top point guard in the class of 2015. On Sunday, the product of Roselle (N.J.) Catholic completed another strong weekend and got the camp period of his travel season off in style by scoring 20 points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing six rebounds in the top All-Star game to cement camp MOP honors.
We’ve written plenty about what it is that Briscoe does over the past month and there was no change to his formula in Long Beach. A powerful guard who plays similar to a young Kyle Lowry, Briscoe is highly skilled off the dribble and when he makes up his mind that he wants to get to the rim there is almost no stopping him.
Interestingly enough, Briscoe seems to prefer going left instead of to his natural right hand and his strength allows him to take bumps and finish. If anything, he could still improve his shooting from deep but based on his entire body of work since the completion of his junior season he is the favorite to take over as the top point guard in the class of 2015.
“I feel real good about how I played,” Briscoe told Rivals.com. “I always like coming out to the West Coast and competing against the other great players.”
Next up for Briscoe is a trip to Colorado Springs where he will compete for a spot on USA Basketball’s 18 and under National Team. Soon after that, though, Briscoe is looking to trim down his recruitment some and establish a final list of contenders from a pool that includes the likes of Arizona, Connecticut, Louisville,Baylor, Rutgers, Seton Hall. St. John’s, Villanova and many more.
“After USA Basketball is most likely when I’ll cut my list,” said Briscoe. “I think that I’m going to cut it down to about eight.”
During Nike’s EYBL, the Georgia Stars were one of the more disappointing teams in the country. Despite his team’s struggles, though, rising senior wing Malik Beasley had a huge spring and his stock is on the rise. Currently ranked in the back end of the Rivals150 for 2015, Beasley is a pretty sure bet to rise into four-star territory. An extreme athlete who tries to attack the rim for dunks as often as possible, Beasley is a power driver. Beasley can also make some jumpers and plays with confidence. At times, Beasley is a bit too trigger happy when it comes to shot selection but there’s no denying that he is a talent on the rise.
The sleeper that woke
In terms of national exposure, Steve Enoch wasn’t just a sleeper headed into the Pangos All-American Camp, he may have been downright comatose. Prior to the weekend, the class of 2015 power forward from Norwalk (Conn.) High didn’t even have a profile on Rivals.com.
Yes, some schools had taken notice — including Memphis, which was smart to offer early — but for the most part the 6-foot-9 big man wasn’t very well known. Now, after making the top 30 Cream of the Crop game and proving all weekend long that he was a legitimate high-major prospect, Enoch’s recruitment has taken off.
On Monday, Kansas State (who had previous interest) offered. Then on Tuesday, the defending national champs Connecticut went ahead and offered as well. Additional interest has been pouring in from all across the country and there is no doubt that Enoch will be among the most closely watched prospects by college coaches when he takes the floor with High Rise Team Up during July’s open evaluation period.
A relative newcomer to the game, Enoch hasn’t been playing organized basketball for much more than a couple of years. On top of that, the solidly built four man won’t even turn 17 until mid September making him very young for his class. He runs the floor, he is athletic around the rim, he rebounds well and he has very good shooting touch that extends all the way out to the three point line. He is a little rough around the edges overall as a player, but the raw talent to play at a high level is all there. Look for him to enter the 2015 Rivals150 when it is updated in late June and look for him to do so as a four-star prospect.
Briscoe is the top point guard in 2015
All spring long, five-star point guard Isaiah Briscoe has been outstanding. During stops on the Nike EYBL Circuit with the New Jersey Playaz he has been a triple double threat and at Pangos, the strong 6-foot-3 floor general did whatever he wanted and whenever he wanted to.
Because of his play all throughout the spring, Rivals.com believes that Briscoe has overtaken Jalen Brunson as the top point guard in the class of 2015. Events during the month of June could change that opinion and it is certainly no slight against Brunson. But, based on his body of work and superior size, Briscoe is currently standing out as the top dog in 2015.
Capable of playing as a scorer or a set up man, Briscoe is a pit bull off the dribble. Because of his 6-foot-3 size and strong body he is able to bully defenders all over the court. He isn’t just a bully, though, Briscoe has skill and feel for the game. Moving ahead he could still get his body into better shape and he has to become a more consistent shooter from deep.
However, Briscoe has to be given his due and unless somebody does something that dictates we do otherwise, he will be the top ranked point guard in the class of 2015 when rankings get updated at the end of June.
Isaiah Briscoe
2015, PG, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds Status: Louisville and UConn appear to lead for Briscoe’s signature.
Briscoe pretty much got to wherever he needed to go on the court and mixed in a dominating combination of scoring and facilitating. His burst off the dribble is fierce, and he can carry defenders as well. He is emerging as the best point guard in the 2015 class.
Best scorer
Malik Beasley
2015, SG/WF, 6-4, 185 pounds Status: Beasley claims offers from Florida State, VCU, California, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Alabama.
Beasley was the most consistent scorer throughout the camp, and his efficiency was also outstanding. He is always in attack mode, and he can knock in shots at all three levels, especially off the bounce.
Biggest sleepers
Kaiser Gates
2015, SF/PF, 6-7, 190 pounds Status: Missouri leads for Gates, with Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida State, Vanderbilt and Georgia in contention.
Gates is a high-major talent, but he has the potential to be a top-50 recruit. The lanky forward can handle it well in the open court, and his shooting touch is smooth out to 20 feet. Not to mention he is engaged at both ends.
Steven Enoch
2015, PF, 6-9, 225 pounds Status: Memphis has offered.
Enoch has burst onto the scene during the spring evaluation period. There is some talk that he could reclassify to 2016. He has the frame, athleticism, hands and perimeter touch to be a top-50 recruit. He is still raw at both ends, but he has the physical tools to be a tough matchup down the road.
The other notable event last weekend was the Mary Kline Classic. Aside from being a great cause and raising a lot of money ($31,000 – another new record again this year), there was a lot of talent playing in the Underclassmen and Senior games. In the Senior game, PC incoming freshman Ben Bentil showed some of what he will be able to do at PC.
Ben Bentil could go into a college game right now and have an impact. Excellent program guy for Ed Cooley + Providence. 6-8 power forward.
The Underclassmen game featured a number of PC targets including Donovan Mitchell who displayed a smooth stroke from downtown and a slithery ability to get to the rim off the dribble. Mitchell also told Adam Zagoria that he plans to make a college decision by September.
McLean’s recruitment picking up
For those who didn’t think Unique McLean’s 27-point effort in the underclassman game was impressive enough, his performance to win the MKC’s dunk contest showed why his name certainly fits.
The 6-foot-2 point guard with long arms has some serious bounce, going up and over an assistant for a stellar between-the-legs dunk that earned a 100 from the judging panel and a roar from the crowd.
Currently, the Team SCAN guard has offers from Fordham, Manhattan, St. Peter’s, Dayton and Siena, but big-time programs like Florida, Arkansas, Villanova, North Carolina and more are keeping tabs on the young guard.
In order for those high-major offers to come in, McLean is hearing that he’ll need to work on his on-ball skills as opposed to just being a pure scorer.
“They just basically talk about getting stronger and developing, just being a point guard. I was a ’2′ before I started playing the ’1,’” he said, which go along with his personal goals of “ball-handling, trying to become a point guard and just be a better leader.”
Underclassman Game
Rawle Alkins (2016/Christ the King, N.Y.)
Alkins is blessed with a thick frame but surprising bounce, rising up quickly for several big slams as well as drawing some hard fouls around the rim and getting to the line. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard finished with 20 points in the underclassman game, including 12 in the second half as his Team Bravery cruised to a huge win over Team Inspiration. He uses his size to his advantage, rebounding well for his position, and had a few big-time blocks as well. Alkins is certainly an attack-style guard, though he’s got a solid rise on his jump shot and showed the ability to knock down the long ball.
Cheick Diallo (2015/Our Savior New American, N.Y.)
Diallo was primarily a defensive force when he played in the MKC Underclassman game last year, and while that hasn’t changed–the 6-foot-10 big man is blessed with a massive wingspan and runs the floor as well as any center around–he’s finally starting to show some things offensively as well. A Eurostep for a nice layup in the second half was one of his better buckets as he only finished with eight points to go along with 10 rebounds and quite a few blocks, but it’s not his offense that teams will be focused on as he gets to college. He’s an elite shot-alterer, using his long arms and big hands to force opposing guards and big men to change their angles on nearly everything put up around him.
Unique McLean (2016/Hoosac School, N.Y.)
His name just about says it all. McLean is certainly a one-of-a-kind point guard, with incredible athleticism and long arms that make him an elite defender in addition to being a talented scorer. McLean dominated in the second half for Team Inspiration, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the final 20 minutes of play, throwing down dunk after dunk after dunk on seemingly every possession, alternating scores with Jones a few times down the stretch. He’s got offers from NYC-area programs like Fordham, Manhattan, St. Peter’s, Dayton (the outlier) and Siena right now, but high-majors like Florida, Arkansas, Villanova, North Carolina and more are sniffing around. As he continues his transition from the ‘two’ to the ‘one,’ look for those high-major offers to come.
Remember the name Sedee Keita, a 6-10 2016 center from Vermont Academy and We RI who showed a nice outside shot for a big guy. According to Matt Pauls of WE R1, Keita has heard from Syracuse, Kansas, Maryland, VCU, Rutgers and Villanova, among others. “Sedee’s upside is great,” Pauls said. “The amount of improvement he’s had in the last year, the progression, is unlike any player that I’ve ever coached, just a one-year progression…He’s only been playing for three years but he’s a hard-worker, dedicated. I think he’s probably got another inch. He’s got great hands, great footwork, but he also shoots the 3 and steps out and actually take guys off the dribble.”
2016 SF Braxton Blackwell took part in the Men’s 2014 USAB 3×3 U18 National Championships and his team won!
Wrapping up an 8-0 record, Braxton Blackwell (Nashville, Tenn.), Tim Delaney (Mullica Hill, N.J.), Charles Matthews (Chicago, Ill.) and Kipper Nichols (Lakewood, Ohio) of Legit won the men’s tournament after defeating Washington (5-2) 21-18 in the men’s final.
“We’re very happy about this. It was a blessing to come out here and compete,” said men’s MVP Matthews. “As we got farther in the tournament, it started to get more competitive so we just looked to close it out as a team. I won MVP, but I wouldn’t have been able to win it at all without my teammates; they made it all possible.”
2015 Justin Robinson told me he is visiting Virginia Tech today and will visit Maryland June 19th and 20th. Both of those visits will be unofficial. He has been in contact with the PC staff and recently heard from PC associate head coach, Andre LaFleur.
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