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2019 defensive end Nolan Smith leaving Georgia for IMG Academy

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Nolan Smith, a defensive end/running back in the Class of 2019, announced Thursday that he is leaving Calvary Day (Savannah, Ga.) for IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.).

Smith, who is 6-2 and 210 pounds, already has reported offers from Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Miami.

He is ranked as the N0. 4 weakside defensive end, No. 7 player in Georgia and No. 34 player overall in the class, according to 247Sports.


Kentucky school to change mascot from Stallions after online petittion

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Douglas Stallions logo

Douglas Stallions logo

A Kentucky high school has scuttled plans to name its sports teams the Stallions after an online petition deemed the name was “inappropriate and sexist.”

School officials have said the students will be allowed to pick “a horse-themed mascot grounded in the land’s equestrian heritage” for the new Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington. The school will retain the orange and green colors and logo already announced. Racers or Thoroughbreds are among the early suggestions.

The initial choice of Stallions came because the school, which opens next fall, will be located on part of the Hamburg Places farms, where racehorses — and six Kentucky Derby winners — were sired.

After the school reversed course, another online petition was started to keep the mascot, saying, “The point of the Stallions was not to denounce women, but to honor the rich history of the land the school is being built upon.”

In a statement reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader, Superintendent Manny Caulk explained the decision to change, only a day after the mascot was originally announced.

“Moving forward, we will keep the Keeneland green and orange colors and horse image in the school logo to pay homage to Lexington’s rich history in the horse industry, but we will allow the incoming students of Frederick Douglass High School to choose their mascot. …

“Since the public announcement of the mascot, we have received feedback from some community members who have concerns about the mascot and we want assure our constituents that there was absolutely no intent to offend or upset anyone. We also recognize that there is support from others in our community to honor the former stallions of Hamburg Place farm,” Caulk said.

“We want our new high school to be a source of unity and pride for our entire community and we thank all of those who have taken the time to reach out and engage in the conversation about this issue. Public engagement and advocacy are central to the success of our Fayette County Public Schools, and we are committed to listening to the people we serve as we seek to provide the very best education for each and every student.”

The online petition was created by Diane Cahill, who told the Herald-Leader: “How did they come up with this? The connotation of stallions pertaining to a girls’ softball team or basketball team just seemed really, really strange to me — a male breeding horse.”

According to USA TODAY Sports’ database of high school nicknames nationally, at least 13 other schools use Stallions: South Lamar High in Millport, Ala.; Duncan Polytechnic High in Fresno, Calif.; Sierra High in Colorado Springs, Colo.; American Heritage Delray in Boca Raton, Fla.; Providence School in Jacksonville, Fla.; Schlagle High in Kansas City, Kan.; Sterling Heights (Mich.); South Columbus High in Tabor City, N.C.; Southwest Onslow in Jacksonville, N.C.; Lee Central in Bishopville, S.C.; South Pointe High in Rock Hill (S.C.); Williamsburg Academy in Kingstree, S.C.; North Mesquite High in Mesquite, Texas; and Green Run in Virginia Beach (Va.).

Back who ran for 722 yards in game commits to Penn State

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Meadville (Pa.) running back Journey Brown, who ran for 722 yards in a game as a junior, committed to Penn State in a whirlwind day Thursday.

Brown, who is ranked as the No. 2 running back in the state, was planning to take an official visit to Temple this weekend and Temple was his No. 1 choice until Penn State called with an offer.

Brown got a visit at school Thursday from Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead in which the possibility of a grayshirt was raised. Later, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin called and Brown said he asked about academics — Brown has acknowledged that he needed to get his grades in shape in order be on the radar of top programs. Franklin extended the offer and Brown accepted it a few hours later.

Brown, also the state AA 100-meter dash champion, ran for 2,791 yards and 45 touchdowns on 218 carries as a senior. His career totals are 7,027 rushing yards, 103 rushing touchdowns and 721 total points.

But the most memorable game of his career — and perhaps in state history — was the night he scored 10 touchdowns and had those 722 yards on 30 carries in a 107-90 victory against DuBois in September 2015. The national record is 754 yards by John Giannantonio of Netcong (N.J.), in 1950.

The game thrust Brown into the status of local celebrity and beyond. At the time, he had not attended showcase camps or been on the radar of major programs. His biggest college connection then was from the University at Albany in New York because a former player from his area was involved with the program.

But last summer, he went to Penn State’s camp, where he ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, attended an The Opening Regional and his name appeared on recruiting rankings.

“Journey’s just a guy who will never get disappointed if he runs for 50 yards in a game as long as we win — it’s just who he is,” coach Ray Collins told USA TODAY Sports last fall. “He always has goals. He wants to keep getting better.

“But he’s a kid from a small town, and I think right now one of the biggest aspirations he has is to be the best that’s ever worn a Meadville Bulldog uniform? To him that’s, ‘Wow, that would be something to be thought of like that.’ What he doesn’t realize is, he could be thought of as one of the best that every played high school football, but that’s not something you would ever even dwell on.”

To that end — even despite the 120 people who were awaiting the team bus after the game and the media requests — Brown says things were back to normal by the time the team took the practice field Monday after his big game.

“When we got back here, there’s a whole crowd of friends and students from the school so that was pretty cool,” he said. “Then when I got to school Monday, it was like I was a superstar just visiting the school.

“A lot of people were coming up to me, like asking how, and like I’m a beast and the score was crazy and where was the defense and probably a million more questions that I had to answer, but I didn’t want to answer all of them.

“Then we got right back Monday to practice. We knew what we did and that was it, and it’s time to get your mind set for the next game. So that’s a ‘have-to.’  You can’t dwell on the past cause it’s over.  You can’t go back in the past and live in it because you’ve got another game.  That wasn’t our last game of the season so you’ve got to get going pushing forward.”

Four-star wide receiver Jaylen Harris commits to Ohio State

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Cleveland Heights wide receiver Jaylen Harris announced Friday plans to stay in state and play for the Buckeyes.

Harris committed to Ohio State with a video produced by Cleveland.com.

Earlier this week, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) star receiver Tyjon Lindsey decommitted from Ohio State.

MORE: Tyjon Lindsey strikes back out at OSU fans attacking him on Twitter

In August, Harris announced a top five of Ohio State, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan State, and Penn State.

As a senior at Cleveland Heights, Harris caught 53 passes for 820 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Ohio first team.

Breaking down this weekend's biggest official visits

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Marvin Wilson (Photo: Intersport)

Marvin Wilson (Photo: Intersport)

With three weekends remaining left until National Signing Day, uncommitted recruits — and even many committed — will be hitting the road to get in their last official visits.

Here is our look at the key official visits scheduled for this weekend.

Gang at LSU

We will group this one together because LSU is scheduled to welcome basically all of its remaining primary targets, including the nation’s top uncommitted player, defensive tackle Marvin Wilson from Texas.

Add in Houston defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and in-state defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis and receiver Devonta Smith. Plus, according to a  NOLA.com report Friday morning, LSU’s staff has convinced Alabama-committed linebacker Chris Allen to visit Baton Rouge this weekend and delay his planned visit to Tuscaloosa.

LSU recruiting watchers have dubbed this the school’s biggest recruiting weekend in years.

Stephen Carr visits Oregon

Carr from Fontana (Calif.) has long been a soft verbal to USC, but is expected to travel to the Pacific Northwest to visit Oregon. He is ranked as the No. 3 running back and No. 13 player overall.

He has been committed to USC for nearly two years so a change would be a major departure. UCLA is also said to be attempting to flip Carr. He took an official visit to UCLA in mid-November.

Aubrey Solomon visits USC

The football office was a little busy Thursday morning at Lee County (Leesburg, Ga.) as coaches from Alabama and Georgia made their way to see No. 2 defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon on the first day that coaches were allowed to make visits after the dead period.

Georgia assistants Tracy Rocker and Kevin Sherrer along with Alabama assistants Jeremy Pruitt, Tosh Lupoi, and Karl Dunbar were there, and even posed for a joint photo.

Solomon is down to a final four of Georgia, Alabama, USC and Michigan, where he previously committed and is said to be his mom’s favorite.

He heads west this weekend to visit Los Angeles and the Trojans.

LaBrayan Ray to Tennessee

The No. 1 player in the state of Alabama whom many project to the Tide is scheduled to visit Knoxville this weekend. Ranked as the No. 2 linebacker in the nation and No. 43 overall, Ray plans to visit Alabama next weekend and then Florida will get the final shot to impress on the weekend before signing day.

Devon Hunter to Florida

One of the nation’s top safeties, Hunter has set a Jan. 20 decision date. He’ll be in Gainesville this weekend, but the Gators will have to beat out North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

Thomas, Parks as part of Louisville weekend

Jeff Thomas, the Under Armour All-America Game MVP and four-star receiver from (East St. Louis, Ill.), is part of a large contingent at Louisville. A small, speedy slot receiver , he is rated the No. 7 player at his position and No. 47 senior nationally by 247Sports. Thomas has visits to Miami and Tennessee scheduled for the next two weekends.

Louisville also will attempt to flip four-star Florida State commit Ja’len Parks, a defensive tackle from Newberry Park (Fla.). A U.S. Army All-American, he is ranked the nation’s No. 65 overall senior and No. 4 defensive tackle by Rivals.com.

Three other four stars also will be on campus and all are offensive tackles: Caleb Chandler (Jefferson, Ga.), Toryque Bowman (Gaddsen City, Ala.) and Mekhi Becton (Highlands Springs, Va.).

Jay Tufele to visit BYU

Tufele, from state champion Bingham, is ranked as the No. 1 player in Utah and No. 4 defensive tackle overall and will visit BYU. He also has visits set up for USC and Utah in the final weeks. He already has visited Ohio State and Michigan.

Flyin to the Hoop: No. 6 IMG Academy downs No. 11 Hamilton Heights

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No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) used a 20-6 advantage in the second quarter and went on to a 70-57 victory against No. 11 Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tenn.) on Friday at the Flyin to the Hoop in Ohio.

In the first half, IMG shot 62.5 percent to 23.3 percent for Hamilton Heights and took a 35-19 lead into the locker room. The Ascenders’ largest lead of the game was 19 points at 45-26 in the third quarter.

Trevon Duval lead IMG with 20 points and seven assists. Emmitt Williams had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Silvio de Sousa also added 12 with six rebounds.

Virginia Tech signee Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 21 points. Kentucky signee Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 18 points and six rebounds.

 

Bass Pro T of C: No. 10 Sierra Canyon blows out No. 4 Findlay Prep

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P.J. Washington attempts to get a shot off past Marvin Bagley III of Sierra Canyon (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News Leader)

P.J. Washington attempts to get a shot off past Marvin Bagley III of Sierra Canyon (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News Leader)

SPRINGIFELD, Mo. — Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) is back in the championship game of the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions, but it probably did not think it would get there this way.

Sierra Canyon, ranked No. 10 in the Super 25, blew out No. 4 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 76-47, in a game that was largely over after the first quarter.

Sierra Canyon jumped out to a 24-5 lead in the first quarter and shot 10-for-13 from the field; Findlay shot 2-for-13 in the opening quarter.

Findlay Prep went nearly six minutes of game time to end the third quarter and start the fourth without a point.

Much of the final four minutes were played under a running clock because the margin was more than 30 points in accordance with Missouri rules.

Sierra Canyon lost on a buzzer beater to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in last year’s title game. It was the first time that Oak Hill led in the game.

Sierra Canyon will face No. 3 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) in Saturday’s title game (10:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network).

“You can pinch me because that’s really hard to do,” coach Ty Nichols said of the title game return. “We’e just thrilled to be here, No. 1, and then to get to play to the Bass Pro Tournament of Championships champions game two years in a row is something that these kids can be proud of.”

After transferring, Marvin Bagley III was not eligible for last season’s tournament. The other four members of the Trailblazers’ starting five played significant roles in last year’s Tournament of Champions runner-up squad.

“I’ve been playing with these guys for a long time now, since seventh grade, and adding Marvin was just adding a piece of the puzzle. He’s so easy to play with,” said Arizona State signee Remy Martin, who had 16 points Friday. “Everybody is so easy to play with and everybody knows their role, in a sense, and that’s hard to find in a high school team. …

“We’re here to win. We’re here to show that we shouldn’t have lost that last game (to Oak Hill). “We feel like we’re the best team in the country and nobody should be able to stay with us.”

Findlay Prep’s star, Kentucky signee P.J. Washington, fouled out with four points and eight rebounds.

“That was our focus,” Nichols said. “P.J. is a potential McDonald’s All-American and a great ballplayer. People are going to love watching him at Kentucky. We needed to play some defense on that kid. I thought our entire team did a very good job.”

Justin Roberts led Findlay Prep with 15 points in the loss. His teammate Lamine Diane added 14 points.

Marvin Bagley III, the No. 1 junior in the nation, led Sierra Canyon with 28 points on 8-of-15 shooting with 14 rebounds. Bagley also was 11-for-13 from the free throw line.

“He changed a lot of shots inside,” Nichols said. “.He didn’t get all the blocks, but being around the rim made them think about how to shoot it … I was really immersed with his poise. I felt like he let the game come to him and flow and he took the opportunities given to him. He played an outstanding game on both sides of the ball.”

Contributing: Springfield News-Leader

Sierra Canyon School guard Remy Martin (1) tries to shoot past Findlay Prep forward PJ Washington (1) during quarter action of the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions high school basketball game between the Sierra Canyon School Blazers (Chatsworth, Calif.) and the Findlay Prep Pilots (Las Vegas, Nev.) at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo. on Jan. 13, 2017. (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader)

Sierra Canyon’s guard Remy Martin (1) tries to shoot past Findlay Prep forward PJ Washington. (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News-Leader)

No. 5 Chino Hills pushes winning streak to 53 games

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12/16/2016 3:46:56 PM -- Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A -- Chino Hills Huskies guard LaMelo Ball (1) walks towards the bench after fouling out of a game against the Clark Chargers on the second day of the Tarkanian Classic at Bishop Gorman High School. Chino Hills won the game 91-87. Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie USA TODAY Sports Images, Gannett ORG XMIT: US 135848 Tark Classic 12/16/20 [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Chino Hills guard LaMelo Ball helped push the Huskies to victory (Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)

Etiwanda (Calif.) kept things close and trailed by only two points with two minutes remaining, but Chino Hills (Calif.) again prevailed for a 72-67 victory to run its winning streak to 53 games.

The No. 5 Huskies were without Andre Ball (shoulder) and LiAngelo Ball (ankle), although LiAngelo is expected back next week, according to Michelle Gardner of the Daily Bulletin. He was injured in Tuesday’s victory against Damien.

Eli Scott led Chino with 26 points and LaMelo Ball had 16 points. Ofure Ujadughele added 13.

With four minutes remaining, Eitwanda cut the lead to 60-58 on a basket by Miles Oliver, but Chino Hills scored the next five points to make it 65-58.

Then, Oliver’s two free throws cut the lead to 67-65 with 2:19 remaining. Chino Hills then scored the next five again, including a three-pointer by Phaquan Davis, for the win.

 

 

 


Bass Pro T of C: No. 3 Memphis East beats No. 2 Montverde on buzzer beater -- again

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the second time in six days, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) beat Montverde Academy (Fla.) on the last play of the game.

Alex Lomax hit a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to give the No. 3 Mustangs a 59-56 victory in a semifinal between Super 25 top 5 teams at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions on Friday . Montverde entered ranked No. 2.

Last Saturday, Chandler Lawson got free for a dunk in the closing seconds as Memphis East won 75-73 at the ARS Rescue Rooter Penny Hardaway National Hoopfest in Arlington (Tenn.). The teams also met in the City of Palms Classic in late December in Fort Myers, Fla., with Montverde emerging as the winner.

Lomax, ranked as the No. 2 player in Tennessee, scored a team-high 19 points, including the Mustangs’ last three field goals.

Memphis East advances to meet No. 10 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) in Saturday’s title game (10:30 p.m ET, CBS Sports Network).

The game featured 12 lead changes, 12 ties, 55 free throws and only four three-pointers. For the game, Montverde had more made free throws than field goals.

Memphis East used a 7-0 run to take a 50-49 lead with four minutes remaining. The teams traded points from there with No. 1 sophomore R.J. Barrett scoring the final eight points for Montverde.

Barrett finished with 23 points, including going 13-for-19 from the free throw line. Rechon “Leaky” Black had 12 points and nine rebounds before fouling out for the Eagles.

For Memphis East, Chandler Lawson added 13 points and 13 rebounds and Malcolm Dandridge added 10.

VIDEO: Watch this buzzer beater from beyond halfcourt for Palos Verdes (Calif.)

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Sebastian Atashi nailed a shot from about three feet beyond halfcourt to lift Palos Verdes (Calif.) past Mira Costa 57-56 in overtime Friday night.

“I actually practice that shot a good amount and when I let it go it felt good. It still doesn’t seem real to me yet, it’s for sure a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life,” Atashi told the Daily Breeze. “I had one of my worst games of the year. All credit goes to my teammates who kept us in the game.”

VIDEO: Kevin Knox nearly pulled down the rim -- again

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Vicious dunks from Kevin Knox are nothing new.

Knox, ranked as the No. 8 player in the Class of 2017 by the 247Sports Composite, nearly tore off the rim as Tampa Catholic (Fla.) beat Clearwater Central Catholic 76-64 Friday.

VIDEO from Flyin to the Hoop: No. 6 IMG Academy puts on a show

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No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) beat No. 11 Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 70-57 on Friday at the Flyin to the Hoop in Ohio. And there were plenty of highlight-reel plays as captured by ItsOvertime.com.
Trevon Duval with the double-clutch layup
Duval blasts through the defense for a throw-down 
Duval and Silvio de Sousa, as Duval gets the ball to de Sousa for the easy two-handed flush
Duval and Keyontae Johnson, as Duval with the flip to Johnson, who nearly catches the poster
Emmitt Williams swats the ball away with ease 

 

Johnson gets behind the defense for backbreaking slam dunk

de Sousa with the massive block and staredown

Elite wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey commits to Nebraska

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Tyjon Lindsey has found a new home.

The four-star wide receiver from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) committed to Nebraska on Saturday after decommitting from Ohio State earlier in the week.

An Army All-American, Lindsey is ranked as the No. 1 player in Nevada, No. 6 wide receiver in the nation and No. 38 player overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

In an interview with Scout.com, Lindsey said the reason he changed his mind was because he felt Nebraska offered him more playing time and a more wide-open style that features the pass.

“Ohio State has a ton of guys, they’ll be just fine,” Lindsey said. “At Ohio State, I would have been just another nice player but at Nebraska, I think I can be the guy right away and really showcase my talent better. They only have 3-4 receivers at Nebraska and want to bring in five guys this year.

“Ohio State is more of a run dominated team and if they have a great receiver, they’ll feature him but usually only that one guy gets a lot of catches. I know Nebraska wants to air things out and I want to be the guy for them. I want to be the guy that come in and makes a big impact and helps turn the program around and get other players to want to follow if we have success.”

Lindsey, who was savaged on social media by Ohio State fans after he decommitted, stressed the decision was not a knock on the Buckeyes program.

“I want to be clear, this was nothing against Ohio State, it’s a great program with a great staff,” he told Scout. I like Zach Smith, the WR coach a lot. I just had to make this move for me because in the short term and long term, I really felt like Nebraska was a better opportunity and a better overall situation for me.”

He met with Smith on Thursday. Smith tweeted this Friday:

Among those who tweeted their support is Gorman teammate Haskell Garrett, a defensive tackle who is heading to Ohio State.

Hoophall Classic: Watch Naz Reid post triple-double for Roselle Catholic (N.J.)

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In Saturday’s opening game of the Spalding HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., Naz Reid from Roselle Catholic (N.J.) had a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Reid, a 6-11 junior who is ranked as the No. 16 player in the Class of 2018, led the Lions to a 96-76 victory against Weaver (Hartford, Conn.).

“I was able to get position and score the basketball,” Reid told Rivals.com. “I was also boxing out and rebounding. When we work as a team we win and then everybody’s individual accolades go higher.

“My passing is a big weapon. Not many bigs with my size are as unselfish as I am because they aren’t getting touches so I think it’s a tremendous advantage for me.”

Reid has nine reported offers, but is hearing from plenty of schools, including Kentucky. While New York area schools such as St. John’s, Seton Hall, Rutgers and UConn might be worked hardest, Reid has said he isn’t necessarily wedded to stay in the area.

Hoophall Classic: Five players who stood out Saturday

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Five players who stood out Saturday at the 2017 Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

The day started with a triple-double from Naz Reid of Roselle (N.J.) Catholic. You can reach about that here so he is not on this list.

Charles O’Bannon, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

O’Bannon, the 6-5 shooting guard who is committed to USC, had 27 points and filled the box score with five steals, three assists and three rebounds in a losing effort against DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).

He showed his athleticism with a number of smooth moves to get to the basket and a few highlight-reel dunks.

Tremont Waters, Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.)

The 5-11 Georgetown signee is ranked as the No. 7 point guard in the nation according to ESPN and the No. 1 player in Connecticut.

He finished with 29 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a 74-66 victory against Archbishop Molloy from New York.

He had 11 of those points in the first quarter, including a deep step-back three to cap the scoring.

Jahvon Quinerly, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.)

Quinerly had 25 points, five rebounds and four assists to win game MVP honors in a 62-53 victory against St. Anthony (San Antonio).

The 6-1 point guard is ranked as No. 5 at his position, No. 3 in New Jersey and No. 28 overall in the Class of 2018 by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He has 20 reported offers, with Arizona, Villanova, Kansas and Virginia among them.

Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio)

The 6-11 Bassey, who is ranked as the No. 2 player in the Class of 2019, showed why with 17 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and four steals in a loss to Roselle Catholic.

Bassey remains a raw prospect, but his instincts and athleticism often take over.

Brandon Randolph, Westtown (West Chester, Pa.)

It was a big night for members of the Arizona recruiting class in the nightcap.

DeAndre Ayton, the No. 1 overall player in the senior class, had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix), but Richardson posted 29 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals in leading Westtown to a 66-54 victory.

The 6-6 Randolph, who is ranked as the No. 8 shooting guard in the class, showed his ability in the open court and was on the receiving end of an alley-oop.


Bass Pro T of C: R.J. Barrett leads No. 2 Montverde over No. 4 Findlay Prep

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R.J. Barrett of Montverde Academy shoots during the first round of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News-Leader)

R.J. Barrett of Montverde Academy shoots during the first round of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News-Leader)

No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.) used a 12-3 run in the third quarter to down  No. 4 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), 79-65 in the third-place game at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo.

A Lamine Diane dunk within the first minute of the quarter pulled Findlay to 37-35, but Montverde answered to take a 49-38 lead. The Eagles, who never trailed in the second half, would push the margin to 16 before the quarter was over.

R.J. Barrett led Montverde with 28 points ad 14 rebounds. Andrew Nembhard had 14 points, and Rechon “Leaky” Black had 12 with nine in the second quarter.

Kentucky signee P.J. Washington led Findlay with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Diane finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.

 

Bass Pro T of C: No. 10 Sierra Canyon wins tourney over No. 3 Memphis East

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After losing on the final play of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions last year, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) did not have to wait until the buzzer this year to know it was leaving with the championship.

Sierra Canyon, ranked No. 10 in the Super 25, led by double figures through much of the fourth quarter and finished with a 75-59 victory against No. 3 Memphis East on Saturday in Springfield, Mo.

Memphis East led 21-19 with two minutes left in the second quarter and did not lead again. Sierra Canyon entered the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead and pushed the margin to as many as 19.

“At halftime, it was a slow start,” said Sierra Canyon’s Marvin Bagley III, who was named the tournament MVP. “(Coach Ty Nichols) just told us to keep being patient and it’s a game of runs and everything will come back to us if we play our game. We came back in the second half and played our game. We came up with a win.”

A big part of the Sierra Canyon surge was the performance in the second half by Cody Riley, who had 20 of his 22 points after halftime. He also had nine of his 16 rebounds.

“Cody is a beast,” Bagley said. “It’s just as simple and plain as that. He plays the game hard. I’m blessed to be alongside a player like that and have him as a teammate is a wonderful feeling.

Bagley III finished with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Adam Seiko added 15 points and Remy Martin had 14 for Sierra Canyon.

Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) guard Remy Martin (1) reacts after a Trailblazers score during second quarter action of the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions championship game between the Sierra Canyon School Trailblazers (Chatsworth, Calif.) and the Memphis East High School Mustangs (Memphis, Tenn.) at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo. on Jan. 14, 2017.

Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) guard Remy Martin (1) reacts after a Trailblazers score (Photo: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez, News-Leader)

Chandler Lawson led Memphis East with 21 points and nine rebounds.

Sierra Canyon will now head to Springfield, Mass., for the Spalding Hoophall Classic and a matchup with No. 1 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.).

“We’re just going to enjoy this night and tomorrow we have to put it behind us and go get another game on Monday,” Bagley said.

Fans set a Bass Pro Tournament of Champions record on Saturday night when 10,729 attended the final day of games. The crowd marks the second largest ever since JQH Arena opened in 2008.

Additionally, the tournament logged a three-day attendance of 26,959 fans, allowing it to continue billing itself as “the most attended high school basketball tournament in the country.”

Contributing: Springfield News-Leader

VIDEO: Watch Josh LeBlanc win Bass Pro T of C Slam Dunk contest

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Josh LeBlanc, a 6-7 forward from Madison Prep Academy (Baton Rouge, La.) took home the Bass Pro T of C Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night in Springfield, Mo., with a combination of athletic and power moves.

That included a between-the-legs dunk. He said it was the first time he successfully flushed a between-the-legs dunk since eighth grade.

LeBlanc is rated as the No. 2 player in Louisiana in the Class of 2018 by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

After his victory, he enjoyed the accolades and signed tons of autographs for fans.

Destiny Littleton becomes California's all-time leading scorer in girls basketball

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The names are a who’s who of greats in women’s basketball — Cheryl Miller, Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, Candice Wiggins and many others. Destiny Littleton has now passed them all.

Littleton became the leading scorer in California history when she scored 30 points Saturday night to eclipse the record held by Charde Houston (San Diego High, 2000-04).

Littleton and Bishop’s (La Jolla) beat Ramona 72-47 in the MLK Hoopfest at Mount Miguel.

A 5-9 senior guard bound for USC, she has 3,838 points.

Despite ankle injury suffered Friday night, she broke the mark early in the second quarter and Houston presented her with flowers at midcourt. Houston played four years at UConn and seven years in the WNBA after her outstanding high school career.

Littleton’s future coach, USC’s Cynthia Cooper, was in the stands.

“It’s humbling to do this,” Littleton told the San Diego Union Tribune. “I’ve passed so many great players along the way, seeing them drop below me was amazing.

“Having 14 games or so left I hope I can put this mark out of reach, but when the next one comes along I’ll be right there with her like Charde was with me.”

The national record of 5,424 points belongs to Adrian McGowen from Goodrich (Texas). She played from 2003 to ’06.

Littleton is the nation’s leading scorer this season at more than 51 points per game.

The weekend could get better with the announcement of the McDonald’s All-American Game rosters on Sunday night.

“I’m nervous but confident in what I’ve produced,” Littleton said. “I guess we’ll see.”

VIDEO: Huntington Prep pulls out full array of dunks at Flyin to the Hoop

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Huntington Prep (Huntington, WVa.) closed out Day 2 of Flyin to the Hoop in Ohio with a series of spectacular dunks in the closing minutes of its victory against Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio).

If you are keeping track, the four dunks shown were two hand, windmill, 360, and between the legs.

You can see the final score at the bottom of the screen.

Huntington Prep faces Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

 

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