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Ohio State football now No. 1 in recruiting for 2018; LSU adds teammates

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Football recruiting heated up with weekend as schools continue to have camps and prospects on campus.

While LSU might be the winner of the weekend in terms of numbers, the headline is that Ohio State has moved to having the top-ranked class for 2018 according to the 247Sports Composite with the addition Saturday of four-star defensive tackle Matthew Jones.

Jones, ranked as the No. 3 player at his position, is from Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, N.Y.). He becomes the school player from the school to commit to Urban Meyer; former H-back Curtis Samuel and current safety Jahsen Wint are the other two.

Jones, who also can play offensive tackle, committed while on campus. He was taking part in an Ohio State camp.

Based on 247Sports rankings, Ohio State has three five-stars, 10 four-stars and one three-star. The group moves ahead of Miami, which has been No. 1 for most of the cycle. Miami has one five-star, 12, four-stars and three three-stars.

More weekend winners 

LSU

The Tigers picked up commitments from Ferriday (La.) teammates who took part in LSU’s OL/DL camp in Baton Rouge. Four-star defensive tackle Dare Rosenthal, who is a massive 6-7, 327 pounds,  is ranked as the No. 21 defensive tackle and the No. 8 overall prospect in Louisiana. Rosenthal’s teammate, Dantrieze Scott, a three-star prospect, can play a number of position on offense and defense and is classified as an athlete commit.

On Sunday, however, LSU lost the commitment of defensive tackle JaMarcus Chatman from Rome, Ga. Chatman has 50-plus reported offers.

“I still think LSU is a great place to be, but this is the right decision for me,” Chatman wrote on Twitter.

RICE

The Owls picked up a pair of three-star commits who are brothers: Brant and Blake Kuithe from Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas). Brant is 6-3 athlete; Blake is a 6-2 defensive end.

NORTH CAROLINA

The Tar Heels held its annual elite invitation-only recruiting event Saturday and landed two three-star commits: athlete Trey Morrison from Great Atlanta Christian and cornerback DeAndre Hollins from Jefferson (Tampa).

 


Joshua Moore, recruit with most offers in Class of 2018, commits to Nebraska

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Joshua Moore, a recruit with the most offers of any player in the Class of 2018 with 53, has selected Nebraska. He announced his commitment Sunday on Twitter.

Moore, a wide receiver from Yoakum, Texas, chose the Huskers over Florida State and Texas A&M. Moore’s twin brother Jordan, a four-star safety, is committed to Texas A&M.

The June 18 date has great significance to Moore and his family. Moore’s older brother, Quintin, took his own life on his 20th birthday when Joshua was 13.

“He had a good heart and was always smiling no matter what the situation,” Moore told SECCountry last month. “That’s what I loved most and miss about him. Our relationship was like no other. I remember one day, I got attacked by a pit bull. If my brother wasn’t there to beat it off with a stick, there’s no telling what would’ve happened. Those are the things that I’ll remember forever.

“One thing he told me: remain humble, no matter what, no matter how much success I get. One thing I took away from him was to always show love to others because you never know what that person is going through.”

Moore, an Under Armour All American, spent part of the spring at IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.), but then opted to return home to Yoakum.

He is ranked as the No. 12 wide receiver, No. 8 player in Texas and No. 62 player overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

 

Four-star recruit Dakereon Joyner picks South Carolina, honors father

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Dakereon Joyner, a four star recruit from Fort Dorchester (North Charleston, S.C.), has decided to say at home for college, selecting South Carolina over North Carolina State during a ceremony Sunday at his school.

He plans to graduate high school early and enroll in December, he said.

The announcement makes Joyner’s silent commitment public. He told USA TODAY High School Sports earlier this month that the coaching staff at the school he selected already knew his intentions.

Joyner wanted to wait until Father’s Day to make his commitment to honor his father, Damond Alton Joyner, who died in 2009.

Former Wando and current South Carolina wideout OrTre Smith was at the announcement, giving many a clue as to where Joyner was headed.

Joyner had been recruited by a number of schools who saw his more as a multi-positional athlete and not a quarterback. He has heard the criticism and shrugs it off.

“I just ball and do me,” he told USA TODAY High School Sports at the Elite 11 Finals earlier this month. “I definitely a have a lot of growing to do in different aspects, but I’ll continue to grow, get better, and be the be the best I can be.

“I need to work on my trajectory and technique stuff,” Joyner said. “I’m pretty raw right now because I’ve never had a quarterback coach, but once I get that coaching I’ll be smooth.”

USA Basketball wins fifth consecutive FIBA Americas U16 gold medal

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USA Basketball celebrates its gold medal victory (Photo: USA Basketball)

Vern Carey Jr. scored 19 points and had five rebounds and four assists to lead the 2017 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team to a 111-60 victory against Canada and a fifth consecutive FIBA Americas U16 gold medal on Sunday night in Formosa, Argentina.

Team USA went 5-0 during the event and posted lopsided margins throughout. Canada was the only team to lead in a game and the advantage lasted less than three minutes. That lead came at 6-3; the U.S. would take a 7-6 edge and never trail thanks to an 11-0 run.  The Americans led 26-10 in the final moments of the first quarter.

Carey, from University School in Florida, was named the tournament MVP.

“It felt great, to be honest, because only one person gets that in the whole tournament,” he said. “I’m pretty happy. I didn’t think I would get it at all. I felt like I only had one really good game and that was tonight, so I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

Team USA shot 60 percent from the field. Three players scored 13 points apiece: Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial/Fresno, Calif.), De’Vion Harmon (John Guyer/Corinth, Texas) and Jeremy Roach (Paul VI Catholic/Leesburg, Va.). Zion Harmon (Bowling Green High, Ky.) scored 12 points and had six assists; and Scottie Barnes (Cardinal Newman H.S./Welllington, Fla.) added 10 points.

Along with its five gold medals, Team USA is now 25-0 in FIBA Americas U16 Championship action with 20 games of 100 of more points.

“It never gets old,” said coach Don Showalter, who has directed all five of USA Basketball’s U16 National Teams. “We had a great game plan. (USA assistant coaches) Scott Fitch and Stan Waterman did a fantastic job on the scout. Our kids just executed it to perfection, and I think it showed in the way we started out tonight.”

De’Vion Harmon contributed 13 points, four assists and two steals. (Photo: USA Basketball)

The U.S. team scored 563 points in the tournament — just missing the USA U16 record of 565 points set in 2009, but set a program record for field goal percentage at .568 and free throw percentage at .704.

“It feels amazing,” added De’Vion Harmon. “All the work we put in since June 1, 25 practices, we stayed locked in, we stayed with coach Show’s things he had us do. Coach Fitch and coach Waterman, they just knew what to do.

“This is an amazing feeling, and I can’t ever take this for granted. We all etched our names in USA Basketball history with the U16 gold medal. I couldn’t be happier.”

Elite defender on 7v7 viral video: Opponent was talking trash 'so I shut it up'

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Tyreke Johnson is a U.S. Army All-American and ranked as the No. 2 safety and No. 20 player overall in the 247Sports Composite. (Worth noting that other recruiting sites have him slotted as a corner and many expect Johnson to play corner in college.)

Johnson, an uncommitted five-star prospect from Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), also has become the subject of viral video from this weekend’s NFA 7v7 National Championships at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The original video on Johnson’s Twitter feed has been retweeted nearly 14,000 times and  liked nearly 24,000 times and counting. Maybe of the replies are highly critical of Johnson’s actions.

Here is the video:

Johnson played for Pro Impact at the event. We asked him what happened:

“He was just talking a lot of trash so I shut it up,” Johnson said.

What happened after this play?

“Well, he was a little upset but then he thought about what just happened to him, so he chilled out.”

And there was no penalty called?

“No, he didn’t get over the line of scrimmage.”

Umar Farouk Osman named Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year

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Michigan commit Umar Farouk Osman had an unexpected guest at a barbecue late last week in Connecticut — New York FC midfielder Jack Harrison.

Harrison was on hand to present Osman with the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award.

Osman, a midfielder, had 19 goals and nine assists for  Hotchkiss High (Lakeville, Conn.). He played a role in 28 of the team’s 30 goals. A native of Ghana, he finished his high school career with 63 goals and 45 assists.

According to Gatorade, the winner was selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2016-17 season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership.

Osman is now a finalist for the Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, which will be presented in July.

NFA 7v7 Nationals: Team G.U.T.S. makes a name for itself with title

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Welcome to the national spotlight, Team G.U.T.S.

The program based in Indianapolis and players only from Indiana toppled defending champion Midwest BOOM to win the NFA 7v7 National Championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

“If you didn’t know who Team G.U.T.S. — Growing Up Through Sports – was, now they know,” coach Melvin Tunstill said. “For us to be a third-year program from Indiana who gets overlooked all the time, to win this is big.”

GUTS was seeded 10th and had to knock off BOOM twice in order to win the title, because of the double-elimination format.

GUTS won 29-28 in the main winners bracket draw thanks to Broc Thompson’s game-winning touchdown and subsequent two-point conversation.

After the loss, BOOM beat FSS Elite 31-30 and then beat GUTS, 29-14. GUTS then took home the trophy with a 25-14 win in the title game. GUTS thwarted BOOM’s attempt to come back with a late interception by linebacker Roman Molden. Receiver KeSean Tunstill then added a touchdown.

Reese Taylor was the quarterback for GUTS. From Ben Davis (Indianapolis), he is ranked as the No. 6 player in the state according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Along with Tunstill, Taylor, Thompson and Molden, GUTS also got big performances from receiver LaShan Bright and safety Rondell Allen.

“It was a team effort,” Melvin Tuntsill said. “No one or two players could have done this all by themselves. Personally, it was the best Father’s Day present ever.”

ALL-USA Watch: Brie Oakley runs fastest ever outdoor high school 2 mile

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Brie Oakley, who recently graduated from Grandview (Colo.), ran the fastest ever high school girls outdoor 2-mile at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, according to MileSplit.

Oakley, who is headed to Cal, ran a 9:51.35, which also set the Brooks PR meet record. The former Brooks record is  9:53.54 by Bethan Knights in 2014. Knights now runs for Cal.

The only faster 2-mile was run indoors by Mary Cain in 2013 with a time 9:38.68.

Oakley is a two-time Colorado state champion in the 2-mile and recently won the 3,200 to help Grandview win the 5A state team title.


Gatorade Girls Soccer State Players of the Year announced

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The Gatorade State Softball Players of the Year have been crowned. The winners were selected based on athletic production and impact in the 2016-17 season. Each winner also demonstrated high academic achievement and exemplary personal character, including volunteerism, sportsmanship and community leadership.

Alabama: Eva Knapstein, GK, McGill Toolen (Mobile)

Alaska: Kelsey Eagle, MF, Dimond (Anchorage)

Arizona: Erika Yost, F, Fountain Hills

Arkansas: Caroline Campbell, F, Bryant

California: Kennedy Wesley, MF/D, Valley Christian (Cerritos)

Colorado: Shae Holmes, MF/F, Thunderridge (Highlands Ranch)

Connecticut: Danielle Brinckman, D, Glastonbury

Delaware: Alyssa Poarch, F.MF, Middletown

District of Columbia: Maliah Morris, F, St. John’s College

Florida: Bella Dorosy, F, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)

Georgia: Rachel Jones, F/MF, Collins Hills (Suwanee)

Hawaii: Emi Higgins, F/MF, Hawaii Prep (Kamuela)

Idaho: Lauren Bouvia, F, Weiser

Illinois: Emma Thomson, MF/F, Maine South (Park Ridge)

Indiana: Kristina Lynch, MF/F, Penn (Mishawka)

Iowa: Regan Steigleder, MF/F, Iowa City West (Iowa City)

Kansas: Gracely Briley, MF, Blue Valley Southwest (Overland Park)

Kentucky: Eva Mitchell, F, West Jessamine (Nicholasville)

Louisiana: Audrey Viso, MF, St. Joseph Academy (Baton Rouge)

Maine: Sara D’Appolonia, F, Yarmouth

Maryland: Cammie Murtha, F, Walter Johnson (Bethesda)

Massachusetts: Eve Hewins, F, Hingham

Michigan: Emily Ashby, D, Forest Hills Northern (Grand Rapids)

Minnesota: Meredith Haakenson, MF, Maple Grove

Mississippi: Morgan O’Connor, F, Oxford

Missouri: Kirsten Davis, F, Westminster Christian Academy (Town & Country)

Montana: Alexa Coyle, MF, Bozeman

Nebraska: Hannah Davis, F, Lincoln Southwest (Lincoln)

Nevada: Arlie Jones, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

New Hampshire: Bailey Kolinski, GK, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro)

New Jersey: Frankie Tagliaferri, F, Colts Neck

New Mexico: Lexi Baca, F, Cibola (Albuquerque)

New York: Madisyn Pezzino, F, Grand Island

North Carolina: Ashlynn Serepca, F, Hough (Cornelius)

North Dakota: Sofia Lewis, MF, Minot

Ohio: Sofia Rossi, F, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls)

Okahoma: Taylor Malham, MF, Union (Tulsa)

Oregon: Kaillen Fried, F, Sherwood

Pennsylvania: Drew Agnew, F/D, Villa Joseph Marie (Holland)

Rhode Island: Marykate McGuire, MF, Portsmouth

South Carolina: Caroline Conti, F/MF, JL Mann (Greenville)

South Dakota: Theresa Pujado, MF, O’Gorman (Sioux Falls)

Tennessee: Karlie Paschall, MF, Ravenwood (Brentwood)

Texas: Diana Ordonez, F, Prosper

Utah: Olivia Wade, Davis (Kaysville)

Vermont: Georgia Lord, MF/D, Burr and Burton Academy (Manchester)

Virginia: Claire Constant, D/F, T.C. Williams (Alexander)

Washington: JoJo Harver, F/MF, Bellevue

West Virginia: Mary Lawman, MF/F, Winfield

Wisconsin: Taylor Kerwin, F,Whitefish Bay

Wyoming: Lexi Pulley, F/MF, Laramie

 

Dual-threat QB Jace Ruder, No. 1 player in Kansas, commits to North Carolina

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Dual-threat quarterback Jace Ruder, ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in Kansas, has committed to North Carolina. He announced his decision Monday on Twitter.

Ruder, from Norton (Kan.), is also ranked as the No. 16 dual-threat QB, according to the 247Sports Composite.

He spent the weekend in Chapel Hill and then chose the Tar Heels from among 17 reported offers. His visit to North Carolina followed visits to Florida and Georgia last week.

Ruder, 6-3 and 205, decommitted rom Tulsa in late May.

He threw for nearly 1,600 yards last season with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions and ran for nearly 750 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Ruder makes two quarterback commitments within day for Larry Fedora and his staff. Tyler Shough, the starting quarterback at powerhouse program Chandler High in Arizona, committed to the Tar Heels on Thursday. Shough is ranked as the No. 10 pro-style quarterback and the No. 2 player overall in Arizona.

Meet the ALL-USA NBA All-Draft Team since 2012

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In the last five NBA Drafts, 46 players who were named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Basketball team when they were in high school have been selected. That includes each of the previous five No. 1 overall picks.

Looking at the players chosen from 2012 to 2016, here is the ALL-USA NBA All-Draft Team. That doesn’t mean different players won’t be in this group once this past season’s rookies get more established.

Anthony Davis at Perspectives Charter (Photo: Anne Ryan, USA TODAY Sports)

ANTHONY DAVIS

Position: Forward-Center

High school: Perspectives Charter (Chicago)

ALL-USA: 2011 First Team

College: Kentucky

Draft: No. 1 overall in 2012 by Charlotte Hornets

In the NBA: Coming off his fifth NBA season in which he averaged career highs of 28 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and played a career-high 75 games. For his career, Davis is averaging 22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. He is a four-time NBA All-Star and was named MVP of the 2017 All-Star Game.

McDonalds High School All American center Karl-Anthony Towns (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS

Position: Center

High school: St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.)

ALL-USA: 2014 Second Team

College: Kentucky

Draft: No. 1 overall in 2015 by Minnesota Timberwolves

In the NBA: Averaged 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his second season, increasing his averages from 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 2015-16 when he was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He has played every game in each of his first two years.

Bradley Beal at Chaminade (Photo: Whitney Curtis, USA TODAY Sports)

BRADLEY BEAL

Position: Shooting guard

High school: Chaminade (St. Louis)

ALL-USA: 2011 First Team

College: Florida

Draft: No. 3 overall in 2012 by Washington Wizards

In the NBA: Coming off the best of his five NBA seasons, Beal averaged 23.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists – all career highs. Played in a career-high 77 games and was in the top 10 in the league in three-pointers made and attempted. Averaged 24.8 points in 13 playoff games.

Devin Booker from Moss Point (Miss.) (Photo: Courtesy photo)

DEVIN BOOKER

Position: Shooting guard

High school: Moss Point (Miss.)

ALL-USA: 2014 Third Team

College: Kentucky

Draft: No. 13 overall in 2015 by Phoenix Suns

In the NBA: Booker made headlines with a 70-point game in March. Averaged 22.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his second season after averaging 13.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a rookie.

Andrew Wiggins at Huntington Prep (Photo: Randy Snyder, USA TODAY Sports

ANDREW WIGGINS

Position: Small forward

High school: Huntington Prep (W.Va.)

ALL-USA: 2013 Player of the Year and First Team

College: Kansas

Draft: No. 1 overall in 2014 by Cleveland Cavaliers and traded to Minnesota Timberwolves

In the NBA: The 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year, Wiggins’ offensive numbers have increased each year. He averaged 23.6 points last season and led the NBA in minutes played. He also was in the top 10 in field goals and field goals attempted.

Wando (S.C.) claims Super 25 boys spring soccer championship

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Wando celebrates against JL Mann (Photo: Bart Boatwright, Greenville News)

Wando (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) has been crowned the spring boys soccer national champion with the release Tuesday of the final USA TODAY High School Sports/National Soccer coaches Association of America Super 25.

Wando, which took over the top spot in early April, finished the season with a 27-0 recorf and shut out its final 11 opponents, including five teams in the playoffs on the way to the South Carolina Class AAAAA title.

FINAL SUPER 25: See who made the rankings

Wando beat JL Mann (Greenville) 1-0 in the state title game to clinch the seventh boys soccer state title in school history.

McIntosh (Peachtree Ridge, Ga.) finished at No. 2 with a 22-1 record and the Georgia state AAAAA title, the sixth in school history. The McIntosh girls soccer program also won a state title. Clarkston, which lost to McIntosh in the state title, is No. 6.

Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.) remained No. 3 and was the Washington 2A state champion after a dominating 23-0 season. That included an 8-0 win in the title game.

Broken Arrow (Okla.) was No. 4, moving up a spot since the previous rankings, thanks to a shootout victory in the 6A state title game against Stillwater. It was Broken Arrow’s first state title since 2011.

Station Camp (Gallatin, Tenn.) moved up from No. 8 to No. 5 in the final Super 25 after winning the first state soccer title in school history. Station Camp edged Houston (Germantown) 1-0 in the Class AAA final.

River Bluff (Lexington, S.C.) moved into the Top 10 at No. 8 from No. 14 and Todd Beamer (Federal Way, Wash.) moved from no. 17 to No. 10.

Langley (McLean, Va.) moved into the Super 25 at No. 11 after rolling to the Virginia 6A title with a 6-2 victory against Battlefield. Langley won its second state title in three years.

Other newcomers to the final rankings are No. 21 Alta (Sandy, Utah), No. 22 The McCallie School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and No. 24 Bishop Kelley (Tulsa).

Barrington (Ill.) finishes No. 1 in Super 25 spring girls soccer rankings

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Barrington (Ill.) won its first-ever girls state soccer championship and now is champion of the final USA TODAY Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 for girls spring soccer.

FINAL SUPER 25: See who made the rankings

Barrington finished a 28-1 season with a 1-0 shootout victory against New Trier in the Class AAA state final. New Trier was attempting to win its fourth consecutive state title. New Trier moved from No. 23 to No. 10 by reaching the state final.

Sophia Spinel scored the decisive goal in penalty kicks.

“The girls have given all they have to win this state title, most recently not going to graduation last night, or a senior trip a few days ago and instead having a team dinner,” coach Ryan Stengren told the Daily Herald after the state championship victory. “I am so proud of everyone of them right now, just as I have been all season long.”

Barrington had been No. 2 in the previous Super 25 rankings and moved up after Notre Dame de Sion (Kansas City) lost in the Missouri Class 3 state final to Webster Groves. Off the victory, Webster Groves jumped from No. 13 to No. 4.

St. Pius X (Atlanta) rose from No. 4 to No. 2  and won its fifth consecutive Class AAAA state championship. St. Pius beat Marist in the title game; Marist had hung the only loss on St. Pius earlier in the season.

Albermale (Charlottesville, Va.) moved from No. 11 to No. 3 after winning the 5A state title with a 1-0 victory against Mountain View (Stafford).

Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) finished at No. 5 with a final record of 17-2-1, including 15 consecutive wins. The school won the state 5A title.

Marian (Blooomfield Hills, Mich.) leads the newcomers to the final Super 25 at No. 16 after winning the Division II title in Michigan. Western Albermale (Crozet, Va.) joins at No. 18, followed by Bentonville (Ark.) at No. 19 and Middleton (Del) at No. 22.

Cam Newton: 'Justin Fields is the best recruit in the country'

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Cam Newton has a high opinion of five-star quarterback Justin Fields:

“Justin Fields is the best recruit in the country. Write that down,” he told SECCountry.com during the NFA 7v7 National Championships at IMG Academy over the weekend.

Newton, the Carolina Panthers quarterback who was a five-star prospect a decade ago, coaches Fields as part of the Cam Newton 7v7 program.

Fields, from Harrison (Kennesaw, Ga.), is ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback and No. 3 player overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2018.

He recently decommitted from Penn State and has more than 40 scholarship offers. He told news reporters at IMG that Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Georgia are the main four schools and listed Alabama, North Carolina and Ole Miss as involved.

While in Florida, Fields took part in a camp at Florida State camp. At times, it seemed as if every Seminoles coach, including Jimbo Fisher, was watching Fields when his turn came for reps.

As for playing for Newton’s team and building a relationship with him, Fields said he values the experience.

“Growing up when he was at Auburn, he’s kind of who I modeled my game after,” Fields told SECCountry. “So it’s definitely great learning from him. …

“Cam tells me just do what’s best for me. All these colleges, they want you to come help them. But really, just find the best fit for you.”

VIDEO: Isaiah Washington brings Jelly to Minnesota in summer league debut

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There was no doubt that the Jelly was coming to Minnesota in the form of New York Mr. Basketball and incoming Golden Gophers freshman Isaiah Washington.

Washington made his debut in the Twin Cities Pro Am on Monday night and did what Washington does.

RELATED: Jelly Fam the next generation is here

From the Star-Tribune:

It took only his first offensive possession for the “oohs and aahs” to come as the 6-1 Harlem native had his defender dancing to keep up with his flashy ball-handling and spin moves. …

On three consecutive possessions in the second half, Washington dribbled around and scored against different defenders who wanted a chance to shut him down.

Here are the video highlights courtesy of Courtside Films:

 


Six rising high school seniors named finalists for USA Basketball U19 World Cup team

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Six rising high school seniors made the initial cut to 16 for the USA Basketball Men’s Under-19 World Cup team, coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari.

The group began with 27 players and has had four practice at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A final cutdown is expected to 12 by the end of the week.

The United States will look for a third consecutive gold medal in the event, which is July 1-9 in Cairo.

Here are the six high school players:

  • Bol Bol, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
  • Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.)
  • Louis King, Hudson Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)
  • Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.)
  • Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll School (Bel Air, Md.)
  • Cameron Reddish, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.)

Cameron Reddish at Team USA training camp (Photo: USA Basketball)

The remaining 10 players include incoming college freshmen and players who will be sophomores in college, assuming they make the age cutoff.

Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky), Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Kevin Knox (Kentucky), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), Chuma Okeke (Auburn), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Payton Pritchard (Oregon), Mitchell Robinson (Western Kentucky), Quinton Rose (Temple), P.J. Washington (Kentucky) and Austin Wiley (Auburn).

“I think we’ve got a good group of finalists,” coach John Calipari said in a news release. “We’re pretty long and athletic. It looks like we’re going to be somewhat positionless and we’re going to have some 6-8 guys that can play point guard, bring it up and make plays.

“We’re young, there is a group of six rising (high school) seniors that now, in this setting, it’s a little different. Now you’ve got some cagey veterans that have gone through a college season and played, some of them started for their teams or were significant players, and you’re a high school rising senior playing against that kid, now you see where you are as a player.”

“I told some kids in our meeting (after naming the finalists) that if you want make this team you’re going to have rebound, and show us you’re going to rebound; if you’re going to make this you’re going to have pass the ball, you can’t be trying to shoot every ball. You’re responsible for you.  I went around the room, not every guy, but I wanted to let them know I’m going to keep it real. I’m going to be real about what we have to do. The reason is we don’t have time, we have three practices and then we’ve got to make another cut and get it to 12.”

 

VIDEO: Shareef O'Neal shows off array of two-handed dunks

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There is no doubt that Arizona commit Shareef O’Neal is powerful around the rim. O’Neal is ranked No. 18 overall and the No. 3 prospect in the latest ESPN 100 for the Class of 2018.

In highlights from last weekend from Home Team Hoops, O’Neal breaks out an array of two-handed dunks, reminiscent of his dad, Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

 

Ohio State recruit wears shirt: 'I hope I don't get killed for being black today'

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Tyreke Smith wanted to make a statement when he took part in Ohio State’s camp this week, but not necessarily on the field.

Ranked as the No. 4 weakside defensive tackle in the Class of 2018 and with 37 reported, Smith made his statement with his shirt.

It read: “I hope I don’t get killed for being black today.”

“I decided to wear the shirt because I wanted to bring attention to the epidemic of blacks being killed at an alarming rate,” Smith told ElevenWarriors, a site that covers Ohio State. “What we would like to do is have people talk about these issues to reduce the murder rate of African-Americans.”

Tyreke Smith (Photo courtesy of Tyreke Smith)

While Smith is from Cleveland Heights, he said the shirt was not a specific reference to Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old who was shot by a Cleveland police officer.

While the response has been positive, Smith has received negative reactions. Smith handled those with more maturity than you might expect from a teenager.

“[They] are speaking negatively because they don’t understand what’s going on and the message behind it,” Tyreke told Eleven Warriors. “To see or hear about so many senseless killings, it tends to have a negative impact on you. You start to wonder if we should move away… but most, ‘why?’”

He also understood with reporters, coaches and 100 players at the camp, he was likely to be photographed and the shirt would get attention. The shirt was created by his older brother, Malik, and is available for purchase via Twitter direct message.

“I felt I should wear it because I’m big on the African American culture and know the struggles that our race goes through,” Tyreke told Cleveland.com. “Whether people think that being black isn’t a task or not. Being the individual I am and the spotlight I have, I felt that people would get the message if I wore the shirt. Because if I’m being real, people are looking at me even when I don’t know and I knew they would see the shirt.”

Could 6-9 Dimon Carrigan be the nation's best shotblocker?

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The numbers say Dimon Carrigan is the most dangerous shot blocker in the stats era of the Nike EYBL circuit (since 2014).

Carrigan’s shot block percentage is 16% this year, outdistancing the 13.5% by Western Kentucky signee Mitchell Robinson, one of the top recruits in the Class of 2017. Shot block percentage measures the percentage of two-point field goal attempts the player blocks while he is on the court. Carrigan’s percentage means he blocks one of every six two-point shots taken.

“What that means to me is I’m doing something right blocking shots,” he said. “To be among some of the best shot blockers who played before me is truly a honor.”

Playing for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), Carrigan is averaging 3.4 shots per game, second in the EYBL behind Bol Bol, ranked among the top 5 recruits in the Class of 2018. Bol is averaging 4.5 per game.

BABC has qualified for Peach Jam next month.

The key to his shot-blocking success: Volleyball.

Carrigan played two years of volleyball at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. He is embarking on a prep school year at Woodstock Academy (Lynn, Mass.).

“It’s my length and timing and my biggest secret to help me block shots was two years of volleyball,” he said.

His eye-popping stats as a shot blocker are helping him continue to gain attention on the recruiting trail. Among a dozen reported offers are Washington, Miami, Georgia Tech and Wichita State. He recently took an unofficial visit to UMass and has interest from Syracuse and Connecticut.

He also should get more exposure at Woodstock. The program is playing a number of events on the Grind Session and plans call for a circuit stop to be held at Woodstock.

“(Being a shot blocker) helped with my recruitment because a lot of school can see me coming in right away and making an impact as a freshman due to how good I am at blocking shots,” he said.

Los Alamitos (Calif.) finishes No. 1 in Super 25 softball rankings

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Los Alamitos (Calif.) started at No. 1 and now finishes at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/National Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Super 25 softball rankings.

In between, the Griffins dropped into the Top 10 but reclaimed the top spot two weeks ago after winning the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Division I championship game by beating No. 1 Norco, 3-1.

“My approach going into the final game was to just focus on the batter in the box and the pitchIi was about to throw,” said Ryan Denhart, Los Alamitos’ ace who retired 18 of the first 19 batters in the game. “I knew if I got caught up in who was on deck or the previous batter it would affect what was about to happen.”

SUPER 25: See the final rankings

Los Alamitos, led by ALL-USA High School Softball Coach of the Year Rob Weil, finished 28-3 on the year but avenged each of those losses.

“We were able to dig down and avenge those loses because we knew as a team in those games that we did not play to our best ability,” Denhart said. “We knew we could do better than that

Norco, whose only loss was to Los Alamitos in a 33-1 season, finished No. 2, behind the pitching of American Family Insurance ALL-USA High School Player of the Year Taylor Dockins.

Oak-Park-River Forest (Ill.) won its second consecutive Class 4A state championship and finished No. 3 in the Super 25. Woodinville (Wash.) went 26-0 and won the state 4A title. Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) won its sixth consecutive state title and capped a perfect season (27-0) and is No. 5.

Newcomers to the final poll are state titlists No. 15 Dakota (Mich.), No. 16 North Medford (Ore.), No. 17 Shawnee Heights (Kan.), No. 24 Keller (Texas) and No. 25 Hamilton (Ariz.).

New Jersey’s Donovan Catholic, Maryland’s Leonardtown, Kentucky’s Male, Arizona’s Pinnacle and California’s Stockdale — dropped out this week.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the Super 25.

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