Top Performers

Anthony Davis 2011 6'9" PF/C Mean Streets (Chicago)

With the AAU season hitting the one month mark, I don't think there is anyone in the country that has made a bigger jump than the big man from the Windy City. He was a shot blocking machine all weekend with his long arms and uncanny instinct to time his jump and get a hand on the ball anywhere on the court. While he was off the charts blocking shots, maybe the most impressive part of his game this weekend was a non stop motor that saw him diving all over the place for loose balls, and snatching rebounds well out of his area. Davis was only 6'4" a year ago which explains why he is just now exploding on the scene, but he has been able to maintain some of the guard skills from his past as he also showed he can put the ball on the deck and score in a variety of was from the rim all the way out to the 3 point line. It's not often a kid goes from unknown to 5 star recruit in one weekend, but that's exactly what Davis did in Ft Wayne.

Davis already holds one high major offer from Syracuse, and don't be surprised to see another dozen plus added to the list over the next week or two.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera 2012 6'3" 220 G Indy Elite 16U

The physical combo guard out of Indianapolis has had his share of detractors because they felt he developed early and as he moved up the ranks the opposing talent would begin to catch up to him, but he shot those theories down all weekend as he used his strong frame to punish defenders driving to the rim and putting up 20 plus every time out. He gets to the line as well as anyone in the 2012 class, and is automatic turning fouls into points at once he toes the stripe. Smith-Rivera still needs to expand his range past 17 feet with more consistency, and when he does he will be nearly impossible to defend.

Indiana, Xavier, Purdue, Louisville, Cincinnati and Tennessee have already extended offers.

Jeremy Hollowell 2012 6'6" 190 SF Eric Gordon 16U

The elite wing from Indianapolis has always flashed immense potential, and now he is finally starting to put it all together to live up the the hype. He runs the floor with ease, and can finish well above the rim in transition. In the half court he has great form on his perimeter jumper, and is progressing well in learning how to take advantage of a defender once they come out to crowd him on the wing with drives to the basket or mid range pull up jumpers. His defense and rebounding are still a work in progress, but things are coming together quickly for Hollowell this spring.

Ohio State, Indiana, Xavier, Cincinnati, Iowa, Illinois and Tennessee have extended offers while Purdue, Florida and Louisville are also showing interest.

Keep An Eye On

Anton Grady 2011 6'8" 210 PF All Ohio Red

Jamari Traylor 2011 6'7” 235 PF Mean Streets

If you followed the updates from the weekend you already know I love how this under the radar big man plays the game. He has a big time frame and a non stop motor on both ends of the floor, and it was just a matter of time in every game I watched before he tried to rip the rim off on a dunk or went way above the rim to block a shot. As long as his grades are in order (always a concern with Chicago public school kids) Traylor is going to do a lot better than the offers he holds from Bradley and Indiana State.

Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell

If there has been one concern about the development of Davis it's that sometimes he tried to do too much on the high school level with the ball in his hands, but on Saturday he showed the ability to get his when it was there and when it wasn't to spread the ball around to his teammates on a loaded Indiana Elite squad. He put up 13 in each of the two games I saw on everything from long range bombs to using his big frame to attack the rim off the bounce and finish with contact.

It's a great sign to see this type of performances out of Davis as he mentally works on getting ready for the next level in a little over a year. He played mostly off the ball in high school this year, and is seeing a large chunk of his time at the point for Indy Elite so his game is diversifying as a combo guard and his showing today was a big factor in getting his team through pool play and the first two rounds of the tournament and into position to win the title on Sunday.

Trey Burke: 17U All Ohio Red 5'11' PG

The tough as nails floor general from Northland HS in Columbus was just slightly off on his perimeter game last weekend in Akron, but he had it rolling today as he stroked 7 shots from distance in the two games I caught today for a combined 43 points. Burke could have done a lot more damage today if he had his patented mid range floater falling, but he had trouble there to compliment his perimeter game. He is also as pesky as they come when defending the ball, and often uses his quick hands to pick the pocket of his opponent.

Jamari Traylor: 17U Mean Streets 6'7" PF

I simply had to go back and check out Traylor again today to make sure what he showed last night wasn't a flash in the pan, and sure enough he put it all out on the floor for the 2^nd day in a row. Traylor reminds me of of a Jeff Adrien type prospect in the making as he has every physical tool already there and plays with a relentless motor. His offensive game still needs some refinement, but his physical style of play and ability to pull down boards and score with heavy contact in the paint make his a rising prospect well worth keeping an eye on as the spring and summer unfolds.

Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell: 17U (2012) Indy Elite 5'11" PG

Ferrell has already established himself as a high major prospect among the crowded array of prospects in Indiana, and his stock is rising by the day as he shows what he can do along side the big boys at the 17U level. In the first game I saw of him today he tallied 15 points on the strength of three bombs from deep and two tough finishes amongst the trees. He brought his facilitating game the second time around, scoring only 6 points in the win against All Ohio Red but in the process setting up his teammates as Indy Elite turned a close battle into a blowout early in the 4^th quarter. He put the ball right on the money several times to set up IU verbal Austin Ethrington for big threes and from there the game was out of reach.

Keith Langston: 15U Ferarri 6'4" Wing

Langston is fresh off a freshman season in the loaded Whitney Young high school team out of Chicago, and you could tell it helped him get ready to have a break out AAU season in his game against Devin Davis and the Eric Gordon All Stars. He started off the game with a few strong drives to the rim, and once he had that established he started unleashing a barrage of threes that helped keep his squad out in front of a highly contested battle. The only minor flaw in his jumper was a release that could have been a little higher, but he is able to catch and fire in rapid fashion and with his already 6'4" frame it should not be much of a concern going forward. Langston is a name that will be around for a while with high major programs already checking in on his game.

JP Tokoto; 16U Wisconsin Playground 6'5" Wing

Tokoto is one of the top prospects in the 2012 class and is being recruited at an elite level already. Today he showed why as he dominated Common Bond to a point where you truly felt bad that he was even allowed to be abusing them in the way that he was. Tokoto's athleticism was on full display as he threw down an array of nasty dunks including ones off of missed shots and alley oops from teammates. However, it wasn't just a dunk fest for Tokoto as he also showed off his solid handle and ability to hit the midrange jump-shot in transition. The only question mark after watching Tokoto play was why he was still playing with 16 year olds.

Devin Davis; 15U Eric Gordon All-Stars 6'5" Wing

A young wing that we found out Cincinnati's staff has some interest in through our sources that had a good showing today was Devin Davis. The athletic wing showed some maturity in his game as he was always under control despite doing a great job of getting to the rim. He also showed the ability to finish strong through contact, which is a fairly rare thing for a young, lean wing. Davis' handle was solid, though it will likely get better and even though he didn't show it off much today his shooting stroke looked smooth. Expect Davis to end up being a pretty hot prospect in the future.

Anthony Davis; 17U Mean Streets Blue 6'10" Post

If you've followed the reports from the Spiece Run N' Slam here in Ft. Wayne then you've heard a lot about Anthony Davis. Davis blew up last night while all eyes were on him and he proved today that it was no fluke. He showed the same high-motor that was praised the night before and continued to play at a high-level. In the afternoon game against Illinois Old School, Davis just missed a triple-double (unofficially) as he had 14 points, 17 rebounds and 8 blocks. He followed that up with a solid performance against the highly-talented Mac Irvin Fire as he basically shut Mike Shaw out inside. He led all scorers of that game at halftime with 9 points and finished the game with another double-double with points and rebounds. Davis' stock is only going to continue to soar.

Jeremy Hollowell

Hollowell had a great day while helping his Eric Gordon All-Stars team advance to the quarterfinals of the Gold bracket. The wing with a Cincinnati offer took the game over in the second half as they pulled away from MBA Select. Hollowell's improved strength helped him finish strong around the basket. He's not overly explosive but he did show the ability to get to the rim. He also showed off a pretty shot from beyond the arc and an above average handle.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera; 16U Indy Elite 6'4" Guard

The 2012 Cincinnati middle linebacer.... Err guard prospect showed once again that he can score the basketball at a very high level tonight. Smith-Rivera used his ridiculous strength to power his way to the basket on numerous occasions leaving the defense with no choice but to foul. Fortunately for Smith-Rivera he can make a free throw. He scored 23 of his game-high 31 points from the charity stripe where he only missed one time the whole game. His strength is a major problem for opposing defenders not only on the ball now, but he's learned how to use that strength to create separation when he's playing off the ball. His outside shot is really looking good as well. He was 2-for-4 on the game from three-point range.

Marc Loving; 15U All-Ohio Red 6'6" Forward

Loving is a young target that Cincinnati has interest in and it was clear why as his All-Ohio Red squad blew past their Illinois Old School opponent. Loving showed off his skilled game despite being one of the bigger players on the court at this age. He rebounded extremely well on both ends of the court and really went and got the ball out of area well. He also showed a really good looking shot off despite narrowly missing on both attempts from three. His release was high and quick and the ball had good rotation. He did connect on a few mid-range jumpers and his free throws were money. Loving projects to be a skilled combo forward at the next level and is definitely a name to keep an eye on for Cincinnati fans.

Nigel Hayes: 15U All Ohio Red 6'6" F

The 2013 class in Toledo is loaded with Loving and Hayes headlining the bunch. Hayes looks destined to be a power type forward who is going to have plenty of time to expand his game farther and farther out on the wing. At such a young age he obviously needs some time to develop his footwork and moves in the post, he showed a good understanding of how to work for position and and use his big frame make plays happen once he gets the ball. As his game continues to develop he could very well become the next 5 star kid out of Ohio. Like Loving, he is on the Bearcats radar early.

Indy Elite One vs Spiece Select

Jamari Traylor

Every time Spiece did make a run the Indy Elite squad was quick to answer and push the lead back out to a comfortable double digit margin. After a slow first half for both Jeremiah Davis and Ge-Lawn Guynn they got more involved in the 2^nd to keep things rolling for Indy Elite. The talented combo guards are both listing offers from Cincinnati and Davis put up 9 while Guynn tallied 11 in the contest.

Trailing by 15 with a little over 4 minutes left Spiece had one more run in them as 6'8" PF Alex Pritchett used his wide frame to convert again and again at the rim as the lead continued to shrink. Ferrell, Davis and the rest of the Indy Elite guards were able to make enough plays down the stretch to hold on for a 78-73 victory.

Mean Streets vs Next Level Performance

In the night game there were some impressive prospects on display. Mean Streets Blue, a Chicago-based team, completely outclassed their opponent, Next Level Performance.

The most impressive player on the court was under-the-radar big man for Mean Streets, Anthony Davis. The lean 6-foot-9 forward was blocking everything from layups to three-point attempts, but he was much more than a shot blocking athlete. Davis showed a skilled offensive game with the ability to post up or face up and get to the basket. He's got a smooth looking shot out to mid-range. What might have been the most impressive part of his game though was his motor.

Despite leading 44-6 at halftime, Davis was still diving all over the floor after loose balls and had several saves. He finished the game with 11 points, double-digit rebounds, and somewhere around seven or eight blocks. Davis is under-the-radar at the moment but will probably end up getting recruited at the highest level. Davis currently holds only one offer from Syracuse.

There was another intriguing prospect for Mean Streets at the forward position though who is flying unnoticed right now. Jamari Traylor had a big game with 15 points and double-digit rebounds as well. Traylor looked like he had been in a college weight program for the past three to four years already and his phenomenal physique showed to be too much for any NLP defender. He powered his way to the basket off the dribble and also dominated the glass on both ends with his superior strength and athleticism. Traylor has yet to receive an offer and is only hearing from Indiana State and Bradley. Expect that to change really soon.

As everyone knows, he moved from Cincinnati to Bowling Green, Kentucky where his mother had family. He attended Bowling Green High School this year and immediately improved their basketball team. However, the basketball wasn't the biggest adjustment for him. Just getting used to the different lifestyles of the two cities was a process.

"I adjusted to it... not real quick but down there it's cool," Behanan said about his new hometown. "It's a nice place to relax, focus and get your mind off stuff."

While he had to get used to the school and his new surroundings the basketball came fairly easily for him as he led Bowling Green to a district championship before bowing out to Warren Central. He averaged a double-double on the season with 21.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.

"I expected to go further than we did. We went to the regional championship and lost in double-overtime by five. We hope to come back next year and go further," Behanan said.

One might read that last sentence as somewhat of a shock as most people feel that he would end up back in Cincinnati playing next season. However, Behanan stated very clearly to reporters this weekend that he will be playing at Bowling Green high school next year.

While the competition in Bowling Green isn't quite what he would be facing in Cincinnati, he did get the opportunity to play against prospects George Fant and Jordan Shanklin three times this season including the region finals.

"It was fun. The environment was fun. We all went at it," Behanan said about playing against Shanklin and Fant. "We all respect each others' games and we see each other on and off the court and respect each other."

Now that the high school season is over and the AAU season is back in action there are a few specific things Behanan says he is doing to get ready for the college game.

"Ballhandling mostly and going through a college workout basically... Ballhandling, getting in shape and shooting the ball from 15-17 feet."

As for the other question that everyone is interested in, "where does Cincinnati stand in his recruitment?" It's a tough call. While reeling off his list of schools to reporters he stopped in the middle and said,"Of course Cincinnati." While it wasn't an overwhelming endorsement for the school's chances, it did show that they are still very much a player. The fact of the matter is at this point there doesn't really seem to be a leader at all for Behanan's recruitment.

"I like all of them," he said about the schools recruiting him. "I'm just going to take all my visits hopefully next year and over the summer and see what happens from there."

When asked if there was a timetable on his decision he had this to say.

"No I'll just sit down and hopefully by this time next year I'll have a decision."

Scouting Report:

Chane without a doubt provided a huge spark for OBC this past weekend at the King James tournament. He showed off his athleticism and explosiveness while running the floor. There are still few players who are as physically strong as he is and when he is playing his hardest it makes him a force in the paint.

He can go get rebounds at a high level and did a nice job changing and blocking shots on the defensive end. He never really used his jump-shot this weekend, though he says he is working on it. However, he did get to the basket in impressive fashion on several occasions. One of the more interesting developments in his game might be the ascension of his basketball IQ.

He consistently showed off good passing skills from the high post, the wing and across the blocks throughout the tournament and seemed to have a better overall feel of playing team basketball. The one knock on Chane is still his tendency to disappear from time to time. He had some big games during the tournament, but laid an absolute egg in the early game on Sunday. His consistency has always been questioned and he will need to stop having those games where he doesn't "show up" to prove himself as a legit high-major.

"It's fun. At first I was amazed by it, but I just try to not let it affect me and go out there and do the best I can on the court."

While Harris is just now bursting onto the radar nationally, it's the loads of talent in his home state of Indiana that has helped push his game to the top.

"Anybody and everybody you play against can play so it drives you to play better so they don't make you look bad. I'm always trying to work hard so I can be the best player on the court."

With more and more schools taking notice, Harris feels it is important to build a bond with the staff and program that he will be spending his college career with in a few years.

"It's all about the relationship we have and the trust we have so it is a big factor for the coaches getting in early."

As is usually the case with a recruit that gets this much attention this quickly, Harris is enjoying the new found attention right now and letting the process play out.

"No one is standing out really. I'm just taking it all in right now."

After watching him work out the Bearcat staff extended Harris an offer that night to join Xavier, Illinois, IUPUI, Minnesota, Indiana, Vanderbilt on the list that is sure to grow. Ohio State, Michigan State, Florida, Notre Dame, Washington are also showing interest but have yet to extend an offer.

Don't be surprised if they and others join the party soon.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT 2010 SG IS VISITING ON MONDAY

Chane Behanan

Sampson had the breakout game that many have been waiting to see out of him in the young spring AAU season. He has had some good games but today against the Hurricane Runnin' Rebels he put his full talent on display.

Sampson was consistent throughout the game against a team with two solid wing/forwards and really carried his team to a win in triple overtime. He finished the game with 17 points and really showed off the array of offensive skills he possesses.  A nice step-back jumper, a pull-up 15-footer in transition, a stutter step spin move combo capped off by a finger roll above the rim were just a few of the highlights for him.

He did a great job facilitating the offense for King James despite being a 6-foot-7 wing. His motor on the glass and defense was huge for them as well.

Sampson has made it clear over the past few weekends why he is a top priority for the Cincinnati staff in the 2011 class.

2011 George Fant - 17U - All-Ohio Red

Fant is a guy that has been on the Cincinnati coaches' (as well as many others') radar for a while, but to this point has only garnered mid-major type offers. While he still is probably a mid-major plus type talent mainly due to his lack of size (6-foot-7...at best), he did have a big day Saturday and showed some improvements on his game against the Illinois Rising Stars.

Fant was very active from the tip-off on both sides of the ball. Defensively he showed off some good, quick hands that netted him a few steals and a few blocks. Offensively he showed an improved knowledge of how to use his body to really get good positioning in a spot where he can score. He also showed off some new post moves, including an exceptional spin move that resulted in an and-one dunk.

Fant has offers from teams such as Butler, Akron, Miami (OH), Oklahoma State, Ohio and Western Kentucky. It doesn't look like his stock will increase much, but he is showing improvements in his game.

2011 Trey Burke - 17U - All-Ohio Red

Burke picked up where he left off after his overtime heroics last night. He helped Fant to shoulder the scoring load for All-Ohio in their win over Rising Stars Illinois.

Burke had some moves that were just downright nasty in the game and he was locked in when it came to finishing. Despite not being a super bouncy guy and being a smaller guard, he continues to impress with his ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways. He shot the ball fine on the few attempts he had from the outside, but his ability to get into the lane was on full display today.

Burke is currently committed to Penn State. He had interest from Cincinnati, along with West Virginia, Ohio State and Notre Dame before the commitment in October of 2009.

2011 Chane Behanan - 17U - Ohio Basketball Club

Behanan is the recruit that a lot of the fan-base is curious about since his move to Bowling Green, his decommitment and all of the rumors that have surrounded him ever since. After missing last night's first game of pool play, he decided to make an appearance today and provided OBC with a huge boost.

The game started off slow for him as he looked a little out of sync with the rest of the team and even looked winded at times. However, he got it going midway through the first half and he started it with a huge blocked shot on defense has he pinned the opponent's shot up on the backboard above the rim. He then got involved offensively as he caught an oop and threw it down. After that he was rolling. He finished the first half with 11 points despite the slow start. In the second half he picked up right where he left off and then added to it. He looked to be playing with more and more confidence the longer the game went on. A drive from the perimeter that included a spin move and a left-handed layup while soaring across the front of the rim was the most impressive points of the game for him. He also had a power dunk on a baseline drive where he blew by the defender.

One thing Behanan made clear while talking about his college options is he's nowhere near a decision. He has offers from West Virginia, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Mississippi State, Georgia, Western Kentucky, and Cincinnati.

2011 Shane Larkin - 17U - Florida Assault

There were some Cincinnati targets that had good days, but possibly none of them were better than Shane Larkin. The 5-foot-11 speedy guard was impressive to say the least while playing against a solid group of guards from the Chicago-based Derrick Rose team.

As expected, Larkin has great handle and can be a one-man press break with his speed and ball-handling abilities.  One thing that stuck out about Larkin's game is the way he changes speeds. His bursts of speed take him from first gear to fourth gear in a hurry and allow him to blow past pesky defenders. He shot the ball really well today including going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. He wasn't only interested in scoring the ball though. He showed off his excellent court vision and ability to facilitate throughout the game as well.

Larkin is currently receiving interest from Cincinnati but hasn't received an offer. He does hold offers from South Florida, George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, Central Florida, and Clemson before the coaching change. Other schools that are showing interest include California, Minnesota, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech among others.

2012 Gary Harris Jr: 16U D3 Heat

Harris has seen his stock explode over the last few weeks and it was clear why after watching him twice today. His game has an effortless feel to it on both ends of the floor and just when you start to think you have him figured out he takes the ball in transition and explodes to the rim.

Harris still needs to work on his perimeter game off the bounce, but showed time and time again today that if he gets the ball set and in rhythm he showed he can shoot it at a high level. He really stepped it up the first round of the tournament scoring 19 on Team Takeover Canada while leading his team to victory.

The 2012 high major talent is seeing his stock explode over the last few weeks as the offers are coming in fast and furious. Cincinnati joins Xavier, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Vanderbilt and IUPUI as the teams that have extended offers while Ohio State, Michigan State, Florida, Notre Dame and Washington are in contact and close to joining the offer party.

Jaylen Beckham

2012 Jaylen Beckham: 16U Hoop Dreams

The physical 2012 PG from Lexington, KY has been thought to have a high major up side for a while now, but some have been waiting for his break out moment. That moment might have come tonight in Gold Bracket tournament play as Beckham attacked the rim relentlessly to put up 25 points as his squad pounded the vaunted NY Gauchos 72-49.

Although he is listed at 6'0" and 150 pounds Beckham has a very aggressive mentality to his approach to the game on both ends of the floor, and he is able to put the ball in the basket or find an open teammate in the paint with contact. His main flaw wasn't really addressed today as there was no need for him to shoot from the perimeter with the rate of success he had off the bounce. If he is ever fully going to take that next step an improved perimeter game would skyrocket his stock.

Alabama has jumped into the mix in a major way by recently joining Washington in offering Beckham a scholarship while UC, Xavier, Kentucky, Purdue, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Florida are also showing interest.

Lorenzo Cugini: 16U Ohio Basketball Club

The 6'5" SF plays along side JaKarr Sampson at Akron St Vincent St Mary's on the high school level, but he was showing his skills all over on the offensive side of the ball today as his OBC squad knock off The Family from Detroit.

Cugini is right at the mid major plus level as some wonder about his athleticism, but he looked very good this afternoon against the talented squad from Detroit as he opened up early raining perimeter jumpers and then took advantage of the defense tightening up on the outside by putting the ball on the deck and finishing in the paint. His point total was unknown because it seems a new trend of only using the official score book to track fouls in this tournament struck once again.

WVU, Clemson, Wake Forest, UC, Akron and Kent State are starting to pick up interest on the under the radar wing.

2012 Negus Webster-Cann: 16U Team Takeover Canada (Bounce)

As good as Gary Harris was in his last game I saw today, he was matched play for play by the 6'4" combo guard from north of the border. Webster-Cann scored 22, and often made it hard to tell if his right or left was his dominant hand. The only sure fire way to know was his jumper outside of 15 feet, which he let go from the right side, but that didn't stop him from hitting floaters and lay ups proficiently with either hand.

While the 2012 prospect is only getting looks from a hand full of mid majors right now, expect his showing today to result in interest picking up steam very soon.

2014 Theo Pinson: 16U D One Sports

It's not often a kid playing up two levels (2014 recruit playing 2012) fits right in with everyone on the floor, but that's what Pinson did with ease against an equally loaded Georgia Stars squad to close out pool play.

The 6'6" wing showed PG type skills, a silky smooth jumper and jump out of the gym hops early and often in the 1^st half, but was slowed to a crawl in the 2^nd half as the more experienced Stars went zone.

Pinson will be one to keep an

Ohio Basketball Club vs King James Shooting Stars

2011 PG Stevie Taylor

OBC jumped out to an early lead behind the play of 6"3" 2011 combo guard Jehvon Clarke out of Canton, and much like at Boo Williams two weeks ago the guard play for King James was not up to par. Sampson wasn't really on his game in the stanza, but was able to help out the team by pulling down a few defensive rebounds and finding teammates for baskets. OBC got a huge boost off the bench from 6'6" 2010 F Nick Harney who used his freakish athleticism to rock the rim and push his team out to an 8 point lead at the half.

King James stormed back to tie it quickly out of the half on an 8-0 run sparked by 6 points by Sampson at the rim and the two teams traded punches from there. The much smaller Clarke did a nice job guarding the 6'7" Sampson for most of the 1^st half, but the going was much tougher in the 2^nd as the combo forward from Akron St Vincent St Mary's scored 13 of his 17 points in the final 16 minutes. Down the stretch Harney (21 pts) and Clarke (18) made the big plays to pull it out for OBC by a 55-50  margin at the final horn.

All Ohio Red vs CP3

In the night cap it was All-Ohio Red taking on the CP3 All-Stars and these two teams put on a show. There was a ton of talent on the floor including North Carolina commit PJ Hairston, Xavier commit Dez Wells, Penn State commit Trey Burke, Virginia Tech commit Marquis Rankin and plenty of other guys getting mid-major to high-major looks.

The game was nip-and-tuck the whole way. In the early going Stevie Taylor was the scoring machine that he has been so far this AAU season for All-Ohio Red as he got it done from the outside, scored around the rim with crafty finishes and showed touch on his floater. His backcourt partner Trey Burke showed off his ability to get into the lane as well but struggled to finish a little bit in the early going. However, he really picked up his scoring in the second half and carried All-Ohio in the two overtime periods.

Meanwhile it was Dez Wells and Bishop Daniels shouldering the scoring load for CP3. Wells played a steady first half. He showed off his ability to get to the basket off the dribble and his bounce. Daniels had his impressive athleticism on full display early and often. He threw down a few nasty dunks and had some other high-flying finishes. He also showed off the ability to hit the mid-range jumper which is something he hasn't done in the past. PJ Hairston did most of his damage inside tonight as he did a nice job on the boards and finishing through contact.

In the end, CP3 was able to pull it out in the second overtime with Wells scoring eight of his 19 in the overtimes.

Notes:

Nick Harney said prep school is on the table if he needs to continue progressing on the academic side of things, but if his grades are in order he will likely commit to Akron.

Stevie Taylor has added Charlotte and Houston to his current suitors Akron and Ohio U.

George Fant from Bowling Green, KY is hearing from Akron, Ohio U, Western KY, Butler, Cincinnati, Xavier and Purdue with offers from the first four schools on the list.

Khristian Smith has been doing his work for Pike High School and Indy Spiece Heat along side 5 star prospect and fellow UC target Marquis Teague, but with his high school career nearing an end, he is looking to make his own name for himself. Smith offers a little insight into his game.

"I'm mainly a wing player. I like to slash and get a lot of dunks and I can shoot it mid range. On defense I can play all around, and just try to be an all around player."

While his natural fit is at small forward, his 6'5" frame and leaping ability resulted in him mainly being used as a power forward. In order to get some more work on his perimeter game, Smith is looking forward to making the improvements needed while attending a year of prep school.

"Mainly ball handling. Being able to come off screens and get my shot up over taller or quicker defenders. I'm learning how to use my height and my body because normally I'll have a mismatch. Either they are going to be too big and too slow where I can get around them easier or they are going to be smaller and I need to use my height to get shots up."

When you spend most of your time in games operating in the low post, it's no shock that the finer points of playing on the wing in the Big East need to be improved, and Smith is more than ready to put in the work to improve.

"I need to learn how to handle the ball better. Having to play the power forward a lot I would have to go down to the block to work my inside game because for my high school team that's what they needed me to do. That's the whole purpose of going to prep school is to improve my ball handling and my defense a little bit and things like that."

His AAU team not only had Teague last year, but also had McDonald's All American and 2010 Ohio State signee Deshaun Thomas. Playing with that level of talent has really helped Smith progress.

"You can learn a lot from those guys. They're great offensively and they are great leaders on defense. You learn under good guys like that who everybody watches you build on their game and it helps you out a lot. I tried to take what they did and build it into my game. Playing with them was a great experience."

While Smith is a new name for UC fans, the staff started noticing him over a year ago, and have been keeping close tabs on his development.

"They watched me in open gym early and I did really good, and then watched me last summer. In open gym I handled the ball a lot and they saw how it was developing. Then during school they saw me at the 4 position and all of the good things that I can do there and on the wing so they felt like we should give this guy a shot."

When it came to being comfortable with the school, things were easy for Smith as he is familiar with the area and has followed the program for a long time.

"Cincinnati, I've always like them. Kenyon Martin, Oscar Robertson  went there and they have a great tradition. It's close to home and I've got a lot of family there. My dad is from there so I've always liked the city of Cincinnati. I've been down a couple times and everything is just great. I was there for the games against Notre Dame and Villanova last year."

Associate Head Coach Larry Davis has been the lead recruiter in the state of Indiana and he has developed a great relationship with the soon to be Pike graduate.

"Coach Davis has been my main recruiter. He just wants me to be more mature with my game and confident with myself. Coach Cronin and I don't get to talk a lot, but when he calls he just wants to make sure I'm up on my grades and everything like that. They both just want to make sure I'm OK with this prep school situation, and I told them that's fine taking a year off and developing my game. It's all like a family with those guys."

The choice of Maine Central Institute would seem like a bit of culture shock because of the distance and climate, but they had a desire to develop his game and made a convincing pitch to gain his services for the 2010-2011 season.

"They were recruiting me before Cincinnati even brought up prep school. They came to my game against North Central and at the time I wasn't really too interested until Cincinnati said something about prep school and that's when Maine Central became even more interested. They they drove 16 hours to come talk to me, my parents and my counselor and they seemed the most interested. I figured if they were willing to drive 16 hours they must be serious and that must be a good place for me."

While he isn't a package deal with his long time friend Teague, he is taking advantage of the remaining time left that he has to convince his classmate to join him at the college level in 2011.

"Actually I just got done talking to him about in school. I'm trying to push him. He's been one of my close friends since like 4^th grade. I got 3 more days and I'm just trying to get it done."

Smith has seen the concerns expressed by fans since his name showed up on the radar over the weekend, but he plans to use the doubters as fuel to take his game up a few notches before arriving in Clifton.

"I've just read the articles and the fans and what they are saying about me that I'm not qualified to play there with offers from IUPUI and Morehead St, but I just think about myself as a sleeper. Hopefully I can work on my game a lot this summer and improve even more next year in prep school and show them I belong when I get there."

After putting on a show for most of the weekend in Hampton VA at the Boo Williams AAU tournament Teague was hobbling off the court after suffering an ankle sprain, but the outgoing personality was still willing to talk about his emotions as he nears making a college choice.

"It's pretty exciting. It's a long process and I'm still thinking about it, but I'm ready to get it over with."

After his high school season ended at Pike, Teague and his parents took some time to sit down and work through the details of what each school offered as they worked towards a decision.

"We were talking a lot about all the different schools we had, and everyone had a lot of different opinions but we're coming together and I think we should have a decision shortly."

It has been well documented on BCL that the 5 Star floor general has gotten very comfortable with UC head Coach Mick Cronin and Marquis talked about that bond working in the Bearcats favor.

CLICK HERE FOR INSIDER INFORMATION ABOUT TEAGUE'S RECRUITING

"Me and Coach Cronin we get along real well. He's been around since my 9^th grade year when he first offered me. We've got a great relationship and I feel like I can talk to him about everything, not just basketball so we have a great relationship. Their whole coaching staff is great and I like them a lot."

Teague has made numerous trips to the Clifton campus, and he can see it as a place he spends his time while in college.

"I like the campus because it's small. I don't want to be some huge college campus really, so I  like that part of it. Also it's close to where I live and I like that a lot as well."

Louisville has been considered by many the leader for Teague because of the long time relationship of his father who played for Rick Pitino at Boston U in the beginning of his head coaching career. Much like the situation at UC, the bond with the staff is a big factor in making the final list of 3.

"Coach P offered me back in 9^th grade too so I've spent years getting to know them too. They've got a great coaching staff too. His son who isn't there any more is the one that started recruiting me we've got a great relationship. I love Coach P and we've got a lot of history with him."

As a decision gets closer by the day speculation is that Kentucky has taken the lead in this three horse race, and after sending Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and now John Wall to the NBA after a one year stay learning under John Calapari it would be no surprise if that is his final destination.

"Everybody wants to go to the league and be a top pick. I haven't been to one of their games yet but I've seen the atmosphere on TV and it looks like it's live. Every thing's crazy in there. Coach Cal he's a great coach and he told me straight up. If you come in here you've got to earn everything and I like that because I know nothing's going to be handed to me. He stays honest and that makes me feel comfortable with him because I know he isn't going to lie to me about anything."

VIDEO OF TEAGUE FROM BOO WILLAMS EVENT

Sampson appears to be down to UC and XU some expect decision as early as July

"I've got to work on my three-point shot, my handling... just get better," Sampson said.

The new format of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball events this year made for a much tougher road for the King James team. As opposed to having pool play and then playing out a tournament at each event like in years past, this year the first three Nike events are like a regular season. They will then use the results from those events to seed the final event which will be the Peach Jam tournament in Orlando. That means instead of one good team playing three weaker teams to start, all the good teams are matched up throughout the entire event.

"I like this. It's more competition," Sampson said. "It's competition from the get go, so we have to play hard every single game."

While his team didn't fare as well as they'd like, Sampson's competitive nature was on full display. He tried to take matters into his own hands in the games and was even bringing the ball up the court and initiating the offense at times when the guards were having trouble.

College Talk

The new tournament format wasn't the only thing Sampson was talking about this weekend. He also spoke about the colleges recruiting him. He listed Cincinnati and Xavier as the top two. While Dayton had been one of the teams rumored to be in the lead for his services, his answers when asked about colleges made it pretty clear that Dayton had fallen well behind the other two Ohio based schools.

Sampson plans to take visits during the June break in AAU action, but he's still unsure as to what schools he'll visit. He has however visited Cincinnati already.

"It was good," Sampson said about his visit to campus. "It was a great atmosphere."

He also mentioned that he was being recruited by Coach George Jackson.

Sampson didn't seem to favor either Cincinnati school over the other though as he had this to say about his visit to Xavier:

"Everything's close together. it's a small nice campus. I like Xavier a lot."

Sampson doesn't seem too anxious to make a decision and will probably at least wait through the summer to make a decision. He is also interested in a few other schools that have recently been in contact but haven't offered.

"I like Kentucky a lot," Sampson said. "I like Tennessee a lot too."

SAMPSON HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS PAST WEEKENDS EYBL @ BOOL WILLIAMS

Josh Watkins

"I can run the team and when needed, I can score" said Watkins. "I'm more of a combo guard, but if you need me to run the team I know how to get people in the right place and if you need a basket I'm a go to guy too."

One thing always mentioned when talking about players from NYC is the attitude and style of play that they bring to the court and Watkins is no different.

"I bring toughness every day out. On the court, off the court, in practice and in the classroom I just bring toughness to everything I do. Everything I do I just bring my all to it."

It should also be no surprise that he took note of the Big Apple flavor on the roster he could be joining in Lance Stephenson and Sean Kilpatrick.

"That just more toughness to add to the team. I know what that New York mentality brings to the table and that type of toughness can go a long way."

It should also go without saying that playing in the league he grew up watching is another big factor in his recruiting process.

"I'd love to play in the Big East. It's close to home and you get to play in the Garden. They say it's the toughest league and I think so to, so why not play in the toughest league. I don't want to settle for less."

For most of his life he's used his stocky frame and ball handling skills to do his damage driving the ball to the basket, but in the last year he has worked hard on expanding his range and that played a big part in taking his game to the next level.

"My outside game has improved a ton this year. I'm over 40% from three this season and I worked on it a lot since last year. Now I can bring shooting to the table as well."

With powerhouse JUCO programs like Howard, Odessa and Midland the WJCAC is considered one of the premier JUCO conferences in the country, and Watkins feels like playing against that level of competition has helped his progress on the court.

"You play against some of the top players in the country being in the conference I'm in. It's the toughest conference in the nation and we went 33-2 and won the nationals. That shows our toughness and our coach preached that to us in practice every day."

When it comes to making a college decision, Watkins is taking it all in right now, but he does have 3 of his 5 official visits planned for the next few weeks.

"Santa Clara, Utah and Cincinnati are getting officials and the other two left are open right now. I'm just weighing my options right now and trying to get the hang of things."

While Cincinnati is the first big name program to offer, several others are recruiting him as well. Florida, Oklahoma and Kansas State are getting familiar with his game and are in the mix for the final 2 official visits.

While his contact with the UC staff is just getting rolling, he has been in contact with head coach Mick Cronin and assistant Tony Stubblefield. His early impressions on the UC staff are very positive.

"I like the coaching staff. I know he's tough on his guys and they want the best out of everybody."

As for a time table on making a college choice, Watkins knows he has some time and wants to see how things play out before he decides.

"I'll probably just wait until near the end of the signing period and let everything play out."

Deonte Burton likes the style of the Big East

When BearcatLair.com contacted Burton it was clear he knew that UC was looking for a shooter, but when asked about his game he started out talking about his game on the other end of the court.

"First thing is defense. I like to get after guards, and I pride myself on my defense. I think if I pick it up on defense my offense comes naturally."

His coach at Centennial, Vadim Malikin, also spoke very highly of his ability to makes things happen on the defensive end of the court.

"He always guarded the other teams best player and did a really good job holding guys below their averages and that helped us tremendously. He's a defender that didn't need a whole lot of help so we were able to play much better defensively."

To make an impact in the Big East early in your career that type of mindset on the defensive end can only be a big positive for Burton, but the Cats need a shooter first and foremost and Coach Malikin talked about his progress in that area as a senior.

"He really improved his 3 point shot this year. He shot poorly in December, but by the middle of January he really improved his shot. He was at about 40% from 3 in the 2^nd half of the season and it allowed him to become an even better driver because they had to respect his shot."

The coach also has a lot of good things to say about the rest of his game on the offensive end as well.

"He's a very aggressive guard that drives the ball to the basket well, finishes well with either hand, is very athletic and plays much bigger than his size at our level."

By the end of the season Burton could really see the impact his improved outside shot had in opening up his all around game.

"If a guy is going to back off me I'll shoot it and make him respect me. If he moves up on me I'll just go to the rack."

Another area of concern for the Bearcats was the ability to knock down free throws on a consistent basis, and the mental toughness needed to step to the line and knock them down is something Burton prides himself on and providing to his team as evidenced by his 12-12 showing from the line in a tight California State playoff game to help Centennial advance to the regional final.

"My coach always talks to us about mental toughness. That's one thing he tries to apply in our guys is mental toughness. It's repetition a lot but you've just got to be mentally tough at the line."

After transferring to Centennial before his junior year, he was forced to sit out all of that season because of state transfer rules, but instead of letting it get him down the coach pushed the competitive guard by challenging him in practice every day by giving him the role of imitating the opponents best player on the scout team. Coach Malikin felt it really helped his game.

"What he did was he practiced every day and he would play on the 2^nd team. He would play as the opponent's best player, as we would scout so we would always guard him really hard all the time. It also allowed him to have some creativity and the ability to improve his individual game because he was the go to guy all the time every single day. I think that really helped him get better."

After a fantastic playoff run that ended in the state semi finals the star guard is now sitting down to start deciding on where he will take his talent to college. He has trimmed his final list of schools to UCLA, Cincinnati and Nevada with only UCLA not yet extending an offer. While staying out west is certainly one option, he is also thinking about taking his game to the Big East.

"I love playing tough. I love getting after it every night and the Big East sounds like a perfect fit for my game."

Coach Malikin also could see his star guard taking his game to the rough and tumble league.

"He's always seen himself as a tough guard, a Big East kind of guard. That's one of the things he talks about. The conference really appeals to him."

Another factor in his decision will be the relationship he has formed with Coach Cronin.

"The relationship with Coach Cronin is cool and I can really relate to him. He said he likes the style my coach teaches. He said he needs a guy that can knock down shots and I feel I'm capable of being that guy to bring shooting and defense."

With his season over and signing day right around the corner Burton is setting up his official visits (the UC visit is set for April 9th), but he's not rushing into one of the biggest choices in his young life.

"When it feels right I'll make my decision."

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO OF BURTON IN ACTION

IS BURTON SO CAL'S BEST KEPT SECRET?

BearcatLair.com recently had a chance to catch up with UC signee Justin Jackson of Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, Florida to see how the 6'8” is doing in his final season before college life begins. Go Inside The Lair for more.

After spending last season at Montverde Academy, Justin Jackson is now coming into his own as the go to guy for Florida powerhouse Arlington Country Day.

“It's going good. There were some ups and downs at the beginning of the season, but we had some team meetings to figure out what we had to do to become a great team. We sat down and talked about it with the coaches and had individual meetings and we realized that we had a lot of individual talent and needed to put it together as a team.”

The season didn't start out as expected for the defending Florida state champions, but after the rocky start the team is playing very well, and holding its own against a schedule littered with national powers.

“In the beginning of the year we lost two games that we shouldn't have lost because we had guys just out to get their stats, but we realized we can't win like that so we changed the way we played and everything is going well right now.”

Much like he will have to experience as a college freshman next year at UC, Jackson and his teammates continued working hard and are now all on the same page.

“At first I thought it would be a big change and that adjusting would be hard, but once we got to know each other we all realized that we just want to win. It takes a lot of pressure off everyone to know that the next man can always step up.”

The 6'8” forward has done a lot of growing up in his senior season, and he really thinks that added maturity will help him once he arrives in Clifton.

“Like Coach (Rex Morgan) said, you are on a team to play your role. If you do well enough you can get your role moved up. I know when I get up to Cincinnati that's what I am going to have to do, and being here has helped me learn that.  I'm just learning to be a man and play my role. My role at Cincinnati will be to play defense, hit open shots and just play hard.”

Jackson has kept a close eye on his future team on TV, and he feels that he will be ready to have an instant impact on the program once he heads north this summer.

“I really feel that if I keep working hard on the things I need to work on and continue to get get bigger and stronger I have a good chance to be the 6^th man or get into the starting line up.”

While team success has been the focus for Arlington Country Day, it's hard to ignore the production of a player that legendary St. Anthony's (NJ) coach Bob Hurley Sr called “the high school version of Kevin Garnett”

“I think I'm doing pretty great this year. I'm averaging like 18 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks a game so it's going pretty good.”

Before knocking off St. Anthony's to claim a holiday tournament title Jackson and his Apache team routed Brooklyn Lincoln High 68-24 in the same tournament. Lincoln is, of course, the former home of UC star freshman Lance Stephenson. After the game Jackson considered letting Stephenson know about the game, but ultimately decided against it.

“I was going to but I didn't want to rub it in.”

Mostly known as a garbage guy in the paint before this season, Jackson has been working hard to round out his game, and he has added a perimeter jump shot to his arsenal that has allowed for more room to work on the offensive end.

“It's opened the floor that much more for me. People know me as a guy that drives to the hole, rebounds and gets dirty buckets. I spent my off season working on my jump shot, ball handling and defense to be a more complete player. Coach Morgan and my shooting coach have me working all the time on my jump shot 24/7 so now when I'm open in the game I can shoot with a lot more confidence.”

Jackson is working hard to bring another championship to Arlington Country Day, and in the process is making himself much more prepared for life at the next level. That should be great news for Bearcat fans next fall.

“I'm expanding my game and getting more comfortable on the perimeter and I can now do things I could never do on the court before. I'm now just really confident in myself.”