Terrelle Pryor - May delay signing to visit Oregon

In other (football) news involving Terrell Pryor - he happened to lead the Jayhawks with 17 points and 13 rebounds in a game against Aliquippa - the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the star quarterback may push back making a decision as to which college he will attend.

Pryor, who had planned to announce his college choice on ESPN on Wednesday, said he may push back his choice in order to perhaps make an official visit to the University of Oregon. Stay tuned…

Video Posted from Terrelle's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Terrence Jennings out-duels Tyreke Evans

Notre Dame Prep star Terrence Jennings was the star of last weekend’s Showcase Event in Pittsburgh. The Louisville-bound power forward scored 29 points in a win over Tyreke Evans and American Christian. Evans, who was in foul trouble for most of the contest, finished with 11 points.

Jennings originally signed with Maryland, before de-committing and signing with the Cardinals. He will join St. Benedict’s High super prospect Samardo Samuels at Freedom Hall, and may just end up playing with Evans as well.

Upon Jennings announcing his commitment in October, several reporters caught up with Tyreke’s older brother Reggie Evans to get his thoughts on the signing. "That's a good pickup by them dudes," Reggie Evans said. "Man, I like that kid Terrence. 'Reke likes him, too. Mount Zion played American Christian twice last year (when Jennings was at Mount Zion) and I was like, 'Damn, is that Amare Stoudemire's little brother?" "It's a good added pickup (for Louisville). That's just what we want to see. We want to see who's coming and who's going. “They got him and Samardo. That's a good look for them."

The recruitment of Tyreke Evans continues, with Louisville currently the favorite, but Villanova, Connecticut, Texas, and Memphis still prominently in the mix.

Video Posted from Tyreke's Gallery on Takkle.com

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The Takkle Top-25 Gets a Shake-up

TAKKLE.com released its latest high school player rankings with a little bit of a shake-up to the line-up.

Gone from the list:

Patterson School forward Nate Miles, who graduated from Patterson last week and his hoping to get admitted to UConn this semester. Also dropping out were as Karron Johnson of Mt. Zion Academy in N.C., Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony’s of New Jersey and Delvon Roe of St. Edward’s of Ohio, who is out for the season with a knee injury.

Now in the Top-25:

Joining the list are Courtney Fortson of Patterson School, Markief and Marcus Morris of Apex Academy, and John Wall of Word of God Academy. Check out the full line up at takkle.com/rankings.

Video Posted from Kyle's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Chester High's Nasir Robinson, Quick as a Panther

Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon likes his players quick, tough, and confident and Chester, Pa., guard/forward Nasir Robinson fits that mold perfectly.

At this past weekend’s Lehigh Valley Showcase in Allentown, Pa., Robinson and the Clippers topped Harrisburg (Pa.) 74-68 in a contest in which the senior guard proved yet again that you don’t have to be the game’s high scorer to be the best player on the court. Robinson stats (13 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists) exemplify the completeness of his game. His shot needs a little work, but he’s a relentless worker and a fearless leader.

Robinson made headlines a couple of years ago when he became one of the rare prep stars to jump from a private school powerhouse (American Christian Academy of Aston, Pa. – home of top schoolboy prospect Tyreke Evans) to Chester High, a public school that launched the career of Jameer Nelson and others. Evans and Robinson were and remain friends, but Robinson felt the need to forge his own identity.

"I wanted to come here and play in front of my hometown,” Robinson told the Delaware County Times. “I was nervous at first, but now I’m more comfortable and relaxed."

Chester is currently ranked 6th in the country by Sports Illustrated.

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Dominic Cheek - St. Anthony's on a Roll

St. Anthony’s of Jersey City is on a roll. Unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country by Sports Illustrated and USA Today, the Friars, who feature highly-touted junior Dominic Cheek, will be at the Brian Doherty Classic in Newark this weekend. The schedule says the opponent this weekend is Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft, N.J., but the real opposition may be perfection. Just don’t say that to Friars coach Bob Hurley Sr.

"Somebody called me today and told me about the USA Today," Hurley told the Jersey Journal. "I don't look at the polls, though. It's a superstition that I don't look until the end of the year.

"I might mention something to them at practice about how amazing it is," Hurley continued. "We have some people hopping on the bandwagon, but as soon as there's some failure they're right back off it. We try to teach the kids that lesson of life."

Cheek is the star of the Friars, but what truly makes them dangerous is their depth in the back court. Five senior guards -- Mike Rosario (Rutgers), Giovanny Fontan (Fordham), Travon Woodall (Pittsburgh), Tyshawn Taylor (Marquette) and Alberto Estwick (Fordham) -- already are signed with a Division 1 college, as is senior forward A.J. Rogers, who is headed to St. Joseph's.

"I think the one thing that counterbalances the pursuit of a championship -- yes, that's something we all want badly -- is the fact that they've all gotten college scholarships,” Hurley told the Star-Ledger. “That helps them concentrate on the season. The one part that is really nerve-racking is over."

The Friars should roll this weekend, and perhaps into the state playoffs, where a possible match-up with St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth, last year’s state champions, could await.

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It’s the Lance Stephenson show, starring Lance Stephenson.

Lance Stephenson and Lincoln of Coney Island were the stars of Saturday’s competition. The Railsplitters embarrassed Milwaukee Pius IX 89-56, with Stephenson tallying 22 points and 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes on the court.

Stephenson, a junior, is the star of his own web reality series, available at BornReady.tv. Not to put the cart before the horse, but if the Railsplitters win this year’s Public Schools Athletic League championship, he and teammate Darwin Ellis will have a chance to be the first players to win four consecutive PSAL titles next year. The only potential hurdle for Lincoln in the PSAL is Boys & Girls High of Brooklyn, which features Rutgers-bound shooting guard Patrick Jackson. The Kangaroos played the Railsplitters tough in December, falling 109-95 in double overtime. These two squads met last year in a PSAL final that was marred when several brawls broke out in the stands at Madison Square Garden.

- Although much of the focus this past weekend was on the HoopHall event in Springfield, Big Apple Basketball’s High School Invitational at Baruch College in Manhattan had its fair share of thrilling finishes as well as big-time prospects. Despite playing without top-rated-prospect Tyreke Evans, who was out with a concussion, Pennsylvania’s American Christian still had enough firepower to outlast St. Thomas More of Connecticut and Indiana-commit Devin Ebanks. Ebanks, who had played at Bishop Loughlin of Brooklyn previously, tallied 31 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

- Also at the Big Apple event, Notre Dame Prep topped Blair Academy of New Jersey 77-67. It was an odd game for the Crusaders, however, as Louisville-bound star forward Terrence Jennings found himself in foul trouble early. Missouri-bound guard Kim English picked up the slack, however, notching 21 points and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes.

Video Posted from Lance's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Nate Miles - committed, but may never play for UConn?

The saga of former Patterson School shooting gaurd Nate Miles is ongoing, but the NCAA Clearinghouse's decision to not clear Miles to play as of yet could prevent the 6-7 UConn commit from ever playing in Storrs, CT.

Miles was kicked off the team at Patterson in December, a move that coach Chris Chaney said at the time was made so Miles could focus on his academics. Miles' stated goal since the summer was to graduate in time from Patterson to be eligible to play for the Huskies in the winter semester this season. Miles graduated from the Patterson School, the sixth high school for the Toledo, Ohio, native, yesterday, but despite having a qualifying ACT score, the Clearinghouse has not cleared him as of yet.

Norwich Bulletin staff writer Matt Stout wrote in his Huskies blog that although the Clearinghouse has not accepted Miles as of yet, they have not rejected him, either. UConn plans to present more information to the Clearinghouse officials in an attempt to get Miles onto the roster. But, according to Stout, time is of the essence. If the Clearinghouse does not act soon, meaning in the next couple of days, Miles will be ineligible for the second semester, which would greatly diminish his chances of ever playing for the Huskies.

- Meanwhile, back at the Patterson School, the Bulldogs are doing just fine, thank you. In one of the feature games of this weekend's HoopHall tournament in Springfield, Mass., Patterson upended John Riek and the Winchendon School 68-67 on Sunday behind 21 points from Arkansas-bound point guard Courtney Fortson. Riek had a nice game as well, going for 14 points and 11 rebounds. Fortson said earlier in the season that the goal for Patterson this year was to go undefeated, and the Bulldogs ran their record to 23-0 on the season with the win on Saturday. And just to add to Patterson's banner weekend, forward Darius Johnson won the Slam Dunk competition during the skills challenge. Not a bad weekend overall for the Bulldogs.

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The Terrelle Pryor Dispute: back to basketball on Monday

Let’s start with saying this: There is absolutely no shame in being the 16th best high school football player in the country.

Jeannete (Pa.) wunderkind Terrelle Pryor is without question the best unsigned high school football player in the country right now, and his quest to find a school to call home for at least the next three years has lit the sports world ablaze.

He is touted as the best player in the country by several rankings services, and it’s easy to see why. He is a tremendous athlete, who at 6-6, 220 has the prototype size and requisite huge arm to be an impact player at the next level. But in the SI/TAKKLE.com rankings, Pryor is listed as the number 16 player in the country, and Sports Illustrated felt compelled to explain why he is rated so low to its readership. Rarely will scouts explain why one particular player is rated ahead of another, Offense-Defense Football scout Bill Urbanik explained his O-D’s decision to SI’s Andy Staples.

"O-D is not disputing [Pryor's] brilliance," Urbanik said in a story featured on SI.com. "We're not disputing anything about him. What we're looking at is the player he'll be four years from now."
At the end of the day, regardless of whether he is considered to be the best quarterback, best athlete or best overall player in the high school class of 2008, Pryor will soon make a decision. He’s scheduled to take a visit to Michigan this weekend, and next weekend he could be on the road again. But regardless, he will sign with a school soon, and then he will have to go about the process of proving himself all over again.

Video Posted from Terrelle's Gallery on Takkle.com

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The rankings conundrum

Like seemingly most things in high school, high school basketball player rankings appear at times to be both completely arbitrary and vitally important.

But let’s not just take my word for it. Several players in the SI/TAKKLE Top 25 player ratings, um, tackled the question of the importance of rankings.

“Rankings matter somewhat standpoint, but you always have to prove yourself. Everybody has to prove themselves all over again when they get to college. I try not to pay too much attention to them.” – Xavier Henry, shooting guard, Putnam City (Ok.) High School.

“I really don’t care that much about them. A lot of what goes into those rankings is just politics, so you can’t really concern yourself too much with who is ranked ahead of whom. Whether I’m up or down. Those guys won’t get the best of Willie Warren.” –Willie Warren, shooting guard, North Crowley (Fort Worth, Tex.) High School.

“I kept hearing people say that I was lazy, or that I didn’t play hard all the time, and that just made me more determined to prove them wrong. I sort of rededicated myself to basketball after that. People can say what they want about rankings and who’s better than who and all that. I’m just going to keep playing hard. I’m the same player I’ve always been.” – Yancy Gates, power forward, Withrow (Cincinnati, Ohio) High School.

- Speaking of Gates, the 6-9 University of Cincinnati signee threw several bouquets toward AAU teammate B.J. Mullens of Canal Winchester High School in Ohio. “He’s a 7-footer, but he can do a lot of things that other guys that big can’t do. He really runs the floor well and gets up off the floor quickly. He’s just a great player.”

Of course it’s easy to laud another player when you have just outplayed him on the court, as Gates did this month as Withrow topped Canal Winchester 58-57. Gates had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Mullens finished with 16 points and 19 boards.

Video Posted from Yancy's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Dexter Strickland - Commits to North Carolina Amidst Struggles

St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth guard Dexter Strickland (ranked 13th in the Sports Illustrated/TAKKLE.com player rankings) was a revelation on the summer circuit. The junior guard, who had spent the first two years of his high school career in the shadow of stars Corey Fisher and Jeff Robinson, was dominant at the adidas Phenom 150 camp and came into this season at St. Pat’s with a mountain of hype surrounding him.

But some say Stickland, who gave a verbal commitment to North Carolina Sunday at the Super 6 tournament at Madison Square Garden – an event that Tar Heels coach Roy Williams attended – has struggled this year with the burden of being the Celtics’ top gun.

“I think that he used to benefit from neglect,” High School Basketball Insider editor Tom Konchalski said in a recent interview. “He’s not totally comfortable being ‘the man.’ In the past, he was the designated defender at St. Pat’s, but now he is the primary offensive threat. I really think that he misses Corey Fisher and Jeff Robinson. But he is still a really good player.”

Perhaps committing to North Carolina will relieve some of the pressure.

Other notes from the Super 6:

- Gutty win by Mount Vernon over Patterson Catholic in the first game of the event. West Virginia-commit Kevin Jones was the most impressive player in the entire event with 25 points, 19 rebounds and five steals in the Knights comeback 66-60 win.

- Tough weekend for St. Raymond’s of the Bronx.. After coming into the week undefeated, the Ravens dropped two tough games in two days. On Saturday, Rice High of Manhattan topped the Ravens in overtime 81-74 behind 29 points from UConn-bound guard Kemba Walker. Then on Sunday, St. Patrick’s beat St. Ray’s 64-56 behind 25 points from Kansas-bound forward Quintrell Thomas. “We couldn’t throw the ball in the Hudson River today,” St. Ray’s coach Oliver Antigua said.

- St. Benedict’s forward Samardo Samuels (Ranked 3rd in the Sports Illustratesd/TAKKLE.com player rankings) sat out the first quarter of the Gray Bees highly-anticipated match-up with Rice in the finale at the Super 6 for internal disciplinary reasons, but he made his presence felt at the end, converting a key three-point play to lead St. Benedict’s over Rice 55-52. It was a big win for the Gray Bees, who had lost earlier in the week to Pennsylvania’s Academy of the New Church. "It was a rollercoaster week," St. Benedict's coach Dan Hurley said. "We're not used to losing in our program. We handled it well today."

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High School BBall on Display in NYC - Nike Super Six Tripleheader

Madison Square Garden is the site for this weekend’s annual Nike Super Six tripleheader, and the match-ups should have national ramifications. Four teams ranked in Sports Illustrated High School Basketball Top 25 rankings will be in action, including top-ranked St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) and its standout senior forward Samardo Samuels.


The Gray Bees will take on No 8. Rice High of Manhattan in the final game of the day. Rice, led by UConn-bound senior point guard Kemba Walker, rolled to tournament victories at the Bay Ball Classic in Delaware and Iolani Classic in Honolulu, but were lost last week to city rival and defending CHSAA champion Christ the King of Queens (yes, the King of Queens). St. Benedict’s is undefeated under Coach Danny Hurley and has played one of the toughest schedules in the country. Expect them to stay that way, as Rice will have hard time defending the Louisville-bound Samuels, who is the Number 3 player in the country according to TAKKLE.com/Sports Illustrated player rankings.


Also at Sunday’s Garden party, No. 4 St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth will face surprising St. Raymond’s of the Bronx. St. Pat’s is the defending New Jersey state champs, but St. Raymond’s has gotten off to a surprising 11-0 start behind guard Truck Bryant, and have skyrocketed from unranked to the 11 spot in this week’s rankings. The Ravens will put up a fight, but St. Pat’s and returning all-everything junior guard Dexter Strickland should be too much.


Patterson Catholic will face Mount Vernon in the other game of the day. St. Ray's and Rice are also set to match-up in a Saturday afternoon, regularly scheduled CHSAA game. (CHSAA - Catholic High Schools Athletic Association).

Video Posted from Samardo's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Terrelle Pryor to Keep Recruiting Diary

The Nation's top high school prospect, Terrelle Pryor (QB; Jeannette High) will be periodically contributing to running diary leading up to when he makes his college decision.

Pryor is being looked at by top programs such as Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan. A standout quarterback, Pryor is also being considered as a tight end, wide receiver, linebacker and safety!

Video Posted from Terrelle's Gallery on Takkle.com

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The TAKKLE Squad Welcomes Brandon Lilly!

Check out this article from TAKKLE's Brandon Lilly, featuring Top-25 prospect Xavier Henry, on SI.com. Henry is currently ranked 21st on the Sports Illustrated TAKKLE Top 25 High School Basketball Player Rankings.

Check back here on Friday for Brandon's inaugural post on The Takkle Squad.

Video Posted from Xavier 's Gallery on Takkle.com

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Recruit Patrick Johnson on Ebay

Highly touted high school CB Patrick Johnson (Ely High, Pompano Beach, FL) put himself up on EBay for sale to the highest bidder! (via: Fanhouse)

Video Posted from Patrick's Gallery on Takkle.com

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All-American Shayne Hale Heading to Pitt or Ohio State

Tricia Lafferty from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review blogs today that All-American Defensive End Shayne Hale will make a verbal commitment to either Pitt or Ohio State this weekend. His announcement is expected to during the nationally-televised U.S. Army All-American Bowl (NBC, 1 p.m.)

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Links - January 2, 2008

• SI.com's Luke Winn's post about Arthur Ehrat, the inventor of the "Rebounder" rim

• Greenburgh Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) player hits eight straight free throws, leads team to one-point victory

• Prep tournament called off after bench clearing brawl with 18-seconds left in game

• Newsday's Long Island High School Boys Basketball Top-10

• Al Horford tops list of NBA Freshman class

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