Nance Jr. Chooses Wyoming

By: Kevin Duffy

When you have the genes of an NBA Slam Dunk Champion and All Star, you probably can ball yourself. This is the case of Larry Nance Jr., whose father won the 1984 Contest. The son of the NBA star has decided to take his talents to the University of Wyoming and play for new Cowboy Head Coach, Larry Shyatt.

"I committed because I love everything about it and am excited to be a part of a great program", said Nance Jr. on why he committed to Wyoming.

The 6'7 forward hopes to make an impact with the Cowboys starting next fall. "I hope to help the Cowboys move at least back into contention for the League."

The versatile forward makes a recruiting class of five. The others being Tyrone Marshall, Lekan Ajayi, Riley Grabau and Derrious Gilmore.

Just three weeks on the job, new coach Larry Shyatt has signed all five of the new recruits."Coach Shyatt is one of the best and most fun guys to be around", Nance Jr. said of the new coach.

"I'm excited for the new era(of Wyoming basketball)", said Nance Jr.

Latest on Negus Webster-Chan's Recruitment

By: Kevin Duffy

Louisville basketball lost a big 2012 recruit in Negus Webster-Chan this past week. However the Cardinals along with every other school in D1 basketball will be able to give their best pitch to the 6'7 shooting guard.

The Canadian product decommitted from Louisville on Tuesday because,"I just didn’t feel comfortable with all of the changes at Louisville. I had a great relationship with Coach Mark Lieberman and with his new role I just didn’t feel like it was best for me. I appreciate all of the Louisville fans that have showed their support for me and hope they understand",said Negus.

This shocked and then excited colleges around America. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Negus about his new recruitment options and more.

KD: So what schools are you considering now after you decommitted from Louisville?
NW: Everyone

KD: So you're still considering Louisville?
NW: Yeah I'm open to everyone right now.

KD: Playing with a lot of uncommited players with Team Takeover, would you want to play with them in college?
NW: Depends you know if its in the best interest for the both of us.

KD: How long do you plan to stay in college?
NW: All depends on how I develop.

KD: What position do you see yourself playing in college?
NW: Combo guard or straight Shooting Guard

KD: How is it to play at Hutchinson Prep with top prospects and how does that prepare you for college?
NW: It's really good and beneficial because I get to go up against top prospects everyday in practice and it makes me push myself harder whether it be doing weights or just practice. Huntington Prep is set up like a college program.

KD: Would you be more interested in college that gets people to the league faster or one that is usually of upper classmen?
NW: Whatever one is best for me to be successful.

KD: What are your goals for this summer?
NW: To prove I'm one of the best in my class and dominate and to win every game as a team.

KD: What do you feel you have to improve?
NW: Everything man, can't ever be satisfied.

KD: What camps are you going to this summer?
NW: Only confirmed camp I'm going to right now is the NBA Top 100 Camp.

Gillis chooses Coastal Carolina

By: Kevin Duffy

Warren Gillis of Rise Academy has decided to take his talents to Coastal Carolina. He is a shooting guard in the class of 2011. I broke the news after Warren called Coach Ellis and informed him, he was obviously excited.

Gillis was down to Coastal Carolina, Xavier, and Southern Mississippi before he ultimately picked the Chanticleers.

"I felt like it was a perfect fit for me, they have a top accounting program, it's a place I can go and compete right away and help the team", said the 6'4 guard ,"It's a school that has won its conference regular season the past two years, they have a great campus, environment and great location."

Warren previously attended Academy of the New Church before going to play prep at Rise Academy for Coach Vin Sparacio.

Gillis averaged 9.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game as a senior at ANC, but college interest was primarily coming from Division II football programs.

His post-graduate season at Rise increased his options dramatically. Gillis averaged 23 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists per game, including 31 points against nationally-ranked Findlay Prep, 29 against Brehm Prep and 27 against Brewster Academy.

He plays big in big games. He expects "to win the conference regular season and post tournament".

I wouldn't be surprised if you see this big time player in the NCAA Tournament in coming years.

One on One with Duke commit Rasheed Sulaimon

By: Kevin Duffy

The Duke Blue Devils under Coach Krzyzewski have been able to produce great teams along with extraordinary people. One such recruit with a bright future ahead of him is 2012 Duke commit, Rasheed Sulaimon. The 6'3 guard is an honor student, very well spoken, and an outstanding ball player. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Rasheed about everything Duke, his summer, his goals, and more. Please check it out!

KD:So what's up with this "Fab 5" idea at Duke?
RS:Well you know me and L.J grew up together and one day we were watching the Fab 5 documentary. I knew that me and Alex Murphy were committed already to Duke and I knew that Duke was still recruiting L.J, Shabazz, and Tony Parker and I was just like L.J we can make like our own Fab 5 and a couple weekends ago at the All American Championship,it was on ESPNU,all five of us were down at Houston during the Final Four and so we kind of just talked about it a little. Tony and Shabazz were like yeah that could happen too that would be a cool idea but you know they still have some other schools that they are looking at too.

KD:How did you feel about Jalen Rose' comments about Duke?
RS:Jalen Rose's comments,it doesn't really affect me too much. He felt that way about Duke in the past, I do feel like his comments were false. Duke has shown that they recruit great players and great people, it doesn't matter what background they came from whether they have single parents or have both parents.It doesn't really affect me too much because I know Duke is not that way. They're just a great program.

KD:How is it to play with L.J Rose in AAU?
RS:He's a great point guard. We kind of grew up together a little bit, we've been knowing each other since we were 4 so I've been playing with him for a very long time. We have great chemistry. Him being 6'5, he has a great advantage as a point guard so he could see over the defense and he makes passes even when you don't think he can make it. He always gives it to you in the perfect spot, he finds you where you have the best advantage to make a play. Playing with him is just a great blessing because he does a lot of work for you so when you catch the ball really half the time all you have to do is catch it and shoot it.

KD:Why did you decide to attend Duke?
RS:I decided to attend Duke because it just seemed like a great fit for me. Their style of play fit my style of play. You know my parents are big on academics and Duke is a really great school academically and when we visited we just liked the campus life and everything like that. And of course Coach K, he has a great staff, he's a great person, great coach. I was excited about the opportunity to play for him so that's when I pulled the trigger.

KD:What position do you see yourself playing at Duke?
RS:I was just talking to the coaching staff and they said they are comfortable with me playing both the one and the two,they think I'm versatile enough to do both.

KD:Can you talk about the future of Duke?
RS:Well Duke they have some great players that are currently on the team right now and they have a great class coming in next year,you know Austin Rivers, Plumlee, Gbinji, and the possibility of getting DeAndre Daniels also. I just think they have a great, great, team and they are going to be young and very talented and I just think the future of Duke is going to be really, really good.

KD:How do you feel about the Duke-North Carolina rivalry?
RS:It's a great rivalry. I actually visited Duke during when they played at Cameron against North Carolina. The atmosphere is just crazy, it gets really intense and both teams really want to win and both teams really dislike each other. Just the opportunity to play in that in a couple years is just really exciting.

KD:How long do you see yourself in college?
RS:My intention is to go there for 4 years. Like I said my parents are real big on academics. I'm planning on going there for 4 years and getting my degree and everything like that. If an opportunity comes where I have a really good shot at making the NBA, I'll sit down with Coach K, the staff and my parents. If it's a good decision for me to leave early IF, then maybe I would leave early. But my intention is to go there for four years.

KD:What camps are you going to this summer?
RS:So far that I know of I'm going to the Deron Williams, NBA Top 100 Camp and the LeBron James Skills Academy.

KD:What do you feel you have to improve?
RS:I still have to improve my strength, I have to get stronger each and every day. I have to get quicker laterally to become the potential lock down defender that I think I can become and to continue to work on my range on my shooting.

KD:Who would you compare your game to and why?
RS:Just from what other people have told me they say my game is kind of like Jamal Crawford. They said I have a really good mid range game, kind of crafty with the ball, and I have long arms like him too so just from what other people are saying, Jamal Crawford.

KD:What are your goals for this summer? and next high school season?
RS:Well obviously my goal for this summer is to make it to Peach Jam. Last summer our team thought we didn't fulfil our potential and we fell short and that just made us much more hungrier this year to make Peach Jam and to ultimately win it. For my high school season, we won Districts last year but we went out early in the playoffs. So my goals for this high school season is to of course win Districts again but this time to go further in the playoffs and to win State.

KD:What schools were you considering before you chose Duke?
RS:Before I committed to Duke, the few schools I considered were Texas,Texas A&M,Kansas, Arizona, North Carolina and Georgetown.

KD:Anything you have to say to the Cameron Crazies and Duke fans?
RS:I can't wait to get to Duke. Each and every night I put on a Duke uniform I am going to try my hardest to win each and play my heart out for the Cameron Crazies.

Sadeeq Bello:Making a name for himself

By: Kevin Duffy

"Yeah it gets annoying sometimes" says Sadeeq Bello about him being named as "Deuce's little brother". Sadeeq who is in the class of 2014 just wants to make a name for himself.

The point guard has learned a lot from his brother and "brother" Quincy Miller, both Baylor commits and best friends. "I learn a lot from them. Every time I play against them it helps me", Sadeeq said.

With Deuce and Quincy both leaving for college next year, Sadeeq expects a big role in the Westchester Country Day team. He says he has to become a leader next year on the Westchester team. He describes his game as that he likes to get his team involved, push it and score at the same time. Fairly similar to his previous counterparts.

The younger Bello currently holds offers from Cleveland State and Baylor with Marquette and Penn State are showing interest. If you are looking to see him play this summer, he is running with Kingdom Athletes 15U now and later on in the summer he will be playing with the U17 team.

However, the 5'6 130 pound PG realizes he still has a lot of work ahead of him. He works out every day and realizes that there are no days off to become like Deuce and Quincy. He states that he still has to improve his strength and finishing around the basket.

From one Bello to the next, the torch of North Carolina basketball is a family thing. It seems that Deuce will not be forgotten in North Carolina but could he soon be mentioned as "Sadeeq's brother"? Time will tell.

DaShawn Suber staying at St. Pat's

Within the last month, St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey has lost two important parts to their basketball program. First they lost in the State championship to rival St. Anthony's and then they lost their head coach, Kevin Boyle.

One thing they will not lose however is junior point guard, DaShawn Suber, who told me he will return to the Celtics for his senior campaign.

The former Rice(Manhatten) Raider transferred to St. Patrick's before his junior season does not expect to transfer before his senior year too.

Suber currently is considering Arizona, Georgetown, UNLV, West Virginia, Florida, Quinnipiac, Gardner Webb. He plans to go to the Florida and West Virginia Elite Camps and he will possibly visit Georgetown in two weeks.

"Hopefully in another year you would see me in a big time college" says Suber.

DaShawn is willing to improve and that is possibly something in his near future.

Additional Questions with DaShawn
How did Coach Boyle tell you guys he was leaving?
Last week he told us that there will be changes in next years season and then last Thursday he told us that he will be going to Monteverde Academy and that it was a better situation for him and his family.

How did you and your teammates respond to that news?
Some people were shocked but we talked about it and worked things out.

With Lon Kruger leaving UNLV are you still considering them?
Yeah, because I only met him I think one time. I have to go down and see the school first.

How would you describe yourself as a player?
Well I'm fast, have a very high basketball I.Q, can shoot the ball, and can go right.

Is there any player you would want to play with in college?
In high school I'd like to play with Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker and in college I would say Jimmer Fredette because I'm a point guard who can set my shooters up.

Why did you originally transfer from Rice to St. Pat's?
It's a smaller school. I like the environment of it and it has a big time basketball schedule.

What are your goals for next season?
One of my goals is to win the National Championship, we were close this year.

What camps will you be attending this summer?
Pangos All American Camp in San Diego and Hoop Group. Hopefully if everything works out I will be attending the Deron Williams Point Guard Academy.

What do you feel you have to improve?
I really want to work on my jump shot and to have a better understanding of the pick and roll.

Perry Ellis: Making a Legacy

By: Kevin Duffy

What's the first thing you think of when you hear "Perry Ellis"? The clothing line? Or maybe the Kansas high school basketball legend?

The latter is a 6'8 forward out of Wichita who has won three State titles and has acquired three Mr. Basketball awards in Kansas. Oh and by the way, he's only a junior.

Ellis,the ball player, previously trimmed his very long list of outstanding schools to six. The six which are Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Oklahoma, and Wichita State have all built through relationships with Ellis and his family."Well, all six schools had been recruiting me for a really long time. I had built relationships with all the coaches," Ellis said. "Several have been recruiting me since 8th grade. I want to feel comfortable and all these schools recruiting me have made me feel that way".Ellis said he has no timetable for a decision except that he plans to evaluate his recruitment after the summer.

Last Sunday, Perry participated in the East-West All American Game in Houston. He scored 14 and pulled in a team high 8 boars enough to garner the Most Valuable Player Award.

"It was my first year there",Ellis stated."I wanted to do good so I could come back over the years-putting on a legacy. I feel blessed to be able to go there."

In due time a "legacy" is exactly what Perry will leave on Kansas hoops. Already people are putting him right up there with the best ever in Kansas hoops. However this humble star just wants to play his game and not get caught up in that, he told me, "I really don't think about that too much there have really been a lot of great players in Kansas over the years. I am just honored that I am mentioned with them."

The basketball phenom just wants his game to do the talking. "Hope you get a chance to come and watch me play this summer" is good advice from this young superstar. I suggest you listen.

Additional Questions with Perry

How do you feel about Lon Kruger taking over at Oklahoma?
I have not talked to Coach Kruger yet but he did call my AAU coach Steve Young and is planning to contact me.

What are your best characteristics you bring to a team?
I am a team player, versatile, know how to win, and a hard worker.

Who's game do you study?
Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

What are your goals for next season?
To win a 4th State championship.

What do you feel you have to improve?
I just want to keep working hard on all parts of my game. I think my defense can always improve.

How long do you see yourself in college?
I am not sure yet I will just have to see how things go.

Who do you think is the best player in your class?
Rather not answer this question there are so many great players in the 2012 class. It's just loaded with talent.

What are the best camps you have attended?
I think the best camps I had attended were the Vince Carter and Kevin Durant Nike Skills Academies. Both Vince and Kevin worked with us individually and really cared and wanted to help us get better.

How was the All American Championship?
It was a great experience. It was fun to play with all the great talent. It was even better that the West team won too.