Jan. 22, 2008

By Patrick Stevens

CSTV.com

NEW YORK - Last year's winner of the prep school national championship was Notre Dame Prep (Mass.), led by now Kansas State freshman and NCAA Player of the Year candidate Michael Beasley.

Monday, the small school with a stacked squad that starts five future Division I talents won its matchup at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational, defeating Blair Academy (N.J.) 77-67. Missouri recruit and three-point marksman Kim English led the way with 21 points.

Backcourt mates Sean Crawford and Johnnie Higgins were two of the top guards on that title-winning team last season and are back again for one more year as they finish up earning their remaining credits to qualify for college.

Beasley's personality had been a talked-about characteristic of his ever since he started putting up his 30 and 15 nights in the early season and people were waiting to hear from him as soon as the first semester media-muzzle was lifted by Wildcats' head coach Frank Martin.

Crawford and Higgins knew the type of kid everybody was waiting to hear from all too well.

"I always used to flip his mattress on him - we'd always prank each other," Crawford said. "So one day, Mike decides to tape me up to my bed while I'm sleeping. He used some box packaging tape or something. Then he dragged the mattress down the hallway with me taped to it, pushed the mattress down the stairs, then threw me outside in the cold and into the garbage with just my boxers on.

"People don't realize how big he really is. You can't fight back."

Higgins was first to bring up the time Notre Dame Prep played one of its games on the Kansas State campus, and said Beasley had 30 points in the first half while still sitting three minutes. Then he spoke on the other memories Beasley left him with:

"In practice, coach Barton said to Mike that he was going to design a play for him, and asked him what he wanted to call it," Higgins said. "Mike just started running around the court and yelling `WOOOOOO.' The play never got designed after that."

Higgins is headed to Duquesne, and Barton was in attendance to watch him Monday.

Barton was actually the coach of Notre Dame Prep for many years but is now an assistant coach with the Dukes, reeling in Higgins for next year's class after having coached him last year with Beasley, Crawford and co. 

Barton has fond memories of that championship team's MVP.

"What can you say that hasn't already been said - Mike Beasley is just the real deal," Barton said. "He was a pleasure to have, and I didn't teach him a thing if you ask me. He's just that damn good."

This year, Notre Dame Prep's big man is 6-foot-10 Terrence Jennings, headed to Louisville next season and with the Cardinals' assistant coach Walter McCarty in town to see him.

Jennings was quick to make his mark on the floor, scoring the first points of the game with a one-handed dunk inside that came with a whistle to send him to the line for the free throw. He would finish with 13 points.

Like Beasley was, Jennings is well-traveled, having been at what's now his fourth school, and he's faced his share of big men over the years. If he had to pick one that's in college right now, it'd be Texas A&M's freshman center.

"DeAndre Jordan and I went at it at ABCD Camp - he caught me once," he said. "I like his game though. We both like to attack."

A Sacramento native, Jennings has gone coast-to-coast on the basketball circuit. Still, there's one highly-ranked big man like himself that he hasn't faced yet, and the first time he faces him will be on the Louisville campus, since that player is fellow Cardinal recruit Samardo Samuels.

"He's a beast," Jennings said. "I think we'll work really well together. We're both very athletic and can get it done down low or facing the hoop. It's going to be exciting to see the things we can do out there."

Blessed with an eagle's wingspan and quick-jumping ability, the 6-foot-10 Amare Stoudamire lookalike knows he's got some bulking up to do for his rail-thin frame.

"I know how big the conditioning is to them down there. Coach Pitino was talking about it a lot, and I know about how he's on everybody about it, especially DC [Derrick Caracter]," he said. "Right now I'm around 220 pounds, but I want to get up to 235-240."

Jennings hopes to have every player back that currently has Louisville in the Top 25.

"I can't wait to catch some lobs from Edgar [Sosa]," he said. "And then Palacios, Caracter, Earl Clark - they're all clicking right now and with Padgett back they should be in good shape. Hopefully me and Samardo can fill in for Padgett next year after he graduates."

Another of the top performers at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational once hoped for increased chances at an NCAA Championship next season.

Back when he announced for Indiana in June, Devin Ebanks said he thought big things could come if Eric Gordon was around to team up with him. Gordon was always thought of as prep-to-pro possibility had the draft age-limit rule not been implemented. Even Ebanks doubted he'd be there when he said in June, but now he's convinced.

"With what he's been doing, he's one-and-done to me," the 6-foot-8 swingman scorer said.

Hoosiers assistant coach Ray McCallum was on hand to watch Ebanks go for 31 points and 16 rebounds but come up short of a victory Monday. Ebanks checked out the Hoosiers on TV earlier this year against Georgia Tech, and has been following the ride that has Indiana ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll.

"Sixteen and one and they're getting better each game," he said.

St. Thomas More head coach Jere Quinn had Ebanks last year and again this year, and said in some respects he's becoming more of a leader with his actions.

"He used to not be much of a talker, but it's nice to see him look people in the eye now," Quinn said. "He's always been one to step up in a big game, but he's competing more for his teammates now and starting to get them involved more to join him."

St. Thomas More fell to American Christian, 88-72, with the winners led by 2009 Louisville recruit LaMont Jones and his 29 points. DePaul recruit Jeremiah Kelly added 11 in the victory. Top five senior Tyreke Evans missed the game after having received a concussion just a weekend prior, where his head hit the floor and he was taken off the court to the hospital.

The event's local public school power Boys & Girls won its matchup convincingly against Queen of Peace (N.J.), 63-44.

Brandon Romain led Boys with 20 points and 6-foot-8 Kyrie Sutton scored 15 points to go with 10 rebounds. Queen of Peace's Bilal Dixon scored 20 points and 15 rebounds with Providence assistant Steve Demeo watching the 6-foot-8 Friars recruit.

Lincoln (N.Y.) is the reigning champ over the NYC Public School league with Boys & Girls its toughest challenger and the two having sparked the Big Apple's most talked-about rivalry over the past two years.

The Kangaroos have a roster with growing interest from Division I schools. Head coach Ruth Lovelace cited coaches from UNLV, South Carolina, Providence, Rhode Island, Duquesne, Hofstra, Manhattan, South Florida, Ohio and St. Bonaventure having been just some of the recent visitors to the Brooklyn school for seniors Romain, Sutton, guard Clayton Sterling and forward David Imes. Rutgers has Patrick Jackson already signed for its 2008 class, but the forward has been out of action recently with an ankle injury and did not play Monday.