Around The Nation

A look at the top performers from the first couple of weeks

Dec. 5, 2007

By Van Coleman

Special to CSTV.com from Hoopmasters.com


	Van Coleman Van is one of the nation's premier recruiting experts. E-mail here!

Make no mistake about it, Brandon Jennings isn't going to give up the No.1 prospect ranking without a fight, and if he has anything to say about it, neither will his Oak Hill squad give up the top spot in the national polls. Jennings scored 35 points, handed out eight assists, and picked the pockets of Veritas Christian players for six steals in leading the Warriors to a 92-66 victory and a 9-0 record. Jennings has also had a couple other monster games going for 43-points/10 assists and 46-points/12 assists in games in November.

We will get a chance to see Oak Hill this Saturday at the Marshall County Hoopfest versus Chicago Hales Franciscan and its dynamic duo of Matt Humphrey and Josh Crittle.

Chasing him is our No. 3 rated senior, 6-foot-4 Tyreke Evans, who went on a rampage recently scoring 50 points in American Christian's win over Summit Prep to make his club 8-0 to start the season. He hit the three, knocking down six of them, and just blew by defenders to create highlights at the hoop. He was equally impressive scoring 32 versus Winchendon while we were in attendance.

He wasn't the only top prospect to hit the half-century mark, as our No. 6 junior, 6-foot-3 Kenny Boynton has moved to Plantation, FL American Heritage and is making the most of his new surroundings going off for 50 points, including 8-of-15 threes, versus Riverdale at the First Shot challenge in an 86-61 victory. If he continues to hit the three with regularity, he could crack our top five by the end of the season.

A fast-rising senior, 6-foot-4 Gerardo Suero from Centereach, NY Our Savior New American, has really blown up in the early season. He had 38 points versus Milestone Christian in a 79-70 win. He is averaging 34 points an outing through their first six games. He's already getting some Big East looks...6-foot-8 Richard Anderson had 27 points for Milestone in the loss.

No. 33 rated senior, 6-foot-4, Travis Releford from Shawnee Mission, KS Bishop Miege had 30 points in just 20 minutes of action, hitting 13-of-14 shots, in his squad's 89-59 victory over Spring Hill, KS.

Our No. 22 senior, 7-foot Ty Walker, was scary on the defensive end versus Greenville Rose blocking 18 shots in his Wilmington New Hanover's 64-40 victory. Oh yes, he ended with a triple-double scoring 26 points and pulling down 14 boards in the win.

No. 35 senior, 6-foot-1 Jerime Anderson from Anaheim, CA Canyon, proved he can open up the inside with six threes and 29 points in their 84-36 victory over Orange.

Our No. 2 junior 6-foot-10 Renardo Sidney from Los Angeles, CA Fairfax led his team to the championship of the Redondo-Pacific Shores Tournament with a 25-point, 16-rebound performance in their 64-47 victory over Serra in the finals.

Ed Davis was stellar in recent action capped by 26 points, 14 boards, and six blocks versus Champaign Central in a hard fought 55-52 loss in the Championship game of the Trusted Choice TOC. It was his second near triple double of the day, as he had 17 points, 12 boards and 12 blocks versus Hales Franciscan in the morning session. That's right both games were on the same day.

Roger Franklin, a 6-foot-4 guard from Duncanville, TX, our No.93-rated junior, had 25 points in his club's win over San Antonio Wagner as his club stretched their record to 10-0 so far this season.

One junior who I think should move up from his No. 74 spot, is 6-foot-8 Jordan Prosser, who had 27 points versus Xavier Gibson and his Northview squad. He followed that up with 19 points and 14 boards versus Memphis Briarcrest.

Speaking of Briarcrest, their 6-foot-7 junior big man Johnny Williams made a real statement in Peoria for Top 100 consideration. He capped that play up with a 24 point and 16 rebound game versus Washington, IL. He already has interest from Mississippi State, Tennessee, Baylor, Mississippi and Southern Illinois.

Another junior who's opened on fire is 6-foot-9 Ryan Kelly from Raleigh Ravenscroft, who's already had games of 35 and 37 points in the early season. He's added 10 to 15 pounds of positive strength and has been finishing in traffic with regularity.

Our No. 89-rated junior, 6-foot-1 Akeem Richmond from Sanford, NC Southern Lee, went off for 36 points, hitting 12-of-22 shots from the field, as his club came from behind to win a 94-84 victory over Garner, NC.

Darius Miller, our No. 46 senior, from Maryville, KY Mason County had a big weekend, scoring 31 on Friday and then coming back for 34 versus Tates Creek on Saturday. But he wasn't the high scorer in the game, as Tates Creek's 6-foot-4 VMI signee Michael Sparks went off for 44 points.

Our No. 13 senior, 6-foot-6 Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville, KY University, also took it out last weekend on Tates Creek as he scored 32 points on 16-for-21 shooting versus the Lexington school. Hopson recently reopened his recruiting to take visits, although he still says he's committed. According to reports, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Louisville were on hand to watch him play.

Abdul Gaddy, our No. 32 junior and future Arizona Wildcat, from Tacoma Bellarmine Prep, went off for 29 points in his club's 76-65 win over Tacoma Curtis.

Pepperdine may have stolen one in 6-foot-7 Paul George of Palmdale, CA Knight who had a big game versus Simi Valley finishing with 35 points and 11 rebounds, including six threes.

Matt Roth continues to impress us with his 30-point outburst while we were in attendance. He knocked down 8-of-15 three point tries. Look for him to be a real sparkplug for the Hoosiers down the road.

A name for the future is 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Jay Canty from Ragsdale, NC who had 34 points versus Northwest Guilford in his team's 71-61 victory.

Our No. 5 junior DeMarcus Cousins has moved to Mobile, AL Leflore, but has been temporarily declared ineligible by the Alabama High School Association. It may be temporary as it appears, according to newspaper reports, that he has made a legitimate move to Mobile. Before he was sat down by the state association he had 27 points versus McGill-Toolen. Stay tuned on updates on his return to the court.

Scottie Haralson, 6-foot-5, went on a tear for Jackson Provine as they upended highly regarded Jackson Forest Hill, 105-101, in overtime. Haralson scored 41 points and 12 boards in total after opening the game with 15 points from beyond the arc.

Another Mississippi prep who had a huge weekend was 6-foot-9 Latavious Williams from Starkville High who had 30 points versus Noxubee County on Friday, then came back with 31 points on Saturday in their 74-59 win over West Point.

One of the nation's top freshmen proved why he has so much hype around him over the weekend when 6-foot-5 Tony Wroten from Seattle Garfield scored a game high 29 points in his club's 85-70 loss to Seattle Franklin. He showed his potential with NBA-range threes and some highlight finishes around rim, but remained a freshman with a number of turnovers due to his youth. Our No. 25-rated junior Peyton Siva led Franklin with 22 points in the victory.

Once again, if you know of a performance worthy of mention in this column please drop us an email at vcoleman@cstv.com or van@hoopmasters.com so we can consider them for our News and Notes updates.