Words. High School Hoop

Nerlens Noel has been in the news a lot lately; a surge that included a massive story in the New York Times that didn’t really paint the greatest picture of the crew surrounding him and advising him on a daily basis.

It seems like the best thing for him would be to pick a school and let the rest of it (relatively) die away. Last night, Scout.com reported that Noel has cut his list of schools to three: MORE >

Words. Patrick Cassidy

6-1 Class of 2013 guard Demetrius Jackson (Mishiwaka, Ind.) is making a name for himself on the basketball court, and lots of major Midwest college powerhouses are taking notice. The NBE Basketball Report filed a an update on Jackson’s recruiting situation and the schools getting in line for his services are elite: Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois, Butler, Xavier, and Georgetown are all vying for Jackson’s commitment.

To give you an idea of what has these programs salivating, Jackson is just nine games into his junior season and has already cracked 1,000 points for his career and is just a few points away from smashing the school’s all-time record. Watch this clip that NBE posted of Jackson killing over the summer: MORE >

Words. High School Hoop

Troy Williams is a beast. The 6-7, Class of 2013 small forward from Hampton, Va., and nephew of AAU godfather Boo Williams, is building his own legend in Virginia. The web is overflowing with Williams highlights, and it when a new mix of his clips drops, it’s kind of a big deal.

Check out this one that was just unleashed: MORE >

Words. Arie Stark

Fort Bend Bush (TX) center Cameron Ridley, a highly-touted prospect in the Class of 2012, has verbally committed to the Texas Longhorns. The 6-10, 240-pounder, a native Texan, chose to stay in-state over offers from North Carolina, Georgetown and Ohio State.

A relative latecomer to the game of basketball, Ridley didn’t start playing competitively until two years ago, so his potential is high. He said the primary factor in choosing Texas was the relationship he’s built with the Longhorns’ coaching staff, particularly assistant Rodney Terry. MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

Strake Jesuit College Prep (Houston, TX) combo guard Rasheed Sulaimon knew that after following up a stellar sophomore season with an even more stellar AAU summer, he’d have to adjust to being the primary focus of opposing team’s defensive strategies.

“It’s still been really tough,” said Sulaimon. “I’m three games in and I’ve seen pretty much everything that you can see defensively. I feel like I’m learning new ways to adjust every game and it’s been fun. The season’s young and I feel like I’m ready to have another big year.” MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

Xavier had a productive week, securing commitments from two of the country’s top players at their respective positions. Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) center Mike Chandler, a senior, and North Central (Indianapolis) combo guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, a junior, both committed to the Musketeers.

“I just really felt like this would be the best place for me get better as a person and a player,” Chandler told the Indianapolis Star. “It helps that it’s close to home.” MORE >