Words. Bryan Horowitz

Watching Jay Williams address the completely enrapt New Hampton Prep basketball team late Sunday night at the Hoophall Classic, it was clear he was firmly in his element. Basketball has obviously always been a big part of Williams’ life, but you could make a case he’s never been quite as immersed as he is now.

As an ESPN college basketball analyst, Williams splits his time between calling games and working on studio shows, while also commentating for the network’s rapidly expanding interest in high school ball. The latter assignment gives him the opportunity to take part in one of his favorite pastimes: mentoring young athletes. There isn’t a player on any level that doesn’t have the utmost respect for the former No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft, and he commonly takes time to pull players aside and offer a few words of wisdom. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

Trying to predict the outcome of an exhibition all-star game is an ultimately pointless venture — just one guy playing his hardest can swing the whole complexion of the game — but sometimes the rosters just look too lopsided to resist.

The rosters for the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic were released today, and the East squad is stacked with four of the arguably five best seniors in the country. Austin Rivers, Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Quincy Miller are all on the East roster, while Top-5 candidates Myck Kabongo and Brad Beal lead the West team. MORE >

Words. Jason Jordan

Rosters for the 2011 McDonald’s All-American game were unveiled today, and while most of the names on the list were to be expected, there were a few that got snubbed.

Oakland High School (CA) guard Jabari Brown, Findlay Prep (Henderson, NV) wing Nick Johnson and Garfield (Seattle, WA) guard Tony Wroten Jr. were the three most visible omissions from the team. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

When the No. 2 high school basketball player in the country suddenly falls out of the Top 50 in the middle of his senior season, clearly something has gone wrong. In the case of Quincy Miller (Westchester, NC), it was a torn ACL in his left knee suffered on Dec. 10. The injury ended what would have certainly been an All-American campaign and potentially a national Player of the Year run before it really began.

Miller’s season-ending injury dropped him out of the new High School Hoop National Top 50 Ranking, updated following the 2010-11 holiday tournament stretch of the schedule, where a lot of players were tested against national competition in high-profile matchups. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

To get at the heart of what makes Marcel Smith tick on the basketball court, just ask him to compare his game to an NBA player. While you might expect a 5-foot-7, 155-pound teenager from the Midwest to name Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook — maybe even Will Bynum — Smith has an unconventional answer: Derek Fisher.

It speaks to the maturity of Smith, a senior point guard at Melvindale (Mich.) Academy of Business and Technology that he’d name an unspectacular player like D-Fish, the five-time NBA champion who is known as a winner above anything else. MORE >

Words. Austin Burton

Gary Bell lives for the big moment, so it’s understandable that he would get impatient waiting three years to shine in his own city.

No matter how many buckets and accolades Bell, a 6-2, 200-pound combo guard, racked up at Kentridge High School (Kent, WA), he was always second on the marquee under All-American Josh Smith at rival Kentwood High, who cast a 6-10, 300-pound shadow over the South Puget Sound League and the state of Washington’s prep scene in general. MORE >