cl2001

Class of 2001

1/7/01 Basketball Phenoms has updated their player rankings.

11/19/00 HoopsTV.com: 'Sean Corrigan, SR., 6-10, Holy Trinity (Hicksville, NY). Described by his coach as a "finesse big-man," Corrigan has elusive post moves and drains 3s. He has a unique ability to keep the ball alive until he can grab the offensive board and take it back up. Corrigan averaged 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks per night as a junior. He needs to bulk up in order to be a more physical post presence. Committed to Loyola (MD).'

8/22/00: Removed Samuel Nadeau, Chad James, Joseph Pizarro, Jimmy White and John Toombs from the primary 2001 list. (Their profiles are at the bottom of this page.) Added Markus Austin, Sammy Mejia, Darren Sykes, Devin Neckles, Jarrett Love, Greg Kuchinski, Keith Williams, Nathaniel Parker, Kyl Jones, David Keeley, LaShard Duren, Ron Burrell, Timeke Mitchell, Scott Findlay, Jeff Granger, Mark Riley and Ray Corrigan so the Class 2001 coverage is up to 100. This index groups them by twenties. Web note: Try not to take these rankings too seriously. It's a method of profiling the notable players in one place on this site. Most of the coaches and scouts at this site won't rank players on principle. I'm a programmer, not a basketball talent scout.

DaJuan Wagner 6-2, Julius Hodge 6-4, Ben Gordon 6-2, Ernest Turner 6-2, Taurance Johnson 6-9, Jeremiah King 5-11, Kenny Adeleke 6-6, Craig Forth 7-1, Tony Tate, 5-11, Kudjo Sogadazi 6-1, John Sikiric 6-3, Terrel Gantt 6-7, Wendell Gibson 6-8, Adrian Walton 6-1, Marcus Austin 6-8, Rashad Bell 6-6, Markus Austin 6-6, Marlon Mahorn 6-0, Tommie Eddie 6-3, Chris McRae 6-3.

Tim Begley 6-5, Roscoe Biggers 6-0, Jamie Sowers 6-7, Sammy Mejia 6-6, Marcus Gantt 6-8, John Paul Kobryn 6-8, Darren Sykes 6-1, Devin Neckles 6-7, John Quantara 6-0, Darryl Bynoe 6-5, Jarrett Love 6-3, Kevin Bishop 6-1, Olu Babaloa 6-5, Andreas Pope 6-3, Greg Kuchinski 6-6, Robert Barrett 6-7, Ted Mumford 5-8, Woody Souffrant 5-8, Eric Sterling 6-3, Famous Brown 5-10.

Shaheem McNair 6-1, Darryl Hill 5-11, John Bedford 6-3, John Blackgrove 6-2, Keith Williams 6-4, Marcus Fyall 6-5, Tremaine Stevens 5-7, Kevin White 6-3, Antwan Dozier 6-3,. Nathaniel Parker 6-6, Kyl Jones 6-4, David Keeley 6-8, Michael Clarke 6-4, Calvin Smith 6-6, Kevin Murawinski 6-4, Tremaine Brown 6-0, David Vega 6-5, Levi Levine 6-4, Harold Bautista 5-11, Reggie McCuller 5-10.

Jerry Pegram 6-4, Sam Melinix 6-5, Chase Licati 6-4, Sean Danzler 6-3, Dan Artest 6-2, Kevin Rourke 6-3, Jose Gonzalez 6-3, Greg LaVann 6-2, Chris Fileti 5-10, Jason McKreith 6-4, Kyle Robinson 5-9, Lucious Jordan 6-1, Kyle Frazier 6-6, Rafinee Williams 6-3, LaShard Duren 6-1, Ron Burrell 6-7, Timeke Mitchell 6-2, Scott Findlay 6-6, Mark Riley 6-2.

Matt Preston 6-5, Jeff Granger 6-2, Sharod Tomlinson 6-0, Aaron Davis 6-0, Pierre (Anthony) Ward 6-3, Tom (TJ) Byrnes 5-10, Ray Corrigan 6-0, Deshon Moore 6-1, Shawn Hall 5-10, Shamel Goode 5-11, Anthony Epps 6-0, Quan Pinckney 6-0, John Maser 5-10, Gerald Lewis 5-7, Muhhammed Wilson, 5-9, Preston Beverly 6-3, Kenny Harris 6-8, R J Cobbs 5-10, Kevin Flaherty 5-11, Dennis Harper 5-5.

DaJuan Wagner 6-2, point guard, Camden High, NJ. HS #3, NJ Hoops #1, Blue Ribbon first team! 1/26/98: DaJuan is living up to the expectations of Like father, like son. 2/13/98: from Philadelphia Inquirer - 'Camden freshman Dajuan Wagner had a season-best with seven three-point baskets during a 36-point performance in a 107-62 win against visiting Pennsauken. Aaron Stephens chipped in with 28 points.' 9/3/98 Eddie Oliver Hoops USA: 'It's still a guessing game about the future of Camden (NJ) rising sophomore star DaJuan Wagner. I saw this young man play last season and he is truly an outstanding player, but he loves to control the ball and throw it up at will, as past Camden stars have done. How he might fit in a more team oriented system is a legitimate question.' 9/10/98 Inquirer: For Camden, reason to cheer - Dajuan Wagner is staying at Camden High. 6/19/99 Ryan on DaJuan on the Rumble in the Bronx page. 3/22/00 Daily News: Painful End for Prep. Camden wins Jersey bragging rights. Seton Hall Prep turned in a solid peformance but was done in by a great player, losing New Jersey's Tournament of Champions final, 50-46, to Camden at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway. Dajuan Wagner, perhaps the best junior in the country, scored a game-high 27 points and took home the MVP award. Wagner scored 18 of his points in the second half, including 10 in the crucial fourth quarter. 7/8/00 ESPN: Dajuan Wagner shows his stuff as No. 1 prospect.

Julius Hodge 6-4, forward, St. Raymonds, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #501+. In early January, 1998 the twelve man Ravens' varsity had seven seniors and five juniors. Never mind freshmen, there were no sophomores! And junior point guard Majestic Mapp rarely sits. Work on the outside shooting, Julius. 12/98 Three sophs on Ravens varsity roster - not Julius. 4/1/99 Gameball #8. 4/18/00 Daily News: Many expect the 6-4 Hodge to be the city's best player next season. He was among the best around this season. Hodge averaged 20.3 points and seven rebounds as Mulligan's sidekick. A deadly long-range bomber, Hodge shot 42% from three-point range and scored 589 points this year, second most in school history. Already Big East schools are sending along their "We'd Love To Have Ya" notes.' 7/4/00 All Star Report: NBPA Camp Review 'Hodge is an elite wing player in the Class of 2001. He is silky smooth going to the hoop, and possesses a great mid-range game. He didn't stroke the trey consistently here, but we've seen him have great days from beyond the arc this spring. Maryland, North Carolina St., North Carolina, Syracuse, and Florida are the finalists for Hodge, and they've all offered.'

Ben Gordon 6-2, shooting guard, Mt. Vernon, NY. 10/11/98: Ben is the sophomore sensation for Mt. Vernon's AAU team at the IS8 fall classic. He even held his own against Omar Cook! Ben's team figures to make the IS8 playoffs, so there are big games ahead for late October. 4/1/99 Gameball #9. 3/26/00 Post Star: Mt. Vernon finishes with win. class A Boys - Final. Gordon was the leading scorer for Mount Vernon with 20 points. He was named tournament MVP. 4/16/00 Daily News: This year's Daily News/MSG Network Tri-State team has a a bumper crop of talent. It's a veritable hardwood Who's Who, led by Andre Barrett, Peter Mulligan, Andre Sweet and Ben Gordon. Ben Gordon? Yes, Ben Gordon. Probably the best player many in the city never saw this season. Gordon did his thing north of the city line at Mount Vernon, where the 6-2 guard averaged 24.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 steals. One of only two juniors on this year's team, Gordon was named the MVP in both the New York State Public School and state Federation tournaments as the Knights rolled to a 28-0 record, defeating PSAL champion Kennedy for the Fed crown and finishing atop the Daily News/MSG poll. Gordon needs just 140 points next year to become Mount Vernon's all-time leading scorer and was the first freshman to play on the varsity at Mount Vernon since Scooter McCray in the '70s. Seton Hall loves Gordon so much its recruiters traveled as far as Canada to watch him play in a tournament last season. Two seasons from now he could be in the same backcourt as Andre Barrett.'

Ernest Turner 6-2, shooting guard, Sterling, NJ. Blue Ribbon, HS #19, NJ Hoops #2. 2/98: Ernest has been one of south Jersey's scoring leaders all year. 2/5/98 NJO: One of the best freshmen is 6-2 swingman Ernest Turner, who scores about 25 points a game for Sterling. 2/13/98: from Philadelphia Inquirer - 'Sterling's 73-43 win at Gateway included Ernest Turner's 23 points and Maurice Dozier's 14 among nine Silver Knights scorers.' 8/3/98: Inquirer: The only thing more difficult than stopping Ernest Turner this summer was keeping up with his traveling itinerary. The 6-2 Sterling sophomore attended the ABCD camp at Fairleigh Dickinson in early July, then departed for Las Vegas to play for his AAU team, the Gym Rats, in the BigTime Shoot-out. After that, he played for a team called the Newark Rams in the Long Beach (Calif.) Shoot-out. He returned on Friday from a week at the Eastern Invitational Camp at the College of New Jersey. "I'm dead tired," Turner said. "I know that to be seen by college coaches, you have to get out there in July, and I thought it was a good experience." NCAA rules allow college coaches to evaluate players during the summer from July 8-31. In Las Vegas, Turner was sizzling. He averaged 24.1 points in four games and was sixth in scoring. The tournament consisted of 224 teams and more than 2,300 players. "Las Vegas was the only place I played mainly shooting guard," Turner said. "The other places I played the point, and have been working hard on my handle." 2/24/00 Big East Briefs: Ernest Turner turning heads. 3/3/00 Bayshore: 'South Jersey Group II Semifinal. Jr. Ernest Turner led Sterling to an 80-75 road victory over Haddon Heights. Turner finished with 27 points (10-17 from the floor, 5 steals, 4 assists). Turner is a classic 2. Shoots the J with great form (2-4 trey) and goes to the basket well. He does not hold the ball well in traffic on the dribble and was not much of a factor in helping break the press, which was surprising. St Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli and assistant Monte Ross were in the crowd along with a host of scouts. Rutgers, Villanova, Temple & St Joe, among others, have already extended Turner offers.' 7/8/00 NJO: Sterling's Ernest Turner well-known by recruiters. 8/1/00 Insiders Report: Ernest Turner Cuts List ... now includes Rutgers, Villanova, UNLV, UCLA, and Massachusetts.

Taurence Johnson 6-9 Faith Christian, NJ. Prep Stars #27, Hoop Scoop First Team All Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey. 6/00 Taurence is a fifth year senior who has transferred from Williamsport High in Pa. to Faith Christian for this coming season. He was on the Sam Rines team roster for the Rumble in the Bronx.

Jeremiah King 6-1, point guard, Passaic, NJ. Blue Ribbon, HS #141; NJ Hoops #4. 2/9/98: NJO: A few of this season's other fantastic frosh have been 5-11 guard Jeremiah King of Passaic, 6-0 guard Aaron Davis of Columbia, 6-3 forward Preston Beverly of Monroe and 5-5 guard Dennis Harper of Shabazz. 2/14/98: from Bergan Record Online - 'Jeremiah King, Passaic's freshman guard, has played far beyond his years.' 6/20/99: Jeremiah started and starred for Tim Thomas Playaz, Rumble in the Bronx '99 winning 17's team. 2/3/00 NJ Hoops: Jeremiah King leads Pat Cat. 3/9/00 Frank: 'St. Patricks (24-5) played a stellar second half to trounce a young (18-8) Paterson Catholic. But PC showed they could play with the Celtics and at one point in the first half went on a 15-0 run. Jeremiah King could be a great player.' 7/8/00 BRO: Reign may end for PC's Jeremiah King. 7/28/00 Jacey Zembal, FOXSports.com: 'King is one of the more underrated point guards nationally. Quick with the ball, King has improved his decision making and outside shooting in the last year. Also, he might be transferring from Patterson Catholic to prep school to work on his academics. If so, it would be his third school in the last three years. He said he has a 2.5 grade-point-average and hasn't taken the SAT or ACT yet. On the recruiting front, King is receiving interest from a handful of colleges. He lists Rutgers, Seton Hall, Massachusetts, Duquesne, Tulsa and USC. He was unsure whether he would sign in the fall or spring. Several of his past teammates with the traveling team, the Tim Thomas Playaz, attend Seton Hall.'

Kenny Adeleke 6-7, forward Robeson, NY. Hoop Scoop +500 in 6/99, #41 in 9/99, Gameball #3, NYC Expo #24. 6/18/00 Fox Sports: Recruiting spotlight - Ten basketball players to watch -- 'One of the top rising senior's in New York City, Kenny Adeleke is an offensive-minded power forward. He has a soft touch and a knack for getting offensive rebounds. A lefty, he is going to need to put some weight on for college. He's hearing from St. John's, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, South Florida and Providence. Adeleke has been invited to the adidas ABCD Camp. He'll be playing with coach Gary Charles' Long Island Panthers this summer. They'll be in the Beast of the East, July 12-13, adidas Big Time Tourney in Las Vegas, July 15-19, Best of the Summer in Carson, California, July 20-24, Playaz Ball, August 11-13, I.S. 8 tournament, Sept.-Oct, Charlie Weber Invitational at University of Maryland, Sept. 15-17 and Hoop Group Slam Fest, Sept. 22-24.' 9/10/99 Kenny's a 6-6 junior to be at Robeson. Suddenly everybody loves him. Gameball has him ranked third in the city. Hoop Scoop has him at #41 in the country, behind only Wagner, Gordon and Tate from our site. I watched most of the Robeson, Moorestown Metro Classic first round match-up. Sherrod was on the roster, but he didn't play. Robeson lost a close game. I don't remember Kenny (or anyone else) looking especially impressive. 9/16/99 Leroy White: 'Kenny played with LI Panthers this summer. He made the All Star team at Eastern Invitational Camp (Session 2 July 19-23) and also was very impressive at Metro Classic. He is a monster around the rim, can run the floor well, and can jump out of the building. Gave Wendell Gibson all he can handle at the Hofstra Team camp. Kenny is good and has a better body than Wendall Gibson. Will dominate inside this year because of the attention focused on teammate Mike Sherrod.' 9/17/99: Kenny is on Riverside Church A team, but like Ben Gordon, he doesn't leave the bench. 3/2/00 BOOKSNBALL: '6''7" Kenny Adeleke of Robeson a Jr. proved that he'll be in the running for the title of the best PSAL player in the class of 2001. Boarding, blocking shots, showing a soft touch from in close & hitting 7 of 8 free throws.' 8/1/00 NJ Hoops: Kenny Adeleke -- Top 20 All Star Game at Eastern Invitational Camp for week 3. 8/2/00 Russ Blake @ Insiders Report: Kenny Adeleke Raises Stock.

Craig Forth 7-1, center, Columbia, NY. Blue Ribbon player, HS #102. 6/17/98: Rumble in the Bronx - Craig is the 7-1, ninth grader who plays for the 16 and Under Albany City Hawks, but didn't make the trip for the tournament. This review is hearsay from his biased coach, Jim Hart and from the reliable, Russ Blake. Craig is a legitimate 7-1, he's not skinny, a good defender and rebounder, good passer, working on his post moves. 6/26/98 Prep Stars has a new class of 2001 list - top ten and next best 18. DuJuan Wagner is #2, Tony Tate is #8 and Craig Forth from Albany made the next 18 list. 7/23/98: Craig played for the Adirondack Empire State Games scholastic team scoring 4, 2, 13 and 11 points. 6/18/99 Rumble begins for 7:30 game Albany City Rocks use Craig Forth and Jason McKreith on their junior team (it's Jim Hart's tourney, and he can do what he wants). MC Express team is from Morristown, NJ; they're hopelessly outmanned. Score is 41 - 4 at the half with Forth and McKreith still in the game. Final score is 72 -15. So much for upstate gentility! I'll be rooting for anyone but the Rocks on Sunday. Rocks win 16's for Rumble in the Bronx. 4/00 Profile by FOXSports.com's Jacey Zembal: 'With New York City lacking the usual superstar juniors, Forth heads into next year as the state's top player. Forth is a 6-11, 237-pound monster in the middle, who is also a great student. He plays with great intensity, and isn't afraid to slam dunk in any opponents face.' 7/4/00 All Star Report: NBPA Camp Review 'This was not one of Craig's better days. While he has soft hands and is a very good post passer, he often fails to finish plays around the basket. Don't know if he's not strong enough, or what, but we'd like to see more dunks from Mr. Forth at future events. Still, he's a legitimate 7 foot prospect with tools to work with. Schools that have called that he likes are Boston College, Wake Forest, Duke, Villanova, Connecticut, Siena, and Syracuse. Boston College and Villanova have offered according to Craig. He'll make a fall decision.'

Tony Tate, 5-11, point guard, St. Anthony, Jersey City, NJ. Blue Ribbon, HS #27, NJ Hoops #3. 2/2/98 New Jersey Online: Tate looks great. 2/5/98 New Jersey Online: 'But perhaps the most important freshman right now is 5-9 guard Tony Tate of No. 1 St. Anthony, who recently cracked the starting lineup to help bolster the Friars' unpredictable offense.' Ed. note: 99% of the country's high school coaches would enjoy having that 'unpredictable offense'. 8/12/98: Frank - Bob Hurley says Tony Tate is ahead of David Rivers at this stage of his career. You'd better believe Tate should be on the Jira list of top national sophomores.' 6/20/99: At Rumble in the Bronx St. Anthony's Tony Tate played for the Jamaica squad (JYO) and led them with 24 points. (T squared is obviously geographically challenged!). 12/20/99 Chris Chevannes: 'The good Lord has sent us another test. This evening around 3:30 pm we received the results from Tony Tate MRI and it came back as a ruptured ACL. He is out for the season. We have endured a great deal so far in a season that really hasn't begun. Tony did not take it very well. This happened on the second possession of the game vs Lincoln of NY. The team handled it very well and was more motivated than ever. We will tend to our goals as planned.'

Kudjo Sogadazi 6-1, guard, Newark Eastside. NJ Hoops nr. 12/98: Kudjo is the third Eastside sophomore on our list; with Samuel Nadeau and Marlon Mahorn they figure to be strong for the next three years. 6/20/99: Kudjo and Randy Foye were the young starting backcourt for Sandy Pyonin's NJ Roadrunners' 17's team in the Rumble in the Bronx '99. 3/00: Kudjo's season began and ended in turmoil. Newark Eastside's coach was fired and the program was in shambles over the use of illegal foreign players. Kudjo transferred to Nyack where he was the player in the middle of the Nyack controversy. The Nyack team forfeited their right to play in the section one championship because he had not played the required five season games.

John Sikiric 6-4, guard, Archbishop Molloy, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #116. 12/98: John starts for Molloy as off-guard. 1/3/99: LFBALL 'John Sikiric is a hell of a player. If he is the kid from Molloy I saw, he will soon be in the top 10 for his class. I truly feel he will be recruited by the elite colleges in a few years. I have seen the Teddy Mumfords, and Famous Browns, and they are very good players. But in no way should they or will they be better than this young man down the road. Watch his progress!' 4/1/99 Gameball #26. 3/1/99 Daily News: Loughlin 79, Molloy 60: John Sikiric scored 26 for Molloy. 4/18/00 Daily News: CHSAA Diocese of Brooklyn second team.

Terrel Gantt 6-7, forward, St. Raymond, Bronx. HS nr. DeCesare's second sophomore unknown, though Terrel starred for the Ravens 16 year old Rumble in the Bronx team. Academically a sophomore but only one more year of eligibility after this season, Terrel transferred from Evander Childs. He's sharing the power positions with seniors Morton and Nickerson and has already been voted to one tournament first team. 4/1/99 Gameball #2. HS #50. 4/22/00 IS8: Terrel is back playing with the Gauchos at IS8 as part of their gigantic frontline with 7-2 Sagari Allegne, 7-0 Rashid Hardwick and 6-7 Marcelle Montpalisar.

Wendell Gibson 6-6, forward, Molloy, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #205. 12/98: Wendell is power backup for older brother and Uka Agbai. Needs to lose some baby fat to become prime time player, but he's getting great experience playing with Molloy's four seniors and soph Sikiric. 4/1/99 Gameball #3. 2/14/99 Daily News: Molloy 49, St. Anthony 40 (Jersey City): The Stanners won their first game without 6-7 junior center Wendell Gibson. Gibson punctured a muscle and tore a tendon in his right arm when he put his fist through a window after a 55-54 loss Friday to Christ the King. He had surgery Saturday and will miss the rest of the season. "I'm sorry I did it because of the team," said Gibson. Said Stanners coach Jack Curran: "For the team it's tough. He's such a major rebounder. … Our whole offense revolved around him." 4/18/00 Daily News: CHSAA Diocese of Brooklyn second team. 7/26/00 100 Hoops: Wendell Gibson, BF, Riverside: This young man muscled Riverside into the finals. He's a mid-major type because he stands only 6-6, but through the course of a game, gets a lot accomplished. He's a hard worker who uses his backside to clear out space for himself.

Adrian Walton 6-1 Milford Academy, Ct. 10/24/99 It's Sunday and Sunday belongs to the Church. They take BQ Express 79 - 66 for the IS8 Fall Classic championship. Adrian Walton scored 14 points. 4/00 Adrian has been an integral part of the Riverside Church attack for the last year - at IS8 and tournaments around the country. This summer looks to be more of the same. He's a shooter not a natural point guard. 6/25/00 Russ Blake @ Insiders Report: Adrian Walton is planning an unofficial visit to Virgnia in early July.

Marcus Austin 6-9, power forward/center, St. Patricks, NJ. Blue Ribbon, NJ Hoops #9, HS #76. 8/12/98: GPhelan: 'When you re-shuffle your sophmore list, don't forget to include 6'9" and growing Marckus Austin from Saint Patrick's who is on track to be the premier big man in the area by the time he is a senior as his teammate Samuel will be this season.' 3/19/00 Bayshore: 'Camden advances- Wagner's legend grows. After Marcus Austin hit a short turnaround to put St.Patrick's up 60-59 Dajuan Wagner took the in-bounds pass with :03 left and drove coast to coast to put Camden into the TOC championship game. Marcus Austin was the story with his 7 of his 15 points coming in the 4th quarter keeping St Pat's close down the stretch. His outstanding defensive work held Arthur Barclay to 7 points. Outstanding work.' 7/8/00 All Star Report: Nike Camp: Day One. New Jersey forward Marcus Austin injured his ankle earlier in the week and will not compete at Nike. 8/1/00 NJO: Marcus Austin -- Getting caught up in the chase.

Rashad Bell 6-6 forward, St. Francis Prep, NY. 3/00 Rashad averaged 12.1 ppg in 24 games with a game high 27 against McClancy. 4/15/00 Dismal weather day in NYC. In the second game Elmcor trounced St Francis 95 - 67. However, Rashad Bell was awesome for the Terriers. He scored 24 points in dominating inside play. If Hartwig is 6-4 then Rashad is now 6-6. 4/18/00 Daily News: CHSAA Diocese of Brooklyn honorable mention. 7/00 Rashad played with NYC Empire State Games team - he was their leading scorer with 17, 18, 12 and 9 in the four games.

Markus Austin 6-6 forward, White Plains. 7/23/00 PeteAbe: 'This from The Journal News of Westchester: "White Plains senior Markus Austin walked into the first day of the Metro Classic with a recruiting list that includes Iona, Manhattan and Central Connecticut State. By the time the day was over, Richmond, Pittsburgh and several other major-conference programs were hot on his trail. Austin, a 6-foot-5 swingman, scored 80 points in three games and knocked down a bundle of 3-pointers as the Tigers defeated Marist (56-46), Randolph (45-27) and Teaneck (62-40). 7/24/00 LFBALL: Markus Austin, 6 ft 5 guard/forward is considered the 2nd best player in talent rich, yet underrated, Westchester County. Ofcourse the first is Ben Gordon of Mount Vernon. Though Ben is considered the best, this kid could give him a run for the money. How he was not invited to ABCD or Nike camps is a mystery to everyone I spoke with. In fact, I would love to see him compete against Julius Hodge who in my opinion is the best player in NY, NJ, Conn., Mass, Vermont, Wash. DC, Maryland, Pa, ..., I could go for ever, because Julius could be the best 2 guard in country. I think Markus, from what I saw would give him a good challenge. I spoke with Markus briefly, and he informed me that he was being recruited by MAAC, and Northeast Conference schools. I then asked who he played summer league and AAU with and he said in a serious voice "NO ONE." That really explains why he was not invited to camps and also why higher level schools are not after him. Speaking to this extremely articulate young man made me wonder how sooo many coaches could miss out on him. I hope he enrolls where he will be happy. However, I also hope some of the major schools will give him a look. He had to be one of the top 5 players in the tournament based on actual performance.' 7/24/00 Coach Kevin Piggott: 'I just read the remark about Markus Austin being the "second best player in Westchester." I am not a big fan of rankings, but Markus certainly is one of the best players in Section 1. I suspect that by the end of next year's high school season, he will be on the same level as both Ben Gordon and Julius Hodge. He works hard, is a great kid, listens and accepts criticism, and has an abundance of athleticism. He is also a great outside shooter, which only enhances the other parts of his game. Certainly he or Kyle Jones of Pleasantville might be the most underated player in the area.'

Marlon Mahorn 6-0, point guard, Newark, NJ. NJ Hoops # 23, HS #17. 12/98: Eastside team has new look with transfers. The competition is tougher, but it's Marlon's chance to play for a winner. 4/00 Terrible year for Newark Eastside with the foreign players' debacle. Marlon has been lost in the fray.

Tommie Eddie 6-4, forward, Boys & Girls, Brooklyn. Blue Ribbon player, HS # 71. 4/1/99 Gameball #7. 4/18/00 Daily News: PSAL Brooklyn second team. 2/28/99 Daily News: Boys & Girls 75, Hillcrest 39: Boys & Girls, the fourth seed, was never threatened. Tommie Eddie scored 25 points. 4/18/00 Daily News: PSAL Brooklyn second team.

Chris McRae 6-3, forward, St. Raymonds, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #42. 8/12/98: Coach Gary DeCesare: 'Chris McRae needs to be added. Going to be a big time player. Will be a sophomore at St. Raymonds.' 12/98: Four Blue Ribbon Raven sophs: McRae, Pickney, Epps and Hodges. Only Chris and unknowns Kababusi and Gantt made the varisty. All three sophs are getting serious minutes as part of a seven man rotation with seniors Mapp, Morton, Nickerson and Holloman. 4/1/99 Gameball #6. 4/18/00 Daily News: CHSAA Manhattan, Bronx second team.

Tim Begley 6-4, forward, CBA, NJ. HS nr, NJ Hoops #6. Only soph on CBA roster to get PT against CTK at Daily News Shootout. 3/12/00 Frank: 'Seton Hall Prep 53 CBA 51. Tim Begley came up big for CBA with 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter.' 7/24/00 Rich: 'Tim Begley, a 6-5 senior, scored a game-high 21 points to lead Christian Brothers Academy over St. Raymond's, 55-49 in the Converse Metro Classic Championship game.' 7/25/00 NJO: Tim Begley takes charge as CBA wins title.

Roscoe Biggers 6-0, guard Wadleigh, NYC. Gameball nr, NYC Expo. #14, Hoop Scoop nr. 1/3/99 Daily News - On a day dedicated to Earl (the Goat) Manigault, the Harlem hoop legend was front and center in the memory of Wadleigh guard Roscoe Biggers. 4/20/99 Daily News PSAL Boys: Manhattan SECOND TEAM: Roscoe Biggers (Wadleigh). 2/15/99 Daily News: Chiefs Answer Bell. Unsung Canarsie upends Wadleigh. 4/18/00 Daily News: PSAL Manhattan first team: Roscoe Biggers (Wadleigh) There were none bigger than this junior guard when it came to scoring this season. Biggers poured in 30 points a game for the Tigers. But, Biggers was not just a shooter, he was a playmaker as well. Biggers averaged four assists a game.

Jamie Sowers 6-7, forward St. Patrick, NJ. NJ Hoops #6, Hoop Scoop nr? 8/99: Jamie was on the Celts Metro Classic roster, but he didn't get very many minutes. 3/13/00 Frank: The T of C, starting Thursday at the Dunn Center, has one of the strongest fields ever assembled. The strongest team on paper is easily St. Patricks . No one can match their size and depth. The front line of 6-9 Herve Lamizana, 6-9 Marcus Austin and 6-6 Jamie Sowers at times is unstoppable.'

Sammy Mejia, 6-6 forward. Theodore Roosevelt, Bronx, NY. 2/20/99 Daily News: Theodore Roosevelt 70, Franklin Lane 63: The Roughriders rallied from a 13-point deficit late in the third to defeat the defending Class B city champions. TR (22-2), the fifth seed, will face Science in the quarterfinals. "There's only a few of us," Sammy Mejia (28 points) said of his six Roughrider teammates. "We play with what we got." 4/9/00 New York Post - PSAL All-City teams. Sammy made honorable mention. 4/23/00 John P. Miciotta: 'Saturday's IS8 action -- The first game of today's quadruple header saw the Renaissance All Stars use excellent guard play to offset the inside quickness and power of the Bunky Reid All Stars and hand them a 72-63 loss. Sammy Mejia, a rising senior from Theodore Roosevelt High in the Bronx, combined with teammates Marcus Taylor and Dana Holmes to propel Renaissance to an early lead. Mejia is 6'5" and has a quick and long first step, and a jumper that he hits consistently save for when he drifts. He needs to improve his intensity and concentration, and thus become a better defensive player but if he does he is a legitimate mid-to-high level major prospect.'

Marcus Gantt 6-8, power forward, Camden Wilson, NJ. HS #19. In early 1998 his team (Bishop Eustace) is tops in southern Jersey. Senior Williams and sophomore Rozier are the stars; Marcus and juniors Arnold and Donahue provide the depth. 8/98: NJ Hoops has Marcus as the state's fifth best sophomore, but playing for Camden Wilson not Eustace. 6/19/99 Rumble Friday night winners: Arthur Barclay and Marcus Gantt controlled the middle against the outmanned Willie Howe All Stars. 6/20/99: Marcus has grown a few inches and was on Del Val team roster for Rumble in the Bronx '99. He didn't get many minutes - DaJuan Wagner and Arthur Barclay got most of the touches. 9/17/99 Dave Telep of Prepstars: "Easy Eddie" Has A New Running Mate -- Roman Catholic star BF Eddie Griffin won't have to do it alone inside this season. Joining Griffin in the Roman Catholic frontcourt will be former NJ BF/C Marcus Gantt. A transfer from Camden, N.J, Gantt played well in a few spring events last season. He's listed on our Class of 2 001 list. ...'

John Paul Kobryn 6-6, St. Anthony, NJ. HS #135; NJ Hoops #13. 8/12/98: Ryan - 'As for Kobryn, he was mainly a JV player on St Anthony last year. He too may add a few inches to his frame, and seems to have some of the basics down. It can't hurt to be a player under Bob Hurley, either, as long as you can take the criticism. He should probably contribute on the varsity level this year with the transferring of Josh.'

Darren Sykes 6-1 guard, New Utrecht, Brooklyn. 2/28/99 Daily News: Syked-Up Utes See Light - Stun MC on junior's 29. 6/12/99 John P. Miciotta: Two kids who may now be classified as sleepers but may not be much longer are New Utrecht's Darren Sykes, a physical 6'1" guard who's strong and scores in transition and Shaheem McNair a 6' guard with a quick and long first step who has recently transferred to Xaverian. 6/20/00 The Apple's Best High School Ballaz' -- Player Evaluations from the Rumble -- Darren Sykes 6'0 SG- Had a great tournament, and he showed me when his shots are falling he won't be stopped. Darren is strong and takes it to the basket hard. He never dissapeared in the game when they were down, in fact he stepped up when they were losing, he showed me he is a big time player.

Devin Neckles 6-7 forward, Canarsie, Brooklyn. HS # 286 nationally. 7/00: Devin is playing for the Brooklyn Rams high school team (0-5) at IS8 this summer with Shakim Berry and Tiquan Canady.

John Quantara 6-0, guard, Lincoln, Brooklyn, HS #144. 12/98: Freshman Olabode Olukanni is getting the PT and the ink, but John is on the roster and can still help. 4/1/99 Gameball #15.

Darryl Bynoe 6-5, Far Rockaway, NY. HS #313. Darryl is a fixture at IS8 (spring, summer and fall of 1998) with the NY Skyriders and he was also the youngest player on their Rumble in the Bronx roster this past summer with Rasheed Hardwick, Tim Butler and John Connor. 4/1/99 Gameball #41.

Jarett Love 6-3 forward, St. Peters Prep, NJ. NJ Hoops #24. 7/00: Jarett's St. Peter's team does well in Metro Classic and he leads the way.

Kevin Bishop 6-1, guard, Msgr. McClancy, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #190. 12/98: Tremaine Stevens and Kevin Bishop are the only sophomores on the Msgr. McClancy varsity roster - both are Blue Ribbon players. 4/1/99 Gameball #33.

Olu Babaloa, 6-5, forward, St. Augustine, NJ. NJ Hoops nr. NJO: 'Sixth man of the year: Olu Babaloa, a 6-5, 240-pound sophomore forward for St. Augustine, was easily one of the scariest sights at the scorer's table this season. Just when teams thought they were wearing down the Hermits' front line, out came the massive Babaloa to turn the tide - with force. He averaged seven points and six rebounds.' 11/98: Both Russ Blake of the Insiders Report and Rodney Harriington of Full Court Magazine loved Babalola's perfomance in October's Marist tournament.

Andreas Pope 6-3, forward, St. Edmund, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #22. Andreas got a mid-season call-up from the freshmen team last season. This season he's winning MVP trophies. 1/3/99 John: 'I admire your courage in moving Andreas Pope up so high. His ability warrants it. He's strong and physical and has great balance and instincts. Right now St. Edmund's needs him to play on the baseline so he can only show flashes of perimeter skill (a nice crossover) should he continue to develop those skills he'll be terrific.' 4/1/99 Gameball # 4. 6/99: Andreas at Hofstra camp and Brooklyn USA vs. Philly challenge, looking bored.

Greg Kuchinski 6-5 forward, St. Joes Metuchen, NJ. NJH #22. 7/00: St. Joe's team is a suprise making the Metro Classic quarterfinals behind Greg, before losing to St. Raymonds. 9/12/99 NJ Hoops: 'The 64 team Connecticut Hoop Challenge jumpstarted last night with many NJ teams playing. In some results involving the NJ squads. The Central Jersey Hawks 2 beat the the Buddies 61 - 46, behind 17 points from 6'5" Jr. Greg Kuchinski of St. Joseph's Metuchen.'

Robert Barrett 6-7 CTK, Queens, NY. HS #299. 4/14/98 John P Miciotta: 'is someone who came to them with very little experience but great tools to work with. He is strong, runs like a gazelle and already shows skills that will allow him to face the basket as he gains experience. Most important he is a hard and willing worker, and the CTK staff loves his coachability. 8/12/98: John: 'If I may suggest one switch I would move Robert Barrett after Marcus Gantt. From my point of view moving him up that far strikes a balance between noting his improvement and ability but moving cautiously in deference to his lack of varsity experience. Since he has come to CK it seems as if he just soaks up everything and gets better each time I see him.' 4/1/99 Gameball #21.

Ted Mumford 5-8, point guard, Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS # 20. 1/98: There's no playing time available on a talented and deep Loughlin team. Their fourteen man roster includes seven seniors, five juniors and the two sophomores, Boynton and Watkins, who are both nationally ranked. Ted, I assume, is running the show for the junior varsity. 12/98: Teddy has made the varsity. Senior Jason Parker will run the show at the point with junior Mike Boynton as his 2 guard partner. Teddy will back up both positions. 4/1/99 Gameball #1. 9/99 Teddy is on Riverside Church A team, but sitting more than playing.

Woody Souffrant 5-8, guard, Grady, NYC. Blue Ribbon, HS #159. 12/98: Woody starts for a small and young Grady team, that figures to improve under coach Jack Ringel's guidance. Blue Ribbon listed 21 NYC sophs; twelve that Hoop Scoop rated ahead of Woody and nine that were rated behind him. We're ranking him as Blue Ribbon, since we think it was an oversight. 4/1/99 Gameball #32. 7/00 Woody is Coach Carlton Screen's mainstay on FYA team .

Eric Sterling 6-3, forward, LaSalle, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #61. Famous Brown is only soph on Cardinals varsity roster. 4/1/99 Gameball #13.

Famous Brown 5-10, point guard, LaSalle, NYC. Blue Ribbon, HS #10. 12/21/97: this from Nick of AOL - Watched a half of LaSalle's JV game versus Nazareth and came away even more impressed with LSA frosh Famous Brown. He is about 5-10 or so and isn't your typical NYC point guard. Very conservative with the dribble, doesn't pound it to death like an Iverson. He advances the ball nicely when pressed, he doesn't rely on the dribble to break it all the time. He can find the open man and hit the three consistently. Needs to work on his defense as he lags at times, but the early reports on him were accurate. He is a player.' 4/1/99 Gameball #11.

Shaheem (Sha) Mc Nair 6-1 guard, Xaverian, NY. 6/12/99 John P. Miciotta: Two kids who may now be classified as sleepers but may not be much longer are New Utrecht's Darren Sykes, a physical 6'1" guard who's strong and scores in transition and Shaheem McNair a 6' guard with a quick and long first step who has recently transferred to Xaverian.

Darryl Hill 5-9, point guard, Cardozo, Queens, NY. HS #136. 1/98: Darryl is only freshman on Cardozo roster, but senior Leslie is taking most of the minutes lost by injured super junior Woodward. 12/98: Judges are hoping Darryl can take over pg spot, freeing Woodward for scoring. 4/1/99 Gameball #31. 6/20/99: Darryl got serious minutes for JYO 17's team in the Rumble in the Bronx '99.

John Bedford 6-3 forward, Bergen Catholic, NJ. NJ Hoops #13. John teamed last season with senior Mark Jerz. 3/27/99: BRO: John is rated NNJIL Atlantic honorable mention.

John Blackgrove 6-2 guard, Passaic Valley, NJ. HS nr, NJ Hoops #8. 5/7/00 St. Michaels Black (they had a white and 16's team as well) team won the 17u NJ state tournament beating the Jersey City Bondsmen 64 - 51. Harold Bautista and John Blackgrove made the tournament first team. 7/9/00 CNN/SI: ABCD report 'From our standpoint, the one who totally came out of nowhere was John Blackgrove, 6-2 from New Jersey. He's a really good three-point shooter and one of those feisty players who gets a lot more done than you'd expect at first glance.' 7/11/00 NJO: ABCD Notebook: John Blackgrove feeling right at home.

Keith Williams 6-4 forward, Poly Prep, Brooklyn. 7/00 Keith played with NYC Empire State Games team - scored 10, 15, 6 and 6 in the four games.

Marcus Fyall 6-5, forward, Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY. HS #245. 12/98 Loughlin media guide: 'soph center Marcus Fyall will start. He is inexperienced but is quick and should be a factor come playoff time.' 4/1/99 Gameball #34.

Tremaine Stevens 5-7, point guard, Mnsgr. McClancy, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #274. 5/20/98 Winston Kelly: 'Rated #41 by Hoop Scoop, Tramaine Stevens of Gateway School and his family have advised me that after sitting out his freshman year of high school basketball, Tramaine will attend McClancy HS in the fall as a sophomore with the expectations of playing varsity immediately. Currently plays with the Gauchos AAU organization.' 12/98: Tremaine Stevens and Kevin Bishop are the only sophomores on the Msgr. McClancy varsity roster - both are Blue Ribbon players. 4/1/99 Gameball #18.

Kevin White 6-3, forward, St. Francis Prep, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #29. Kevin was the key pivot man for the St. Francis team at IS8 this past spring, summer and fall, but he's not listed on the Terrier's media guide as a varsity player - they're all seniors and juniors. 4/1/99 Gameball #12.

Antwan Dozier 6-3, forward, Pleasantville, NJ. HS #492; NJ Hoops #17. 3/21/00 madballer11: 'Be on the lookout for Richland AAU at the CharlieWeber, this team has some good talent which should attract some school. On the roster so far is Olu Babaluo, Scott Greenman, John Ashaolu, Jose Gonzales and Antwan Dozier and others.'

Nathaniel Parker 6-7 center, Jamaica, NY. HS # 577. 6/00: Nathaniel played in Rumble in the Bronx with NY Wolfpack. Solid team had Daniel Artest, Daryl Bynoe, Lenny Cooke, Carl Lee, Shaheen McNair, Brian Raimondi, Jamie Sower and Curtis Sumpter on roster..

Kyl Jones 6-3 forward Pleasantville, NY. 9/13/99 Tigerhoops for Westchester Panthers: 'Conn. Challenge Results: The Panthers returned from the Conn. Challenge this weekend, with a 2-1 record. Pleasantville's Kyl Jones had an outstanding tournament averaging, 24 ppg.' 3/16/00 TgerHoops: 'The Westchester County Basketball Coaches Association have announced their 1999-2000 first team all county recipients: Kyl Jones; 6'4" junior guard- Pleasantville. Jones recieved his third all-county award, in as many years. Kyl led the county in scoring, averaging over 24ppg. He led the Panthers to the Class C Section One Title.' 7/24/00 Coach Kevin Piggott: 'Kyl Jones is not just an inside player. He too has great three point range and some good moves facing the basket. Of course, he is a killer down low - how can anyone defend him in Class C ball?'

David Keeley 6-8 forward, Florence, NJ NJH # 26, HS # 427. 6/30/00 Inquirer: Colleges take note of British transfer - Dave Keeley, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward, will be a senior this fall at Florence.

Michael Clarke 6-4, forward, Grady, NYC. Blue Ribbon player, HS #211. 12/98: With Woody Souffrant is part of young Falcon talent. Even as a soph, his quotes are always correct. 4/1/99 Gameball #35.

Calvin Smith 6-6 center, Lincoln, NYC. HS #173. 4/14/98 John P Miciotta @erols: ' While statistics may not show him as one of the best players yet, he is one of the best prospects when potential is considered. At 6-6 and just 13 he has a lithe and agile body with long arms and great quickness. Like all young fellas he needs strength and a "game face" but his athletic build and excellent preparation ( he played CYO for St.Ann's-St. George of Brooklyn and Mt.Carmel grammar school with Loughlin's Ted Mumford) indicate that by the time this freshman class are seniors he will be one of its top big men. 4/1/99 Gameball #29.

Kevin Murawinski 6-6, Middleton South, NJ. HS: #519, NJ Hoops #11. 1/9/00 Bayshore: Shore Conference rankings -- Middletown South (5-3) Key player: Kevin Murawinski 6'6" Jr. F 18ppg.

Tremaine Brown 6-2, guard, Xaverian, NY. 4/30/98 From Jay at AOL: 'In your frosh. rankings you failed to include Tremane Brown. Tremane deserves recognition because of his great athletic and basketball ability. He is one of the best guards in the city with a lightning quick dribble and tenacious defense. He should also be commended on his maturity throughout the season. When the team was not playing well he was the glue that brought them together. ' From John at erols: 'I had wanted to mention Tremane Brown in my initial comments about Calvin Smith but first wanted to find out if an exact size ( I guessed 6'3" and he's really about 6'1" 1/2). He too comes to the Clippers courtesy of St.Ann's-St. George, the fine CYO program run by Joe Francis out of the old Brooklyn Navy Yard. He is indeed an excellent defensive guard, and a tough minded competitive youngster. While he played point for Terrence Mullin's talented freshman charges he is in my opinion likely to be recruited as a combination guard or perhaps a "2" because he doesn't blow by people in games (he may show it in practice) and at times he struggled with getting his team into an offense. That was especially evident during the city title game vs. Holy Cross. Watching Tremane in that game made me think that his offensive game would flourish at the varsity level if the responsibility of running the team fell to someone else.' 4/1/99 Gameball #49. 5/99: HS #500+.

David Vega 6-5 forward Memorial, NJ. NJ Hoops #18. HS nr? David is also a volley ball player for Memorial. Just as well, they're not exactly a bball powerhouse.

Levi Levine 6-4, forward, Manhattan Center, NYC. Gameball nr. NYC Expo. #40, Hoop Scoop nr. 12/28/98 Newsday: New Utrecht 60, Manhattan Center 55. Sophomore Levi Levine led Manhattan Center with 13 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. "They're a very good foul shooting team and we were giving them easy points," said Levine, whose team hit 7 of 12 free throws. "We have to learn to play tougher defense but not help them out so much."

Harold Bautista 5-11, Union Hill, NJ. NJ Hoops #13. Hoop Scoop nr? 5/7/00 St. Michaels Black (they had a white and 16's team as well) team won the 17u NJ state tournament beating the Jersey City Bondsmen 64 - 51. Harold Bautista and John Blackgrove made the tournament first team. 6/00 Harold played for the St. Michael team in this year's Rumble in the Bronx.

Reggie McCuller, guard, Hale, NY. 4/1/99 Gameball nr, Hoop Scoop nr. 4/99: NY Post honorable mention. Coach William Stasiuk of Automotive high school: ' up and coming sophmore at Hale- is their primary scorer- Coach Kaplan says he is one of the best players he has coached in his 26 years at Hale.'

Jerry Pegram 6-4, forward, Dumont, NJ NJ Hoops # 24. BRO: Sunday, April 12, 1998 The PBH Huskies of Dumont lost to the Central Jersey Hawks, 70-55, Saturday in the championship game of the AAU State boys 15 basketball tournament. Alex Armani of Fort Lee had 20 points and five assists and Jerry Pegram of Dumont seven points, 15 rebounds, and five steals for the Huskies. 3/27/99 BRO: BCSL American SECOND TEAM Jerry Pegram, Dumont. 3/16/00 BRO: BCSL American FIRST TEAM - Jerry Pegram, Dumont.

Sam Melinix 6-5, forward Lincoln, NY. NYC Expo #19, Gameball # nr, Hoop Scoop #453. Lincoln has three solid juniors in Sam, John Quintara and forward, Jud Isaac.

Chase Licati 6-4, forward, Packer, Brooklyn. Blue Ribbon player, HS #571. 4/1/99 Gameball #27.

Sean Dantzler 6-3, forward, Columbus, Bronx. Blue Ribbon player, HS #182. 12/98: Senior Juel Wiggans is the star, but Sean can help. 4/1/99 Gameball #24. 4/18/00 Daily News: Sean made second team PSAL, Bronx. 6/18/00 Rumble in the Bronx: 17u Silver bracket ... the Albany City Rocks upset the New York Ravens by a score 61-51. Julius Hodge was shut down only scoring 10. Sean Dantzler led the way with 13 for the Ravens and Chris McRae had 11. 7/30/00 Coach Gary DeCesare: 'What a spring and summer for the New York Ravens who had an overall record of 45 -11.... Sean Dantzler of Columbus, Anthony Lalor of Clinton and Francisco Garcia all played the hearts out this summer and all have proved they can play with the best in the country.' 8/5/00 Fox Sports: 'Sean Dantzler, 6-2, shooting guard, Bronx (N.Y.) Columbus. Dantzler is more of a combination guard as he can shoot like a shooting guard, and has the quickness and size of a point guard. Dantzler is a solid athlete who shoots the three-point shot well. Academics might play a role as he has a 2.3 GPA. Dantzler is interested in Providence, Villanova, Manhattan and Marist. He would like to be recruited by Cincinnati and Florida.'

Dan Artest 6-2, Edison, NY. HS 293. 3/98: Ron's little brother. Dan was on the winning Queens underclassmen team at the Wheelchair classic. Roster included Omar Cook, Taliek Brown, Joel Suarez, Ryan and Zach Williams. Not surprisingly, Dan was not a factor. He's playing for Hoopsters with Jave Meade in IS8 Summer classic. 4/1/99 Gameball #23. Dan is great in the paint, but if he doesn't grow another four inches, he'll have to develop an outside game.

Kevin Rourke 6-3, shooting guard, Iona Prep. HS nr. 8/12/98: John: 'Kevin Rourke is a 6'3" shooter who I think would have been the best freshman at the "class B" level last year were it not for a torn ACL. He's about 6'3" and when healthy can really stroke it. Obviously we need to check on his health before rating him.' 12/98: Kevin is not on Iona Prep media guide varsity roster. 4/1/99 Gameball nr.

Jose Gonzalez 6-3, St. Augustine, NJ. NJ Hoops #14, HS 702. 6/29/00 Russ Blake @ Insiders Report: 'Jose Gonzalez, a 6-5, 210 pound combo forward from perennial South Jersey power St. Augustine Prep in Richland, N.J., has attracted a significant amount of low and mid Division I recruiting interest entering the summer.'

Greg LaVann, 6-2, shooting guard, Mt. St. Michaels, NY 4/1/99 Gameball #88, Hoop Scoop #102 (both have him listed as Cavaan). 11/98: CHSAA Mt. St. Michaels' media guide: 'Rounding out the other two starting spots will be junior Lance Pearson and sophomore Greg LaVaan. LaVaan, a 6-2 guard, is very athletic with a "nose" for the hoop.' 3/7/99 John P. Miciotta: Class "B" Quarter finals plus news and notes. Senior Courtney Belton and soph Greg LaVann formed a potent outside duo to lead the way. LaVann should be included in our next update of the class of 2001. The 6'2" Bronxite has quickness, long arms and a nice stroke when free. Should he add strength D-1 programs will notice him quickly.'

Chris Fileti, 5-10, guard, Holy Cross, NY. 4/1/99 Gameball #19, Hoop Scoop #29. 11/98: CHSAA Holy Cross media guide: 'Four key players from the Knight's Freshman Intersectional Championship squad will get significant minutes: guards Chris Fileti and Sean Wallace and forwards Adam Frederic and Pierre Ward.'

Jason McKreith, 6-4, forward, Schenectady, HS, NY. 4/99: Steve Grandin: 'Jason was the sixth man on the Schenectady HS team that won the NYSPHSAA state title last year. With everyone either graduating or transferring, he was left with very little support, but he was the key man as his team won about 15 of their first 16 games this year. Not an explosive offensive player, he is tremendous on defense and has solid skills; he could be a real Division I sleeper in a couple of years.' 6/20/99: Jason started with Craig Forth for the Albany City Rocks 16 team at the Rumble in the Bronx. They won the tournament! 6/18/00 Fox Sports: Recruiting spotlight - Ten basketball players to watch -- A talented swingman, McKreith jumps well, is excellent defensively and a great student. He goes hard to the basket and is a good outside shooter, but needs more confidence in his jumper. Vanderbilt, Providence, Stanford and Massachusetts are all showing interest. Invited to the Nike Camp, McKreith will be playing this summer with Jim Hart's Albany City Rocks. They'll be playing in the Rumble in the Bronx, Nike Peach Jam, Nike Super Showcase and possibly Wayne Simone's Connecticut Select Hoops Challenge in Sept.

Kyle Robinson, 5-9, point guard, Don Bosco, Ramsey, NJ. HS #263.

Lucious Jordan, 6-1, guard, Colonie, NY. 4/99: Steve Grandin: 'has probably the brightest future of the players on the Colonie HS team that made it to the NYSPHSAA state finals last month. He's 6-1 and is very athletic; for this part of the state, his future is quite bright.'

Kyle Frazier, 6-6, forward, Pennsauken, NJ. HS #969, NJ Hoops #82.

Rafinee Williams 6-3 wing forward, 13th Street Tech. NJ Hoops #49. 8/22/98 Frank: Rafinee Williams 6-3 wing forward, 13th Street Tech. Started for Group 1 Jersey School as a freshman. Plays for Newark Rams younger team. Only 14 years old, out of Mt. Vernon School in Newark.

LaShard Duren 6-1 guard, JFK, Bronx. 2/28/99 Daily News: Rare Scare for Kennedy. Lashard Duren was worried. So was J.C. Mathis. Unheralded and 16th-seeded Midwood gave top-seeded Kennedy the fright of its life yesterday, rallying from a 19-point first-quarter deficit to make it a four-point game with 5:00 left. It couldn't finish the job as Kennedy finally pulled away in the final minutes to post a 55-47 victory in a PSAL second-round playoff game at Hunter College. "We really underestimated them," said Duren, who led Kennedy with 19 points. "With us being the No. 1 seed we just felt we'd have no problems with them. But the way they played, we were in shock. They gave us a run for our money." 3/25/00 Daily News: Good Knight for JFK. Upset of St. Ray's sweetens dreams.

Ron Burrell 6-7 forward Montclair, NJ. NJH #15. HS nr? 2/9/00 BRO: 'Ronnie Burrell scored 19 points and Alto Virgil added 13 to lead Montclair to a 61-36 rout of Nutley.' 3/16/00 BRO: NNJIL Pacific Division FIRST TEAM - Ron Burrell, Montclair.

Timeke Mitchell 6-2 guard Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY. 7/00 Timeke played for the LI Panthers at Rumble in the Bronx and durning the summer.

Scott Findlay 6-6 forward, West Morris, NJ. NJH #20. HS nr?

Mark Riley 6-2 forward Bishop Ford, Brooklyn, NY. HS 1001+ GB # nr

Matt Preston 6-4 forward, St. Mary LI. 3/15/00 Daily News: St. Mary's Drives Past Xavier Joel Suarez led St. Mary's with 19 points and Matt Preston scored 18. 3/24/00 Daily News: St. Mary's relied heavily on Hofstra-bound guard Joel Suarez (22 ppg) early in the year, but coach Tim Cleuss likes the way his team has come together of late. "A lot of the other players have stepped up in tough situations and made plays," Cleuss said. "Matt Preston (17 ppg, nine rebounds) has really stepped up." 7/00: Matt was on the LI Empire State Games squad, scoring 6, 10 and 20 in the three games.

Jeff Granger 6-2 guard St. Benedict, NJ. 9/99 St Benedict, NJ. Coach Hank Cordeiro, 11th Season: 'Jeff Granger 6'2" Jr .... transfer from Hudson Catholic.' 6/00 Newark Rams - director and coach, Brian Crawford. It's been a banner season for the Rams so far. The 16u team has four players from St. Benedict's Prep: three sophs in 6-5 Zackee Boyd, 6-6 Jakeel Gary and 6-6 Rob Lawrence with 6-1 junior, Jeff Granger. Many of the 16u played on the 17u team with Granger, Gary and Boyd making all tournament teams.

Sharod Tomlinson, 6-0, guard, Christ the King, Queens. 4/1/99 Gameball #17. 1/11/99: John P. Miciotta - 'CTK@Xaverian JV game: 'Lou Karis .. kept the Clippers in the jv game and caused the Royals to put their best defender, Sherod Tomlinson on him and pick him up full court.' 5/99: With Omar as the leader, Sherod won't be the starting point guard next year, but the Royals do need to replace graduating seniors Meade, Mims and Poole as backcourt help.

Aaron Davis 6-0, point guard, Bishop Francis, NJ. NJ Hoops #19, HS: not rated. 9/98 Not to be confused with Brooklyn junior with same name. 3/1/00 BRO: Seventh-seeded Bishop Francis ousted 10th-seeded St. Joseph, 62-53, to earn a spot in the sectional quarterfinals against second-seeded Dwight-Englewood. The victory was made possible by junior guard Aaron Davis, who had 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Nine of the points came in the decisive fourth quarter when Bishop Francis outscored the Green Knights by eight. 3/16/00 BRO: Northern Hills Suburban - FIRST TEAM - Aaron Davis, Bishop Francis.

Pierre (Anthony) Ward 6-3, forward, Holy Cross, NY. Blue Ribbon player, HS #167. It's Pierre Anthony for Blue Ribbon and Hoop Scoop, but Pierre Ward in the Holy Cross media guide. 4/1/99 Gameball #30.

Tom (TJ) Byrnes 5-10, guard, Moore Catholic, Staten Island. HS #109. 12/98: TJ is starting in Maverick backcourt with senior Paul Salisbury. As a freshman TJ averaged an awesome 30 ppg. 4/1/99 Gameball #25.

Ray Corrigan 6-0 guard Poly Prep, Brooklyn, NY. GB #48, HS 1001+ 12/31/99 John P. Miciotta: 'Game 1 saw Poly Prep escape with a 51-48 overtime win against Grady. Bill McNally's team jumped out to an early 24-13 half time advantage led by Princeton-bound Andre Logan and 6' junior Ray Corrigan. 3/6/00 Daily News: Poly's Corrigan Steals One on Mann. 7/00: Ray played on the NYC silver medalist team at the Empire State Games scoring 9, 3, 8 and 3.

Deshon Moore 6-1, Paterson Catholic, NJ. HS not rated. 8/98: According to NJ Hoops Deshon has tranferred to Paterson Kennedy and is listed as the state's 35th best sophomore.

Shawn Hall, 5-10, guard, Rice, NY. 4/1/99 Gameball #20, Hoop Scoop #28. 5/99: Two time state champions did not have a sophomore on the roster this past season but six graduating seniors - Bell, Robin, Miles, Ramirez, Obukwelu and Satterfield will create openings for current sophomores and freshmen.

Shamel Goode, 5-11, guard, St. Raymonds, Bronx. 4/1/99 Gameball #16, Hoop Scoop #15. The Ravens have seven highly rated sophomores - Gantt, Kababus, McRae, Hodge, Epps, Goode and Pickney. The last four are each smallish and did not play significant minutes for the varsity last year. There chance comes next season.

Anthony Epps 6-0, point guard, St. Raymond, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #80. 12/98 Three sophs on Ravens varsity roster - not Julius Hodges, not Quan Pickney and not Anthony. 4/1/99 Gameball #10.

Quan Pickney 6-0, point guard, St. Raymond, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #153. 8/1298: John 'Also if I may infringe on coach DeCesare's turf for a second I'd like to suggest the "other" soph point guard in his program Quan Pinckney who may be a bit headier and a bit more of a pure point than Hodges. 12/98 Three sophs on Ravens varsity roster - not Julius Hodges and not Quan. 4/1/99 Gameball #28.

John Maser, 5-11, guard, Archbishop Molloy, NY. 4/1/99 Gameball #22, Hoop Scoop #38. 5/99: Stanners had two key sophomores on this past year's roster - John Sikiric started at off-guard and Wendell Gibson was first big man off the bench. With the four senior starters graduating there will be room for John to get some serious varsity minutes next year.

Gerald Lewis 5-7, point guard Essex Catholic. 8/22/98 Frank: 'Will be Eagles playmaker next three seasons. Gerald is out of Mt. Vernon School in Newark.'

Muhhammed Wilson, 5-9 guard St. Patrick, NJ. Muhhammed is the starting point for the Wolpack at IS8, teaming with Joel Suarez in the backcourt. 10/12/98: Ryan on IS8 Wolfpack point guard: 'The name is Muhhammed Wilson, and he's a 5-9 sophomore at St. Pat's. He should be in St. Pat's guard rotation this year, along with Jerome Holman and Jamal Jackson. However, with the #1 backcourt in the state in front of him, don't look for a ton of minutes from Muhhammed. As for his game, he looks to be a classic NYC PG all the way. He hasn't really shown his perimeter game when I've seen him play, but he was sure able to get to the rack. He also finishes off the play with that NYC flair on occasion. He played mainly JV last year.'

Preston Beverly 6-3, small forward, Monroe, NJ. NJ Hoops #12, HS: not rated.

Kenny Harris 6-8, center, All Hallows, NY. HS: nr. 8/6/98 John: 'A further look at the program's future brings more excitement. 6'8" Kenny Harris is a talented soph who will be brought along slowly on the JV this year.' 4/1/99 Gameball #nr.

R J Cobbs 5-10, guard, Parsippanny Hills, NJ. HS nr, NJ Hoops #10.

Kevin Flaherty 5-11, guard, Seton Hall Prep, NJ. HS nr, NJ Hoops #22. 12/98: PT will be hard to come by with established starters getting most minutes this year.

Dennis Harper 5-5, point guard, Shabazz, NJ. NJ Hoops #56, HS: not rated. 12/98: Senior Bart Jordan is the main man, but Dennis will get solid minutes.

8/1/00: Removed Samuel Nadeau , Chad James, Joseph Pizarro, Jimmy White and John Toombs from the primary 2001 list.

Samuel Nadeau 6-7, forward Burlington Life Center, NJ.. HS #16, NJ Hoops nr. 12/98: French import has already led Eastside in scoring for a number of victories. Teaming with fellow soph, Kudjo Sogadazi. 4/28/99: Hoop Scoop: 'I am reporting that 6'7 Soph Samuel Nadeau, who ranks as the #16 sophomore in the nation, is transferring from Newark (East Side) NJ and that he will likely end up at that basketball factory in Virginia - Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.' 9/17/99 Jacey Zembal: 'I saw your blurb on Samuel Nadeau. Got off the phone with the Washington College coach concerning Jerome Harper leaving there, and he said that Nadeau is scheduled to arrive there on Monday.' Web note: That's Washington College Academy, prep school in Limestone, Tn. 12/31/99 NJO: For some foreign players, getting to Jersey can be a layup.

Chad James 6-1, shooting guard, Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY. Blue Ribbon, HS #219. There are three sophs on the current Loughlin media guide varsity roster: Mumford, Fyall and Toombs. No mention of Chad. 4/1/99 Gameball #14.

John Toombs 6-3, forward Bishop Loughlin, NY. NYC Expo. #48, Gameball nr, Hoop Scoop nr. 12/98: There are three sophs on the current Loughlin media guide varsity roster: Mumford, Fyall and Toombs.

Joseph Pizarro 5-11, point guard, Bronx, NY. HS #44. 4/1/99 Gameball nr.

Jimmy White, 6-4, forward, Grand Street Campus, Brooklyn, NY. HS #365, GB # 37.

7/26/00 100 Hoops: Wendell Gibson, BF, Riverside: This young man muscled Riverside into the finals. He's a mid-major type because he stands only 6-6, but through the course of a game, gets a lot accomplished. He's a hard worker who uses his backside to clear out space for himself.

7/4/00 All Star Report: NBPA Camp Review including Craig Forth and Julius Hodge.

6/21/00 nychoops@yahoo.com: 'I just finished all of my new rankings, for the classes of 2001 at The Apple's Best High School Ballaz' .

Senior Rankings -- 1. Julius Hodge 6'6 SG St. Raymond. 2. Ben Gordon 6'2 SG Mt. Vernon. 3. Adrian Walton 6'2 SG Milford (CT). 4. Eric King 6'6 SF Hargrave Military (VA). 5. Roscoe Biggers 5'10' PG Kent (CT). 6. Cliffone Ault 6'4 SG Crispus Attucks (PA). 7. Kenny Adeleke 6'7 PF Robeson. 8. Francisco Garcia 6'6 SF Cheshire Academy (CT). 9. Terrell Gantt 6'8 PF Prep. 10. Eric Ferguson 6'1 PG Prep. 11. Juel Wiggans 6'3 SG Nortre Dame (Mass.). 12. Andreas Pope 6'4 SF St. Edmund's. 13. Chris McRae 6'4 SF St. Raymond. 14. Sean Dantzler 6'4 SF Columbus. 15. Wendell Gibson 6'6 PF Molloy. 16. Teddy Munford 6'0 PG Bishop Loughlin. 17. Levi Levine 6'4 SF Manhattan Center. 18. Tommy Eddie 6'5 SF Boys & Girls. 19. Tremayne Singletary 6'7 PF undecided. 20. Rob Barrett 6'5 PF Christ the King. 21. John Sikiric 6'3 SG Molloy. 22. Darryl Hill 5'9 PG Cardozo. 23. Kevin Bishop 6'3 SF McClancy. 24. John Quintana 6'0 PG Lincoln. 25. Darren Sykes 6'1 SG New Utrecht. 26. Famous Brown 5'11 PG LaSalle. 27. Tyquan Goode 5'5 PG Grady. 28. Woody Souffrant 5'7 PG Grady. 29. Micheal Clark 6'5 Grady. 30. Ryan Williams 6'4 Prep. 31. Shaheen McNair 5'11 PG Xaverian. 32. Rashad Bell 6'5 St. Francis Prep. 33. Tremaine Stevens 5'5 PG McClancy. 34. Kevin White SF St. Francis Prep. 35. Marcus Fyall 6'5 SF Beach Channel. 36. Eric Sterling 6'4 SF LaSalle. 37. Pierre Ward 6'1 PG Holy Cross. 38. Rob Legister 6'4 SF Bishop Ford. 39. Tremaine Brown 6'2 SG Xaverian. 40. Sam Mielnik 6'2 SF Lincoln. 41. Sharod Tomlinson 6'0 PG Christ the King. 42. Kyl Jones 6'4 SF Pleasantville. 43. Kevin Rourke 6'3 SG Iona. 44. Shakim Berry 6'3 SG Robeson. 45. Bob Serafin 6'4 PF JFK Somers. 46. Raymond James 5'5 PG Humanities. 47. Marcus Austin 6'3 SF White Plains. 48. Anwar Lewis 6'8 PF All Hallows. 49. Shabar Ewing 6'3 PG Cheshire Academy (CT). 50. Warnell Wells 5'11 PG Campus Magnet. 51. Anthony Epps 6'0 SG St. Raymond. 52. John Fero 6'2 SG Our Savior Lutheran. 53. Aaron Lesane 6'3 SF Prep. 54. Mark Riley 6'2 SG Bishop Ford. 55. Lashard Duren 6'2 SG Kennedy. 56. Damien Hered 6'4 SF Francis Lewis. 57. Arnell Milton 5'9 PG Western Reserve. 58. Timeke Mitchell 6'3 SF Bishop Loughlin. 59. Ronald Williams 6'1 SF Tilden. 60.Chase Licata 6'2 SG Packer.

4/21/00: Removed Frederick Kababusi and Harvey Harrington from the primary 2001 list. They've each moved out of the region, but we'll keep their bios below.

Frederick Kababusi 6-3, guard, St. Raymond, Bronx. HS nr. 12/98: Kababusi is the unknown who started for the Ravens against Molloy in the Daily News Shootout, in place of the injured Majestice Mapp. His 17 points weren't quite enough for the victory, but they may have earned him a starting 2 guard shot. 4/1/99 Gameball #5. HS #79.

Harvey Harrington 6-3, St. Patrick, NJ. HS: not rated. 8/12/98: Ryan - 'Harvey is, of course, Al's brother, and a 6-3 soph at St. Patrick's. He plays a strong game for his height, and his physique definitely helps him in that area. He seems to be a decent mid-range shooter as well. Harvey doesn't get as much playing time to showcase his skills, but such are the perils at powerhouse St. Patrick's. One upside is that he still seems to have a growth spurt coming, which would make him more effective underneath the basket.'

9/23/99: Added ten - Kenny Adeleke, John Bedford, David Vega, Levi Levine, Harold Bautista, John Toombs, Jamie Sowers, Jerry Pegram, Rosco Biggers and Sam Melinix - to up the Class 2001 coverage to 84; reshuffled this index grouping them by twenties. Web note: Please don't take these rankings too seriously. The coaches and scouts at this site won't rank players on principle. And I'm a programmer, not a basketball talent scout.

6/23/99: Upped the Class 2001 coverage to 74 and reshuffled this index grouping them by twenties.

Class of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005.