Tony Parker gave BDN Premium a closing interview after his team lost in the semi finals. He added a fourth team to his list as well. BDN Photo
The Georgia Stars made it to the semi finals of the Nike EYBL Peach Jam before losing to YOMCA (Memphis) 78-64. Duke prospect Tony Parker sat for much of the second half with three fouls and when he returned there was a 14 point swing and a 17 point YOMCA lead. Parker had 8 points and 8 rebounds in 21 minutes of play and averaged 9.3 rebounds overall in the event. Parker has long maintained a list of Duke, Memphis and Ohio State but in our closing interview with the budding prospect he added a fourth team which caught me off guard.
In fact, [private] he said that there was another team he "wanted" to come in and that he expected them to but he stopped short of naming the school.
You guys made a good run, how do you feel the week went?
I think we played well overall as a team and Shaq Goodwin had a mismatch and he took full control, killing us on the boards and in the post and we just have to have players who play both sides of the floor and that's the bottom line.
Your team had some injuries, like Alex Poythress and another starter out, so I guess that had a dire effect?
At this point if you have an injury you have to get past it. This is the Final Four so you have got to play through it. Every player out here has some sort of kink. We just didn't play both sides of the floor and injuries? That didn't have anything to do with it at all.
Memphis doubled down on you a lot, sometime throwing Goodwin at you and sometime Stokes ...
Yeah. They are both great players and good guys. They play both sides of the floor, play strong and tough.
Where will the Stars go from here?
I think Orlando.
It sounds like you are waiting for a certain school to come in. Is that true?
Yes.
So you are expecting certain schools to come in?
Yes.
Have they have actually sent some feelers out?
Yes sir. Yes.
Can you discuss that at all?
No sir.
So, somebody has shot you some feelers saying they would come in and you are definitely interested in them?
Yes sir.
I suppose they will call you some time this week?
Yes sir.
And you will then add teams to your list?
Yes. I will add a couple of teams.
It sounds like the team coming in could shift the position of the other schools recruiting you.
No sir, not at all, They are all great schools and all have great programs.
So, Duke, Memphis, Ohio State ..
Duke, Memphis, Ohio State and UCLA
UCLA? Is that the one you were talking about?
Yes, well, that's one and maybe ...
UCLA is new huh?
Yes, they are new.
Have other ACC schools showed interest, like UNC?
They off (stopped short, so not sure what to make of it) ... I haven't heard from North Carolina in a while.
As far as a decision goes, is there an actual time frame?
I don't know. I'll probably sitdown with my parents soon and figure that out.
Thanks for your time Tony!
Yes sir. Thank you.
Last word - I wouldn't fret too much about UCLA being added to the list or worry with other comments. While the recruitment has become frustrating for the fan base, Duke is still in solid shape to land him. Still, we'd all like to see Tony realize the opportunity at hand with Duke and go ahead and pull the trigger. Looks like this one will go into his high school season at the current pace.[/private]
Prospect Alex Poythress was putting up nice numbers at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam but he twisted an ankle early in his last game, a Georgia Stars win. The Stars reached the quarterfinals which start tonight and it is unknown whether Poythress will play or not. Here is an interview with [private] Poythress -
Jahlil Okafor BDN Photo "For of those to whom much is given, much is required"
-President John F. Kennedy
Jahlil Okafor is a 6'10" rising sophomore from the North Side of Chicago. In the Gold Medal game of the 16U FIBA Americas, the fifteen year-old was perfect from the floor and finished with eighteen points and fourteen rebounds against Argentina. This was the culmination of months of preparation. Okafor had spent countless hours refining his low-post skills and shedding some baby fat in order to be able to both make the final cut and ultimately contribute to the USA 16s team.
Although one of the youngest members of the team, Jahlil wound up finishing second on the team in rebounds (9.2 rpg) and third in points (14.6 ppg), while leading the team in shooting, both free throw (82.6%) and field goal (71%). His Mac Irvin teammate and friend, FIBA Americas MVP Jabari Parker, was on hand to celebrate the moment with him on the court in Mexico.
Okafor had a solid freshman year on the varsity team at Whitney Young, a magnet school that is the alma mater of First Lady Michelle Obama, the NBA veteran Quentin Richardson, and the directors of the Matrix, the Wachowski brothers. Jahlil was reportedly offered a scholarship to DePaul as an eighth grader at Rosemont Elementary School by their former interim coach, Tracy Webster. Since then, Okafor, a passionate Bulls fan, has received college scholarship offers from high-major programs across the country.
In late May, the decision was made to advance the fifteen year-old Jahlil to Mac Irvin's 17U team in order to give more of a post presence for Nike's EYBL wing in Los Angeles. Like a duck taking to water, he was a natural in his game against the physical 6'8" senior Elijah Macon and All-Ohio Red. His advanced footwork, size, and developing low-post game have helped him hold his own against significantly older players at the LeBron James Skills Academy and the Peach Jam.
After losing his mother in the third grade, the focused and gregarious big man has been raised by his father Chukwudi "Chuck" Okafor and helped out by his aunt, Dr. Chinyere Okafor-Conley, an assistant principal at Penn Elementary School in Chicago. Education is a major point of emphasis in the family and was the primary factor in Jahlil's decision to select the academically challenging school, Whitney Young.
At various Nike EYBL events throughout this AAU season and at the recent LeBron James Skills Academy, Jahlil spoke with Blue Devil Nation.
What was it like playing LeBron James? It was a great experience. I've been watching LeBron since I was a little kid. It was a really cool experience to be able to play with him. I couldn't believe I was on his team. I got to play with LeBron and Jabari Parker was on my team, too, so that was good.
What were your hopes for USA Basketball and how did you prepare? I couldn't wait. That was like my hope for the whole year. That's like all I was thinking about every time I'd work out, you know. Just getting ready for the USA team. It's been very important to me. I wanted to represent for the US and be a part of it.
How was your USA Basketball experience? It was a lot of talent and we pretty much knew everybody. It was fun to come together though. We were together for a few weeks.
Can you talk about training camp, making the team, and that whole experience? It was very intense. It was pretty hard. There were a lot of emotions. We pretty much had to fight through it. When I finally made the team, I was just so excited. I was really happy. I called my dad first to tell him about it. It was very emotional. When I made the cut, I was really happy.
[private]
Yeah, I was really happy for you when I saw your name was on the list. Thank you, thank you.
What was it like when you finally won the Gold Medal? It was just great. We were practicing for, like, two and a half weeks and we kept trying to focus on getting that gold medal. We'd end every practice talking about it. It was even better than we expected.
And you guys were bonding. Yeah, that was great. We became real close.
Where did you put the Gold Medal, by the way? (laughs) Well, right now, I think it's in my room, but it's going to get framed. That'll be really nice. Yeah.
How have you enjoyed the experience of playing with Jabari, both for Mac Irvin and on the USA team? He's been tremendous on the AAU and camp circuit. Then, he won the FIBA MVP down in Mexico. Playing with Jabari is great. He makes the game a lot easier. He's a great scorer and a lot of people don't know this, but he's also a great passer. He makes it so easy for you on the break. He's got great court vision.
He's so versatile, too. Yeah, he is.
Do you feel you've grown as a person, travelling abroad with USA Basketball and experiencing what you have? Oh, yeah, I think I've gotten way more mature. My leadership is definitely better. I'm talking more with people out on the court in general.
What did you see when you went down to Mexico? Did you get to see any of the country or did you not have an opportunity? I saw Chichen Itza.
Oh, yeah, Jabari mentioned that, too. He thought it was the highlight for him. Yeah, it was for me too off the court, but other than that, we didn't get to see too much off the court. We mostly concentrated on basketball.
What part of Chicago are you from, by the way? Oh, I'm from the North Side. Yeah, I'm a North Side guy.
When you're playing in front of coaches, what kind of emotions go through you? Are you excited? Nervous? Well, playing in front of coaches is not too big for me. I try not to get too emotional one way or the other. I've been doing this for a number of years. I try not to get affected by it too much. I feel like I pretty much know that it's just basketball. I've just got to go out there and perform.
What are you trying to show college coaches this summer? Mostly, I want to show them that I can post up and that I'm one of the more dominant big men in the country.
For those that may not know, what's your current size? I'm 6'10" right now and about 250 to 255.
What are you projected to be? Oh, 7'2."
What position do you like to play? Well, I'm more of a four, but I can play the four and the five.
You feel that you're more of a natural four. Yeah, I like the four more because they let move around a little more. You've got pretty good footwork for a guy your size and age. Yeah, thanks.
What about the experience playing now with the seventeens for Mac Irvin? How much of a jump do you feel it's been from the other age brackets? Oh, yeah, it's totally different. I'm fifteen now and I was playing the 16s, but this is at a completely other level. It's so much faster and guys are stronger down low. I was going to check you out in Dallas, but you were playing with the 16s in a different area. Oh, yeah. I played well, but, with the 17s, everything is much faster and you can't take any plays off. You have to sprint every time.
You play in a great high school league in Chicago, but how does that compare with what you've faced today? I think playing 17s in AAU is harder than high school because, in AAU, it's like all of the players are really good at their high school instead of facing just one or two.
What kind of an adjustment did you have to make when you were promoted to the 17s? Not that much. My coach just said to make my game faster. So, I tried to step up and do that.
What so view as your strengths right now? My strengths are being able to post up, but I can face up..My body, my height, and my actual strength..I can take a lot. It looks like you have the frame to really hold a lot of muscle. Yeah, I think so.
What do you consider your weakness? My weaknesses are probably staying in shape. I always need to stay on top of that.
How do you try to combat that? How do you plan on staying in shape during the downtimes this summer? I was playing with the Olympic team this summer. I tried to get my body in shape before we headed down there.
Are you going on treadmills? Running? Spinning? I've got two trainers. One works on my basketball skills and the other one works on my core and my flexibility.
That's a good approach. Who's recruiting you at this point? Are there any new schools that have expressed interest in you that haven't offered yet? I have to make sure I cover my bases. Oh yeah, sure, I understand.My scholarship offers are from Illinois, DePaul, Michigan State, and Arkansas. Ohio State just offered me. I've talked to UConn, Georgetown, Syracuse, and North Carolina... and Kansas. I'm supposed to take a visit there, but I'm not sure when. And Syracuse has shown an interest.
Has Duke recruited you at all yet? No, not yet.
Is distance going to be a factor for you? Oh, no, no. I'll go anywhere. It doesn't matter to me.
Have you taken any visits recently or do you have any plans other than Kansas? I'm supposed to visit Ohio State, Illinois, and Kansas before the end of summer.
What are your goals next year for Whitney Young? Our only goal next season is to simply win the state championship. Last year, we lost in the sectionals to Farragut and that was disappointing. We'll forget about that. (laughs)
What are your goals for this summer? My main goal was to make the final cut for the Olympic team. That was my number one priority. After that, my next goal is to help us win the Peach Jam. Well, I think you've got a shot at both of those things. Yes, sir.
Can you talk about playing with some of your high school teammates on your AAU team? Oh, yeah, it's great to play with guys like Jermaine Morgan, Thomas Hamilton, and Derrick Randolph. Those three guys really help me out a lot.
Who are you closest to? Jermaine Morgan and Thomas Hamilton. Those two are like my two older brothers.
How did you choose Whitney Young? Well, in seventh grade, before I knew they even had a good basketball team, I knew I wanted to go there because of the academics.
I'm from New York, but I know that Whitney Young's a magnet school academically. Yeah, even if the basketball team wasn't any good, I would've gone there regardless.
That's interesting. Are you a good student or pretty good? Yeah, I'm pretty good.
What type of style of play do you think best suits you? It doesn't matter, but I think I'm a little more effective if we can slow it down a bit and let me post up.
Do you have a go-to move at this point? I usually spin a lot and sometimes it works. (laughs)
Are you able to work out at all between these AAU events to work on skill development? Yeah, I definitely try to get it in. I've had to miss some AAU practices cause I feel like I can grow more if I work out individually with a trainer. I feel like it benefits me sometimes more.
Is there a guy that you try to model your game after? Jared Sullinger.
Did you have a dream school growing up? No, I didn't.
What about an NBA team? Oh, definitely, the Bulls. The Chicago Bulls..I love them.
How'd you feel about their year this year? Well, I think they surprised a lot of people. I mean nobody expected Derrick Rose to be MVP. I mean nobody expected them to be in the conference finals and so they accomplished that and I think they have a great future.
I think they've got a good shot over the next couple of years, if things break right. Yeah, so do I.
Do you know Theo Pinson pretty well now? Oh, yeah, definitely.
How would you assess your defense at this point? I feel I'm playing pretty well on defense at this point. I like my effort and I guess, for the most part, the results. I'm definitely trying out there.
Can you give a scouting report on Jabari Parker? You've played with him in AAU and against him in high school. What's the best defense against him? Well, in the past, I would've said to make him shoot, but he's improved so much in the last year. I think he's one of the most unguardable players out here. I mean he's been a great teammate, but he's really stepped up his game and his body. He can beat you inside with his moves or athleticism and now outside with size and shooting. He can really run the court.
Are you related to Emeka Okafor? Yeah, distant.
For your big decisions in life, who do you turn to for guidance? Probably my dad and my high school coaches.
Is your dad here? Yeah.
Can you talk about the rise of Chicago? A lot of people are talking about the rise of Chicago for the 2013 and 2014 classes on a national scale. We have a bunch of players coming out, yeah. I think our top two players are also top ten in the country. 2013 class is very good to with Jabari Parker, Thomas Hamilton, and Kendrick Nunn. Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn are two of the best players in the state and they're both going to be playing for USA. We have four players from Chicago on the USA team.
Is one of your goals to eventually be the #1 player in your class? Oh, yeah, definitely. I want to try to be that.
Who are some people that you're close with nationally that people might be surprised about? Right, I'm really friends with Theo Pinson. Do you know him? Yeah, and I like his dad, too. Oh yeah, he's real cool. I'm real cool with Theo and Ishmail Wainright. I'm also close with Dakari Johnson.
Going forward with Dakari (Johnson), is it friendly or is it a rivalry? Well, I consider it both. We've known each other since about third grade.
Well, you two are two of the best players and big men in your class. Yeah, they naturally compare us. It's a friendly rivalry.
Who's going to be your toughest competition next year in high school? I've got to say Simeon. They're going to be tough. They're loaded.
How did you guys do against them this year?
We went 1-1. The first game they beat us, the second game we beat them at the end. The first game we played them at DePaul and the second game we played them right around where we're from.
Who's the best player you've faced? Well, LeBron, but..
Alright, other than LeBron? Oh, then Thomas Hamilton.
Oh, Tommy Hamilton. What do you feel you've gained this summer through your various experiences that you can bring to Whitney Young? First of all, my condition is really better. Yeah, I saw you running the court out there a lot better than you did in the past. Yeah, I'm also more of a vocal leader now and also my defense is better.
Are you guys going to be on TV this year so people can catch you? Yeah, we've actually got a couple of games on TV, not sure when though.
What would you like the audience to know about you away from the court? I'm just a humble guy. Modest…very modest. That's it.
Thanks a lot, Jahlil, and good luck. Sure, thank you. [/private]
There is but a single game left in pool play at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam before the quarterfinals which begin at 6:00 tomorrow. That means that some prospects have one last shot at impressing coaches during this open recruiting period. Others will advance and a few teams are already clearly at the top including undefeated Oakland Soldiers, YOMCA and BABC. Other teams in the mix are Team Takeover, Georgia Stars, Mac Irwin, Playazz and CP3. The higest point total for a single game is 94 from Howard Pulley, while CP3 scored 93 to come in second after four games.
Most want to know about individual players so here is a run down - Duke bound Rasheed Sulaimon is the events leading scorer to date with an average of 23.3 ppg. Ricardo Gathers is at 20.0, Brandon Ashley 19.5, Jabari Parker 19.3, D"Vante Smith-Rivera, Kyle Anderson and Isaih Zierdan are all averaging 19.o as well. Matt Jones is scoring at an 18.8 ppg clip and Anthony Barber, Archie Goodwin, Jordan Price, Terry Rozier and Jerami Grant round out the top scorers.
Brice Johnson has made 29 of 33 field goals for and amazing .879 shooting percentage. Others shooting a high percentage from the field are Jarnell Stokes, Julian Harrell, DaJuan Coleman, Anthony Bennett and Savon Goodman. The aforementioned and Duke bound Sulaimon has made the most free throws as well.
Board giants are Ricardo Gathers who is averaging 13.0 rebounds per game and he is followed by two Duke prospects in Alex Poythress and Tony Parker at 9.8 apiece. Another Duke prospect Jabari Parker comes in 4th at 9,3 rpg.
Houston Hoop's PG L.J. Rose is the assist leader with 8.8 per contest whiole Rodney Purvis who has worked on becoming more of a PG has 7.3 a game as does Kyle Anderson. UNC bound Marcus Paige is averaging 3.0 steals per game.
Nerlen's Noel is averaging 6.8 blocks per game. Be sure and see our interview with him on BDN Premium. Noel has an amazing 12 blocks in his last game on the floor.
BABC and YOMCA are undefeated mainly from their solid defensive play where they are letting up 54.5 and 55.8 ppg. Oakland, is undefeated in that they have scored 73.8 ppg. Team Texas is holding opponents to 54.5 ppg but are 2-2. Boo Williams is leading all teams in scoring yet they have the worst defensive average and that has held them back from tournament success.
Team Takeover lost their first game of the AAU season when they dropped a thriller to the Georgia Stars. The Stars are holding their opponents to .368 from the field are are setting at 3-1 going into the final game of pool play tomorrow morning.
Another great matchup was Julius Randle vs Ricardo Gathers. Randle has 17 points and 12 boards to Gathers 14 point and 8 rebound effort. Granted, gathers plays on one of the events worst teams at 0-4 so he had little help. Still, the two players locked up like bulls in an intense battle.
My current All Tournament Team would be Rasheed Sulaimon, Ricardo Gathers, Jabari Parker, Kyle Anderson and Nerlens Noel. My second team would consist of Brandon Ashley, Alex Poythress, Tony Parker, Matt Jones, Archie Goodwin and the fifth is a toss up between three players. Of course, those are from the games I watched and those picks will certainly change as the event progresses.
A lot of coaches and media want a mercy rule of 20 points in the last two minutes to be implemented. Far too often teams would foul in the last minutes down 20 or more which makes little sense. Put the teams losing that bad out of their misery and move on.
For a more concise report of which coaches watched whom and who Duke payed close attention to, join Blue Devil Nation Premium and gain access to inside information, interviews and more detailed observations and tidbits. Once a member, you can discuss the lates with other die-hard fans on our private message board where our staff streams information and result shortly after they happen. Try BDN Premium out, You'll be glad you did, that, we promise.
Nerlens Noel - "Don't drive on me." BDN Photo Check out our latest interview as BDN Premium continues to roll out information
NORTH AUGUSTA, South Carolina - The Sultan of Swat? No? How about the Minister of Defense? Trying to some up with a nickname for defensive stalwart Nerlens Noel is both easy and not. Even when trying to compare him to other players is difficult for Nerlens is Nerlens and there is nobody with a game quite like his. Many opposing player has drove the lane against BABC only to see their shots knocked back. In one of the games here this weekend Noel had four blocks in one defensive sequence. Noel has established himself as a great defender at an early age and ask any coach and they will tell you that is rare. In fact, one coach said, "He's the best defender in all of high school basketball," when I said he is the best in his 2013 class. Noel sports a high top fade, a hair style Grant Hill made famous on Sports Illustrated in 1991. His game could be considered a bit of a throw back to with his baby hooks and such but his offense is behind his defense, the opposite of the norm. Noel does it all by the book on defense and that's where he has made a name for himself being a consensus top three player in his class. He goes straight up on his blocks and he shuts down the baseline raising the right hand and forcing the ball to where no damage can be done. And then there is what I call the "Nerlens Noel effect." He blocks so many shots that he forces players to think resulting in travelling calls or adjusted shots that go nowhere near the rim. I caught up to the budding star this afternoon at the annual Nike Peach Jam where he said Duke was definitely showing interest. I hope you enjoy our latest video interview from Blue Devil Nation Premium. Join today for full site access and get all the inside scoop from our most outstanding staff. On to the interview - [private]
BDN has two interviews with Matt Jones, a kid who is blowing up on the AAU circuit. Here is the first of two and video is coming as well. BDN Photo
From the suburban Dallas city of DeSoto, there hails one of the best shooters in high school basketball, 6'4" Matt Jones. During the recent Nike EYBL fifteen game season, the polite marksman finished fourth in overall scoring, while averaging 18.2 points per game. Jones, a rising junior, has formed one of the best inside-outside tandems on the AAU circuit with the heralded forward Julius Randle for the Texas Titans, a Dallas-area AAU program which strives to fuse basketball and spiritual training.
At the LeBron James Skills Academy, Matt spoke with Blue Devil Nation about a myriad of topics, including his close friend Randle, Duke's recent interest in the shooting guard, and Jones' shooting prowess.
How's your recruiting going lately?
Oh, recruiting's fun. Just getting all kinds of calls from all kinds of area codes. It's just fun. The coaches have been great. I just like hearing about the history and tradition of each one.
So, it's exciting for you?
Yes, sir.
In terms of interest and offers, where are you receiving them from, respectively?
I have a lot of offers like [private] from Memphis, Kansas, Baylor…teams like that. I've gotten interest from a lot more, but, in the end, I just want to go somewhere that fits my game and makes me more of a complete player.
Well, for the audience that hasn't seen you play yet, how would you describe your game right now? What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses?
Sure, my strengths are my shooting and playing defense. My weaknesses are probably ball-handling a little bit and also being more vocal.
In terms of shooting, do you feel you're better off of the catch or off of the dribble?
(laughs) Well, I can do both, but..
Alright, what do you prefer?
I prefer to just catch and shoot.
So, five seconds left, you'd rather have someone penetrate and kick it to you on the wing.
Yes, sir, definitely.
Your partner, Julius Randle, compared your game to Ray Allen's. He basically said you may not be quite at that level of shooting, but you had more of diverse offensive game than you were given credit for. Is he on the right track and is Allen a player that you try to model your game after?
Yeah, well, I like to compare my game to him and just get there and shoot like him.
You were mentioning defense before, how would you assess your defense right now?
My defense is pretty good, but it could get better..
You know that sometimes high-level shooters have a reputation for not necessarily being the toughest defenders.
(laughs) Yes, I know, but, like on my high school team, it's made me a better defender because, if you don't play defense, you won't play. My coach is very strict about that and we've all gotten better.
Why don't you tell the audience how you did this past season at DeSoto?
Oh, man, we were one game away from winning the state. It was tough to take.
Well, next year, you should be strong again.
Yes, sir, we should. We bring back a lot of seniors and I'll try my best again, sir. We should be strong.
Attending this event and others similar to this, what do you take out of it? This is your first big one, right?
Oh, yes, sir. It is. By playing against these other guys, I've learned that I've got to be more vocal and keep working on my ball-handling. I've got to make those my priorities and keep working on my shot too. I need to be more of a leader than I have been too and just getting guys where they're supposed to be. Yes, sir.
Then, it's been a valuable use of your time.
Yes, sir.
I hate to touch on Randle again, but you two are inseparable at all of these camps and tournaments. What's it been like playing alongside him and enjoying the spacing that he's provided? You guys have formed one of the best inside-outside tandems around.
(laughs) Absolutely, it's been good and fun, sir. He just demands so much attention that it helps me.
You guys have a nice rhythm.
Yes, sir. We've been playing together since, like fifth grade. He just demands so much attention that when they have to, like, double team him, it just makes my job more easier to shoot it. It's just pure catch-and-shoot. Yes, sir.
They say that you're a good student. Does it come relatively easy to you or do you have to work at it? Is it true first of all?
(laughs) It is true and I do work at it. My parents just keep me on my toes. They're always on me and, if they're ever slipping, they both always are just cracking down on me. You never have to worry about that.
That's good to hear. What are your goals for this summer?
My goals for this summer are, well, first to win the Peach Jam, just do really good and help my team to succeed.
Do you feel you have a strong shot at the Peach Jam? I've seen you guys play in Dallas and LA, when you got Julius back.
Yes, sir, I think we do. Me and Julius and just the rest of my team are pretty solid. I mean, on the one hand, we're a young bunch, but you can't count us out and we know how to play. We'll fight.
That's the kind of attitude that I like to hear and, in the end, it becomes about performing in one game at a time at the Peach Jam. In terms of visits, where have you visited recently and what do you have planned?
I've been to Missouri and Baylor and I'm trying to get to Kansas and Florida and then some more.
Are those last two this summer?
Yes, sir, those last two are this summer and then I'd like to take some more visits in the fall, sir. Yes, sir.
Who will you turn to for guidance whenever you do make a decision on a college program?
Sure, sir, my big brother, Antonio, my parents, and probably my AAU coaches.
Do you view yourself as a pure two or can you play other positions?
As a pure two, sir.
Will distance be a factor in your decision?
No, I'll go wherever I feel is best, sir.
You were sort of, well, laughing about it before, but have you and Julius seriously discussed the possibility of going to the same school? Is it sort of a half-serious thing?
Oh, no, we're both pretty serious about it. I mean it's definitely something we've talked about and a few schools are interested in us both. It'd be great to be able to play with him in college. Like you said, we've got a great chemistry out there.
Has Duke expressed interest in you?
Oh, yes, sir. The coaches called. I hope they keep staying interested, sir.
So, if they continue to express interest in you, you'd be interested in them?
Oh, yes, definitely. If they're serious, I'd like to go out there and visit with my family. I feel that they're a program that could be a good fit. They've got great coaches and a great program. It's definitely a program that I'm interested in. I hope they keep recruiting me. Yes, sir.
What do you know about the program and the university?
I know they just got Coach Capel and they've always had great guards and shooters. Obviously, Coach K is a legend. Just a great coach. It's a great school with a winning tradition and history. Great players and everything. Yes, sir.
Can you talk about the rise of Texas basketball on a national scale and how competitive it is on the high school level? How do you account for it?
Well, it's been great to be a part of, sir. We're a huge state with a lot of people and a lot of the young kids are playing basketball. Football is still big, but maybe more people are going into basketball sir. It's been great to see some of the success from all the different parts of the state. In high school, it's definitely tough to win a championship, sir…because you've got to go through all of these talented players and teams.
Who's been the toughest opponent that you've had to defend?
Oh, that's a tough one. I think I'd have to go with BABC or All-Ohio Red. They were the hardest.
I apologize, Matt. That's my fault. I actually mean which individual player was the toughest for you to defend.
Oh, I'm sorry, sir…Probably J.P. Tokoto. He was real tough for me because he's big and athletic.
Are those the type of guys that give you problems, the big and athletic guards?
Oh, yes, sir.
Physically, how are you trying to improve your body?
Oh, I'm trying to get a little stronger, but mostly I want to work on my flexibility. I think I need to keep improving that area. I need to get more flexible.
I know Julius had said that he was trying to work on his flexibility as well. Working with a trainer.
Oh, yes, sir.
You've got the reputation as an excellent shooter. One veteran scout said he thought you were the best in your class and it wasn't even close. How do you continue to strive and fight the temptation to rest on your laurels? Julius before was talking about how you were looking to develop beyond being "just a shooter." How have you tried to balance growing your game, while not losing your bread and butter, your shooting?
Oh, I've got to try to do both and I'm never resting, sir. I know that I've got to keep pushing myself. I've got to improve my shooting off of the dribble. I want it to be as good as when I catch-and-shoot. I want to be comfortable at both, sir. I'm not satisfied. I still push myself hard. Yes, sir.
What would you say is your range? How far out do you feel comfortable shooting the ball?
Oh, yes, sir, I'd say the three-point line. I'm very comfortable out there. I like to shoot it out there.
What are your goals for the next high school year at DeSoto?
I'd like to win the state and keep improving. I think we'll be pretty good and I'm going to keep pushing myself.
Lastly, what would you like the audience to know about you away from the court?
Well, most people wouldn't know, but I actually love to bowl. I'm pretty good at bowling. (laughs)
Are you really? What's like your all-time high score?
Oh, I'm not exactly sure, but I've broken two hundred. I'm not sure exactly what it was.
Oh, wow, I guess you are really good. Well, thank you very much for your time, Matt. It's been really nice to talk with you.
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