Bleid Sports is pleased to announce that the title sponsor for the Clash at Cameron and Clash at Central is the S.J.G NC Pro-Am. From this moment forward these events will be titled, "The S.J.G NC Pro-Am Clash at Cameron" and, "The S.J.G NC Pro-Am Clash at Central." Bleid Sports is in the process of re-making the logo and will have it ready for release to all media outlets by the end of the week.
The S.J.G. NC Pro-Am is a summer basketball league produced and run by North Carolina' own Jerry Stackhouse along with childhood friends Donyell Bryant and John "Chuck" Jones. Their organization has done a magnificent job in building the summer league into one of the best in the country, not only by the exceptional talents that participate on the court but more so by implementing a system that stresses mentor-ship, sportsmanship, and competitiveness to all the athletes involved. We are blessed with the opportunity to partner with Jerry, Donyell, and Chuck in hosting this event in Durham beginning December 16th," said Rob Blair, Bleid Sports CEO. "Having our two entities partner makes perfect sense for both parties. Jerry brings years of knowledge and All-Star status to the basketball arena, and Bleid Sports is building momentum in hosting the premier showcases for young women and men across the United States. I'm thrilled to be working with the staff at S.J.G NC Pro-Am and look forward to a very long relationship with them."
CHARLOTTE - The recruiting landscape is about to change for college basketball coaches and prospects alike. The NCAA is set to employ new rules starting this April. By NCAA standards, this is a quick turnaround after reaching a consensus decision for change. While many of the details are still being worked out, the thought is that this will come to pass this spring.
During yesterdays ACC Media Day, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated that the changes were imminent. Kyrzyzewski, who is never short on words for positive change on the college basketball landscape discussed the matter with BDN.
"With the new rules coming into effect, we'll be allowed to do things with a junior. There is going to be a change on when kids can visit and how you can contact them throughout their junior year. If it is passed and I think it will be, a kid can visit sometime during his junior year and that can be one of his five visits," said Krzyzewski.
In the past, prospects could only take official visits going into their senior season and each prospect is allowed five total official visits to schools during the recruiting process.
Krzyzewski continued by saying, "In the top level of college basketball, kids are making up their mind sometimes in their junior year so moving the process back a bit makes sense."
A lot of the changes will effect the new world of social media if passed. When questioned about social media and contact, Krzyzewski stated, "I think all will be allowed. We've been under archaic rules like no text messages." He then offered an example stating, "Okay, so you e-mail a kid." (pause) You can't call him, so you e-mail him to tell him to call you."
Krzyzewski was speaking to how you could contact kids in a certain media forum but not others. He then joked of keeping track of the calls and responses and said the kids were accustomed to contact in various forums in that was what they did all the time.
While many athletes have been in hot water over what they've said via tweeting, Krzyzewski allows his players to participate. In fact, Krzyzewski said that while he didn't want his players to fall prey to saying the wrong things in venues like twitter, he equated possible missteps as part of a learning process for the student athlete. "If they (players) do say something embarrassing, that's a good lesson to learn while they are a collegiate player. It's just like learning how to speak french or calculus ... it's a learning process. So we don't take away a means of providing education, "
"They (prospects and current players) live on Twitter, Facebook and texting. They don't e-mail that much, but Twitter and Facebook are really their main means of communication. That's the main reason we allow our guys to do both. In fact we don't put any restrictions on our players because you would be eliminating a basic way of communication. I mean it's like something all of them are doing and then we say don't do that, we're afraid you're going to say something, said Krzyzewski.
Here is a synopsis of the changes -
- Start date for official visits will begin after the NCAA Final Four in April of the junior year for prospects. This opens up the process earlier for juniors, many of whom are giving early verbal commitments these days.
- The big one is the deregulating of communication between coaches and prospects which includes text messaging and twitter.
- The new rules would allow unlimited communication after Aug. 1 before the prospects junior year in high school.
- The rules open up evaluations via certified AAU type events on two weekends in April, with some restrictions. In the past, April has been closed to coaches as an evaluation process. Coaches will also be allowed limited contact with the prospects high school coach and the biggest change, the prospect himself. In the past, coaches could only nod and watch.
New Hampton's Noah Vonleh, Photo by Andrew Slater/BDN
Noah Vonleh, who has developed a reputation as a tireless worker, enrolled as a student at the New Hampton School in New Hampshire last month as a 2014 student. Vonlehwas looking to challenge himself in arguably the toughest high school league in the country, the NEPSAC, and in the smaller classrooms, while enjoying the accessibility of his new coaches, teachers, and facilities. As a result of his success during the AAU season with the Mass Rivals, he caught the eyes of college coaches and evaluators. This fall, they've traveled en masse to observe the Haverhill, Massachusetts native in "open gyms" alongside his New Hampton teammates. Vonleh added that this was a marked change from the open gyms held last year at his local public high school.
Noah noted the hard work that he and Coach Pete Hutchins put in to refine the mechanics of his perimeter shot. They've tried to improve his accuracy by working to shoot straight up off of his right hand, as opposed to gaining leverage by crossing the body on the long-distance jumper. With three years to fine-tune it, it's a worthwhile "work in progress" that will enable him to gain more consistency and a quicker shot release, enabling the 6'8" sophomore forward to enjoy the versatility of being able to play the small forward position on the next level or be a potent face-up four. He also has embraced the classroom attention and increased workload that the smaller teacher-to-student ratio provides at New Hampton.
This past weekend, Vonleh spent the Columbus Day weekend in New London, CT on the campus of Connecticut College. He was teamed with his high school teammate and close friend Zach Auguste, a Notre Dame commitment, on the Mass Rivals, as they competed in the BasketBull Columbus Day Challenge.
Noah Vonleh, Photo by Andrew Slater/BDN
On the opening night, Vonleh was hit with an unusually high amount of foul calls ( three in less than five minutes of playing time) against the smaller frontline of the Raritan Roundballers and Coach Vin Pastore was forced to sit his sophomore star more than he would have liked. Noah came out more focused in the second half. He scored all eight of his points from close range, rebounded the ball with ferocity (11 rebounds), and tied up the shorter, opposing three. In the nightcap (literally beginning at 10 PM), Vonleh used his combination of soft hands, tenacity, and 7'2"+ wingspan to dominate the glass and cause hesitation in low-post shooters. He finished with six blocked shots, four steals, and fourteen rebounds.
Between the games, Noah mentioned that he has been working consistently with Coach Hutchins on improving his ball-handling. Three times during the final game, Vonleh was able to grab a defensive rebound, navigate traffic and ultimately go coast-to-coast for a finger roll, twice getting fouled as he made the transition basket.
The following is a quick update from Noah Vonleh, New Hampton forward and Duke recruit:
How has the transition to New Hampton gone for you so far?
The transition’s been pretty good. It’s way different from high school. The classes are harder. You’ve got less kids in the classes. The teachers are very close to the students. You live with some of them. Yeah, exactly, dorm parents.
Right, what are the facilities like? Maybe touch on that. Yeah, the gym is open. The area for lifting is open and the coaches are always there to help you.
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That’s great for you, I remember that you said you worked out like crazy and now you have access all of the time. Yeah, it’s great. We get to work out and work on lifting all of the time.
Has you body changed at all or not really? Not yet, but it will be by the time I’m done. I guarantee it will be. Yeah, we're lifting all the time.
How has your training changed? Have you done things differently in terms of things you want to work on? In terms of training, I've been doing different ball-handling drills. Yeah, I saw you working on that before this game. Yeah. Is that so you can play more on the perimeter? Yeah.
Can you talk about the open gym experience? I’m sure plenty of coaches came to see you. What was that like? It was great. We had Roy Williams, we had all types of coaches, we had Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, other schools. A lot of different schools.
Was that a major difference in terms of the open gym this year versus last year or, rather, last year to this year? Yeah, last year, we didn’t really have any. So, that’s great for you. Yeah, it was a great experience.
What were some of the schools that came? Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Syracuse, and Georgetown.
How has role and position changed from last year to this year ? It was different last year because I was the tallest guy and they were focused on trying to stop me and so you had to fight for position. That’s why I did most of the ball-handling, too. I’d be at the top of the key and teams would be able to set up their defense and they could focus on me, but now they can’t do that. With Zach (Auguste) Yeah, there are so many guys that they can’t key on me or any one of us. Oh, that’s gotta be great and it’ll be a good experience for in college.
What’s it like living with Zach? Oh, it’s been cool. He’s been showing me around. We go everywhere together. Have you guys been driving each other in practice? Yeah, we’ve been pushing each other.
Have you taken any visits since August? Do you have any plans?
No, I haven’t, but I think I’m going to go out to Arizona in a few weeks with Coach Hutchins.
Oh, okay. Are you going to any midnight madness? I know some people go to those.
I think I’m going to go to UConn for theirs.
What would you say you’ve tried to work on most since the summer? My jumper. I’ve been trying to work on that.
Well, I saw you, before the game, working on your three-point shot. Are you trying to work on your three-pointer or are you trying to concentrate on your mid-range and beyond? Yeah, my three-point shot and my pull-up.
How’s it going? Are you seeing an improvement? I am trying. I’ve been working with Coach Hutchins trying to change my shot. (motioning) He’s trying to work with me on taking my shot from this side (pointing to the left) and instead on going straight up.
Is it sort of a work in progress? Yeah, it’s coming.
That’s good to hear and I’m sure it will. When does your season begin for fans that want to catch you play? We start practicing on November 1st and then our first tournament will probably be around Thanksgiving.
Right, I thought I was going to catch you next month at one of the tournaments that they’re having in New Haven.
Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely.
What does your coach expect out of you in terms of production and your role on the team?
AAU or high school? Both, actually, is probably best.
In AAU, to be a better leader on the team, be our primary rebounder. You did a pretty good job at rebounding in very limited time in this game.
Yeah, it was frustrating with all of the early foul calls. It was kind of frustrating. Yeah, tell me about it. (laughs)
Okay, and now, what about the prep school level? In prep school, I’m just trying to get into the system or the things that Coach Hutchins asks. Coach wants me to be able to knock down shots. I didn’t know if they expected more scoring out of you on one team or the other. Yeah, now I've got to step up and try to do it on both teams.
Thanks, Noah, and good luck to you. Thanks a lot and good to see you again.
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Just yesterday, Coach Mike Krzyzewski visited 6-9 Tony Parker, one of the Blue Devils long time targets. Krzyzewski has been pro active with Parker for better than a year now and he's leaving no doubt that he is and has been a prime target, Parker has some of the best hands you'll see on a big man and he of course, eats up a lot of space in the paint. He has the opportunity to follow in the foot steps of similar past Duke alumni in Carlos Boozer, Shelden Williams and Elton Brand, all of whom are still balling in the NBA.
Today, Krzyzewski and company continue their trek when he will drop in on Brewster Academies Mitch McGary. The young budding star is another player the Blue Devils staff covets and one whom they are making sure knows their desire to see him rocking rims in Cameron Indoor Stadium. While some are saying that McGary is a Michigan lean, he said himself in the recent Jason Jordan's ESPN Blog that he didn't really know where he wanted to go yet. We tend to believe him and why not? McGary is not a kid that has been deceptive in his recruiting process to date and he is a young man with several schools making a hard play at him.
The Blue Devils will not be finished with the McGary visit. Three other key prospects are on the agenda. [private] Duke will also drop in on Nerlens Noel, the human fly swatter of a defender that is close to reclassifying. Had the Blue Devils been aware of that possibility, which maybe they were late like everyone else, you would have seen them more active. Coach Wojo visited Noel last week and Coach K will take a look at him today. Noel is the best defender I've seem come down the pike in quite a while, altering games and or should I say shots all by himself, getting into the heads of his opponent.
On Wednesday, Coach K will head west to see the nations top rated prospect in Shabazz Muhammad. I have told you all along that the Blue Devils would hang in this one until the end and that has payed off. Duke has a legitimate chance of landing Muhammad at the midnight hour and this is because of the relationship that has developed between Krzyzewski and the star prospect. UCLA is right there two and I personally feel it might come down to these two schools. Still, never count out Kentucky for they have time and time again sold kids on their, pardon the pun, one year program. Muhammad is a one and done kind of player and all involved know that. UCLA once selling him that he could be "the man," in Hollywood, now has to alter that a little bit with Kyle Anderson in the fold. Most feel Muhammad would like to play with Anderson but there are a few who feel he might not. Only time will tell on this one and be patient for this one will go on until the very last minute.
The Blue Devils will drop in on Julius Randle as well, a kid that they feel can like Parker, take on the role of a paint eater. Randle is a stud bull in the paint, unafraid of any comer. During the summer circuit, he more often than not took it to older opponents as a Texas Titan where he plays with Matt Jones, another Duke prospect coming to Countdown to Craziness. It's pretty awesome that Randle and Jabari Parker are seriously considering Duke and as I have said before, I feel Duke is in good shape with Parker and for that matter Randle.
Just a reminder to members - (This message in no way applies to all, for we have some great members here) We have had some problems with people taking information from here and putting it in free forums. Firstly, there are some things sensitive enough that the staff itself doesn't want it out in public forums and if it gets there it can hinder their work. Second, you entered a binding contract when signing up agreeing that you would not cut and paste or share our information in other forums. We want to take you at your word and hope it means something when you check the box. We don't allow others premium info in our forum in that it is about ethics for us. If you are one that has been guilty of the above, if we catch you, we will take action which could be a simple ban from this site or more if necessary. It shouldn't come to down to that. We don't expect you to not share info with your brother or something, we just ask that you be considerate in understanding that we work hard to bring you news and it keeps this site alive. The more that gets out there, the less I will say. That's just the way it is for we are about the health of Duke first and the money second. But it takes money for us to hit the trail like we do, so members are vital to our efforts. We have never claimed to know it all, but we do feel we are ahead of the curve more often than not with our offerings. I mean nobody has an Andrew Slater out there and you have to admit he's good at what he does, the best in my book. And Patrick has made this the place to be for football coverage and we expect that side of the site to continue to grow as people come to realize how hands on we are with the program. We have dreams of making this site even better and these are dreams I fully expect to come true, so stick with us and you'll be glad you did. On a positive closing note - - thanks for your support in that we truly appreciate you following Team BDN. We love serving Duke fans and hope to continue to do so forever. [/private]
Matt Jones is a 6-5 shooting guard out of the state of Texas where he plays for DeSota High School. Jones soared up the rankings while playing with his AAU team, the Texas Titans over the summer. Jones is a a flat out dangerous outside shooter who nails down the three ball on a regular basis. The Blue Devils offered Jones after Coach K and his staff took a look at him at the Peach Jam in Augusta, South Carolina. Jones was very excited about the offer at that time and he is looking forward to attending Countdown to Craziness in a couple of weeks. Since the Duke offer, a lot of other schools starting making their moves. We are talking the likes of Arizona, Kansas and North Carolina here, so it is safe to say, Jones will not slip under the radar again. BDN spoke with Jones recently and we discussed the schools recruiting him and his thoughts on them among many other things. Here is the latest BDN Premium offering for members.
The last time we spoke was during the Peach Jam in July. What have you been doing since that time?
Since then I've just been going to school and doing the work and working out with my high school team. I have been trying to get stronger, more explosive, things like that.
What kind of team will DeSoto put on the court this year? Do you have a lot of guys back?
We should be very experienced with a bunch of seniors. I have confidence in that they know what they are doing, so we should have a pretty good team this year and be contenders for the state title.
Now, your projected position at the college level is the off guard. What position do you play in high school?
In high school, I am sometimes a [private] wing guard, but we play a four guard system and I will play the four.
Can you list the schools that are recruiting you the hardest?
Kansas, Duke , Florida, Arizona, Baylor, just a lot of teams. North Carolina, Arkansas, teams like that.
What about Kansas? Can you talk about what you like about them?
I really like Kansas. Coach Self has been in a couple of times to see me, so they are really good, I oculd see myself going there.
Arizona?
Same, just the same. Coach Miller is really cool and I like where the team is headed.
How about the other schools listed?
With North Carolina, Coach Williams just tells me what he's done with players as for Baylor, I really like their coaching staff with Coach Drew, Coach Mills. Like with Texas, it's kind of like the home school.
How many of these schools have offered you?
All of them.
When did UNC start recruiting you?
They came in the first or second day they could. Coach Williams and Coach Robinson. Coach Williams called and offered me and it was a great honor.
Do you talk with other prospects?
I talk to Kasey Hill a lot.
Do you two discuss possibly playing with each other?
Yes sir. Of course.
I know from past discussions that you are big on faith, playing for an AAU team where it is the center piece. Can you speak to that and how it helps you?
In life it helps me to make the right decision and gives me more confidence in that I am doing what God wants me to do. It gives me more things to play for and I want to give God all my glory. It just makes me work harder and gets me through things people don't want to do.
You were 6-4 last time we spoke. Any changes there?
Yes, I'm 6-5, 190 now.
Do you have a favorite basketball memory?
My favorite basketball memory was probably during my freshman year at DeSoto High School and it was a rivalry game in district and I hit the game winning three.
Okay, you know I run a Duke site but we like to try and remain objective around here. What do you think of Duke?
Duke is great, a great school. Coach K is just a really great person on and off the court, a great mentor and he's really cool. I'm really looking forward to going there for Countdown to Craziness and see the campus and social life and atmosphere. I can definitely see myself going to Duke.
And you will soon be on the Duke campus for Countdown to Craziness ..
I am looking forward to it. So many people have told me about it and how crazy it is.
Do you speak with any Duke players or prospects?
I talk to Rasheed (Sulaimon) a lot, but not any current players.
What is your basketball dream?
My basketball dream is to get my education doing something I love in playing basketball. But first, getting a scholorship and going somewhere where I can play for championships and hopefully go to the next level.
What kind of staff do you like? Easy going, serious or intense, etc.
I mean, I have experienced two coaching styles. In AAU, it's a laid-back style and in high school it's more yelling at you ... I am used to both of them. As long as the coach has the my best interest at heart as a player and person.
And who will help you make a decision on where you will play your collegiate career?
My parents, AAU coaches and high school coaches.
Tell me something about Matt Jones that most people wouldn't know.
I always wanted to sing so ... (laughs) Some people say I get on their nerves, but that's the way I let it out, so ...
And what do you like to sing?
I like singing Beyonce and other stuff. Whatever I have going at that time.
Thanks for your time Matt and good luck with the process and finding the right school for you.
The Duke Basketball staff is on the road as you learned in out latest recruiting update and BDN has confirmed that an official offer was made to Jahlil Okafor, a 6-9 sophomore center who plays for Whiney Young High School in Chicago, Illinois.
Blue Devil Nation Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater gives you the low down on Jahlil Okafor below and if you like what you read, you will love how informed Blue Devil Nation Premium is. What are you waiting for? Join in on the fun as a member now!
“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.
Bleid Sports is pleased to announce that the title sponsor for the Clash at Cameron and Clash at Central is the S.J.G NC Pro-Am. From this moment forward these events will be titled, "The S.J.G NC Pro-Am Clash at Cameron" and, "The S.J.G NC Pro-Am Clash at Central." Bleid Sports is in the process of re-making the logo and will have it ready for release to all media outlets by the end of the week.
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