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6'11" Freshman Karl Towns, Jr., Photo by Andrew Slater

Phenom is an overused term in sports, but there are times when it merits use. 6’11″ freshman Karl Towns, Jr. has already helped lead St. Joseph’s Falcons of Metuchen, New Jersey to a 28-2 record and its first New Jersey state title. It’s a feat that alumni including the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum and former Duke All-American and Chicago Bull Jason Williams weren’t able to achieve during their time at the North Jersey Catholic school. After averaging a double-double in the always competitive New Jersey Catholic leagues, MaxPreps named Towns, Jr. to its freshman All-American team.

Off the court, Towns’ impact was also felt at St. Joseph’s, as Karl, a sociable and conscientious young man, took on a leadership role as the freshman student class president and has earned a reported 4.3 GPA in the classroom. When Karl, a Knicks fan, was contemplating a career in sports broadcasting, MSG Varsity, a regional cable network, sent the then fifteen year-old to interview his basketball hero, forward Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. At the halftime of a Rutgers-Seton Hall basketball game earlier in the year, Victor Cruz, the All-Pro wide receiver for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, wanted to meet with the young phenom. An exceptional all-around athlete, the Piscataway, NJ native is a scratch golfer and, although perhaps not yet Randy Johnson, the 6’11″ freshman right-hander, who wears a size-20 sneaker, reportedly can already throw a baseball over eighty miles per hour.

On the court, “Little Karl” has benefitted from the tutelage and guidance of his father Karl Sr., a 6’5″ former tenacious rebounder for Monmouth University (still the university’s leader for rebounds in a season and game) and a successful high school coach at Piscataway Vo-Tech High School in New Jersey for the past fourteen years. His father has also coached Karl, Jr. on the AAU circuit, including for the Sports U. 16s at the Pitt Jam Fest, where the freshman was named to the All-Tournament team by HoopGroup. In order to honor the Dominican heritage of his mother, Jacqueline “Jackie” Cruz-Towns and to give his relatives a chance to watch him play competitively in person, Karl has trained with the Dominican National Team and yesterday made the senior team, which is still hoping to qualify for the Olympics in London this year.

6'11" Karl Towns of New Jersey, Photo by Andrew Slater

A rare, young American big man who is both able to play with his back to the basket and has a face-up game to beyond the three-point line, Karl came within one shot of winning the three-point shooting contest at the recent Mary Kline Classic, a charity event  in Pennington, New Jersey that included some of the best talent on the East Coast. Towns, who was one of the youngest participants, wanted to play in the event, which was able to raise over $20,000 dollars for brain cancer research, because he lost his grandfather to cancer.

Under Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke has developed a legacy of success with tough New Jersey high school basketball players. All four of Duke’s National Championship teams had, at least, one starter from the Garden State. NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving (St. Patrick’s), the Bulls’ Luol Deng (Blair Academy), the Hornets’ Lance Thomas (St. Benedict’s), the Pacers’ Dahntay Jones (Rahway), Jason Williams (St. Joe’s), Bobby Hurley (St. Anthony’s), Roshown McLeod (St. Anthony’s), and Alaa Abdelnaby (Bloomfield) all went onto have NBA careers.

After the event, Karl Towns, Jr., an ambitious and cerebral young man with a disarming smile and a big heart, spoke with me extensively about a variety of topics.

Let’s start with the state title run.

Oh, you know, it was a big thing for us at St. Joe’s. I always told St. Joe’s that I wanted to do something that had never been done before: I was going to bring a state title to them. When we were going for the state title, we knew we had a chance to win it. We knew that we were the best team there.

At what point in the year did you get a sense that this could be the year? When did you feel that the group was really clicking?

When I first committed to the school..

Oh, really (laughs)

Yeah, you know, I did. I always have a high confidence that I know that we can do well in whatever we set our minds to. After the game in Teaneck, we lost the second game of the year. We came back and we won that third game. After that game, I just felt that we were going to gun for a state title this year. We weren’t going to wait.

Can you touch on your thoughts on two other talented guys that have passed through those same hallways, Jason Williams and Andrew Bynum?

Oh, Jason Williams is a great player and so is Andrew. I’m just trying to make my own legacy at St. Joe’s.

Sure.

Bynum is such a great player and I just wanted to use the shooting touch of Jason and put it with Bynum’s post presence and then just try to make that work.

In terms of international play, you’ve trained with the Dominican National Team. How has that unique experience gone so far?

Oh, I actually just left our practice to come to this event. It’s just a great experience and know that I’m playing for my country and playing for something that’s much bigger than me is just rewarding and puts a lot of pride in myself.

6'11" Jahlil Okafor, Photo by Andrew Slater

Hailed as the best big man from Chicagoland since Eddy Curry, 6’11″ Jahlil Okafor, the Brobdingnagian sophomore center from Whitney Young, has lived up to the high expectations. Last September, Jahlil was the first player that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski offered a scholarship to in the 2014 class. It was a particularly early offer from a program that historically has been conservative in both the sheer number and timing of its offers, but clearly the staff felt that Okafor was an exceptional person and player. Jahlil was coming off of a summer where he played a critical role, shooting a remarkably efficient 71.1% from the field and 82.6% from the charity stripe, in leading the United States to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas 16U Championship in Cancun, Mexico.

At Whitney Young, the Chicago academic magnet school that includes Michelle Obama as an alumna, Jahlil, a 3.4 GPA student, took on much more of a substantial role this season, while the team travelled all over the country playing challenging contests in California, the Carolinas, and St. Louis against nationally ranked teams like Bishop Gorman and Gonzaga as well as Chicago powers Simeon and Curie. After starting three games on a 20-10 team as a freshman for the Dolphins of Whitney Young, Okafor stepped up his game and made second-team All-State as a sophomore and MaxPreps named him to their Sophomore All-American team. Blessed with a 7’3″ wingspan, Jahlil averaged nearly thirteen rebounds, twenty-five points, five blocks, and four steals, while shooting nearly seventy percent from the field this high school season.

6'11" Jahlil Okafor, Photo by Andrew Slater

In early December, Jahlil, a pure low-post player who isn’t afraid to bang inside, visited the Triangle and took an unofficial visit to Duke University, touring the facilities and also watching the team practice. Twice this high school season, Coach K of Duke University returned the favor, coming to watch the sophomore big man play in person. In the initial viewing at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Coach K observed Jahlil score ten points and grab a dozen rebounds in a 46-44 buzzer-beating win over Prestonwood (TX) and 6’9″ force Julius Randle, one of the top players in the 2013 class and a Duke recruit. At the second viewing, Coach K watched Jahlil battle his Mac Irvin friend and fellow Duke recruit Jabari Parker, the Gatorade Player of the Year, in the state 4A Sectionals in Summit, Illinois. Although Jahlil had nine first-half points and helped the Dolphins take a 24-21 halftime lead, eventually the depth and experience of Simeon proved too much on that day, as the eventual state champion Wolverines won 52-42 ending Whitney Young’s season with a record of 16-10 against one of this year’s most challenging schedules in high school basketball.

After splitting his time between the Mac Irvin 17s and 16s last summer, the sociable center is anchoring the paint for the Mac Irvin Fire 17U team full-time this AAU season. This weekend in Dallas, the sophomore Okafor stepped up and had his best AAU weekend to date, leading the Fire to a 5-0 session and averaging over sixteen points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in twenty-one minutes at the third leg of Nike’s EYBL. This EYBL season, Jahlil, now 16, has been Mac Irvin’s leading overall scorer (165 points in 260 minutes) and has shot an eye-catching 71.7% from the field, helping the Fire to eleven wins in fourteen games. During the early live period, the Duke staff was a constant presence at his Mac Irvin games, including a memorable one at the Boo Williams Complex in Virginia, where the 275 lb strong young man tore down the rim.

After an EYBL game, the bass-voiced Jahlil spoke with me about Mac Irvin’s passing, his goals for this summer, and his relationship with Jabari Parker, amongst other topics.

Future Blue Devil Forward Amile Jefferson, Photo by Andrew Slater/BDN

 Duke landed its second commitment of the 2012 class when Friends Central forward Amile Jefferson pledged to the Blue Devils. Jefferson, who was a McDonald’s All-American this March, will bring length, skill around the basket, a good basketball IQ, and versatility to the Duke frontline. Although the courtship was quite lengthy, it heated up this January when Coach Krzyzewski extended a scholarship offer to the cerebral big man.

6'8" Amile Jefferson, Photo by Adidas/Getty

Jefferson, who recently won his fourth consecutive Pennsylvania Independent Schools State Title for his suburban Philadelphia school, visited Duke for a third time on March 3 and 4 with his dad, Malcolm Musgrove. Jefferson has been on Duke’s radar for several years. Before his sophomore year at Friends’ Central, an academically challenging Quaker school in Wynnewood,  PA, Amile was one of two rising sophomores who attended Duke’s Elite Camp. In the autumn of his junior year, Amile watched Duke unveil its fourth National Championship banner at the Countdown to Craziness.

The forward with a seven foot wingspan also considered N.C. State, Villanova, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Temple. Amile Jefferson was recruited by Duke Coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Chris Collins. Jefferson is Duke’s first Philadelphia player since current Charlotte Bobcat Gerald Henderson suited up for the Blue Devils.

On March 28, he joined fellow Blue Devil incoming freshman Rasheed Sulaimon at the United Center in Chicago for the McDonald’s All-American game. In fourteen minutes, Jefferon tallied eight points, three rebounds, two steals, and an assist for the East team. This April, the Philadelphian scored twenty-six points and grabbed five rebounds, earning the MVP of the Derby Classic at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.

For the second consecutive year, Jefferson won Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year and was named Pennsylvania’s Class AA Player of the Year. Over the course of his career with the Phoenix of Friends’ Central, alma mater of former Syracuse All-American Hakeem Warrick, Amile Jefferson scored over fifteen hundred points, grabbed over eight hundred rebounds, and swatted away nearly two hundred shots.

6’8″ Amile Jefferson averaged twenty points, ten rebounds, and three blocks this year en route to a 21-5 record for his Wynnewood, Pennsylvania school. Jefferson provides Duke with a coveted second multi-year player with long-term pro potential in the 2012 class. To this point, Jefferson, the second highest-rated senior in the class of 2012 by HoopScoop,  has largely been able to overcome having no strength regimen, but in a prior interview with me, Amile has said he’s anxious to start a college strength and conditioning program in order to make his game more college-ready.

Amile Jefferson, Photo by Andrew Slater/BDN

McDonald’s All-American voter and veteran scout Tom Konchalski of HSBI said of Amile Jefferson, “He’s a young colt who’s waiting for his body to blossom, but he has a really good feel for the game. Right now, he’s probably more of a 4/3 and, obviously, he’s going to have get stronger, but, in the ACC, it’s not as if he’s going to the Big Ten or the Big East, which is even more of a physical conference. In terms of style of play, if he were to go to Duke, that would be a good pick, but he’s still got to get stronger in order to be able to play both sides of the court. He’s a guy who has some perimeter skills..not an explosive athlete, but, when he starts to working to improve himself physically, his legs will get stronger. He will get quicker and he’ll get more lift off the ground. He’s a guy who has a good feel for the lane and the baseline. He’s almost like an old-time player around the lane. He knows how to finish without going above the rim or jumping over people. He knows how to use his body to get between the defender and the ball. He knows how to shield the ball and reverse it. He has a really good feel for the game and he’s a really good kid. He’s also a good student.”

6'5" Matt Jones. Photo by Andrew Slater

Note – We’ve opened up our most recent chat with Duke bound Matt Jones to the public in order to give you an idea of the types of interviews you will gfind as a member of BDN Premium.  On the Monday after Thanksgiving, Matt Jones committed to Duke, but that didn’t make him any less hungry. Embracing the target on his back, the now 6’5″ DeSoto (TX) junior shooting guard led his DeSoto Eagles to a 33-6 record.

At times, his Eagles were nationally ranked and reached the Texas 5A regional finals, but fell to Naaman Forest 56-49 to conclude the junior’s high school season. For the season, Matt Jones, regarded as arguably the best long-distance shooter in the 2013 class, averaged nearly nineteen points, nine rebounds, and over three assists per game. After the season, MaxPreps named the sharpshooter to its Junior All-American Team, along with Duke recruits Julius Randle, Jabari Parker, and Al Freeman.

His older 5’9″ sister, Jordan Jones, who committed as a point guard to the Texas A&M Aggies, played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and won the Powerade skills competition. Ten months from now, Jones is likely to join her in the small fraternity of McDonald’s All-Americans.

Right now, the spiritual Matthew Jones is teaming up with his close friend and 6’9″ running mate, Julius Randle, to form a dangerous one-two punch for their Texas Titans AAU team. The team has gone 8-1 so far over the first two legs of Nike’s EYBL. Through the first nine game in the competitive EYBL, Jones is the eighth leading scorer (17.7 ppg) and fifth in three-pointers made, 26 (shooting 48.1% from beyond the three-point arc). He’s tried to become a more well-rounded and dangerous scorer, while adding an improved rebounding component by taking advantage of his prototypical shooting guard frame and willingness to battle big men for rebounds.

After an EYBL game, Jones spoke with BDN about what the coaches have asked him to work on, recruiting Julius Randle, his development as a defender, and playing with a target on his back, amongst other topics.

You guys were nationally ranked at times and made it to the regional finals. How did you feel overall about your high school season? 

Well, it was a tough loss. Being one of the favorites to win it all, I mean, it was definitely a disappointment at the end of the season, but I mean I really loved the guys on this team. Overall, it was a good season, though. I mean I’m proud of my guys and I wish we would’ve went further, but it was a really great season and a lot of other programs would’ve loved to have made it as far as we did.

How was the Hall of Fame Game? It’s an interesting idea to have a postseason tournament that includes a few top juniors and plays it in the Final Four city.

Yeah, it was pretty fun. I mean I loved it. Just the experience. It got me better as a person and as a player. It showed me some things that I can work on and improve on.

Your sister, Jordan, was a McDonald’s All-American. Most people don’t seem to ask you about her at all,  but I was just curious what were your emotions when you saw her at the event and when she won the skills competition? You must’ve been very proud.

Oh, yeah, I love my sister. I mean we’re very competitive and I do mean very competitive, but she definitely raised the bar in the family. I mean I don’t want to be in her shadows. So, I have to make it. I have to do what she did and go beyond. (laughs)

You guys must have an incredible gene pool.

Yeah, we did. We’ve been blessed.

The odds on that are staggering. The coaches have been watching you and checking in on you recently.

Yeah, we’re definitely talking. They’ve just told me to play hard, play defense, and just show what I can do besides shooting. Just show my whole game.

Well, I was going to ask you about that. What have they recommended that you concentrate on?

Dribbling. Just dribbling and focusing more on the defensive end. That’s gotta be my focus. Mostly, just hard work

For those that haven’t seen you play since last summer, what’s the one aspect of your game that you’ve developed most over the past few months?

Dribbling. I can dribble more now. I mean if they needed me to now I could play a little point. My decision-making is better. My IQ is better.

With exceptional shooters, there’s always or often an issue of pushing your boundaries and expanding your game, while not taking away from your core strength or letting it deteriorate. How do you try to balance the two?

Yeah, I mean I work on my shooting with my shooting coach, Coach Jerome. I get a lot of shots up with him and we just always shoot, but, at the same time, we also work on a little dribbling.

In DeSoto?

DeSoto, yeah, and some other places. I just try to get a lot of dribbling in. You know in between the shooting and sprinkle in some defense here and there. You know ball handling and IQ and stuff like that.

What about your body? Have you been working out too?

Yeah, I’ve been hitting the weights a little bit, you know. You can see in the upper body (laughs).

(laughs) Yeah, you look a little more defined. A little less baby fat

Yeah, I’m trying to get there.

Since you brought up your defense, how would you assess it right now? Where is your defense compared to where you want it to be?

I want to be the guy who can lock down the best player on the other team. That’s where I want to get to. I feel like I’m getting close, but I’m not there yet. That’s the goal. I try to use my size.

How tall are you now, Matt?

I’m 6’5″ now. So, I feel like I’ve been blessed with good height. I’ve grown a little bit, but I just want to be a lockdown defender. I like taking the other guy out and locking him down. I want people to view me that way. That’s the thing that I’ve tried to take my pride in. My defense.

More people need to take some pride on that side of the ball. This next one is sort of a touchy or awkward issue. People are always interested in recruiting and you’re obviously very close with Julius. Are you helping to recruit him to Duke with you or do you just stay away from that area or topic completely?

Yeah, I mean I’m always in his ear. I try not to be in his ear too much, but I mean at the same time we’re brothers and we’ve got a good relationship. So, we’re pretty comfortable talking about anything. I definitely whisper to him here and there. (laughs)

What are you hoping to accomplish this summer?

Simply, just getting better. I want to show the coaches at Duke that I’ll be ready to play as soon as I get on the courts at Duke. I want to prepare as much as I can now. I want to show them how hungry I am. I hope you can see that I’m hungry.

That’s important.

Yes, sir.

Just out of curiosity, Texas is obviously very strong in 2013, but do you have any sort of rivalry with either Keith Frazier, who is both from your area and plays your position, or even the Harrison twins?

Yeah, I mean people compare us, but I mean it is what it is. I don’t really have rivalries, but I mean, if you’re good, I just want to take the challenge. I want to take you down.

I noticed that you guys didn’t play against each other this season.

No, we didn’t, but I would’ve liked to. If you’re good, I want to take the challenge of guarding you. That’s my thing.

I’d like to see the two of you match-up. No ducking.

Yeah, me too (laughs).

Alright, we’ll settle it. This is your second year playing in the EYBL. Last year, you guys were a little young and then you had to step up and score more in Dallas when Julius went down with an injury. How do you think you’ve benefitted from that trial by fire last year?

Just facing all of that talent and you know so many of those or these guys are going to be college-level players. You know, game in and game out, Nike or EYBL has been great about having all of these really good teams. It’s just a really good experience. These are some of the same guys that you’ll be facing in college. So, it’s good.

Well, you also personally stepped up your game last year.

Yeah, yeah, well, I needed to for my team.

For the younger guys in the audience, what do you think is the secret to your three-point shooting success?

Repetition. Just repetition. You’ve got to get out there and shoot. Figure out what’s working and just keep repeating it.

Repetitions.

Yes, and being focused.

Other than dribbling and defense, what are some things that the Duke coaches have asked you to work on?

Just being a better teammate and being a better leader.

Does your football background help you at all?

No, not really. (laughs)

Your rebounding numbers were way up in high school this year? Was that something you concentrated more on? Some fans seemed happy to see a guard that could rebound.

Yeah, it was something that I thought I could do. There aren’t too many rebounding guards in the country if you look around. They don’t want to get in there with the big guys. That’s what I want to bring. If that’s another way that I can separate myself, then I’ll just stick my nose in there and be tough.

Did or do you feel like you’ve had a target on your back since you committed to Duke?

I feel like it. I feel like it. It just keeps you on your toes. It’s been a good motivator for me.

For fans that don’t know you, what do you like to do away from the court?

Bowling. I love to bowl.

A regular Lebowski. Really? That was something that Nolan Smith was into. I think he thought it helped him.

Yeah, me too. I don’t know what it is, but I love it.

You’re moving better this year without the ball. Was that something that you’ve tried to work on more this year?

Oh, yeah, I’m constantly trying to move around, throw my defender off, and just get open for my teammates.

Lastly, you were mentioning before working on your handle and strength? How far along are you, compared to where you eventually want to get to be?

Yeah, I work on those two things constantly with Coach Jerome. He’s right here. He’s the key to my success.

Yeah, I can see. Nice work, coach

(laughs)

I’ll see you guys later.

See you later. (in chorus)

Beejay Anya - copyright Mark Watson BDN Photo

Standing at close to 6-9 and packing 255 pounds, prospect BeeJay Anya is hard to miss when to take in a Team Takeover game on the Nike EYBL circuit.  Anya is a class of 2013 big man who has garnered a lot of interest and he recently told BDN that his coaches told him Duke sent out feelers.  Anya is of course the teammate of Ishmail Waintright, who already holds a Duke offer and he will have the chance to prove his self as the coaches continue the evaluation process on a bevy of players.  Here is what Anya had to say -

Feel me in on what you are working on with a new AAU season at hand.

What I’m trying to do this AAU season is to get better and make my team better, so I’m just doing what I can to do that.

You have some games under your belt in the NYBL and coaches have been able to attend early on this season.  Have any new teams come in of late?

Duke called and asked my coaches a little bit about me and they were also interested in my teammate Ishmail (Waintright). So, I’m not really sure how that stands right now but they called my coach. No other schools came in other than the ones I already have listed.

How do you like Duke?  Is that a school you would be interested in going to?

I’m interested in Duke, but I like all my schools. Duke outs out great players and Coach K is one of the best coaches in college basketball.

Who are some of the other schools reruiting you the hardest?

There are a few, let’s see … Indiana, Syracuse, Kansas and a lot of Big East, Big Ten and ACC schools. I love the attention and look at them one school at a time. I feel grateful that all these schools are interested, you know. Some people don’t have the chance to be recruited by the schools I am recruited by, so I thank God everyday for giving me the opportunity.

Name me one important factor or something you seek in a school you might attend.

I would like a school with a good strength and conditioning program. I’ve been working with some guys trying to get.

What is the toughest pat of being a prospect who is being recruited hard by major schools?

It’s just the fact that you get to know all these coaches and you start to feel bad when it is time to make a decision. I have a good relationship with a lot of coaches in the summer and don’t want the, to think I don;t like them. I have a good relationship with all the coaches recruiting me and I know that it’s front to be a hard decision for me but it’s something that has to be done.

What are you looking for in a coach at the college level?

I want a coach that treats me like I’m one of his kids, like my AAU coaches who treat me like a son and one who pushes me and reach past my limitations and get better as a player.