HAMPTON, Va - By the end of the Nike EYBL Session I, many were talking of the improvement in Alex Poythress game from a season ago. In one game he matched teammate Tony Parker's numbers of 17 points and 11 rebounds and he used that game as a springboard. When Parker had to sit out with back spasms, Poythress picked up the slack.
Poythress is a 6-8 combo forward that has gained a lot of confidence of late. He would mix it up with anybody during this past weekends Nike EYBL, exploded around the basket and was very aggressive in his movements. He has developed more of a jumper as well and displayed all the improvements on the Nike stage for all evaluators in attendance to see. Here is a video clip and interview of Poythress. [private]
His current list consists of Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Memphis, Stanford, Alabama, Texas, Marquette and others, but he'll be getting plenty of new calls this coming week. He is open to Duke and ACC schools, so we'll see if his newly formed game translates into interest.
What is your current height and weight?
6-8, 215
What do you feel like your strengths are at this time?
My strengths are probably taking bigger defenders off the dribble and small guys, I post up. I need to improve my ball handling.
Who has offered you to date?
Alabama, Vandy, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Marquette, Stanford, um, there is c couple more.
There has been a little bit of vague interest between you and Duke. Can you talk about that?
Duke is a good school you know, it's one of the top schools in the country.
Have you spoken to any of their assistants?
No sir.
How would it impact you if they became more aggressive?
Um, I'd probably take a look at them.
Are any of the schools recruiting you harder than others?
No sir, they are pretty much the same.
Did you have a dream school growing up?
No sir.
Do you pattern your game after any player?
No sir. I just play out there.
What do you need to do to get readt for the next level?
Probably hit the weights more, be more physical.
How would you feel if you were recruited as a power forward?
I'd be okay with it. I just want to find a place I am comfortable playing.
What do you think your position will be in college? Do you consider yourself to be a hybrid type of forward?
There was a lot of young talent on display at this past weekends Nike EYBL event held at the Boo Williams Facility in Hampton, Virginia. One of those young talents is 2013's Nerlens Noel of BABC. Noel is a 6-9 front court player from Everett, MA and he went up against the likes of Tony Parker and held his own as his team went undefeated.
Noels told BDN [private] that he had no dream school while growing up and that they were all equal in his eyes. When asked to describe his game, Noels said:
After three games Noel was shooting 75% from the floor, averaging 13.o rebounds and 4 blocked shots per game.
"I try to be the defensive anchor for my team, stop fast breaks off blocks and contribute offensively as much as I can and keep everybody involved. It is important to keep good team chemistry."
"I have done a lot of work with my head coach at Tilton School. My confidence is soaring in knowing what I can do and the skill set I can improve upon."
Noels rocking his Kids n' Play haircut is a focused young man on the court and his skill set has already earned him major interest from Kentucky, Florida, UCLA, Syracuse and others. "I like ACC, Big East and SEC schools the most," said Noel.
When asked of ACC schools, Duke in particular, Noel said "If I hear from them I would probably take a good long look at them." He went on to say that he was wide open and that it was early in the process for him. Noels said that Duke, North Carolina had shown interest but he has yet to really hear a lot from the two rival schools.
Noels is an athletic type that plays hard and loves the game. He will surely be in the top ten players in the class of 2013 and he is they type kid all the major schools will take a look at. He runs the floor well and is very aggressive around the basket and loves to dig on on the defensive end. BDN will keep tabs on Noel in the future and it wouldn't surprise us if the Blue Devils staff takes a good look at him when they can get out on the road.
This is the first of many prospects we'll touch base on this week,for our coverage is just getting started. [/private]
One of the things that recruits do once they sign is go after other prospects to play with them. Rasheed Sulaimon shares a bit on that in this exclusive video. We also update the NYBL statistical leaders. In another note, Tony Parker is sitting out his teams morning game with back spasms. Much more [private] to come on BDN Premium.
Day One is in the books at the Nike EYBL Session I, otherwise known as the Boo Williams Invitational. There were several Duke targets playing Friday evening, including the nation's top rated big man Tony Parker. We'll have plenty of video coming your way as we go into next week, although just about every Duke site imaginable was on the same players at the same time this evening, meaning a lot of the same stuff.
Parker showed off his newly chiseled body where he has lost some of his body fat from last season. He ran the court well for his Georgia Stars as they walked through their opponent.
Parker played sparingly and that was an effort to [private] save his legs for the rest of the session and foul trouble. Parker spoke highly of Coach Krzyzewski and said he talked with him often. He mentioned that UNC had offered but he has yet to talk with Roy Williams.
It was clear that Duke is a big player for his services but this one could go on for a bit. Parker said he'd sit down with his parents and advisers before making a decision and mentioned that he would visit Duke and UNC in the coming months. I feel much better about the Blue Devils chances with Parker after the interview.
Rasheed Sulaimon told BDN he'd been working on his game and that he was quicker on and off ball. Sulaimon scored 12 points in the first half but was scoreless in the second as his team cruised to an easy victory. We'll have more on Sulaimon a bit later, including videos, interviews and the like. Sulaimon has a sweet stroke and runs around the court like a water bug. He is confident in his abilities and the way he spoke to media gives me the impression he is up for any challenges. He said he loved playing with LJ Rose, a kid Duke once recruited. Rose point blank told me, he still loves Duke and wishes they'd recruit him. Not one Duke site payed any mind to him but now that I just mentioned this tidbit concerning his interest, watch his name magically appear elsewhere, wink, wink. Still, Duke seems set with Quinn Cook, so it'd be a long shot for them to offer at this time. Rose has a long list of suitors.
BDN talked with Theo Pinson as well, a kid who moved from D-One Sports to CP-3 this season. He is but 15 years old and playing with the big boys and he can already hold his own. He is fleet afoot and we'll have more on his game with an exclusive interview before the weekend is out. We already have tape of him from the gang of Duke sites rushing to speak with him. I have a ton of background on this sure fire prospect.
A lot of Duke fans have heard the name Brandon Ashley tossed about but trust me in that he is a long, long shot. He mentioned UNC when I was questioning him, glowing and the IC guys swooped in. I also talked with Oakland Soldiers teammate Aaron Gordon who had a monster game with some big time highlights. He has a ton of potential and said he has not heard from Duke or ACC schools. He has not list other than PAC-10 schools.
Anthony Bennett of CIA Bounce 17 played well tonight. He loves to get into the lane and mix it up and has the ability to become a beast. Bennett is of course Canadian and during the interview I felt he was unfamiliar with college hoops and asked him about that and he admitted he didn't really keep up with it growing up, not knowing much of the traditional powers. His list was long and growing and he is at the beginning of the process. He spoke of being free in a more open system than that his high school team plays. He seemed a bit surprised at the attention but liked it.
I spoke to Julius Randle as well and he loves to float outside despite his height. He went up against the aircraft carrier known as Sim Bhullar, listed at 7-5 and over 300 pounds. [/private]
BDN's Andrew Slater breaks down Duke Hoops commitments and prospects you can view over the next few days. For more analogies on future Blue Devils future players and their key targets, join BDN Premium for full site access as we prepare for the upcoming AAU Basketball season.
3/31
ESPNU:
Austin Rivers and Winter Park take on Boys & Girls at 6 EST
Quinn Cook and Oak Hill take on United Faith of North Carolina at 8 EST
4/1
ESPN2:
National High School Invitational Semi-final between the winners of the aforementioned games at 5:30
4/3
At the inaugural Next All-American Classic in Chicago, DeAndre Daniels will be playing on CBS College Sports at 3 PM EST.
At the inaugural All-American Championship in Houston,
Tony Parker and Robert Carter will be playing for the South team (Coached by I$aac Pitts of QEA) at 9 EST on ESPNU.
Alex Murphy and Mike Gbinije (Coached by Jason Smith of Brewster Academy) will be playing for the East team against Rasheed Sulaimon and Shabazz Muhammad for the West (Coached by Greg Wise of Yates) at 10:30 EST on ESPNU.
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