Ray McCallum, jr recruiting

I stopped into the of University of Detroit-Mercy's Calihan Hall a few days ago and caught up with Ray McCallum, jr.

Ray, jr. enrolled to the talented Detroit Country Day and as a junior he has all the talent and leadership to be the straw that stirs the drink.

He's going to make Michigan's Mr. Basketball 2010 that much more difficult to determine.

The super polite Ray, jr. stopped through and I talked with him for a couple minutes. The offers he mentioned were from Michigan, UCLA, Texas, Georgetown, Kansas, Oklahoma, and of course Detroit-Mercy where his dad is the head coach.

Detroit Country Day's roster is among the nation's best: DaShonte Riley (Georgetown U.), Donnavan Kirk (U. of Miami, FL.), Jordan Dumars (South Florida), Amir Williams, Lee Bailey, and Urbane Bingham who are entertaining or on the verge of offers.

Detroit Super 75 brings in talent

75 of Michigan's best players descended upon the University of Detroit-Mercy's Calihan Hall and there were many players that stepped to the forefront in the Inside Prep Sports' Super 75 Showcase.

Here's the camps roster:

Player Grad Year
ht/wt
High School

Jordan Deane '09
5'8" 150
Southfield- Lathrup

Jalen Lee '10
5'10" 185
St. Claire Shores

Matt Carden '09
6'6" 210
Fraser

Samuel Bunkley '11
5'10" 140
Chippewa Valley

Marcus Hood II '11
5'7" 125
St. Claire Shores
South Lake

Patrick Haggin '10
6'5" 165
Grand Blanc

Lavario Smith '10
6'3" 180
Saginaw Heritage

Billy Klotz '11
6'2" 165
Rochester

Scott Rogers '09
6'4" 175
Waterford Kettering

Larry Smith '06
6'3"/185
Lincoln Park

Marcellus Wilford '09
5'10"/150
Berkley

Jake Olds '09
5'10"/170
Berkely

Fred Williams '09
6'5"/170
Berkley

DeAndre Cadwell '10
6'2"/185
Ann Arbor Huron

Alex Harville '09
6'/175
Warren De La Salle

Joey Asbury '10
6'7"/200
Warren Mott

Jamar Ragland '09
6'3"/175
Detroit Loyola

Michael Martin '09
6'7"/200
West Bloomfield

Joey Demartis '11
6'/145
Pontiac
Notre Dame Prep

Giovanni Wasson '12
5'10/140
Ann Arbor Pioneer

Gerald Bridges '09
6'5"/185
University of
Detroit-Jesuit

Jeffrey Jones, jr. '09
6'1"/165
Orchard Lake
St. Mary's

Sean Gallant '09
6'6"/190
Jackson
Lumen Christi

Dragan Bijelic '08
6'5"/195
Utica Eisnenhower

Chris Williamson '09
5'10"/160
Fowlerville, MI.

Anthony Scott '09
5'10"/180
Bloomfield Hills
Andover

Terrance Holmes '09
6'4"/230
Detroit Mid-Town

Marcel Stewart '09
6'4/167
Detroit Community

Antone Robertson '09
6'4/180
Detroit King

DeMandre Gause '09
5'11/150
Detroit King

Evan Balckwell '09
6'/185
East Detroit

Ethan Blackwell '11
5'4"/130
East Detroit

Jamie Stewart '09
6'3"/175
Livonia Clarenceville

Nathan Clark '09
6'/180
Livonia Clareceville

Michael Hundley '11
6'7"/160
Detroit Renaissance

Keenan Wetzel '10
6'4"/195
Monroe St. Mary's
Catholic Central

Nathan Alexander
6'/173
Detroit Cass Tech

Mungo '12
Brandyn Mungo '09
6'4"/175
Detroit Renaissance

Arie Keyt Elder '10
5'10"/155
Rochester Stoney
Creek

Zach Collins '09
6'3"/166
Old Redford
Academy

Aaron Clayborn '09
6'6"/205
Benton Harbor

Rico Stewart '09
5'9"/160
Lansing Eastern

Jalen Jarrett '09
5'10"/150
Jackson

Ray Barcenas II '09
6'3"/185
Lincoln Park

Tyrone Black '09
6'7"/225
Benton Harbor

Virgil McGuire '09
5'8"/155
Jackson

Terrell Clinton '10
6'5"/175
Benton Harbor

Demetrius
6'2"/172
Benton Harbor

Henderson '10
Corey Petros '10
6'9"/220
Utica Eisenhower

Montrell Grimes '10
6'1"/170
Lansing Eastern

Tory Crusoe '10
6'/160
Lansing Eastern

Seth Collins '10
5'8/146
Old Redford
Academy

Conor Boyle '10
6'2"/170
Rochester Adams

Demarco Walker '10
6'3"/195
Detroit Community

Jaleel Wilson '10
5'8"/145
Detroit Community

Alex Cavazos '10
5'10"/140
Royal Oak Shrine

Michael Walker '10
5'6"/154
Detroit Community

Jordan Pruitt '10
6'2"/170
Midtown Academy

Carl Stallworth '10
6'3"/162
Midtown Academy

DeAndre Edwards '10
6'/180
Midtown Academy

Jalen Reynolds '11
6'6"/180
Livonia Clarenceville

Jonathan Campbell '11
5'11"/140
Livonia Stevenson

Ryan Thomas '10
5'10/140
Romeo

Anthony Lavallis '11
6'2"/165
Livonia Clarenceville

Cody Lilly '11
5'10/175
Lansing Eastern

Alex Williams '11
6'2/154
Benton Harbor

Daniel Gladney '11
5'4"/130
Detroit Cody

Lee Murphy '12
5'8"/115
Benton Harbor

Skylar Ross '13
5'8/115
Haslett Middle

Grizzlies stay in state

Oakland University recieved a verbal commitment from 6'5 Drew Valentine this weekend. Valentine plays on the wing for Lansing Sexton and more than likely do the same same for Oakland next year.

Valentine did suffer a knee injury a few weeks ago while making a cut on the grid iron that will keep him away from basketball competition until this upcoming January.

I talked with him today after his rehabilitation therapy and he told me that Oakland's staff "did things the right way."

While other schools like Bradley, Drake, and George Mason dropped off after the injury or wanted him to go to prep school, Oakland was there with open arms.

Central Michigan also kept their offer.

IPFW Lands Hines

6-foot-7, 2009, PF Mario Hines from Garfield Heights has verballed to Dane Fife and the Indy-Fort Wayne program. According to Garfield Heights head coach Sonny Johnson "Mario committed on Saturday evening to coach Fife." IPFW is also the same school where Garfield Heights JV coach Demetrius "Mitchie Johnson (Sonny's youngest brother) played his college career from 2006-2008.

Midwest Tour: Over 550 miles of Hoops!

From Akron to Detroit's Greektown and capping off in Columbus. Friday started off with a visit to Akron to catch up with the Zips, from there IPS headed westbound to Detroit to take in the U. of Detroit Super 75 Showcase that filled the "Duke-like" basketball facility. Corey Petros, Jamie Stewart, Aaron Clayborn, Tyrone Black and sleeper Scott Rogers played really well at the showcase! Black was an animal! After a solid outing in Greek Town IPS went southbound to Columbus for the Hoop fall league. Jared Sullinger, Trey Burke, JD Weatherspoon, Jalen Robinson, Jordan Potts, Malik London, Jmad Woodly, Darian Carthorn, and sharpsooter Jake Forrest all were available! Woodly and Carthorn who are from Canal Winchester and both are big time sleepers! Sullinger was a man-child and Burke was solid as usual.

IPS Super 75 A hit!

We just got back from our IPS Super 75 held at Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall. We will be providing you with an indepth recap very soon! Just a brief list for the time being; Corey Petros, Jamie Stewart,Aaron Clayborn,Tyrone Black, Jamar Ragland, Mike Hundley and many diamonds in the rough!

Canton Timken open gym.

IPS stopped in yesterday to check out Canton Timken to see what this years squad will have in store for them. 5-foot-10, 2011, pg Jehvon Clark leads the way for Timken,Clark who already is getting interest from numerous Big 10 programs and also has offers from plenty of MAC schools is skilled beyond his years. 6-foot-5, 2009, wf Jared Porrini was also on hand to display his game along with 6-foot-7, 2009, pf Cameron Howard who is a diamond in the rough. 6-foot-5, 2011, 3/4 Rakim Reed was in attendance, but was hampered with an injury. 6-foot-8, 2011, pf Desmond Rorie showed us the ability to catch and shoot, but is still growing and needs some work. Desmond should be a mid-major recruit at the end of the day. Canton Timken is one of our top 5 teams in Division 1 for the 2008-09 season. Stay tuned for more. Faces in the Crowd: Wisconsin, University of Akron, Walsh College.

Notre Dame looking into Lansing for 2012

He's far from what he can be, he hasn't played a game of varsity, and he's recognized as one of the best in Michigan's 2012 class. Bookmark his name, Denzel Valentine, and in a couple of years with hard work he'll be as good as the IPS' forecasters predict.

Denzel attends Lansing Sexton. Sexton's head coach is Carlton Valentine, Denzel's dad, and the player on the team with Division 1 offers is his brother, Drew Valentine '09.

The head coach is quick to point out that everyone has to earn their spot and 6'4 190 pound Denzel has no promised spot on his varsity squad.

Dad want's his son to stay grounded amid the attention he's receiving. 6'6 Dad is well aware of recruiting as he played on a national championship team with Dematha Catholic in the mid 80's before playing under Judd Heathcote at Michigan State University to close the decade. He'll admit that attention from programs this early is unexpected, "He hasn't played a game in high school."

Denzel is athletic with a solid frame and had a solid A.A.U. season with the Michigan Mustangs 15u squad.

One program in particluar paying close attention to young Valentine is Notre Dame. Pre-season top ten Notre Dame also has head coach, Mike Brey, as a draw. Back in the twentieth century when Carlton Valentine was a junior at Dematha, his homeroom teacher was none other than Brey himself.

How about them apples?

And some more apples? Denzel will take an unofficial visit to Notre Dame this weekend for the Notre Dame/Purdue game. Heads up coach Weiss, Denzel's also a quality quarterback and linebacker...

Denzel has also made at least one unofficial visit to Michigan State, where Izzo and his coaches are keeping close tabs.

Plenty of time to go for lil' Valentine and all freshman.

Word on his brother's recruitment soon.

College Fair at Columbus Northland Open Gym!

Monday late evening at 8pm in the small hot gym at Northland high school the gym was packed, but it wasn't the players and spectators that packed the gym. College coaches from all over the midwest were in attendance watching the young Vikings. Head coaches from Ohio State, Akron, Ohio University, James Madison and Cleveland State were in attendance. Top assistants from Purdue, Butler, Dayton, Akron, Ohio State, Cleveland State were also evaluating players late into the night. On display was top 2010 power forward Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), JD Weatherspoon (2010), Ricky Bennett (2009), Dimond Hale (2009), Trey Burke (2011), Jordan Potts (2012) and KeChaun Lewis (2012). Northland is a clear cut favorite to win a Division 1 state title this year. Stay tuned for more on Wednesday!

Ride or Die? Well Sir-Christian Rides!

6-foot-3, 2009, combo/guard Sir-Christian Williams has given Rider University his word. Sir-Christian who preps at Cleveland Heights High plays under coach Barry Egan. Williams is a big guard that has shown us over time his ability to win and play at the higher level. Williams will be leading the way for Cleveland Heights, who will be a Top 5 team this year in Cleveland and possibly canidate for a trip to Columbus. Sir-Christian started his high school career at Solon with current teammate Reggie Keely (Ohio University), Garfield Heights Carl Jones (St. Joe's) and Dallas Lauderlade current Ohio State Buckeye.

Reggie Keely off to Athens.

6-foot-7, 2009, Center Reggie Keely has verballed to Ohio University. Keely who also was considering Cleveland State, Kent State, Toledo, Penn State and was also getting late interest from Indiana. Reggie who is a deceptively athletic and has a solid array of combo post moves reminds us of former Bobcat player Brandon Hunter. This is the 3rd commit for Coach John Groce and is rounding out to be a solid 09' class.

Brad Phiel is off to PA!

6-foot-6, 2009, PF Brad Phiel of New Knoxville High gave Robert Morris the nod today. A email was received from CBIZ Director Bryan Bishop reporting that Brad committed to Mike Rice and Robert Morris.

Stevie Taylor has a great visit!

After talking with Rob Taylor (Stevie's father) He reproted that:"The St. Joe visit went great on Saturday! We started the visit with their plans for a new on-campus arena. We then took a tour of the campus and finished up watching individual workouts. Stevie got up a few shots before we departed for the Gym Rat event. Coach Dave Dudda hosted us and he told Stevie they were very interested in him and would be coming out to see him play this fall. Stevie really enjoyed the visit and is now a big St. Joe's fan! He really likes the A-10 and could see himself attending St. Joe's. Stevie also played in the Gym Rat Midnight Madness All-American game (the top game) and he won the Stephon Marbury Award for the top sophomore at the event. His teammates included Tony Chenault (Wake Forest) and Maalik Wayns (Villanova)." Stay tuned for more!

Bucks add another!

6-foot-3, 215, PG Lenzelle Smith from Zion, Illinois is announcing at 3pm today his future will be playing hoops on Lane Ave in Columbus! Smith who plays his summer ball with Team NLP is not only a Top 75 and Top 20 guard in his class, but he also has a 4.1 GPA! Smith who is silky smooth lefty will compliment Deshaun Thomas, Jordan Sibert and Jared"Big Baby" Sullinger. Watch out!

Jordan Sibert off the Board!

6-foot-4, 2010, WF Jordan Sibert has verballed to Ohio State! Jordan was on an unofficial yesterday and gave the "Bucks" the nod. Jordan who is a top 25 player overall in the country was also considering Xavier, Cincinnati, Louisville, Tennessee, Maryland, Marquette and many others. Jordan preps at Cincinnati Princeton high school.

Central Michigan looking into the 2009 class

Next weekend the Chippewas will have a couple of defensive and rebounding specialists on campus for their football game against Buffalo. Oak Park High School's 6'4 senior wing Kallante Miller and Mott Community College's 6'6 sophomore forward DeAndre Nealy are defensive studs and have/had Oak Park's Head Coach George Ward as a high school coach.

Miller is a top ten player in Michigan's '09 class and Nealy won a national championship with Mott C.C. earlier this year.

Nealy graduated from Detroit Central in 2007.

Honigford taking in Michigan State

6-foot-7, 2011, PF Paul Honingford from Sugarcreek Garaway High School is visiting Michigan State this weekend to check out the Notre Dame vs. MSU football game. Paul is a top 5 prospect in our Ohio Class of 2011. Note: Former Michigan State big man Jason Andreas also attended Sugarcreek Garaway from 1995-1999. See a connection?;)

Inside Prep Sports University of Akron Elite Camp

Date: Sunday October 5th
Time:9am to 6pm
Location:Akron University Main Gym (The JAR Arena)
Ages:9th, 8th, 7th and 6th Grades (2012-2015)
What's Included:Dri-fit Jersey, Dri-Fit Shorts, Backpack, College Coaches instrucing,NCAA Clearinghouse.
How the event works: Drill Instruction will be provided by College Coaches and demonstrated by College Players and Prospects. Each camper will be placed on a team and will go through stations and skill work with their assigned team. Stations will be ran by College and High School coaches. We also will be hosting speed training and plyo work for advanced training and skill development at a station. We also will be measuring Height, Wing-span, Vertical Leap and Broad Jump for player profiles along with pictures.
Fee:$70
For more info contact:

Chas Wolfe
chas_wolfe@insideprepsports.net
(216)338-9145

Kyle Randall to Ivy?

6-foot, 2009, Youngstown Ursuline PG Kyle Randall is rumored to be leaning towards Harvard according to a family source. Kyle played AAU this past summer with Ohio Basketball Club and is known for his ability to lead a team and make others around him better. Stay tuned for updates!

Ohio State getting 2011 on Campus.

6-foot-10, 2011, Center Zach "James" Price from Lakewood St. Edward will be taking in the festivities this weekend in Columbus. Zach is our #1 rated prospect in the class of 2011. He is also getting recruited by Michigan State, Wake Forest, Xavier, Akron and many more.

Stevie Taylor to visit A-10 program

5-foot-9, 2011, PG Stevie Taylor from Gahanna Lincoln is taking an unofficial visit this weekend to St. Joes. This comes just 5 days after Carl Jones a 2009 pg gave St. Joes a verbal for this year. Stevie has been compared by many to be the next Carl Jones of his class. Stay tuned for how his visit went.

Trey Burke on MAC Campus

5-foot-11, 2011, PG Trey Burke from Columbus Northland via All-Ohio red is taking an unofficial visit today at Akron. Akron was the first school to offer Trey, but many more are inquiring. Stay tuned for more on this gym rat!

Lamar McKnight to Horizon League

6-foot-6, 2009, PF Lamar McKnight from Bedford Chanel has given YSU a verbal commit. Bedford Chanel should be a front-runner to make it to the State Tournament this year. Lastly,Lamar was getting interest from other Low-Majors including Robert Morris and solid Division 2 programs.

James Still update...

Reports tell Inside Prep Sports that their #1 power forward in Michigan's '09 class is making an official visit to Duquesne U. this upcoming week. Still is long, 6'9, and one of the highest ranked players nationaly who have not made a commitment.

This visit adds another program to Still's list from his last visit to Providence a week and a half ago.

CJ McCollum to Lehigh!

6-foot, 2009, Shooting Guard CJ McCollum from Canton Glen Oak gave Lehigh a pledge last night. CJ is a lights out shooter and will be a solid contributor in years to come.

Carl Jones to the A-10

5-foot-11, 2009, PG Carl Jones from Garfield Heights announced his decision today that he will attend St. Joe's and play in the Atlantic-10 Conference. Carl was also gaining interest from USC, Providence and others before making his final choice.

Jon Smith takes in Athens, Ohio

6-foot-7, 2009, 4-man Jon Smith from Grove City, Ohio visited Ohio University over the weekend. Jon called us on sunday to report that he enjoyed the visit and will be making a decision shortly. Jon also told us that Xavier will be visiting Monday and this will be the first time for Coach Miller to watch Jon workout. Jon's top 3( In no order)St.Louis, Xavier and Ohio University. Stay tuned for more.

Robert "Scooter" Johnson verbals to Kent State

2009,6-foot-6, combo wing Robert "Scooter" Johnson of Bedford gave Kent State a verbal commitment recently. Robert told us that;"Kent State came to the school on Thursday to watch me work out and I gave my verbal then." Robert will be taking his official visit the first weekend of October when the Golden Flashes football program host the Zips of Akron.

Randall Holt verbals to Kent State

2009, 6-foot, Combo guard Randall Holt from Cleveland Glenville via Bedford,Ohio has given Kent State a solid verbal. Randall sent me a message via text and said it was official. Randall was also interested in Ohio University, Coastal Carolina, Savannah State and Robert Morris.

Ralph Hill getting midwest interest.

2010, 6-foot-6, SF Ralph Hill from Westerville North is getting interest mid-major to mid-major plus programs. We spoke with Hill's mother earlier this week and she stated that they've taken unofficial visits to Dayton and Akron. She also stated that Ralph is also getting interest from Ohio University. According to Hill's mother Ralph is a near 3.0 student and is interested in studying Communications in college.

6-foot-8 2010 Petros already has 2 offers!

6-foot-8 Corey Petros from Utica Eisenhower made the most of his first A.A.U. go around on the national scene as he catapulted himself to the #2 center in Michigan's 2010 class. The University of Detroit-Mercy offered Petros in May and Central Michigan followed up with an offer in July.

Corey has nice touch around the bucket and although he can add at least 20-30 pounds to his frame, he doesn't shy away from battling in the in the paint. Corey gets up and down the floor extremely well and more schools are starting to take notice.

We asked Corey for a list of schools that have been paying attention to him and he told us; "Iowa, Dayton, Central Michigan, Oakland, Colorado State, Loyola, Xavier, Detroit, and Western MI."

Expect Corey's list to grow even more with his upside, and by gaining more exposure.

Eastern Michigan hosting 3!

Eastern Michigan is reportedly hosting three 2010 prospects, all of which are from the same high school. 5-foot-10,PG Derek Jackson, 6-foot-6, PF Nick Harny and 6-foot-4, 4/3 Liam Walsh. All three are rising Juniors at Cleveland Benedictine and play alongside Ohio State commit Cameron Wright.

JD Weatherspoon aka Air Spoon!

6-foot-6, 2010, SF James "JD" Weatherspoon is one of the top athletes in Ohio's 2010 class. This video clip should give you enough reason to understand why.

Jamil Harris taking official visit to EMU

6-foot-8, PF, 2009, Jamil Harris from Euclid, Ohio will be taking his official visit to Eastern Michigan this weekend. Jamil who gave EMU the nod back in July could be a future star with his ability to shoot, pass, dribble and create for others. Jamil flew way under the radar on his King James travel team due to the amount of talent that he played behind(Jordan Morgan, Jon Smith, Desmar Jackson). Jamil will be a solid MAC performer and is deceptively athletic to go with a solid skill set.

Freddie Riley a Sleeper Sensation?

Freddie Riley, 6-foot-6, 2009, do it all combo forward from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatam, VA is taking in UMass this weekend. Freddie who is better known for his ability to shoot the ball lights out could be Hargraves most promosing prospect aside Mo Creek, Deshawn Painter and Chris Braswell. Hargrave's staff informed me that Freddie is not only a pure shooter, but he has also shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and create off the dribble,along with solid bounce. We will get to see the Hargrave's entourage of studs featuring Freddie "FredaStar" Riley in November at the National Prep Showcase at Bryant College. We will keep you posted on the results.

Trey Zeigler taking in South Bend

6-foot-5, 2010, WG, Trey Zeigler from Mt. Pleasant, Michigan is reportedly going to South Bend this weekend to check out his home squad Michigan Wolverines take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Trey is one of the Top 50 players nationally in the class of 2010 and the #1 wing in the state of Michigan. He is receiving interest from Memphis, UCLA, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State just to name a few. Trey's father Ernie is a former UCLA assistant and now the current head coach at Central Michigan.

Southfield-Lathrup's 2010 wings are getting attention

In Lathrup Village, Michigan, Head coach Mike Avery has a couple of 2010 wings who are coming off impressive spring/summer sessions. Both are drawing attention from the A.C.C., Big Ten, Horizon, and M.A.C. Conferences.

The first is 6-foot-6 lefty Bryan Coleman, a comfortable perimeter player who can heat up from deep. He's a late bloomer and jumping from the freshman team to varsity last year might have thrown his confidence off a little,but he managed. He's grown a couple inches since then and he is adding stock to a solid 2010 class in Michigan.

The second is 6'-foot-5 Roy Marble Jr., who uses his natural abilities and frame to get the job done. Roy is good at finding the open spots on the court to knock down the open shot and also stepping out to shoot the three. Defensively, his length and ability to anticipate causes plenty of turnovers for the other teams.

Roy and Bryan both play for The Family's U16 squad and have received plenty of exposure running for the Nike sponsored squad.

Southfield-Lathrup's schedule is very competitive as they compete in the O.A.A. Division I and tip off twice this year against Division I squads like Clarkston, Oak Park, Pontiac Northern, Pontiac Central, and Southfield. More than likely they will compete against a quality opponent in the Motor City Roundball Classic.

More on this duo's recruiting and team as the season progresses.

Stevie Taylor to visit the Zips.

Stevie Taylor, 5-foot-9, 2011, PG from Gahanna Lincoln H/S in Columbus, Ohio will be taking in the sites at Akron University this weekend. Akron is the only school to offer the young star, but he is receiving interest from all levels.

Busy Week for 2010 Jordan Sibert

Jordan Sibert, 6-foot-4, Wing from Cincy Princeton took unofficial visits to Xavier and Cincinnati as of late. Sibert is the #1 rated wing in the 2010 Ohio Class and has High-Major offers from Ohio State, Louisville, Tennessee, Marquette etc.

Carl Jones to visit Providence

Tay Jones will be making an official visit this weekend at Providence. The word is St. Joe's is the leader but Tay has been flirting with the idea of playing at the Higest Level that is recruiting him. We imagine he will make a choice shortly.

Diamond in the rough...

Ethan Michael a 6-foot-7, 2009, combo foward is gathering a lot of low Division 1 interest and has already picked up numerous Division II offers. We feel that Ethan is a steal either way with high motor, deceptive athletic ability and great upside!
Stay tuned to find out where this diamond goes...

Do you need a guard in 2011?

Check out these Super Sophomore Phenoms! 6-foot-1 Devonte Beard from Aksron SVSM, 5-foot-11 Trey Burke from Columbus Northland, 5-foot-9 Stevie Taylor from Gahanna Lincoln and 5-foot-10 sensation Delbert Love from Lakewood St. Edward.
All 4 of these prospects are solid and you can pick your poison with anyone of them!

Eastern Kentucky lands 6-foot-4 Shooting Guard Willie Cruz

Willie Cruz made his commitment less than 24 hours ago. Cruz known as a sharp-shooter for L'anse Cruese (MI.) H.S. and playing for his aau squad the Ohio Gators. He has steadily improved his ball-handling and his ability to create over the last year earning him interests from various D1 programs and Gliac programs.

Big weekend for the Zips.

Akron will be hosting a lot of talent this weekend with 7-foot 2009 verbal Zeke Marshall coming to rubber town USA. Zeke is a legitimate Top 50 prospect in the country and will most likely play in the Jordan All-American game next spring, if everything goes as should.
Along with Big Zeke, the Zips will have 2011 prospects Stevie Taylor from Gahanna Lincoln, Jehvone Clark,Rakim Reed and Desmond Rorie from Canton Timken. Taylor and Clark are both top 5 prospects in Ohio's 2011 class.

Zach Price getting High Major Looks!

Zach Price, 6-foot-10, 2011 prospect from Lakewood St. Edward is getting interest from many high major including Michigan State, Ohio State, Wake Forest and Xavier.

Ohio State has young talent on campus.

Ohio State had a big weekend full of unofficial visits with 2010, 2011 and 2012 prospects. In the 2010 class Jared Sullinger and JD Weatherspoon were on hand to represent Columbus Northland. 2011 Propsects Jehvone Clark from Canton Timken and 2011,6-foot-7 PF Paul Honigford represented Garaway High. Traevon Jackson who is a 2011 combo wing and Jalen Robison along with Zeke Rogers from the 2012 class representing Westerville South.

Danny McCelroy going to Bowling Green! It's official!

The word on the street is 6-foot-6, 2009, PF Danny McCelroy from Cincy LaSalle is going to verbal with Bowling Green. We will confirm this once it's official!

Kentucky getting a jumpstart on 2013

Steve Haney, jr is a 6'4 wing that is a year away from attending E. Lansing High School. He just turned 13 a month ago and has already been to Lexington, KY and the Kentucky campus. Haney's dad told me that they will head down to Lexington in a month for their Mid-night Madness. Look for Haney to grow to 6'8 and draw all the big schools. He is also being recruited by Michigan State and Utah.

Steve, sr. played for Michigan State back in the 20th century. He can still shoot the rock.

Need an Athletic wing that plays above the rim?

Andre Paulk,6-foot-3,2009,combo wing from Kent Roosevelt is a Highlight reel! Andre played this past summer with All-Ohio Red and had many spectators on there feet with his flash and above the rim style of play. Andre can knock down the 20' jumper and also finishes in transition with the best of them. He would be a great prospect for a LM+ to MM- program!

2010 Craig Sealy is flying under the radar!

Craig Sealy, 6-foot-6,2010,SF from Columbus Brookhaven had a great summer this year with the All-Ohio Red 16's as they won their second AAU national title in a row. Craig already has an early offer from James Madison and is also gathering interest from MAC and Horizon schools. Stay Tuned for more!

Benton Harbor looking up

Benton Harbor is a small community on the Michigan/Indiana border, it's just a hop- skip and jump away from Chicago. Their High School's head coach Marcus Muhammad played at Depaul back in the day and he's excited about this year's team as he enters his first year as being the head coach.

"This is Benton Harbor's biggest team," he told IPS Tuesday afternoon. And big they are with 6-foot-6,220,PF Tyrone Black and 6-foot-5,wing Aaron Clayborn provide most of the experience.

Coach Muhammad told me about their recruitment.

"Black is being recruited by Central Michigan, Toledo, Texas-Corpus Christi, Texas Southern, Weber State and Western Michigan. Clayborn has Toledo, Ball State, Southern Illinous, Weber State, Wagner, Colorado State and Texas Southern recruiting him.

Muhammad noted one of his most improved players is Tyrone Black's brother; 6-foot-7 240 pound Daniel Watts, a 2010 prospect. A few other 2010's that are expected to impact the team are 6-foot-5 wing Terrell Clinton, 6-foot-2 point guard Marquis Mason, and 6-foot-8 Grand Rapids transfer Tremaine Thompson. Of the junior prospects, Terell Clinton's game stood out the most to us at the Izzo Shootout back in June. He should end up at a mid-major to mid-major plus roster in two years.

Also look for the Tigers' incoming sophomore, 6-foot-3 Combo shooting guard Alex Williams is going to be solid in the near future.

A date for coaches on every level to mark down is December 18. Benton Harbor travels to play Kalamazoo Central.

Randall Holt is wide open!

Randall Holt, 6-foot, 2009, Combo guard from Cleveland Glenville is receiving a lot of interest from many mid-majors. Randall reported to us that he would like to take official visits to Kent State, Ohio University, Robert Morris, Coastal Carolina and Savannah State. However,Randall took an unofficial back in July to Robert Morris and plans to go back this fall again. Randall is one of the top 5 point guards in Ohio's 2009 class and has the ability to play at different speeds, which makes him very dangerous. We will keep you posted on his recruitment.

Tim Kiewal leaves Eastern Arizona..

Tim Kiewal, 6-foot-10,2009,PF from Parma, Ohio has transfered into Sinclair communinty college. Tim has taken visits to Kent State, Toledo and Binghamton.

Guardian Wear is new affiliate with IPS!

Guardian Wear manufactures and markets affordable, high quality, performance athletic apparel designed for the youth market and athletes of all ages who want to perform at their best.Guardian Wear is the proud sponsor of last year's AFL Champs Philly Soul, along with Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow and the 76Er's Andre Iguodala. Guardian Wear will be suiting up all of our campers this year with jerseys, shorts, sack packs and more!
Check out there website at: www.everyoneplays.com

Horne to Athens!

Marquis Horne, 6-foot-6, 2009, SF from Cincinnati Princeton made a verbal commitment over the weekend to Ohio University. Horne was receiving heavy interest from many mid-major plus programs and was down to Ohio University and Kent State.

This is the SAMPLE Newsletter that subscribers get via email!

July, a month for fireworks, vacations and sandcastles…well for most normal people, not so for college basketball coaches. This is an opportunity to build a new program with that fresh dry-fit polo and pressed pants, and for others it's a race to the finish and possibly a last chance to freeze there job security.
Ohio 2009:
Two names that are the hottest on the recruiting circuit for July 5'10 PG Carl Jones of OBC/Garfield Heights, Carl is a wizard with the ball in his hands and is one if the best shooters/scorers in the class of 2009.Carl will be at Lebron’s US skill Academy, Eddie Ford's Hoopfest and Adidas Super 64. 6'8 4 Drew McGhee of CBIZ/North Ridgeville is gaining interest from Big East, ACC and Big Ten schools. Drew shows signs of being a legit MM+ big with his ability to step out and shoot the 12 footer and also display a sound back to the basket skill set. If Drew goes high-major, look for him to be a program role player. I would also not be surprised if Miami-Ohio or Butler pushes for Drew. Reggie Keeley 6’7 5/4 out of Cleveland Heights/D1 Greyhounds is another prospect that is wide open considering the coaching changes in the MAC. Keeley is very effective with his back to the basket, but tends to over handle when facing up.
Keep a close eye out on Robert Johnson 6'6 3/2 from Bedford/King James. Robert has all of the tools to possibly explode in July or fall into a coma status for the fall. Robert has the potential to go MM+. Randall Holt 5’11 2/1 also of Bedford/All-Ohio red is another prospect that has one last summer to show his skills on the road. Randall plays the point for all-Ohio, but is better suited as a scoring wing. If you want an athlete take a look at 6'3 Andre Paulk from Kent Roosevelt. Andre runs with All-Ohio red and could be the most athletic wing prospect in 2009.Paulk is very raw, but a You Tube Highlight reel! Danny McElroy 6'6 is back on the board after his de-commit from Cincinnati, look for Danny to be heavily stalked by Miami-Ohio and other mid-majors. Orlando Williams 6'3 of Cincinnati Princeton is gaining interest as well from the Redhawks and rumor is James Madison is coming on also. How could we also not talk about Jon Smith of Grove City, Jon plays with King James and is extremely explosive for a high energy guy. A-10s are flirting with Jon and gaining pipeline interest by James Madison, St. Joes, St. Louis and Kent state just to name a few. Jon is more less a tweener.
Mario Hines a 6'8 4 from Garfield Heights is also a prospect to watch for the July period. Mario is gaining interest from most mids and Kent State could be a leader. Mario is a lefty with the ability to beat bigs off the dribble; Mario has only played one year of organized basketball. Lamar McNight 6'6 4 TNBA/Bedford Chanel had a strong April and really played well at Pitt jam fest. Lamar is getting interest from horizon league schools, Robert Morris and Radford. Look for Lamar at WVU jam fest to ball out for a scholarship. Maurice Catney 6'2 Glenville a teammate of Lamar’s on the AAU tour is gaining interest from low to d2+. CJ McCollum 5'11 of Glen Oak is one of the better shooters in the state. CJ can create space with his jab series
and also crafty handle. Word is that CJ has some low offers but time will tell, CJ plays with king James and is more of a scoring guard than a lead guard. Jamel Harris 6'8 of Euclid/King James is off the board with a verbal to Eastern Michigan. Harris is the lightning bug of the 09 class with his tendency to show flashes, but then disappears during the game. I really like his potential if he works and competes on a consistent basis. Desmar Jackson 6'3 and Sheldon Brogden 5'11 both King James/Warren Harding prospects will have to prove themselves in July. Desmar once a top 75 national prospect has been quiet since March. Hopefully he can have a strong showing at wvu Jamfest and Nike main event to make up for his library time. Sheldon known for his ability to score in bunches has also been quiet on the AAU circuit. Will Felder 6'5 3man from Lutheran east runs with King James as well and is getting interest from many d2 to low schools. Will
does a good job scoring the ball, but needs to work on his handle and defending the perimeter.
DJ Cunningham 6'8 5 All-Ohio Red/Waterford is gaining interest from Macs and lower level schools. DJ seems to be a good kid that is raw, yet cacheable. Look for a Mac or Horizon to slide in and grab him early.
Jack Smith a 6'4 3/4 for All-Ohio red plays with a solid motor and has the ability to step out and knock down the 15 foot left handed jumper. Jack plays with Cincinnati Hughes during the school year. Tanner Furno 6'6 4 from Columbus Whetstone/All-Ohio Red is a D2+ prospect considering his high IQ and solid academics. Darren Goodsen 6'4 also runs with all-Ohio but has pledged to coach Orr at Bowling Green.
Bill Edwards a 6'5 4/3 from Middletown plays with All-Ohio force and is gaining interest from most of the Mac schools to a-10 programs. Bill also is a football player, but seems to be waiting on the right fit for basketball. Allen Roberts 6'2 another Middletown hooper and all-Ohio Force teammate of Edwards is gaining interest from mids. Allen is a big body guard with a football background also. Lamar Mallory 4 6'6 is playing with All-Ohio red and could be a sleeper for the 09 class. The word on Mallory is an athletic sleeper with mid-major potential and legit skill set. Lamar plays for Travis Trice and Huber Heights Wayne during the school year.
Andrew Pavloff 4/5 6'8 from Walsh Jesuit/OBC is gaining Ivy League interest with his 3.7gpa and high act scores. 6'8 Justin Jamison 5 formerly of Benedictine/All-Ohio Red has transferred to Strongsville to focus in on baseball. Coach Joe Lynch might have a chance at getting Justin out in the winter considering the talent at Strongsville. Roy Brown a 6'3 3man from Garfield Heights/TNBA is getting D2 interest and rumored a visit to University if Charleston. Joe Vidovic 6'6 4 Willoughby south is playing with TNBA for July and could earn a D2 scholarship in December. Anthony Wells 2g 6’2 of Shaker Heights/TNBA has already committed to Cleveland State and will be a solid 2man for TNBA during July. Andre Jackson 6'6 high energy 4man for TNBA/Garfield heights brings a solid motor and dirty work mentality for both squads. Jamil Brooks a 5'10 guard for TNBA/Warrensville heights backs up Catney and wells.
Stephon Johnson 6'5 wing from Cincinnati /OBC is another prospect that is receiving Division 1 interest with his retro skill set and lefty style of play. Plays with a high-motor and is very similar to Jack smith. Tim Haulsfeld 5'5 CBIZ/Southview is a gritty tough guard that might earn a D2 coaches heart with his tough nosed napoleon performance in July. Sir-Christian Williams 6'3 Cleveland Heights/D1 Greyhounds is coming off a few minor injuries but should be ready for WVU jam fest. Look for sir to gain low interest if he leads his team out of pool play and finishes when going to the cup. Jake Mays 4 6'8 Tallmadge/Cbiz is another low d2 to high d3 prospect. Tyler Tucci 2/3 6'3 Malvern/Cbiz is getting interest from lower D2 schools and could be a good fit at the NAIA level. CJ Oldham a 3/2 6'4 of Solon who’s the son of Calvin Oldham former Virginia tech hookie. CJ possesses a long frame and good handle. CJ could be a D2 prospect if he develops a pull-up with his 3.75 GPA.
Jared Porrini 6'4 3 Timken might be with All Ohio Red for July. Jarred is a very skilled slashing 3man who has a knack at getting to the cup. JP has a red flag considering his AAA travel miles with high schools and AAU teams. Has mid major potential. DD Joyner of Groveport Madison is 6’2 slashing 2guard that can finish above the rim. DD Shows flashes of being a D2+ prospect. He needs to get more lift/arch on his shot. Cameron Howard 6'7 very athletic 4 that plays well in the transition game and is very explosive in the open court. Cam does all the little things that you can't teach. Cam needs to work on post game. Has a chance to be a mid-major prospect with his athletic ability. Fred Chatman 4/5 is a 6'8 long/wiry big from Cleveland JFK that is under the radar. Fred runs the floor very well and gets little exposure considering he plays with a local AAU (CAVS) program. We feel he is a year away from being a low division 1 prospect with his long arms and ability to run the floor, rebound and contest shots.
Dane Kopp 6'9 5 has been in hiding since he last cut the nets down in March with Newark. He plays AAU with College Bound Elite and has a chance to be a D1 mid minus player if he puts some time in. Dane is a legit 5 that will give you 6 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Not a very skilled player, but a legit chance of being mid-major with work and effort.



Other 2009’s on the Radar:
Robert Wilson 6'3 Streetsboro/Bearcats (D2+)
Ryan Siggins 6'4 kettering/all Ohio Force (D2+)
Cam Baker 6'2 Col. Academy/Hidden gems (D2)
Chris Kimbro 5’10 Lorain Admiral King/TNBA (D2)
Bryce Barnes 5’10 Central Crossings/Hidden Gems
Tony Peters 6'3 Middletown/All-Ohio Force (D2)
Daylen Harrison 6'5 St. V/King James (D2+)
Josh Biber 6'5 Lorain Southview (D2)
Alex Falk 6'3 Upper Sandusky (D2)
Joe Gross 6'6 Hoover (D2)
Ben Severns 6' Mt. Vernon (D2-)
Jerod Hood 6'9 Upper Arlington/Hidden gems(D3+)

CJ McCollum visits....

CJ McCollum, 6-foot-1, 2009, Shooting guard from Canton Glen Oak visited Lehigh over the weekend. CJ said that he is not deciding just yet on Lehigh, but is open to anyone that is seriously interested.

Griffin Mckenzie takes an unoffcial.

Griffin Mckenzie, 6-foot-8, 2010, SF from Cincinnati Moeller visited Butler over the weekend. Butler has not offered Griffin, but with the likes of Notre Dame, Xavier, Stanford and Vanderbilt closing we imagine that will change soon. Griffin is in no hurry to make a decision yet.

Providence picks up a guard from Michigan

Duke Mondy, 6-foot-3, 2 Guard from Grand Rapids Catholic Central has reportedly made a verbal commitment yesterday to attend Providence next year. He visited the Rhode Island campus this past weekend with friend James Still.Duke's a solid lefty who is a scoring guard that has a sound frame and crafty handle. He also can play solid defense and has been improving his ability to be a lead guard. Duke was a member of the Michigan Mustangs program this past summer.

Duke is Inside Prep Sports #1 two guard in Michigan's class of 2009.

2009 guard Keenan Coleman is headed to Jersey

Keenan Coleman, 6-foot-5,2009, wing/guard is leaving Flint Central H.S. for the garden state(New Jersey). Patterson Prep school will get one of Michigan's top players in the 2009 class. Early in Coleman's career he was being recruited by Michigan State. Keenan is still on the list of many mid-major plus programs and will get plenty of looks now that he is at a powerhouse prep school. We are not sure if he's going to reclassify or not...stay tuned for more.

Ohio State has 2012 prospect on campus..

Elijah Macon, 6-foot-7, 2012, PF from Marion Fraklin, Ohio visited Ohio State this past weekend and really enjoyed his time on campus. Stay tuned on this kid, he could be a future Buckeye very soon!(Elijah is our #1 prospect in the class of 2012).

DJ Cunningham getting Mid-Major Interest.

DJ Cunningham, 6-foot-9, 2009,PF from Waterford, Ohio has offers from Buffalo and high interest from Detroit Mercy and Bowling Green. DJ has great size, good hands, can shoot it out to 17 feet and is a bruiser inside. He is one of the top 5 centers is Ohio's 2009 class.

Jon Smith down to 3!

Jon Smith, 6-foot-7, 2009, PF from Grove City, Ohio took an official visit last weekend to St. Louis. Jon really liked the feel of the campus,along with the coaching staff and players. Jon said he is taking another official visit to Ohio University this month and possibly taking an unofficial to Xavier. Jon really wants to become part of a program where he can play and build the program into something special. He will be making his decision before November! Stay tuned for updates! (We feel Jon is a high-major role player and the most athletic prospect in Ohio's 2009 Class.)

Chris Braswell in Muskee Land...

Chris Braswell, 6-foot-8, 2009, PF from Hargrave Military Academy is visiting Xavier University this weekend. Braswell committed to Georgetown a year ago, but decided to return back to Hargrave for personal reasons. Chris is a top 100 prospect.

JD Weatherspoon visits OSU

JD Weatherspoon, 6-foot-6, 2010, PF from Columbus Northland is taking in the sights today at the Ohio State vs. Ohio University game. This is just an official visit, but obviously OSU has some interest in this high-riser! We will keep you posted on "Air Spoon" and how his visit went.

Carl Jones Visits...

Carl Jones,5-foot-11, PG from Garfield Heights is taking an Official Visit this weekend to St. Joe's. Carl is one of the Top 5 players in Ohio's Class of 2009.

Drew Mcghee going to Oxford!

Drew Mcghee, 6-foot-9, PF from North Ridgeville has verballed to Miami-Ohio. Drew had offers from Stanford, Penn State, Davidson, Western Michigan and interest from many other mid-majors.

Aaron Craft Commits!

Aaron Craft, 6-foot-2, combo guard from Findlay Liberty-Benton has verballed to Tennessee to play his college hoops for coach Pearl!