New York Fall Exposure Classic Recap

October 5th, 2011
New York Recruiting Report
With many college coaches on hand, many players shined at the Island Garden in West Hempstead on Sunday.

Sunday was the feature day of Hoop Mountain’s Long Island invasion at the Island Garden, as the region’s top D2 and D3 coaches came out to watch the future stars of their programs. The day began with athletic testing. Once that was completed, the players took part in individual skill development drills. After, they were divided up into teams and engaged in round-robin match-ups. The games were close throughout, as players showed tremendous effort on both ends of the floor, making the games seem more than just “showcase” games. With over 100 players from the NY area, several stood out:

Top Performers:
Aaron Brodie (Newark East Side)- The senior definitely demonstrated the most polished post game of any player here. Able to get open easily in the post, the 6’6’’ Jersey product seemed relaxed and confident catching the ball and making his move. He had all the coaches buzzing with the types of spins, fakes, and rip throughs that should definitely make him a threat at the next level.

Fall Jam Fest Photo's

From Hoopgroup Facebook page......Friend Request them.....

Eddie Griffin NJ Sophs

The Eddie Griffin Challenge annually matches up the top NJ players versus their counterparts in Philadelphia. The 3 game showcase will be held on Sunday October 9, 2011 @ the Haverford School in Haverford Pennsylvania. It is the 9th year for the prestigious event.

Ismael Sanogo
6'5 Forward
Pictured

Alternate - Akbar Hoffman
5-foot-11 Combo
Newark Eastside

Ahmad Harrison Intro

Info from Basketball Spotlight:

Ahmad Harrison Guard (Newark, NJ)- Harrison had a MVP type performance. He was truly in attack mode all afternoon. The Brick City product drove the ball down the teeth of the defense and converted in traffic. He also showed range from the perimeter when knocking down a couple of treys

Ahmad Harrison - Harrison played well against his former squad. He attacked the glass for rebounds and showed an improved mid range jump shot. Ahmad is an impact player when he’s playing under control.

SMU and Carey Reconnect...

E.J. Holland
PonyPride.com

Rumors regarding 2012 point guard Tariq Carey have been swirling around the recruiting circuit. Statements have been made that Wake Forest is his only offer and that the Demon Deacons are his clear cut favorite, but Carey denies both of these accusations. In fact, the highly touted ball handler has official offers from seven schools and Wake Forest is not one of them.

"I don't know what happened. I went to camp down at Wake Forest, and a scout put up that I had an offer. That's just not true," Carey said. "I don't have an offer from them. I thought I would have had an offer by the way I performed, but I don't so it is what it is. I don't have any favorites right now because there are a lot of schools that are showing interest in me. I'm definitely open to everybody."

One viable option for Carey happens to be SMU, which extended an offer two weeks ago. The New Jersey native has a growing interest in the Mustangs after initially visiting the Hilltop as a freshman and loves what both the program and school have to offer.

"SMU called and offered me right after the Reebok Breakout Challenge. They said that they like my game and stuff like that. They want to try to get get me down there, and they think I'll be a good fit in Conference USA," he said. "They really noticed me when I played there at their school during the Reebok Underclassmen as a freshman. I like that SMU plays in Conference USA, so you can't go wrong. I saw them play a couple of times last year, and I like the way they play.

"I actually went back down there for a visit after I played there as a freshman so I know a lot about the school. The campus is nice, and it's in Dallas. I would definitely feel comfortable playing there. Basketball is big down there so I know I'll get a lot of love, and I have a good relationship Coach [Matt] Doherty. Steve Lutz, who recruited me back as freshman left to Creighton, but I still like SMU, and they are definitely in the running. "

Carey hopes to see an even bigger spike in his recruitment this fall after transferring from East Side to St. Benedict's Prep at the end of this past school year.

"I start at St. Benedict's in August. I transferred right after the school year finished. I played a lot of summer league games with them, and we were 11-0. It seems like a lot people don't respect inner city basketball so I just decided to do what's best for me and take my talents to St. Benedict's," said Carey of the move. "The coaches are really great. Their head coach Mark Taylor coached at St. Joe's Metuchen when Jayson Williams and Andrew Bynum were there so he has a lot of information to give out. Troy Long is still my mentor, he handles all of my recruitment."

As Carey stated, he still keep in close contact with Troy Long, who coached him at East Side and helped him make the transition from shooting guard to point guard last season. When asked about his former player, Long praised Carey's abilities on the court and affirmed that the 2012 prospect would be a valuable asset to any Division I program.

"This summer has been all about showing colleges that he can play point guard. He's sacrificed his scoring numbers and is out to prove that he can run a team. He's done a good job, and his size for the position is great," Long said. "I think if he goes to a mid-major, he can make an immediate impact. If he goes to a bigger school, I see him as a role player during his freshman year, then breaking out as a sophomore. I just think he has a tremendous upside."

Carey has spent all summer playing AAU, but plans to take some recruiting trips soon. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, has an idea on where he wants to take his official visits and will begin narrowing down his list before summer ends.

"I want to try to get down to Clemson and Virginia soon. I don't have any officials planned yet, but by September I should know what's going," Carey said. "I definitely want to take a trip back down to SMU and Marshall so those are two definite schools right there, but as far as the other ones, I'll just have to wait."

Carey also added that he will make his final decision during early signing period.

RBK Write Up's

Tariq Carey- Carey, a 6’2 guard who runs with the New York Panthers on the AAU circuit, showed off an ability to handle point guard duties at the college level today. Off the bat, Carey hit a runner in the lane then slashed to the basket for a tough layup. More impressive than his ability to score the ball was his ability to get easy baskets for his teammates. Carey unselfishly dished off the ball at least twice on breaks, leading to dunks or layups. Based off his performance today where he showed that he can manage a game at the point, it would be surprising if Carey didn’t see his share of high-major interest throughout the rest of the summer.

Tariq Carey had a solid day. The 6-foot-2 guard made plays, attacked the basket and even worked in a few jump shots. He also proved to be a hard worker, doing extra skill development activities when his team was scheduled for a break.

Jamal Reed Led East Side In Just June League

Newark East Side lost in the Semi-Finals and were led by Jamal Reed with 21 points. We will look to Reed big time next year and expect big things from Aaron Bodie.

Paterson…….. The Playaz Club and Paterson Recreation sponsored” Just June” basketball tournament for highschool teams concludes this week with it’s playoffs tuesday with quarterfinals action and thursday with semifinals and finals! The league showcased 9 teams with Paterson Eastside, Hudson Catholic, Teaneck, Newark East Side, Columbia, Hackensack, Nia Prep, Englewood and East Orange all participating! The first 8 made the playoffs as the action has been tough and each team has been preparing for the season with a mixture of veteran players and incoming freshman! Newark East Side finished as the #1 seed for the playoffs!

Reebok Headliner Tryout Recap

Tariq Carey SG ’12 Newark Eastside (NJ): Arguably the top performer of the day, Carey arrived late from taking the SAT and continued to school his competition upon stepping on the floor. The 6’2 guard scored in various fashions on Saturday. From knocking down long-range three’s to finishing at the rim, Carey caused havoc for opposing defenders. Aside from scoring in bunches, Carey dished out an array of assists as well, proving he has the ability to play both guard positions.

Gym Rats Recap

17:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE TEAM

Aaron Bodie, (6-6 F) N.J. Roadrunners/East Side H.S.: An extremely high-energy player who is very active on the offensive boards. A player whose athleticism adds to his overall game. Showed a nice shooting touch here out to the foul line. Has drawn early interest from Temple, among others.

Kasim Chandler (5-11 PG) Sports U Team IZOD/Newark East Side: Tremendous end-to-end speed and can get into the lane at will. Has a yo-yo handle and is rarely out of control. Ultimate pass-first point guard who always finds open teammates at the right time. More than a capable scorer who is at his best attacking the basket. Interest from Siena, Xavier, Providence, SMU, Seton Hall.

15:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Akbar Hoffman (5-11 PG) N.J. Roadrunners/Newark East Side: Strong with the ball. Good pull-up jumper that fell often. Goes strong to the basket and showed great court vision in finding open teammates. Prolific scorer with very good point guard skills.

Ismael Sanogo (6-5 SF) N.J. Roadrunners/ Newark East Side: Long wing player who is strong enough to be his team’s best rebounder as well. Has a strong handle which made him a big match-up problem for all opponents.

Sports U Takes Title

Sports U emerged as champions of the Hoop Group Headquarters Spring Jam Fest in two seperate divisions. Sports U beat Team Phiily for the titles late Sunday afternoon in the 17 & Under and 16 & Under brackets. They came out on top from fields of 28 and 24 teams respectively.

In the 17 & Under championship 6-foot-6 Britton Academy NC Sr. Dustin Hogue scored on a putback with :01 remaining to give Sports U a 57-55 win. The New York native was named MVP and finished with a team high 15 points.

6-foot-7 Trenton Catholic Jr. Brandon Taylor paced Team Philly with 19 points and 4 treys.

Roadrunners Take Title

The NJ State 17 & Under AAU Tournament wrapped up early Sunday at Linden High School with the championship and 3rd place games. The Roadrunners edged the Hot Shots for the 2011 title.

The Roadrunners (Jamal Reid and Aaron Bodie) emerged from a field of 24 teams. Trailing 40-37 heading into the final quarter the Roadrunners took control of the game and held onto it from the free throw line. They converted 14-17 free throws in the final stanza.

6-foot-8 Union So. Tyler Roberson paced the winners with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 6-foot-8 Roselle Catholic Jr. Jameel Warney was high for the Hot Shots with 16.

Nitty Gritty Begins at IS8/Nike

Jay Mumford
NYCHoops.net Staff Writer

One would assume that when the playoffs begin at iS8/Nike Spring HS Classic, playtime ends. The intensity grows fiercer and the scoreboard gets tighter.

However, Thursday night's inaugural playoff games for the Spring 2011 season disproved that theory, as the Panthers (2) and Pennsylvania-based Sportsfest.org put away their opponents without much hassle.


Panthers subdue TGT Warriors, 73-63

For the first six minutes of action, this one had the potential to get ugly. The Panthers (2 / 17U) squad employed a taxing press that turned TGT over repeatedly. The mid-range touch of Travis Flagg and the open court prowess of Tariq Carey helped the Panthers make a push at the other end of the floor, and they consequently secured an early 16-2 lead. To make matters worse for TGT, one and done offensive possessions meant they had another Achilles' Heel in the rebounding department. However, they eventually threw some of the Panthers' medicine back at the NYC unit and showed signs of life.

TGT's 2-2-1 press exploited some of the Panthers' lackluster possessions, and an 8-2 run to close the first quarter got the Bronx-based TGT back into the game. Hot-shooting senior guard Jonathan Loria began to percolate in the second quarter, and with a little help from Donte Adams, chipped the Panthers' lead to three points, 30-27. The duo would go on to score all 32 of TGT's second half points, with Loria putting on a clinic and finishing with a game high 29 points. It wasn't enough, though. Flagg and Carey drained back to back threes at the top of the second half to deflate the Warriors, and the latter drained another later in the period to bring the Panthers' lead back to double digits, 55-43. TGT were never able to get over the hump and never held a lead in the contest.

Carey and Flagg led the Panthers with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Ryan Yearwood chipped in with 9 points. Adams was the number two scorer for TGT with 24 points.

The Panthers (2) will face NIA Prep on Saturday at 9AM.

Panthers II Flatten Mountain Ball

LONG ISLAND CITY, NY - On Sunday, Mountain Ball from Hyde Park, NY would become educated in the ways of the iS8/Nike.

In a tournament whose motto is "Bring your game, not your name", Mountain Ball came equipped only with the latter.

Obviously virgins in the tournament, up against the NY Panthers who've won multiple chips in event, the outcome became clear early on. Even though it was the junior Panthers squad, Mountain Ball would still end up losing, 73-40, in a game that literally turned into a practice session.

The final pool play game for both teams was played at Variety Boys & Girls Club. It would be the Panthers who would strike first, jumping ahead 11-3 as Tariq Carey and Eddy Guisarry put up transition points. Mountain Ball did manage some interior points as big man Keon Scott and JaQuan Bryant showed some offensive prowess.

Ahead 19-9 as the second quarter began, another 8-0 run with points in the paint by Travis Charles pushed the Panthers lead to 18 points midway thru the quarter and 43-16 at halftime.

Down by 30 at the end of three quarters, Panthers head coach Paul Ruddock used the fourth quarter to teach his students the art of playing keep away.

Without a shot clock, Mountain Ball was defenseless against the Panthers ability to run time off the clock. Even though the Panthers tried not to score, they still managed to increase their lead to thirty-three before the refs mercifully called the game.

Carey and Charles led the way for the Panthers with 13 points apiece while Bryant was the high man for Mountain Ball with 12 points followed by Scott with 8 points.

At 3-1, the Panthers are in a three way tie for first place in their pool while Mountain dropped to 1-3 excluding themselves from playoff contention.

Spring Break Photo's of the Frosh

iS8/Nike

It may have been raining outside intermittently but inside the gym at Intermiate School #8 the reign was steady.

Two games were scheduled on Thursday and although each game took a different path, the out was the same, a blowout. In the opening contest, the NY Panthers (2) took on the MetroHawks followed by Playaz Club Jrs. versus Royalty.

Panthers Eat MetroHawks, 52-30

Carlos de Jesus, rising senior from J.F.K Campus got the ball rolling got the Panthers, spearheading an 11-3 run from the perimeter. Jeff Neverson would cut the Panthers lead to 5 points with 2 minutes left in the quarter but a late surge left MetroHawks down 19-7 to start the second quarter.

The Panthers lead extended to 16 point before Leroy Fludd began to do some work in the interior but Tariq Carey finished strong keeping the Panthers advantage steady. Addition buckets by De Jesus and Eddy Guisarry would keep the point spread at 34-17 at the half.

The third quarter was a mirror image of the second as the MetroHawks' deficit remained at 16 points at throughout. At the bottom of the fourth quarter, the MetroHawks had all but checked out as runner by Travis Flagg extended the Panthers lead to 20 points. If this were a movie, the credit would've begun to roll as the Coach Paul Ruddock and his Panthers would close out the MetroHawks.

Carry led the Panthers with 16 points with De Jesus and Guissary dropping 8 points apiece. Neverson and Fludd would lead the MetroHawks with 11 points and 10 point respectively.