As individual matchups go, one of the highlights from the 2013 Mater Dei Nike Extravaganza set for Feb. 2 at Mater Dei will be the game matching Loyola and junior guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright against Etiwanda (Darren Collison's alma mater) and junior guard Jordan McLaughlin. Both are being pursued by UCLA. The game will played at 7:30 p.m.
"That should bring a nice crowd," Etiwanda Coach Dave Kleckner said.
The other terrific matchup has Long Beach Poly taking on St. John Bosco at 6 p.m.
On Feb. 1, here are the matchups: Orange Lutheran vs. Rialto (girls), 2:30 p.m.; St. Mary's vs. Sierra Canyon (girls), 3:45 p.m.; Saddleback Christian vs. Santa Margarita (boys), 5 p.m.; Brethren Christian vs. Servite (boys), 6:15 p.m.; Eisenhower vs. Mater Dei (boys), 7:30 p.m. and Mater Dei vs. Oaks Christian (girls), 9 p.m.
On Feb 2, the schedule (all boys games): Upland vs. Los Alamitos, 9 a.m.; Ocean View vs. Durango, 10:30 a.m.; Colony vs. Mission Viejo, noon; Fairfax vs. JSerra, 1:30 p.m.; Orange Lutheran vs. Bishop Gorman, 3 p.m.; De La Salle vs. Foothill, 4:30 p.m.; LB Poly vs. St. John Bosco, 6 p.m.; Etiwanda vs. Loyola, 7:30 p.m.; Mater Dei vs. Westchester, 9 p.m.
RecruitingNation: Vonleh moves to 2013 class
Noah Vonleh of New Hampton School (Haverhill, Mass.) moves from the No. 4 player the Class of 2014 to No. 7 in 2013. Dave Telep breaks down the surprise change in classification.
By Dave Telep | RecruitingNation
Updated: September 24, 2012, 3:47 PM ET
Noah Vonleh, a blue-chip power forward in the Class of 2014, has decided to enter college with the Class of 2013 after all, shaking up the recruiting landscape by immediately jumping into the top-10 prospects of the current senior class.
Vonleh, who is entering his fourth year of high school at New Hampton boarding school in New Hampshire, announced his intent to reclassify and is working toward playing college basketball in the fall of 2013.
"I'm ready academically to go back up to 2013," Vonleh said. "I just have to change an English class and I'll be ready to graduate. I'm more mature as a basketball player and as a person.
"From a basketball standpoint, I'm working even harder and I'm ready to go to college. I have a better understanding of what it takes to be good and be a student of the game," added Vonleh, of Haverhill, Mass.
Vonleh, ranked as the No. 4 prospect by ESPN in the Class of 2014, was inserted into the current senior rankings at No. 7 overall.
"He's starting to move at a pace that no one has ever seen before," New Hampton coach Pete Hutchins said. "He's really buying into learning about the game instead of just always playing it."
The Class of 2013, with its lack of overall frontcourt depth, added a piece that will be coveted by most if not all of the elite programs. Vonleh's length, rebounding and overall skill set should allow him to play both the small and power forward positions.
"I'm going to try and make a list of 10-15 schools and see what schools have scholarships open for me in 2013 and see who wants to recruit me," Vonleh said.
When asked which programs were recruiting him the hardest, Vonleh said Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio State.
The move up a grade is not unprecedented. In June, ESPN 100 wing Wayne Selden (Boston, Mass./Tilton) opted to insert himself back into his original class and is a senior.
However, Vonleh is among the youngest of his 2013 peers. Top-ranked senior Jabari Parker (Chicago, Ill./Simeon) is younger than Vonleh. Parker and Aaron Gordon (San Jose, Calif./Bishop Mitty) are considered the youngest elite players of the group and Vonleh is sandwiched -- age-wise -- between the pair.
Reclassifying is a trend that had been gaining popularity since 2010. The movement has its roots in New England where many of the nation's elite prep school and postgraduate programs reside.
Nerlens Noel, Andre Drummond, Khem Birch and Selden all are either from New England or spent time in a New England prep school. Each reclassified early in their careers only to insert themselves back into their original classes.
Vonleh's movement back into the senior class also has ramifications for postseason All-Star games. Had he remained in the 2014 class, he would have been ineligible for the McDonald's All American game as a fifth-year senior.
atrojanedbruin note: "As of September 24, per ESPN CB Recruiting, Vonleh has received offers from Arizona, Boston College, UConn, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, Marquette, Maryland, UNC, Ohio State, Pitt, Providence, Syracuse and UCLA. Not sure whether it affects these teams plans of recruiting Vonleh the fact that he is coming to play college basketball a year earlier than expected."
Douglass standout Stephen Clark was the boys basketball (and best dressed) Player of the Year as a junior, but he'll spend his senior season at Quest Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas.
As it turns out, star point guard Stephen Clark won’t spend his senior season at Douglass after all.
According to his mother, Dorshell Clark, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound scoring machine flew out Saturday morning to Las Vegas, where he will attend Quest Preparatory Academy for his final year before entering college next summer, in a story originally reported by ESPN.com.
Stephen Clark had toyed with the idea of graduating early and enrolling in college this summer.
While his academics were in order, he felt like he didn’t have enough time to make the proper decision. His options were limited as well, with only a few of the nearly 30 programs recruiting him having an open scholarship spot for the coming year.
The idea of leaving Douglass was prompted in May, when coach Terry Long, a lifelong friend of the Clark family, left the school to become the head coach at Mustang.
“I think Stephen still had his mind made up that he wanted to leave since Terry wasn’t going to be there,” Dorshell Clark said. “He told me he had nothing else to prove here. He didn’t want to win another title without Terry.”
Clark was the leading scorer the last three seasons for Douglass, which won the Class 4A state championship each season. Clark averaged 25 points and 11 assists per game as a junior, earning The Oklahoman’s Super 5 Player of the Year honor, among other notable awards.
He is being recruited by top programs in the state and across the country, from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, to Kentucky, UCLA and Connecticut. He believes Quest Prep gives him the opportunity to play against more and better competition on a national level to prepare himself for the college game.
“He told me he wants to go play against the best guys out there, and that wasn’t going to be there at Douglass,” Dorshell Clark said. “He deserves to get what he thinks he needs to get to the next level.”
Quest Prep is in its first year of existence. Stephen and Dorshell Clark visited the new campus two weeks ago.
“It’s a brand new place, and they painted a really pretty picture,” Dorshell Clark said. “They want Stephen to be the face of their program.
“He really likes the idea of being away from everybody back here. He feels he can go somewhere and focus on his game. No friends, no girls distracting him.”
Clark’s family will remain in Oklahoma City, including his younger brother, Deondre Clark, a highly recruited football player at Douglass.
Deondre Clark, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior defensive end, already has at least a dozen offers, including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, LSU and Missouri.
Dorshell Clark said they have arranged it with Douglass so Stephen can return to graduate with his classmates in May. He had already passed the proper credits to qualify for graduation earlier this summer.
Super Five Player of the Year had spent the last month at a Las Vegas prep school, but is returning home to play for the Trojans.
By Scott Wright NewsOK.com Published: September 25, 2012 Oklahoman
Stephen Clark's Las Vegas experiment is officially over.
Clark is moving back to Oklahoma City with plans to return to Douglass High School for his senior year, according to his mother, Dorshell Clark.
Stephen Clark, The Oklahoman's Super Five Player of the Year last season, spent the last month at Quest Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, but concerns about the first-year school have prompted his return to Oklahoma.
“I gave Stephen a chance out there and we gave the school a chance,” Dorshell Clark said. “But it didn't work out, and it's time for him to come home.”
Dorshell Clark said she was bothered by unresolved concerns about the school's academic programs in relation to NCAA guidelines. She also felt that the environment in Las Vegas left her son with little protection from individuals approaching him to be his representative for college recruiting purposes — in other words, street agents.
Stephen Clark averaged 25 points and 11 assists last season for Douglass. He has been the Trojans' leading scorer for the last three years, all of which ended with Class 4A state championships.
The move to Las Vegas was spurred, in part, by the departure of Douglass coach Terry Long, who took a job at Mustang after last season. Clark did not want to finish his career under a coach other than Long, a longtime family friend.
However, he returns to a team with several experienced players under new coach Anthony Andrews.
Stephen Clark is not expected to face any OSSAA eligibility issues, since he will be returning to the same home at the same school where his eligibility was previously established, without having participated in any contests at Quest Prep. Dorshell Clark said she had already been in contact with administrators at Douglass to begin the re-enrollment process.
Stephen Clark is being recruited by a variety of top programs across the nation and is in the process of scheduling official visits starting in October.
He will visit Oklahoma State, though not likely in an official capacity. Still, the Cowboys are very much in the recruiting mix, which is important for them, considering their needs at point guard.
OSU's coaching staff made a strong impression on the Clarks during their in-home visit. Originally scheduled for the afternoon of Sept. 9 — the first day coaches could make in-home visits with basketball recruits — Travis Ford and two assistants called to reschedule their arrival for midnight.
“They wanted to be the first ones there,” Dorshell Clark said. “That really showed us something.”
Clark is setting up visits to UCLA, Connecticut and Baylor, but has yet to determine where he'll go for the final two of his five allowed official visits.
By Adam Zagoria on September 25, 2012, 12:00PM
ZagsBlog.com
Having visited Steve Lavin’s current program, point guard Rysheed Jordan will next head to Lavin’s former program.
The 6-foot-4 1/2, 190-pound Jordan took an official to St. John’s this past weekend and trips to UCLA this coming weekend.
“It went good,” Jamie Ross, head coach at Philly Vaux Roberts High School, told SNY.tv Tuesday. “He liked the campus. He liked the coaching staff. He got a chance to see the guys and work out a little bit. He overall liked it.”
St. John’s had it’s “Dribble for the Cure” benefit on campus Saturday, when Lavin and several players spoke to the media.
Lavin is focusing on Jordan and forwards Jarell Martin, Jermaine Lawrence and Ish Wainright for 2013.
Martin and Lawrence are both expected to sign in the spring, and Jeff Jones, Martin’s high school coach, told SNY.tv that Martin “will definitely visit St. John’s, just not sure when.”
He will also likely visit Texas A&M, UCLA, Alabama and Oklahoma State, Jones said.
As for Jordan he heads to UCLA on Friday and Ross said “he may be going to Maryland.”
It remains unclear if Jordan will visit Maryland the weekend of Oct. 5 or for Midnight Madness Oct. 12. His AAU coach, Kamal Yard, previously said he would visit for Madness.
“I’m not sure,” Ross said of the date. “I know he’s going.”
Ross said Jordan is also considering Villanova, Temple and Xavier, among others. Rutgers has also been involved.
“He’s still open he’s still lstening to what coaches have to say,” Ross said. “He’s one of the most humble kids that I’ve known, especially with his type of talent.
“He’ll be respectful to everybody and sit down with his family and his other guys and make a decision and lay eveything out on the table.”
Ross said it was possible Jordan could wait until the spring to announce.
“He may, he may,” he said.
Wherever he goes, Ross expects him to be a major factor at the point.
“He’s going to be a kid, if he’s around a team where you got guys that can score and guys that can finish at the basket he can damn near average a triple-double,” Ross said. “He can rebound, he can pass and he can get to the basket.
“If he gets 30 it’s because the team needs him to get 30. He’s at his best when he’s driving and dishing. He’s definitely going to make everyone around him better.”
By Adam Zagoria on September 26, 2012, 2:26PM
ZagsBlog.com
Roddy Peters, one of the top point guards in the Class of 2013, visited Rutgers this past weekend and heads to UCLA Oct 5-7.
“He had a great visit,” DC Assault coach Damon Handon told SNY.tv. “He really enjoyed hanging with Jerome [Seagears] and Wally [Judge]. He was impressed with the talent Rutgers has.”
The 6-foot-4 Peters is the Rivals No. 9 point guard in the Class of 2013.
He heads to UCLA Oct. 5-7 along with Oklahoma City point guard Stevie Clark.
Philly Vaux Roberts point guard Rysheed Jordan was on St. John’s campus this past weekend and heads to UCLA this coming weekend.
Peters is also considering Xavier, Maryland, Georgetown and Kansas, but has no other visits set, Handon said. He has already visited Xavier.
“He’s an old-school combo guard,” Handon said. “He’s crafty, has good size and great vision. He has a high confidence level and a natural feel for the game.
“I think he’s one of the top five guards in the 2013 Class.”
Handon said he expects Peters to decide this fall sometime.
“I believe so,” he said. “He wants to make a decision soon so he can enjoy his senior year.”