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National Prep Championships

The National Championships of prep school basketball will take place next week at Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gymnasium in the Bronx.  The field includes the top 8 teams in the country according to the National Prep Poll. 

Hargrave Military Academy (VA), Findlay College Prep (NV), Patterson School (NC), Brewster Academy (NH), American Christian Academy (PA), Notre Dame Prep (MA), Harmony School (OH), and St. Thomas More School (CT) have all been selected to participate in the National Prep Championship beginning Tuesday. 

Kevin Keatts and his Hargrave squad earned the #1 seed after going undefeated through the regular season.  They are led by Roscoe Davis (West Virginia), Dee Bost (Mississippi State), and Chris Braswell (Georgetown).  On Tuesday night they will face the #8 seed St. Thomas More, featuring New York native Devin Ebanks, in the night’s first game scheduled for a 5 p.m. tip.  Ebanks is signed with Indiana, but could de-commit now that Kelvin Sampson has been fired.

Thursday Hoops Nuggets

There were a few shockers in the New Jersey state basketball playoffs on Thursday. Here's a quick rundown of some of what happened, and a look ahead to the coming days.

**Pittsburgh-bound G Ashton Gibbs (left) tallied 28 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 steals as Seton Hall Prep handled DePaul, 60-38, in North Non-Public A.

**DePaul junior Justin Crosgile, who holds offers from St. Joe's, St. John's, Rutgers and has interest from Michigan and Notre Dame, managed just 13 points in that game after coming back from a high ankle sprain.

**Providence-bound C Bilal Dixon tallied 10 points as No. 1 Queen of Peace was stunned by Immaculata, 57-55, in North Non-Public A. Uncommited unior guard Javae Gilchrist, one of the most exciting players in North Jersey, scored a game-high 20 points in that game.

**Iona-bound G Kyle Smyth of Don Bosco had 8 points and 7 assists as Don Bosco knocked off Delbarton, 58-39, in North Non-Public B. Senior teammate Georgio Milligan scored a game-high 22. With No. 1 Queen of Peace having been ousted, this bracket now looks like No. 2 Bosco's to lose.

**The North Non-Public B playoffs kick into high gear today. Seton Hall-bound PG Jordan Theodore and No. 4 Paterson Catholic, the newly minted Passaic County champs, host No. 5 St. Mary of Rutherford. Paterson Catholic also features sophomores Fuquan Edwin and Trevor CLemmings, who hold offers from Rutgers and Seton Hall, and Jayon James, who has offers from Seton Hall, Xavier and Fordham. In Jersey City, No. 1 St. Anthony with its six Division I players meets No. 8 Morristown Beard. On display for the Friars will be Rutgers-bound G Mike Rosario; Pitt-bound G Travon Woodall; Fordham bound G Jio Fontan and Fordham-bound F Alberto Estwick; Marquette-bound G Tyshawn Taylor; and star junior wing Dominic Cheek. In Elizabeth, No. 3 St. Patrick, the two-time defending Tournament of Champions winner, will host No. 6 Eastern Christian. The Celtics feature Kansas-bound F Quintrell Thomas and North Carolina-bound G Dexter Strickland. The semifinals in this bracket take place Monday, with the final set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Rutgers.

Evans Testifies in Murder Case

BROOKHAVEN, Pa. (AP) — Tyreke Evans bolstered his cousin's self-defense claim in court Thursday by testifying that he heard a gunshot outside his SUV before the cousin allegedly fired a lethal shot from the front seat.

Evans, named this month to the McDonald's All-American Team, said he was driving with a teammate and two cousins Nov. 25 in Chester Heights when his passengers shouted that someone was running toward them with a gun.

"I was pulling off and I heard a gunshot," Evans testified.

Read the full AP story here. For the latest on his recruiting situation, click here.

Valley Gets Some Revenge; West Milford Tops PV

WAYNE -- It doesn't quite make up for the football game, but it sure enables bragging rights in basketball.

Two months after the Wayne Hills football team defeated arch-rival Wayne Valley in the North 1, Group 3 football championship at Giants Stadium, the Indians exacted revenge on the basketball court with a 52-47 victory in the North 1, Group 3 quarterfinals at Wayne Hills.

In a tense, back-and-forth affair before about 1,000 screaming fans from both schools and both sides of town,  the No. 10 Indians (18-9) came from behind at the half and fought off a late surge by the No. 2 Patriots (19-8) to win their second straight road playoff game.

"It doesn't really match up (with the football game), but we're just glad to get out of here with a win. The state championship (in football) is tough to follow but it's a great feeling and it's great to get the win," said Valley senior forward Chris Pantale, who finished with 11 points, five blocks and four rebounds and was a starting tight end and defensive end on the  football team.

Richards Calls Jagger a "Power Freak"; Disses Zeppelin

A friend of mine told me he heard that Led Zeppelin will play New York City in September, but I've yet to see any actual tour dates posted. Robert Plant is out this summer with Alison Krauss until at least early July, so everyone figures the Zep dates would happen later in the summer or early fall.

Speaking of Zeppelin, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards claims he didn't even know the boys recently did a one-off reunion show in London in honor of Ahmet Ertegun.

When asked about the reunion in an interview for Uncut, Richards says, "They had one? Well, well done Jimmy (Page) and Robert (Plant)... Stairway To Heaven don't (sic) make it for me, baby."

In the same interview Richards also called Mick Jagger a “maniac” because of his need to feel in control.

Big East Notes & Quotes

Here are some highlights from today's Big East Conference Call, which focused on  what it's like to be a McDonald's All-American; how good Louisville and David Padgett (12-3) are; and how many teams should make the NCAA Tournament.

ON THE PRESSURE OF BEING A MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN

"I do think there' s so much expectations if you're a McDonald's All-American," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "We have a guy, Corey Stokes (from St. Benedict's Prep), who's finally playing like a McDonald's All-American. Those guys don't have a chance to be freshmen."

"I think Michael (Rosario) is a terrifically talented young man," added Rutgers coach Fred Hill. "It's a great honor that he has been selected as a McDonald's All-American. I can't speak to the pressure of being a McDonald's All-American, I wasn't that good. I don't know what that's like.

Don't Count out Texas

While everyone and his mother has Tyreke Evans going to Memphis or Villanova at this point, Reggie Evans says don't count out Texas.

"Texas is a beautiful campus and a great university," Reggie told Gerry Hamilton of Orangebloods.com. "Coach Todd (Wright), I can't say enough about how he could help Reke's body. Coach (Rick) Barnes is terrific. Coach (Russell) Springmann has been terrific. We have seen the development with Kevin (Durant) and what D.J. Augustin is doing. Texas is doing that for the kids. It's player development. It's a great situation."

Tyreke Evans visited Memphis for Saturday night's nationally televised game against Tennessee, won by the Volunteers.

Eastside Knocks off Kennedy; State Playoff Roundup

PATERSON -- The crowd started gathering outside Eastside High School two hours before game time Wednesday.

By the time the latest installment of the Kennedy-Eastside rivalry tipped off, there was a noisy standing-room only crowd inside the Eastside gym.

An hour and a half later, the No. 4 Ghosts sent their fans home happy and No. 5 Kennedy home for good with a 71-55 victory in the North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals.

Read the full story here. And for more on last night's action and tonight's tilts...

Stringer Wins 800th; Krzyzewski Up Next

Congrats to Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, who won her 800th career game Wednesday night with a a 60-46 victory over DePaul at the Rutgers Athletic Center.

Stringer joins Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and former Texas coach Jody Conradt as the only women's basketball coaces ever to win 800. Summitt (972) is still active, while Conradt (900) is retired.

Paterson's Essence Carson scored 20 points and Epiphanny Prince added 15 to lead Rutgers (23-4, 13-1 Big East), which moved into a tie with UConn atop the Big East Conference. The Huskies visit DePaul on Saturday and the Scarlet Knights host Syracuse before a showdown Monday night with the Huskies in Hartford.

Dakich Watches Ebanks

St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn says there is no movement on the Devin Ebanks situation and that he doesn't expect anything to happen for another two weeks.

The 6-9 Ebanks could try to get out of his Letter of Intent to Indiana now that former IU coach Kelvin Sampson has been fired. Ebanks looked at Rutgers, Miami and Texas before choosing Indiana.

"Dev is finishing his season and not making and decisions until the season ends," Quinn said Wednesday. "When the season ends we'll sit down with his family and his AAU people and decide what's best, so nothing should be happening for the next two weeks."

Ebanks had 44 points and 14 rebounds in St. Thomas More's win over South Kent Feb. 21. With interim Indiana coach Dan Dakich watching (and hoping to keep him locked up), Ebanks added 22 points in a 74-73 win Wednesday over Exeter in the first round of the NEPSAC playoffs.

The team could also be invited to participate in the National Prep Championship March 4-6 at Fordham University in the Bronx. The top eight teams in the National Prep Poll garner invites and STM is currently No. 7.