Alexander Brown
The recruiting circuit was on fire this weekend. Top coaches were spread across the country trying to see prospects at Nike, Adidas and Under Armor events. There’s a lot to catch up on, especially since basketball players were soaking up an incredible weekend of NBA postseason too.
Since we’re a helpful bunch at 247Sports, we decided to consolidate these notable findings into five important things you need to know this weekend.
Kiyan Anthony, Melo’s son, plays a lead role
Kiyan AnthonyThe rise of Adam Finkelstein has been one of the stories of this spring, and it was evident this weekend, writes Adam Finkelstein. After opening the weekend with 25 points against the PSA Cardinals and 18 against ProSkills, Anthony exploded for 28 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals on Saturday afternoon against Team Final. He scored 25 of those points in the first three quarters of the game, accounting for more than half of his team’s points at that point. The most impressive thing was that he did this by playing in the flow and without dominating the ball, but still being aggressive.
His pull-up game was especially potent. He was able to do this in a variety of ways, whether it was punishing defenders for not having their hands up, finding open space in transition, or putting defenders in jail when operating on ball screens. He also mixed impressive footwork off the catch, lay-up ability around the paint, and even the ability to get smaller guards to the post.
From a recruiting standpoint, Syracuse head coach Autry Red I was there along with two assistants. While your father, Carmelo Anthonycontinued to be a constant presence on the baseline, and even LeBron James appeared to control most of the game.” – Adam Finkelstien, 247Sports National Director of Scouting
Third Junior Candidate Darryn Peterson Gets Lots of Attention
Ranked as the third overall recruit in the junior class, Darryn Peterson reopened its recruitment at the end of April. He was originally among the final eight from Arkansas, Baylor, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio State, but saw half the programs undergo head coaching changes during the spring.
“Four of my eight coaches left where they were, so I decided to open up for my senior year,” Peterson told 247Sports. “I want to give everyone a chance again. I haven’t scheduled any official visits yet, but I’m looking forward to it because it’s time to start thinking about where I’m about to go.”
Peterson says each of the schools remains aggressively involved in their recruiting; however, João Calipari It is Own account these are two coaches we saw watching him from the sidelines during different parts of the weekend.
While discussing Calipari, Peterson completed his first official visit to Kentucky in early March. With Calipari taking the job at Arkansas, Peterson says his message remains the same.
“He’s been the same and still talks about having his players fight against Arkansas right now,” Peterson said of Calipari. “Nothing’s changed. He’s still recruiting me and he still wants me there.”
Self landed one of the top prospects on the 3SSB Circuit last year in Flory Bidunga and the Jayhawks are eager to repeat their success on the recruiting trail by signing Peterson. Peterson told 247Sports that he likes how the Jayhawks’ field matches what he wants from the school. – Brandon Jenkins, 247Sports national recruiting analyst
Koa Peat, a top-five junior, schedules first official visit of the summer
Top five juniors Koa Peat drew one of the biggest crowds on the first day of live classes of the year, writes Brandon Jenkins. A 6-foot-10 forward from Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry High, Peat is “falling” for a top 10 school list that includes Arizona, Arkansas, Arizona State, Baylor, Duke, Houston, North Carolina, Texas and UCLA .
Kentucky and Michigan were originally included on the list, but Peat says he hasn’t heard from either school since. Marcos Papa It is Dusty May were hired as head coaches.
Over the summer, Peat has been to Michigan, North Carolina and Texas for official visits so far and told 247Sports he has another official visit scheduled with Houston for June 6.
“I like their record,” Peat said of the Cougars. “They have a great team and coaching staff. Going there will be cool. KC Beard recruit me from there. I like how they play both sides. They are a winning team.”
In addition to Houston, Peat says he will also consider visiting Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor and Duke over the summer.
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Next Among LeBron’s Litter: Bryce James Brings His Best
In the confrontation against Nightyrdas, one of the best teams on the Nike EYBL Circuit and in front of some of the greatest coaches Bryce James brought his best in Indianapolis.
While his teammates struggled, James was the only one seemingly able to put the ball in the hole.
It was Bryce’s most aggressive outing to date on the offensive end of the court, playing with confidence and not being shy about pulling the trigger. With his father away, James scored 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, hitting five 3-pointers in the process. He also added five rebounds.
Bryce is ranked as the 39th shooting guard in the class of 2025.
Who Mark Pope and John Calipari Watched This Weekend
Newly named Kentucky head coach Mark Pope was on hand at the Nike EYBL event in Indiana this weekend, where he was scouting some of the biggest names on the circuit. However, his now conference rival and former legendary UK coach John Calipari of Arkansas was also in attendance trying to accomplish the same mission.
In the process, both Pope and coach Cal had their eyes on players like Dario Acuff Jr., AJ Dybantsa, Tyrant StokesShelton Henderson et al.
There have been some rumors about Acuff leaning towards Arkansas. But as of now, it’s too early to call it.
Could Pope and Calipari be moving toward an epic recruiting tug-of-war for one of these elite prospects?
