Interesting Basketball News

[bullpen1]

Possible new recruit

www.setonhall.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=330&tid=42156379&sid=&style=2

[Markeymark]

I thought the comment about us making inroads in NJ recruiting was interesting, since just about everybody else in the country does the same thing...I mean how many NJ/NY kids wind up playing for Seton Hall? There are a bunch of D-1 programs up there and this guy is worried about USF?

[Guest HowieP1]

I wrote about him some time ago. We are first on his list, but it is just a question of whether he will qualify or go to prep school.

He would be a tremendous pick-up if we could land him now.

http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=359&p=8&c=1&nid=1216930

[bullpen1]

Seton Hall obviously recruits on a national level, but being that the school is in Northern NJ, they have 7 players from the NY/NJ area on their team.  I don't think he is worried about USF.  Obviously our new Assistant is a very good addition to the staff.

[Guest HowieP1]

I tried to read the article in the Bergen Record but need to register to do so, and my cookies are disabled.

http://www.bergen.com/

If you type in "Hashim" in their search feature you'll find that article and one other on him within the last two weeks.

[GarySJ]

I liked this comment on the thread:

(USF) happens to have Julius Allen there as an assistant coach and he is GREAT working with big people. Originally a great player from the Bronx, Julius knows how to get kids to another level. He begged for jobs in this area to no avail. he gets S. Fla and comes into NJ and steals a kid with great upside. He also is involved with many other local kids. remember this is the guy that coached the NY Gauchos two summers ago to the national number 1 ranking of AAU/Club teams.

With that in mind it will be interesting to see what Konimba Diarra looks like this year.

[Omniscientbull]

Diarra is still a few years from being a consistent contributor.  I think we'll see him redshirt this year or potentially the following year.

[Guest HowieP1]

Sounds like he'll be able to handle himself in the Big East!  ;D

Passaic Tech hoops standout Bailey has ring talent, too    

Friday, October 29, 2004

By KEITH IDEC

HERALD NEWS

When Passaic Tech assistant boys basketball coach Mike Boorman called Hashim "Big City" Bailey and offered the Bulldogs' star center a skills challenge on Oct. 21, Bailey immediately accepted.

But Boorman's proposal didn't have anything to do with practicing post moves, defensive positioning or his touch around the rim. Wayne's Boorman, a son-in-law of legendary trainer Lou Duva, asked Paterson's Bailey about boxing the next night at the Hall of Fame Boxing Center in West Paterson. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Bailey had never even sparred, but had recently received lessons and was motivated to box because he had long been a fan of former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis.

Needless to say, his 6-foot-2 opponent, a Fairfield real estate broker, wasn't exactly thrilled to encounter this replacement opponent for a fight at an exhibition event billed "White Collar Boxing." The man was less pleased when one of Bailey's downhill, overhand right hands dropped him in the third round, headgear and all. Though no winners were announced and every participant received a trophy, the one-sided result stunned some of Bailey's strongest supporters.

"(Passaic Tech point guard) Dion (Sumblin) looked at (Bailey)," Boorman recalled, "and says, 'City, you're fighting a grown man. You're going to get your (butt) kicked.' "

This, however, is a more motivated Bailey, one who hopes his improved physical condition will help him operate at 100 percent during his senior season.

He averaged 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks in helping lead Passaic Tech to the NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 title as a junior. And South Florida is already recruiting him legitimately, while Memphis and St. John's have expressed interest in the developing prospect, too. But Bailey understands that stamina is the key to making him an unquestioned high-major Division I recruit.

He hit the weights harder than ever in West Paterson a couple months ago, and quickly became curious about the boxing rings in the adjacent Hall of Fame Boxing Center. He had tried boxing five years earlier, but left the Joe Grier Boxing Academy in Paterson as a 6-foot-3 seventh-grader after about three months. Bailey had since wondered what it would be like to participate in a competitive match.

"I think I did pretty good," Bailey said. "I didn't know I was that powerful, that I could knock someone down like that. It felt good."

It was such an empowering experience, Bailey would like to try it again.

"(Boxing is) something that just allows you to let your anger go," Bailey said, "and you can't do that on the court."

Basketball practice officially begins four weeks from today, though, so Bailey's second bout might have to wait until he makes a prep school or college commitment.

"For a fun kind of thing, against a guy without too much experience, we'd definitely do it again," said Boorman, also a teacher at Passaic Tech. "The last thing I need to do is explain to a college coach that he lost his 6-10, 250-pound center because he tore a knee ligament in the second round."

Reach Keith Idec at (973) 569-7073 or idec@northjersey.com.

http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1NzEmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY2MDYwODkmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk5

[USFCollin]

I was at practice yesterday, and Diarra looked better than I've ever seen.  He still makes mistakes (out of position, not moving to the right spot on defense), but his finishing around the rim is much better, his hands have seemed to have softened up tremendously, and he's much more aggressive on both boards.  I would be surprised to see him burn a redshirt this season with only Solomon Jones, Brandon, and Terrence as our only other big bodies.  

Melvin Buckley is an absolute beast.  Strong, long, with the 3 ball, tremendous basketball IQ and work ethic.  He was forcing turnovers by himself in the backcourt, getting out in transition and finishing, doing everything you could ask, and playing great team ball.  It's awful he has to sit out this season, as him and Terrence would give us two very athletic scoring threats.  

Of the new kids, Collin Dennis (no, not me) has all the tools, and will be a very good player.  He's still learning the X's and O's, but seems to have a very high ceiling.  Wouldn't be surprised to see him start very soon.  Marius Prekevicius needs to work on his ball handling, but has that European 3 ball that stretches defenses.  His handle would make him a big liability at the point, but as a bench guy to come in at the 2 and drop treys he could be a spark plug.  Chris Capko (who I think isn't eligible until January) needs to work on his handle as well, but he's ahead of Marius as far as backing up Swiftie I would think because of the extra time he's had in the offense.  Solomon Jones seems raw and skinny, but again seems to have a lot of room to improve.  I think the weight room will help him more than anything.  

Mosley didn't practice, don't know if he's hurt or had class... but I would assume that he has a place in the starting lineup.  That means PT for some of these guards might be hard to come by.  Terrence, Brandon, and Konimba I think will get most of the minutes up front, with Jones behind them.  With the way this team plays defense, especially early in the year with this schedule, they'll have no problem going 10-11 deep.  I'll be very interested to see who's in that final rotation by the midway point of conference play.  

[Velcro]

Collin, Prek isn't even a pt guard anyway.... he is a SG/SF type of player.  If he is set to backup Swift, we may be in trouble.  We have enough pt guard types without trying to put a 6'5 sharp shooter with no handles at the point.  Dennis and Waters should be swift's backup.