Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/3)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

With 10 seniors returning from last year’s Division II state champion team, Lincoln has another state title in its sights. The Hornets opened the ESPN iScore Holiday Classic on Monday with a convincing 95-75 win over the Curtis (Wash.) Vikings in the National Division at Torrey Pines High....Norman Powell (19 points), Tyree Robinson (11 points) and Josh Smith (10 points) also finished in double figures for Lincoln. San Diego Reader 12/27

Both teams went scoreless over the next three minutes until Norman Powell drove to the hoop and converted a three-point play to make it 61-56. Powell punctuated Lincoln’s win by finishing an alley oop off the backboard from teammate Tyree Robinson in the game’s closing seconds. “I screamed as loud as I could to throw it off the backboard because I saw No. 24 trying to catch up to Tyree and foul him,” Powell said. “He threw it and I went up and got it.” Powell led all scorers with 19 points, and was one of three Lincoln players in double figures. The UCLA-bound senior shot 7-for-11 from the field and delivered a handful of clutch shots in the second half. “I’ve been going through a shooting slump, but I believed that my shot was going to come and I was going to get buckets and that’s what I did,” Powell said. Lincoln advances to the National Division semifinals Wednesday at 7 p.m. where they will meet Long Beach Poly (10-0). San Diego Reader 12/29

Norman Powell (San Diego, Calif./Lincoln), SG, 6-3, 190 pounds, Powell is a diamond in the rough on the offensive end. He gets most of his points in transition and shooting over the top of his defender in the midrange area. His ballhandling and 3-point touch (fades too much) need to tighten up, but he'll add much-needed athleticism to Ben Howland's lineup. ESPN 12/31

Recruits

Horizon Christian's Jordan Tebbutt produced the best individual performance of the tournament so far after scoring 41 points. The highly recruited junior swingman made 13 of 23 shots while displaying a dazzling variety of shots, sometimes against double- and triple-teams. "Jordan was amazing," Central Catholic coach Mike Petrino said. Oregon Live 12/28

The Gaels from Las Vegas were led by Shabazz Muhammad's 26 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-7 Muhammad made 12 of 16 shots and helped the Gaels (6-2) make 37 of 63 shots (58.7 percent). Oregon Live 12/28

Billed as one of the top prospects in the Class of 2012, L J Rose lived up to expectations in controlling every phase of the game, leading his team to a blowout win. Rose finished with a game high 14 points to go along with six assists and three rebounds. He finished as one of three team members in double figures along with Stephen Strachan and Remardo King who each finished with 10. The Tribune 12/28

Anrio Adams, Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) Almost every college in the Pac-10 has offered a scholarship to Adams even though he is still a junior. The 6-foot-3 point guard, who can shoot from three-point land, connected on 5-of-9 from beyond the arc in last week’s game against Cleveland (Seattle, Wash.) and led the Quakers with 40 points in a 76-50 triumph. He was one of the most talked about players in the West last summer. ESPN RISE 12/28

Brandon Ashley, 2012, PF, 6-8, 215, After subpar first half in terms of effort (struggled to finish with contact) and production, Ashley dominated the second half as he led his team to a semifinal battle against an outstanding Long Beach Poly squad. Ashley utilized his length and soft hands to convert numerous baskets in the paint area. Defensively, he had a number of high-level blocks where he was able to keep the ball in play to get spark his team's transition game. Overall, Ashley has an immense upside but his fundamentals (brings the ball down) and skill-set (limited post moves) need to improve immensely for him to maintain his lofty national ranking. ESPN 12/29

Seattle continues to pump out prospects and the next one in line is 6-3 junior Anrio Adams (Franklin). Adams needs to learn how to play (shot selection and overall decision making can be problematic), but he has a terrific body with great length and he's a natural scorer. ESPN 12/29

Another one of Oregon's most heralded basketball prospects is considering leaving the state. Horizon Christian standout Jordan Tebbutt said this week he is considering a move to Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, a renowned high school basketball power. "If I want to go, my parents are 100 percent OK with it," said Tebbutt Wednesday at the Les Schwab Invitational. "But I would say I'm about 80 percent sure I'm going. I'm planning on making a final decision in January." Tebbutt, the 2009-10 Class 3A Player of the Year in Oregon and a highliy-touted basketball prospect, has long drawn interest from the nation's top college programs. As a sophmore, Tebbutt had coaches from all over the country attending his games at Tualatin's Horizon Christian. With over twenty scholarship offers attached to his name already, Tebbutt isn't seeking the exposure Oak Hill Academy would most certainly offer, rather, the experience the school could provide him. "I just have a lot of friends that are going there. It's my senior year and it sounds like it would be fun. I also think it would be good preparation before going to college." Oregon Live 12/30

The Monarchs outscored Foothill by 15 points in the second quarter to take a big lead and cruised to a 69-48 victory in an Orange Holiday Classic semifinal game at Chapman University....Three Monarchs scored in double figures. Junior forward Xavier Johnson had a game-high 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and freshmen Shaqquan Aaron and Stanley Johnson scored 11 and 10, respectively. OC Register 12/30

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-9 senior forward from IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., is expected to choose a school either Monday or Tuesday. It’s believed either KU, Kentucky or Texas will land Rivals.com’s No. 9-rated player. Oregon also is on Daniels’ list. KU Sports 12/31

Brandon Ashley, 2012, PF, 6-8, 215 pounds, Ashley is still raw in many areas of the game (footwork and bringing the ball down) and his motor runs hot and cold, but his overall talent is undeniable. His length is extraordinary and he has some soft hands as well, while finishing in the paint. ESPN 12/31