7/24/2015 football Edit

EYBL: Watson nearing a decision

Sean Williams

Special to Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting

THE RIVALS150: 2016 | 2017

Louisville, Ky. - The first full day at the AAU Super Showcase featured some top-level talent from the 2016 and 2017 classes. The action-packed Thursday was bookended by some fierce rivalries among EYBL teams, but wedged in the middle were other teams and talented prospects that made big statements as well.

Watson shines, prepares for decision

The morning started off with a festive contest between a pair of teams that are quite familiar with each other on the EYBL circuit in All-Ohio Red and Wisconsin Playground Elite.

Wisconsin Playground Elite controlled much of the first half and held a 28-22 lead at the half, but that's when All-Ohio Red came storming back with the help of shooting guard Ibi Watson, who dropped 17 points as his team lit up the second half and secured a 69-58 victory.

The 6-foot-4 Watson showed off his full arsenal of talents by dropping three 3-point field goals, driving to the basket and creating, being active on the glass, and using his length to be a disruptor on defense by blocking a couple of shots and forcing a couple of steals.

Indiana and Michigan were the headliners there watching Watson on Thursday morning.

"I like Indiana a lot," Watson said. "It's a great school with a lot of great tradition and everything and the coaching staff has a great plan for me. They like the way I can shoot it and they like that I can get out and run, so they said it would be a good fit for me."

The Wolverines are another Big Ten team that is keeping a close eye on the Pickerington Central (Oh.) product and could be on the brink of offering. It's a program he's already quite familiar with.

"I've visited Michigan twice," Watson said. "I think they like me a lot and they just want to finish out the month, watch me play one tournament and go from there."

Florida, VCU and Missouri are other schools showing interest. Despite the newfound attention, he intends to make his decision in the near future.

"I want to commit sometime after this month and try to get it done before the high school season, pretty soon," Watson said.

Boo Williams 17U rolls

There is always a plethora of talent associated with the Boo Williams program out of Virginia and on the 1 p.m. crowd was given a treat watching their gifted 17U lineup show out as they defeated Team Work (Oh.) by a final score of 80-60. The likes of Virginia Tech, Georgetown and a full row of coaching staffs were on hand.

Small forward Deshawn Corprew put his physical game on display, leading the way with 24 points. Corprew created offense in various ways - driving to the basket and finishing around the rim and showing off his stroke by stepping back and knocking down three-pointers - and he's also a great one-on-one defender that forced three steals and can be a force around the rim as a shot-blocker as well.

The 6-foot-5 wing appears to be getting closer to a decision, having trimmed his list of schools recently.

"I just cut my list down to Florida State, Texas, Arkansas Little-Rock, East Carolina, and Cincinnati," Corprew said. "So, that's the only ones I'm looking at right now."

Rivals150 point guard Curtis Jones also led the way for Boo Williams with 23 points. The four-star prospect showed off a quick first step and blew by defenders all day while finishing strong around the rim and converting a lot of and-one attempts. Jones is also a tremendous asset on defense, using his quickness to keep his defender locked in front of him and taking away any offensive threat.

The 6-foot-4 floor general is looking to put more focus on his recruiting once the July period is over and done.

"I'm going to Indiana the 28th or 29th (of August) and I will visit Oklahoma State and Georgetown, but those dates aren't set yet," he told Rivals.com.

Those schools will make Jones' list of his final six or seven schools, a decision he plans on making in the near future with programs like Wake Forest, Florida, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Penn State also in contention.

Hauser leads Wisconsin Academy

Marquette commit Sam Hauser helped pave the way for his Wisconsin Academy team with 22 points in the morning session as they cruised to a 68-48 win over Metro Boston.

"We've just been moving the ball really well and sharing it," Hauser said. "We're an unselfish team which really helps. We're undersized, but we can shoot it really well and that's what helps and that's what we do best."

The 6-foot-6 small forward has a polished back-to-the-basket game and can front-face defenders on the offensive end as well. His versatility was displayed more than a few times when he decided to take the ball at the top of the key and drive to the basket, stop on a dime, and knock down a quick pull-up jumper.

His offensive game has been a focus of improvement for the Stevens Point (Wisc.) product this summer and the results have shown.

"The main thing I've been working on is just trying to stay lower when driving to the basket and working on my handles a little bit," Hauser said. "I've been getting better and stronger, so that's helped a lot."

Hauser has been committed to the Golden Eagles since May, and he admits he's found the place he loves and is happy for the recruiting process to be in the rear-view.

"It's a big relief," Hauser said. "I don't have to worry about this recruiting stuff anymore and it's good to get it off my shoulder, but I just love it at Marquette. The coaching staff really supports me and I'm excited for the future."

The Indy Hoosiers suffered a tough 60-58 loss to Team Power (Ga.) in an entertaining game that was extremely close throughout. Four-star center and Butler commit Joey BrunkClick Wisconsin Playground Elite 2017 shooting guard Jordan PooleClick News and notesHere to view this Link. is a fast-rising prospect that has been displaying his array of offensive talents, proving that he's not just a deadly jump shooter. NebraskaClick News and notesHere to view this Link., MemphisClick News and notesHere to view this Link. and Marquette all offered the three-star prospect earlier this week.Here to view this Link. was impressive, using his physical 6-foot-10, 230-pound frame and athleticism to be the force in the paint on his way to scoring 19 points and grabbing a handful of hard-fought rebounds for the Hoosiers.

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