SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Action continued at the Hoop Hall Classic on Sunday, and several big-name players took to Naismith Court inside Blake Arena. Although the one-on-one matchup between the nation's top player,
Andrew Wiggins, and top 10 senior
Noah Vonleh never quite materialized, there was plenty to discuss.
The building was juiced with anticipation as Wiggins and Huntington (W.Va.) Prep took the floor to face Vonleh and New Hampton (N.H.) Prep. It wasn't like it was a two-man show, either, because both programs are loaded with talent. But Wiggins/Vonleh was the marquee matchup and it unfortunately never really got going in Huntington's 55-47 win.
While Wiggins drew an early assignment against New Hampton point guard
Travis Jorgenson, Vonleh checked Wiggins on the other end. The result was two really quick fouls on Vonleh as he tried to contain Wiggins' electric first step. Foul trouble was a major theme for Vonleh. The
Indiana signee played only 16 minutes before fouling out with nine points and five rebounds.
The undecided Wiggins showed glimpses of what he does with his first step and uncanny explosion in traffic (even when he can't get footing), and he used his straight-up leaping to finish at the rim and dominate on the glass on his way to his usual double-double. Wiggins didn't meet with the media afterward, but there are no changes in his recruitment.
Florida State remains the only visit that he's taken, while
Kentucky,
Kansas and
North Carolina continue to try to arrange spring trips. Interestingly, none of the four programs was on hand to watch the standout senior on Sunday.
While Vonleh struggled, two of his New Hampton teammates stepped up to help. Re-classified junior power forward
Tory Miller, who has interest from
Nebraska,
TCU,
Minnesota, Providence,
Arkansas and others, had a strong double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. One of Miller's summer teammates, Jorgenson, ran the show and finished with 13 points and four assists. Jorgenson has taken recent official visits to
Georgia Tech and
Boston College, and he has
Tennessee (head coach
Cuonzo Martin watched) and
Creighton, among others, interested.
For Huntington, highly regarded four-star
Xavier Rathan-Mayes didn't hit as regularly as he usually does from deep, but the Florida State signee seemed to come up with 3-pointers at key times. In the first half, he had a run-breaking 3 while trailing in transition, and late in the fourth he hit on one from the right wing as the shot clock was expiring. That was a backbreaker and scored the last three of his 12 points.
The last time we saw
Wayne Selden and the Tilton (N.H.) School play, we were looking for sophomore teammate
Terrence Mann to have a bit of a breakout performance. The
Kansas-bound senior had a big outing that November day despite struggling with his jumper, but Mann was a no-show, leaving Selden outgunned in a loss.
On Sunday, Selden again showed up in a big way. This time, though, Mann helped him while showing why he's been so highly regarded early in New England.
We'll start with Selden, who was doing his usual things in a 24-point, seven-rebound effort. There were lots of driving to the rim, he hit a few 3s and he played multiple positions on both sides of the floor. It's hard to pin him down to a traditional position; instead, look at him as a ballplayer you put on the floor and he makes you better. His explosion in traffic isn't what it once was because he's gotten so strong, but his all-around game relies much less on athleticism and overpowering guys than it did a year ago. He's definitely improved.
As for the 6-foot-4 Mann, he didn't shoot the ball like it looks like he should be capable of -- clean stroke, good shot preparation -- but he showed a lot more positive signs and will merit heavy consideration for four-star status. His mother played at
Georgetown and is the current head coach at Northeastern, so it's not surprising that he has a good feel for things on offense and plays with high skill. He's skinny but has a frame that will fill out, and he'll get some explosion with maturity. Eleven points, six rebounds and four assists filled his stat sheet.
Boston College has given an early offer, while others including
Iowa,
West Virginia and
Maryland have been involved.