NYC guard emerges out West

SAN DIEGO -- Day four of Rivals.com post Christmas West Coast swing was spent at the Under Armour Holiday Classic on the campus of Torrey Pines High School. Junior guard Shamorie Ponds made the most of his long trip from New York City with a breakout performance while Arizona State's newest pledge Lindsey Drew also had a nice day on Monday.

Ponds emerges as high major option

The group from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Thomas Jefferson traveled a long way to participate in the Under Armour Holiday Classic. On Monday afternoon that long trip was very much worth it as junior point guard Shamorie Ponds was able to show what he's all about.

A skinny six-footer who has built a tremendous buzz this winter with some big scoring performances back home in New York, Ponds backed that up going for 27 points and nailing eight three pointers during a Monday win.

A natural scorer who is dangerously accurate with his southpaw jumper, Ponds is a classic NYC guard. He loves to put the ball on the floor, plays with some flash and is going to keep attacking you and playing in your face, off the dribble basketball whenever he has a chance.

While it was his deep jumper that was doing the most damage on Monday, it's clear to see that Ponds has plenty more to his game. He can get into the lane with ease and once he gets there he is a surprisingly bouncy athlete, takes contact pretty given his slight frame and he is a very adept and willing playmaker for those around him.

At the rate Ponds is going, he's going to make his way into the next Rivals150 for the class of 2016 and he's likely going to do so in the the four-star range. College programs have certainly caught on as Minnesota, St. John's, Seton Hall, Fordham, Iona, Miami and South Carolina have all made offers. On Tuesday, Auburn's Bruce Pearl is expected to watch him and Oklahoma will be out to see him next week.

Though it is still early, Ponds is thinking that he might want to get out and explore when he makes his college choice.

"I wanna go far," Ponds told Rivals.com. "New York will always be there."

Drew is off the board

Very quietly, word spread on Monday that three-star point guard Lindsay Drew of Los Angeles (Calif.) Fairfax had picked Arizona State. A senior, Drew will actually take a year of prep school at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy before making his way to campus making him a class of 2016 recruit.

It was a year ago to the day that Rivals.com first got a good look at Drew and he has really come along. Monday he showed that he has continued to grow with physical stature -- now pushing 6-foot-4 with blossoming athleticism -- and his game.

A traditional point guard who controls the ball, defends and sets the tempo for his team, Drew is an extension of his coach Harvey Katani on the floor. He gets his teammates in the right spots and then makes sure to deliver to the hot hand. He can get to the rim and he is also capable of playing above it as he showed with a pretty nice tip dunk that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Drew had been considering popping for Arizona State for a while and it was the head coach who won him over.

"The biggest thing was Herb Sendek," Drew told Rivals.com. "He treats all of us like we are a family instead of his players and that makes me feel at home."

Given his improvement over the last year, Rivals.com could see Drew helping the Sun Devils as a class of 2015 recruit. However, with a year to develop and add more strength he will compete for the Rivals150 in 2016. Developing strength will certainly be Drew's focus during a prep year.

"I'm just working on getting physically ready for the Pac 12," said Drew. "I want to be ready to go and play in such a physical conference."

They went down in defeat to Dallas (Texas) Prime Prep but point guard Tommy McCarthyClick The physical development of class of 2017 four-star center Nicholas RichardsClick More Monday notesHere to view this Link. since the summer has been quite impressive. Formerly lean, Richards has started to put on muscle and is now capable of playing a power game around the rim. He attacks rebounds at the highest point with both hands, runs the floor very well and has some touch around the rim. He's a total no brainer on the high major level and gives Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick a very nice piece on the interior for the next few years.Here to view this Link. and small forward Brady TwomblyClick The physical development of class of 2017 four-star center Nicholas RichardsClick More Monday notesHere to view this Link. since the summer has been quite impressive. Formerly lean, Richards has started to put on muscle and is now capable of playing a power game around the rim. He attacks rebounds at the highest point with both hands, runs the floor very well and has some touch around the rim. He's a total no brainer on the high major level and gives Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick a very nice piece on the interior for the next few years.Here to view this Link. of Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon need to be commended for their effort. A physically strong and tough point guard who is headed to Harvard, McCarthy plays with good pace and is comfortable pushing the tempo or slowing things down. His jumper keeps defenders on edge and his ability to take a bump is a plus.

Los Angeles (Calif.) Windward senior Roman DavisClick While Lindsey Drew was running the show for Fairfax, senior shooting guard Lorne CurrieClick Currently ranked No. 46 in the class of 2015, Chimezie MetuClick A nice pickup for Northern Arizona, Twombly is a physically tough and strong wing who really likes to create contact. He competes on both ends of the floor and can step out to hit a jumper. After some time in a college weight room he will develop into a power wing with touch.Here to view this Link. has a chance to move up in the final Rivals150 for the senior class. The 6-foot-9 power forward at Lawndale (Calif.) High looked terrific on Monday. Metu has always been athletic, but now he's added some strength and is developing a feel for how and when to use his offensive skill vs. just jumping over everybody. He runs the floor like a cheetah, can stick 15-17 foot jumpers and catches the ball extremely well on the move. He's got some work to do on refining his footwork and setting up properly on the low block, but Metu is a prospect coming into his own and might be the most talented player on USCClick A nice pickup for Northern Arizona, Twombly is a physically tough and strong wing who really likes to create contact. He competes on both ends of the floor and can step out to hit a jumper. After some time in a college weight room he will develop into a power wing with touch.Here to view this Link.'s roster the moment he steps foot on campus.Here to view this Link. was providing some scoring pop. A well put together 6-foot-3, Currie really had the pull-up jumper working and was both efficient and aggressive while scoring a team high 26 points. Here to view this Link. is putting together a very nice senior campaign. The combo forward has started to really fill out through his shoulders and the added strength up top has allowed him to be a much more effective finisher around the rim and to battle on the glass. He can also step out and make jumpers to the three point line and is a good competitor. West Coast programs on the upper mid major level in need of help from a stretch four would do well to take another look this winter.

Finally, don't let the slim build of Greenville (S.C.) Legacy Charter sophomore Nicolas ClaxtonClick Another at Windward to keep a close eye on is freshman wing Jules Bernard. Already about 6-foot-5, Bernard has a good looking jumper, willingness to battle on both ends of the floor and a very good feel for the game. He looks like one that we'll be tracking closely over the next few years.Here to view this Link. fool you, he plays with some edge. A 6-foot-7 power forward who is mostly arms and legs at this point, Claxton is a good athlete, runs the floor well and has some touch out to 12 feet. He isn't a monster in terms of production just yet, but the signs are there and kids with his physical and athletic attributes tend to turn into pretty good college prospects more often than not.

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