Robinson-Earl, Norris make their mark at Under Armour Association
NEW YORK CITY - Friday marked the first day of two April recruiting periods where college coaches can be out on the road for travel tournaments all over the country. The first day of the 2017 Under Armour Association had some established prospects play to their reputation, but it also gave unknown prospects like Saddiq Bey a chance to impress coaches in attendance.
Recruitment: Offers from Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Creighton, Wake Forest, Kansas State and Missouri with interest North Carolina and Notre Dame.
His day: The best word to describe the way Robinson plays is active. He’s always involved in plays on both ends of the court. He started off a little slow offensively, but he didn’t let his defense slip as he did a great job protecting the rim. In the second half, his offense picked up and he also dished out a few assists.
Quote: “I’m good friends with the Porters. Jontay played on my middle school AAU team. I’m close with their family, so it’s cool to see them end up there.”
Prediction: This one is going to be a serious battle between all the schools in the Midwest as well as top tier programs around the country like North Carolina. Cuonzo Martin coming into Missouri with Michael Porter and Jontay Porter following him could make this one interesting.
Recruitment: Oregon, Arizona, San Diego State, California, UCLA, and USC offers with North Carolina interest.
His day: It was a blowout win for Earl Watson Elite over Illinois Wolves, and Norris played a big part in it. The 6-foot-9 forward used his length and athleticism to cause problems for the Wolves when EWE started to go with full court pressure. He looks more comfortable playing on the perimeter than ever, but he’s also a very good finisher in the paint despite being on the thin side.
Quote: “North Carolina just started recruiting me. I like their style of play. I watch them a lot on TV. I like coach (Roy) Williams a lot.”
Prediction: Keep an eye on Arizona for Norris. He says Sean Miller’s move to hire Lorenzo Romar as an assistant coach is a big deal for him.
Recruitment: Harvard, Temple, George Washington, Rhode Island, Xavier and Virginia are involved.
His day: Bey was pleasant surprise on Friday night. Now standing at 6-foot-6, he’s an explosive athlete with a smooth jumper. He’s also very scrappy on the defensive end and on the boards. He’s one high-majors will want to track this month.
Prediction: Right now Temple and Rhode Island are his biggest offers. If he plays anywhere near the level he did for DC Premier in their win over Team Charlotte, that won’t be the case much longer. He’ll start to get a lot of action from schools up and down the East Coast as well as top academic schools around the country.
Recruitment: North Carolina, Florida, Maryland, Louisville, Creighton, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia Tech
His day: In a game where his team needed scoring more than anything else, Dotson stepped up with some really tough drives to the basket and crafty finishes. His shot wasn’t falling, but he continued to play within himself as a good point guard does.
Prediction: His recruitment seems to be pretty open at this point. How schools prioritize him going forward will play a big part in where he ends up.
Recruitment: Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, St. John’s and Villanova
His day: His backcourt sidekick Scottie Lewis battled foul trouble throughout Team Rio’s matchup with Sports U, so it was on Antoine to step up and make plays. That’s exactly what he did. No play was bigger than a contested 22-footer he connected on with Team Rio up one with about two minutes left.
Prediction: It’s already started to get there, but every big time basketball school in the country will be getting in line for Antoine. He’s a big guard with a high skill level and a boatload of toughness.