NashCeltics

Unapproved Website released their first top 100 rankings for the class of 2010. The only two players from TN to make the cut are Joe Jackson and Casey Prather. Joe checks in at #10 and Casey checks in at #33. Congrats to those guys for some well-deserved recognition. Hopefully each can continue to climb up the charts and keep some eyes on TN hoops. THat is roughly the same ranking as they are in Slamonline.com's new top 25. Prather is #25 in that list.

Its probably because he slouches when he is just walking around but if you stand right next to him and make him stand straight up you can tell. He is definitely 3 inches taller than me and I am 6'2 and 1/2. Three inches really isnt that much if you look at a ruler you know and 6'5 1/2 or 6'6 isnt that huge these days anyway. He now holds SEC offers from Vanderbilt, Alabama and Ole Miss

He is 6'5 1/2 without shoes and weighs 185. Had an exam over Xmas. He is just an absurd athlete and has long arms. He is shooting the three well now also. Should have huge season.

My good friend GoMab surfaces from East MS! I think you would be suprised with his progression. His ballhandling, shooting off the dribble and three point shooting is dramatically improved from July. Last summer he was primarily an athlete, but after some hard work in the fall, he has totally transformed his game. His free throw shooting is superb as well. he knocked down 12/13 in that last game. Defensively, athletically and from a competitive standpoint, he is top notch. Its apples and oranges really at this point when comparing kids from days past. In terms of potential (which is a scary word), he is second to none anywhere and I think that is why some of these comments are being made. He is averaging something like 23pts and 15rebs per game this year from the wing, which is absurd. Talent rich area for sure down there.

I think the athleticism is the separating aspect for Prather. I had an SEC coach tell me (last summer) that Casey was already one of the top 20 athletes in the nation in any class. Went on to say his athleticism is NBA level already. Now, does he have that potential, absolutely. And does he have some things he needs to sharpen up, sure. He also has an unbelievable motor and competitive streak which all the great ones have. As long as he keeps working like he is, the sky is the limit. He is also a good student in honor's classes. Bottom line, lot of good players out West TN, huh.

UNC is looking at him...not too serious at this point, but showing some interest as is Duke, Tennessee, etc. He is up to #69 on hoopscoop in the latest rankings but I think he will come in certainly top 50 when rivals releases their 2010. I will say that rankings dont really mean all that much except that he has potential and is playing well. Always good to get any kind of recognition. All he cares about is winning games though.

He also had 15rebs, 6stls and 4 blcks. Kid has really evolved from just an athlete to a true SG/WF. I think you are correct with his potential and he realizes what he needs to do to get better. He understood his flaws following the summer circuit but is a relentless worker and really has listened and been receptive to coaching. It is certainly paying dividends for him and he will only get better. He is getting a lot of HM looks. When I spoke with him last night and was talking about the game, the first thing he said was "Coach, we won a tough game". I had to prompt him for stats and when I said wow, he said, "hey, dont forget about the rebounds and steals". Great kid, pleasure to be around.

Prather does have an offer from Ole Miss. Got it at the elite camp. Other schools currently interested in him are (keep in mind these are various levels of interest at this point but all have made inquiries, not just letters): Duke, Tennessee, UNC, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Missouri are some to give a quick list. www.nashvilleceltics.com

Tn Tech has offered Dunn....that is true and they want him to commit early. While size can be an issue to a certain extent, people overlook that he can score in a number of different ways and can make extremely tough shots. He has been up to Miami (OH) on unofficials on two separate occasions this year and is getting a lot of mid major interest. He was also top 5 at Auburn's invite-only elite camp. Now, he probably isnt an SEC player, but no question he is a Mid Major player. He led our Celtics squad in scoring over the summer on team that included Drew Kelly who everyone knows, Jon Hood (#39 in Unapproved Website 2009), Casey Prather, etc. who is a top 70 player in 2010 currently. In fact he was probably 3pts ahead of the next highest average. His best games were against the elite aau teams in the country that "had bigger guys". For example, he had 18pts against Indiana Elite, 21pts against Meanstreets, and 28pts against Team Final (all three are top 25 nationally ranked elite level aau teams). He was still able to score at the basket and from anywhere outside despite his size. The more you see him, especially against premier level talent, the more everyone realizes he isnt just a good high school player, he is a player that can get it done against just about anyone, anywhere. Its easy to pick on his size which probably excludes him from a High Major school, but certainly not from most all Mid Majors where, as everyone knows nowadays, is great basketball with teams like Butler, Southern Illinois, Bucknell, etc...all making noise in recent years

Chase Dunn from Livingston needs to be mentioned in this post. Kid can flat out play, averaging mid 20s per game....quick, fast with ball and can distribute. Anyone who saw what he did to Brentwood Academy would agree putting up 30 pts...14 of which came to lead them from behind with 6mins left. He also had 4-5 assists in that stretch including the game winning assist to a wide open three point shooter when Dunn was double teamed. He is getting alot of solid mid-major D-1 looks and has been up to Miami (OH) a couple times recently on visits.

I agree with everything you said. Ole Miss is the only offer he has so far (of course he is only a sophomore)...he got that back in June before coming into this sophomore year. However, he was invited and went down to Alabama for an unofficial and is being recruited by Tennessee, Ga Tech, Vandy, Missouri, Georgia, etc...and loosely by UNC/Duke at this point....meaning I have received calls and spoken with these folks about him since they are not allowed to contact him at this point b/c he is only a sophomore. The potential is unlimited for him. Great kid too.

Strained his knee a few weeks ago...nothing major, will be back soon

Prather is a legit top 75 player nationally in 2010. My guess is he will be top 40 or better when its all said and done. His fundamentals are a lot better than you give him credit for especially for a kid who was forced in the post as a freshman but is now on the wing and had a great summer playing the wing spot. He has dramatically improved ballhandling, shooting,etc. and can guard anyone. He had 28pts and 15rebs and 24pts and 13rebs in his first two games of the season from the WF spot. Already has HM offer and getting a ton of HM interest. He is ridiculous athletically. I think Unapproved Website called him a "freak athlete" with huge upside over the summer. He has been injured the last couple games though.

No problem. Also, I dont know much about Morris and I am sure he is good, but it doesnt even really seem like these two are the same position and their skill sets are entirely different such that we shouldnt even be comparing the two.

Colleges can offer 8th graders if they want. The rules relate to contact with the player and their parents. In Junior year, which starts mid summer according to the NCAA rules, D-1 colleges can call players/parents one time per month. It goes to 1 week in senior year. Players can receive offers through mail, through contact wth the HS coach or AAU coach, anytime they are on a college campus during a contact period, etc. Drew has all those offers mentioned by Hoopscout and then some. The funny thing is that people like to knock him based on his size. The truth is Drew is fast, jumps well (not out of the gymm but well), and had a 6'11 wingspan. Of course there will be players that are taller that would cause problems, but there are also taller players that he dominates b/c of his skill, length, smarts and strength. Height isnt the only factor. In college, Drew is a PF and for those who havent seen, he does the ability to shoot it well from the perimeter, showed that in the summer. However, in high school, he frankly doesnt need to do any of that because he can overpower everyone in the post. He is really good now, but if he grows another inch or two, he will be terrific. He turned 17 in November so who knows how much he can grow, if any. He is one of the best players in the state in any class and with his recruitment the way it is (colleges like some of the ones he has offers from dont offer just anybody) I think it is pretty clear what kind of prospect he is.

I thought I would chime in here. I have coached DeMario since 7th grade and love him like a son. I am ecstatic that he is getting the opportunity to play D-1 ball at an up and coming program in MTSU. I think he can thrive there and think its a great fit. However, I am not sure why people keep projecting this business about all these "offers" he received from HM schools in SEC/ACC/Big 10 for basketball. Yes, he had a lot of interest, but he never had any offers or "early offers" as I keep hear people throwing around. I spoke with every last one of those coaches on that list sevearl times and know for a fact that there were no offers ever extended from any of the SEC/ACC/Big 10, etc. schools. Georgia was close and watched him repeatedly but his injuries prevented any such offer, frankly. From the end of his high school season through the spring, they were the only one of the high major schools with legit interest. Alot of midmajors were on him hard. I say this not for any other reason except that I dont like it when people put misleading information in newspapers, websites, etc. It doesnt do anyone any good, it especially doesnt help the kid. I see this all the time where people say or think kids have offers when they dont. This can really hurt kids b/c some actually think they do and blow off other opportunities b/c they really dont know what's going on. The real focus here should be on wishing DeMario the best and congratulating MTSU for receiving a great commit as DeMario has all the ability in the world, and when healthy, can play with anyone.

First off, congrats to all the Tennessee AAU teams for proving that we arent just about football over the weekend. Several teams played well in 16U Nationals and Hoosier Shootout from across the state. The Nashville Celtics 16U squad finished T-3rd at the Hoosier Shootout going 6-1 and losing a heartbreaker in overtime in the semifinals in a game we let slip away. Celtics won the fist 6 games by over 26ppg while putting up close to 88ppg. The 17U squad finished in the sweet 16 of the Hoosier going 4-2 and losing by 3 in that round. Finally, the 15U squad, playing up an age group, finished 2nd in the 16U AAU Nationals Classic Bracket while upsetting the 16U Midstate Ballerz White team and the 16U Tennessee Fire in the process. After blowing leads in all three pool games, they got on a roll in the Classic Bracket before being overpowered in the Classic finals. Great accomplishment for a young group. (That topic should read 2nd in Classic Bracket of 16U Nationals) Again, congrats to not only our guys but also to all the teams who played well over the weekend. The 17U Travs battled back several times to claim 2nd at Hoosier and the Rage, Tigers, Ballerz Blue, Fire, and Flight all made a lot of noise as well. State was well represented, especially the midstate. www.nashvilleceltics.com

The Nashville Celtics 15U team will be playing in 16U AAU Nationals July 5th-11th in Clarksville. Who else from TN will be playing?

Sometimes it can be an advantage in these events when all the kids know the system and have been together a while. That being said, you obviously gotta have the talent to go with it. When you do, it is a tough combination. Sounds like next year could be great for Franklin HS

Sounds like that group is having a nice summer. Keep up the good playing.

Actually there will not be any coaches there b/c it is a dead period although major recruiting services will attend. But your point that it is a big tourney is correct, just as is the Bob Gibbons TOC at UNC/Duke/NC State that same weekend. This is also an invite only event though it isnt shoe company specific. Just depends on who Bob Gibbons wants to invite. However, just to name a couple other events that the Chattanooga team could go to: July: Hoosier Shootout and KY Hoopfest are good ones to attend that anyone can enter.

Technically, the NCAA does not certify any events in the Spring and it isnt limited to four states. In order for college coaches to attend, a state high school association must approve the event. April is the open period. Certified events really begin in July. That being said, there are several events that you guys could go to that would be good for the kids. Here are a couple you guys might want to get out and go to that arent too far and will be approved for D-1 coaches to attend in April. King of the South is one. Here are some others: Hoosier Spring Showcase April 20-22 in Indianapolis www.inbnews.com/hoosiershowcasespring.html National Grassroots Shootout April 20-22 in Louisville www.eddiefordhoops.com King of the South April 27-29 in Nashville www.midsouthhoops.net

This kid is a real treat to watch. I could watch him all day. He is fearless and will have a successful career somewhere in college. Hard to really describe him if you havent seen him. I would encourage anyone who hasnt to take in one of his final high school tourney games over the next couple weeks.

He is a legit High Major prospect. Much in the style of Kevin Love who is a consensus top 10 prospect in the nation out of Oregon. Kelly is more athletic than love and should become as polished and he is developing his three point shot. He can hit it but will certainly shoot more in the future. He and Leslie McDonald out of Memphis are the top 2 prospects in 2009 class in TN.

Tryouts will continue on for the next couple weeks. Please contact me at coachhenderson@nashvilleceltics.com Thanks