Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Springfield, MA (Future150) -- The 2014 Spalding Hoophall Classic wrapped up its action on Monday night, with several high profile programs getting victories on Martin Luther King Day, including Paul VI (VA), Findlay Prep (NV), Whitney Young (IL), Curie (IL) & Mater Dei (CA).
Here are some recruiting news and notes from the final day of action:
- Although he was hamped by fould trouble, eventually fouling out late in the game, Paul VI (VA) 2015 point guard Kevin Dorsey played well for his team in their 62-56 win.. The 6-foot jet with the ball in his hands had a good showing in Springfield, scoring 14 points on 4-7 shooting from the floor and 6-7 from the charity stripe.
As far as his recruitment goes, one of his high school coaches confirmed offers from UMass, VCU, Creighton, SMU, Old Dominion, Virginia Tech and most recently Ole Miss. Interest is coming from Nebraska, West Virginia, St. Joe's & Southern Cal as well.
When asked about schools that he is looking to hear from, he had this to tell Future150.
"I really want to hear from UConn and Oregon. I really like their guard play."
Look for the tough floor general to continue to pick up steam on the recruiting trail over the rest of the season and on the AAU circuit with Team Takeover.
- Kentucky head coach John Calipari was front and center on Monday to watch Findlay Prep (NV) take on Wesleyan Christian (NC). While he was there mainly to watch uncommitted 2014 SG Rashad Vaughn, he was also there to keep tabs on their starting point guard, 2016 Derryck Thornton.
The 6-foot-1 jet in the open floor had an excellent showing in front of the Wildcats coach, finishing with six points, six rebounds, and 10 assists on Monday. Playing with elite upperclassmen, Thornton consistently shows that he belongs. He has excellent feel for game and his court vision is second to none.
In terms of his recruitment, he listed several schools who have offered or are showing interest.
"Pretty much all of the Pac-12, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan, Miami (FL), and Vanderbilt," he listed for Future150.
While those certainly aren't all of the schools who are involved with Derryck, his list shows just how highly regarded he is nationally.
- While he is overshadowed by the senior stars on his team, Whitney Young (IL) has its point guard of the future in 2016 Rodney Herenton. Used as a set-up man at this point, his role will definitely expand over the next few years, and he is more than capable of handling that role.
The 6-foot-2 powerfully built floor general has good speed in the open floor, loves to attack the glass, and can penetrate at will against the defense. Right now, he claims interest coming from Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech & UAB, which isn't surprising considering he holds a 4.1 GPA in the classroom.
- One of the most vastly improved 2015 forwards that we have seen over the past year is Findlay Prep (NV) big man Horace Spencer.
After putting on significant muscle since heading out West, he is now becoming more of the dominant big man that he was touted as at the middle school level. The 6-foot-8 power forward cleans the glass well and has excellent timing on his shot-blocking. In his teams win Monday, he pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots while altering several others. He also played with an extremely high motor, which we loved seeing from him.
He currently holds an offer from West Virginia, while he is receiving interest from Stanford and UNLV.
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