Shaka Smart and his "Havoc" defense are coming to the Atlantic 10 this fall. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

Virginia Commonwealth University became the newest school to switch conference alliances in the latest round of realignment when they announced today they were leaving the Colonial Athletic Association for the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 2012-13 school year.

Rumors of the move had been circulating for weeks, but it was expected that VCU would be leaving for the 2013-14 academic year if they left at all–the school’s 2011 Final Four appearance earned them an extra $5 million payout from the CAA over the next few years. League president Tom Yaeger said where that money will now go will be “hashed out” at league meetings in June.

VCU’s decision to leave a year earlier could have major implications for how both the CAA and A10′s 2012-13 seasons play out as one of the more talented mid-major squads in the country changes leagues.

For the Atlantic 10, it means they’ll be playing one year as a 15-team league before the departures of Temple (to the Big East) and Charlotte (to C-USA) and the arrival of Butler (from the Horizon League) steady the conference back at 14 basketball members.

“I have tremendous admiration for Bernadette McGlade and the administrators in the Atlantic 10, the presidents in the Atlantic 10, to be able to pull in two of the hottest names in college basketball with VCU and Butler,” Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli told Philahoops on Tuesday. “I think it’s a tribute to the presidents and to the administration that they are this creative, that they’ve been this diligent and this private in a world where everybody knows everybody’s business.

“I think they’ve really pulled a real coup here,” he added.

This year, which was already expected to be a strong one for the A10, could now see as many as five conference teams headed to the NCAAs next March after four qualified this season.

VCU loses only senior Bradford Burgess (13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds) from a team that went 29-7 and reached the Round of 32 in this year’s national tournament. They join a number of 20-win squads who return most of their starters (Saint Joseph’s, Massachusetts, Saint Louis and La Salle), as well as annual conference contenders Temple and Xavier (both of whom have some reloading to do), in what should be a heated race for top seeds in the 2013 Atlantic 10 tournament.

“One of my favorite things about the opportunity to coach La Salle was to coach in one of the best conferences in the country. We have just solidified our status that way and I think the league’s going to keep getting better,” Explorers coach John Giannini told Philahoops. “I think there’s more good teams and more good coaches than ever.

When Temple announced their decision to depart for the Big East back in March, some wondered who the league would get to replace the school with the sixth-most wins in NCAA Division I history. What the two schools the league has added have in common are strong coaches around whom a strong program could be built.

“Similar to Butler, (VCU has) a bright young guy coaching their team who seems to do things in a classy style,” Martelli said. ”I think when you’re losing a guy with the class and the dignity of [Temple coach] Fran Dunphy, you bring in guys of that same level of integrity and style and the league has certainly done that in [Butler coach] Brad Stevens and [VCU coach] Shaka Smart.”

On the court, VCU’s “Havoc” style of pressure defense is sure to win then some games against teams who just aren’t used to the Rams’ 40 minute style of full-court press and zone traps which helped them force turnovers on 27.1 percent of opponent’s possessions–the top mark in the country.

“We’ve scrimmaged them twice over the last few years,” Giannini said, “so…I know firsthand that they’re not only an oustanding basketball program, but they have some oustanding people there too.”

For the Colonial Athletic Association, the announcement means a much-weakened conference for 2012-13 and uncertainty beyond. VCU had been the conference’s shining star after their 2011 Final Four run after being one of the final four teams picked for an at large-bid; that followed a 2006 Final Four run by George Mason–another CAA squad who’s been mentioned in the Atlantic 10 expansion rumors.

Virginia Commonwealth becomes the second school to announce their intentions to leave the CAA this offseason after Georgia State announced plans to move to the Sun Belt Conference in 2013. The CAA’s decision to then ban the Panthers from all league postseason competition in 2012-13 means that the CAA is down to at most 10 teams for the 2013 league tournament and as few as eight due to low APR scores from both Towson and UNC-Wilmington.

The only saving grace for the league was the five-year television deal they signed with NBC Sports back in February, which guarantees the CAA 12 nationally televised basketball games per season on NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus).

For Drexel, the only local school to compete in the CAA, it means their first NCAA berth since 1996 could come that much easier. The Dragons have been knocked out by the Rams in each of the last two CAA tournaments, with their title-game loss this season keeping Drexel out of March Madness after they’d won 19-straight games following a 2-4 start.

The downside to removing VCU as an obstacle in the league tournament means removing them as a high-RPI opponent during the league schedule, something that inevitably hurt Drexel’s at-large hopes last season. Now Drexel, barring a major out-of-conference victory or two, will almost certainly need to win the CAA’s automatic bid to qualify for the 2013 NCAA Tournament no matter how many consecutive games they win beforehand.

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Quenton DeCosey (12) and Daniel Dingle could each play three positions for Temple. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

Last year, Temple had their fifth straight 20-win season and extended their streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances to five as well on the strength of an offense that featured three extremely talented guards.

While Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt were each capable of single-handedly carrying the team for stretches, Temple ultimately struggled to get consistent offense from anybody who wasn’t a 6-foot-4 shooting guard.

That approach clearly cost them against bigger teams like Massachusetts and South Florida, the programs responsible for two Owl losses in Temple’s final two games.

The 2012-13 Temple Owls will be vastly different from their previous version, not only because of the departures of Moore and Fernandez (as well as center Micheal Eric) but because of the addition of several much more versatile players, including incoming freshmen Quenton DeCosey (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph’s) and Daniel Dingle (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond’s).

Decosey and Dingle are two parts of a three-man class that also includes 6-foot-10 F/C Devontae Watson (Midland, Pa./Lincoln Park), giving Temple a trio of athletic youngsters as they prepare for a move to the Big East in 2013. Though Watson will only see minutes at center, beginning his career as the backup for third-year sophomore Anthony Lee, both Dingle and DeCosey could see time at a variety of positions for Temple as early as their freshman seasons.

Dingle, a 6-7 forward, is an undersized power forward with skills to play out on the wing, and he said he even has run the point for his AAU team at times. He will likely serve as the primary backup to Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson at power forward to begin with but could also challenge for playing time out on the wing early on in his career.

The New York Post’s Bronx Player of the Year and Rivals.com top-150 recruit has drawn comparisons to Scootie Randall, a 6-6 wing who will be playing his final year of eligibility after sitting out the 2011-12 season while recovering from knee surgery. Randall averaged 10.7 points per game in 2010-11 but was averaging 17.4 over an eight-game span before originally hurting the knee.

Daniel Dingle (42) could play at three different positions in his freshman seasons. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

“I was basically going in to replace him because I didn’t think he was going to redshirt,” Dingle said at this weekend’s Mary Kline Classic. “But him redshirting makes our team stronger this year and so I’m excited. I could learn a lot from him…I can learn what not to do, how many dribbles to take before the defense gets there. If he wasn’t there, I would still learn, but I would learn by myself.”

Dingle and Randall will both be challenged for minutes by DeCosey, a self-described “slasher” who scored over 1000 career points in high school and led St. Joseph’s to their first-ever state title in his senior season.

DeCosey said he was “going to be playing anywhere from the one to the three position” in his freshman year at Temple, though it’s more than likely that sophomore Will Cummings, as well as seniors T.J. DiLeo and Wyatt, will be handling all the point guard duties in 2012-13.

If DeCosey is going to see the floor his freshman year it will most likely come at either the two-guard or wing positions in the Temple offense, though he also knows that he’ll have to first prove himself Temple coach Fran Dunphy.

“(Dunphy) didn’t promise you anything, he just let you know how it was going to be, that you were going to have to work hard for your minutes, and I like that,” DeCosey said.

“When I had my home visit,” Dingle said, “(Dunphy) let me know straightforward, ‘Hey, you might play, you might not play. It’s up to you. You determine your own future with how hard you work. I’m not going to promise you a starting spot. I’m not going to promise you any minutes.’”

Dingle and DeCosey showcased their skills this weekend in a pair of games, first as opponents in the is8 Nike Spring HS Classic in New York on May 4 before taking the court as teammates for the first time at the Mary Kline Classic the next evening.

“Me and Quenton went at it,” Dingle said about the is8 matchup, their final time playing on opposing teams before their Temple careers began. “It was fun, we actually guarded each other for most of the game. I played a lot of point, he played the two or three.

“He definitely showed me his skills,” Dingle continued. “He knocked threes down–I didn’t know he could shoot like that.”

“He’s a really strong, powerful forward,” DeCosey said when asked what he took away from their matchup.

No matter where they play their freshman year, Dingle and DeCosey fit in with a much more flexible roster than Dunphy was able to utilize last year. Neither Moore, Fernandez or Wyatt was really able to guard many of the 6-6 or 6-7 wings they were occasionally matched up against, but this year Dingle, Randall, and 6-5 West Virginia transfer Dalton Pepper give the Owls much more flexibility at the 2-through-4 spots.

“It shows our versatility that the (Temple) coaches like recruiting, guys who are not one-dimensional, that can do it all,” Dingle said. “I’m a guy who can play three positions, so that’s definitely great.”

This year’s Owls are certainly going to look much different than last year’s, but it’s clear that Dunphy is going to have quite a number of potential lineups  to work with.

Josh Verlin is the Temple beat writer for Philahoops.com. Follow him on Twitter @jmverlin

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Wake Forest point guard Tony Chennault announced his decision to transfer to Villanova (Philahoops file).

By ANDY EDWARDS

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @DLNAndyEdwards

It’s official: The Villanova men’s basketball program has added yet another weapon to its backcourt arsenal.

In a move that took almost six weeks, yet never seemed to be in doubt, Wake Forest point guard and Philadelphia native Tony Chennault announced his decision to transfer to the Wildcats on Tuesday via Twitter. Chennault’s decision comes on the heels of Rice freshman guard Dylan Ennis joining the program to be closer to his family in Toronto. A former star at Neumann-Goretti, Chennault made his move for much the same reason.

His mother has been experiencing health issues, and Chennault told the Philadelphia Daily News that if not for that, he would probably have stayed at Wake Forest. Chennault has applied for a hardship waiver from the NCAA that, if granted, would allow him to play immediately. If the waiver is denied, Chennault would be forced to sit out a year.

Chennault, the 2009-10 Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania, would give the Wildcats a much-needed veteran presence in a backcourt that suddenly got a lot younger when juniors Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek chose to remain in the 2012 NBA Draft. He started all 31 games for the Demon Deacons a year ago, averaging 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The 6-2 guard reached double figures 13 times during his sophomore season, including an 18-point outburst on February 28 in a loss to Duke. Chennault shot 40.1% from the field, 25% from the three-point line, and 64.8% from the charity stripe last year.

Chennault joins a backcourt that features rising sophomore Ty Johnson, who started nine games last season, and prized Neshaminy recruit Ryan Arcidiacono. Ennis, who averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists as a freshman at Rice, is also looking into applying for a hardship waiver, according to reports. Arcidiacono and Westtown center Daniel Ochefu figure to have opportunities to contribute right away to a Villanova squad that finished 14-19 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years.

Head coach Jay Wright is unable to comment on Chennault’s transfer until all of the paperwork is complete, a process that could take several weeks.

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Villanova's Markus Kennedy (center), shown posing with Wildcats incoming freshmen Ryan Arcidiacono (left) and Daniel Ochefu, has lost 35 pounds since the end of his rookie season. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

By AARON BRACY

Philahoops Editor

Twitter: @Aaron_Bracy

PENNINGTON, N.J. — While not guaranteed, it is logical to expect Villanova’s five returning freshmen to take a step forward as sophomores next season.

One thing that definitely is certain, without question, is Wildcats fans will see a different Markus Kennedy in 2012-13 – at least physically.

Kennedy averaged 3.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.8 minutes as a rookie last season. He showed some flashes of what made him so highly sought after out of high school, particularly when he scored eight points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 25 minutes at Marquette on Jan. 1.

Overall, though, Kennedy’s rookie season probably didn’t meet his expectations.

So, the big man went to work immediately at season’s end, pushing to get himself into better shape for the grind of Division I basketball.

The result? Kennedy has dropped 35 pounds since the Cats completed their disappointing season on March 7.

“It’s going to help with everything,” said Kennedy, a 6-foot-9 forward who was listed at 260 pounds last season. “Everything I was able to do is going to excel more with losing this weight.”

Villanova's Markus Kennedy waits for a rebound following the Mary Kline Classic. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

Looking svelte as a spectator Saturday night at the Mary Kline Classic at Pennington School, which featured Nova recruits Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu, Kennedy was easy to mistake for someone else in his new slimmed-down version.

He believes his output will improve next season without carrying the extra weight.

“Rebounding has always been a strong point for me, but I definitely had to get in better shape,” he said. “I’m in much better shape now than I was at the end of last season and my scoring is coming along, so we’ll see.

“I’m working hard every day in the gym and the weight room, just trying to get better.”

A Philadelphia native, Kennedy started three games and played in 31 of the 32 contests in the forgettable 13-19 campaign (5-13 Big East).

“No matter what our record was, we came to practice and worked hard,” he said. “Every day in practice, games, we all got better as a team, individually.

“It’s what we’re continuing to do now. Everybody is working hard trying to get better.”

The offseason, of course, is the time for optimism. And Kennedy remains a believer in Villanova’s prospects of a quick turnaround, even in spite of the loss of leading scorer Maalik Wayns to the NBA draft.

“As long as everyone is getting better and our team chemistry is getting better, we’re going to win,” he said. “We can be really good. No egos. Everybody is coming in just to play, listen to Coach (Jay) Wright.

“We’re getting prepared now for next season. It’s going to be fun. Everybody enjoyed playing the game. We just have to learn how to play the right way.”

Asked if he had a message for Villanova followers who may be skeptical about a turnaround, Kennedy pointed to history.

“Michael Jordan took a couple years off before winning more championships too,” he said. “We’re definitely working to get better.”

-Aaron Bracy is the editor of Philahoops. Reach him at philahoops@gmail.com, follow on Twitter (@Aaron_Bracy) and like on Facebook (facebook.com/philahoops).

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Incoming Villanova freshman Ryan Arcidiacono throws a pass Saturday night during the Mary Kline Classic in Pennington, N.J. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

By AARON BRACY

Philahoops Editor

Twitter: @Aaron_Bracy

PENNINGTON, N.J. – Ryan Arcidiacono drove the lane, veered left and rifled a no-look pass inside to Daniel Ochefu, who turned and scored an easy basket.

For most watching, it was just two points of what seemed like 1,000 tallied in Saturday night’s Mary Kline Classic, a high school all-star game oozing with Division I talent representing some of the finest players in the Northeast.

But for the handful of Villanova fans in attendance, it meant so much more.

It was hope for a better future.

And Nova Nation surely needs a good dose of optimism following last season’s disastrous 13-19 campaign (5-13 Big East) that only got worse with Maalik Wayns’ decision to forego his senior year to enter the NBA draft.

In Arcidiacono and Ochefu, Cats fans have a reason to believe things could be better next season.

A 6-foot-3 guard from Neshaminy High School, Arcidiacono is rated 46^th by ESPNU in the 2012 class. That ranking might be higher if he didn’t have to sit out his senior season following back surgery to remove a herniated disc between his L4-L5 vertebrae.

The injury may leave some to wonder how effective and explosive Arcidiacono will be upon his return, but the player assures he is fine.

“My jump shot and everything has come back quick,” he told Philahoops prior to Saturday’s game. “I know I’m still working on it. The two things I’m still trying to get back are my handle, get it back where it was if not better, and my conditioning.

“But I feel really good. I’m excited. I’ll be fine. I’m 85-to-90 (percent) to getting back to full speed quickness.”

He was cleared to begin shooting in February, starting with set shots, then jump shots and has progressed to each part of his game. Any fears he had of losing his skills quickly were alleviated once he stepped back on the court.

“At first I was nervous but once I realized it took me 10 minutes to get my shot back I was like, ‘OK, I’m good.’

“It wasn’t what I imagined my senior year, but that’s life. Life happens like that. I was just like, ‘Allright, what I can do from here on in to get better?’”

Villanova recruit Ryan Arcidiacono has some fun during warmups Saturday night for the Mary Kline Classic in Pennington, N.J. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

He has been working out at Villanova three days a week, honing his game and his conditioning. Saturday he got to test his progress in live game action for the first time since the surgery.

Playing alongside and against Division I players, including 10 who have signed with BCS schools, Arcidiacono more than held his own Saturday night. His passes were crisp and innovative, his handle was sufficient and his conditioning appeared to be fine. No one played defense so it’s hard to tell. The only time he appeared somewhat tentative was during a scramble for a loose ball near midcourt. But you certainly don’t want to be diving for balls in a fundraising all-star game, especially when you’re just getting back into the groove.

Most impressive was Arcidiacono’s stroke from 3-point range, something the Wildcats sorely were lacking last season when they ranked 14th of 16 Big East teams and 284th in the country in 3-point percentage at 31.5 percent.

Arcidiacono drained 3 of 5 3-pointers and 4 of 6 overall, with his other field goal just inside the arc. His made jumpers ripped the nets, not coming close to the rim. The best of his made treys was a baseline 3 with two players closing fast.

“His court sense, vision and uncanny shooting eye give him the opportunity to become the next great Villanova guard,” Cats coach Jay Wright said upon signing Arcidiacono, who averaged 20 points as a junior for Neshaminy.

–

Incoming Villanova freshman Daniel Ochefu dunks during Saturday night's Mary Kline Classic in Pennington, N.J. (Aaron Bracy/Philahoops)

Playing a completely different game than Arcidiacono, the 6-foot-10 Ochefu swallowed up rebounds on the interior and finished with authority. He played inside throughout, so it wasn’t possible to determine his midrange game that is spoken highly of by ESPNU.

But it was obvious that Ochefu, ranked No. 54 in the ESPNU Top 100, isn’t a loafing big man who takes up space. He showed some athleticism, which might have looked even better if not surrounded by a slew of ridiculously talented wing players. Mostly, he looked like a presence inside who could be counted on to control the middle.

“As a big person, you have to know how rebound the ball,” Ochefu, out of West Chester’s Westtown School, told Philahoops after the game. “The first thing is you have to box out and after that you have to go chase the ball. You have to be the person who wants the ball the most out there.”

Like Arcidiacno, Ochefu promised an unselfish approach at the next level.

“I just plan on going out there and playing as hard as I can every night and doing whatever coach needs me to do on defense and offense,” he said.

Said Arcidiacono, “I’m going to have to come in and do whatever Coach Wright says to help the team get some wins, if that means coming off the bench, shooting a couple shots a game and playing scrappy defense, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.

“All I want to do is win. That’s what I came to do and that’s why I wanted to go to Villanova.”

And while both were expectedly disappointed with Nova’s 2011-12 season, they believe the Wildcats can turn things around.

“We’ll be back,” Arcidiacono said. “You go to seven straight NCAA tournaments and you miss one, everyone is up in arms. We’re going to be fine, hopefully get back to the (NCAA) tournament, get back to the Final Four and relive the memories we’ve had. We’ll be back, I really think so, and we need everyone there supporting us.”

“We’re working hard every day from now until the season starts,” Ochefu added. “I know we’re going to be ready to go.”

–

-Related story: Villanova freshman Markus Kennedy tells Philahoops he dropped 35 pounds since end of season.

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Temple signee Quenton DeCosey (second from right) was one of over two dozen seniors who played in the 2012 Mary Kline Classic. (Josh Verlin/Philahoops)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

The 2012 Mary Kline Classic was destined to be bigger than last year’s inaugural event.

Instead of just one all-star game featuring some of the area’s top high school talent, there were two games–two teams of seniors stacked with Division I signees and two teams of some of the top underclassmen in the country.

In between, there was a slam-dunk contest, a 3-point contest, and a skills contest; all were new additions in the event’s second year.

And as if that wasn’t big enough, there was the reason the whole event was put together–the $20,000 raised for cancer research. The man behind the event is 17-year-old Alex Kline, who named the event in honor of his mother who passed away from the disease several years ago.

“It’s really exciting to play against all these good players and to honor Alex’s mother,” said forward Jermaine Lawrence, the Blue underclassmen’s MVP after scoring 27 points in the opening contest.

For forward Karl Towns, who’s already wanted by schools like Kentucky and Florida after just one year of high school basketball, playing in the game hit a little closer to home.

“It was a big dream for me to be here, because my grandfather died from cancer so anything that helps cancer research or anything was a big thing for me,” the 6-foot-10 16-year-old said.

Lawrence and Towns were just two of the high-major recruits playing in the game, as almost all of the undecided players throughout the underclassmen rosters had offers from Big East, ACC and/or Big 10 schools. A few of those had already made verbal commitments, including St. Anthony (N.J.) junior Josh Brown, who committed to Temple last season.

Though Brown was (so far) the only player in the underclassman game to commit to a City 6 school, a number of the seniors that played in the night’s finale will continue on as Philadelphia ballplayers.

Daniel Dingle and Quenton DeCosey, headed to Temple this fall, both played for the Red team just one night after facing each other in the is8/Nike Spring HS Classic.

Villanova also had a pair of incoming freshmen on the Blue senior team, with Ryan Arcidiacono getting his first live-game action in since having back surgery last December as he took the court with big man Daniel Ochefu. (Read Aaron Bracy’s story on Arcidiacono and Ochefu HERE.)

Arcidiacono unofficially hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range in the game, and told Philahoops before the action that he was back to playing without pain after missing his entire season with that injury. The 6-3 combo guard also won the skills competition, making a layup, free-throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot in the shortest amount of time.

The on-court play during most of the games was not much more than a glorified slam dunk contest, though the actual slam dunk contest proved to be NBA-worthy. Rondae Jefferson, a target of every City 6 school (and many others) and the younger brother of Temple forward Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson won the event by jumping over 6-10 Austin Colbert.

Note: Philahoops spoke to over a dozen players at this year’s Mary Kline Classic, and their stories will be rolled out over the coming days

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Last year's inaugeral Mary Kline Classic raised over $7000 for cancer research. (Stephen Goldsmith/TheRecruitScoop)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

A number of notable high school basketball players, including several Temple and Villanova signees, will be participating in the 2nd-Annual Mary Kline Classic on Saturday at the Pennington School.

The event, organized by Alex Kline, features two all-star games–one for seniors and one for underclassmen–as well as a slam dunk contest, 3-point contest, and a skills contest. Kline is a 17-year-old whose website TheRecruitScoop has gotten him a national following and even an article in Sports Illustrated.

Philahoops will be attending the event as part of our 2012 recruiting coverage.

Last year’s event included senior participants Jerrell Wright (La Salle), Khalid Lewis (Delaware) Khem Birch and John Johnson (Pitt), Erick Copes (George Mason), and a number of other players who went on to play Division I basketball in 2011-12.

While Wright was the only player in the inaugural Mary Kline Classic to play for a City 6 school, this year will feature no fewer than four players who will continue their careers in Philadelphia or on the Main Line.

Temple F Daniel Dingle (Bronx, NY/St. Raymond’s) and G/F Quenton DeCosey (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph’s), will both be playing for the Red Seniors in their first-ever appearance as teammates, while F Daniel Ochefu (Westtown, PA/Westtown) and G Ryan Arcidiacono (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy), both headed to Villanova this fall, will be suiting up for the Blue Seniors.

For full rosters, CLICK HERE

In addition to those four–all of whom have signed binding Letters of Intent to play for their respective schools–2013 wing Josh Brown (Jersey City/St. Anthony’s), playing for the  Red Underclassmen, has given a non-binding verbal commitment to play at Temple for their first season of Big East play.

Besides Brown, a number of other talented underclassmen who could potentially wind up playing for Philadelphia schools will be participating in the event.

Karl Towns (Metuchen N.J./St. Joseph’s), a teammate of DeCosey’s is a 6-foot-10 F/C with 3-point range who’s already getting high-major looks after just his freshman year of high school. Rondae Jefferson (Chester, PA/Chester) younger brother of Temple F Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, is a 2013 wing who’s considering offers to follow his brother to Temple as well as strong pushes from Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and a host of other Division I schools.

Jefferson’s Blue Underclassman team and Towns’ Red are both filled with plenty of high-major talent–from 6-9 2013 F Jermaine Lawrence (Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXIII), who’s entertaining SEC and Big East offers, to 6-4 2014 SG Isaiah Whitehead (Brooklyn, NY/Abraham Lincoln), who (according to Scout.com) fields offers from Rutgers, St. John’s and Syracuse after his sophomore year of high school, to 2013 PG Geno Thorpe, one of the top players in the state as well as a Penn State committ.

“There are about 50 different All-Star games for seniors, but literally nothing for underclassmen,” Kline told Philahoops. “This way a way of bringing in some of the best talent in the country before their names were known worldwide, next year or in future years.”

A few current Philahoops players are participating in the event as judges in the slam dunk competition. Drexel point guard and 2012 All-CAA First-Team selection Frantz Massenat will  be judging alongside his teammate Kazembe Abif; they’ll be joined by Villanova freshman Markus Kennedy and 6-foot-10 Marvadene “Bubbles” Anderson, the world’s tallest teenage girl and a Pitt signee.

The 2012 Mary Kline Classic will begin at 5pm at the Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey. A mandatory $10 donation is required for entry.

Philahoops editor Aaron Bracy contributed to this report.

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Butler's Gordon Heyward cuts down the nets after their 2011 Elite Eight win. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

The Atlantic 10 Conference announced the admission of Butler University today for all 17 of their varsity sports beginning July 1, 2013.

Rumors had been circulating for weeks that Butler, whose men’s basketball team made the Final Four in 2011 before falling in the national championship game to Connecticut, would become the 14th A10 school after Temple announced their departure for the Big East back on March 7.

Butler, a private school with just over 4000 undergraduates, is located in the city of Indianapolis, the 26th-largest media market in the country. With the Atlantic 10′s current TV contract up after the next season, the league is trying to expand its current media footprint following a year where, according to the press release, the league had over 350 television appearances.

From the press release:

The addition of Butler is part of a five-year Strategic Initiative that the Atlantic 10 adopted in November of 2010. The first of five core principals in the initiative was conference membership. Within this core principle is the charge that the A-10 consider and evaluate membership applications based on institutional profiles in multiple areas, including academics, athletics and geography. Butler’s profile in these primary areas meets the high standards set by all current A-10 member institutions.

“Welcoming Butler University as the newest member of the Atlantic 10 Conference is an honor and privilege. Institutionally, they are a perfect fit for the league and bring a tradition of excellence in academics, athletics, integrity and personnel,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “As a conference driven by national prominence in men’s basketball, Butler further strengthens our league. Complementing their success in men’s basketball is a broad-based sports program that will compete well in the A-10.”

The move might not be the final shakeup for the Atlantic 10 in this latest round of conference realignment–the University of Charlotte is rumored to be considering a move to the Sun Belt to accomodate their new football program (which begins play in 2013), which could leave the conference looking for another school if not more than one.

Virginia Commonwealth and George Mason of the Colonial Athletic Association have both been rumored to have interest in moving to the Atlantic 10 should the league want to expand beyond 14 members, though A10 McGlade described the situation as “fluid” in a press conference following the announcement.

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Shamiek Sheppard (left) goes up for a shot as Imhotep's Brandon Austin contests. (Photo: Christina Santucci)

By JOSH VERLIN

Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @jmverlin

The Drexel Dragons are the only team in the city without any signed recruits for 2012, though with just one scholarship open for the fall–that of departed senior Samme Givens–there is a good chance that it won’t be until 2013 that the winningest program in Philadelphia last season brings in some new faces.

One possible future Dragon is 2013 wing Shamiek Sheppard (Brooklyn, NY/South Shore), who listed offers from Drexel along with Hofstra, Iona, and Kent State.

Philahoops caught up with Sheppard, who averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in his junior year, at the Philly Hoop Group Jam Fest. The 6-foot-5 junior was quick to respond when asked if he had a current leader for where he would play his college basketball.

“I can say that Drexel is really gonna be one of my top choices for the simple fact that they come and support,” he said. “They come to try to watch me play every chance they get.”

Sheppard is a three-year starter for South Shore, averaging double-digits in points all three years, and is described by ESPN’s recruiting services as an “incredible athlete with the big-time bounce to play above the rim like few others can.”

That athleticism helps him out on the defensive end, where his AAU coach Lloyd Dasvigne said his play helps him stand out.

“Defensively he plays with a passion–he’ll dive on loose balls, he’ll challenge little guards, he’ll challenge big centers. He doesn’t care, he just plays with a lot of passion,” Dasvigne said. “Best part about Shamiek’s game is he plays 100 percent, all the time.”

The biggest knock on Sheppard’s game is that his basketball skills are not quite at the level of athleticism. Sheppard himself noted his weaknesses as “my jump shot and my ball handling” while his biggest strength was “getting out into the open floor and finishing around the basket.”

ESPN’s report of Sheppard, which is from May 2011, noted a player whose “skill set and feel for the game need to catch up with his athleticism…where his recruitment ultimately ends up depends on his ability to develop his ball skills and feel for the game.”

According to Shawn Marks, a coach at South Side who said he has known Shamiek since he was 12, Sheppard didn’t start out playing on the wing.

“He was more of a back-to-the-basket guy at the age of 12,” Marks said. “He was always big and strong…you might laugh, but he was more athletic at 12 than now.”

Now Sheppard is trying to become more of a perimeter player in the mold of Damion Lee, Drexel’s 6-6 wing who averaged 12.7 points this season en route to winning CAA Freshman of the Year honors. There’s still work to do, as Sheppard made just 50 percent of his free-throws and only one 3-pointer in his junior season.

If they don’t replace Givens’ scholarship for 2012, Drexel will have four scholarships open for 2013 as current junior guards Chris Fouch (10.5 points in 2011-12) and Derrick Thomas (8.0 points) will both run out of eligibility after the upcoming season along with junior forward Daryl McCoy. They have not yet received any verbal commitments.

Josh Verlin is the Drexel Dragons’ beat writer for Philahoops. He can be reached at josh.verlin@gmail.com

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Philahoops Staff

Twitter: @DLNAndyEdwards

Villanova head coach Jay Wright has added another guard to his backcourt stable.

Dylan Ennis, who started at point guard for Rice University last season, tweeted Tuesday morning that he will be joining the Wildcat program. According to vuhoops.com, Ennis transferred to play closer to his family in Toronto. He will sit out the upcoming season and have three years of eligibility remaining after completing the transfer.

Ennis averaged 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in his first season of college hoops at Rice. He logged 26.5 minutes per game, was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team, and shattered the league’s single-season assists record for a freshman (144). Ennis ultimately chose Villanova over a host of programs, although his final decision was between the Wildcats and the University of Cincinnati.

Ennis’ decision could have widespread repercussions for the Wildcats, who are also recruiting his younger brother. Tyler Ennis, a point guard at St. Benedict’s Prep (NJ), checks in at #41 on the ESPNU Super 60 for the 2013 class. The younger Ennis already has offers from several top programs, including Kansas, Connecticut, Syracuse, Memphis, and Georgetown.

Ennis’ move may also affect the decision of Wake Forest point guard Tony Chennault, a product of Neumann-Goretti who  averaged 9.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in his sophomore season with the Demon Deacons. According to philly.com, Ennis is transferring to be closer to his mother, who is experiencing health problems. The Inquirer reported that Chennault is petitioning the NCAA for a hardship waiver, which would allow him to play immediately for the Wildcats, his second chice coming out of high school.

Chennault, a high school teammate of Syracuse’s Scoop Jardine and Rick Jackson and La Salle’s Tyreek Duren, may rethink his decision with the addition of Ennis to an already crowded Villanova backcourt. Along with rising sophomore Ty Johnson, Ennis joins top recruit Ryan Arcidiacono in the Wildcats’ point guard ranks. But with Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek- the team’s top two scorers from a year ago- foregoing their final seasons of eligibility to enter the NBA Draft, Villanova must replace most of its perimeter production. Wright has always said that college basketball is about guards, and in the Wildcats’ case, it appears one can never have too many.

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