per Sid:
Recruits thriving
One bright spot for Pitino is he already has landed two recruits for next season, guard Jamal Mashburn Jr. of Brewster (N.H.) Academy and forward Martice Mitchell of Bloom (Ill.) High School in Chicago Heights. Both are four-star recruits, according to 247sports.com.
The coaches of those two players report that they are vital members of squads that will compete for state championships in the coming weeks.
Brewster Academy coach Jason Smith said in an e-mail that the 6-foot Mashburn is a captain for the team, which is 29-2 overall and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming New England Prep School Class AAA tournament. They have eight players committed to Division I programs.
Mashburn is averaging 11 points per game and is typically called upon to defend the other team’s top scoring guard, Smith noted.
Mitchell’s team is having similar success, according to coach Dante Maddox Sr., who noted his club is 26-6 and viewed as either the top-ranked or second-best team in Illinois, depending on the poll.
Maddox said a leg injury limited the 6-10 Mitchell early in the season, but he has come on of late for a team with five D-I starters.
In recent games against ranked opponents, Mitchell had one contest with 12 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks and another with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. He is averaging 9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
“He is a leader who plays with a high motor and passion,” Maddox said. “He will need to be a major contributor, in that he is our biggest advantage, in order to win a state title.”
Coffey, Curry would have made them Big Ten contenders, but now NCAA bid is uphill climb.
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Go Gophers!!