Pistol

New offer: Chase Richardson - PG, 6-2, 165 - Friendswood, TX (Friendswood) - AAU: TJ Ford Academy (Adidas 3SSB) - Twitter: @cwrichardson24 Offers: Saint Louis, La Salle, Purdue, Ole Miss, SMU, TCU, Arizona State, New Mexico, Wichita State, Rice, Pepperdine, UTEP, UTSA, Sam Houston State, Oral Roberts, New Mexico State, Texas-Arlington. Interest: St. Bonaventure, Iowa, Notre Dame, Green Bay, Little Rock, Louisiana-Monroe. Latest News: Richardson received an offer from SLU. (7/16/25) Scouting Report: Richardson is a complete PG with big-time playmaking and 3-level scoring ability. He's an outstanding passer who sees the floor very well. His 3-pointer is effective off the dribble and off the catch. He's crafty getting to the rim. He's smart, makes the correct read, and seems to be a step ahead of everyone else on the floor.

Collin Ross - PF, 6-10, 210 - Woodstock, GA (SPIRE Academy, OH) - AAU: OTP (Puma PRO16) - Twitter: @thecollinross Offers: Saint Louis, VCU, Dayton, Loyola-Chicago, George Washington, George Mason, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, La Salle, Xavier, Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, California, Tulane, Murray State, Akron, Kent State, Robert Morris, Marshall, Kennesaw State, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Stetson. Interest: Butler, Texas A&M, Virginia, Houston, West Virginia, Wyoming, New Mexico, Santa Clara, Bradley, Illinois State, Evansville, Western Kentucky, Buffalo, Miami-Ohio, Western Michigan, Cleveland State, SEMO, Boston, Northeastern, Texas State, New Hampshire, Florida Gulf Coast, High Point. Latest News: Ross received offers from SLU and Vanderbilt. (7/15/25) Scouting Report: Ross is a long, versatile forward with a rim presence at both ends. He has soft touch around the rim and can step out and shoot from beyond the arc with a smooth, replicable shot. He's athletic with a solid vertical. He has good passing skills for a big. He moves well, alters shots, and has the tools to be an elite defensive big. Ross was originally a 2025 recruit but reclassified and transferred to SPIRE Academy in Ohio from River Ridge in Georgia for his final season.

I genuinely don't care who the starters are or what the minutes breakdown is. Avila, Green, and Otieno are starters. The other 2 will be some combination of Thames, Jones, McCottry, Sharma, Brown, and Dunlap. If I'm being forced to pick, I'll say Jones is a starter and the fifth is either Thames (if 100% healthy) or McCottry (if Thames is restricted). Starting spots could be matchup dependent, too. Anya won't start and might be higher up in the order than a couple others, but he gives us the ability to go 10 deep. I don't expect much out of the other 5 players. True depth is a good problem to have.

The staff had previously shown interest in 3 guys on D1 Minnesota, none of whom have received offers (Jadyn Coon, Dothan Ijadimbola, Christian Wiggins). SLU recently offered Pops Dunson of the Atlanta Celtics. I'm not sure who they'd be looking at on New World, but they have been recruiting some guys in the DC area and some might have joined New World for this AAU session - I just haven't found any yet.

Doesn't sound promising. I'd love some more reports from anyone else who attended, by the way. We'll read them on the next @Midtown Madness episode (taking a couple weeks off for vacations).

New offers: Kobe Edwards - PG, 6-1, 160 - Wilson, NC (Greenfield) - AAU: Boo Williams (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @Kobe_3dwards Offers: Saint Louis, VCU, Georgetown, Illinois, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Arizona State, East Carolina, Liberty, Western Carolina, Charleston, Appalachian State, Stetson, High Point, Radford, Campbell, Maryland-Eastern Shore. Interest: Dayton, North Carolina, Florida International, William & Mary, Binghamton, Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia Southern, Bryant, UNC-Asheville, Queens. Latest News: Edwards received an offer from SLU. (7/9/25) Scouting Report: Edwards is a quick, skilled, crafty point guard who's tough to stop off the dribble. He's got open court speed, high-level ball handling, and bounce when finishing. He's a smart player who's always attacking. He's a deft passer with vision. He's an efficient shooter from outside. He has quick hands on defense and creates a lot of steals. Jermel Thomas - PG, 6-3, 170 - Bronx, NY (Our Saviour Lutheran) - AAU: Riverside Hawks (Under Armour Association) - Twitter: @TheRealMagicMel Offers: Saint Louis, Rhode Island, Fordham, Seton Hall, Providence, Florida State, Bryant. Interest: St. John's, Georgetown, Penn State, Arkansas, Florida International, UAB, Illinois State, Louisiana-Monroe, Seattle. Latest News: Thomas received an offer from SLU. (7/9/25) Scouting Report: Thomas is a smart, talented PG with outstanding ball handling and passing skills. He's a reliable outside shooter and beats defenders off the dribble, making him hard to guard. He racks up assists, too. He's a high-level one-on-one defender. He started his HS career at Cardinal Hayes before transferring to OSL in the OTE league.

Seems like these may have come from a few different coaches. They're on a few different AAU circuits. The more recent events have been HS teams playing summer tournaments, but even then, the 6 2026 offers this week have been pretty spread out. I think it's just offer season and they're formalizing things with some guys they've already been monitoring.

I actually got curious on this point and confirmed that the school he attends is primarily intended for the children of employees at The Villages. He appears to be from a couple towns over.

Based on this start time and comments that were previously made, I think @billikenfan05 has pretty much locked himself into going.

Fourth and final offer of the day (I think): Keriawn Berry - SG, 6-5, 205 - Avon, IN (Avon) - AAU: Wildcat Select (Adidas 3SSB) - Twitter: @keriawn_berry Offers: Saint Louis, La Salle, Butler, North Texas, Indiana State, SIUC, Murray State, Toledo, Miami-Ohio, Wright State, Ball State, IU-Indianapolis, Coastal Carolina. Interest: Loyola-Chicago, Duquesne, Purdue, West Virginia, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, Valparaiso, Bowling Green, Youngstown State, East Tennessee State, Louisiana-Monroe, Sam Houston State, High Point. Latest News: Berry received offers from SLU, La Salle, North Texas, SIUC, and Wright State. (7/2/25) Scouting Report: Berry is a big, strong scoring guard who can shoot from outside and muscle inside. He's excellent in transition and finishes through contact. He can guard multiple positions. Berry transferred across the river to Avon after playing his first few seasons at Trinity HS in Louisville.

Elite name prospect for @Box and Won: Herly Brutus - SF, 6-7, 180 - Umatilla, FL (The Villages Charter) - AAU: Tre Mann Elite (Puma PRO16) - Twitter: @HerlyBrutus Offers: Saint Louis, Dayton, LSU, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Maryland, Florida State, California, TCU, South Florida, East Carolina, Gonzaga, Rice, Hofstra, Kennesaw State, Stetson, Jacksonville. Interest: Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Miami, Virginia Tech, Kansas State, Liberty. Latest News: Brutus received an offer from SLU and a flurry of others. (7/2/25) Scouting Report: Brutus is a long, versatile, athletic two-way wing who scores and defends with confidence. He can knock down the 3, create off the bounce, and finish at the rim. He's an efficient scorer on all levels. He has nice positional size and can guard multiple positions. He thrives in transition. He has a high motor and plays hard on every possession.

And the second: Eli Sancomb - G, 6-5, 190 - Wheeling, WV (Central Catholic) - AAU: WV Gold (Puma PRO16) - Twitter: @EliSancomb11 Offers: Saint Louis, Loyola-Chicago, Belmont, Murray State, Toledo, Youngstown State, Liberty, Drexel, Marshall, Mercyhurst. interest: Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa, Texas, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Stanford, West Virginia, South Florida, Santa Clara, Dartmouth, Northern Iowa, Illinois-Chicago, UTEP, UMass, Ohio, Cleveland State, Samford, James Madison, William & Mary, Louisiana-Monroe, Jacksonville, Longwood. Latest News: Sancomb received an offer from SLU. (7/1/25) Scouting Report: Sancomb is a true combo guard who scores and distributes in equal measure. He's smart and crafty, and sees the floor very well. He controls the tempo and doesn't force things. He's got a consistent, smooth left handed jumper that he can hit consistently from outside. He has good size for the position.

Four more new offers today. Here's the first: Julian Washington - SG, 6-4, 180 - Castalia, OH (Margaretta) - AAU: Ohio Buckets (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @Ju_Washington14 Offers: Saint Louis, VCU, Loyola-Chicago, Xavier, Butler, Virginia Tech, Florida Atlantic, Tulane, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Kent State, Akron, Ohio, Toledo, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami-Ohio. Interest: Dayton, Richmond, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Furman. Latest News: Washington received an offer from SLU. (7/1/25) Scouting Report: Washington is a versatile, well-rounded two-way player. He's an outstanding shooter who can take over a game when he heats up outside. He's effective driving to the basket and finishes above the rim. He rebounds the guard/wing position well. He has evolved as a playmaker and understands how to get his teammates involved.

New offers: Harris Reynolds - SG, 6-5, 170 - Atlanta, GA (St. Pius X) - AAU: Nightrydas Elite (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @Harris1Reynolds Offers: Saint Louis, California, West Virginia, South Florida, Tulane, Ohio, Sam Houston State, Samford, Georgia State, Appalachian State, Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State, Radford. Interest: Loyola-Chicago, Richmond, Xavier, Marquette, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Notre Dame, BYU, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa, North Texas, Charlotte, Texas-San Antonio, UTEP, Milwaukee, Mercer, Charleston, James Madison, Hofstra, Marshall, Louisiana-Monroe, Little Rock, Vermont, Kansas City, Stetson, North Carolina A&T, High Point, Queens, Presbyterian. Latest News: Reynolds received an offer from SLU. (6/30/25) Scouting Report: Reynolds is a smooth, talented scoring guard who scores on three levels and makes plays for his teammates. He has size and length, a lot of bounce, and is tough to stop getting to the rim. He dribbles and finishes through contact. He has a reliable pull-up jumper in the mid-range and has a consistent shot off the catch from outside. Gregory (Pops) Dunson, Jr. - PG, 6-1, 185 - Douglasville, GA (Alexander) - AAU: Atlanta Celtics (Adidas 3SSB) Offers: Saint Louis, Auburn, UAB, Tulane, Texas State, Chattanooga, Kennesaw State, Arkansas State, Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State, Stetson, East Texas A&M. Interest: Fordham, Iowa, Maryland, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Houston, Colorado State, South Florida, Tulsa, Florida International, Bradley, Murray State, Illinois-Chicago, Southern Miss, UTEP, East Tennessee State, Samford, Charleston, Hofstra, Northeastern, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Stephen F. Austin, UNC-Asheville, High Point, Gardner-Webb, Jackson State. Latest News: Dunson received offers from SLU, Tulane, Arkansas State, and Jacksonville State. (6/30/25) Scouting Report: Dunson is a high scoring PG who fills it up efficiently from everywhere. He has range on his shot and creates it in a number of ways, including excellent movement off the ball. He has a strong frame, tight handles, and a wide array of moves. He's a smart, poised player who doesn't get bothered by pressure.

I'm pretty sure it has to do with the academic calendar and that her graduation was later than in most U.S. schools. She might also be running into a delay for the reason you said, but I think it was already known that she'd be the last one on campus. Here's a recent article on her in the meantime.

Spoken like a true 2.9.

In Kentucky it's called white dog (and yes, I do have some in the liquor cabinet).

Water. I have a few mason jar-style glasses from 4 Hands that I use as my go-to water glasses at home. They're durable. Of course a Tennessean's mind goes straight to moonshine.

I'm 360 miles away and wishing I could be there to get eyes on this team, so I appreciate detailed reports from anyone who is able to make it. We're recording this week's @Midtown Madness episode tonight, so if you post in the first few hours after it ends, we'll quote you on the show.

He recently gave up football to focus on basketball.

New offer: Tyson Pogi - PG, 6-1, 165 - Moore, OK (Southmoore) - AAU: MOKAN Elite (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @pogi_tyson Offers: Saint Louis. Interest: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Belmont, Liberty, Furman, UMBC, Louisiana-Monroe, Oral Roberts, Kansas City, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Latest News: Pogi received an offer from SLU. (6/22/25) Scouting Report: Pogi is a smart, skilled PG with open court speed and pull-up scoring ability. He's effective finishing at the rim and has deep range on his shot, which he makes at a high rate. He orchestrates the offense and makes plays out of the pick and roll. He rebounds the position well. His father is Aso Pogi, former Oklahoma State quarterback.

Within the district, I assume? Not sure his coach would have any say if he left Hazelwood altogether.

I took it more as a soft expulsion. He wasn't thrown out of school or anything like that. It's more that Crews was fed up with him and made it clear he wasn't part of his plans moving forward. Then when it became clear Crews wasn't part of SLU's plans moving forward, it doesn't really matter who plays. By then, I'm sure a lot of other guys were creating headaches for him, too.

We will play 2 of those 3 teams.

New interest: Chris (C.J.) Williams - PG, 6-1, 160 - Houston, TX (Stratford) - AAU: One Time Legends (Adidas 3SSB) - Twitter: @cj_williams27 Offers: None. Interest: Saint Louis, Tulsa, Louisiana-Monroe, Liberty, Houston Christian. Latest News: Williams received a call from SLU when the recruiting period opened for 2027 players. (6/18/25) Scouting Report: Williams is a smart, crafty point guard with playmaking and scoring ability in equal measure. He's got tight handles and a quick step to get separation from defenders. He has excellent vision and passing skills. He scores on three levels and has sound mechanics on his shot. He's an alert defender who creates turnovers.