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After an outstanding sophomore season, Malik Nabers picked up right where he left off by finishing the game with 5 touchdown receptions in Thursday’s spring game vs Kaplan.
The 6-0 receiver was very impressive with his route running, high pointing the ball, & making defenders look silly in space. Nabers will be someone to keep tabs on in the 2021 class going forward. He holds only one offer at the moment from Lawrence University, a division III school in Wisconsin. 
The Comeaux high school standout will be sought after by bigger schools soon enough & make his case on why he should be considered as one of the top receivers in the 2021 class. Tulane, ULL, Mississippi State, South Alabama, & Southern are showing Nabers heavy interest at the moment.
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 On Monday, Charlie Russell Jr. made it official & signed his national letter of intent to Tulane University. New Tulane head coach Ron Hunter capitalized on Russell after missing out on Dunham’s Jordan Wright who opted to sign with Vanderbilt. This is Hunter’s third signee for this 2019 class & the first from Louisiana. The 6-6 wing averaged 17.2 ppg & 11.1 rpg this past season to go with leading his team to a 32-4 record and a state semifinal appearance. “Tulane really attracted me because of the basketball program & it’s an amazing academic school,” Russell Jr. said. “One of the main things I liked was how the whole coaching staff go out their way to make sure you’ll succeed on & off the court.” Russell Jr. is aware of the struggles that the basketball program had last season only winning four games, but he feels optimistic that head coach Ron Hunter & assistant coach Kevin Johnson will get things turned around quickly. “Coach Hunter & coach K.J are great dudes,” Russell Jr. said. “The plan that they have in place will get things turned around & I feel we will win a lot of games.” Recruiting can be brutal in some cases & Russell Jr. learned some valuable lessons throughout this process. He had offers from Lamar, Coastal Carolina, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of California Santa Barbara, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, & McNeese St. Schools shied away late in the process which led to Russell possibly considering going to a prep school. But when Ron Hunter got hired & added assistant coach Kevin Johnson to his staff who was very familiar with Russell Jr, they quickly made a move on the unsigned senior. “Lessons I learned is that don’t focus on schools that just like you, go to a school that needs you apart of their program,” Russell Jr. said. After going 2-2 in the first live period in Chicago, Louisiana Elite 17U finished this past weekend 3-1 with wins versus Team Rio, Illinois Wolves, & Team Mudiay. Their only lost came to a really good Wisconsin Playground squad 60-57.  Point guard Jalen Cook had a stellar weekend averaging 20 ppg & 5 apg. The University of Houston assistant coach Quannas White was on hand to watch Cook & he left very impressed. The Houston staff has already offered the 3-star prospect, but it seems that they will make him a major priority for the 2020 class. The Southern Miss coaching staff was very impressed with Cook as well & extended an offer to him on Tuesday.  Combo guard LaDamien Bradford stock continues to rise, especially after his performances this past weekend. His jump shot has improved tremendously since last summer which has taken his game to another level. And at 6-4 Bradford continues to show that he can run a team as well as play off the ball. New Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams loves what he seen from Bradford & extended an offer to him on Wednesday  Thomas Howell had a nice showing scoring the ball with his back to the basket & knocking down the elbow jumper consistently. He also showed that he’s more athletic than you would think catching a body & finishing a bevy of alley hoop plays throughout the weekend. Next stop will be in New Jersey for their last Under Armour event until July.  Dating back to 2008 the Edna Karr program has made the number 7 popular & something of substance. The number represents a leader that everybody follows on & off the field but most importantly it represents completion. This tradition still carries on eleven years later & I think it’s safe to say this year’s 7 will continue to carry the legacy. Here are the names of everybody that has worn 7 the last eleven years: 2019 Joe Thomas-???? 2018 Devin Bush- Arkansas 2017 Quindell Johnson -Memphis 2016 Tyler Casby- Jackson State 2015 Andre Anthony-LSU 2014 Tyrin Ferguson- Nebraska 2013 Jaevon Walton -Nebraska 2012 Elcee Refuge- Kent St 2011 Elcee Refuge-Kent St 2010 Detrell Wright -Alcorn St 2009 Shaq Smith-Tulane 2008 Shaq Smith- Tulane  Jordan Wright made his announcement on last Friday via Twitter that he will be taking his academic excellence & basketball talents to the SEC at Vanderbilt University. Wright decision came down to Vanderbilt & Tulane, but first year head coach Jerry Stackhouse was able to convince him that the Commodore program would be a better fit for him. “The coaching staff at Vandy made a big impression on me,” Wright said. “Coach Stackhouse played my position & he’s one of the best to ever do it. Bringing in Coach Grace & Coach Mazarei was big to me as well because they’ve been around pros & they know what it takes become one.”  People close to Wright thought he would choose Tulane because of his close knit relationship with assistant coach Kevin Johnson since his sophomore year. “Tulane is a great school & I know Coach Hunter will do great things over there,” Wright said. “Coach KJ & I have have a really good relationship as well, but I just felt like Vandy is somewhere I needed to be.” The 6-6 wing is a three-time All-State selection & he also captured a state title his junior year while at Dunham. Wright is going to be playing in one of the toughest conferences in the country & even though he’s super talented he will have to find tune a few things to take his game to another level. “Conditioning is what I’ve been focusing on the most,” Wright said. “My jump shot has improved & I’ve been in the weight room a lot getting stronger. My trainer Dwayne has added a lot to my game since the season ended.” Wright has seen the ups & downs of recruiting throughout his high school career, but one thing he has learned is that it is a business. “I learned that you have to do what’s best for you,” Wright said. “I knew that recruiting was a business, but I didn’t fully understand what that meant. Knowing where you are on a school’s board & whether the coach will be there when it is time for you to sign is very important.” It’s no doubt that Wright has a bright future to look forward to on & off the court. He’s been a honor roll student all throughout high school & scored a 30 on his ACT. It’s going to be fun to watch him develop under somebody like Jerry Stackhouse & see him compete the next three to four years in a big time conference like the SEC. 
After an official visit to the University of Virginia on the weekend of April 5th, Ja’Darius “Bud” Clark decided to shut down his recruitment & give the Cavalier program his commitment. The 4-star prospect according to 247 sports committed to Virginia over LSU, Ole Miss, TCU, UL, & a few others on Tuesday. A source close to Clark stated that his decision came down to TCU & Virginia.
Clark, a hybrid defensive back from Alexandria High School will be asked to play some corner & safety when he gets to Charlottesville. And at 6-1, 170 pounds Clark has the ideal length to play early & make an immediate impact. Clark’s ability to be able to play man to man outside & as a nickel corner will bold well for him on the next level for sure. Ultimately, Clark will be best suited as a safety but this kid’s versatility has to have head coach Bronco Mendenhall excited to have him apart of this class. 
The University of Virginia land their third prospect from Louisiana in two years. U-High 3-star running back Mike Hollins & Plaquemine 4-star wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks both signed with the Cavaliers for the 2019 class. And not to mention, Edna Karr 4-star cornerback Devin Bush came very close to signing with the Cavaliers before opting to sign with Arkansas in last year’s class as well. The Virginia coaching staff have done good work recruiting Louisiana and a big part of that is because of special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield (New Orleans native) & regional scout Jordan Arcement (Houma native).
Expect Clark’s commitment to stir up some things in the boot, & it shouldn’t be a surprise if a few other kids want to go see what’s cooking up there in Charlottesville going forward.
 
The West St. John ATH Trenton Grow is somebody to keep a close eye on going forward. Grow has been a bit undervalued on the recruiting trail for some reason, but he is as good as they come in Louisiana for the 2020 class.
At 6-2, Grow uses his length very well to go up & high point the ball. His production was down some compared to his sophomore campaign, but you can clearly see on his film that he has big time ability. The soon to be senior currently hold offers from Kansas, Navy, Air Force, ULM, Southern Miss, UAB, Tulane, South Alabama, Northwestern St, Nicholls State, & Prarie View A&M. Grow has Virginia, Colorado, Southeastern, & LA Tech keeping tabs on him & will be stopping by during spring practices in May. I expect Trenton Grow to have a big senior year, so don’t be surprised if he becomes a must get for schools, before signing day. |
Jeremiah Gray, Owner"GSportz is an independent, integrated sports media outlet that prides itself as a grassroots organization, which covers players, high schools and college sports across the state of Louisiana." Archives
March 2019
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