Note: This article was originally published on Rivals.com.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – With the Rising Stars (Ill.) down by three in the waning moments of overtime in the semi-finals of the AAU Super Showcase against Each One Teach One (Fla.), they had several options for the game-tying shot.
They could have gone to Cal-commit Alex Rossi, who hit a three at the buzzer of regulation. Ohio State-bound Lenzelle Smith had been the go-to-guy all game, while Iowa-pledge Ben Brust had helped lead the Stars to a win over All-Ohio Red the day before.
However, the choice for the final shot? Rayvonte Rice.
It didn’t matter that Rice’s attempt hit the back rim and the Rising Stars lost, it was the decision
to leave the fate of the team in the hands of Rice.
“I love close games,” said Rice, who finished with 18 points in the loss. “I love having pressure on me; I should have hit that last shot.”
Rice is a strong, 6-2, 190-lb. swingman out of Centennial High School in Champaign, Ill., and a rising prospect in the class of 2010.
He has a solid build and can score around the basket as well as from the perimeter. He is stronger than most players at his position, which gives him an edge on the backboards and in the paint.
“I’m more of a power guard,” Rice said. “I can play on the wing, and I like to get to the hole.”
With some of the top AAU teams in the country participating at the Wide World of Disney Sports Complex in Orlando, the Midwest-based Rising Stars were overlooked heading into the tournament. However, they finished second in their pool, including a 34-point win over Hoop Planet and a 20-point victory over the Alabama Lasers.
They really made waves, though, when they knocked off the best AAU team in the country over the past three years, All-Ohio Red – led by Jared Sullinger, Adreian Payne and a host of other high-major recruits. The Rising Stars followed that up with a thrashing of Nike Baltimore Elite, home to Memphis-commit Will Barton and Syracuse-bound C.J. Fair.
“We didn’t just want to beat All-Ohio,” Rice said. “We really wanted to get a TV game.”
Although the Rising Stars fell short of getting to the title game and playing on ESPNU, Rice’s excellent performance this summer has seen his interest rise considerably in the past couple of weeks.
Rice lists offers from Kent State, Ohio, Oregon State, Western Michigan, Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Nevada, DePaul, Drake, Saint Louis, Niagara and Detroit. He also says he is seeing interest from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Boston College, Missouri, Northwestern and Stanford.
“I plan on visiting Nevada, Drake and a couple of big schools,” Rice said, later mentioning Ohio as another possible visitation. “I want to go high-major, but it depends on the best situation for me.
I want it to have a good campus and a coach I can trust. I also am looking for playing time.”
Missouri is one of those “big schools” that is likely to receive more than a cursory look from this fast-rising guard.
“I like their program and campus,” Rice said. “I’m highly interested in Missouri. And my coach said they are highly interested in me so I’m planning on taking a visit there.
“I’m going to sit down with my mom to pick the schools I’m going to take my official visits to.”
Monday, August 3, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Miller becoming a well-known prospect
Note: This article was originally published at Rivals.com.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Observers hoping to catch a glimpse of Justin Miller at the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando on Sunday likely came away disappointed – but it wasn’t his fault.
Miller, a 6-2 guard from Rockbridge Senior High School in Columbus, Mo., suffered a potential torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder on the first play of the game against an AAU team from Texas. He stole the ball and was going up for a lay-up when two opponents hit his arm.
Afterwards, Miller said he felt dizzy and might have had a concussion. He did not play the rest of the tournament.
“I think a lot of coaches wanted to see Justin play,” his father, Rich, said. “But they’ll get their chances. It’s still early.”
The class of 2011 prospect is a big-time offensive player who can really shoot the ball from three-point range. At the NIKE Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., earlier this month, Miller had a stretch where he hit four straight threes and single-handedly brought the St. Louis Eagles U-16 team back in the game.
“That happened again [yesterday],” Miller said, referring to a pool play game at the Super Showcase. “I just get into a mode when I feel like I can’t miss.”
Miller describes himself as a combo guard that can do a little of everything in the backcourt.
“Most of my game is just getting to the basket,” he said. “Then when defenders play off of me, I can start to shoot – it makes me hard to guard. Also, [when I get into the lane] I look to kick it to a post or a shooter.”
With a very solid summer performance thus far, Miller says his recruiting is going well. He is getting increasing interest from across the country.
According to Miller, all of the Missouri Valley Conference schools are involved, as are Iowa State, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia. Even assistant coach Pat Sellers of Connecticut contacted Miller after the Peach Jam.
“I want to have a coach that is close with the players,” said Miller, who has visited Creighton and attended both the Virginia Elite Camp and Missouri Team Camp. “I have to like the campus because I want to enjoy myself outside of basketball.”
Miller grew up just a few miles away from Missouri’s Columbia campus and has been attending its basketball camps for years.
He knows head coach Mike Anderson and his family well, and says assistant coach Melvin Watkins has been talking to him.
“I like the way they play because that’s how I like to play,” Miller said. “Up and down, pressing, running the floor. I also like their campus.”
With such a variety of schools interested in the rising junior, expect an interesting recruitment followed closely at all levels of college basketball.
“I want to be able to play,” Miller said. “I don’t want to go to a big school and not play. But it has always been my dream to play in a major conference.”
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Observers hoping to catch a glimpse of Justin Miller at the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando on Sunday likely came away disappointed – but it wasn’t his fault.
Miller, a 6-2 guard from Rockbridge Senior High School in Columbus, Mo., suffered a potential torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder on the first play of the game against an AAU team from Texas. He stole the ball and was going up for a lay-up when two opponents hit his arm.
Afterwards, Miller said he felt dizzy and might have had a concussion. He did not play the rest of the tournament.
“I think a lot of coaches wanted to see Justin play,” his father, Rich, said. “But they’ll get their chances. It’s still early.”
The class of 2011 prospect is a big-time offensive player who can really shoot the ball from three-point range. At the NIKE Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C., earlier this month, Miller had a stretch where he hit four straight threes and single-handedly brought the St. Louis Eagles U-16 team back in the game.
“That happened again [yesterday],” Miller said, referring to a pool play game at the Super Showcase. “I just get into a mode when I feel like I can’t miss.”
Miller describes himself as a combo guard that can do a little of everything in the backcourt.
“Most of my game is just getting to the basket,” he said. “Then when defenders play off of me, I can start to shoot – it makes me hard to guard. Also, [when I get into the lane] I look to kick it to a post or a shooter.”
With a very solid summer performance thus far, Miller says his recruiting is going well. He is getting increasing interest from across the country.
According to Miller, all of the Missouri Valley Conference schools are involved, as are Iowa State, Iowa, Missouri and Virginia. Even assistant coach Pat Sellers of Connecticut contacted Miller after the Peach Jam.
“I want to have a coach that is close with the players,” said Miller, who has visited Creighton and attended both the Virginia Elite Camp and Missouri Team Camp. “I have to like the campus because I want to enjoy myself outside of basketball.”
Miller grew up just a few miles away from Missouri’s Columbia campus and has been attending its basketball camps for years.
He knows head coach Mike Anderson and his family well, and says assistant coach Melvin Watkins has been talking to him.
“I like the way they play because that’s how I like to play,” Miller said. “Up and down, pressing, running the floor. I also like their campus.”
With such a variety of schools interested in the rising junior, expect an interesting recruitment followed closely at all levels of college basketball.
“I want to be able to play,” Miller said. “I don’t want to go to a big school and not play. But it has always been my dream to play in a major conference.”
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