Kinstons Brandon Ingram ready for Holiday Invite
HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational Thursday schedule
10 a.m. - Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham & Monson vs. Apex (N.C.) Middle Creek (Summit Bracket)
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Regional fans will get the chance to see one of the top shot-blockers in the country in post-graduate senior center Goodluck Okonoboh. The 6-9, 220-pounder is ranked No. 32 in the country in the class of 2014, and signed with UNLV over offers from NC State, Duke, Ohio State, Indiana and others. He is joined by 6-7, 210-pound sleeper small forward Max Hoetzel, who signed with Indiana, and junior wing Curtis Cobb, who is ranked No. 130 in the nation in the class of 2015. Cobb has offers from UConn, Providence, Creighton, LaSalle, Rhode Island, Temple and Tusla. W&M did lose No. 13-ranked sophomore guard Mustapha Heron, who transferred a few weeks ago.
11:30 a.m. - Apex (N.C.) High vs. Moss Point (Miss.) High (Shavlik Randolph Bracket)
Kentucky-bound shooting guard Devin Booker will get the chance to play on the big stage. Rivals.com ranks him No. 30 overall in the class of 2014, and he also had considered Missouri, Michigan, Michigan State and North Carolina, during the recruiting process. He is the son of former Missouri star Melvin Booker, and grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., before making the move to live with his father over a year ago. Apex is led by unsigned senior combo guard T.J. Evans, who is a quality outside shooter.
1 p.m. - Raleigh (N.C.) Broughton High vs. Kinston (N.C.) High (Shavlik Randolph Bracket)
NC State coach Mark Gottfried will be a keen observer in this contest. He gets to watch his senior son Cameron Gottfried play for Broughton, who also has junior forward Austin Burnette, who committed to Rutgers this past summer. Gottfried will also get a look at Wolfpack top junior target Brandon Ingram of Kinston High. Rivals.com ranks the 6-8, 180-pound Ingram No. 31 overall in the class of 2015. He has offers from NC State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, VCU, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Clemson.
2:30 p.m. - Garner (N.C.) High vs. Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler (Shavlik Randolph Bracket)
Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler is led by juniors Jaylen Brown and Daniel Giddens, plus two-sport star Elijah Staley. The trio played in the Holiday Invitational two years ago, but Wheeler didn't win a game. Rivals.com ranks the 6-6, 200-pound Brown No. 12 in the class of 2015, and the 6-10, 220-pound Giddens is No. 18. Both have offers from NC State. Staley is committed to play football and basketball at Mississippi State. Wheeler High has produced former NCSU players J.J. Hickson and Richard Howell. Garner (N.C.) High is led by junior point guard Julius Barnes, who is fast in the open court.
4 p.m. - Raleigh Sanderson vs. Martinsville (Va.) Carlisle School (Summit Bracket)
Martinsville (Va.) Carlisle School sophomore 7-foot, 200-pound center Thon Maker has had recruiting fans excited since he burst on to the scene in the eighth grade. Maker, who is originally from the Sudan and Australia, runs the floor well, shows nice tough on the mid-range jumper and competes on the boards. His length and athleticism makes him a terror as a shot-blocker. Rivals.com ranks him No. 3 in the country in the class of 2016. He is joined by Durham, N.C., native Eric Johnson, a senior combo guard. Raleigh Sanderson is led by senior small forward Parker Fennema, who is headed to Army.
5:30 p.m. - Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian vs. Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School (Summit Bracket)
The dunks could be plentiful in this ideally matched contest. Sophomore guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Kwe Parker, plus athletic junior power forward Alonzo Tyson lead a talented Trinity Christian squad. Smith has offers from VCU and Charlotte, and Parker has offers from Clemson, Virginia Tech and Charlotte. They are two of the top sophomores in the state and already have become mix tape darlings. However, the king of the mix tape has been Hammond School sophomore guard Seventh Woods, who is ranked No. 14 overall in the class of 2016. Woods became a You Tube legend last year, but is now hoping to become known for his being a complete point guard prospect.
7 p.m. - Clayton (N.C.) High vs. Orlando (Fla.) Lake Highland Prep (Shavlik Randolph Bracket)
Clayton from the Triangle area features Cincinnati senior power forward signee Gary Clark, who routinely racks up big numbers, and is ranked No. 145 overall in the country by Rivals.com. The 6-7, 205-pounder was offered by NC State last July, but the Wolfpack ultimately landed power forward Abdul-Malik Abu. Senior point guard Joel Berry of Lake Highland Prep was an early commit to North Carolina and signed with the Tar Heels last November. The 6-1, 180-pound Berry is ranked No. 25 in the country and is a quality outside shooter with good strength.
8:30 p.m. - Houston Homeschool Christian Youth Association vs. Raleigh Word of God
Rivals.com No. 10-ranked senior Justin Jackson, a 6-7 and 180-pound small forward, signed with North Carolina out of the HCYA. The smooth scorer with a deadly floater and mid-range game goes against the NCISAA 1A defending champions, who will feature a new group of young players under coach Quentin Jackson, who is a former NC State player and director of basketball operations. Jackson's son, Quentin Jackson Jr., is a reclassed sophomore point guard, who transferred in from Middle Creek, and freshman guard Jordan Whitfield, a knock down shooter. WOG defeated New Hampton School in the title game of one of the brackets last year.