Basketball

In sixth grade, Alex Kline played on the school basketball team, scoring an illustrious three points the entire season. Now, Kline, who turns 19 on Saturday, is one of the basketball elite. Last year, he was listed alongside Kevin Durant and LeBron James as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 Most Influential People in Sports. The Hopewell, N.J., native is renowned not for his hoops prowess but for an ability to evaluate the nation's top high school players. His website, therecruitscoop.com, recently partnered with Rivals.com, a national powerhouse for football and basketball recruiting.

Player             School    Class             Major Adewale Adefemi   Sciences   Sr.      Pharmaceutical mgmt. Sharif Bray         Cheyney      Sr.    Recreation and leisure Juan Fernandez   Temple      Jr.       Broadcast journalism Steve Weingarten La Salle      Sr.    History and Am. studies Mouphtaou Yarou Villanova   So.    Finance and intl. bus.

Some of the top scorers in Southeastern Pennsylvania boys' and girls' basketball. Statistics through Tuesday. Boys Name   School   Gms.   Pts.   Avg.    Rysheed Jordan   Vaux   15   390   26.0    Brendan Casper   Methacton   16   356   22.3    Merdic Green   Truman   17   373   21.9    Jamier Cross   Carroll   16   351   21.9    Mike Sturdivant   Masterman   16   348   21.8    Matt Crider   Owen J. Roberts   17   368   21.6    Kendale Truitt   George Washington   16   344   21.5    Danil Mateo   Samuel Fels   14   299   21.4    Ben Holl   Friends Select   14   297   21.1    Tyree Bynum   Penn Wood   15   314   20.9    Mikal Bridges   Great Valley   16   335   20.9    Steve Vasturia   St.

QUEENS, N.Y. - One by one, each basketball made its way out the front door of the West Philadelphia row home. The ball that was scuffed and marked from being pounded into the playground court - gone. The one that swished for his 1,000th high school point - gone. The ball that earned him the nickname, "Too Easy" - gone. More than just old basketballs, they were painful reminders of a young life that was stolen away. After the killing of his younger brother, Halim, Nurideen Lindsey couldn't look at a basketball - let alone touch one - anymore.

Alssene Saintilus is one of the most intriguing basketball players in South Jersey. He also is a lesson in the power of persistence. The 6-foot-6 senior forward for Williamstown can dunk in traffic, knock down three-pointers, block shots, and play defense on the perimeter. He's still scratching the surface of his potential, mainly because he's still learning about varsity competition. But it's not Saintilus' considerable athletic ability that's the secret to his sudden success.

Penn's basketball team received oral commitments from three players for the 2011-12 season, including a pair of international recruits. On Monday, the Quakers received a commitment from Miller Grove (Ga.) forward Henry Brooks, a source told Scout.com's Evan Daniels. Brooks, rated by ESPN as the nation's 74th best power forward, reportedly chose Penn over Minnesota, Tennessee and Missouri. Joining Brooks will be recruits Keelan Cairns of Ireland and Simeon Esprit of England, both of whom committed Sunday night after visiting Penn last week.

Although Nyaire enjoys playing football and running track, his favorite sport is basketball. In fact, the 14-year-old is so passionate about the game that he dreams of playing it professionally some day. His proudest achievement was winning his first basketball championship at the Boys and Girls Club. His most prized possessions are his basketball and his sneakers. Outgoing, happy, and cooperative, Nyaire gets along well with adults and with his peers. In his foster placement, he cheerfully helps around the house, including vacuuming, doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, and taking out the trash.

A 27-year-old man was fatally shot on a basketball court in the 800 block of North Eighth Street, between Brown and Parrish Streets, on Sunday afternoon, a police spokeswoman said. After being shot twice in the chest, the man walked one block north, to Eighth and Poplar Streets, where he collapsed. He was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m. at Hahnemann University Hospital. Police did not release his identity. There were no arrests and no weapons were recovered. - Walter F. Naedele

A 27-YEAR-OLD man was fatally gunned down on a North Philadelphia basketball court yesterday afternoon. Crime-scene investigators did not have far to go. The shooting happened right across the street from the Police Department's state-of-the-art Forensic Crime Center, on 8th Street near Brown, shortly after 2 p.m. Police said the victim was shot twice in the chest, then walked to the corner of 8th and Poplar, where he collapsed. He was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital and declared dead a short time later.

THEY CALLED HIM "Hannan the Cannon. " The nickname was a tribute to Joe Hannan's aggressive style of play as a guard on the Villanova University basketball team in the 1940s, a winning team that also included future NBA star Paul Arizin. The team made it to the NCAA quarterfinals in 1949, but fell to Kentucky. Joe was an All-American at Villanova and played for a time with Arizin in the Catskills and the old American Basketball Association before leaving the sport. Joseph Thomas Hannan, a highly regarded referee in high school and college basketball for some 40 years, an executive with General Motors Automotive Credit and First Fidelity Bank, and an Army veteran, died Monday of lung disease.

Malvern Prep basketball coach Jim Rullo stepped down Monday morning to accept the head coaching position at Neumann University, Malvern athletic director Kurt Ruch said. The hiring was confirmed Monday afternoon by Neumann athletic director Chuck Sack. Rullo also was named the Aston school's assistant athletic director. "I will take on this challenge with the same attitude, passion, and work ethic that has proven to be successful for me as a Division 1 player, college assistant coach, and head high school coach," Rullo said.

The old gym looks the same: painted brick walls adorned with banners that celebrate some of the best players and teams in New Jersey basketball history. The floor at center court still is painted to commemorate 11 state championship seasons. And just beyond the three-point line, the writing on the floor still reminds everyone of the most famous coach to prowl the sideline in front of the Camden bench. This is, after all, Clarence Turner Gymnasium. But make no mistake: Monday night was the start of a new era in Camden High School basketball.

Sacred Heart of Vineland has won these state championships. Baseball: 1974, 1978, 1999, 2000. Boys' basketball: 1979. Boys' soccer: 2008. Girls' basketball: 2003, 2005. Softball: 2012. - Phil Anastasia

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Texas A&M coach Gary Blair and Chattanooga coach Jim Foster already have plenty in common. Both have military backgrounds, Blair in the Marines and Foster in the Army. Both have won at three different schools. Each began his head coaching career outside the six major conferences. Now they're about to share one more bond. Both are entering the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday as part of an induction class that also includes former Mississippi player Peggie Gillom-Granderson, former Connecticut guard Jennifer Rizzotti, former Texas player Annette Smith-Knight and former Rutgers star Sue Wicks.

It was an event that Wayne Ellington said put him on the map. His college recruiting soared, Ellington said, after he starred a decade ago at the All-City Classic. On Wednesday afternoon, the Episcopal Academy alumnus and NBA guard ensured that the event will continue. For the second straight year, Ellington donated the funds to make Friday's high school basketball showcase possible. The 19th-annual All-City Classic will start at 5 p.m. at Girard College, 2101 S. College Ave. It will feature the city's top high school basketball talent in a freshman game, two sophomore games, and a junior game.

In sixth grade, Alex Kline played on the school basketball team, scoring an illustrious three points the entire season. Now, Kline, who turns 19 on Saturday, is one of the basketball elite. Last year, he was listed alongside Kevin Durant and LeBron James as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 Most Influential People in Sports. The Hopewell, N.J., native is renowned not for his hoops prowess but for an ability to evaluate the nation's top high school players. His website, therecruitscoop.com, recently partnered with Rivals.com, a national powerhouse for football and basketball recruiting.