COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – As is often the case throughout the recruitment process, college coaches give elite recruits that they’re pursuing comparisons to other great players in order to further illustrate how they would be used and reinforce the belief in that player’s potential for greatness.
RELATED: Kennedy Chandler focused on dominating 
Hamilton High School (Sussex, Wisconsin) wing Patrick Baldwin Jr. has heard his fair share of comparisons; the two most common are Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.
“I agree with those comparisons,” said Baldwin, who is ranked No

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RELATED: Chosen 25 Basketball Rankings
On Sunday, Montverde (Florida) Academy forward Scottie Barnes told USA Today Sports that he wants to run the point in college, and of his four schools – Florida State, Kentucky, Oregon and Miami – only the Seminoles were recruiting the 6-foot-7 all-everything star as a floor general.
RELATED: Scottie Barnes is a dominant point guard
“That makes them more attractive,” Barnes told USA Today Sports.
A day later, that attraction yielded a commitment.
“I am proud to be announcing that next year I will be playing for Coach Hamilton and his staff at Florida State University,” Barnes said via Twitter. “To all the coaches, mentors, teachers, and family members that have molded and helped me to get to this point in my journey thank you!”
RELATED: Devin Askew still considering reclassifying
This summer, Barnes thrived at the point with NightRydas Elite (Florida), averaging 20 points, 7

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The first note listed in Montverde (Florida) Academy star Scottie Barnes’ evaluation in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25 rankings is that he “can run the point.” That information is vital for colleges recruiting the 6-foot-7 do-everything forward, specifically Florida State, Oregon, Miami and Kentucky, the schools Barnes said he’s “narrowed it down to.”
RELATED: Isaiah Todd still mulling options: Michigan and Kansas
Why?
Barnes wants to run the point.
Not point-forward, a sell that some colleges have pitched to Barnes throughout his recruitment…
Point

LINZ, Austria (AP) — American teenager Coco Gauff won her first WTA title by beating Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to capture the Upper Austria Ladies on Sunday.
The 15-year-old Gauff, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and third round at the U.S. Open, bounced back after losing a one-sided second set to win comfortably.
Gauff had earlier called Linz “my little lucky place” and its charm held for the teenager through the final despite a late wobble

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After being virtually unknown coming in to the summer, Briarcrest Christian School (Eads, Tennessee) point guard Kennedy Chandler is a consensus five-star prospect and checks in at No. 14 overall in USA Today Sports’ Chosen 25 for 2021, but he’s not even close to being satisfied.
RELATED: Devin Askew still considering reclassifying
“I want to be considered that top point guard and just top player, period,” Chandler said. “That just means I have work to do

Another Mater Dei game, another Mater Dei game decided by halftime.
The Servite Friars (Anaheim, California) hoped to prove they’re legit against the No. 1 team in the country a week after nearly beating No. 3 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California) in a one-point game

Catches, touchdowns, interceptions, tricky misdirection off the snap; no matter your favorite type of highlight, there were some moments of elite athleticism on display across all facets of the game on Friday.
Take a look at the top plays from Week 8, and vote for your favorite at the bottom.
10. Pick a back, any back
We love a bit of trickeration, so we were all in on this handoff misdirection toss sweep from Norwalk (Ohio) which led to a long touchdown run by Truckers running back Evan Stumpf against Sandusky (Ohio).

The @NHSTruckers are pulling out the big plays this week! Great fake out on the handoff to go for a massive #TOUCHDOWN!! #HSFB pic

USA TODAY High School Sports has a weekly column on the recruiting process. This isn’t about where just the top five-star athletes are headed but rather a guide to the process and the pitfalls for student-athletes nationwide. This week’s article is written by Ross Hawley, the president of Playced Athletic Recruiting. Playced.com is an industry leader in college recruiting

USA TODAY High School Sports has a weekly column on the college recruiting process. Here, you’ll find practical tips and real-world advice on becoming a better recruit to maximize your opportunities and play at the college level. Jason Smith is a former NCAA DIII athlete and college coach at all three division levels. Jason is just one of many former college and professional athletes, college coaches and parents who are part of the Next College Student Athlete team. Their knowledge, experience and dedication, along with NCSA’s history of digital innovation and long-standing relationship with the college coaching community, have made NCSA the largest and most successful athletic recruiting network in the country