BENSALEM, Pa. – It took a month when the high school basketball season officially concluded with the CHIPOTLE High School Nationals but the final chapter of schoolboy basketball was authored over the weekend in Hampton, Virginia.
And it was IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) senior guard Darius Acuff Jr. who delivered the last splash of his prep career. Acuff, a Detroit native and Arkansas recruit, was named the Most Valuable Player of the Iverson Classic All-American Game in leading Team Loyalty past Team Honor, 164-151, in a wide open contest that gave the blue chip prospects a chance to display their talents.
Acuff, a prolific point guard, bucketed a game-high 32 points, canning 14-of-23 shots (two 3-pointers) and handing out 11 assists and clearing 4 rebounds.
Loyalty trailed 37-32 after one quarter but used a 48-38 second-quarter spurt to make it 80-75 at halftime. Another scoring spree in the third bumped the margin to 20 points at 128-108.
Cam Ward threw in 23 points, Alex Lloyd and Chris Cernac Jr. scored 20 apiece and Jacob Wilkins added 16. Muhammed Sylia, Acuff and Cernac posted double-doubles in victory.
Honor’s scoring featured Jamarion Batemon with 27 points (four 3s), Kingston Flemings with 26 and Syracuse-bound Kiyan Anthony had 25.
However, the 6-foot-2 Acuff also walked away from the weekend with lucrative NIL deal from Reebok. On Friday, May 2, Reebok announced on Instagram it inked Acuff to a deal worth an estimated $1.1 million.
The Instagram post stated: “Darius controls the game with poise and explosiveness, constantly shifting gears and rewiring expectations. Known for his elite scoring ability, vision, and leadership, Darius looks to make yet another leap as he heads into his freshman year. Welcome to the future of Reebok Basketball.”
By the way, Iverson, who starred for the Sixers and later was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has a lifetime contract with Reebok.
Acuff was one of several high-profile players to participate in the game but A.J. Dybantsa (BYU signee), the Blue Star Media Elite 10 National Player of the Year, and 6-9 Duke-bound Cam Boozer, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, were noticeable absents. According to a release, Dybantsa was selected but was ineligible to play.
Changes
Since the high school season ended earlier this month, but notably there are three programs from Virginia, one public, one startup and one storied independent, naming new skippers.
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), who plays in the vaunted Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference, hired John Zito, replacing Yerrick Stoneman, who recently replaced legendary Steve Smith two years ago. Zito, who coached in college at Fairfield with powerhouse Baltimore area high schools, most recently guided Team Melo of the Nike EYBL summer circuit. Remember, OHA named Carmelo Anthony and Bay Frazier recently as co-general managers of basketball operations.
Ty White was hired last week at St. Petersburg (Va.) after a successful run at John Marshall (Richmond), where he bagged seven VHSL titles. He’s also a mainstay coach on the Adidas summer circuit.
One of the more intriguing hires occurred in late March at The St. James in Springfield (Va.) with Emanuel “Book” Richardson.
Richardson, an accomplished recruiter, assisted at Arizona from 2009-17 helping the Wildcats win four PAC-12 regular season championships, two PAC-12 tournament titles and six NCAA tournament appearances, including five Sweet Sixteen runs, and three Elite Eights. Before Arizona, Richardson helped rebuild the program at Xavier from 2007-09, where he helped the Cincinnati Jesuit university capture two consecutive Atlantic 10 titles, win a school record 30 games and reach an Elite Eight.
According to a prepared release: “Book Richardson is elite across every dimension – coaching, mentoring young men, helping players develop, building programs and winning,” said Elyse Graziano, Chief Sports Officer of The St. James. “His experience and excellence at every level of the game and in life make him the perfect leader for our boys basketball program. We are so thrilled to have him as a part of our team.”
Richardson, who will build a high school program from scratch for the 2025-26 season, said:
“The St. James represents a singular opportunity to build one of the best basketball development platforms in the world. I’m incredibly excited to provide basketball lovers at all levels the opportunities to develop that are consistent with their passion and dreams.”
Don’t forget Tamika Dudley left Sidwell Friends girls (Washington, D.C.) for The James this spring. Dudley guided Sidwell, No. 17 in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 final girls’ rankings, to the District of Columbia State Athletic Association Class AA state championship and Independent School League Division AA title.
The James is suddenly a “major player” on the national scene. Can’t wait to see who transfers in for the upcoming academic year.
Elsewhere, two moves we’ve already covered.
Kevin Boyle and Steve Turner, two regulars in the Elite 25 boys’ rankings, are headed in different directions. Boyle left No. 9 Montverde (Fla.) Academy for SPIRE Academy (Geneva, Ohio) in February. In Florida, he won eight CHIPOTLE Nationals titles and sent oodles of players to the pros and college.
Turner departed No. 13 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) for Montverde. Turner bolts the powerful Washington Catholic Athletic Conference after 21 years, winning 497 games.
Expect Boyle’s new gig to land in the EYBL Scholastic while Turner, who has been clamoring for a shot at the CHIPOTLE title, will have that chance with the Eagles, a founding member in the EYBL Scholastic.
Major transfer
Much like NCAA transfer portal , the high school scene gets cranking once the season ends with players heading for their club teams.
Recently, this move from Chicagoland caught our eye. Davion Thompson, a 6-3 left-handed guard from Bolingbrook (Ill.), announced on social media he is transferring to No. 8 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), which won the inaugural Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament in North Augusta, Georgia in March.
Thompson is considered one of the nation’s top players from the Class of 2027 and has two years of high school eligibility remaining. He’s on track to be a McDonald’s All-American as a senior. Last month, Thompson was named the first-ever sophomore as the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year after putting up 24.0 points and 5.0 rebounds and connecting on 49% of 3-pointers during the 2024-25 season.
Great pick up for the Link Lions.
