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Texas top-25 prospects ready for ‘Prime Time’

rick-barnes'

Mike Miller

Given the current environment of the NCAA clearinghouse and eligibility concerns, it seems counterintuitive that any elite prospects would transfer to a new high school on the eve of their senior seasons of high school and risk adding any question marks to their academic profiles. Two of the top prospects in Dallas, Texas, have done just that, though, as well as a top-5 prospect from the 2014 class.

The newly minted Prime Prep Academy, founded by NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, has reportedly received transfers from Grace Prep according to a press release from the City of Palms Classic as well as other reports. Grace Prep, another Dallas high school, reportedly lost top-50 big men Karviar Shepherd and Jordan Mickey in the 2013 class, as well as elite point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, and incoming junior to Sanders’ start-up outfit.

The top high school basketball tournament in the country, the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida, has tendered an invite to Prime Prep to play in their prestigious tournament in late December. There does remain many questions about Prime Prep, and how the NCAA will respond to its practices, as would be typical of any first year high schools.

Still, there’s no doubt the combination of Shepherd, Mickey and Mudiay will be impressive on the high school circuit, though college basketball fans certainly will hope that it is not to the detriment of their future college standing. The situation seems far from resolved as school just started in Texas, but it’s a situation that will be worth watching to see how it plays out for high school basketball, and college basketball recruiting.

Kellon Hassenstab runs Hoopniks.com. Follow him on Twitter @hoopniks.