Kansas recruit Trier set for area AAU tourney

By Gary Bedore     Jul 15, 2014

Kansas University basketball recruiting.

One of Kansas University’s targets for the recruiting class of 2015 will headline the 2014 Sunflower Showcase youth basketball tournament a week from Thursday through Sunday (July 24-27) at Okun Fieldhouse in Shawnee.

Allonzo Trier, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound combo guard from Oklahoma Athletes First AAU who will be playing his senior year at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, is ranked No. 12 in the Class of 2015 by Rivals.com.

The Seattle native, who moved to Tulsa his sophomore year of high school before heading to Montrose Christian in Maryland for his junior campaign, is regarded as the second-best guard in the class behind No. 2 Malik Newman of Jackson, Mississippi, who also has KU on his list.

Trier is considering KU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Louisville, Maryland, Georgetown, Memphis, Minnesota, Baylor, North Carolina State, Wichita State and others.

Trier — he was named 2014 Maryland Gatorade player of the year last season at Montrose — leads Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League circuit with a 29.4 scoring average. At Montrose, he averaged 25.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals. He hit 67 percent of his two-point shot attempts.

“Players like him don’t come along very often,” Sunflower Showcase tourney organizer/RecruitLook editor Mike Enright said of Trier.

“If he keeps progressing as he is, his coaches have told me Allonzo has the makeup to be a one-and-done kid and get his name called in the NBA Draft, that’s how good he is. It’s great for the area because all the local schools want him, and he’s the type of player who can change a program,” Enright added.

“He’s averaging 30 points for the best league for youth basketball (EYBL), and that’s a league with 60 of the top 100 kids in the country.”

Trier spoke to Rivals.com about his strengths on the court.

“My ability to just make plays and score the basketball,” Trier said. “Every time I get a touch, teams are going to send over help or double teams. I’ve made it about making the right play out of it and doing what my team needs me to do.”

Of Trier, Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi assessed: “While Trier can run the point if needed, he is most dangerous on the wing and it isn’t like he has been jacking shots to put up his points. Trier has taken good shots and also showed that he is a well rounded and all-around solid player.”

Another top player headed to the Sunflower Showcase is Prince Ali, a 6-4 senior combo guard from Sagemont High in Weston, Florida, ranked No. 27 by Rivals.com. He recently decommitted from UConn. He told Rivals.com he’s been hearing the most from Indiana, UCLA, Michigan, UConn and Maryland.

Also headed to the Showcase is Tony Bradley, a 6-8 junior forward from Bartow (Florida) High, who is considering Kansas State, Wichita State and many others.

Showcase tourney organizers, by the way, had no comment when asked if they were the tournament moving to Lawrence next July.

The Journal-World’s Chad Lawhorn on Tuesday reported that Lawrence had landed a showcase youth basketball event for late July 2015. The event will be held in the new rec center at Rock Chalk Park.

For more information on next week’s youth tournament go to SunflowerShowcase.com.

Auction continues: Fans can bid on tickets for a KU game and VIP treatment in Allen Fieldhouse in a silent auction on eBay. Proceeds of the tickets donated by coach Bill Self go to the V Foundation. The web address is http://ljw.bz/1nGkwm2. Several other coaches around the country have also donated tickets and VIP status to the foundation.

High praise: Jeff Borzello of CBSsports.com praised Perry Ellis in his observations from the recent LeBron James camp.

“Ellis looked like the most improved player: There’s a caveat, though: I thought Ellis was really good last season too. That’s how good I think Ellis can be this upcoming season,” Borzello wrote. “With Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid gone, most people are expecting freshmen Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander to fill those shoes. While both newcomers will certainly get the starting spots at small forward and center, Ellis could be the key man on the offensive end next season. He consistently knocked down face-up jumpers, but also looked to be quicker. He blew past Arkansas’ Bobby Portis for back-to-back finishes, once off the dribble and once in transition. If Ellis becomes a matchup nightmare, Kansas won’t miss a beat.”

Here’s what ESPN’s Jay Bilas said about Ellis and frosh Kelly Oubre from the camp. …

“Oubre is a super-talented lefty who is very athletic and unafraid of anyone or anything. He is not a great shooter, but he can make open shots to range and also take the ball to the rim,” Bilas wrote at ESPN.com. “Oubre believes in himself, does not defer to anyone and has quick comebacks for anyone who tries to trash-talk to him. As he gets stronger and improves his handle and shot selection, Oubre could very well be the best overall player from this group.”

“Ellis is the opposite and never says a word. He was very good all week long. He is easy to play with, finished plays around the goal and did a nice job on the glass. Ellis shows flashes of being the best post player and somehow leaves some wanting more from him. But what you get from Ellis is pretty darn good. Any coach would love to have him,” Bilas added.

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