With Gary Browne giving WVU a verbal commitment yesterday his teammate and childhood friend Carmelo Betancourt could not have been more proud. "I'm so happy for Gary. He really deserves this.", said Betancourt by phone from the house he lives in on campus at Montrose. It was Betancourt who introduced Browne to Todd Washington, Founder of PR Playmakers who now mentors both of them. Washington had been working with Betancourt and got him in the Jordan Classic International game last spring.
Betancourt and Browne have been playing together since they were kids. First at Bucaplaa (local club) and then on the National Team and Betancourt was the one who played PG. "Browne was the scorer and Betancourt was the pure PG", said a local coach who has watched both play since they were in their early teens.
Betancourt played in the Jordan Classic International Game last year and had a fantastic summer. He decided to enroll at Montrose for his senior season and while his stats don't show it he had a great senior season helping Montrose finish the season with one loss and winning the NHSI Championship against Oak Hill last week.
Betancourt is undersized but has proven time and time again that he can play against high major talent. Last summer at the World Basketball Festival, Betancourt dominated the games against both Brazil and the New York City All Star Team without scoring more than 10 points in either game. He controlled tempo, hit scorers with passes in scoring position and got in the paint at will. He and Oregon State Freshman, Devon Collier, dominated two day event looking like a young version of Stockton/Malone.
"Coach Vetter and every other coach who has had he pleasure of coaching Melo will tell you that he is special. VCU got to the Final Four with an undersized, high IQ, Puerto Rican PG named Joey Rodriguez. The University of Akron got to the big dance with a undersized Freshman point guard from Puerto Rico named Alex Abreu. The thing about kids from Puerto Rico is that representing their country is the biggest thing you can do as a young player so kids like Melo never get a chance to hit the summer circuit or attend elite camps. So he is not a household name like some of the kids on the mainland but he is going to be a steal for some school looking for a pure point guard during the late signing period, said Betancourts' mentor and Founder of PR Playmakers, Todd Washington.
Expect Betancourt to land at a high mid major or high major during the late signing period. Georgetown, NC State, Miami, Utah State and Duquense have all expressed interest in Betancourt and several other schools have expressed an interest since seeing him play last weekend against Oak Hill.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Gary Browne Verbally Commits To West Virginia University
It's official! Class of 2011 PG Gary Browne Ramirez gave a verbal commitment to West Virginia University. Browne played for Bucaplaa and St Francis School before transferring to prep powerhouse Arlington Country Day "ACD", in Jacksonville, Florida. Browne has huge upside given he has only played the position since transferring to ACD.
Reached by phone this afternoon Browne had the following to say, " It's official I"m going to West Virginia! I want to thank all my coaches and all the people who believed in me. I worked really hard and my hard work has paid off. I cannot wait to get on the court with my new teammates and show everyone I can play at this level."
Many felt that Browne could not make the switch from scoring guard to point guard but his performance at ACD this year against some of the top teams in the country proved that Browne is a Top 100 player. Browne is only 17 had he reclassified he would have been one of the top 10 point guards in the Class of 2012.
" Let me start by telling the people in West Virginia that they just got the steal of this years recruiting class! Gary is a high IQ players who has had some great coaches teach him the game. Wichie at Bucaplaa and Charlie at St Francis are great teachers and did a great job developing him over the years. The credit for his development goes to them. I told Coach Morgan at ACD and Larry at West Virginia that Gary is a big time PG. It is his natural position and he will only get better. The thing about Gary is he is a gym rat and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He went to the ACD on a mission. He really had something to prove and from the first day of practice he set the tone for the team. The thing about Gary is he loves to play defense and is a pure shooter with range. On top of that, he is a quick study and loves to watch film. Put that together with his great decision making and you've got one heck of a player. We are so proud of Gary. He is a great player but more importantly, he is a wonderful young man", said Todd Washington, Founder of AAU Program PR Playmakers and Browne's mentor.
Reached by phone this afternoon Browne had the following to say, " It's official I"m going to West Virginia! I want to thank all my coaches and all the people who believed in me. I worked really hard and my hard work has paid off. I cannot wait to get on the court with my new teammates and show everyone I can play at this level."
Many felt that Browne could not make the switch from scoring guard to point guard but his performance at ACD this year against some of the top teams in the country proved that Browne is a Top 100 player. Browne is only 17 had he reclassified he would have been one of the top 10 point guards in the Class of 2012.
" Let me start by telling the people in West Virginia that they just got the steal of this years recruiting class! Gary is a high IQ players who has had some great coaches teach him the game. Wichie at Bucaplaa and Charlie at St Francis are great teachers and did a great job developing him over the years. The credit for his development goes to them. I told Coach Morgan at ACD and Larry at West Virginia that Gary is a big time PG. It is his natural position and he will only get better. The thing about Gary is he is a gym rat and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He went to the ACD on a mission. He really had something to prove and from the first day of practice he set the tone for the team. The thing about Gary is he loves to play defense and is a pure shooter with range. On top of that, he is a quick study and loves to watch film. Put that together with his great decision making and you've got one heck of a player. We are so proud of Gary. He is a great player but more importantly, he is a wonderful young man", said Todd Washington, Founder of AAU Program PR Playmakers and Browne's mentor.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Monstrose Beats Oak Hill But Betancourt Gets Knocked Out of Game
Congrats to Stu Vetter and Monstrose for winning the 2011 NHSI Championship. In what many will regard as an instant classic the game went into doublle overtime with Montrose pulling out the win with stellar play from Class of 2012 SG, Justin Anderson and Class of 2011 PG, Tryone Johnson who will be attending Villanova next year.
Puerto Rican PG Carmelo Betancourt came in during the first quarter and made several assists and controlled tempo. He was doing much of the same in the third and four quarter when clearly fouled when driving to the basket even though the referees didn't call the foul. Betancourt was concussed and ended up getting stitches which prevented him from playing for the rest of the game.
Betancourt asked the Head Coach Stu Vetter to play him but the team doctor prevented Betancourt from playing given the possible concussion. Betancourt was going to the hospital to get his eyes checked and take some further tests to see if they are concussed.
Puerto Rican PG Carmelo Betancourt came in during the first quarter and made several assists and controlled tempo. He was doing much of the same in the third and four quarter when clearly fouled when driving to the basket even though the referees didn't call the foul. Betancourt was concussed and ended up getting stitches which prevented him from playing for the rest of the game.
Betancourt asked the Head Coach Stu Vetter to play him but the team doctor prevented Betancourt from playing given the possible concussion. Betancourt was going to the hospital to get his eyes checked and take some further tests to see if they are concussed.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Carmelo Betancourt and Montrose Christian vs Oak Hill Tomorrow
Not a lot needs to be said when you mention Oak Hill and Montrose Christian. Two of the most dominant high school basketball programs in the country play tomorrow at 2pm on ESPN. For Puerto Rican PG Carmelo Betancourt this is a dream coming true. High schools players on the island rarely get a chance to show that they can play at this level under the brightest of lights.
Betancourt has played two solid games so far in this years NHSI Tournament and has sacrificed his personal stats for the teams success. He probably had one of his best games against Oak Hill earlier this year against Oak Hill PG and recently selected All American Quinn Cook. He gave Cook fits in the 2nd half. Betancourt got in the paint at will on the offensive and crowded Cook on defense forcing him to shoot and miss most of his shots in the second half.
"I'm not really thinking about Quinn Cook. We are ready for him and Oak Hill and we just have to execute our plan. It's all about winning. It's the biggest stage possible for my last high school game. I'm excited about ending my career against Oak Hill and am ready after we win to focus on where I am going to college, said Betancourt via telephone from his hotel room.
Remember, ESPN tomorrow at 2pm! Montrose Christian vs Oak Hill! Carmelo Betancourt is officially in the building!
"
Betancourt has played two solid games so far in this years NHSI Tournament and has sacrificed his personal stats for the teams success. He probably had one of his best games against Oak Hill earlier this year against Oak Hill PG and recently selected All American Quinn Cook. He gave Cook fits in the 2nd half. Betancourt got in the paint at will on the offensive and crowded Cook on defense forcing him to shoot and miss most of his shots in the second half.
"I'm not really thinking about Quinn Cook. We are ready for him and Oak Hill and we just have to execute our plan. It's all about winning. It's the biggest stage possible for my last high school game. I'm excited about ending my career against Oak Hill and am ready after we win to focus on where I am going to college, said Betancourt via telephone from his hotel room.
Remember, ESPN tomorrow at 2pm! Montrose Christian vs Oak Hill! Carmelo Betancourt is officially in the building!
"
Carmelo Betancourt Is A Big Time D1 Point Guard
Sometimes when a player doesn't score more than 20 points or dish out more than 10 assists people who don't really know the game fail to recognize the impact a player can have without recording big numbers in those two areas. This is most especially true of the point guard position. A great point guard leads by example, makes those around him better, controls the tempo of the game, never takes a possession off and has the ability to knock down an open jumper. Most college coaches will tell you that finding a point guard who can do all those things is almost impossible to find. Especially in an environment where kids think that scoring points is the only way to help their team win.
With the success of VCU's Joey Rodriguez, USC's Jio Fontan, NC State's Javier Gonzales and Akron's Alex Abreu a lot of high major school are taking a close look at Montrose Christian Class of 2011 PG, Carmelo Betancourt. Puerto Rico has a long history of producing really good points guards and finally major colleges are recognizing that an undersized, high IQ point guard can be an asset.
Betancourt has been putting up numbers since he was a little kid in Puerto Rico. He recognized that in order for him to continue to get better and prove that he is a high major point guard he needed to go to a school that would test him and push him everyday. Betancourt selected powerhouse Montrose Christian recognizing that he would be sharing the ball with All American Tyrone Johnson who signed with Villanova. He understood that his stats would not be anywhere close to what they would be if he went to a different school or stayed in Puerto Rico but Betancourt wanted to compete against the best everyday and prepare himself for the next level. He knew that being battled tested and playing for a program like Montrose would benefit him in the long run. Betancourt wanted a challenge and at Montrose he knew he would have to fight for playing time but this experience would prepare him for the next level.
"I have so much respect for Melo as he is not the type of kid who is willing accept mediocrity. Melo could have stayed in PR and averaged 30 a game but he knew that he wasn't going to get any better playing in a league where he is the best player. He could have signed with several really good mid major programs. Melo wanted to keep his options open much like we did with Gary Browne and allow coaches to come in and see him workout after the season is over. Gary Browne will be making a verbal commitment to West Virginia next week. His season ended about a month ago and he benefitted from coaches seeing him workout so Melo will have a similar opportunity once his season ends to do the same", said Todd Washington, Founder of PR Playmakers and mentor to both Betancourt and Browne.
Betancourt and Montrose play today on ESPN2 at 3:30pm against New York City Public School Champs, Boys and Girls High School. This is the semifinals of the ESPN Rise, National High School Invitational. For those of you who have not seen him play you are in for a treat. Betancourt is the next undersized PG to rep Puerto Rico in a big way! The question is not if he is going to show up at the next level but where.
With the success of VCU's Joey Rodriguez, USC's Jio Fontan, NC State's Javier Gonzales and Akron's Alex Abreu a lot of high major school are taking a close look at Montrose Christian Class of 2011 PG, Carmelo Betancourt. Puerto Rico has a long history of producing really good points guards and finally major colleges are recognizing that an undersized, high IQ point guard can be an asset.
Betancourt has been putting up numbers since he was a little kid in Puerto Rico. He recognized that in order for him to continue to get better and prove that he is a high major point guard he needed to go to a school that would test him and push him everyday. Betancourt selected powerhouse Montrose Christian recognizing that he would be sharing the ball with All American Tyrone Johnson who signed with Villanova. He understood that his stats would not be anywhere close to what they would be if he went to a different school or stayed in Puerto Rico but Betancourt wanted to compete against the best everyday and prepare himself for the next level. He knew that being battled tested and playing for a program like Montrose would benefit him in the long run. Betancourt wanted a challenge and at Montrose he knew he would have to fight for playing time but this experience would prepare him for the next level.
"I have so much respect for Melo as he is not the type of kid who is willing accept mediocrity. Melo could have stayed in PR and averaged 30 a game but he knew that he wasn't going to get any better playing in a league where he is the best player. He could have signed with several really good mid major programs. Melo wanted to keep his options open much like we did with Gary Browne and allow coaches to come in and see him workout after the season is over. Gary Browne will be making a verbal commitment to West Virginia next week. His season ended about a month ago and he benefitted from coaches seeing him workout so Melo will have a similar opportunity once his season ends to do the same", said Todd Washington, Founder of PR Playmakers and mentor to both Betancourt and Browne.
Betancourt and Montrose play today on ESPN2 at 3:30pm against New York City Public School Champs, Boys and Girls High School. This is the semifinals of the ESPN Rise, National High School Invitational. For those of you who have not seen him play you are in for a treat. Betancourt is the next undersized PG to rep Puerto Rico in a big way! The question is not if he is going to show up at the next level but where.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Gary Browne Could Announce His Decision Next Week
Class of 2011 PG Gary Browne is getting close to making a decision on where he is going to college. University of West Virginia, University of Miami, University of Central Florida and Texas Tech are all very interested in Browne with West Virginia probably being the first school to make their offer official as soon as next week. Sources close to WVU confirmed that Associate Head Coach Larry Harrison who has been recruiting Browne all year is simply waiting for their NCAA Compliance Department to give the Basketball Department the green light to make the offer official. University of Miami has recently made a strong push for Browne and sources close to the coaching staff told IPRB that Miami will also offer as soon as they complete the NCAA Compliance process. NCAA Division 1 late signing period is in two weeks so Browne will only be able to make a verbal commitment until the first day of the signing period.
"Since the season has ended things have really picked up in terms of recruiting. A lot of schools really didn't know who Gary was and when they saw him play they liked what they saw. Most people don't realize how much time goes into schools making decisions on what players they decide to recruit. This is especially true of the PG position. In essence, they will be handing the keys to Gary and letting him drive and direct the offense. WVU has seen him at least 3 times and they have done a great job spending the time evaluating Gary. All four schools have communicated their interest in offering him a scholarship, said Todd Washington, Founder of PR Playmakers and Browne's mentor.
Browne is back in Puerto Rico on Spring Break and spoke to IPRB earlier today. "I'm real excited about making my decision. A lot of schools have come to see me since the season is over and I am real confident that I'm going to end up at a great school. I'm going to sit down with my family, and Todd and make a decision shortly. All of the schools interested in me are great schools and I am thankful to have the opportunity to go to college and get an education", said Browne.
"Since the season has ended things have really picked up in terms of recruiting. A lot of schools really didn't know who Gary was and when they saw him play they liked what they saw. Most people don't realize how much time goes into schools making decisions on what players they decide to recruit. This is especially true of the PG position. In essence, they will be handing the keys to Gary and letting him drive and direct the offense. WVU has seen him at least 3 times and they have done a great job spending the time evaluating Gary. All four schools have communicated their interest in offering him a scholarship, said Todd Washington, Founder of PR Playmakers and Browne's mentor.
Browne is back in Puerto Rico on Spring Break and spoke to IPRB earlier today. "I'm real excited about making my decision. A lot of schools have come to see me since the season is over and I am real confident that I'm going to end up at a great school. I'm going to sit down with my family, and Todd and make a decision shortly. All of the schools interested in me are great schools and I am thankful to have the opportunity to go to college and get an education", said Browne.
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