Under Armour Indy Friday: Baker and Norris make statements

FISHERS, Ind. -- The second weekend of live April evaluations kicked off Friday night and saw class of 2019 four-star wing Joey Baker and class of 2018 five-star forward Miles Norris make statements in play at the Under Armour Association.

Last weekend, few in the class of 2019 built as much of a buzz because of their play in front of college coaches as 6-foot-7 wing Joey Baker. Playing with Team Felton, Baker showed that the buzz was no fluke as he scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in a win.

Baker showed deft touch, athleticism and the ability to score with either hand. With his play over the past two weeks, he's become a serious candidate for five-star status and has seen his recruiting picked up. He discussed the recent attention and how the locals -- North Carolina head coach Roy Williams watched on Friday and new N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts is close to offering -- are handling his recruitment.

"I've heard from Kansas, Louisville, Florida, and Texas the most lately and a little bit of UCLA," said Baker. "In terms of the Carolina schools, Wake Forest has offered and the new N.C. State coaching staff hasn't offered yet but they said their close."

Only finishing his sophomore year, Baker isn't looking to rush things and wants to see who else gets involved.

"I'm just trying to get a good relationships built with all these coaches," said Baker. "That's really important to me. I'm looking for a team that's going to push me to be a better player and get me ready for the next level."

A five-star prospect who ranks No. 21 overall in the class of 2018, Miles Norris of Earl Watson Elite and San Diego (Calif.) Helix is a classic case of potential vs. production. As it stands, the athletic 6-foot-9 forward's potential is far outclassing his production. But that's okay if he plays with effort.

Friday night, Norris played with great effort and though his stat line of eight points and eight rebounds was relatively modest, his length and ability had a huge impact on the game.

On the recruiting front, Norris is really starting to lock in on Arizona and Oregon. He talked about the impact that Arizona landing five-star prospects Emmanuel Akot and Shareef O'Neal could have on his recruitment.

"The two schools that are recruiting me the hardest right now in the Pac12 are Oregon and Arizona," said Norris. "Those are the two schools I've been talking to the most.

"With Shareef and Emmanuel Akot's commitment, I don't think it affects me that much. I was talking to coach (Sean) Miller right after Shareef committed and he just told me how they play a big perimeter game so they're definitely still on the table."

As for Oregon -- whose head coach Dana Altman tracked Norris on Friday night -- it's a matter of style.

"With Oregon, I just really like their style of play," said Norris. "I watched them throughout the tournament and have been up there before. I just really like the way they run things. I want to definitely get Oregon and Arizona at some point this spring and summer. I'll probably look to make a decision sometime in the fall."

... Last week, five-star forward Precious Achiuwa of New Heights 16U team played to mix reviews. On Friday night, the versatile and athletic sophomore played the part of a highly rated guy. He moves effortlessly and has a nice inside/out game in style of Arizona bound five-star junior Emmanuel Akot. Achiuwa mentioned offers from Seton Hall, St. John's, West Virginia and VCU and said that he will take his time with the recruiting process. Teammate Darius Lee is a tough and productive 6-foot-5 combo forward who doesn't yet have any offers but should be popping onto radars soon.

... The Sports U duo of five-star big man Nazreon Reid and four-star -- but making a strong case for elevation -- point guard Jahvon Quinerly was too much for Team Thad. Reid scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and had North Carolina's Roy Williams and Kentucky's John Calipari lurking. He's got offers from Louisville, Rutgers, St. John's, Kansas, Syracuse and several others. A huge target for Villanova, Virginia, Stanford, Kansas and many others, Quinerly went for 24 points, five rebounds and four assists.

... Team Felton big man Immanuel Bates is emerging as a high major big man. He still lacks strength and needs some more polish but is long and has athleticism to burn. He's heard from the new N.C. State staff and has offers from Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Middle Tennessee State, James Madison, DePaul and Tulane among others.

... Chalk up an impressive night for class of 2019 five-star wing Cassius Stanley of Earl Watson Elite. The big time athlete got to the rim, made some jumpers to keep defenders honest and showed more playmaking ability off the dribble. He had 20 points and seven rebounds and counts offers from the likes of Maryland, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, USC, Arizona State, Arizona, Alabama and UCLA.