Tag Archives: eng united

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Jeremias Heard Named A Top 5 Center In Georgia

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ENG United Raptors big man Jeremias Heard named a Top 5 center in Georgia's 2024 class by Prep Hoops, following a stellar junior season at Model High where he helped lead his school to their first-ever region championship and state Final 4 berth.

In addition to cementing his name in Model High's history books, Jeremias also earned 7AA Co-Player of the Year alongside his brother Jakenes Heard who is an ENG United 2023 class alum.

Standing at 6'9" 270lbs, Jeremias has virtually flown "under the radar" until this winter (2022-23). A two-sport athlete, Heard's recruitment is heating up in both basketball and football, with his first offer coming from Tennessee football this winter. On the basketball side, several Division 1 coaches have begun inquiring about Jeremias.

As our spring-summer 2023 travel season gets underway, it's safe to say Jeremias will see a major spike in his basketball recruitment.

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ENG United Raptors Earn 2023 All-Region Honors

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Four (4) ENG United Raptors 2024 players have earned 2023 All-Region and Conference All-Star honors for their outstanding play this winter 2022-23 with their high school varsity basketball teams.

  • Jeremias & Jakenes Heard: Co-Players of the Year (GHSA Region 2A-7)
  • Jace Freeman: Conference All-Star (GAPPS Region 3A-1)
  • Jayden Hames: 2nd Team All-Region (GHSA Region 2A-7)
  • Quentin Rakestraw: Honorable Mention (GHSA Region 6A-6)

Jeremias Heard and his brother Jakenes Heard (2023 ENG Raptor) shared Co-Player of the Year honors with Model High in Rome, GA.  Jace Freeman was earned Conference All-Star nominations with Cornerstone Prep Academy in Acworth, Georgia.  Jayden Hames earned 2nd Team All-Region honors with Model High School in Rome, Georgia. And Quentin Rakestraw earned All-Region Honorable Mention honors with Woodstock High in Woodstock, Georgia.

As we prepare to launch our spring-summer 2023 travel season, these four young men - alongside their teammates - are going to play a major role in our program's success this year.  Check out our 2023 tournament schedule to see where you can come watch us play.

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Austin Wilkerson Commits To Shorter University (NCAA D2)

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ENG United Raptors 2023 guard Austin Wilkerson has announced his commitment to play college basketball this fall at Shorter University; a NCAA Division II school in Rome, Georgia.

Austin is coming off an amazing high school career at Unity Christian School in Rome, GA where he set the school's All-Time scoring record with over 1600 points.  This winter Wilkerson led his UCS Lions to the GAPPS 1AA region championship where there received runner-up and went on to the school's first-ever Final 4 berth. Austin also earned All-Region and Conference All-Star honors to close out his final high school season.  

The entire ENG United Raptors organization is proud of Austin's hard work in the classroom and on the court, and we will be following his college career very closely. 

 

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Keshaun Pace Commits To Reinhardt University (NAIA Division 1)

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ENG United Raptors 2023 guard Keshaun Pace has announced his commitment to play college basketball next fall (2023) at Reinhardt University; a NAIA Division I school in Georgia.

Keyshaun heads into his senior season at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, GA after an amazing spring-summer travel season with ENG United Raptors 2023 team. He is sure to secure 1st Team All-Region honors for a second year in a row, this winter.  

The whole ENG United Raptors family is proud of Keshaun's hard work, and we can't wait to see how far he goes at the next level. 

 

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ENG United Raptors Receive College Offers (June 2022)

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After a strong Spring 2022 showing from our 16U & 17U Raptors, college coaches at every level are taking notice.  As a result, some  ENG United Raptors have received offers to play college basketball, while several others are heating up with interest. Austin Wilkerson (2023) and Keshaun Pace (2023) are the first players to lock in offers to fill roster spots at the next level.

Keshaun Pace, an All-Region player at Carrollton High School (Carrollton, GA), has received his first college basketball offer from Reinhardt University in Waleska, GA.  After several strong performances during the month of June, Reinhardt's head coach Justin Newton extended Keshaun an offer to continue his basketball career at the college level.  The Reinhardt Eagles compete in the Mid-South Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). 

Austin Wilkerson, an All-State player who has scored over 1000 points so far at Unity Christian School (Rome, GA), has received several offers to continue his basketball career at the college level.  Schools who have offered Wilkerson include:

As we enter the July "Live Periods," we have a great number of college coaches from every level of the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA, and USCAA committed to evaluate our 16U and 17U players. We are confident that there will be more college offer announcements to report in the coming weeks/months at ENG United.  Stay Tuned!!!

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2022 PrepHoops Live Kansas City

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On April 22-24 ENG United Raptors 16U & 17U teams traveled to Kansas City, MO for the 2022 PrepHoops Live showcase. Thanks to high level performances from both teams, ENG captured the attention of national sports media and college coaches.

The KCMO event featured over 320 teams from 13 states, with our teams facing competition from Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Illinois, and Arkansas. Both ENG United Raptors squads began the tournament with 2-0 records, but as travel fatigue and unexpected injuries became a factor, the 17U boys finished 3-1, while the 16U group ended the weekend 2-2.

While all of our players had stellar moments throughout the weekend, five (5) ENG United players were named "Top Performers" for the weekend showcase.  Those players who earned this designation include:

  • Jakenes Heard - 17U/2023
  • Austin Wilkerson - 17U/2023
  • Quentin Rakestraw - 16U/2024
  • Jeremias Heard - 16U/2024
  • Jayden Hames - 16U/2024

But, these five players could not have gained media attention without their teammates, whose high level contributions all weekend helped the ENG United Raptors program leave its mark on Kansas City.

  • 17U/2023:  Nick Majors, Ethan Sams, Kyan Bullock, JayQuan Nelson, and Ahmed Hussein (of Minnesota)
  • 16U/2024:  Jace Freeman, Gabe Mason, Charles Kimani, and Christian McAboy

We'd also like to thank all of the ENG United parents and extended families whose support for our players and coaches throughout the long distance trip was tantamount to the success we experienced in KC.

The next tournament for our 16U and 17U teams will be the RYZE Showcase II, May 7-8, 2022 in Emerson, Georgia at Lakepoint Champions Center.

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Jace Freeman Kicks Off Recruitment With Unofficial Visit To UNC

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Jace Freeman has kicked off his college recruitment journey with an unofficial visit to the campus of the University of North Carolina, where UNC Hall of Famer and former Detroit Pistons coach Phil Ford was his guide.

Accompanied by his parents and younger sister, Jace toured the Dean E. Smith Center where he experienced walking the tunnels to the Roy Williams Court, and spent time on the very court where legends are, and have been, made. In addition to his time on the main court, Jace Freeman spent time touring the Tarheels' practice facility where he got to see firsthand where his future collegiate practices could be held someday.

From there, Coach Ford took Jace and family to the Carolina Basketball Museum, which is located in the Dean E. Smith Center complex.  Jace spent an extended period of time learning about the rich history of the University of North Carolina men's basketball program. In addition to learning about the legends who have suited up in that classic Carolina blue, and the Hall of Fame coaches who built time honored basketball traditions, Jace had the unique experience of gaining one-on-one advice from Coach Ford.  We won't tell you what he said, but just know that Jace took a lot of notes and has been grinding daily to achieve his dreams in the game of basketball.

Jace Freeman is in his sophomore year at Cornerstone Prep Academy in Acworth, GA and has plans to visit several other schools from his recruitment list this fall.  Jace's next stop will be an invite to the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp in Dallas, TX to showcase his basketball talents to college coaches and national media, alongside four (4) of his ENG United teammates. 

NOTE:  Taking an unofficial visit to a college or university does not necessarily mean you've been extended an offer, nor does it mean you'll be extended an offer. It is possible for a coach to offer a student athlete while taking an unofficial visit, but by no means is this guaranteed. As of the date of this article, Jace Freeman has not yet received an offer from UNC Men's Basketball.

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Gabe Mason – CP3 Rising Stars Camp

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ENG United combo guard Gabe Mason continues to prove why he is one of Georgia's top high school basketball players. A legit 2024 prospect (no re-class), Mason was among a small group of 11 players from Georgia's sophomore class to be invited to the 2021 CP3 Rising Stars Camp in Greensboro, NC.

Gabe Mason Profile1

Measuring 6'4" tall with a wingspan of 6'7", Gabe Mason represented his ENG United family well at the elite national basketball camp, which featured some of the top 2024 players from across the country. Mason showcased his high motor, elite skill and athleticism, and his ability to score on all three levels; proving why he is the cream of the crop amongst Georgia's class of 2024 prospects.

 

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Next up for Gabriel Mason is the 2021 Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp on October 2-3 in Dallas, Texas.  He will be joined by fellow ENG United 2024 teammates: Jace Freeman (PG), Jeremias Heard (C), Quentin Rakestraw (G/F), and Charles Kimani (G/F).

Gabe Mason Profile2

ABOUT 2021 CP3 RISING STARS CAMP

Chris Paul’s CP3 Rising Stars National Camp is considered the #1-rated youth exposure camp in North America for rising high school freshmen who are serious about playing at the collegiate level and beyond. Each year, more than 10,000 active players on the youth basketball travel circuit are considered for the coveted roster spots, but only the most gifted are awarded an invitation to participate.

The 2021 CP3 Rising Stars National Camp staff will once again be comprised of qualified instructors hand-picked by 11x NBA All-Star Chris Paul and his trusted executive board members. The concept is simple: Learn from the best. Compete among the elite. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 CP3 Rising Stars event was postponed, leaving Class of 2024 players without an opportunity to showcase. For that reason, for the first time in our history, the 2021 CP3 Rising Stars National Camp will feature the top prospects from both the Class of 2024 (rising high school sophomores) and the Class of 2025 (rising high school freshmen).

For more about CP3 Rising Stars Camp, visit https://www.cp3risingstars.com/2021-camp.

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ENG 15U Puts On A Show At Best of the South (NCAA LIVE)

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ENG United 15U tallied a 4-2 record in their first ever NCAA Live event, July 8-11, 2021 at the HoopSeen Best of the South, which was held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

 

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ENG kicked off the event on Thursday, July 8th versus a talented Elite 24 team out of Portland, Oregon. Led by hot performances from Marquan Murray (24pts, 4stls, 3ast), Jeremias Heard (14pts, 10reb, 2blks), Jonathan Heath (12pts) and Gabe Mason (8pts, 8reb, 3ast). ENG United went on to win the game 76-62.

But, Day 2 brought a much more challenging game to our young 15U group who faced off against Alabama's Baldwin County Elite (BCE). From the opening tip off, BCE couldn't miss a shot, while ENG United couldn't buy a bucket - scoring just 11 points in the first half and 8 points in the second half. Baldwin County continued their hot shooting throughout the game and cruised past ENG United to a 24 point win (43-19).

 

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Day 3 (Sat., July 10th) brought yet another challenge for ENG United, versus Excel 2024. The two teams were evenly matched and put on a show in the first half. But, ENG went cold in the second half and allowed Excel to build an insurmountable double-digit lead, which led to a 15-point ENG loss (62-47).  Later that evening, ENG would secure it's second win through forfeit; although the team would have rather played.

But, Day 4 would prove to be a strong rebound for ENG 2024, closing out the final day of the event 2-0.  In Game 1 versus Chattanooga Elite, ENG would pull out a decisive 28-point victory (73-45) behind the lock-down perimeter defense of Jace Freeman who tallied 12 deflections, 4 steals and 6 assists, while Jeremias Heard racked up 10 blocks in the paint. Offensively, the whole team was on fire for ENG, but the most impressive play of the game was a powerful fast-break dunk by Gabe Mason, who took flight and finished through contact over Chattanooga's big man. 

In their final game of the day versus Game Elite Blue (Adidas), ENG United continued their top-notch play.  Once again, the smothering defense of Jace Freeman, Gabe Mason, and Jeremias Heard proved to be too much for their competition, while Mason, Heard, and Marquan Murray poured it on in the scoring columns. In the end, Game Elite fell to ENG 47-40.

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Congrats To Our Academic All-Stars (2020-21)

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Congrats to our ENG United 2024 scholar athletes who kept their minds focused throughout a tumultuous 2020-21 school year, and handled their business in the classrooms.

We always see and hear about the on-court success of young athletes, but rarely are we privy to the hard work they put in when they're not competing on the hardwood. So, join us in celebrating these stellar young men for maintaining a 3.3 GPA or higher throughout their first year of high school.

  • Quentin Rakestraw, Woodstock High School - 4.0 GPA
  • Jace Freeman, Cornerstone Prep Academy - 3.8 GPA
  • Charles Kimani, Harrison High School - 3.7 GPA
  • Gabriel Mason, Kennesaw Mountain High - 3.7 GPA
  • Marquan Murray, McEachern High School - 3.7 GPA
  • Jeremias Heard, Model High School - 3.4 GPA