In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with Drew Hanlen, Drew is an NBA Skills Coach and Consultant who played college basketball at Belmont. Over the years Drew has worked with many NBA players on their skills including Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid. He is the CEO of Puresweat Basketball. In this episode Drew talks about: - Why he chose to play college basketball at Belmont - How being a trainer has changed in the world of social media - What advice he would offer to parents who are looking to get training for their kids - The delineation between a coach and a trainer - What advice he would offer to high schoolers looking to improve their game on and off the court You can follow Drew on Instagram and Twitter @drewhanlen and his organization at @puresweat

High School Basketball Happenings

Interview with Drew Hanlen - NBA Skills Coach and CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball

In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the #42 Ranked Player in the 2021 ESPN Rankings, Jaylon Tyson. Jaylon talks about: - why he felt so much love from Texas Tech and decided to commit to Chris Beard - what it’s been like playing with a mask on in practices and games - what type of teammate and player Manny Obaseki (#35 ranked player in the ESPN rankings) is - what it was like playing so much over the summer with Next Page Force during the COVID pandemic - his mentality toward being a better player, despite what the rankings say - a new non-basketball hobby or two he has picked up during quarantine You can follow Jaylon on Twitter @jaylontysoni and Instagram @jaylontyson_

Interview with Jaylon Tyson - the #42 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2021 Rankings and Texas Tech Signee

The proliferation of media outlets covering high school basketball games in recent years has been apparent to anyone who has gone to a high quality high school basketball game. One of the early players in the media space for high school basketball was Bryce Lanning.  Back in 2011, Bryce founded EliteMixtapes which has 672,000 YouTube subscribers, 150,000 Instagram followers, and it's top five videos have amassed more than 60 million views. Bryce joins Paul and Zain to talk about - how he got involved in the media space back in 2011 - the level of competition between all the media outlets vying for the same content - who the best players (and dunkers) he has filmed are - who some of the top up and coming players are - what words of advice he would offer to anyone looking to get in the content production game You can follow EliteMixtapes at the below outlets: YouTube: EliteMixtapes IG: @elitemixtapestv Twitter: @EliteMixtapesYT To read about the inspiration and background of EliteMixtapes and Bryce, check out this article: https://zainmotani.com/2019/12/28/the-evolution-to-a-national-brand-the-elitemixtapes-story/

Interview with Bryce Lanning - Founder of EliteMixtapes

In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the #52 Ranked Player in the 2021 ESPN Rankings, Manny Obaseki. Manny talks about: - why he committed to Texas A&M - what it’s been like playing with a mask on in practices and games - his brief exchange with RJ Hampton after at the RJ Hampton Showcase  - the Aggies 2021 recruiting class - what type of teammate he is - if he could change one thing in the world, what would he change - book recommendations You can follow Manny on Twitter @mannyyobaseki and Instagram @aisoxsa

Interview with Manny Obaseki - the #52 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2021 Rankings and Texas A&M Signee

In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the #23 Ranked Player in the 2021 ESPN Rankings, Langston Love. Langston talks about: - why he committed to Baylor and his relationship with Kendall Brown - the competitiveness at Montverde’s practices - how he and his teammates have been adjusting to school back on campus  - who the best shooter, most athletic, and best teammate on Montverde are - how he spent his summer improving his mindset You can follow Langston on Twitter and Instagram at @lhlv4

Interview with Langston Love - the #23 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2021 Rankings and Baylor Signee

*Our apologies for some of the audio difficulties during this episode* In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the #1 Player in the 2021 ESPN Rankings, Chet Holmgren. Chet talks about: - tips and tricks to being an elite shotblocker - what part of his game and body he has been focused on improving the most - how Minnehaha Academy will have to adjust after the graduation of Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga) to replicate the success from last year - how his life changed after he received the coveted #1 player ranking  - his thought process as he evaluates his final seven colleges + the G League - his favorite dishes to cook You can follow Chet on Twitter at @ChetHolmgren and Instagram at @chet_holmgren

Interview with Chet Holmgren - the #1 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2021 Rankings

In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the #6 overall player and the #1 PG in the Class of 2022 Jaden Bradley and discuss: - How his role will be different at IMG Academy this year vs. The Cannon School  - The thrilling state championship game last year in which he led his team to a nail-biting 71-69 victory - The genesis behind his social media handle names - His workouts with Mikey Williams - What schools are recruiting him the hardest You can follow Jaden on Twitter at @jbsmoovve and Instagram at @jbsmoovve

Interview with the #6 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 60 Class of 2022 – Jaden Bradley

In this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings Podcast, Paul and Zain connect with the former #1 Player in the 2019 ESPN Rankings and projected top 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, James Wiseman.  James talks about: - What the NBA draft preparation process has entailed  - What advice he would offer to himself three years ago - What advice he has for high school players who want to improve their games - What books he is actively reading - His rankings of favorite social media platforms You can follow James on Twitter at @BigTicket_JW and Instagram at @bigticket_j13

Interview with the #1 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2019 – James Wiseman

5-Star 2022 shooting guard Amari Bailey (#3 in the ESPN Top 100) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - If the fanfare around Sierra Canyon ever got tiring / frustrating - Which four schools are recruiting him the hardest - What the deciding factor(s) will be which will determine what school he picks - What Sierra Canyon needs to do to return to the state championship next year after losing so much firepower - What his go to social media platform is You can follow Amari on Instagram at @amari__bailey 

Interview with the #3 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 60 Class of 2022 – Amari Bailey

4-Star shooting guard and Xavier commit CJ Wilcher (#81 in the ESPN Top 100 in the Class of 2020) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - What Xavier basketball needs to do to improve on its 19-13 record last year - Who wins the last one-on-one match-up - him or his younger brother (top prospect in the Class of 2023) - How he fared against Zion Williamson during AAU in high school - His rankings of favorite social media platforms  You can follow CJ on Twitter at @CJWilcher and Instagram at @cj_wilcher

Interview with the 4-Star Shooting Guard and Xavier Commit – CJ Wilcher

5-Star 2021 center Nate Bittle (#8 in the ESPN Top 100) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - How he has been spending his summer without AAU basketball - What the deciding factor(s) will be which will determine what college he picks (final four schools of Gonzaga, Oregon, UCLA and Arizona) - What his Crater Comets team needs to do to win the state championship next year - His stack rank of his favorite social media platforms - How old he was when he beat his dad in one-on-one for the first time You can follow Nate on Twitter at @Nathanbittle33 and Instagram at @bittlenathan

Interview with the #8 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 in the Class of 2021 – Nate Bittle

5716! point career scorer and Lipscomb commit Tommy Murr  joins Paul and Zain on the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - His mindset that enables him to be such a proficient scorer - The most unique defense an opposing coach has thrown at him - How Alabama Fusion 17U established themselves as a formidable appointment in the 2019 EYBL - The atmosphere in the gym when he and 2021 5 Star Guard JD Davidson squared off at the Be Elite Showcase You can follow Tommy on Twitter at @MurrTommy and Instagram at @_tmurr14_ 

Interview with 5000 Point Scorer! and Lipscomb Commit – Tommy Murr

4-Star point guard and Stanford commit Isa Silva (#49 in the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2021) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - Who else he is recruiting to Stanford - Where his next level passing capabilities come from and tips to become a great passer - How he remains grounded even as his followers and views grow - What's one thing non-basketball related that he's been intentional about getting better at during the quarantine - What NBA players he studies You can follow Isa on Twitter at @isilv3 and Instagram at @air_isa

Interview with the 4-Star Point Guard and Stanford Commit – Isa Silva

4-Star shooting guard Will McClendon (#55 in the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2021) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - Why he committed UCLA and his relationship with head Mick Cronin - What makes him one of the best shooters in the class of 2021 and what guidance he would offer to young shooters - What Bishop Gorman and he individually will need to improve next year to help the Gaels capture a tenth straight state title You can follow Will on Twitter at @WMcclendon and Instagram at @willl.mcclendon

Interview with the 4-Star Shooting Guard, 3x State Champion, and UCLA Commit – Will McClendon

5-Star 2021 power forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (#2 in the ESPN Top 100 for the Class of 2021) joins Paul and Zain on this episode of the High School Basketball Happenings podcast to talk about: - How he has been staying in shape during the quarantine - What the one or two factors that will determine what college he ends up from his list of 10 (UCLA, UVA, Wisconsin, Duke, UNC, Michigan, Kentucky, Milwaukee, Northwestern, and Georgetown) - How he became one of the best shooters in the high school game and what advice he would offer to young players looking to become better shooters - What he has learned from being around the UM-Milwaukee program where his dad is the head coach You can follow Patrick on Twitter at @_pbaldwin23 and Instagram at @patrickbaldwin.23

Interview with the #2 Ranked Player in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2021 – Patrick Baldwin Jr.

All the salient news going on in the high school basketball community, as told by a high school basketball enthusiast

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High School Basketball Happenings

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