Kareem Canty says Seton Hall is in the lead for his services. (Robert Cole)
Midway through July, Kamari Murphy had a pretty firm list of colleges, led by Miami, Oklahoma State and Florida. The Lincoln grad, who will do a prep year at IMG Academy (Fla.), had a pretty firm handle on things.
He might as well just tear all of that up now.
No player from New York City blew up more during the July live period that Murphy. He now boasts offers from UConn, Missouri, Florida State and Central Florida to go along with the above three plus Temple and Seton Hall.
“Right now it’s kind of confusing, but it feels good,” Murphy said after leading his Long Island Lightning team to a win Thursday night at Dyckman in Washington Heights. “I got a lot of new schools, but I haven’t narrowed it down yet.”
The super-athletic, 6-foot-8 forward threw down two monster dunks in the closing minutes to ensure a victory for his team. Dyckman emcee shouted out that Murphy – better known as “Lloyd Banks” due to his facial similarities to the famous rapper – had “taken over the game.”
It meant even more to him because Kevin Durant was in the park getting ready to suit up in the next game for Team Nike.
“That’s my favorite player in the league right now,” Murphy said. “I just came out here with my team and got the ‘W.’”
Canty with a leader: Former Bishop Loughlin star Kareem Canty, who will play next year at Westwind (Ariz.) Academy, says that he is currently leaning toward Seton Hall. The Harlem native also is looking at Miami, Florida State, Providence, Tennessee, Alabama and Washington, who have all offered.
Why Seton Hall?
“Shaheen Holloway was a McDonald’s All American,” Canty said of the Pirates assistant coach. “I look up to him.”
Canty, who competed at Dyckman on Thursday night, said Holloway, a Seton Hall legend and Queens native, was a “tough” guard, someone he can emulate. He also thinks Durant is someone whose lead he can follow.
“One day I want to go to the NBA and play in the same tournaments,” Canty said of the city’s streetball leagues.
Notes: Lightning McNeil guard Ethan Telfair, who had a big July, says he has interest from Oklahoma and St. Peter’s. The 5-foot-9 brother of Timberwolves guard Sebastian Telfair will attend Northwest Catholic (Conn.) with Lightning teammates Kuran Iverson and Zach Lewis next year and reclassify to the Class of 2014. … Former Francis Lewis star James Anacreon is on an official visit to Utah and plans to pick a school by the end of next week, he said. Anacreon, who has attended Snead State Community College (Ala.), followed by Broward College (Fla.) and Lake Land College (Ill.) the last two years, is also considering Iona, Hofstra and IPFW. An explosive 6-foot-7 wing, Anacreon initially committed to Iona in mid-April, but later decommitted.
With additional reporting by Zach Braziller