John Reik

[C2Hamm]

not related to Mbenga...

anyone heard of John Reik and Serge Ibaka?

[mvblair]

not related to Mbenga...

anyone heard of John Reik and Serge Ibaka?

No, but I looked them up quickly on Google...

A School's Battle for "Our Savior" Phenomenon -- August 24, 2007, New York Daily News

Just before dark on July 15, 17-year-old John Riek was heading back to his host family's home after a workout at Our Savior New American School when he spotted the car he'd been expecting outside the Middle Country Library on Eastwood Blvd in Centereach, L.I. The 7-2 center from southern Sudan hopped in, unfolding his outsized frame in the back seat, smiling as Gary Lorden, a land developer from Townsend, Mass. who runs a summer youth camp near his home, pulled away on a six-hour drive back to Townsend.

Riek has been in the United States for just eight months, but college recruiters are already calling him one of the best players in the country, a future lottery pick. But as he drove away with Lorden in mid-July, his future was uncertain. On Lorden's advice, Riek had planned to enroll at the Winchendon School in Massachusetts. Two weeks later, however, after an ugly tug-of-war over Riek's future that included guardianship issues, charges of mistreatment and questions about what is in the best interests of the player, Riek returned to Our Savior, where he says he'll play this season.

The struggle over the can't-miss kid from southern Sudan reveals the underside of high school hoops, where coaches, boosters and programs often go to great lengths to retain the services of future stars.

.......

At his point the article describes some very shady problems that Reik and a few other Sudanese players had in their high school, including a battle over their custody by coaches! what an ugly way to treat kids. The the article continues to talk about his basketball future:

Riek, who says he took three years of high school in the Gambala Secondary School in Ethiopia, will be classified as a junior this fall.

***

College coaches and NBA scouts who saw Riek play over the summer are no doubt counting down the days until he graduates.

His coming out party was earlier this summer at the LeBron James US Skills Academy, an invitational camp for the top high school players in the country in Akron. Riek, who has a 7-7 wingspan and size 18 shoes, rolled over the country's best big men and had NBA scouts, college coaches and national high school scouts drooling after the five-day event in early July.

"I measured everyone there by John Riek and he either won the head-to-head matchup or tied it," says national high school scout Dave Telep. " You can say John Riek is going to make money playing basketball. I saw LeBron pull him over during and game and whisper something to him and I remember thinking to myself, ‘There are to NBA players on the floor - LeBron and John Riek.'"

Riek is still raw, scouts agree. But one NBA scout in attendance, who was reluctant to talk about Riek because of his age, says he was intrigued by the big man's "size and aggressiveness."

Riek wasn't sure how his game would measure up to American competition when he first came to the country in January, but after his summer of blocks, rebounds and bank shots, he now knows exactly where he stands.

"I was the best there," Riek says through a translator.. "When I first started practicing, I thought ‘I can't play against the top players,' but right now I recognize that I can play against anyone."

Riek, who will be eligibile for the NBA draft a year after he graduates from high school, says he dreams of the NBA "every day. I just want to be ready; I would go as soon as a team wanted to draft me," he says.

***

Riek grew up in the village of Bitui and left Sudan in 2005. With help from Deng Leek, Riek secured a student visa through the U.S. embassy in Nairobi and a scholarship from Our Savior New American.

He arrived at JFK airport in January with nothing but a small garment bag and big dreams. He averaged 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks last season at Our Savior shooting 68% from the field. He's already received offers from UConn, Duke, Florida and Georgetown, among other schools and he's scheduled to play at Rucker Park on Friday in the Elite 24, a game featuring the top 24 high school players in the country. But Riek had no idea there would be a tug-of-war over where he attended high school.

"I just want to stick in one place now," he says.

Riek quickly grew tired of talking about his situation last week as he slumped over three rows of benches on the sideline bleachers at Our Savior. He was more interested in showing off his vertical leap, walking over to a wall and pointing to a piece of tape about 13 feet off the ground. He seemed to be saying that he could touch the tape.

"No way," Akol said. Riek smiled and reached up to the rim.

"He can get his hand above the top white line on the backboard," Leek Leek says.

There's a video on YouTube of Riek cramming a dunk off a spin move in the paint over two opponents in the Champions Prep Classic in North Carolina last February.

Riek says he's seen the video.

"I did," he says in English, "I liked it."

[C2Hamm]

wow, he may go straight to the NBA. how do you like that? Link

[C2Hamm]

Serge Ibaka

here's one for Serge