Penn State incoming freshman Brandon Taylor and 2013 commit Geno Thorpe will join more than 50 of the best high school basketball players on the East Coast Saturday for an all-star charity game in Pennington, N.J.
The Mary Kline Classic is held in honor of a woman who passed away seven years ago after a five-year battle with brain cancer. Alex Kline, a 17-year-old, and nationally recognized recruiting analyst, organized this event in memory of his mother and for all those touched by the disease.
Taylor is from Trenton Catholic Academy in Tabernacle, Pa., while Thorpe is from Shaler High School in Pittsburgh.
“Brandon and Geno are a perfect fit for the Mary Kline Classic,” Kline said. “They both exemplify talents on and off the court as young men with bright futures.
“Brandon is a local name for this event as he plays about 20 minutes away from the venue. He is familiar with a number of the the players in this. Geno, on the other hand, comes from Pittsburgh, but has roots in New Jersey as he usually to run with the NJ Playaz on the AAU circuit. He really cares about this event, and so does his mother.”
Even with school and AAU travel already on the calendar, Taylor, Thorpe and many other top prospects opted to compete, including Penn State targets Davon Reed (Princeton, N.J.) and Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.).
“It means a lot that I got invited to help Alex out with his fundraiser,” Thorpe said. ”I’m really happy that I can help him out with it.”
While Taylor has been playing with future 2013 Nittany Lion Brandon Austin, from Imhotep Charter School in Philadelphia, this will mark the first time Taylor and Thorpe have seen each other play.
Penn State coach Pat Chambers and his assistants will be keeping a close eye on the action this weekend.
“Pat Chambers, Brian Daly, Keith Urgo and more are extremely supportive of the Mary Kline Classic and are looking forward to hearing about the numbers that Geno and Brandon produce,” Kline said.
The Classic will cap off an important week for Penn State’s basketball program as 2012 target Sheldon Jeter, from Beaver Falls, Pa., is set to make his college selection this Thursday.
Jeter, coming off an official visit to Penn State, is expected to choose between the Nittany Lions, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina.
