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Top-200 prospect Lino Mark sinks big shots for Soldiers at Peach, sets official visit dates
By SAM LANCE NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — When the Oakland Soldiers needed a big time shot against UPlay Canada on Tuesday during Peach Jam pool play, three-star guard Lino Mark was the one to step up. With around seven minutes to go and the game tied, Mark hit his first big-time three. Then, just a while after, he hit the dagger shot from deep to put the Soldiers up 11 points. UPlay had led the Soldiers most of the contest. “I just do the little things,” Mark said of his game. “I realize I’m on a great team with great players. You know, everybody’s ball dominant at their high school, so just trying to fit in by doing the little stuff. That’s guarding 94 feet, cutting backdoor, hitting open shots.” Mark plays with two No. 1-ranked high school players — AJ Dybantsa of the 2025 class and Tyran Stokes of the 2026 class — on the Oakland Soldiers 17u program. Still, he has found a way to stand out at Peach Jam. The guard is averaging a modest 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.4 minutes per contest — but he’s been the bench piece the Soldiers need to flourish. The Soldiers also needed everyone of Mark’s 13 points to knock of UPlay, 73-65. As for Mark’s recruitment, he is hearing from programs like Cal, Providence, Santa Barbara, Seton Hall, TCU and USC. Mark has already visited Providence, Seton Hall and TCU unofficially and has some official visits set in stone for the fall. Mark will travel to Seton Hall (Sept. 9-11) and TCU (Oct. 3-5). He is also planning a visit with Cal, Providence, Utah and USC. Mark broke down all of those programs: USC: “USC is just, it’s the hometown. I grew up in California, so just having the ability to stay home, it’s a really nice feeling. But for me, I would like to go and play anywhere I can for the best opportunity in my lifetime. I love coach [Eric] Musselman. He FaceTime’s me, shares a lot of jokes. So just getting to know him and his staff. They just recently offered so that was nice.” Providence and Seton Hall: “Schools like Seton Hall and Providence, the head coaches are like my favorite head coaches. Especially Seton Hall and Providence, like those two head coaches reach out probably the most and they’re always there for me. Always text me before and after games just making sure that I’m good.” On Providence head coach Kim English: “He’s young and he hooped. You know, he let’s the players get after it. Me and him make jokes about Devin Carter who just got drafted. Me and him both got hair.” On Seton Hall head coach Shaheen Holloway: “To me he’s like the realest coach. He always calls me little bro when he text and call. He’s always looking out elsewhere than basketball. So it’s more than just basketball to him.” Cal: “Also close to home. They were one of the first to get after it with me. So they’ve always been active, always stay on top of me and they really want me.” TCU: ” So coach [Jamie] Dixon, he actually went to my high school. I think two of the coaches went to my high school. So there’s that connection with Notre Dame. He was my second offer. He’s always been, he’s always showing up to my school to talk to me, doing the little things. And I already took unofficial actually also so.” UCSB: “UCSB, that’s a mid major route I want to go. I really love their staff. I really, really love their staff. They text me the most, like they text me the most. So that staff always making sure I’m good. Always sending me clips of Ajay Mitchell, who’s hooping right now. They’re making sure like I’m the priority. I can be the guy to go to on campus, you know, play as a freshman, play good minutes. They have high expectations for me.” Mark is ranked the No. 177 overall prospect by 247Sports and the No. 16 player in the state of California. He attends Notre Dame Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles and will play with Stokes there next season. “I’m hoping we can win Peach and then win State,” Mark said. “Thats a big deal.” The Soldiers are 5-0 in pool play at Peach Jam and have secured the top spot in Pool C. They will play whoever finishes second in Pool B at noon on Saturday in the quarterfinals. Follow Sam Lance on Twitter Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook.
STOP food truck brings fresh produce where it’s needed
GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The STOP mobile food truck is the latest way local farmers are trying to fill the food deserts around Augusta. STOP stands for the Sustainable, Tasty Outreach Project. The mission of this mobile farmers market is to connect local farmers with new customers and make their produce more accessible.
‘It will happen again,’ Ga. expert says of tech meltdown
AUGUSTA, Ga. - This week, a computer glitch wasn’t just an irritation. The defective update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike crippled some hospitals, 911 call centers, businesses, travelers and institutions using Microsoft Windows worldwide and across the CSRA. Even a day after the problem happened, the domino effect continued to...
VOTE: Does the South Carolina Highway Patrol have America’s best-looking cruisers?
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Do you love the look of South Carolina Highway Patrol’s cruisers? Your vote could help them win a nationwide calendar contest. SC Highway Patrol is featuring its 2024 Ford Mustang and 2023 Ford F-150 in an annual contest to find America’s best-looking cruiser. “We compete against all the other state agencies […]
South Carolina ranks seventh for religious liberty
(The Center Square) — South Carolina ranked among the best states for protecting religious liberty, coming in seventh on a ranking of all 50 states. The Palmetto State earned a score of 63.7%, ranking it just ahead of Utah and just behind Ohio, according to the third annual "Religious Liberty in the States" from the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy, an initiative of First Liberty Institute. The index explores legislation in all 50 states and how it protects religious liberty. ...
What vaccines are required for South Carolina students?
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A new school year in South Carolina is just around the corner. Preparations are underway to send children back to the classroom from shopping for clothes to gathering school supplies to ensuring vaccinations are up-to-date. South Carolina law requires that students receive certain immunizations – or have a valid exemption – […]
DC consultant tapped in search for origins of SC’s $1.8B in mystery money
COLUMBIA — South Carolina selected a Washington, D.C., consulting firm best known for restructuring companies in bankruptcy to search for the origins of $1.8 billion in taxpayer funding that sat unidentified and untouched in a bank account for more than five years. The state’s administrative agency selected AlixPartners for the forensic audit contract worth up […] The post DC consultant tapped in search for origins of SC’s $1.8B in mystery money appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
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