Zeller's growth continues with MVP effort

CHAPEL HILL -- Tyler Zeller, the MVP of this weekend's Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, has come a long way in two years.

As a 6-foot-2 ninth-grader, he was the third-leading scorer on his high school's freshman basketball team.

"That's the freshman team, not even the JV team," he emphasized.

Now, at the end of his junior year, Zeller is a 7-2 player with a fluid game who is being recruited by several top programs in the nation -- including UNC, whose campus is where his team, Indiana Elite, took the title on Saturday, 71-50 over King of the Court from Akron, Ohio.

The Gibbons event has had stars such as Allen Iverson, Greg Oden, Jerry Stackhouse and Chris Paul playing in the past.

"Tyler didn't have as big a national reputation, but he established it now," Gibbons said. "There are only so many big men, and he's got so much potential and versatility."

Zeller is considering a list of nine schools. He said UNC told him it would have a scholarship available when Brandan Wright opted for the NBA Draft.

"All nine are equal right now," Zeller said. "I want to get my list to five or less and then make my official visits."

Zeller scored 13 in the victory over King of the Court, which got 27 points from Delvon Roe, a 6-8 Michigan State recruit.

"I was close to coming to Chapel Hill," Roe said. "But I figured anything I could get in Chapel Hill, 11 hours away, I could also get just three hours away at Michigan State."