NORTH CAROLINA/SOUTH CAROLINA PREP REPORT

by Brian L. Clifton, North Carolina/South Carolina Editor of the HOOP SCOOP
Published January 9, 2004

Editor's Note:  Clifton's list of the top 110 seniors, 75 juniors, 25 sophomores, 52 freshmen, five 8th graders, and five 7th graders can be found by clicking below on Clifton Ranks 'Em:  The Top High School Players in North Carolina/South Carolina.

Carpetbaggers Lift Talent in the Carolinas to Another Level
by Brian L. Clifton, North Carolina/South Carolina Editor of the HOOP SCOOP, & Clark Francis, Editor & Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP

                    With 20 of the top 30 players - 6'10 Longar Longar from Laurinburg (Institute) NC to Oklahoma, 6'6 Roy Bright from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to Cincinnati, 6'9 Ra'Sean Dickey from Bennettsville (Marlboro County) SC to Georgia Tech, 6'9 Cedric Simmons from Shallotte (West Brunswick) NC to N.C. State, 6'3 Tasheed Carr from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to Iowa State, 6'2 Vincent Banks from Laurinburg (Institute) NC to Cincinnati, 6'2 JamesOn Curry from Mebane (Eastern Alamance) NC to North Carolina, 6'9 Mohammed Tangara from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to Arizona, 6'2 Zam Frederick from St. Matthews (Calhoun County) SC to Georgia Tech, 6'6 Sam Perry from Traveler's Rest (H.S.) SC to Clemson, 6'4 Albert Weber from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to Alabama, 6'6 Glen Dandridge from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC to Missouri, 6'8 Richard Dorsey from Laurinburg (Institute) NC to Memphis, 6'6 Cameron Stanley from Raleigh (Millbrook) NC to Wake Forest, 6'7 Jr Kevin Swinton from Greensboro (Dudley) NC to Wake Forest, 6'10 Damien Harris from Greenville (Wade Hampton) SC to Tennessee, 6'5 Joe McCray from Laurinburg (Institute) NC to Nebraska, 6'8 James Mays from Garner (H.S.) NC to Clemson, 6'8 Jr Julius Powell from Newtown (Conover) NC to Clemson and 6'6 Anthony Morrow from Charlotte (Latin) NC to Georgia Tech - regardless of class and position from North Carolina/South Carolina already signed or verbally committed to big time schools, you would think that no area is producing better high school basketball talent per capita in the nation than North Carolina/South Carolina.  However, that's not exactly truly, as Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC and Laurinburg (Institute) NC, which are two of the premier basketball factories in the country, account for 10 of the top 15 players in the state.  And most of these players are not home grown.  Instead, they are carpetbaggers. 
                    And, when we take a closer look at the top players on each team, we find that 6'7 Jr Brandon Rush from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who is ranked #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but is as good as anybody in the nation when he's on top of his game, is originally from Kansas City, MO; Carr, who is ranked #29 on our 5th Year List and is the glue that holds his team together, is originally from Philadelphia, PA; Tangara, who is ranked #54 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is originally from Mali; Weber, who is one of the best outside shooters and underrated at #91 in our rankings of the top seniors nationally, is originally from New Orleans, LA; Dandridge, who is ranked #38 nationally on our 5th Year List, but who also is one of the top 3-point shooters in the nation and, as a result, is on the rise, is originally from Goochland, VA; 6'7 Soph Tracy Smith from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who is ranked #8 nationally in the sophomore class by the HOOP SCOOP, is originally from Detroit, MI; 6'8 Robbie Simpson from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who has big time athleticism and talent, is originally from Louisville, KY; and 6'10 Shawn Taggart from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who has the size and athleticism to make him intriguing, is originally from Richmond, VA; Longar, who is ranked #8 on our 5th Year List and has incredible athleticism, is originally from Rochester, MN; Banks, who is ranked #11 on our 5th Year List and is a great catch for Cincinnati, is originally from Atlanta, GA; Dorsey, who has incredible natural talent and athleticism, but was a disappointment when we saw him play this winter, is originally from Baltimore, MD; McCray, who is ranked #30 on our 5th Year List and is a steal for Nebraska, is originally from Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 6'6 C.J. Anderson from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, who is ranked #25 on our 5th Year List and is multi-dimensional enough to play four different positions, is originally from Cincinnati, OH; 6'7 Chad Ferguson from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, who signed early with Coastal Carolina, is originally from Las Vegas, NV, and 6'5 Chris Fuller from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, who signed early with Loyola-Chicago, is also originally from Las Vegas, NV.  In other words, all but two of the top 17 players on Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC and Laurinburg (Institute) NC are from someplace other than North Carolina/South Carolina.  The two exceptions are Bright, who moved across town from Durham (Northern Durham) NC, and 6'3 Kris Clark from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, who is originally from Wilmington, NC, but who signed in the fall with New Orleans. 
                    However, even if you exclude the out-of-state players from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC and Laurinburg (Institute) NC, the senior class in North Carolina/South Carolina, which features Bright, Simmons, Dickey, Curry, Frederick, Perry, Stanley, Harris, Mays, Morrow, 5'10 Chris Gaynor from Winston-Salem (Mt. Tabor) NC, and 6'2 Ramon Sessions from Myrtle Beach (H.S.) SC, still is darn good, especially when compared to the junior and sophomore classes, which appear to lack both the number of outstanding players at the top and the depth of the senior class.  Instead, it appears that the next great class in North Carolina/South Carolina will be the Class of 2007, which is headed by a triumvirate of future high Division I recruits in 6'7 Frosh Mike Holmes from Bishopsville (Lee Central) SC, 6'6 Frosh Eric Wallace from Kernersville (Glenn) NC, and 6'7 Frosh Marshall Moses from Aiken (H.S.) SC, all three of whom are listed above on our the 6th Team All North Carolina/South Carolina and, as a result, deserve top 20 consideration nationally in the class.  The Class of 2007 also is extremely deep, as 6'5 Frosh Josh Lanham from Greenboro (Western Guilford) NC, 6'5 Frosh Mezie Uzochukwu from McLeansville (Northeast) NC, 6'1 Frosh Teddy Waters from Snow Hill (Greene Central) NC, 6'3 Frosh Tony Neysmith from Mauldin (H.S.) SC, 6'6 Frosh Laron Dendy from Greer (H.S.) SC, 6'6 Frosh Weslye Saunders from Durham (Riverside) NC, 6'3 Frosh Xavian Robinson from Aiken (H.S.) SC, and 5'10 Frosh Zocarrio Bennett from Greenville (Carolina) SC are all good enough to deserve top 100 consideration nationally and extremely top heavy in favor of South Carolina, as six of the top 11 players in the freshmen class are from that state.   In contrast, the Class of 2005 has only four players in Rush, Swinton, Powell, and Breeden and the Class of 2006 has only five players in Graves, Smith, 6'0 Soph Brandon Evans from Fayetteville (Westover) NC, and 5'9 Frosh P.J. Taylor from High Point (Southwest Guilford) NC who are ranked among the top 100 players in their respective classes nationally. 
                    Also noteworthy are the number of good players who are still available in the senior class, like 6'2 Ramon Sessions from Myrtle Beach (H.S.) SC, 5'10 Josh King from Thomasville (Trinity) NC, 6'8 Robbie Simpson from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'7 Matt Sally from Charlotte (North Mecklenburg) NC, 6'7 Josh Dollard from Hemingway (H.S.) SC, 5'10 Hatila DeSouza from Laurinbrug (Institute) NC, and sleepers, like 6'4 Adron Marshall from Aiken (H.S.) SC, 6'2 Jarrette Pittman from Enfield (S.E. Halifax) NC, and 6'4 Arizona Reid from Gaffney (H.S.) SC, who are getting underrecruited.  Marshall is a great 3-point shooter and a big time athlete who is good enough to attract mid-to-high major looks.  Pittman is a well-developed 6'2 playmaker with very good skills, a 4.0 gpa and over a 1100 on the SAT, and the ability to play tenacious defense.  Reid is like a poor man's Sam Perry, because he really doesn't have a true position, but is extremely athletic, rebounds well for his size, defends the opponents' best offensive player, and gets all the garbage baskets inside.   Several juniors to keep an eye on are 5'11 Jr DeShaune Griffin from Fayetteville (Westover) NC and 6'2 Jr Eric Maynor from Raeford (Hoke County) NC.  Maynor is a do-it-all combo guard who can light up a scoreboard, as he gets to the rim with the best of them and knocks down the three from anywhere in the gym.   Griffin has a similar attributes, but also has the ability to be the primary ball handler and initiator of the offense, which is what will get him recruited at the mid-to-high Division I level.