ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI/LOUISIANA
PREP REPORT
Published on June 22, 2001
Contributing to this Report
Clark Francis, Editor & Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP
Lavel Johnson, Mississippi Correspondent for both the HOOP SCOOP and MidSouth-Hoops.com
Mark Komara, Alabama Editor of the HOOP SCOOP and Director of the Southeast Raptors AAU Program
Chris Johnson, Ohio & International of Editor of the HOOP SCOOP

THE HOOP SCOOP RANKS 'EM:  THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE DEEP SOUTH (ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI/ LOUISIANA)

THE CLASS OF 2003 & THE CLASS OF 2004 PROMISE TO BE THE NEXT GREAT CLASSES IN ALABAMA/MISSISSIPPI/LOUISIANA

by Clark Francis, Editor & Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP

                    Like so many areas around the country, the level of talent in the junior class (Class of 2002) in the Deep South is down.  However, the graduating senior class in all three states is pretty good, as his evident by the fact that nine players - 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 6'1 Maurice Williams from Jackson (Murrah) MS, 6'5 Dwayne Mitchell from New Orleans (John F. Kennedy) LA, 6'3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS, 6'8 Marco Killingsworth from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, 6'4 Marcus Spears from Baton Rouge (Glen Oaks) LA, 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL, 6'7 Anthony Vasser from Birmingham (Woodlawn) AL, and 6'5 Antonio Hudson from Grambling (Lab) LA - rank among our top 100 nationally.  The senior class also appears to be exceptionally deep.  As a matter of fact, there were over 40 players in the class who were recruited by schools at the mid-to-high Division I level.  And the class may turn out to be even better down the road, as there are a number of big men, like William & Mary-bound 6'9 Tom Viglianco from Huntsville (Jones) AL, 6'9 Thomas Fairly from Long Beach (H.S.) MS, Hawaii-bound 6'8 Nkerunem Akpan from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, Louisiana Tech-bound 6'9 Wayne Powell from Alexandria (Peabody) LA, Jacksonville State-bound 6'8 Carl Brown from Birmingham (P.D. Jackson-Olin) AL, Bradley-bound 6'7 Danny Granger from Metarie (Grace King) LA, Northwestern State-bound 6'7 Byron Allen from Leland (H.S.) MS, 6'10 Ba Amadou from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, and 6'8 Lonnie Jackson from Montgomery (Carver) AL, all of whom have the talent and potential to show vast improvement at the next level.
                    There are three excellent players in the junior class - 6'2 Jr Chadd Moore from Huntsville (Lee) AL, 6'7 Jr Kennedy Winston from Mobile (Blount) AL, and 6'7 Jr Derek Burditt from Marrero (John Ehret) LA, all whom rank among the top 10-50 range nationally.  However, Burditt has already verbally committed to the University of California and Moore is planning on transferring to Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA in the fall.  So obviously the pickings are pretty slim for high Division I schools looking to sign a quality junior from Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana.   The best of the rest appears to be 6'9 Jr Byron Sanders from Gulfport (Harrison Central) MS, but he has not developed the way we expected and, as a result, he only just edges out 6'2 Jr Jerikus Singleton from Clinton (H.S.) MS.  We're also not not sure if either Sanders or Singleton is good enough to be ranked among our top 100 in the junior class nationally.  Neither are 5'11 Jr Darrel Mitchell from St. Martinville (H.S.) LA, 6'9 Jr Chuck Davis from Selma (Southside) AL, 6'5 Jr Spencer Ford from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA, 6'7 Jr Quincy Davis from Mobile (McGill Tollen) AL, 6'9 Theodis Tarver from Monroe (Carroll) LA, 6'4 Jr Sam Richardson from Utica (Hinds AHS) MS, 6'9 Jr James Lang from Mobile (Shaw) AL, 6'2 Jr Jeremy Monceaux from Birmingham (Parkway Christian) AL, 6'11 Jr Alex Kireev from Shreveport (Evangel Christian) LA, 6'3 Jr Jason Forte from Bay Springs (H.S.) MS, 6'8 Jr Jermery Johnston from Bossier City (Airline) LA, 6'3 Jr Ricky Hood from Tupelo (H.S.) MS, 6'6 Jr Jermaine Spencer from New Iberia (H.S.) LA,   6'5 Jr Tim Bush from Marrero (Shaw) LA, and 6'4 Jr Eric Woods from Leesville (H.S.) LA.  However, it will be interesting to see who moves up and who moves down based on what happens this summer.  In other words, after the first three in this class, it's really all up for grabs.
                    But the great sophomore and freshman classes more than make up for the mediocrity of the junior class.  Not only is 6'9 Soph Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS included on our first team in Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana, but he also will be ranked among our top five sophomores nationally when we update our national rankings next week.  We're talking about a tremendous physical specimen with skills, athleticism, and post-up moves that are surprisingly advanced for somebody so big and so young.  And not too far behind Butler, either in the Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana area or in the nation, is 6'7 Soph Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS.  Outlaw isn't already physically developed and he's not as skilled as Butler, but he is a world-class athlete and a true thoroughbred.  He also has incredible wing span, explosive moves to the basket, and excellent rebounding and shot blocking skills.  The Class of 2003 also features 6'7 Soph Jarelle Scott from New Orleans (Abramson) LA, 6'3 Soph Jai Miller from Selma (H.S.) AL, 6'7 Soph Kenny Hooks from Hurley (East Central) MS, 6'0 Soph Jay Jackson from Ouachita (H.S.) LA, 6'3 Soph Jerry Webb from Jackson (Forest Hill) MS, 6'1 Soph Troy Aaron from Lake Charles (St. Louis) LA, and 6'5 Soph Deshaun Dancey from Abbeville (H.S.) AL, all of whom will be ranked among our top 100 nationally.  The sophomore class also appears to be just as deep as the graduating senior class, especially in Mississippi.  Yes, Butler, Outlaw, Hooks, and Webb are ranked among the top seven players in the tri-state area, which means the state of Mississippi is absolutely loaded at the top.  It also has five of the top 10 sophomores and eight of the top 20 sophomores in the Deep South.  That's a lot even when you don't take into consideration that Mississippi has a much smaller population than Alabama and Louisiana.
                    Any time you find out that three freshman are ranked among the top 30 in any area, it might be a good time to start paying attention, especially if you want the advantage that tracking players over a three or four-year period can provide.  In this case, we're talking about 6'8 Frosh Mike Williams from Camden (Wilcox Central) AL, 6'9 Frosh Al Jefferson from Prentiss (H.S.) MS, and 6'4 Frosh Glen Miles from Birmingham (West End) AL.  Williams is a good shot blocker, rebounder, and post-up player, but he also has excellent handling and passing skills and can beat you with his mid-range jumper.  Jefferson's game is primarily down low, because he's a monster on the boards and is almost unstoppable when he wants to post you up inside.  Right now we give the edge to Williams, who will be ranked #3 nationally in the freshman class when we publish our rankings next week.  However, Jefferson also will be ranked among our top five freshmen nationally at #5.  So it should come as no surprise that we have Williams ranked among our second five and Jefferson among the third five regardless of class and position in the Deep South.  Yes, they are among the best players in the state right now and, if you don't believe it, just check out the numbers they posted for their high school team's last winter, as well as what they've done in AAU ball this spring.  We also got to see Miles, along with Williams, on the Southeast Raptors AAU team at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions and he really impressed us with his outside shooting, savvy, athleticism, and ability to get his shot against older and more experienced players.  Also capable of establishing themselves down the road among the top players nationally in the Class of 2004 are 6'8 Frosh D.J. White from Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL, 6'0 Frosh Mike Lewis from Lisbon (Pineview) LA, 6'3 Frosh Shea Shannon from Ardmore (H.S.) AL, 6'3 Frosh Bobby Clark from Jackson (Callaway) MS, 6'3 Frosh Courtney Beasley from Huntsville (Butler) AL, 6'2 Frosh Casey Stafford from Hazel Green (H.S.) AL, 6'5 Frosh Charles Thomas from Jackson (Callaway) MS, 6'7 Frosh Lamar Robinson from Baton Rouge (Southern Lab) LA, 6'4 Frosh Early Doucet from St. Martinville (H.S.) LA, and 6'4 Frosh Marcus Lewis from Bossier City (Airline) LA.  However, none of these guys are ready for prime time just yet.

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