HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR APRIL 2007

It looks like Western Kentucky has pulled off one of the biggest recruits coups of the entire spring, as earlier this afternoon the Hilltoppers signed 6'5 Steffphon Pettigrew from Elizabethtown (H.S.) KY.  Not only was Pettigrew the leading scorer in the state with 33.6 ppg and the second leading rebounder in the state with 13.8 rpg, but he also took home Mr. Basketball honors and attracted interest from schools like Xavier, Kentuckjy Georgia, Kentucky, Marshall, and Duquesne.  Pettigrew has shown signs of being able to play some out on the perimeter, as is evident by the fact that he won the 3-point shooting contest in the Derby Classic All-Star Game earlier this month.  But what he does best is use his quickness and athleticism and explosiveness to the basket to dominate in the paint area.  In other words, Pettigrew, who also is a relentless competitor, projected as a good role player at the big time college level, but in the Sun Belt Conference has the talent and potential to evolve into one of the best players in the league.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Pettigrew becomes the first Mr. Basketball in the state to sign with the Hilltoppers since Steve Miller from Lexington (Henry Clay) KY in 1984 and is only the 5th Mr. Basketball winner in school history, along with Harry Todd in 1985, Jim McDaniels in 1967, and Terry Davis in 1968.  Obviously this is important, because it shows that Western Kentucky head coach Darrin Horn can get his share of the top players in his backyard (Elizabethtown is only an hour away from Bowling Green).  The addition of Pettigrew also will give the Hilltoppers, which will return just about everybody, the one thing (a killer inside) that they didn't have on a team that went 22-11 overall and 12-6 in the league this past season.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that 6'7 Alex Kellogg from Columbus (DeSales) OH, who is ranked #353 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked Providence, which means the Friars now have landed three players this spring.  However, unlike 6'5 Jermaine Peterson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who we think could be a potential starter from day one, and 6'5 Marshon Brooks from Tucker (H.S.) GA, who fits the sleeper mold that the Friars have been so successful recruiting in recent years, Kellogg is more a project, as is evident by the fact they beat schools like Miami-OH, Akron and Bucknell to get him.  However, considering his bloodline (his father is Clark Kellogg), potential to grow several more inches, and the fact that he's a great student and kid, it's still worth gamble considering what left, especially if you've still got a scholarship to fill.  We also have confirmed that Longwood has landed 6'8 Brandon Evans from Roanoke (Catholic) VA and 6'8 Beno Jaekel from Western Nebraska (JC) NE.  Evans is a long athletic shot blocking interior player who can run the floor and has a big upside and Jaekel is 240-pound physical specimen inside with a good understanding of the game and good skills.  Add that to the two players - 6'2 Ryan Bogan from Harcum (JC) PA and 6'8 Jeff Ryan from Newbergh (Free Academy) NY - that Lancers head coach Mike Gillian already has in the fold and suddenly Longwood has a recruiting class that is tied at #132, along with Siena, Wright State, Drake, and Western Illinois, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And that's saying a lot when one remembers that Longwood has only been a Division I independent for two years.  So, with three returning starters, the addition of this year's recruiting class, and the return of 6'4 Jr Dana Smith and 6'2 Sr Michael Jefferson, who sat out last season due to injuries, but also have previous starting experience, it really does look like this program is heading in the right direction.  We also have yet to fill you in on some of the recruiting information that we gathered at the Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX a week ago, so we will do so now.  Florida, LSU, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, USC, and Texas are all still on the list of 6'9 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA.  Florida, Kentucky, Texas, LSU, Arkansas, Tennessee, and USC are the ones who previously had a head start recruiting 6'8 Jr Storm Warren from Monroe (Richwood) LA.  Ball State, UNLV, Creighton, Indiana, Illinois, DePaul, Clemson, Kansas, and Missouri are all showing varying degrees of interest in 5'9 Jr Lewis Jackson from Decatur (Eisenhower) IL.  Wyoming, Georgetown, Florida State, Marquette, Nevada, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Oregon were mentioned by 6'0 Jr Kevin Dillard from Flossmoor (Homewood-Flossmoor) IL.  The list for 6'8 Jr Toby Veal from Savannah (Johnson) GA includes schools like Auburn, Virginia Commonwealth, UNC-Wilmington, Miami-FL, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Florida State, Arizona, and Florida.  The early favorites for 6'0 Soph Junior Cadougan from Humble (Christian Life) TX are LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Florida.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'10 Jr Nick Pascale from Dewitt (Jamestown Dewitt) NY has made an early verbal commitment to Colgate and he also has some other recruiting information to pass along.  The list of 6'6 Jr Terrelle Pryor from Jeannette (H.S.) PA includes USC, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, but he will probably sign a National Letter-of-Intent to play football, because we're talking about the #1-ranked football player in the nation in the Class of 2008.  The early favorites for 6'5 Soph Dominique Cheeks from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ are Syracuse, LSU, Connecticut, Notre Dame, St. Joseph's, Clemson, Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Florida.  The top five for 6'1 Jr Zach Rosen from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ are Rutgers, Seton Hall, Gonzaga, Virginia Tech, and Pennsylvania.  The list for 6'4 Jr Luke Loucks from Clearwater (H.S.) FL includes Georgia Tech, Florida State, Michigan, St. Joseph's, Virginia Tech, Minnesota, and Wake Forest.  Temple, La Salle, Virginia, Georgia, Xavier, Towson, and Delaware are all in the hunt for 6'6 Jr Andrew Randall from Philadelphia (Communications Tech) PA.  Temple, Penn State, La Salle, St. Peter's, Niagara, and Albany were mentioned by 6'6 Jr Russell Johnson from Chester (H.S.) PA.  West Virginia, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Providence are showing the most interest in 7'0 Ben Cronin from Syracuse (Henninger) NY.  The top four for 6'5 Jr Sam Givins from Byrn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA are Drexel, Temple, Siena, and Rider.  The list for 6'3 Jr DeAndre Kane from Pittsburgh (Schenley) PA includes Xavier, Penn State, Duquesne, Pittsburgh, and Toledo.  Among those in the hunt for 6'7 Jr Andrew Stein from Bethlehem (Freedom) PA are Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Lehigh, Bucknell, and Lafayette.  The early favorites for 6'4 Soph Greg Robbins from Ardmore (Lower Merion) PA are Duke, Virginia, Florida, N.C. State, and Georgetown. 

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson was at the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, OH over the weekend and he tells us that watching the the Georgia Stars beat the D-I Greyhounds, 56-52, in the championship game was anticlimactic when compared to the three thrilling playoffs games that all were decided in the final second of each game and involved the host King of the Court Team.  King of the Court beat Team Breakdown, 73-71, in the Round of 16 and the performances that were turned in by 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, who finished with 23 points and hit the two game winning free throws, and 6'3 Soph Kenny Boynton from Pompono Beach (Ely) FL, who had 32 points, were two of the best of the entire tournament.  King of the Court also got a 28-point effort from Roe to beat Triple Threat, 63-62, in the quarterfinals, but lost to the Georgia Stars in the semi-finals when 6'5 Jr Travis Leslie from Decatur (Columbia) GA dunked a missed shot by 6'7 Jr Wesley Witherspoon from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA to win the game at the buzzer.  That semi-finals game also featured two of the top players in the entire tournament, as Roe led King of the Court with 18 points and 6'9 Al-Farouq Aminu from Norcross (H.S.) GA led the Georgia Stars with 17 points.  However, the most impressive performance of the weekend was turned in 6'5 Jr William Buford from Toledo (Libbey) OH, who, according to Johnson, has been a model of consistency all spring, as he's hit his 3-point shot, along with his slashes to the hoop.  "Buford reminds of Paul Pierce the way he effortlessly accumulates his stats, says Johnson.  "I also think Buford has made a strong case for being ranked as the #1 junior in Ohio."  And that's saying a lot when one remembers that the class also features Roe, 6'9 Jr Yancy Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH, and 7'0 B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH, all of who are ranked among the top 25 nationally.  Buford, who led the D-I Greyhounds all the way to the title game, had 26 points in quarterfinals against Florida Rams, 23 points and four 3-pointers against the Westchester Hawks in the semi-finals, and was leading scorer with 18 points in championship game versus Georgia Stars.  Some other players who really impressed Johnson during the course of the weekend in the 17-Under Division of the King James Shooting Stars Classic were 6'7 Jr Wesley Witherspoon from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA, 6'10 Jr Tony Woods from Rome (H.S.) GA, 6'9 Jr Chris Braswell from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'6 Jr Matthew Humphrey from Chicago (Hales Franciscan) IL, 6'0 Jr Kevin Dillard from Flossmoor (Homewood-Flossmoor) IL, 6'7 Jr Draymond Green from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'7 Jr Kevin Jones from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, 6'7 Jr Mookie Jones from Peekskill (H.S.) NY, 6'9 Jr Stanley Simpson from Chicago (Leo) IL, 6'6 Jr Dago Pena from Charlotte (H.S.) FL, 6'3 Jr Devoe Joseph from Toronto (Pickering) ON, 6'4 Jr Iman Shumpert from Oak Park (River Forest) IL, 5'9 Jr Eric Evans from Detroit (Northwestern) MI, 6'10 Jr Jason Washburn from Battle Creek (Central) MI, 6'3 Jr Stacy Waters from Detroit (Renaissance) MI, 5'10 Jr Anthony Hitchens from Chillicothe (H.S.) OH, and 6'6 Jr Darius Miller from Maysville (Mason County) KY.   Johnson also makes special mention of Miller, because he's a great athlete/defender/rebounder/passer, but he'd like him even more, if he was a little more aggressive at scoring with the ball.  "That might be the difference in whether he gets invited to play in the McDonald's All-American Game a year from now," says Johnson.  Also very impressive was 6'3 Jr Robert Wilson from Garfield Heights (H.S.) OH, who committed to Wisconsin over the weekend.  "Wilson has the potential to be another Devin Harris," says Johnson.  "But, while Wilson looks and plays like Harris, I don't think he will be able to play point guard in Big-10.  However, with his athleticism and ability to post-up, he'll still be a great fit as an off-guard in Bo Ryan flex-offense."  Some sophomores who Johnson liked include 6'9 Soph Erik Murphy from Southborough (St. Marks) MA, 6'8 Soph Richard Howell from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA, 6'8 Jr Tyler Griffey from Wildwood (Lafayette) MO, and 6'4 Soph Lorenzo Brown from Roswell (Centennial) GA.  After seeing the The Family play in pool play, Johnson thought this would be the team to beat in the 16-Under Division.  However, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual championship in this division.  We're talking about the Wisconsin Playground Warriors and a big reason for their success was the play of 6'7 Soph Jamil Wilson from Racine (Horlick) WI.  "Not only is Wilson tremendous talent and a legitimate top 25 sophomore nationally, but he's already attracting interest from schools like Wisconsin, Marquette, Michigan State, Purdue, Tennessee, UCLA, and Indiana," says Johnson.  "Wilson is a big time athlete and is still growing, which means he has the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside.  He can handle the ball on the perimeter and is a monster inside."  And backing this up even further is the fact that Wilson dominated the Family's terrific front-line, which included 6'11 Soph Deshonte Riley from Birmingham (Detroit Country Day) MI, 6'9 Soph James Still from Detroit (Community) MI, and 6'7 Soph Donovan Kirk from Pontiac (Notre Dame) MI.  Johnson also was impressed with The Family's dynamic point guard - 6'1 Soph Kimani Boynton from Detroit (University Prep) MI.  Getting back to the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, Wilson also had plenty of support on the perimeter, as 5'10 Soph Johnnie Lacy from Milwaukee (Bay View) WI, who hit a 3-pointer at buzzer to beat Indiana Elite I, made a strong case for being ranked in the 50-100 range nationally.  And yet another player from Wisconsin to remember for the future is 6'6 Soph Jeronne Maymon from Madison (Memorial) WI, who was the star player for the Madison Spartans, which lost to the Wisconsin Playground Warriors in the championship game.  Team CBIZ beat the Ohio Basketball Club, 60-56, in the 15-Under Division, thanks to the efforts of 6'3 Frosh Nick Kellogg from Columbus (DeSales) OH, who had a game high of 18 points.  However, the best prospect that Johnson saw in the 15-Under Division was 6'7 Frosh Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH and next on his list was 6'1 Frosh Noah Cottrill from Poca (H.S.) WV, who is dazzling ball handler and excellent 3-point shooter that had numerous head coaches, including Florida's Billy Donovan, West Virginia's Bobby Huggins, Ohio State's Thad Matta, and Minnesota's Tubby Smith, showing up at his games.  Speaking of Cottrill, Johnson thought he was the best player on his team, which is impressive all by itself when one finds out that the Ohio Basketball Club also featured 6'8 Frosh Dakota Euton from Ashland (Rose Hill) KY and 6'3 Frosh Chad Jackson from Ashland (Rose Hill) KY.  

For the college recruiter still scrambling around trying to get involved with one of the better players in the Class of 2007, the pickings are pretty slim, as there are really only three high school seniors ranked among our top 150 players nationally who are not signed or verbally committed to a four-year Division I college or university.  They are 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, and 6'5 D.J. Kennedy from Pittsburgh (Schenley) PA.  Also still on the board are 6'1 Courtney Fortson from Montgomery (Jefferson Davis) AL, 6'11 Teeng Akol from Centereach (Our Savior New American) NY, 6'2 Varez Ward from Montgomery (Jefferson Davis) AL, and 5'11 Lonnie Hayes from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, but Hayes is expected to return to prep school for another year, Akol also is expected to go the prep school route, and our Alabama Editor Mark Komora tells us that Fortson and Ward both have reclassified and are going to Lenoir (Patterson School) NC.  Speaking of players who have reclassified, it is the editorial policy to not reclassify players once they reach their senior year of high school and, as a result, 5'8 Isaiah Thomas from South Kent (Prep School) CT, who is still committed to the University of Washington; 6'8 Laron Dendy from Statesville (Hope Christian) NC, who is still committed to Clemson, although we have had reports that he may re-open his recruitment; and 6'4 Eshaunte Jones from Ft. Wayne (North Side) IN, who is still committed to Indiana; also technically fall into this category.  We also think it's interesting to point out that Komara tells us that Fortson will be the best 5th Year Player in the country next year and wants to go on record saying that Fortson is even better than 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  "And that's no disrespect to Brandon Jennings," says Komara.  "I just think Fortson is that good.  You'll get a chance to see soon enough."  As for the three top 150-ranked seniors still available, Patterson's final three are still Kentucky, Florida, and Duke; Lucas still has Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Maryland on his list; and Kennedy's final four appear to be Georgia, St. John's, New Mexico State, and Wisconsin.  We think the smart money actually is on New Mexico State with regards to Kennedy.  Did you know that Kennedy is close friends and was an AAU teammate of 6'9 Herb Pope from Aliquippa (H.S.) PA, who has already signed with the Aggies, and New Mexcio State assistant coach Chris Pompey, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984, has all the right connections to get this one done?  We still think that Florida and Kentucky are the favorites for Lucas.  But right now we think the Wildcats might have the inside track for several reasons.  First, the longer Lucas drags it out, the better the chance that new Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie and his staff will have to turn the tide in their favor.  Second, the Gators already have an early verbal commitment from another undersized point guard in 5'7 Jr Erving Walker from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, who is ranked #21 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he is an important domino in terms of establishing a strong pipeline into the New City/North Jersey area.  Remembers, the Gators also are among the favorites for players like 6'5 Jr Sylvan Landesberg from Flushing (Holy Cross) NY, 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Newark (St. Benedict) NJ, 6'5 Soph Lance Stephenson from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, and 6'3 Jr Dexter Strickland from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ.  We also suspect that whatever Lucas does will have a bearing on what Patterson does and, as a result, we think Patterson will end up picking the Wildcats as well.  The pickings are also pretty slim when we look at our List of the Top 5th Year Players with the recent signings and commitments by 5'10 Angelo Johnson from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA to USC, 6'7 Darrington Hobson from Decatur (Christian) IL to New Mexico, 6'6 Terrence Roderick from Philadelphia (Rise Academy) PA to UAB, and 6'7 Cordell Pope from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH to Central Florida.  So, as things stand now, 6'6 Tirrell Baines from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC is really the only player who is still available that is ranked among our Top 25 5th Year Players.  Technically, 6'4 Thomas Manzano from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 6'1 Terrell McKenzie from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH are also still on the board, but our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that Manzano is supposed to be going the junior college route and McKenzie still needs another year of prep school.  Ditto that with a check of the top junior players, as 6'7 Nestor Colmenares from Indian Hills (JC) IA, 6'7 Mantas Griskenas from Three Rivers (JC) MO, and 6'8 Jay Brown from L.A. City (JC) CA are the only three players ranked among the top 25 junior college players by Juco Junction.com who are still available.  So most of the excitement in the recruiting world yet to occur this spring will likely involve early verbal commitments by junior and sophomores.  And, with today's commitment by 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH to the University of Arizona, 34 of our top 100-ranked juniors are currently off the board.  The rest of this list includes 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH to Michigan State, 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA to Oklahoma State, 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV to Ohio State, 6'9 Jr Yancy Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH to Cincinnati, 7'0 Jr B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH to Ohio State, 5'11 Jr Korie Lucious from Milwaukee (St. Pius X) WI to Michigan State, 6'6 Jr Demar Derozan from Compton (H.S.) CA to USC, 5'7 Jr Erving Walker from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY to Florida, 6'5 Jr William Bufford from Toledo (Libbey) OH to Ohio State, 6'6 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA to UCLA, 6'4 Jr Melquan Bolding from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY to Louisville, 6'1 Jr Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI to Ohio State, 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA to Connecticut, 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA to USC, 6'7 Jr Darnell Wilkes from Nashville (Pioneer Christian) TN to Cincinnati, 7'1 Jr Kenny Frease from Massillon (Perry) OH to Xavier, 6'5 Jr Nasir Robinson from Chester (H.S.) PA to Pittsburgh, 6'3 Jr Walter Offutt from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN to Ohio State, 6'8 Jr Chris Braswell from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD to Georgetown, 6'5 Jr Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY to Mississippi State, 6'4 Jr Nick Williams from Mobile (LeFlore) AL to Marquette, 6'11 Jr Andy Poling from Portland (Westview) OR to Gonzaga, 6'5 Jr Matt Gatens from Iowa City (H.S.) IA to Iowa, 6'2 Jr Michael Rosario from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ to Rutgers, 7'2 Jr James Tyler from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC to LSU, 6'8 Jr Will Brown from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX to UTEP, 7'0 Jr Jeff Withey from San Diego (Horizon) CA to Louisville, 6'0 Jr Travon Woodall from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ to Pittsburgh, 6'9 Jr Malcolm White from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS to Mississippi, and 6'0 Jr Antoine Young from Bellevue (West) NE to Creighton, 6'7 Jr James Southerland from Bayside (Cardozo) NY to Syracuse, 6'2 Jr Jason Clark from Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA to Georgetown, and 6'7 Jr Kris Joseph from Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC to Syracuse.  Getting back to the commitment by Negedu to the Wildcats, this is huge for several reasons.  First, Negedu is heck of a player, as is evident by the fact that he is ranked #28 nationally in the junior class.  Second, he's exactly what the doctor ordered.  Remember, the Wildcats are currently in short supply of tough hardnosed inside players and Negedu is one of the best rebounders in the junior class nationally.  He's also big time athlete and a relentless competitor, which explains why Arizona head coach Lute Olson was seen watching his every move last weekend at the Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX.  Third, the commitment by Negedu will give the Arizona coaching staff even more ammunition as they turn the heat back up on 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who is the #1-ranked junior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  If you will recall, Jennings recently reneged on USC and Arizona is one of the three primary schools currently on his list, along with Connecticut, and USC.

I pride myself on being one of the hardest working guys in the business, so I am not very thrilled about the fact that I have to cancel my trip to Dallas, TX tomorrow to cover the 2007 Nevel Level Ballers National Tournament.  The problem stems from the fact that I've been sidelined with flu like symptoms since returning home earlier this week and, as a result, my number one priority is to try and get well as soon as possible.  Unfortunately this is a major set back, as I was hoping to get another look at some of the top players in Texas, see teams that I have yet to see from the NIKE circuit, and get my first look this spring at 6'9 Soph Renardo Sidney from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who is the #1-ranked sophomore nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And making things even more interesting are the reports that 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'9 Jr Matt Simpkins from Berkeley (H.S.) CA both will be playing for the Loyalty All-Stars, which also have players 6'7 Jr Frank Otis from Oakland (McClymonds) CA, 6'8 Jr Basel Bawji from Cypress (Community Christian) TX, 6'10 Jr Ji Xiang from China, and Eli Haber from LaPlace (Reserve Christian) LA, who is a 16-year-old, 7'2, 380-pound, 9th Grader.  Other top players who are expected to be in attendance include 6'3 Jr Willie Warren from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX, 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, 6'3 Jr J'covan Brown from Port Arthur (Memorial) TX, 6'6 Soph Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City (Putnam City) OK, 6'8 Jr JaMychal Green from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 6'8 Jr Steve Tchiengang from Cypress (Community Christian) TX, 6'1 Jr Roteni Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK, 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'11 Jr Anthony Jones from Houston (Yates) TX, 6'5 Jr Nick Williams from Mobile (LeFlore) AL, 6'11 Jr Jamisen Morgan from Dallas (South Oak Cliff) TX, 6'9 Jr Will Brown from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'8 Jr Storm Warren from Monroe (Richwood) LA, 6'4 Jr Luke Loucks from Clearwater (H.S.) FL, 6'3 Jr Andrew Steele from Birmingham (John Carroll) AL, 6'5 Jr Scottie Haralson from Jackson (Provine) MS, 6'10 Jr Jacolby Pittman from Madison (Central) MS, 6'9 Jr Kevin Anderson from Irving (God's Academy) TX, 6'5 Soph Leslie McDonald from Eads (Briarcrest) TN, 6'6 Soph Shawn Williams from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'1 Soph G.J. Vilarino from McKinney (H.S.) TX, 6'3 Soph Nolan Dennis from North Richland Hills (Richland) TX, 6'4 Soph Roger Franklin from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'5 Soph Farrakhan Hall from Memphis (Memphis University) TN, 6'2 Soph Gregg Wooten from Eads (Briarcrest Christian) TN, 6'8 Soph Kyle Hardick from Norman (H.S.) OK, 6'9 Soph Daniel Orton from Oklahoma City (McGuiness) OK, 6'6 Soph Johnny Williams from Eads (Briarcest Christian) TN, 6'0 Soph Gentry Hines from Memphis (Raleigh-Egypt) TN, 6'0 Frosh K.C. Ross-Miller from Irving (God's Academy) TX, 6'0 Frosh Jamison Stern from Waxachachie (H.S.) TX, and 6'8 Frosh Quincy Acy from Mesquite (Horne) TX.  There will be 114 teams in the 17-Under Division and Pool A has Louisiana Select, Minnesota Magic Elite, Dallas Showtime Elite; Pool B has the Alabama Challenge, L.A. Rockfish, and All Iowa Attack; Pool C has Team Texas Elite, Birmingham Bearcats, and Loyalty All Stars I, Pool D has Team Florida, Houston Junior Hardballers, and Texas Blue Chips Elite; Pool E has YOMCA, Jackson Tigers, and Orlando Basketball Club; Pool F has Martin Brothers Select, Dallas Mustangs, and Kansas City Pump-N-Run; Pool G has the Arkansas Hawks, Athletes First, and T-Mac AllStars, Pool H has Friends of Hoop/Seattle, Minnesota Magic Elite Stars, and Tennessee Travelers; Pool I has Houston Select, Arkansas Wings-Robinson, and LA Dream Team; Pool J has Houston Elite, D-1 Stars, Dallas Heroes; Pool K has the Arkansas Wings White, Texas Ambassadors-Platinum, and Texas Showtime-Hill; Pool L has BCA, MoKan Players, and Urban DFW Elite; Pool M has Texas Blue Chips #1, Kansas City Rebels, and South Florida Chiefs; Pool N has Hardwood Hustle, Texas Select Giliand, and Waco; Pool O has Impact, Team Texas Red, and Houston Heat; Pool P has Kansas City Heat Black, Team Texas South Seniors, and Texas Select; Pool Q has Dallas Slam #1, Kansas City Heat Red, and CRUSH; Pool R has TCA/USA, All 4 Sports Dream Team, and Houston Pacers-ITP; Pool S has Arlington Swoosh, ATX, and Full Court Athletes; Pool T has Bay Area Ballers, Texas Hoop Force, and Bayou City Bulls; Pool U has Benji's Academy, C.J. Miles All-Stars #2, and Houston Play Makers Elite; Pool V has Dallas Showtime, Houston Pride, and Port Arthur Heat; Pool W has Dallas Mustangs White, Kansas City Cowboys, and Oklahoma Kings; Pool X has C.J. Miles All-Stars #1, Louisiana Leaders, and N.T. Hoopsters; Pool Y has F.W. Boys & Girls Club, Houston Hoop Stars Elite, and Louisiana Roundballers; Pool Z has the Oklahoma Rams, Houston Select White, and Dallas Slam #2; Pool AA has Houston Swoosh, Jamodi, and D.F.W. Bombers; Pool AB has the Houston Superstars, Garland Bulls, and Oklahoma Servants; Pool AC has the Oklahoma Thoroughbreds, Southwest Metro Hawks, and Texas Bluechips Navy; Pool AD has Richardson Mustangs, San Antonio Rohawks, and Dallas Hoyas; Pool AE has San Antonio Legends, South Texans Stallions, and Team Elite; Pool AF has Team Oklahoma, Team Bluechips Silver, and Texas Warriors Black; Pool AG has Dallas Mustangs, Texas Select Ray Jackson, and Tulsa Titans; Pool AH has Team Texas South 08, Texas Select-Pat, and Total Package; Pool AI has Texas Ambassadors Unsigned Seniors, Texas Crossover, and Dallas Mustangs Seniors; Pool AJ has Texas Bluechips #2, Texas Red Hawks, and Team Warriors Red; and Pool AL has Team Reps, Coast 2 Coast, and Team Flight.  The 2007 Nevel Level Ballers National Tournament also will have 54 teams in the 16-Under Division, 39 teams in the 15-Under Division, 36 teams in the 14-Under Division, 27 teams in the 13-Under Division, 15 teams in the 12-Under Division, 9 teams in the 11-Under Division, seven teams in the 10-Under Division, and six teams in the 9-Under Division and you can bet that our Texas Editor Tim Miller, who is one of the foremost authorities on middle school players in the nation, will also spend some time watching players in these younger age groups.  So obviously we are looking forward to getting all the highlights from both Miller and Wes Grandstaff, who is both the tournament director and a close friend of the HOOP SCOOP, early next week.  For the complete schedule of games and even more information about the 2007 Nevel Level Ballers National Tournament, click on to NextLevelballer.com.  The 2007 Nevel Level Ballers National Tournament isn't the only tournament that we'll be keeping an eye on this weekend, as Ohio Editor Chris Johnson plans to be at the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, OH and our West Coast Editor Alan Utter plans to be at the 2007 Las Vegas Spring Showcase in Las Vegas, NV.  For a schedule of games and more information about these two tournaments, click onto Northeast Ohio Basketball Association and VisionSports.com.

It looks like new University of Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie is more than living up to his reputation as one of the best recruiters in the nation, as is evident by the fact that he already has an early verbal commitment from 6'1 Soph G.J. Vilarino from McKinney (H.S.) TX, who is ranked #20 nationally in the sophomore class by the HOOP SCOOP; has landed an excellent walk-on in 6'6 Kerry Benson from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, who is ranked #5 in the senior class in the state by the HOOP SCOOP, and now has signed 6'5 Alexander Legion from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who is ranked #45 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Legion is best known for his outside shooting, but he also has a great work ethic, is a good athlete, and has the ability to beat you with his excellent mid-range game and great free throw shooting.  The addition of Legion moves Kentucky's recruiting class, which also already includes 6'9 A.J. Stewart from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL and 7'0 Mike Williams from Alexandria (Bishop Ireton) VA, into a tie at #82, along with UNLV and Wyoming, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  But, if the Wildcats also get 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, who is ranked #15 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, who is ranked #34 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, then suddenly we will be talking about a recruiting class that is ranked #8 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  It also looks like 6'4 Matt Walls from Georgetown (Scott County) KY, who is ranked #7 in the state and #463 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and is one of the better outside shooters still available, has committed to Marshall University.  Obviously the connection here is new Marshall assistant coach Shawn Finney, who spent the past season as the Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Kentucky.  Finney, who also was an assistant coach at Kentucky from 1997 to 2000 prior to becoming the head coach at Tulane, is originally from Mullins, WV and is a graduate of Fairmont State.  In other words, it looks like Finney, who was ranked #1 in our Ranking of the Top 40 People Who Are In An Administrative Position, Like Director of Basketball Operations, Administrative Assistant, or Video Coordinator, is returning to his old stamping grounds, just like his new boss, Donnie Jones, who worked as both a graduate assistant and an assistant coach at Marshall from 1990 to 1996 and is originally from Point Pleasant, WV, and new West Virginia head coach Bobby Huggins, who was born in Morgantown, WV and played college basketball for the Mountaineers.  Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter also tells us that Marshall has landed 6'6 Emmanuel Jones from Riverside (JC) CA and 6'4 Mookie Pierre from Riverside (JC) CA.  Pierre, who is originally from Gaithersburg (Watkins Mills) MD, is an athletic 2-guard with the versatility necessary to help bring the ball up the court and rebounds well for his size.  Jones, who is originally from Washington (Eastern) DC, can play either forward spot, can effect the game in a variety of ways, and is a high energy athletic.  Utter also tells us that 6'4 Kelvin Davis from Idaho (JC) ID has signed with San Diego State.   Not only are we talking about somebody who is ranked #11 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, but Davis should be the perfect replacement for 6'4 Sr Brandon Heath, who will graduate this spring, and an excellent complement to 6'8 Billy White from Henderson (Green Valley) NV, 6'6 Tim Shelton from Fresno (Clovis West) CA, and 5'11 D.J. Gray from Sun Valley (Poly) CA, all of whom were already apart of the Aztecs' current recruiting class.  Dinos Trigonis, who is the editor of FullCourtPress.com, tells us that 6'6 Darshawn McClellen from Fresno (Edison) CA, who is ranked #185 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has signed with Vanderbilt and 6'8 Rashad Austin from Northeastern Colorado (JC) CO, who played high school basketball at Etiwanda (H.S.) CA, Claremont (H.S.) CA,  Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, and Compton (Dominguez) CA, has signed with Bradley.  Austin is an athletic power forward who does the dirty work inside and can also step out and hit the 15-foot jump shot, which makes him ideally suited to complement all of the other players that Bradley has in their recruiting class, which currently is tied at #20, along with SMU, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and includes 6'4 DeAaron Williams from Illinois Central (JC) IL, 7'0 David Collins from Missouri State-West Plains (JC) MO, 5'11 Tyrone Cole-Scott from Tyler (JC) TX, 6'10 Anthony Thompson from Houston (Klein Forest) TX, 6'1 Sam Maniscalco from Chicago (St. Patrick) IL, and 6'9 Will Egolf from Juneau (Douglas) AK.  We really liked McClellan when he was a freshman in high school, but he never grew and now is best described as a "tweener."  However, in this day-and-age, there is a place for undersized blue collar guys who are tough on the boards and can score around the basket.  We also have confirmed that Charlotte recently landed 6'7 Charlie Coley from Dodge City (JC) KS.  And this too is big, because this athletic combo forward who has drawn Gerald Wallace-like comparisons is ranked #4 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com.  However, even more important, Coley and 6'7 Lamont Mack from Angelina (JC) TX, who is ranked #21 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, should provide the 49ers with the immediate quick fix that they will need to replace 6'5 Sr DeAngelo Alexander and 6'9 Sr E.J. Drayton, both of whom will graduate this spring.  And, if that weren't enough, Charlotte also has 6'7 An'Juan Wilderness from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'7 Gaby Ngoundjo from Little Rock (Christian) AR, 6'5 Javarris Barnett from Charlotte (Victory Christian) NC, and 5'9 Dijuan Harris from Hillsborough (JC) FL in this year's recruiting class and 6'5 Frosh Charles Dewhurst, who red-shirted this past season, 6'0 Mike Gerrity, who transferred from Pepperdine and sat out this past season, and 6'11 Phil Jones, who sat out this past year and will be eligible in the fall, all waiting in the wings.  In other words, it looks like 49ers assistant coaches Rob Moxley and Chris Cheeks are really getting it done on the recruiting trail and, as a result, it wouldn't surprise us if this is one of the most improved teams in college basketball next season.  We also have confirmed that 6'5 Nikola Bodic from Salt Lake (JC) UT has signed with Western Illinois and this native of Serbia with excellent 3-point shooting range should provide Leathernecks head coach Derek Thomas with the instant offensive that he needs to turn things around in a hurry.  Our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson tells us that 6'0 R.L. Horton from Jackson (Lanier) MS has signed with Southern Miss and he likes this one, despite the fact Horton is an undersized 2-guard.  "Horton knows how to use his athleticism to score (27.7 ppg) and he's got a great mid-range game," says Johnson.  "He loves to get into the gap and hit the mid-range jumper.  He's also a winner and an in-state kid."  Our Texas Editor Tim Miller tells us that 6'8 Jr Corbin Ray from Katy (Taylor) TX has made an early verbal commitment to Texas Tech, 6'6 Tony McCray from Ft. Bend (Elkins) TX has signed with Nebraska, and 6'3 T.J. Clark from Irving (God's Academy) TX is heading to Morehead State.  Clark should step immediately and make a major impact for the Racers, because he's a good athlete and excellent scorer.   McCray is more of a slasher than a shooter, but he should have the time he needs to develop, as he becomes the ninth man in a recruiting class that is ranked #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 5'11 Steve Harley from South Plains (JC) TX, 6'3 Rishawn Norwood from Mt. San Antonio (JC) CA, 6'9 Shang Ping from Illinois Central (JC) IL, 6'10 Alex Chapman from Sheridan (JC) WY, 6'8 Alonzo Edwards from Houston (Klein Forest) TX, 6'5 Ade Dagunduro from Antelope Valley (JC) CA, 5'8 Josh Miller from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, and 6'0 Brandon Richardson from Hawthorne (H.S.) CA.  Ray doesn't have the speed, quickness, and athleticism necessary to play in an up tempo setting, but this skilled wing player and excellent 3-point shooter should thrive in Bob Knight's system.  We also have confirmed that 6'5 Marshon Brooks from Tucker (H.S.) GA has signed with Providence.  And this one is interesting, because it looks like the Friars have landed another guy who is totally under the radar screen.  Brooks is multi-dimensional enough to play the one, two, or the three spots, has huge hands, an incredible wing span, and is a pretty good shooter.  And, if that isn't enough to get you interested, Brooks also led his team to the 4-A State Championship. 

In addition to seeing many of the top high school players in the nation at the Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX, we also ran across some other very interesting items and right at the top of the list is the fact that former Toronto Raptors head coach Kevin O'Neill is expected to become an assistant coach at the University of Arizona on Friday, April 27th.  O'Neill will replace long time Arizona assistant coach Jim Rosborough, who has been Lute Olson's right hand man for 18 years at Arizona and before that Rosborough worked for Olson at the University of Iowa from 1974 to 1983.  The word we get is that Rosborough was offered an administrative job last week, but, instead, decided to quit right on the spot.  Ironically, Rosborough, who was the head coach at Northern Illinois from 1986 to 1989, was the guy who replaced O'Neill at Arizona when he left to take the head coaching job at Marquette in 1989.  O'Neill, who was an assistant coach at Delaware between from 1983 and 1985, Tulsa between 1985 and 1986, Arizona between 1986 and 1989 and was the head coach at Marquette between 1989 and 1995, Tennessee between 1995 and 1997, and Northwestern between 1997 and 2000, has a reputation for being a defensive genius as an assistant coach in the NBA.  But, as a college recruiter, there never was anybody better than O'Neill.  So obviously O'Neill will move into the #1 spot in our Ranking of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today when we next update those rankings.  And O'Neill isn't the only major addition that we expect to make to those rankings, as it appears that West Virginia head coach Bobby Huggins is on the verge of hiring former La Salle head coach Billy Hahn.  Remember, Hahn was the architect behind most of the University of Maryland's recruiting success when he was Gary Williams' top assistant coach for 12 years and landed a long list of players that included Keith Booth, Joe Smith, Steve Francis, Juan Dixon Terrance Morris, Steve Blake, Chris Wilcox, and Lonnie Baxter.  As a matter of fact, if we had to update our Ranking of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today right now and everything falls the way we expect, we'd rank O'Neill #1, Florida's Larry Shyatt #2, Kansas' Joe Dooley #3, Hahn #4, and Arizona's Josh Pastner #5.  So obviously the addition of O'Neill will give the Wildcats what is arguably the best coaching staff in college basketball, as former player and current assistant coach Miles Simon, who is the third assistant, is another one of the bright up-and-coming guys in the business.  However, even more important, O'Neill will be expected to run practice, make the players tougher, and cure the Wildcats' defensive problems similar to the way Shaytt turned things around at the University of Florida the last three years.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that O'Neill is now perfectly positioned to either be the heir apparent to Olson, if he has health problems or someday decides to retire, or move onto another big time coaching job in the college ranks.  And that's not the only movement that will take place on in our Exclusive Ranking of the Top Coaches.  It also looks like 6'11 Joseph Katuka from Nigeria, Africa via Montverde (Academy) FL has signed a National Letter-of-Intent with George Washington University.  We're talking about somebody who was ranked #166 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but has the talent, potential, offensive skills, and work ethic necessary to be ranked a lot higher than that if his knee stays healthy.  Katuka, who picked Colonials over St. Joseph's, SMU, Auburn, and Miami-FL, becomes the fourth player on Kevin Sutton's 30-0 team that finished ranked #1 in the HoopsUSA national poll and #4 in the USA Today's Super 25 poll, to have signed with a Division I school.  They others are 7'1 Solmon Alabi from Montverde (Academy) FL to Florida State, 6'3 Gary Clark from Montverde (Academy) FL to Wake Forest, 6'0 Jean Michal Yotio from Montverde (Academy) FL to Central Florida.  We also find it interesting that 6'4 Soph Reginald Delk is transferring from Mississippi State to Louisville.  We don't think he's the player to be named later in the Brian Johnson deal (Johnson transferred from Louisville to Mississippi State last summer), but he did average 9.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg, start 59 of 65 games during the last two seasons, and shot 38% from beyond the arc this past season.  Obviously the connection is the fact that Louisville head coach Rick Pitino coached Delk's uncle (Tony Delk) at the University of Kentucky in the mid-90's and there is no question that this is a good catch, because consistent outside shooting was one of the Cardinals' biggest weaknesses this past season.  However, this addition makes us wonder even more about the recent addition of 6'2 Preston Knowles from Winchester (Clark County) KY, who has great speed and quickness and can shoot the three and, as a result, was believed to be insurance next year in case something happens to 5'10 Soph Andre McGee.  Remember, now that 7'0 Soph Jonathan Huffman is transferring, the Cardinals will have nine returning players in 6'11 Jr David Padgett, 6'8 Jr Juan Palacios, 6'10 Jr Terrance Farley, 6'6 Soph Terrance Williams, 5'10 Soph Andre McGee, 6'8 Frosh Derrick Caracter, 6'1 Frosh Edgar Sosa, 6'1 Frosh Jerry Smith, 6'8 Frosh Earl Clark, three recruits in 7'1 Clarence Holloway from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL, 6'9 George Goode from Raytown (South) MO, and 6'2 Preston Knowles from Winchester (Clark County) KY, and one player sitting out in 6'4 Soph Reginald Delk in the program next year.  So, with 7'0 Jr Jeff Withey from San Diego (Horizon) CA and 6'4 Jr Melquan Bolding from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY both already in the fold for next year and plenty of players on Louisville's wish list in the Class of 2008, including 6'4 Tyreke Evans from Aston (American Christian) PA, 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Louisville (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, and 6'7 Jr Darius Miller from Maysville (Mason County) KY, we thought scholarships were at a premium.  As a matter of fact, unless somebody enters his name into the NBA Draft early or somebody decides to transfer at this time next year, the Cardinals will only have only one more scholarship available in next year's recruiting class.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'6 Terrence Roderick from Philadelphia (Rise Academy) PA has signed with UAB and this is huge for a number of reasons.  First, Roderick, who is ranked #11 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players, was the best unsigned 5th Year Player still available.  Second, Roderick has the ball handling and passing skills, court savvy, athleticism, and decision making necessary to project as a pure point guard at 6'6 at the big time college level.  Third, Roderick also is versatile enough to play either the two or the three spot, thanks to the fact that he has a 30-inch vertical leap and is an excellent rebounder, as is evident by the fact that he averaged 7.0 rpg this past season.  Fourth, the addition of Roderick moves UAB's recruiting class, which also includes 6'7 Reggie Huffman from Western Oklahoma (JC) OK, 7'0 Keenan Ellis from Aston (American Christian) PA, 5'7 Aaron Johnson from Chicago (Hubbard) IL, and 5'11 Ed Berrios from Chipola (JC) FL, into a tie at #27, along with Seton Hall, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And when one also remembers that Blazers head coach Mike Davis has 6'5 Jr Robert Vaden, who transferred from Indiana, 6'9 Soph Walter Sharpe, who transferred from Mississippi State, and 6'4 Jr Channey Toney, who transferred from Georgia, all waiting in the wings, then it's suddenly clear that no team in the college basketball has done a better job of reloading during the last year than Blazers.  And this time the credit goes to UAB assistant coach Donnie Marsh, who still has strong ties to the Philadelphia area dating back to when he was the head coach at Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey) from 1989-93 and a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College (PA) in 1979.

It definitely was the best event that Hal Pastner has ever run and it very well may turn out to be the best grass roots basketball event of the entire year.  We're talking about the Houston Kingwood Classic, which took place over the weekend in Houston, TX and attracted an overwhelming number of the nation's top players, scouts, and college coaches.  Logistically everything went like clockwork and the games at the main site were so good and jam-packed with incredible talent that it was impossible to go anywhere else.   Remember, there were courts and gyms spread all over Houston, TX with age groups ranging from 17-Under to 9-Under.  But, for our purposes, it was incredibly easy, as all the of the best teams and games were played at Westfield High School.  And all this was refreshing in a day-and-age when everything is watered down due to the fact that there are too many teams, players, and events and, as a result, everybody runs around from gym-to-gym like a chicken-with-their-head-cut-off.  In other words, unlike the Houston Kingwood Classic, most tournaments lack the organization and willingness to cater the people, like us and the college coaches, who are trying to get the most of the event.  So, we suspect that this weekend was kind of like catching lightning in a bottle, as we find it hard to believe that Pastner will ever be able to duplicate what went on this weekend at the Houston Kingwood Classic.  Yes, it really was that good and it also was fitting that a well-coached, extremely talented, and very deep team from Indiana won the championship in the Platinum Division.  And, in the end, Indiana Elite-Team Indiana, which featured 6'6 Jr DeAndre Liggins from Chicago (Washington) IL, 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 5'9 Jr Lewis Jackson from Decatur (Eisenhower) IL, 7'0 Jr Beas Hamga from  Decatur (Christian) IL, 6'3 Jr Walter Offutt from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IL, 7'0 Jr Tyler Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN, 6'3 Jr Matt Roth from Washington (Community) IL, 6'2 Jr Logan Jones from Madison (H.S.) IN, and 6'6 Jr Brayden Hobbs from New Albany (H.S.) IN, left little doubt about who the best team was as they knocked off a very good Pump N Run Elite team by 20 points in the title game.  Jackson only scored four points in that game and a lot of college coaches question his outside shooting, but for our money he deserved tournament MVP honors.  Not only did Jackson have nine assists, but he's the guy who made this team go with his jet-like speed and quickness, excellent ball handling and passing skills, tremendous court savvy, and ability to lock you up defensively.  We also really liked Liggins, who had 11 points in the championship game and impressed us so much with his size, athleticism, passing, and rebounding that we think he is true point/forward.  We would like to see him pull up and take more than an occasional outside shot, but Liggins is so good at getting to the basket and creating for an open teammate that we're not sure that it really matters right now.  And we're sure that coaches from schools like Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Memphis, and Illinois who were watching Liggins every move would agree, as suddenly we're talking about the clear-cut favorite for Mr. Basketball honors in Illinois a year from now, as well as a legitimate top 20-ranked junior nationally.  Negedu, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game, simply picked up where he left when we saw him last November in the National Prep School Showcase at Assumption College in Worcester, MA, as he's a force to be reckoned with his athleticism, toughness, and skills around the basket.  We also found Negedu's list of schools extremely interesting as he mentioned Arizona, Indiana, Miami-FL, Louisville, Tennessee, and Iowa State.  Hamga, who originally had verbally committed to Iowa, but now is back on the board after the coaching change and now is believed to be interested in schools like Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, and UNLV, provided size and athleticism inside.  But Zeller, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, was the guy who really stepped up and did the best job of complementing Negedu around the basket in the championship game.  Zeller needs to get bigger and stronger physically, but he's dramatically improved since we saw him last summer and he's extremely skilled and has excellent post moves.  Offutt also had 14 points in the championship game and he showed flashes with his outside shooting and ability to slash to the basket.  But he kind of got lost in the shuffle on this team.  Roth was the best 3-point shooter that we saw all weekend, but physically his lack of size makes him ideally suited for schools at the mid-to-low major level.  Jones is an excellent role player, because he has good handling and passing skills and a great nose for the ball, and we also liked Hobbs' long arms, good ball handling skills, and deceptive athleticism.  Pump N Run Elite went to war in the championship game without 5'11 Jr Larry Drew from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, who has sidelined been with an injury against Team Texas in the round of 16 on Sunday morning.  But we're not sure it would have mattered due to the fact Drew had not play well all weekend.  We also have never been able to figure out what all the hype is about with regards to UCLA-bound 6'1 Jr Jermine Anderson from Anaheim (Canyon) CA, although he did do a good job defensive against 6'0 Jr Rotnei Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK and played very well in the just mentioned game against Team Texas.  Anderson does everything well, but nothing great and often is overmatched when he has to face a super quick guard and/play against high level competition.  So we suspect that Anderson will be a good back-up for the Bruins, which also already have an early verbal commitment from 6'5 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) NY and appear to be the team you have to beat for 6'2 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA.  Speaking of Holiday, who had 16 points in the championship game and was the go-to guy throughout the tournament for Pump N Run Elite, we were really impressed with his ability to get to the basket, incredible passing, and competitive nature.  This guy not only is the heart and sole of the team, but he's winner in the true sense of the word.  We also really liked the blue collar work ethic and high skill level that we saw in 6'7 Soph Reaves Nelson from Modesto (Christian) CA, who was ranked #97 nationally in the sophomore class by the HOOP SCOOP, but now is arguably one of the best power forward prospects in the sophomore class nationally.  And, while the Wear twins - 6'8 Soph David Wear and 6'8 Soph Travis Wear - had problems matching up inside against the incredible athletes on the Georgia Stars when they met in pool play early in the tournament, they both played key roles for their team as the tournament wore on.  We also found the list of schools interesting that the Wear twins' father gave us to be extremely interesting.  It included UCLA, North Carolina, Arizona, Stanford, Washington, Duke, and UCLA.  The best individual performance that we saw all weekend was turned in by 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who totally took over the game against Mean Streets on Friday night with his team down by 10 points late in the game.  Not only did Jennings score 12 unanswered points, but he also hit three straight 25-footers and then three straight free throws after being fouled while launching another long range jump shot from the same spot.  However, the Southern Cal, which were the top-seeded team prior to the start of the tournament with players like Jennings, 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'4 Soph Demetrius Walker from Fontana (H.S.) CA, and 6'10 Jr Chris Gabriel from San Juan Capistrano (J. Serra) CA, appeared to have chemistry problems, as they lost both of their game in pool play and also didn't have inside presence necessary to get past the TMAC All-Stars, which featured 6'3 Jr J'Covan Brown from Port Arthur (Memorial) TX, 6'9 Jr Steve Tchiengang from Cypress (Community Christian) TX, 6'11 Jr Anthony Jones from Houston (Yates) TX, 6'9 Jr Will Brown from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, and 6'6 Jr Phillip McDonald from Cypress Springs (H.S.) TX, in the second round of the playoffs.  And making this story even more interesting is the fact that Jody Gardner, who is normally the head coach of the Southern Cal All-Stars, and Pat Barrett, who runs the Southern Cal All-Stars program, both did not make the trip to Houston, TX to watch their team play in this tournament.  We also have heard from several sources, including Jennings himself, that this may be the last time that he plays for the Southern Cal All-Stars.  Right now the word on the street is that he will play with the Oakland Soldiers, which features 6'9 Jr Matt Simpkins from Berkeley (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Jr Drew Gordon from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA, and 6'6 Jr Colin Chiverton from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA, for the rest of the summer.  We also were surprised when the Georgia Stars got knocked off by the Georgia Blazers in the second round of the playoffs.  We're talking about a team that featured 6'8 Jr Al Farouq Aminu from Norcross (H.S.) GA, 6'11 Jr Tony Woods from Rome (H.S.) GA, 6'7 Jr Wesley Witherspoon from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA, 6'11 Jr  Ralph Sampson from Duluth (H.S.) GA, 6'2 Soph Mfon Udofia from Stone Mountain (Miller Creek) GA, 6'5 Jr Kevin Murphy from Fairburn (Creekside) GA, 6'5 Jr Tanner Smith from Norcross (Wesleyan) GA, 6'5 Jr Travis Leslie from Decatur (Columbia) GA, and 5'10 Jr David Forest from Alpharetta (Chattahoochie) GA.  As a matter of fact, a strong argument can be make that Aminu, who has incredible athleticism, tremendous moves to the basket, a knack for being in the right spot to get the rebound, great ball handling and passing skills for somebody his size, and the versatility necessary to play the two, three, and the four spots, was the best players we saw all weekend.  Yes, Aminu is that good, as suddenly he now has to enter our discussion for national player-of-the-year honors for the Class of 2008.  Witherpoon also has a multi-dimensional game, thanks to his great athleticism, good ball handling and passing skills, ability to get to the basket, and excellent 3-point shooting.  So now Witherspoon, who is getting the most attention from school like George Washington, Florida, Florida State, Bradley, Clemson, Auburn, Penn State, Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Kansas State, has to move up from being ranked #212 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP into the top 50 range.  Woods, who is getting the most attention from schools like Connecticut. Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, is a physical specimen around the basket and his high skill level made him one of the best big men in the tournament.  Sampson still doesn't get enough done, but his athleticism, agility, and coordination have improved dramatically since we saw him last summer.  Udofia doesn't do anything flashy, but knows his role and does a great job running the show.  Murphy, Smith, Leslie, and Forest are all excellent role players who provide a lot of energy and quickness.  The Atlanta Celtics were another team that was absolutely loaded with talent, but didn't make it any further than the round of 16 of the playoffs.  We're talking about murders row with 6'9 Jr Howard Thompkins from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'9 Soph Derrick Favors from Atlanta South Atlanta) GA, 6'9 Jr Chris Singleton from Cherokee (H.S.) GA, and 6'7 Soph Noel Johnson from Fayetteville (Fayette County) GA, while Clemson-bound 6'0 Jr Pierre Jordan from Dunwoody (H.S.) GA runs the show and 6'2 Frosh Trae Golden from Powder Springs (MacEachern) GA, who is ranked #19 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP, represents the future.   We also really liked was the Howard Pulley Panthers with 5'10 Jr Angelo Johnson from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'7 Soph Royce White from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN, 6'10 Jr Jared Berggren from Princeton (H.S.) MN, 6'6 Soph Rodney Williams from Robbinsdale (Cooper) MN, 6'1 Jr Jordan Taylor from St. Louis Park (Benilde-St. Margret) MN, and 6'9 Jr Mike Broghammer from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN.  Everybody knows about Johnson, who a week ago verbally committed to USC.  But Taylor appears to be a nice catch for the University of Wisconsin and the three sophomores (White, Williams, and Broghammer) should all project a year from now as big time players, which is why new University of Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith was seen sitting the second row every time this team played.  Another one of the best players that we saw all weekend was 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, who is a legitimate top five-ranked junior nationally, as well a a great defender and killer around the basket.  Roe also had plenty of help, as 6'1 Jr Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI ran the show, 7'1 Jr Kenny Frease from Massillon (Perry) OH was the aircraft carrier inside, and 6'7 Jr Damien Eargle from Warren (Harding) OH and 6'3 Jr Robert Wilson from Garfield Heights (H.S.) OH understood their roles.  We also knew that Team Texas was a dangerous team, thanks to the incredible outside shooting of 6'4 Jr Willie Warren from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX, 6'0 Jr Rotnei Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK, and 6'3 Jr Faisal Aden from Irving (God's Academy) TX.  But, when the outside shot isn't going down, they can be very ordinary, as they don't take advantage inside of players like 6'9 Jr Kevin Anderson from Irving (God's Academy) TX, 6'7 Jr Olu Ashaolu from Humble (Christian Life) TX, and 6'9 Jr Damien Steptos from Irving (God's Academy) TX .   Another one of the best players at the Houston Kingwood Classic was 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, although he still doesn't always play as hard as we'd like, and 6'8 Jr Storm Warren from Monroe (Richwood) LA was one of the biggest sleepers to emerge over the weekend.  It also looks like 6'2 Jr Jeremiah Kelly from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL has re-emerged into one of the top point guards in the Class of 2008, as he led the Mac Irvin Fire to the championship in the Gold Division and the best middle school player that we saw playing up was 6'8 8th Grader Laquinton Ross from Jackson (Mount Salais) MS.  We also thought 6'5 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA picked up where he left off at the Las Vegas Easter Classic in Las Vegas, NV in his quest to be one of the best players in the junior class nationally and we were extremely impressed with the body, athleticism, and post moves that 6'9 Jr JaMychal Green from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL has around the basket.  Mean Streets Express featured 6'6 Jr Matthew Humphrey from Chicago (Hales Franciscan) IL, 6'10 Jr Michael Dunigan from Chicago (Farraugt) IL, and 6'8 Jr Josh Crittle from Chicago (Hales Franciscan) IL, but the guy who impressed us the most was 6'0 Jr Kevin Dillard from Flossmoor (Homewood-Flossmoor) IL.  Not only did Dillard make great pass after great pass against the Southern Cal All-Stars in the very first game of the tournament, but he impressed us with his ability to get to the basket and knock down the 3-point shot.  Unfortunately Dillard didn't play as well as the second time we saw him, which means this is one that we'll keep an eye to see if he's consistent enough to project at the high major level.  We also like the way Humphrey knocked down 3-point shots and the improvement that Dunigan has made inside.  However, we still don't like Crittle's effort and he's got short arms, which is a liability for a big man inside.  We also weren't impressed with 6'5 Jr Scotty Hobson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY, who has been ranked as high as #10 nationally by Rivals.com.  As a matter of fact, we liked Hobson's teammate 6'2 Jr Tyshawn Edmondson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY, who projects as a mid-major player, just as well.  We also were impressed with some of the hook shots and moves to the basket that 6'9 Jr Matt Simpkins from Berkeley (H.S.) CA showed us, but he spends to much time out on the perimeter and, as a result, negates a lot of the positive things that he's capable of doing well inside.  We also were disappointed with 6'9 Jr Drew Gordon from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA and 6'10 Jr Carter McMasters from Chattanooga (Grace Baptist) TN.  But, then again, I'm usually not that high on 6'11 guys who would rather shoot 3-pointers than take care of business inside.  Two more of our favorite players were 6'8 Jr Toby Veal from Savannah (Johnson) GA and 5'9 Jr Stephan Carson from Decatur (MacArthur) IL.  Carson came off the bench for the Spiece Indy-Heat, but he used his speed and quickness to make things happen in transition and we were impressed with both his ability to make shots both from 3-point land and speed and quickness when penetrating to the basket.   Veal is a force to be reckoned with inside with his explosiveness and powerful moves to the basket, but this warrior also impressive us with his ability to step out and hit a jump shot.  Veal also was clearly the best player on his team, which is saying a lot, because 6'9 Jr Leron Dendy from Statesville (Hope Christian) NC is currently ranked #49 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP (actually Dendy is a reclassified junior, but it is not the  editorial policy of the HOOP SCOOP to reclassify players once they reach their senior year of high school).  We also liked way 6'8 Soph Jordan Hamilton from Los Angeles (Dorsey) CA shoots the three and finds ways to get to the basket.  But we still find it hard to believe that some of our competitors have him ranked among the top 10 sophomores nationally.  Remember, the top players nationally in the Class of 2009 are incredible, as players like 6'9 Soph Renardo Sidney from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'5 Soph Lance Stephenson from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, 6'3 Soph Dexter Strickland from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 6'3 Soph Kenny Boynton from Pompano Beach (Ely) FL, 6'6 Soph Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City (Putnam City) OK, 6'10 Soph DeMarcus Cousins from Birmingham (Erwin) AL, 6'10 Soph Derrick Favors from Atlanta (South Atlanta) GA, 6'9 Soph Stephan Van Treese from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, 6'6 Soph Terrell Vinson from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, 6'6 Soph Shawn Williams from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'7 Soph Alex Orakhi from Winchendon (School) MA, and 6'5 Soph Leslie McDonald from Eads (Briarcrest Christian) TN head the list. 

We told you earlier this week that 6'4 Paris Carter from Cecil (JC) MD was on the verge of signing with New Mexico State, but we didn't tell you that 6'7 Leslie Simmons from Cecil (JC) MD planned to sign with Stony Brook and that 6'1 Keyron Sheard from Cecil (JC) MD and 6'10 Qavotaraji Waddell from Cecil (JC) MD both were getting ready to sign with UT-Chattanooga.  Well, all this happened yesterday at a joint press conference and we think Carter, who started as a freshman year ago at Hartford, where he averaged 7.8 ppg and 3.6 rpg, is a major catch, because he is a strong physical athlete and big time scorer.  He also was versatile enough to average 15.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 4.8 apg on a team that finished 5th in the Division II National Junior College Tournament and was named a Second Team Division II Junior College All-American.  The addition of Carter also means that New Mexico State now has six players in the fold, including 6'9 Herb Pope from Aliquippa (H.S.) PA, 6'4 Jahmar Young from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 6'5 Paris Carter from Cecil (JC) MD, 6'4 DeAngelo Jones from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA, 6'4 Aaron Castillo from Las Cruces (H.S.) NM, 5'9 Jay Dee Luster from San Diego (Hoover) CA, in a recruiting class that is now ranked #15 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  Remember, Pope, who appears to be on the way to a full recovery from a shooting that took place less than a month ago, is ranked #52 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and has the talent and potential to be ranked even higher, if he ever gets his act together and learns to play with more consistency.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that people who saw Young play this past season think he may turn out to be the best of all of them.  "He has the talent, athleticism and skills necessary to have a shot making money playing the game someday."  In other words, New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus and his staff have landed three of the best recruits in the league in this year's recruiting class, plus most of their key players are back from a team that finished 25-9 this past season.  So obviously this reinforces even further why we think the Aggies will be a top 20-ranked team next year, as well as the team to beat in the Western Athletic Conference.  Simmons is best described as a "tweener," but he was named to the Division II National Junior College All-Tournament team and is only the second player in school history to score over 1,000 points and grab over 500 rebounds.  Sheard is a tough hardnosed point guard who knows how to run the show and make his teammates better, as is evident by the fact that he averaged 9.5 apg this past season.  Waddell is very athletic, runs the floor, and blocks shot.  We also have confirmed a number of other junior college signings and commitments, including 6'7 Johnnie Harris from Chipola (JC) FL to  New Mexico, 5'7 Omar Johnson from Barton County (JC) TX to UT-San Antonio, 6'7 Larry Handy from Kilgore (JC) TX to Arkansas State, 5'10 Brandon McThay from Kilgore (JC) TX to Lamar, 6'5 Nate Garner from Tyler (JC) TX to Evansville, 6'6 Ramon Clemente from Paris (JC) TX to Wichita State, 6'6 Warren Span from Navarro (JC) TX to Southeastern Louisiana, 6'0 Paul Wayne from Southern Idaho (JC) ID to Cal State-Northridge, 6'4 John Fowler from Mineral Area (JC) MO to Arkansas-Little Rock, 6'0 Michael Allen from Cloud County (JC) KS to Ohio University, 6'0 Mike Hall from Cincinnati State (JC) OH to Idaho, 6'5 Olajidde Hay from Southeastern Illinois (JC) IL to UT-Martin, 6'4 Chris Cooks from Redlands (JC) OK to Missouri State, and 6'7 Rodney Alexander from Redlands (JC) OK to Illinois.  That last one is especially significant, because Alexander, who is ranked #14 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, was the best junior college player still available.  He also averaged 13.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg and shot 58.7% percent from the field, while leading his team to a 29-2 record and a #2-ranking in the final regular season junior college poll.  Alexander also joins 6'3 Demetri McCamey from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL, 6'4 Quentin Watkins from Compton (Dominguez) CA, 6'9 Billy Cole from Peoria (Richwoods) IL, and 7'0 Mike Tisdale from Riverton (H.S.) IL in a recruiting class that now has a little bit of everything.  McCamey, who is ranked #63 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is a point guard with size; Alexander and Watkins are both big time athletes with the versatility necessary to play several different positions; Cole is an excellent 3-point shooter; and Tisdale is a long athletic shot blocking 7-footer who has been under the radar screen and, as a result, has a chance to become one of the most surprising freshmen in college basketball next year.  It also looks like 6'8 Albert Turley from Houston (Westfield) TX, who is ranked #578 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has signed with Albany.  We're talking about a physical specimen inside who averaged 14.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg and led the city in blocked shots with 4.2 bpg this past season.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that the Great Danes beat schools like New Orleans, Georgia, Purdue, New Mexico, Arkansas State, Southeastern Louisiana, and McNeese State for Turley's services.  Our Kentucky Editor Larry Kihnley tells us that 6'6 Kerry Benson from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, who is ranked #5 in the senior class in the state by the HOOP SCOOP and has a great mid-range game, has decided to walk-on at the University of Kentucky.  Not only is this the first player that new Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie has landed in this year's recruiting class, but they beat schools like Iona, Morehead State, and Eastern Kentucky for his services. 

The University of Rhode Island pulled off a major coup several days ago when the Rams landed 6'9 Jason Francis from Southeastern Illinois (JC) IL, who is ranked #75 by Juco Junction.com and was one of the best big in the junior college ranks this past season.  Not only is Francis a beast inside at 6'9, 280 pounds, but he should be the biggest player in the league next year, which is exactly what the doctored for a team that had a plethora of versatile athletic wing players, but lacked a dominating presence inside.  We're talking about a somebody with a nice jump hook, good footwork, and the ability to finish around the basket, as is evident by the fact that he hit 69.3% of his field goals.  Francis does need to work on his athleticism and get into better shape, but he also should be the perfect complement to the other two players - 6'1 Marquis Jones from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, is an athletic point guard, and 7'0 John Hegarty from Winchendon (School) MA, who is a project right now, but has the potential to develop into a physical specimen inside - that Rhode Island currently has in their recruiting class.  And, when one remembers that the Rams will have just about everybody back, except for 6'10 Sr Darrell Harris, who played 19.4 minutes per game and 6.6 ppg and 3.7 rpg, from a team that finished 19-14 overall and 10-6 in the league, it easy to see why we think Rhode Island will once again be one of the teams to beat in the league next season.  We also want to mention the fact that Rams assistant coach Pat Skerry, who is ranked #51 on our List of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today and is arguably the best assistant coach in the league, has done a great job of helping put all of these pieces together.  As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise us if a mid-level head coaching job or a big time assistant coaching job is just around the corner for Skerry, who is has all of the contact necessary to rebuild a program in a hurry, thanks to his terrific prep school and junior college contacts.  We also have confirmed via Greg Swaim of Gregswaim.com that Oklahoma State has landed 6'5 Brad Garrett from Southern Idaho (JC) ID, which means that both of the Cowboys' prime junior college recruiting targets this spring are now in the fold.  If you will recall, earlier this week Oklahoma State also signed 6'7 Anthony Brown from Carl Albert (JC) OK, who was one of the best scoring inside players in the junior college ranks this past season and now they have landed one of the best 3-point shooters (Garrett) who was still available.  So, with these two additions, Oklahoma State's recruiting class, which also includes 6'11 Ibrahima Thomas from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'5 James Anderson from Junction City (H.S.) AR, 6'8 Montavious Adams from Irwinton (Wilkinson County) GA, 6'5 Nick Sidorakis from Tulsa (Jenks) OK, and 6'6 Marshall Moses from Marshville (Forest Hills) NC, is now ranked #6 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.   And, if Oklahoma State also gets 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, then they will have the #2 ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  We also think it's interesting to point out that just like two years ago when the Cowboys had the #1-ranked recruiting class with a group that included 6'8 Torre Johnson from Garden City (JC) KS, 6'0 Jamaal Brown from Southern Idaho (JC) ID, 6'0 Byron Eaton from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, 6'8 Mario Boggan from Chipola (JC) FL, 6'5 Terrel Harris from Garland (South Garland) TX, 6'6 Roderick Fleming from De Soto (H.S.) TX, and 6'11 Kenneth Cooper from Monroe (Richwood) LA, getting the highly touted junior college players in the spring was what really pushed this recruiting class to near to the top of the list.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that when you rely heavily upon junior college players, you almost have to start trying to replace them the minute the arrive on campus.  That's why the early verbal commitment from 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, who is ranked #6 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is so important.  And Gillenwater is not the only player that Oklahoma State already has an early verbal commitment from in the junior class, as 5'10 Keiton Page from Pawnee (H.S.) OK, who is capable of playing either guard spot, thanks to his good ball handling and passing skills and lights out shooting ability, also is already in the fold.  So obviously Oklahoma State head coach Sean Sutton and his staff haven't missed a beat on the recruiting trail since his father, Eddie Sutton, who is the 5th winningest coach in the history of the game with 798 wins, retired a year ago.  We also have confirmed that 6'9 Thiago Cordeiro from Barton County (JC) KS has signed with the University of Dayton and this is an important catch for several reasons.  First, Cordeiro is a defensive force and great shot blocker, as is evident by the fact that he led the nation in shot blocking with 4.2 bpg this past season.  Second, Cordeiro also is skilled enough offensively to score both inside and outside and is very tough on the boards.  As a matter of fact, this native of Brazil has had not one, but two triple-doubles in his career (one this past season when he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots versus Johnson County Junior College and one a year ago when had 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots against Seward County Junior College).  Third, the addition of Cardeiro moves Dayton's recruiting class into a a tie #67, along with Utah State and Lamar, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  However, even more important, the Flyers now have four players - 6'9 Thiago Cordeiro from Barton County (JC) KS, 6'6 Chris Wright from Trotwood (Madison) OH, 6'9 Devin Searcy from Detroit (Cass Tech) MI, and 6'1 Stephen Thomas from Indianapolis (Cathedral) IN - in the fold who are good enough to play at the high major level.  Or to look at this another way, if Dayton assistant coaches Reggie Rankin, who previously was an assistant coach at Nebraska, and Billy Schmidt, who used to be an assistant coach at Michigan, were at their previous schools, they might still be recruiting all of these guys.  Remember, we have Wright, who is one of the best athletes in the senior class nationally, ranked #75, Searcy ranked #134, and Thomas ranked #163 nationally in the senior class, and Cordeiro was one of the best power forwards in the junior college ranks still available.  Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio provides us with the scoop on 6'7 Jr James Southerland from Bayside (Cardozo) NY has verbally committed to Syracuse.  Southerland averaged 17.9 ppg 12.2 rpg, and 3.8 apg and hit 44.0% from beyond the arc, which illustrates the fact that he's multi-dimensional enough to play both inside and outside at the high school level.  However, Southerland, who is ranked #84 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, projects as a wing forward with size at the college level and he's just oozing with potential. as he's only just beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can become.  So now the Orangemen have verbal commitments from two excellent wing players in next year's recruiting class.  If you will recall, they also got an early verbal commitment earlier this last week from 6'7 Jr Kris Joseph from Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC, who is ranked #91 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  And all of this comes on the heels of their current recruiting class, which is ranked #3 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and includes 6'8 Donte Green from Towson (Catholic) MD, 6'9 Rick Jackson from Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA, 6'2 Antonio "Scoop" Jardine from Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA, 6'0 Johnny Flynn from Niagara Falls (H.S.) NY, and 6'10 Sean Williams from Villa Park (H.S.) CA.  Our Washington, DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia Editor Dennis Marshall tells us that 7'0 Anthony McClain from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD has made it official for the University of Cincinnati and 6'0 Jeff Peterson from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD has signed with the University of Iowa.  Yes, that's the same guy who committed to Princeton last fall, but reneged after the value of his stock went through the roof this winter, as he established himself as one of the better point guard in the nation.  In other words, Peterson, who was ranked #326 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP when we last updated our rankings last fall, now belongs in the top 100-150 range nationally and, as a result, is a great first catch for the new regime at Iowa.  The commitment by McClain comes as no surprise, but it's still important, because 7-foot shot blocking athletic big guys are few and far between and McClain has improved a lot since we ranked him #88 nationally in the junior class a year ago. 

Things have slowed down from a recruiting standpoint, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about the Houston Kingwood Classic, which will tip-off on Friday, April 20th, at 6:30 PM and run through Sunday, April 22nd, with the championship game in the Platinum Division set to begin at 3:15 PM.  We're talking about the largest weekend basketball tournament in the United States, as this year's event will include 796 teams and over 1500 games on 73 courts in less than 48 hours with over 300 college coaches and most of the people in the media whose expertise is high school basketball and recruiting in attendance.  And, if that's not enough to get you excited, did you know that eight of the HOOP SCOOP's top 10-ranked juniors in 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'3 Jr Willie Warren from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX, 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, 6'3 Jr J'covan Brown from Port Arthur (Memorial) TX, 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'3 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, and 6'9 Jr Al-Farouq Aminu from Norcross (H.S.) GA; five of the HOOP SCOOP's top 10-ranked sophomores in 6'6 Soph Xavier Henry from Oklahoma City (Putnam City) OK, 6'10 Soph DeMarcus Cousins, 6'10 Soph Derrick Favors from Atlanta (South Atlanta) GA, 6'0 Soph Junior Cadougan from Humble (Christian Life) TX, and 6'9 Stephan Van Treese from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN; and two of our top five-ranked freshmen in 6'2 Frosh Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL, and 6'0 Frosh K.C. Ross-Miller from Irving (God's Academy) TX will be participating this year's Houston Kingwood Classic?  The tournament also promises to have incredible depth, as the list of other top players that we expect to be in attendance includes 6'8 Jr Drew Gordon from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA, 6'8 Jr Howard Thompkins from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'4 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA, 6'11 Jr Beas Hamga from Decatur (Christian) IL, 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'0 Jr Larry Drew from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'1 Jr Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI, 6'9 Jr Matt Simpkins from Sacramento (Capital Christian) CA, 6'8 Jr Steve Tchiengang from Cypress (Community Christian) TX, 6'1 Jr Roteni Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK, 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 5'8 Isaiah Thomas from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 7'1 Jr Kenny Frease from Massillon (Perry) OH, 6'7 Jr Clarence Trent from Gig Harbor (H.S.) WA, 6'5 Jr Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY, 6'5 Jr Elliott Williams from Memphis (St. George) TN, 6'9 Jr Xavier Gibson from Dothan (Northview) AL, 6'9 Jr Rashanti Harris from Columbus (New Hope) MS, 7'0 Jr Jeff Withey from San Diego (Horizon) CA, 6'6 Jr Olu Ashaolu fromi Humble (Christian Life) TX, 6'11 Jr Anthony Jones from Houston (Yates) TX, 6'6 J.P. Olukemi from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'7 Jr Renaldo Woolridge from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, 6'8 Jr JaMichael Green from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 6'7 Tyreese Breshers from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'4 Jr Scottie Haralson from Jackson (Provine) MS, 6'3 Jr Jeremy Green from Austin (Bowie) TX, 6'8 Jr Chris Singleton from Cherokee (H.S.) GA, 6'10 Jr Mike Dunigan from Chicago (Farragut) IL, 6'10 Jr Tony Woods form Rome (H.S.) GA, 6'2 Jr Jerime Anderson from Anaheim (Canyon) CA, 6'10 Jr Victor Davila from Booneville (Starmount) NC, 6'4 Jr Fazel Aden from Irving (God's Academy) TX, 6'6 Soph Shawn Williams from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'8 Soph Christian Watford from Trussville (Hewitt-Trussville) AL, 6'9 Soph Colin Borchert from Glendale (Mountain Ridge) AZ, 6'7 Soph Jordan Hamilton from Los Angeles (Dorsey) CA, 6'4 Soph Demetrius Walker from Fontana (H.S.) CA, 6'1 Soph G.J. Vilarino from McKinney (H.S.) TX, 5'10 Soph Kendrick Robinson from San Antonio (Southwest) TX, 6'6 Soph Noel Johnson from Fayetteville (Fayette County) GA, 6'3 Soph Elijah Johnson from Las Vegas (Cheyenne) NV, 6'4 Soph Roger Franklin from Duncanville (H.S.) TX, 6'9 Soph Daniel Orton from Oklahoma City (McGuinnes) OK, 6'2 Frosh Gary Franklin from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'9 Frosh Jeremy Tyler from Chula Vista (Eastlake) CA.  The field of teams in the 17-Under Division is also pretty spectacular, as Pool A has the Southern Cal All Stars Elite, Atlanta Celtics Black, and Meanstreets; Pool B has Louisiana Select, Pump N Run Elite, and Georgia Stars; Pool C has the Houston Hoops, Nashville Celtics, and Arizona Stars; Pool D has EBO/EA Sports, New Orleans Panthers, and St. Louis Eagles; Pool E has the Minnesota Magic, Spiece Indy Heat -MG, and Team Texas; Pool F has Athletics First, Howard Pulley Black, and Indiana Elite/Team Indiana; Pool G has the Portland Legends, Team STAT (AZ), and Smyrna Stars Gold; Pool H has Georgia Elite I, Miami Tropics, and Oakland Soldiers: Pool I has Texas Bluechips Elite, West Coast All Stars, and Arizona Magic; Pool J has TMAC All Stars, Dallas Mustangs Blue, and King of the Court (OH); Pool K has Martin Brothers Select, Jackson Tigers, and PHPP (CA); Pool L has Belmont Shore, Team Jones, and Urban DFW; Pool M has Branch West Team Reebok, Birmingham Storm, and Arkansas Wings; Pool N has the Mid State Ballerz Elite, Nor Cal Pharaohs Black, and Georgia Blazers; Pool O has M33m Magic, Inland Reebok, and Houston Select Black; Pool P has the Lamar Odom I-Can All Stars, Houston Heat, and New Mexico Force Gold; Pool Q has the Oregon Rebels, Houston Elite Black, and Texas Select; Pool R has MBA Hoops, Arkansas Kings, and Dallas Showtyme Elite; Pool S has Tampa Fastbreak, Utah Pump N' Run, and Texas Ambassadors; Pool T has the Southwest Rebels Top Prospects (AZ), California Hoops, and Florida Rams; Pool U has the Alabama Challenge, New Orleans Jazz, and Houston Hoopstars; Pool V has Team Take Over (NY), Sporting Chance (AZ), and Team Texas South 2008; Pool W has the Oakland Rebels, Southern California Aces, and Dallas Mustangs White; Pool X has Texas Showtime, 2D1 Basketball Academy (CA), and Birmingham Metro Express; Pool Y has IEBP White, Texas Ambassadors San Antonio, and Team Northwest Florida Sharks; Pool Z has NorCal Magic, Wedman Pumas (KS), and Westside Ballers (TX); Pool AA has Crush All-Stars (AL) HEB Rockets (TX), and Branch West Red Seniors (CA); Pool BB has the Missouri Titans, ATX (TX), and Nor Cal Pharaohs Gold; Pool CC has the Compton Magic, Hammond Hurricanes, and Houston Pride; Pool DD has Chase the Game (NY), West Valley Select, and Houston Powerhouse; Pool EE has Emerald City Pioneers, St. Louis Majestics, and Texas Ambassadors Austin; Pool FF has Housto Jr. Hardballers, Portland Panthers, and Total Impact (CA), and Pool GG has Broward Bobcats Elite, Tennessee Edge, and West Valley All-Stars; Pool HH has Oklahoma Heat, San Diego Cougars, and Houston Lynx Blue (TX); Pool II has Full Court Athletes, Miramar Hurricanes, and Washington Elite; Pool JJ has Gateway Basketball Club (MO), Houston Gold, and Team Texas South Seniors; Pool KK has Dallas Heroes, Kent Hornets (WA), and Howard Pulley White; Pool LL has the Chicago Canes, Dallas Pacers, Inc., and Southwest Scorpions (AZ); Pool MM has Southeast Wisconsin Allstars, Team Jones Defenders (FL), and West Valley Elite (CA); Pool NN has the Utah Bruins, Texas Ambassadors Platinum, and Birmingham Bearcats (AL); and Pool OO has the Worldwide Renegades Black (GA), Denver Red Shields, and Bay Area Warriors (CA); Pool PP has Big Games Sports (MN), Arkansas All Stars, and Wolverines (TX); Pool QQ has Team NLP (IL), Branch West Orange (CA), and Team Redhawks; Pool RR has Algiers Chargers (LA), Branch West Purple Seniors (CA), and Richardson Mustangs (TX); Pool SS has Arizona Premier Basketball Club, Bulls Academy Elite (IL), and Garland Jaguars Select (TX); Pool TT has Illinois Team Elite, New Jersey Panthers, and North Riverside Slam-Jam (CA); Pool UU has Gulf Coast Basketball (TX), Texas Bluechips Select, and Jackson Panthers; Pool VV has Loyalty All Star Soldiers 1 (TX), Jersey Hot Shots (NJ), and Spirit Got Game Blue (CA); Pool WW has the Milwaukee Running Rebels, Kansas City Cowboys, and Houston Inner City Cougars (TX); Pool XX has All 4 Sports Dream Team (TX), Oklahoma Thoroughbreds, and Dallas Showtyme; Pool YY has Harlem's Pride, Griffin Warriors (MS), and Fasttrack Future (FL); Pool ZZ has the San Diego All Stars, Dallas Slam, and Houston Swoosh; Pool AAA has Team Breakdown Northwest (FL), Westside Allstars (TX), and West Coast Academy Basketball (CA); Pool BBB has the San Antonio Legends, Atlanta Select Red (TX), and Bomb Squad of Louisiana; Pool CCC has Colorado Chaos, Ventura County Spartans (CA), and Houstonians; Pool DDD has the Columbus Titans (MS), Bay Area Hoosiers Juniors (CA), and North Texas Hoopsters; Pool EEE has the Bay Area Hoosiers Seniors (CA), Houston Hoops Red, and Guy's Development (IL); Pool FFF has Arizona Magic North, United Boys & Girls Club (CA), and Goal-Breakers Elite; Pool GGG has Elite Basketball Clubs M33M (MS), Texas Cardinals, and Houston Warriors; Pool HHH has Texas Select Austin, West Side Hoops (WA), and Total Package JP3 (TX); and Pool III has Westside Elite (TX), Smyrna Stars Purple (GA), and Victoria Team XTRA (TX); Pool JJJ has Atlanta All Stars, Tennessee Heat, and Austin Jayhawks White; Pool LLL has Team Chaos (TN), Rashard Lewis SE TX Allstars Black; Pool MMM has I-Can All Stars (CA), World Wide Renegades Orange (CA), and Houston Knights; Pool NNN has Oklahoma Showtime Elite, BTI North (CA), and Arkansas Rams; Pool OOO has Spirit Got Game Black (CA), HMC Mustangs (TX), and New Orleans (Revolution) LA; Pool PPP has Houston Superstars, Mac Irwin Fire (IL), and Spurs (TX), Pool QQQ has Southern Cal All Stars Select, New Mexico Lobos, and Northside Select (TX); Pool RRR has I-5 Elite (OR), Kissimmee Wildcts (FL), and Austin Jayhawks Red (TX); Pool SSS has Seattle Magic (WA), Orange County Pride/Magic 32 (CA), and South Texas Stallions; Pool TTT has the Houston Pacers -ITP, Magic 21 Tennessee Thunder, and BTI South (CA); Pool UUU Has Rockland Rockets (NY), Jackson Blazers (MS), and San Antonio Rohawks (TX); Pool VVV has IEBP Blue (CA), HMC Select (KS), and Arlington Elite All-Stars (TX); Pool WWW has the Omaha Alegent Health Crusaders (NE), Nashville Stallions, and North Channel Cyclones (TX); Pool XXX has New Mexico Force Black, Dallas Metro Preps/Ft. Sooy (TX), and Kingwood Mustangs; Pool YYY has Team 94 (CA), A.C.T.S. Outlaws (FL), and Houston Select White (TX); Pool ZZZ has the Houston Blazers, Lancaster Elite (PA), and Basketball Mathematics (CA); Pool AAAA has the Mo Kan Players (KS), West Houston Vets (TX), and Texas Ambassadors (Kileen) TX; Pool BBBB has the Bay Area Ballers (TX), WAKE (WA), and Davis (UT); Pool CCCC has the Branch West Blue Seniors, Team Texas TG 16s, and Loyalty Allstar Soliders 2 (TX); Pool DDDD has Yakima Elite (WA), Another Level (TX), and DeSoto County Warriors (MS); Pool EEEE has the Alaska Stars, 43 Hoops BC Carr (MN), and San Antonio Roadrunners (TX); Pool FFFF has the Spiece Indy Trojans, Southwest Little Rock Bulls, and Houston Kingz; Pool GGGG has DCXpress (AR), Dallas Mustangs, and Houston Playmakers Black (TX); Pool HHHH has 1 Tough School Black (CA), G2S Magic Blue (TX), and Angleton Elite (TX); Pool IIII has Oklahoma Magic, G2S Magic Elite (TX), and Louisiana Stars; Pool JJJJ has Rashard Lewis SE Texas Allstars Gold, Friends of Hoop (WI), and Round Rock Hustlaz (TX); Pool KKKK has Northern Colorado Thunder, Hoop Phi Hoop (FL), and Houston Superstars Seniors; Pool OOOO has the Long Island Lightning Kelly, Hardwood Hustle (TX), and Dallas Texas Warriors; Pool PPPP has the Kansas City Heat, Cypress Elite (TX), and Ft. Worth FIRM/MASH; Pool QQQQ has Kansas City Premiere, Houston Shocks Seniors, and Junior Tycoons (TX); Pool RRRR has the Georgia Stars Black, H-Town Flame (TX), and TCA USA (TX); Pool SSSS has Georgia Elite-Miller, Texas Ambassadors Seniors, and Richardson Elite (TX); Pool TTTT has Texas Bluechips Silver, Dream Team Louisiana, and Mansfield T-Wolves (TX); Pool UUUU has Georgia Elite-Outlaw, 1 Tough School Red (CA), and Fort Bend Stars (TX); Pool VVVV has the Emerald City City Pioneers 2 (WA), 43 Hoops BC Amundson (MN), and Texas Express; Pool WWWW has Arizona Magic Black, First Team (LA), and Team Woodlands (TX).  That's a grand total of 291 teams in the 17-Under Division alone.  However, for those people who want to get a head start on the future and don't mind driving all over Houston, TX, the 16-Under Division will have 126 teams, the 15-Under Division will have 126 teams, the 14-Under Division will have 91 teams, the 13-Under Division will have 48 teams, the 12-Under Division will have 48 teams, the 11-Under Division will have 36 teams, the 10-Under Division will have 18 teams, and the 9-Under Division will have 12 teams.  Are you starting to get an idea of just how big this event really is?  The headquarters for the tournament will once again be at Westfield High School and college coaches can get a head start by checking in early beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday night.  For even more information about the Houston Kingwood Classic and to get the brackets in each division, click onto VisionSports.com.

It looks like our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson was right on the money when he told us several times during the last week that Michigan State was the team to beat for 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, who is ranked #3 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  If you will recall, a month ago it looked like North Carolina was the heavy favorite and, as a result, this is one of the biggest turnarounds in terms of recruiting that we've seen in a long time.  Roe, who also is a the best inside player in the junior class nationally, may project someday as a wing forward in the NBA, but what makes him so valuable at both the high school and college levels are his ability to dominate around the basket with his big time athleticism, high skill level, and incredible work ethic.  And making this even more sweet for the Spartans is the fact that Roe is a great defensive player, an excellent student, and great kid.  The addition of Roe also moves Michigan State's recruiting class, which also already includes 5'11 Jr Korie Lucious from Milwaukee (St. Pius X) WI, who is ranked #18 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, up to #3, behind Ohio State and USC and ahead of Cincinnati and Louisville, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2008.  However, even more important, the Spartans could be as good as anybody in college basketball year after next when 6'10 Soph Goran Sutton, 6'8 Soph Marquise Gray, 6'2 Soph Travis Walton, and 6'4 Soph Maurice Joseph are seniors; 6'7 Frosh Raymar Morgan and 6'6 Frosh Isaiah Dahlman are juniors; 6'4 Durrell Summers from Redford (Covenant Christian) MI, 6'4 Chris Allen from Lawrenceville (Meadowcreek) GA, 6'1 Kalin Lucas from Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI and 7'0 Frosh Tom Herzog, who red-shirted this past season, are sophomores; and Roe, Lucious, and anybody else they land in the Class of 2008 are freshmen.  In other words, the last piece to the puzzle might be another body inside, as Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, who currently doesn't have a senior on his roster, appears to be perfectly positioned to make another serious run at the NCAA Final Four each of the next two years.  And, if Izzo, who has already guided the Spartans to NCAA Final Four appearances in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005, is successful, it would put him in pretty past company, as he would become only the 11th head coach in the history of the game with five or more NCAA Final Four appearances on his résumé.  The others are John Wooden with 12, Dean Smith with 11, Mike Krzyzewski with 10, Denny Crum and Adolph Rupp with six, and Bob Knight, Guy Lewis, Lute Olson, Roy Williams, and Rick Pitino with five NCAA Final Four appearances apiece.  This also could be just the beginning of the race between Ohio State and Michigan State for supremacy in the Big-10 Conference for years to come.  Remember, the Buckeyes are already perfectly positioned to replace 7'0 Frosh Greg Oden, who has already announced that he plans to enter his named into the NBA Draft this spring, and 6'0 Frosh Michael Conley and 6'5 Frosh Daequan Cook, both of whom are expected to do likewise shortly, with their current recruiting class, which is ranked #10 on our list list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and includes 7'1 Kosta Koufas from Canton (Glen Oak) OH, 6'9 Dallas Lauderdale from Solon (H.S.) OH, 6'6 Eric Wallace from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'6 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky (H.S.) OH, and 6'6 Evan Turner from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL, and next year's recruiting class, which is ranked #1 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2008 and includes 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV, 6'10 B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH, 6'1 Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI, 6'5 William Buford from Toledo (Libbey) OH, and 6'3 Walter Offutt from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN.  And, while the potential basketball rivalry in the coming years between Michigan State and Ohio State may not be enough to make fans in this part of the country forget about the annual Michigan-Ohio State football game, it might turn out to be the next best thing.  It also looks like the University of Houston has pulled off a major coup by going to into the Big Apple and landing our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio's #5-ranked senior in the city in 6'1 Zamal Nixon from Brooklyn (Boys & Girls) NY.  "Nixon is a tough hardnosed point guard who knows how to run a team and get to the basket, "says Naclerio.  He's more of a point guard than Terrance Rencher, who played at St. Raymond's in the early 90's, but the are a lot of similarities between Nixon and Rencher, who was another athletic slashing guard from the city that played for Tom Penders back during his days at the University of Texas."  Nixon also should fit in nicely with all of the other up tempo athlete in Houston's recruiting class, which currently is ranked #21 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 6'11 Kenie Freeman from Hillsborough (JC) IL, 6'3 Brockeith Pane from Dallas (Carter) TX, 6'7 Horace McGloster from Mendendall (Genesis One) MS, 6'3 DaShaun Williams from Monroe (JC) NY, and 6'8 Ejike Hart from Hillsborough (JC) FL.  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Anthony Brown from Carl Albert (JC) OK, who averaged 21.4 pgp and 7.5 rpg and shot 56.4%from the field this past season, has signed with Oklahoma State, which means the first piece to the puzzle that we talked about a week ago today has already fallen into place.  Dinos Trigonis, who is the editor of FullCourtPress.com, has confirmed that 6'0 Heiden Ratner from Las Vegas (Silverado) NV, who is ranked #675 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked James Madison.  And this is very intriguing, because, what Ratner lacks in terms of speed, quickness, and natural talent, he more than makes up for with his smarts, toughness, willingness to play hard, ability to run a team, and knack for putting up prolific numbers.  We also expect 6'4 Paris Carter from Cecil (JC) MD to sign with New Mexico State tomorrow and the connection here obviously is Aggies assistant coach Chris Pompay, who originally signed Carter two years ago when he was held a similar position at the University of  Hartford.  And this is another excellent catch, as Carter is a big time scorer and capable of playing either forward spot at 6'5, 230 pounds.  We also are no longer counting 6'5 Alexander Legion from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who is ranked #45 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, with Michigan's recruiting class due to the fact that has obtained his release and it's being reported by our competition that he is now is considering four other schools (Connecticut, UCLA, Kentucky, and Kansas).  We also have added 6'5 Antiquan Beckham from Louisville (Ballard) KY back to IUPUI's recruiting class, despite the fact that the official press release that was released on Friday, April 13th, made no mention of Beckham in the Jaguars' current recruiting class.   If you will recall, Beckham signed with IUPUI last fall, but plans to go the prep school route and, as a result, counts with their recruiting class until he officially obtains his release.  It also looks like 6'5 Riley Benock from Bradenbury (Meade County) KY has reneged on William & Mary and is going to sign with Mississippi State.  And this perfect sense, because Bulldogs head coach Rick Stansbury played high school basketball at Meade County, Benock promises to be a good role player, and he will give the Bulldogs another player from the Bluegrass State.  Remember, Mississippi State also has an early verbal commitment from 6'5 Jr Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY.  We also understand that 6'9 Pat Bergmann from South Burlington (Rice Memorial) VT has been released from the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed last fall with Quinnipiac and has elected to stay home and join a recruiting class at Vermont that already includes 6'8 Garrett Kissell from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 6'8 Evan Fjeld from Durham (Academy) NC, and 5'10 Joey Accaoui from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI.  And how about 6'8 Frosh Perry Jones from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX, who is ranked #96 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP, making an early verbal commitment to Baylor?  This is the second player in the freshman class to have verbally committed to the Bears, as 6'0 Frosh Jamison Stern from Waxahachie (H.S.) TX picked Baylor over the weekend, and, as a result, we're now talking about the #1-ranked recruiting class on our list of the  Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And, believe it nor not, Jones becomes the sixth player that we've tracked in the freshman class to have already made a verbal commitment, as 6'6 Frosh Jeremy Richmond from Winnetka (North Shore Country Day) IL has already verbally committed to Illinois, 6'7 Frosh Dwayne Polee from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA has already verbally committed to USC, 6'9 Frosh Jordan Dykstra from Rock Valley (H.S.) IA has already verbally committed to Iowa State, and 6'7 Patrick Simon from Ephrata (H.S.) WA has already verbally committed to Washington State. 

It looks like Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin and his staff can finally breath a sigh-of-relief, because 6'9 Jr Yancy Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH has a press conference scheduled for 4:30 PM this afternoon and he is going to pick the Bearcats.  "How can it be anybody else?" asks our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson.  "Georgetown and Indiana were the other two finalists and he hasn't been on either campus.  So it has to be Cincinnati."  Gates, who is ranked #14 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has the size, athleticism, and skills necessary to help turn this program around in a hurry.  But what made this such a must get is the fact that Cronin and Gates are both home grown guys and Cronin's reputation as a recruiter and being from Cincinnati, OH are two of the big reasons why he got the job in the first place.  So, instead of wondering whether Cronin has lost his touch as one of the best recruiters in the game today, the headline should read "Mission Accomplished," as year after next the Bearcats should have one of the best inside combinations in the Big East with Gates and 6'8 Jr Mike Williams, who transferred from Texas to Cincinnati a year ago and currently is waiting in the wings.  And, it's pretty clear that Cronin has the program heading in the right direction when one also remembers that Cincinnati's leading scorer last season was 6'1 Frosh Deonta Vaughn with 14.5 ppg; their current recruiting class, which already includes 6'6 Jason Henry from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, 6'5 Alvin Mitchell from Ft. Lauderdale (Cardinal Gibbons) FL, 6'3 Larry Davis from Alief (Hastings) TX, 6'5 Rashad Bishop from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, and 6'8 Kenny Belton from Greensboro (Dudley) NC, is tied at #33, along with Maryland, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007; and 6'7 Jr Darnell Wilkes from Nashville (Pioneer Christian) TN, who is ranked #39 nationally in the junior class, also is already in the fold for next year.  And they aren't done yet for this year, as the Bearcats also appear to be one of the leaders for 7'0 Anthony McClain from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD, who is one of the top unsigned big men still available.  We also are anxiously anticipating the decision of other top uncommitted junior the state - 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, who is ranked #3 nationally in the junior class and is supposed to pick either Michigan State or North Carolina tomorrow.  Originally Johnson thought Roe was a near lock for the Tar Heels, but all of his contacts in Michigan are now telling him it's going to be the Spartans.  However, we're not so sure, as other players have told us that Roe has told them that it's not going to Michigan State.  So either he's changed his mind at the last minute or this one is really too close to call due to the fact that we're getting too many mixed signals.  But, either way, Roe's decision should make a major impact on the landscape in college basketball year after next.  Remember, Michigan State has 6'4 Durrell Summers from Redford (Covenant Christian) MI, 6'4 Chris Allen from Lawrenceville (Meadowcreek) GA, and 6'1 Kalin Lucas from Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI, all three of whom are ranked in the 20-40 range nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, in this year's recruiting class and North Carolina, which will probably will lose 6'9 Soph Tyler Hansbrough to the NBA Draft a year from now, will need to reload at the power forward spot in a hurry.  We also have confirmed via both HOOP SCOOP Associate Editor Patrick Stanwood and our Texas Tim Miller that 6'0 Frosh Jamison Stern from Waxahachie (H.S.) TX, who is ranked #26 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP, has made an extremely early verbal commitment to Baylor.  However, in this case, we'd be surprised if it doesn't hold up due to the fact that Stern's father played at Baylor back in the early 80s.  Stern is a strong physical athletic 2-guard with excellent skills and the ability to shoot the lights out, but he'll need to grow some more in order to not get lost in the shuffle at the next level.  Stanwood also tells us that 6'6 Afam Muojeke from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS has signed with Wyoming and our Washington, DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia Editor Dennis Marshall tells us that 6'7 Jr Kris Joseph from Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC has made an early verbal commitment to Syracuse and 6'7 Nikita Mescharakov from Frederick (St. John's at Prospect Hall) MD has signed with Georgetown.  Mesacharakov was unranked in the area's senior class by Marshall the last time he updated his rankings, but it appears this lefty wing forward has recently made a name for himself with his outside shooting.  Joseph is an excellent catch of the Orangemen, because he's capable of playing all five positions and has come on like gangbuster since arriving in the Washington, DC area last fall from Montreal, QU.  We also have confirmed that Georgia Southern has landed 6'4 Julian Allen from Garden City (JC) KS, 6'8 Trumaine Pearson form Allen County (JC) KS, and 6'2 Will Powers from Gainesville (P.K. Yonge) FL.  Allen is the big catch here, because he's a First Team Junior College All-American and is capable of giving the Eagles both inside and outside scoring punch that they need to take the program to another level.  Pearson is a very skilled inside and is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder, which means he too should be able to step in and make an immediate contribution inside.  Powers is ranked #33 in the state by our Florida Editor Rick Staudt, but he's a leader, a winner, and somebody who just knows how to play.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'2 Brian Wanamaker from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA and 6'3 Khalif Foster from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA have both picked Central Connecticut State, 6'7 Kevin Estes from Richmond (Benedictine) VA and 6'7 Morgan Savia from San Anselmo (Sir Francis Drake) CA have signed with Hartford, 6'4 Amari Ali from Hyattsville (Progressive) MD now appears to be heading to Morgan State, and 6'8 Craig Williams from the Virgin Islands has signed with Temple.  That last one is especially interesting, because it gives Temple head coach Fran Dunphy yet another big body in this year's recruiting class, which is tied at #62, along with Virginia Commonwealth, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and already includes 6'9 Lavoy Allen from Fairless Hills (Pennsbury) PA, 6'2 Martavis Kee from Ft. Lauderdale (St. Thomas Aquinas) FL, 6'9 Michael Eric from Paoli (Church Farm) PA, and 6'5 Ramone Moore from Philadelphia (South Philadelphia) PA. 

6'8 Michael Beasley from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA truly was a man among boys last night in the Derby Classic at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY, as he finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four blocks en route to game MVP honors.  However, this still was not one of Beasley's best efforts, as he went 0-5 from beyond the arc, had six turnovers, and at times didn't play with the burning desire and great intensity that you'd expect from the best high school player in the nation.  In other words, Beasley was great, but he could have been even better and that's why we'd rank him no higher than #4, behind 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, 6'3 Eric Gordon from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, and 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV and ahead of 6'9 Kyle Singler from Medford (South Medford) OR, 6'3 Jerryd Bayless from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, 6'8 Donte Green from Towson (Catholic) MD, and 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, when we start talking about the very elite players in the senior class nationally.  Beasley and 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA also won the two-on-two contest and Smith, who was one of the top five players in the game based on performance, finished with 19 points, 8-15 field goals, three assists, and four steals.  Also on our list of the top five-performances in the game were 6'10 Anthony Randolph from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX, who had 21 points, 10-14 field goals, 1-3 3-pointers, five rebounds, and four steals; 6'11 DeAndre Jordan from Humble (Christian Life) TX, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, and 6'10 Austin Daye from Woodbridge (Irvine) CA, who had 14 points, nine rebounds, 2-4 3-pointers, three assists, and two steals.  And just missing making this list was 6'3 Antonio Jardine from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, who finished with only four points, but had 10 assists and was one of the few players in the game who sacrificed his game for the good of his team.  The biggest surprise in the game was arguably 6'5 Dominique Sutton from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, who finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and 8-10 field goals.  We also thought 6'2 Senario Hillman from Irwinton (Wilkinson County) GA, who had 17 points, 8-13 field goals and 1-3 3-pointers; 6'10 Julian Vaughn from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who had 13 points, 12 rebounds, 5-9 field goals, and 2-2 3-pointers; 6'9 Rick Jackson from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA, who had 14 points, seven rebounds, and 7-14 field goals; and 6'4 Chris Allen from Lawrenceville (Meadowcreek) GA, who had 11 points, five assists, 4-7 field goals, and 3-4 free throws; all played well enough to be mentioned among the top half of the players in the game.  And turning in solid performances were 6'7 Jamelle Horne from San Diego (H.S.) CA, who had nine points, four rebounds, and 3-12 field goals; 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, who had 11 points and 5-7 field goals; 6'5 Rakim Sanders from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, who had 10 points and 5-11 field goals; and 6'5 Lacedaris Dunn from Monroe (Excelsior Christian) LA, who had six points, eight rebounds, and 3-7 field goals, and three steals.  Believe it nor not 6'5 Steffphan Pettigrew from Elizabethtown (H.S.) KY, who was the only unsigned/uncommitted player in the game and is really an undersized power inside guy, won the 3-point shooting contest.  But, then again we're not sure that this means very much, as the players on his team hit a combined 8-30 (26.7%) from behind the arc and the players on the other team hit a combined 7-24 (29.2%) from behind the arc in the game.  As for Pettigrew, he was only average at best in the game, as he logged only 15 minutes and finished with seven points, 2-4 field goals, 1-2 3-pointers, and zero rebounds.  However, we still liked Pettigrew better than 6'2 Tyrel Reed from Burlington (H.S.) KS, who had only two points, four rebounds, and 1-4 field goals; 6'5 Ty Proffitt from London (South Laurel) KY, who had zero points, 0-5 field goals, five assists, and six turnovers; 6'9 Augustus Gilchrist from Hyattsville (Progressive Christian) MD, who had four points and three rebounds; 6'9 A.J. Stewart from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, who had four points, one rebounds, and 2-5 field goals; 7'0 Mike Williams from Alexandria (Bishop Ireton) VA, who had nine points, seven rebounds, and 4-8 field goals; 6'2 Preston Knowles from Winchester (Clark County) KY, who had 10 points and 2-6 3-pointers, and five steals; and 6'8 George Goode from Raytown (South) MO, who had 12 points and five rebounds.  Those last four are especially interesting, because Stewart and Williams were the two players in the game heading to the University of Kentucky and Knowles and Goode were the two players in the game heading to the University of Louisville.  However, Stewart did manage to win the Slam Dunk Contest.  We also spent a couple of hours yesterday at the East-West Roundball Classic at the brand new Hoops Basketball Facility in Louisville, KY and we got our first look at 6'3 8th Grader Tony Kimbro from Louisville (Noe Middle School) KY, who already is being touted as the next great player to come out of the Derby City.  And, just like his Dad, who played at Louisville in the late 80's, the younger Kimbro doesn't play very hard, but has big time athleticism and an incredible amount of natural talent and potential.  Some other good young players that we made notes about for future reference include 5'10 8th Grader Harry Cross from Louisville (Myers Middle School) KY, 5'11 8th Grader Remy Abell from Louisville (Myers Middle School) KY, 6'0 7th Grader Bryce Moore from Louisville (Barrett Middle School) KY, 6'2 7th Grader Desmond Dorsey from Louisville (Newberg Middle School) KY and 6'1 7th Grader Andre Gray from Louisville (Farnsley Middle School) KY.  We also think it's important to point out that Kimbro, Cross, and Abell all play on the Derek Smith All-Stars 14-Under Team, which should be well worth watching this summer at the 14-Under Nationals in Orlando, FL, and they are expected to enroll at Louisville (Manual) KY next fall, which means this definitely will be one of the teams to watch in the city in the future.

It looks like we knew what we were talking about when we told you yesterday that USC may be on the verge of bringing in a better recruiting class next year than they have this year, as they did indeed land 5'10 Jr Angelo Johnson from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'6 Jr Demar Derozan from Compton (H.S.) CA and 6'0 Jr Percy Miller from Beverly Hills (H.S.) CA.  Apparently the USC coaching staff had already been told by Johnson that he planned to follow in the footsteps of his high school team - 6'11 Mamadou Diarra from Simi Valley (Stoneridge) CA, who also recently verbally committed to the Trojans, and yesterday Derozan and Miller both verbally committed to USC on their on-campus visit.  Johnson is a strong physical point guard who in some ways reminds us North Carolina's 6'0 Tywon Lawson.  He's also ranked #8 on our List of 5th Years Players and was the highest ranked player on that list still available (Johnson is a junior academically, but he's actually in his 10th semester of high school, which for our purposes, makes him a 5th Year Player).  However, there also is some talk that with a lot of hard work and summer school that Johnson may be able to make up enough ground academically in order to enroll at USC this fall.  Derozan, who is ranked #19 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is a ridiculous athlete and, as a result, should be the perfect complement to 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who is an excellent outside shooter and a very skilled/smart player and also is apart of this recruiting class, out on the perimeter.  Miller hasn't physically developed like the rest of these guys, but he always gives you great effort, has excellent speed and quickness, and is a good outside shooter, which should make him an excellent role player for the Trojans.  Our Texas Editor Tim Miller tells us that the University of Maryland has signed 6'5 Cliff Tucker from El Paso (Chapin) TX, who is ranked #129 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and was the 6th highest ranked senior still available, behind 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, 6'1 Courtney Fortson from Montgomery (Jefferson Davis) AL, 6'11 Teeng Akol from Centereach (Our Savior New American) NY, and 6'5 D.J. Kennedy from Pittsburgh (Schenley) PA.  "Tucker is long and rangy, has great athleticism, penetrates and shoots it well, and is a great ball handler for size," says Miller.  "And, now that he's focusing on just one sport, the sky's the limit.  He does need to get meaner and tougher, but he's got the potential to be a taller version of  Juan Dixon."  Miller also think Tucker should move way up when we do our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2007, which means he's a major steal, as well as an excellent addition to a recruiting class that also already includes 6'8 Braxton Dupree from Towson (Calvert Hall) MD, 6'9 Shane Walker from Alexandria (Bishop Ireton) VA, 6'3, Adrian Bowie from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, and 6'7 Dino Gregory from Baltimore (Mt. St. Joseph) MD and is tied at #33, along with Cincinnati, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  We also have confirmed that 6'0 Brandon Tunnell from Wilmington (Concord) DE has signed with Hampton.  And this appears to be another excellent catch for the Pirates, because Tunnell is ranked #384 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, averaged 21.9 and 7.0 apg this past season, and has the ability to both run a team and beat you with his mid-range game and outside shooting.  Tunnell also should be the perfect complement to 6'9 Donte Harrison from Sullivan (JC) NY, 6'0 Chris Tolson from Laurel (H.S.) MD, 6'3 Kwame Morgan from Largo (H.S.) MD, and 6'11 Milade Lola-Charles from Laurel (H.S.) MD, all of whom are already apart of Hampton's recruiting class, which is now tied at #56, along with Miami-FL, Illinois, and Kent State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  It also looks like the College of Charleston has added two more recruits in 6'7 Jr Antwaine Wiggins from Greenville (H.S.) TN, who is ranked  #445 nationally and #7 in the state by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'2 Donovan Monroe from Fork Union (Military) VA, who is ranked #95 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players.  Wiggins needs to get bigger and stronger physically, but he's active on the boards, runs the court well, and is great defensively, as he's got an incredible wing span and is quick enough to guard smaller guards.  Monroe is a strong physical athletic combo guard with a good mid-range game and the ability to play either guard spot.  So, when add these two players to the other four players - 6'8 Dustin Scott from Tallahassee (JC) FL, who is the #1-ranked player in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, 6'7 Jeremy Simmons from Tucker (H.S.) GA, 6'1 from Oyster Bay (St. Dominic's) NY, and 6'1 Andrew Goudalock from Stone Mountain (H.S.) GA - who Cougars already had in the fold, it's easy to see why we now have the College of Charleston's recruiting class ranked #30 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  It also looks like IUPUI has replaced 6'5 Antiquan Beckham from Louisville (Ballard) KY, who now is expected to go the prep school route, with 6'7 Christian Siakam from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH in their current recruiting class, which is now tied at #97, along with Louisiana-Monroe, Delaware, Southern Illinois, Eastern Carolina, and Wisconsin-Green Bay, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 6'5 LeRoy Nobles from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, 5'9 Adrian Moss from Franklin (H.S.) IN, and 6'3 John Ashworth from Indianapolis (Franklin Central) IN.  "Christian's upside is enormous," said IUPUI head coach Ron Hunter in yesterday's official press release.  "He's an exceptional athlete at 6'7 and has played against some really good competition.  He's a work horse in the paint, especially off the offensive glass.  He'll immediately make us a tougher team on the interior, because plays with a nasty streak."  We also have confirmed that Charleston Southern has landed four players this spring in 5'11 JaMarco Warren from Gainesville (H.S.) GA, 6'1 Tovi Bailey from Villa Rica (H.S.) GA, 6'5 Omar Carter from Charlotte (Christian) NC, and 6'4 Austin Johnson from Goldsboro (Charish Prep) NC.  The big prize here is Warren, who is ranked #360 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is a floor general good enough to also be receiving interest from schools like Florida State and Central Florida.  Bailey is an athletic combo guard with a quick first step and the versatility necessary to average 25.0 ppg, 8.0 app, and 7.0 rpg.   Carter is an athletic combo forward with the ability to create match-up problems with versatility and ability to score inside, outside, and from mid-range.  Johnson is a prolific scoring 2-guard who can shoot the lights out, as is evident by the fact that he shot 53% for 3-point land this past season.  We also have confirmed some more junior college signings and commitments, including 6'2 Robert Palacios from Indian Hills (JC) IA to Northern Colorado, 6'9 Brian Marks from Dodge City (JC) KS to Central Arkansas, 6'4 John Fowler from Mineral Area (JC) MO to Arkansas-Little Rock, 7'0 Tom Jones from Bevill State (JC) AL to Troy, 6'7 Ed Jones from Butler County (JC) KS to North Carolina A&T, 6'8 Kevin Ford from Southern Idaho (JC) ID to Ball State, 6'0 Tyler Kepkay from Eastern Utah (JC) UT to Utah, and 5'11 Ed Berrios from Chipola (JC) FL and 6'7 Reggie Huffman from Western Oklahoma (JC) OK to UAB.  The commitments by Huffman, who is ranked #18 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, and Berrios, who was the floor general on a 33-3 team that advanced all the way to the National Junior College Athletic Association title game, are especially noteworthy, because they move UAB's recruiting class, which also includes 7'0 Keenan Ellis from Aston (American Christian) PA and 5'7 Aaron Johnson from Chicago (Hubbard) IL, into a tied at #50, along with Rutgers and Charlotte, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Blazers head coach Mike Davis also has 6'5 Jr Robert Vaden, who transferred from Indiana, 6'9 Soph Walter Sharpe, who transferred from Mississippi State, and 6'4 Jr Channey Toney, who transferred from Georgia, waiting in the wings and four of his top six players - 6'2 Jr Paul Delaney, 6'8 Soph Lawrence Kinnard, 6'9 Jr Frank Holmes, and 6'10 Frosh Jeremy Mayfield - expected to return next year.  We also want to mention that Kepkay was the leading scorer in the junior college ranks this past season with 27.9 ppg and that Ford, who is ranked #35 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, is following in the footsteps Cardinals assistant coach Steve Flint, who used to be an assistant coach at Southern Idaho (JC) ID. 

The early turns are in after the first couple of days of the Spring Signing Period and there are two major changes since our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes from the Fall Signing Period.  The first involves LSU, as their recruiting class moves up from being tied at #32 last fall to #4 this spring, thanks to the additions of 6'3 Marcus Thornton from Kilgore (JC) TX, who is ranked #8 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, and 6'1 Bo Spencer from Baton Rouge (Glen Oaks) LA, who is a sleeper point guard from right out of their own backyard.  If you will recall, last fall the Tigers also landed 6'10 Anthony Randolph from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX, who is ranked #17 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'9 Quinton Thornton from Odessa (JC) TX, who is ranked #12 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com; 6'7 D.J. Wright from Toronto (Tapps) ON, who is one of the best 3-point shooters in the prep school ranks; and 6'9 Garrett Green from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, who promises to be a solid role player.  The other involves Kansas State, whose recruiting class was ranked #4 last fall, but has dropped into a tie #35, along with Gonzaga and Wichita State, on our current list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 due to fact that 6'6 Billy Walker from Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH no longer counts with their recruiting class.  Remember, Walker enrolled at Kansas State at the being of the second semester and played in seven games last season before being sidelined the remainder of the year with a torn ACL.  The big winner last fall was Indiana, which landed six players - 6'3 Eric Gordon from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'5 Jamarcus Ellis from Chipola (JC) FL, 6'8 Brandon McGee from Chicago (Crane) IL, 6'10 Eli Holman from Richmond (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Eshaunte Jones from Ft. Wayne (North Side) IN, and 6'4 Jordan Crawford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA - despite the fact Hoosier head coach Kelvin Sampson couldn't be on the road to recruit or make phone calls to potential recruits due to NCAA violations that dated back to his days at the University of Oklahoma.   And, when they also signed 6'9 DeAndre Thomas from Chipola (JC) FL, who is ranked #7 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, a couple of days ago, that number officially became seven.  Actually Thomas verbally committed to Indiana at the end of conclusion of the Fall Signing Period, but this commitment fell under the radar screen due to the fact that he never signed a binding National Letter-of-Intent with the Hoosiers.  Jones also has not yet signed a National Letter-of-Intent due to the fact that he plans to go the prep school route next year.  However, it's always been the editorial policy of the HOOP SCOOP to count players who are committed, as well as signed, when ranking recruiting classes due to the fact that a lot of times players we don't expect to make it academically end up surprising us at the end.  But, even without Jones, Indiana's recruiting class is still clearly #1 on the list ahead of USC and Syracuse, which check in at #2 and #3 on our list.  We don't expect USC to sign anybody else in the senior class this spring, as they recently landed the final piece to this year's puzzle when they added 6'11 Mamadou Diarra from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA to a recruiting class that already included 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 6'8 Devon Jefferson from Venice, CA, 6'6 Leonard Washington from Lake Charles (Washington Marion) LA, and 6'5 Marcus Simmons from Alexandria (Peabody) LA.  Instead, it appears the Southern Cal coaching staff is hunting big fish in the junior class, as they already have an early verbal commitment from 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, appear to be on the verge of getting verbal commitments from 5'10 Jr Angelo Johnson from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'6 Jr Demar Derozan from Compton (H.S.) CA and 6'0 Jr Percy Miller from Beverly Hills (H.S.) CA and are still among the leaders for 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, both of whom are ranked among the top five juniors in the nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  In other words, if everything falls right for the Trojans, they could have an even better recruiting class next year than they did this year.  We also think it's important to point out that Nebraska's recruiting class, which already included 5'11 Steve Harley from South Plains (JC) TX, 6'3 Rishawn Norwood from Mt. San Antonio (JC) CA, 6'9 Shang Ping from Illinois Central (JC) IL, 6'10 Alex Chapman from  Sheridan (JC) WY, 6'8 Alonzo Edwards from Houston (Klein Forest) TX, 5'8 Josh Miller from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, and 6'0 Brandon Richardson from Hawthorne (H.S.) CA, has moved up to #5 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 with the addition this spring of 6'5 Ade Dagunduro from Antelope Valley (JC) CA.  And Florida, which checks in at #6 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007, has four players currently in the fold in 6'4 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'8 Chandler Parsons from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'7 Alex Tyus from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, and 6'6 Adam Allen from Milton (H.S.) FL.  However, Florida's recruiting class could move all the way up to #2 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007, if they also get 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV and 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX.  And, if they pull this off, this really would be a "Fab Five" recruiting class, as we currently have Calathes ranked #11, Patterson #15, and Lucas #34 in the senior class nationally, Tyus ranked #2 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players, and Parsons, who is one of the fastest rising players in the senior class nationally, was the was the one player that we voted for on our final McDonald's All-American Team ballot who was not named to the team.  We also find it interesting that among our top 50-ranked recruiting classes, the Big East Conference (Syracuse, DePaul, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Georgetown, St. John's, and Rutgers) and Big-12 Conference (Nebraska, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Kansas) both account for nine schools apiece; the Atlantic Coast Conference (Duke, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Boston College, and Georgia Tech) accounts for six schools; and the Big-10 Conference (Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, and Michigan) and the Southeastern Conference (LSU, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi) both account for five schools apiece; and the Pacific-10 Conference (USC, Arizona, Washington, and Arizona State) accounts for four schools on this list.  That mean's that 38 of the top 50-ranked recruiting classes belong to schools in the top six conferences in college basketball and the next conference on the list is Conference USA with four schools in Memphis, SMU, Houston, and UTEP.  Moral to the story, they can talk about parity all they want, but, truth be told, the rich continue to get richer in college basketball. 

With only five of our our top 100-ranked seniors still on the board at the beginning of the week, we didn't expect anything earth shattering to happen yesterday, which was the first day of the Spring Signing Period.  So, it comes as no surprise that we lead off with what our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has told us about Michigan State making a shocking turnaround with regards to the recruitment of 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, who is currently ranked #3 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  If you will recall, a month ago Johnson told us that Roe was a near lock for North Carolina, but now it looks like staying close to home so that his family can see him play and the fact that his former AAU teammate - 6'7 Frosh Raymar Morgan,who had a great freshman year at Michigan State, have become important parts of the equation.  Apparently the press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17th, and right now it looks like it's too close to call among between North Carolina and Michigan State for Roe, who is one of our favorite players in the junior class nationally, thanks to his work ethic, defense, athleticism, and ability to dominate around the basket with his long arms, timing and quickness, excellent rebounding skills, and assortment of offensive moves.  Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter tells us that 7'1 Boubacar Sylla from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA has committed to Auburn; 6'4 Donnell Beverly from Lawndale (Leuzinger) CA has become the first player in Connecticut's current recruiting class; 6'3 Isaiah Jenkins from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA has picked Loyola-Marymount; 6'5 Ade Dagunduro from Antelope Valley (JC) CA will be following in the footsteps of his older brother, Olu Dagundro, who was a defensive lineman for the Cornhuskers, to Nebraska; and 6'4 B.J. Porter from Layton (Christian) UT, 6'9 Kramer Knutson from Mesa (Dobson) AZ, and 6'4 Nik Raivio from Santa Rosa (JC) CA are all heading to the University of Portland.  Actually we heard about the verbal commitment by Sylla to Auburn last week, but it got lost in the shuffle upon returning from the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, GA and getting ready to go the Las Vegas Easter Classic in Las Vegas, NV.  However, it's still important, because at 7'1, 250-pound, Sylla runs the court extremely well, has excellent athleticism, and unlimited to potential.  He also will give Tigers head coach Jeff Lebo the aircraft carrier inside, as he currently only has one player in the program who is 6'9 or bigger and 6'9 Frosh Matt Heramb averaged only 7.3 minutes per game this past season.  Beverly is a poor man's version of 6'4 James Harden from Lakewood (Artesia) CA and Jenkins is a good catch for the Lions, because he is a local kid and has the slashing ability and athleticism necessary to make an immediate impact at the mid-major level.  Dagunduro is versatile enough to do a little bit of everything, as is evident by the fact that he averaged 17.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, and 2.5 spg on a 31-7 team this past season.  But what makes this really interesting is the fact that the addition of Dagunduro moves Nebraska's recruiting class, which also already includes 5'11 Steve Harley from South Plains (JC) TX, 6'3 Rishawn Norwood from Mt. San Antonio (JC) CA, 6'9  Shang Ping from Illinois Central (JC) IL, 6'10 Alex Chapman from Sheridan (JC) WY, 6'8 Alonzo Edwards from Houston (Klein Forest) TX, 5'8 Josh Miller from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, and 6'0 Brandon Richardson form Hawthorne (H.S.) CA, up to #5 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And the addition of Porter, Knutson, and Raivio move Portland's recruiting class, which also already includes 6'8 Luke Sikma from Bellevue (H.S.) WA, 6'11 Jasonn Hannibal from Mississauga (Port Credit Secondary School) ON, and 6'2 Jared Stohl from Marysville (Pilchuck) WA, into a tie at #74, along with Central Connecticut State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  We also have confirmed that 6'4 Kashif Pratt is transferring from Seton Hall to Iona and 6'1 Bo Spencer from Baton Rouge (Glen Oaks) LA has signed with LSU, which means the the Tigers now have the #4-ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  If you will recall, we told you several days ago that LSU also had landed 6'3 Marcus Thornton from Kilgore (JC) TX, who is ranked #8 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, and last fall they signed 6'10 Anthony Randoph from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX, 6'3 Quinton Thornton from Odessa (JC) TX, 6'7 D.J. Wright from Toronto (Tapps) ON, and 6'9 Garrett Green from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA.  As for Spencer, he's a sleeper from right out their own backyard and the word we get is that's he's good enough to step in next year and help solve their point guard problems.  Pratt, who was ranked #412 in our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2006, won't count towards Iona's recruiting class, because we don't include transfers when ranking recruiting classes.  But Pratt is still a great catch, because he's originally from New York (Rice) NY, which is one of the top high school programs in both the city and the country, and is a multi-dimensional athlete who can create his own shot, score in transition, rebound well for his size, and play excellent defense. 

Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that 6'9 Djibril Coulibaly from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL has signed with Manhattan and this is a good catch for Jaspers head coach Barry Rohrssen for several reasons.  First, Coulibaly is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker and has an incredible work ethic, which means he has a chance to walk in and make an immediate impact next year, as size and toughness inside are at a premium in the Metro Atlantic Conference.  Second, Coulibaly is originally from Mali, but he played for Naclerio at Bayside (Cardozo) NY, which makes him a New York City kid, prior to going the prep school route this past season.  Third, Coulibaly is still only just beginning to scratch the surface in terms of his potential and, as a result, the sky's the limit with regards to where he may be two or three year from now.  Another guy who has only just begun to scratch the surface is 6'9 Donte Harrison from Sullivan (JC) NY, who signed yesterday with Hampton.  We're talking about somebody who has only been playing organized basketball for two years, but averaged 12.6 ppg, 11.5 rpg, and 4.5 bpg and led his teams to a 32-0 Division III National Championship in the junior college ranks.  Harrison also has the athleticism and ability to block shots and finish necessary to walk-in and immediately be one of the best players in the league next year, as well as the perfect complement to all of the good young players, like 6'8 Frosh Mike Freeman, 6'8 Frosh Matt Pilgrim, 6'3 Soph Demario Mattox, and 6'1 Vincent Simpson, that the Pirates already have in the program and this year's recruiting class, which already includes 6'0 Chris Tolson from Laurel (H.S.) MD, 6'3 Kwame Morgan from Largo (H.S.) MD, and 6'11 Milade Lola-Charles from Laurel (H.S.) MD.  In other words, it looks like Hampton head coach Kevin Nickelberry and his staff are turning the program around in a hurry.   We also have confirmed that New Orleans has landed 6'7 Joseph Fulce from Woodstock (Massanutten Military) VA, who originally signed with Texas A&M a year ago and is now ranked #22 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players.  And this is important, because Pirates head coach Buzz Williams is doing a great job of stocking up on 5th Year and junior college players, as he also signed 6'7 Troy Mathis from Lon Morris (JC) TX, who is ranked #28 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, last fall and also already has  6'8 Jairo Mendoza from Miami-Dade (JC) FL, 6'6 Tristan Worrell from Angelina (JC) TX, and 6'4 Kyndall Dykes from Navarro (JC) TX in the fold this spring.  Our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein tells us that 6'2 Greg Hill from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, who is the best shooter still available in the New England Prep School ranks, has become the fourth player from the SYF Players AAU team to sign with Purdue in this year's recruiting class.  The others are 6'3 E'Twaun Moore from East Chicago (Central) IN, 6'8 Scott Martin from Valparaiso (H.S.) IN, and 6'8 Robbie Hummel from Valparaiso (H.S.) IN, and, when one also adds 6'10 JaJuan Johnson from  Indianapolis (Franklin Central) IN into the equation, it's easy to see why the Boilermakers now have the #13-ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  Fingelstein also tells us that New Hampshire has landed 6'1 Alvin Abreu from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL and 6'8 Dane DiLefro from Worcester (Academy) MA.  And, in both cases, Fingelstein thinks the Wildcats have landed somebody who can help them right away.  DiLegro is tough inside and can score around the basket and Abreu is a sharp shooting combo guard with an excellent body and the ability to put up prolific numbers.  Our Tennessee Correspondent Andre Whitehead tells us that 6'6 Josh Sain from Jackson (Liberty Tech) TN, who is ranked #3 in the state's senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has signed with Middle Tennessee State.  And this is huge, because suddenly the Blue Raiders have a recruiting class, which also already includes 6'8 Uriah Hethington from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL, 5'10 Broderick Gilchrist from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, 6'4 Antwuan Boyd from Anderson (H.S.) IN, 6'8 Keith Dodd from Cleveland (Bradley-Central) TN, and 6'4 Dexter Powell from Wabash Valley (JC) IL, that is tied at #32, along with South Carolina, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007. 

Already this spring Texas' 6'10 Frosh Kevin Durant, Kansas' 6'8 Soph Julian Wright, UCLA's 6'5 Jr Arron Afflalo, LSU's 6'9 Jr Glen Davis, Duke's 6'10 Soph Josh McRoberts, Arizona's 6'7 Soph Marcus Williams, Washington's 7'0 Frosh Spencer Hawes, and Florida's 6'9 Jr Corey Brewer, 6'10 Jr Al Horford, 6'11 Jr Joakim Noah, and 6'0 Jr Taurean Green all have announced the intention to enter the NBA Draft and yesterday North Carolina's 6'9 Soph Tyler Hansbrough and 6'0 Frosh Tywon Lawson both announced that they will to return to college next year.  We also suspect that Kansas' 6'6 Soph Brandon Rush, Connecticut's 7'2 Frosh Hasheem Thabeet, and 7'0 Frosh Greg Oden, 6'1 Frosh Michael Conley, and 6'5 Frosh Daequan Cook will be among those who soon will announce that they won't return to college for another year.  And all this is important, because it gives us a really good feel for what the landscape is going to be college basketball next season.  We had planned to rank UCLA, which will be anchored inside by our #1-ranked high school senior 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, as our pre-season #1-ranked team next year.  But, with Afflalo leaving (he tested the waters a year ago, so he can't come back) UCLA and Hansbrough and Lawson both electing to return to North Carolina, we've changed our mind.  However, any way you slice it, those should be the two best teams in college basketball next year, followed by 3) Memphis, 4) Kansas, 5) Georgetown, 6) Louisville, 7) Michigan State, 8) Duke, 9) Georgia Tech, 10) USC, 11) Indiana, 12) Oregon, 13) Connecticut, 14) Texas, 15) Marquette, 16) Tennessee, 17) Gonzaga, 18) New Mexico State, 19) Washington State, and 20) Providence.  Remember, Memphis should have everybody back from a 33-4 team that advanced all they to the Elite Eight, plus 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, who was the best point guard in the high school ranks this year.  Kansas went two deep at every position this past season and the additions of 7'0 Cole Aldrich from Bloomington (Jefferson) MN and 6'2 Tyrell Reed from Burlington (H.S.) KS should help offset whatever defections they have to the NBA this spring.  Georgetown may lose 7'2 Jr Roy Hibbert and 6'9 Jr Jeff Green to the NBA Draft this spring, but 6'9 Frosh Vernon Macklin is right on schedule in terms of growing into the center position and the backcourt should be dramatically improved with the addition of 6'5 Austin Freeman from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and 6'0 Chris Wright from Washington (St. John's) DC, who promise to be two of the best freshmen in the league next year.  Everybody except 6'3 Sr Brandon Jenkins, will back for Louisville next year, but the big key for the Cardinals will be an added year of experience for their four freshmen - 6'9 Frosh Derrick Caracter, 6'1 Frosh Edgar Sosa, 6'1 Frosh Jerry Smith, and 6'8 Frosh Earl Clark, who combined to average 32.4 ppg this past season.  Everybody will be back from Michigan State's 23-12 team, plus the Spartans will go to war next year with three terrific freshmen in 6'4 Durrell Summers from Redford (Covenant Christian) MI, 6'4 Chris Allen from Lawrenceville (Meadowcreek) GA, and 6'1 Kalin Lucas from Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI.  Duke was a major disappointment this past season with a 22-11 record, but an added year of experience, better team chemistry and three more McDonald's All-Americans in 6'9 Kyle Singler from Medford (South Medford) OR, 6'7 Taylor King from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, and 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA should make a big difference.    Georgia Tech already had one of the best one-two-three punches in the league with 6'5 Frosh Javaris Crittenton, 6'8 Frosh Thaddeus Young, and 6'3 Soph Lewis Clinch, but now they have the monster inside - Gani Lawal from Norcross (H.S.) GA - necessary to be a top 10 team in the nation next year.  We're assuming that 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV and 6'8 Davon Jefferson from Venice, CA both show up and are eligible next season at USC.  And, if they do, the Trojans should be even better than they were this year when they went 25-12 and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.  If 6'9 Jr D.J. White goes pro, Indiana will lose its top three scorers from a 21-11 team.  But it still doesn't matter, because the Hoosiers have the #1-ranked recruiting class in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP and their star recruit - 6'3 Eric Gordon from Indianapolis (North Central) IN - promises to be one of the best players in college basketball the minute he steps on campus.  Oregon loses 6'0 Sr Aaron Brooks, but everybody else will be back and 6'7 Drew Viney from Villa Park (H.S.) CA and 6'3 Kamyron Brown from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA will add valuable depth.  Connecticut didn't live up to expectations this past season, but all of those freshman and sophomores will become sophomores and junior next season.  Texas loses Kevin Durant, but the other four starters - 5'10 Soph A.J. Abrams, 5'11 Frosh D.J. Augustin, 6'3 Frosh Justin Mason, and 6'8 Frosh Damion James - return and three of their recruits - 6'7 Gary Johnson from Houston (Aldine) TX, 6'10 Clint Chapman from Camby (H.S.) OR, and 6'8 Alexis Wangmene from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ - will provide even more valuable depth.  Great guards win at the college level and Marquette should once again have three of them in 5'11 Soph Dominic James, 6'3 Soph Jerel McNeal, and 6'5 Soph Wesley Matthews.  Tennessee's offense once again will be built around 6'2 Jr Chris Lofton, but 6'2 Jr JaJuan Smith, 6'2 Frosh Ramar Smith, 6'9 Frosh Wayne Chism, and 6'7 Frosh Duke Crews make this the team to beat in the Southeastern Conference next year.  Gonzaga has recruited like a high major program for years and they have 6'10 Austin Daye from Irvine (Woodbridge) CA, who is potentially the best player in the history of the school, in this year's recruiting class.  New Mexico State should once again be the best team in the league next year with 6'5 Jr Justin Hawkins, 7'0 Jr Martin Iti, 6'9 Jr Tyrone Nelson, 6'4 Fred Peete, and 6'9 Jr Hatila Passos all back for their senior season.  Nobody did more with less talent this past season than first-year Washington State head coach Tony Bennett and 6'5 Jr Kyle Weaver, 6'1 Jr Derrick Low, 6'10 Jr Robbie Cowgill, and 6'10 Soph Aron Baynes will all be back for a third straight year in the starting lineup.  Providence is a great sleeper for the top 20, as just about everybody is back from this past year's 18-13 team and 6'6 Jermaine Peterson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who is ranked #3 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players, is an absolute steal. 

HOOP SCOOP Associate Editor Patrick Stanwood tells us that Billy Gillispie has gotten his first commitment as head coach of the Wildcats.  And it's an early one, as 6'1 Soph G.J. Vilarino from McKinney (H.S.) TX has made it official for the Wildcats.  Vilarino needs to getting bigger and stronger physically, but he's ranked #20 in sophomore class, has the ball handling and passing skills necessary to run a team, and can flat out shoot the lights out.  He also has the speed, quickness, and athleticism necessary to thrive in an up tempo system, which is the style of play that Gillispie has said that he plans to utilize at Kentucky.  So obviously this is a great start for the Gillispie, who has had the head coaching job at Kentucky for only four days.  But it doesn't come as much of a surprise, because Vilarino's father told us in January that his son was close to make an early verbal commitment to Texas A&M, which means this is a classic illustration of just how good a recruiter Gillispie really is and how much he personally is involved in the recruiting process himself.  As a matter of fact, one college coach told us over the weekend that Gillispie, who is single, is the perfect coach for the Wildcats, because he's a tireless worker and, as a result, can be married to the job.  And don't be surprised if a number of other players from the Lone Star state end up following in Vilarino's footsteps.  And right at the top of the list is 6'11 DeAndre Jordan from Humble (Christian Life) TX, who already is rumored to be attempting to get out of the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed last fall with Aggies and go to Kentucky.  However, if new Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon, who is supposed to be bringing most of his staff with him from Wichita State, is able to convince Alvin Brooks to stay at Texas A&M, instead of following Gillispie to Kentucky, then Jordan may be stay put.  And this is important, because Brooks, who was the head coach at the University of Houston from 1993 to 1998, was the one primarily responsible for getting Jordan to sign with the Aggies last fall.  We've also already have told you that we think Kentucky is now the leader for 6'3 Jr Willie Warren from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX, who is one of the top five juniors nationally, and our Texas Editor Tim Miller also thinks the Wildcats are now the team you have to beat for 6'0 Frosh K.C. Ross-Miller from Irving (God's Academy) TX and 6'6 Soph Shawn Williams from Duncanville (H.S.) TX.  Did you know that Williams' mother is originally from Louisville, KY and that the Kentucky is now the leader over schools like Indiana, Arizona, Illinois, Baylor, Texas, and Cincinnati for Ross-Miller's services?  And Miller should now about Ross-Miller, because he's both his son and his coach.  And, if that was enough, Miller also is telling us that Kentucky and Florida now appear to be the two favorites for 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, who is ranked #34 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the second highest ranked senior still available.  Moral to the story, it looks like Gillispie is going to recruit in Texas just as hard now at Kentucky as he did when he was at Texas A&M.  Miller also tells us that 6'8 Jr Will Brown from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX, who is ranked #67 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, made an early verbal commitment to UTEP late last week.  And we think this is a major coup for Miners head coach Tony Barbee and his staff, because Brown is a good good athlete and physical specimen, excellent rebounder and shot blocker, has a huge upside, and is still growing.  He also should be an excellent complement a year-and-a-half from now to UTEP's current recruiting class, which includes 6'8 Manuel Cass from South Kent (Prep) CT, 5'10 Randy Culpepper from Memphis (Sheffield) TN, 6'11 Claude Britten from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, and 6'8 Wayne Portolatin from Lenoir (The Patterson School) NC and is tied at #39, along with Oklahoma and LSU, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  In other words, it looks like the Miners are loading up with front court players. 

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin has confirmed that 6'2 Jr Michael Rosario from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ has verbally committed to Rutgers.  And this is an excellent catch for a number of reasons.  First, Rosario is an excellent player, as is evident by the fact that he is ranked #58 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Second, Rosario is deceptively athletic, is an excellent 3-point shooter, is good in both a half-court setting and in transition, and knows how to play tough hardnosed defense, which makes him ideally suited to complement 6'1 Corey Chandler from Newark (East Side) NJ, who is the star player in this year's recruiting class.  Third, Rosario is a home grown kid, which is important as the Scarlet Knights attempt to lock up all of the top players in North Jersey.  Fourth, getting somebody out of the St. Anthony's program is important in terms of establishing a pipeline into one of the top high school programs for years to come and Rutgers assistant Darren Savino obviously deserves at least some of the credit for helping get this one done, because he played at St. Anthony's on those great teams in the late 80's that featured Bobby Hurley, Jerry Walker, Terry Dehere, and Roderick Rhodes.  Fifth, the addition of Rosario will help ensure that the Scarlet Knights have one of the deepest backcourts in the Big East for years to come, as 6'1 Soph Anthony Farmer and 6'1 Soph Courtney Nelson both will be around for two more years and their current recruiting class includes Chandler, 6'5 Earl Pettis from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'0 Mike Coburn from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, and 6'4 Justin Sofman from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT. So now Rutgers head coach Fred Hill and his staff can start focusing exclusively on front court players, as they attempt to turn things around in a hurry.  We also have confirmed that Mount St. Mary's has landed Shawn Atupem from Newport News (Woodside) VA.  And this too is a good catch, because Atupen, who is the younger brother of current Mount St. Mary's center Sam Atupem, is an athletic combo forward with long arms, good ball skills, excellent foot speed, and the ability to lock his man up defensively.  And, if the younger Atupem turns out to be as good as his older brother, then Mount St. Mary's head coach Milan Brown will have added another important piece to the puzzle.  Not only has the older Atupem been a two-year starter for the Mountaineers, but he also was the Freshman-of-the-Year in the league during the 2005-2006 season.  The addition of Atupem also moves Mount St. Mary's recruiting class, which also includes 6'8 Marlon Cribbs from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and 6'7 Daniel Thompson from Springdale (C.H. Flowers) MD, up to #4 in the league, behind Central Connecticut, Wagner, and Quinnipiac and ahead of Fairleigh Dickinson, Robert Morris, and Monmouth.  One that really surprised us was the verbal commitment that 6'2 Preston Knowles from Winchester (Clark County) KY made to the University of Louisville yesterday.  Knowles, who also was receiving interest from schools like Virginia Commonwealth, LSU, South Alabama, and Miami-OH, is a great 3-point shooter, as is evident by the fact that he made 236 3-point shots this past season.  He also was impressive in the state tournament, but, with 6'11 Jr David Padgett, 6'8 Jr Juan Diego Palacios, 6'10 Jr Terrance Farley, 6'6 Soph Terrence Williams, 5'11 Soph Andre McGee, 7'0 Soph Jonathan Huffman, 6'9 Frosh Derrick Caracter, 6'8 Frosh Earl Clark, 6'2 Frosh Edgar Sosa, and 6'3 Frosh Jerry Smith all currently in the program; 7'1 Clarence Hollway from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL, 6'9 George Goode from Raytown (South) MO, and 6'2 Preston Knowles from Winchester (Clark County) KY in this year's recruiting class; and 6'4 Jr Melquan Bolding from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY and 7'0 Jr Jeff Withey from San Diego (Horizon) CA already in next year's recruiting class; the Cardinals currently don't have any more scholarships available this year and only have one more scholarship available for next year.  So, even if several players transfer (i.e. Jonathan Huffman) or declare for the NBA Draft (i.e. Derrick Caracter) either this year or next year, this could be a scholarship that they might be able to put to better use down the road.  We wouldn't be surprised if 6'9 Jr Yancy Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH, who is ranked #14 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, picks Cincinnati over Ohio State sooner than later and our Washington, DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia Editor Dennis Marshall thinks 7'0 Anthony McClain from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD will opt for either Cincinnati or Connecticut and 6'0 Jeff Peterson from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD will pick from among Saint Louis, Xavier, Iowa, or Princeton.

Oklahoma State could finish with another top five-ranked recruiting class if everything falls right this spring (two years ago Oklahoma State finished with the #1 one recruiting class by the HOOP SCOOP).  Currently we have the Cowboys' recruiting class, which already includes 6'11 Irahima Thomas from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'5 James Anderson from Junction City (H.S.) AR, 6'8 Montavious Adams from Irwington County) GA, 6'5 Nick Sidorakis from Tulsa (Jenks) OK, and 6'6 Marshall Moses from Marshville (Forest Hills) NC, tied at #41, along with Mississippi, Oklahoma State, and Boston College, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  But, if 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX decides to follow in his brother's footsteps and they also land 6'5 Brad Garrett from Southern Idaho (JC) ID and 6'7 Anthony Brown from Carl Albert (JC) OK, then this would be one of the biggest stories of the entire spring.  Garrett, who was one of the best 3-point shooters in the junior college ranks this past year, also is being recruited by schools like Kansas, Brigham Young, Illinois, USC, UNLV, and Oregon and Brown, who averaged 22 ppg and was one of the best scoring big men in the junior college ranks this past season, thanks to his athletic, agility, and soft touch around the basket, also has been drawing interest from schools like Kansas State, Nevada, Oral Roberts, and Duquesne.  Some other junior college commitments that we've run across recently include 7'0 David Collins from Missouri State-West Plains (JC) MO to Bradley, 5'9 Desmond Stephens from Southeastern Illinois (JC) IL to Utah State, 6'3 Matt Miller from Navarro (JC) TX to Texas Southern, 6'4 Kyndall Dykes from Navarro (JC) TX to New Orleans, 6'6 Tristan Worrell from Angelina (JC) TX to New Orleans, 6'6 Alex White from Cochise (JC) AZ to Drake, 6'6 Devidas Petravicius from Jacksonville (JC) TX to Northwestern State, 5'11 Freddy Little from Miami-Dade (JC) FL to UNC-Wilmington, 6'10 Frane Markusovic from Collin County (JC) KS to American University, 6'4 Quincy Sarpy from Collin County (JC) KS to Gardner-Webb, 6'4 Dexter Powell from Wabash Valley (JC) IL to Middle Tennessee State, and 610 Desmond Hendrix from Wabash Valley (JC) IL to Wyoming.  That last one is especially significant, because Hendrix, who originally committed to LSU, but later reneged last fall, was one of the best big men in the junior college ranks this past season.  The commitment by Powell also is worth mentioning, because his addition moves the Raiders' recruiting class, which also includes 6'8 Uriah Hethington from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL, 5'10 Broderick Gilchrist from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, 6'4 Antwuan Boyd from Anderson from Anderson (H.S.) IN, and 6'8 Keith Dodd from Cleveland (Bradley-Central) TN, up to #48 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And what about 7'0 David Collins from Missouri State-West Plains (JC) MO, who is ranked #76 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com picking the Braves?  Not only are we talking about the somebody with the size that every school at the mid-major level covets, but also what appears to be the final piece in a recruiting class that already includes 6'4 DeAaron Williams from Illinois Central (JC) IL, 5'11 Tyrone Cole-Scott from Tyler (JC) TX, 6'2 Dwight Buycks from Milwaukee (Bay View) WI, 6'10 Anthony Thompson from Houston (Klein Forest) TX, 6'1 Sam Maniscalco from Chicago (St. Patrick) IL, and 6'9 Will Egolf from Juneau (Douglas) AK and is tied at #18, along with SMU, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.   It also appears that LSU had landed 6'3 Marcus Thornton from Kilgore (JC) TX, who is ranked #8 in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, averaged 26.6 ppg and 6.1 rpg this past season, and had been recruited by schools like Kansas, Kansas State, Connecticut, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Maryland, Florida, Oklahoma, and Illinois.  And this is huge, because the addition of Thornton moves LSU's recruiting class, which also includes 6'10 Anthony Randolph from Dallas (Woodrow (Wilson) TX, 6'9 Quinton Thornton from Odessa (JC) TX, 6'7 D.J. Wright from Toronto (Tapps) ON, and 6'9 Garrett Green from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, into a tie at #5, along with Arizona, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.   Did you also know that 6'8 Dustin Scott from Tallahassee (JC) FL, who is the #1-ranked player in the junior college ranks by Juco Junction.com, verbally committed last week to the College of Charleston?  Neither did we until we started cross-checking the junior college commitments that we already had against those on the Juco Junction.com wen site.  So obviously the Cougars, which also just got a verbal commitment from 6'7 Jeremy Simmons from Tucker (H.S.) GA, are cleaning up this spring.  As a matter of fact, our Georgia Editor Horace Neysmith thinks Simmons is a 6'7 athletic combo forward with a great upside.  "He also was a key player in Tucker High School's run to the 4A State Championship," says Neysmith.  "He is a young senior with a burning desire to get better and gives Cremins a player that will make great strides on a yearly basis."  Some other commitments by high level junior college players that previously had fallen through the cracks include 6'8 Gary Wilkinson from Salt Lake City (JC) UT to Utah State, 6'8 Brandon Sampay from Howard (JC) TX to Wichita State, 6'7 Lamont Mack from Angelina (JC) TX to Charlotte, 6'6 Ashton Hall from Angelina (JC) TX to Lamar, and 6'7 Jabril Banks from Indiana Hills (JC) IA to Northern Colorado. 

We've been hearing for months that 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who is the #1-ranked junior nationally in by the HOOP SCOOP, may renege on the verbal commitment that he made last fall to USC.  But now it's official, as Jennings himself has confirmed that he has told the Trojans coaching staff that he plans to re-open his recruitment.  He also tells us that USC is still on his list, but adds that he wants to make official visits to both Connecticut and Arizona.  "If I decide I still want to go USC, I hope they still have a scholarship for me, " says Jennings.  "But I want to look around, take a couple of visits, and make sure I'm making the right decision."  It's our guess that Jennings is doing the same thing that 6'3 Jerryd Bayless did early last summer when he reneged on his commitment to Arizona.  Remember, it still turned out well for the Wildcats, as Bayless reaffirmed his commitment two months later and signed with the Wildcats during the Fall Signing Period.  We also gave Jennings the edge over 6'3 Jr Willie Warren from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX in the big match-up that featured two of the top juniors in the nation when Team Texas and the Southern Cal All-Stars squared off on Saturday morning at the Las Vegas Easter Classic in Las Vegas, NV.  Jennings not only took over the game down the stretch, as he scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half, but his outside shot started falling and he was unstoppable in transition, as he drew foul after foul with his jet-like speed and quickness and uncanny ability to get to the basket.  However, Warren, who made most of the big plays at the end of the game to ensure Team Texas' 85-78 victory, also more than lived up to the billing, as he impressed us with his incredible athleticism, unbelievable moves to the basket, and tremendous outside shooting, which often comes from well beyond the arc.  And, if Warren, who is a lot more under control than when we last saw him last summer, continues to play like he did in this game the rest of the spring and summer, then he will be right up there with Jennings and 6'4 Jr Tyreke Evans from Aston (American Christian) PA, as a serious candidate for National Player-of-the-Year honors in the Class of 2008.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Warren also is an unbelievable kid, as he gave us an interesting perspective yesterday about what college coaches have been telling him during the recruiting process and how he's bounced back after being sidelined with back problems a year ago.  Warren tells us that his list of schools includes like Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor, Cincinnati, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Marquette, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Connecticut.  But we think Kentucky is suddenly the team to beat due to the fact that Billy Gillispie is now the new head coach of the Wildcats.  We also thought we would get a chance to see these two players for a second time this weekend when the Southern Cal All-Stars and Team Texas both advanced into the semi-finals of the Platinum Division, along with the Las Vegas Prospects and Branch West Team Reebok, of the Las Vegas Easter Classic.  However, Branch West Team Reebok head coach Bob Gottlieb had other plans, as he used a triangle and two to shut down Team Texas' outside shooting and guys like 6'7 Jr Tyreese Breshers from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'7 Zareh Zagaryan from Glendale (Hoover) CA, 6'0 Alex Tucker from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, 6'2 Cosmo Morabbi from Beverly Hills (H.S.) CA executed Gottlieb's offense to perfection.  Breshers needs to get into better shape, but he's got good post moves, rebounds and blocks shots, and has deceptive athleticism.  Zagaryan will probably have to go the prep school route, but he was one of our favorite players in the entire tournament, as he shoots the three, handles and passes, rebounds well for size, and plays every possession like it might be his last.  All Zagaryan lacks is big time athleticism, but this multi-dimensional blue collar player could end being recruited at the high major level two years from now.  Tucker and Morabbi are both too small to attract any higher than low Division I and II interest, but they both made a number of big shots that broke Team Texas' back down the stretch.  Unfortunately for Branch West Team Reebok, they didn't have enough left in their tank to make things interesting in the championship game, as the Southern Cal All-Stars jumped out early and never looked back en route to a 65-54 victory in the title game.  This marks the third consecutive year that the Southern Cal All-Stars have won the Las Vegas Easter Classic, but this time the big hero was 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  Not only did Jennings finish with 28 points in the championship game, but he was so good that even our Texas Editor Tim Miller, who is one of Willie Warren's biggest fans, conceded that Jennings was the best player in the tournament.  We also were extremely impressed all weekend with 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, who had 13 points in the championship game, 21 points in the semi-finals, and 24 points in the game against Team Texas and for our money was the third best player in the tournament.  In other words, Gillenwater, who is ranked #6 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is a long athletic undersized power forward with the killer instinct, is an absolute steal for Oklahoma State.  So it came as no surprise to us that Oklahoma State head coach Sean Sutton was at all of Gillenwater's games all weekend.  And, as an added bonus, Gillenwater also showed he has the ability to step outside and hit the open 3-point shot, which leads us to believe that he will be able to make the conversation necessary to play at the wing forward spot someday in the NBA.  Several other unsung heroes on the Southern Cal All-Stars were 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who scored 10 points in the championship game, but also did a lot of the little things that helped his team win and shot it from long range better than we've seen him shot it in a long time, and 6'4 Soph Demetrius Walker from Fontana (H.S.) CA, who has 17 points in the semi-finals and impressed us with his 3-point shooting, passing, and ability to get to the basket.  Yes, it looks like Walker, who was the #1-ranked 8th Grader in the nation, but went south after being touted as the next LaBron James in an article two years ago that appeared in Sports Illustrated, is making a serious comeback, as he now appears to be a legit top 30 sophomore nationally.  We also couldn't believe how much athletically that 6'0 Jr Rotnei Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK has improved, how quickly he gets his shot off, and how deep he can shot it.  There is no doubt that Clarke is one the best 3-point shooter that we've seen in a long time, as his shots frequently hit nothing but net and he reminds us of Lee Humphrey in a lot of ways.  So when Clarke, Willie Warren, and 6'3 Jr Faisal Aden from Irving (God's Academy) TX all get hot at the same time, which was the case on Saturday when Team Texas was up by 20 points at the end of the first half against the Southern Cal All-Stars, they can beat anybody.  However, when you live by the sword, you also die by the sword, which is what happened when they ran up against Branch West Team Reebok in the semi-finals.  Team Texas also had plenty of depth in the backcourt with 6'0 Frosh K.C. Miller from Irving (God's Academy) TX, but they didn't have an answer inside for 6'7 Jr Tyreese Breshers from Los Angeles (Price) CA, who potentially could make the same type of improvement this summer that North Carolina's 6'8 Frosh Deon Thompson made two years ago when he played for Gottlieb in the Branch West Team Reebok program.  The fourth team in the final four of the Platinum Division of the Las Vegas Easter Classic was the Las Vegas Prospects, which featured players like 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV, 6'0 Chris James from Las Vegas (Cimarron) NV, and 6'8 Jr Olek Czyz from Reno (H.S.) NV.  Babbitt doesn't have great athleticism, but he's got excellent post moves and rebounding skills, plus he can step out and beat you with his outside shot, which makes him a perfect fit for the way they play at Ohio State.   James, who had five 3-pointers and 23 points the first time we saw him play and 27 points in his team's semi-finals lost to the Southern Cal All-Stars, was one of the best shooters that we saw all weekend.  He's also excellent at getting his shot, well built physically, has good athleticism, and is reported to have no offers on the table.  So obviously he would be steal at the mid-major level.  Czyz is more athletic than he looks and is not afraid to use his body to bang people around inside, which makes him intriguing for schools at the mid-to-high Division I level, especially if he is able to develop a mid-range jump shot.  Another one of the best players in the tournament was UCLA-bound 6'4 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA.  He hasn't grown to 6'5 or 6'6, which is what had been reported, but Lee has the ball handling and passing skills necessary to play point guard and the athleticism and and outside shooting necessary to project as one of the top 20-ranked juniors nationally.  Lee also is great in the clutch, as he hit a number of big shots, and his upside and potential are unlimited, as we suspect he's still only just beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can become.  The first time we saw Belmont Shore their best player was 6'5 Jr J.P Olukemi from Simi Valley (Stoneridge) Prep) CA.  We're talking about a 5th Year Junior with explosive athleticism, a toughness on the boards, and improving perimeter skills.  The second time we saw Belmont Shore the guy who came up big was 6'7 Jr Renaldo Woolridge from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, who finished with 24 points and impressed us with ability to both make outside shoots and get to the basket.  We also were impressed with the M33M Magic, which featured 6'5 Jr Elliott Williams from Collierville (St. Georges) TN, 6'8 Soph Christian Watford from Trussville (Hewitt Trussville) AL, 6'8 Jr Sampson Carter from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, 6'2 Dwight Buycks from Milwaukee (Bayview) TN, 6'5 Soph Jarrid Bryant from Salisbury (Prep) CT, and 6'9 Genesis Maciel from Compton (Centennial) CA.  Williams is a multi-dimensional athlete who more than lived up his reputation as the best junior in Tennessee and top 60-ranked player nationally in the Class of 2008.  Watford is good enough to be ranked #19 nationally in the sophomore class by the HOOP SCOOP, thanks to his ability to shoot the three, excellent moves to the basket, and big time athleticism.  Carter is ranked #34 in the state by our Tennessee Correspondent Andre Whitehead, but that might be about 30 spots too low, as he impressed us with his quickness and high energy level, ability to score around the basket and willingness to get it done on the boards, despite he slender frame and lack of strength.  Buycks, who originally signed with Bradley, but is expected to go the prep school route, is an athletic combo guard who makes solid decisions and finds ways to get to the basket.  Bryant is an excellent passer for his size and is good at getting to the hole, but he's really a reclassified sophomore, which means his upside potential might not be as great as some other players.  Maciel is a project, but we like his size and potential.  The Compton Magic, which featured 6'3 Soph Justin Hawkins from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'3 Soph Xavier Thames from Sacramento (Pleasant Valley) CA, 6'5 Soph Jamual Bryant from Salisbury (Prep) CT, 6'5 Soph Craig Payne from Etiwanda (H.S.) CA, and 6'6 Soph Terran Carter from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, had one of the best young teams in the 17-Under Division of the Las Vegas Easter Classic.  The two players that we liked the best on Next Level Basketball Australia Elite were 6'7 Jr Mathiang Maout from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC and 6'10 Ater Majok from the Sudan via American International is Australia.  Neither scored many points, but Maout has good moves to the basket and good ball handling and passing skills, which means he might be able to project as a point guard down the road, and Majok is a high energy athletic shot blocker who runs the court like a deer and dunks in your face.  5'9 Isaiah Thomas from South Kent (Prep) CT put up prolific numbers, but he took a lot of shots to do it.  And we're still trying to figure out what all the hype is about with regards to 6'4 Jr Brendon Lavender from Mesa (Mountain View) AZ.  Instead, the two other players who intrigued us on the Arizona Magic were 6'7 Jr Aaron Fuller from Mesa (H.S.) AZ, who was active on the boards, and 6'4 Shayar Lee from Glendale (Apollo) AZ.  One of the biggest sleepers in the tournament was to be 6'8 Isiah Brown from Miami (South Miami) FL.  This skinny athlete scored 15 points when we saw him and he flat out got it done, as he dunks in your face, gets more than his share of rebounds, and has a knack for finding the open man when he gets double-teamed inside.  6'6 Orane Chin from Miramar (H.S.) FL didn't set the world on fire when we saw the Broward Bobcats Elite, but he did draw some rave reviews when he had 37 points in a game later in the tournament.  We also were really impressed with 6'4 Jr Iman Shumpert from Oak Park (River Forest) IL, who was another one of the biggest sleepers to emerge in this tournament.  And we might even be tempted to rank this explosive athlete who thrives in transition among the top 100 juniors nationally, if we thought he could keep you honest from beyond the arc.  One of the biggest disappointments in the entire tournament was 6'9 Jr Stanley Simpson from Chicago (Leo) IL, who was plagued by foul trouble when we saw him and did not even come close throughout the tournament to resembling the same guy that we saw last December at the Big Dipper Tournament in the Big Dipper Tournament at Rich South High School in Richton Park, IL.  The Houston Hoops, which featured 6'2 Soph Junior Cadougan from Humble (Christian Life) TX, 6'7 Jr Olu Ashalou from Humble (Christian Life) TX, 6'3 Jr Jeremy Green from Austin (Bowie) TX, 6'2 Soph Elijah Johnson from Las Vegas (Cheyenne) NV, 6'6 Jr Jeremy McCarty from Houston (Westside) TX, 6'8 Soph Keith Gallon from Houston (Timberwood) TX, 6'6 Jr Corbin Ray from Katy (Taylor) TX, and 6'7 Jr Brion Stafford from Humble (Christian Life) TX, never seemed to get things clicking, as they were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Arizona Rage Seniors.  However, the Houston Hoops was without their best player - 5'10 Soph Tommy Griffin from Houston (Madison) TX, who is out with an injury until the summer.  The Portland Legends lost to Team Texas in the round of 16 of the playoffs, but 6'8 Jr John Meyhew from Eugene (South Eugene) OR, 6'2 Jr Anthony Golden from Portland (Madison) OR, 6'8 Jr DeAngelo Casto from Spokane (Ferris) WA, 6'0 Jr Blair Wheadon from Johnson City (H.S.) OR, 6'5 Soph Anthony Brown from Spokane, 6'8 Soph Brock Osweiler from Kalispell (Flathead) WA, 6'2 Soph Avery Bradley from  Tacoma (Bellarmine) WSA, 6'0 Soph Jordan Ellis from Medford (North Medford) OR all will get recruited at varying levels of the Division I spectrum.  Another well balanced and very fundamentally sound team was Utah Pump N' Run, which  featured 6'4 Charles Aboud from Logan (H.S.) UT, 6'9 Jr Ben Aird from Bountiful (H.S.) UT, 6'7 Jr Brady Hurst from Kaysville (Davis) UT, 6'4 Jr Nick Thompson from Clearfield (H.S.) UT, 6'0 Jr Holton Hanaker from Woods Cross (H.S.) UT, 6'5 Jr Taylor Brown from Sandy (Alta) UT, 6'10 Jr Jordan Stone from Smithfield (Skyview) UT, and 6'1 Jr Davis Emery from Bountiful (Viewmont) UT.  We also have to mention 6'4 Jr Brad Tinsley from Oregon City (H.S.) OR, who was one of the more skilled and best 3-point shooters that we saw in the tournament, and 6'9 Soph Colin Borchert from Glendale (Mountain Ridge) AZ, who apparently has grown several inches already this year.  Not only is Borchert one of the top young prospects on the West Coast, but he is an excellent passing and very skilled big man with surprising athleticism and mobility for somebody his size and a rainbow like shoot from beyond the arc, which goes in more often than it should.  And one to write down for the future is 6'4 Soph Trent Lockett from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN.  Apparently Lockett has grown six inches during the last year and this multi-dimensional athlete who sees the floor, shoot the three, handles well for his size, blocks shots, rules the boards, is extremely quick and athletic, and has a 4.0 gpa is just only just beginning to scratch the surface.  We also have to mention that while this year's Las Vegas Easter Classic didn't have as much star power as it did a year ago, the quality of deep was much better and, as a result, it's easy to see why an overwhelming number of Division I head coaches, including Marquette's Tom Crean, Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton, Illinois' Bruce Weber, Miami-FL's Frank Haith, Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt, UNLV's Lon Kruger, Virginia's Dave Leitao, California's Ben Braun, New Mexico's Steve Alford, South Florida's Stan Heath, Pepperdine's Vance Walberg, Western Kentucky's Darrin Horn, San Francisco's Jesse Evans, Santa Clara's Kerry Keating, Southeast Missouri State's Scott Edgar, and Fairfield's Ed Cooley.

We have to give University of Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart credit, because it looks like he knew exactly what he wanted to do when Florida head coach Billy Donovan announced yesterday that he plans to  remain the head coach of the Gators.  As a matter of fact, it took Barnhart less than 24 hours after Donovan took his name out of the running for the Kentucky job to name Texas A&M head coach Billy Gillispie as the new head coach of the Wildcats.  And, while Kentucky fans have to be apprehensive about Gillispie's style of play (he's more conservative than former Wildcats head coach Tubby Smith), we still think this is a great hire.  Not only has Gillispie rebuilt two programs (UTEP and Texas A&M) in a hurry, but he's an incredible recruiter (he's had two top 20-ranked recruiting class in a row at Texas A&M) and is one of the top up-and-coming guys in the business, as is evident by the fact that he is ranked #31 on our List of Top Head Coaches in the Game Today and guided his team into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last month with a 27-7 record.   Gillispie also has incredible ties in the state of Texas, which means the Lone Star state should become a fertile recruiting ground for the Wildcats, and his first recruit, if he can get out of his National Letter-of-Intent, very well may end up being 6'11 DeAndre Jordan from Houston (Episcopal Academy) TX, who is ranked #32 nationally in  the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and signed with the Aggies during the Fall Signing Period.  We also think it's interesting to point out that Kansas head coach Bill Self, who Gillispie worked for at Tulsa, Illinois, and Kansas, told me a year or two ago that Gillispie is the best assistant coach that he's ever had.  And that's saying a lot, because Self has had some great assistant coaches, including Illinois head coach Norm Roberts; former Tulsa head coach John Phillips; new Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich, and current Kansas assistant coaches Joe Dooley and Kurtis Townsend, who are the #2-ranked and #7-ranked assistant coaches on our List of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today.  We also would not be surprised if Gillispie is able to step in and close the deal with 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV and 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, who are the top two unsigned seniors still available.  Kentucky fans also have to be pleased with the fact that Gillispie has proven that he can beat Louisville when the Aggies knocked off the Cardinals in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Lexington, KY.  So the only major question should be whether Gillispie's teams at Kentucky will play more of an up tempo style than they did at Texas A&M?  And, if they don't, it will be interesting to see if Gillispie can keep the wolves from howling.  Remember, Kentucky fans got spoiled with an up tempo style of play during the Rick Pitino era and, in the end, Smith's deliberate style of play, which was dubbed by many as "Tubby Ball," was really his down fall.  And this is why the hiring of Gillispie at Kentucky was such a surprise when we first heard about this morning.  However, we were not surprised by the fact that University of Florida assistant coach Donnie Jones has become the new head coach at Marshall.  Not only has he been Florida head coach Billy Donovan's right hand man for the last 13 years, but he worked as both a graduate assistant and an assistant coach at Marshall from 1990 to 1996 and is originally from Point Pleasant, WV.  We also are thrilled by the fact that Kansas State assistant coach Frank Martin appears to be in line to take over for Bobby Huggins, who took the West Virginia job yesterday, as the next boss of the Wildcats.  Martin, who is one of the most astute and genuine guys in the business, has been an assistant coach at both Cincinnati and Kansas State for Huggins and worked for Ronnie Everhart at Northeastern.  But what really makes this such a great hire is the head coaching experience that Martin had at Miami (Senior) FL and incredible ties he has into all of the high school and AAU programs in the Miami area.  So, it stands to reason that with Martin at the helm, Kansas State's strong pipeline into Florida will continue.  We also are hoping that either Mike Brennan, who has been an assistant coach at Princeton for the last seven years, or Georgetown assistant coach Robert Burke, who was at Princeton during the John Thompson III era, becomes the next head coach of the Tigers and we still think Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton would be a natural fit at the University of Arkansas.  And, if by some chance Sutton gets the job, then his father, Eddie Sutton, might just decide to have one last hurrah in coaching and become the next head coach at Oral Roberts.  It also looks like University of Washington assistant coach Cameron Dollar and former Minnesota head coach Dan Monson are the leading candidates for the Long Beach State job and some good names for the Texas A&M job include Arizona assistant coach Josh Pastner, New Mexico State head coach Reggie Theus, Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler, Florida assistant coach Larry Shyatt, Texas A&M assistant coach Alvin Brooks, Indiana assistant coach Ray McCallum, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Ronnie Arrow, Texas assistant coach Rodney Terry, and Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy.  Remember, a big key to Gillispie's success at both UTEP and Texas A&M has been keeping the top players in his backyard at home and the only person that we know about with stronger ties in the Long Star state than Gillispie is Pastner, which explains why he is the first guy that we mentioned on this list.  Pastner, who is ranked #5 on our List of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today, also has head coaching experience dating back to his days as an AAU coach with the Houston Hoops when he compiled an amazing 106-13 record during the summers of 1999 and 2000 and was named the HOOP SCOOP's Coach-of-the-Summer in 2000.  It also looks like Louisville head coach Rick Pitino has moved quickly to replace Louisville associate coach Kevin Willard, who several days ago was agreed to become the next head coach at Iona, with his son Richard Pitino.  And we think this is a great move, because the younger Pitino, who currently is an assistant coach at Duquesne, is one of the bright young up-and-coming guys in the business.  He also has the same like drive and passion for the game that his father has and this move puts him onto the fast track in terms of moving up in the professional.  As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise us the younger eventually became the heir apparent to his father when he eventually retires as the head coach of the Cardinals. 

Three weeks ago we published our Exclusive Ranking of the Top Coaches, but, based on what has happened in this year's NCAA Tournament, we think it's important to point out that if we published these rankings today, there would be some very important changes.  First, we'd move Florida's Billy Donovan up from #11 to #2 on the list, behind Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and ahead of North Carolina's Roy Williams, Texas Tech's Bob Knight, and Louisville's Rick Pitino.  Two straight NCAA Championships and three final four appearances in this decade make him the hottest guy in the business and, if he can do it again in the near future at either Kentucky or Florida, we might have to consider moving him up #1 on the list.  Second, we try and find UCLA's Ben Howland among the top five on the list.  And, if Howland guides the Bruins to a third straight NCAA Final Four appearance a year from now, then we will have to put him right right up there with Krzyzewski and Donovan.  Remember, UCLA doesn't currently have a senior on their roster and their current recruiting class features 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, who is the #1-ranked senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   In other words, the race does appear to be on for the supremacy among coaches in college basketball, as North Carolina's Roy Williams, Louisville's Rick Pitino, and Connecticut's Jim Calhoun also fielded extremely young teams this past season and also appear to be perfectly positioned to have some of the best teams in college basketball a year from now.  Third, we would move UNLV head coach Lon Kruger, who was ranked #48 on our list, up about 25 spots.  Not only did Kruger guide the Runnin' Rebels to a Sweet 16 finish, but he's also won 20-plus games at Kansas State, Florida, and Illinois and did a solid job as the boss of the Atlanta Hawks before turning to the college game three years ago.  We might be tempted to move new Michigan head coach John Beilein, who currently is ranked #18 on our list, up a few spots.  But who do we drop?  A quick list of the guys just ahead of Beilein includes Wisconsin's Bo Ryan, who was the winningest coach ever at the Division III level when he won 353 games in 15 years at Wisconsin-Platteville and was legitimate candidate for National Coach-of-the-Year honors this past season; Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, who has been to three NCAA Final Four's, won a NCAA Championship, and ranks among the top 15 winningest head coaches in the history of the game; Illinois' Bruce Weber, who guided the Fighting Illini to the NCAA title game two years ago and year-in and year-out is one of the best X's and O's guys in the game; Ohio State's Thad Matta, who guided the Buckeyes all the way to the title game earlier this week and, as a result, is another one of the hottest guys in the business; Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon, who has yet to get the Panthers to the NCAA Final Four, but is averaging over 26 wins per season during his four years as a head coach; and Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt, who already has one NCAA Final Four on his résumé, is one of the best recruiters in the business.  Our guess is that Beilein, who does more with less talent than any coach we're ever seen, will probably work similar miracles in Ann Arbor, MI, but, just like we did this year with Donovan, we're going to let him earn it.  Speaking of Donovan, something nobody seems to be talking about is whether Gators assistant coach Larry Shyatt, who was ranked #1 on our List of the Top 100 Assistant Coaches in the College Game Today, is part of the package if Donovan stays at Florida or goes to Kentucky.  Remember, things turned around in a big way, especially at the defensive end, when Shyatt, who previously was the head coach at Clemson, was added to the Florida coaching staff three years ago.  Moral to the story, Donovan would be smart to take money out of his own pocket to keep Shyatt, as he definitely is one of the unsung heroes of this year's NCAA Championship team.  We are getting reports that Kansas State head coach Bobby Huggins is back in Morgantown, WV and has agreed in principle to become the next year coach of the Mountaineers.  We also have confirmed that Florida head coach Billy Donovan has said no to University of Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, which means they Wildcats must go to plan B in their attempt to hire a head coach to replace Tubby Smith.  So with Huggins and Donovan both in place, it will be extremely interesting to see who will win the battle for 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, who is ranked #15 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the highest ranked senior nationally still available.  We also have to wonder if Kansas State will let 6'8 Michael Beasley from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who is ranked #6 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, out of the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed last fall with the Wildcats so that he can follow Huggins to West Virginia.  We also are happy to see Louisville associate head coach Kevin Willard get the Iona job.  Not only is Willard a chip off the old block (his father is Holy Cross head coach Ralph Willard), but he's paid his dues by working for Rick Pitino for the last 10 years during his tenure with the Boston Celtics and Louisville Cardinals.  The hiring of Willard also means that three of our top six-ranked assistant coaches have gotten head coaching jobs this spring, as Connecticut's Tom Moore is taking over at Quinnipiac and Georgetown's Kevin Broadus is taking over at Binghamton.  If you will recall, Moore was ranked #3, Willard was ranked #4, and Broadus was ranked #6 on our List of the Top Assistant Coaches in the Game Today.  We also think the University of Colorado made a great hire in Air Force head coach Jeff Bzdelik, who went 50-16 during his two years as boss of the Falcons, and we were glad to see that Butler kept the tradition of elevating up-and-coming assistants already at the program into the head coach position by moving up Brad Stevens.  If you will recall, current Ohio State head coach Thad Matta moved up when then Butler head coach Barry Collier left to take the head coaching job at Nebraska seven years ago and new Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter did likewise six years ago when Matta left to take over at Xavier.  We also think Bowling Green hit the jackpot by landing former Seton Hall Louis Orr, thanks to his strong ties in both the Midwest and Northeast and proven track record as both a coach and a recruiter every place his been (Xavier and Syracuse as an assistant coach and Siena and Seton Hall as a head coach).  We also think it's interesting to note that the list of head coaching opening this year has expanded from 37 to 44 since we last ran down the list on Monday, March 26th.  If you will recall, Iona's Jeff Ruland was bought out of his contract and South Carolina State's Jamal Brown was fired on March 29th; Louisiana Tech's Keith Richard's contract was not renewed, Butler's Todd Lickliter left to take the Iowa job, and West Virginia's John Beilein left to take the Michigan job on April 3rd; Air Force's Jeff Bzdelik left to take the Colorado job on April 4th; and Kansas State's Bobby Huggins left to take the West Virginia job earlier today.  And the list of new Division I head coaches who have been hired since that same date has now expanded to 28 now that Michigan State assistant coach Jim Boylen has been hired at Utah, Creighton assistant coach Kevin McKenna has been hired at Indiana State, West Virginia head coach John Beilein has moved on to Michigan, former Arkansas head coach Stan Heath has been hired at South Florida, Butler head coach Todd Lickliter has moved on to Iowa, Connecticut's Tom Moore has been hired at Quinnipiac, Louisville's Kevin Willard has been hired at Iona, former Seton Hall head coach Louis Orr has been hired at Bowling Green, Butler assistant coach Brad Stevens has taken over as the head coach of the Bulldogs, Air Force head coach Jeff Bzdelik has moved onto Colorado, and Kansas State head coach Bobby Huggins has moved onto West Virginia.  So, as things stand now, there are 16 head coaching jobs that have yet to be filled.  They are Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas State, St. Bonaventure, Hawaii, Air Force, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Princeton, Missouri-Kansas City, Santa Clara, Long Beach State, Harvard, UC-Riverside, South Carolina State, and Chicago State.  Make that 15 jobs that have yet to be filled as it is being reported that UCLA assistant coach Kerry Keating has taken the Santa Clara job. 

Rick Bolus, who is the editor and publisher of the High Potential Basketball Recruiting Service, is one of the foremost authorities on high school basketball in places like Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, metro Atlanta, and metro St. Louis and, as a result, for the last 28 years his High Potential "Blue-Chip" Basketball Camp has been a must place to go for players in these areas looking to get exposure to schools at all levels of the college spectrum.  This year's camps once again will be at held at Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY and the June 24th-28th session will include both high school and middle school divisions and the July 22nd-26th session will feature a high school boys division only.  There also will be a specialty post and shooting camp that will include both boys and girls on June 23rd-24th and everybody in attendance at each of these sessions will be evaluated by Bolus, who sends out his special camp report via internet to almost 2,000 college coaches nationwide; Doug Huff, who ranks the top players in the nation for Street & Smith Basketball Yearbook; and Ron Harrison, who publishes KentuckyPrepHoops.com.  And for the first time yours truly, Clark Francis, editor & publisher of the HOOP SCOOP, will be the camp's guest speaker.  Among the things that I plan talk about include what people in my business look for in a player and I will stress the importance of work ethic and playing hard, doing well in school and life after basketball, and not getting too caught up in rankings.  In other words, improving your game and working towards getting a college scholarship should be foremost on each player's mind.  And, with a minimum of 10 full-court games going on at once against players from all over the country, fundamental stations by a top-notch camp staff made up of NAIA, junior college, and high school coaches, a single elimination tournament, and all-star games, this is a great place to do exactly that (get the exposure, competition, and instruction that will help get a college scholarship).  Last summer almost 1,000 campers from over 40 states and several countries attended the High Potential "Blue-Chip" Basketball Camp, but many were turned away.  So obviously now is the perfect time for anybody interested in attending any of this summer's sessions of the High Potential "Blue-Chip" Basketball Camp to get in contact with Bolus.  You can call him at 1-(502)-543-7308, Fax him at 1-(502) 543-4635, write him at "Blue-Chip Basketball Camp," P.O. Box 155, Shepherdsville, KY  40165, or go to his web site at "Blue Chip" Basketball Camp.

We also have confirmed a number of verbal commitments within the last several days, including 6'6 Mike Ringgold from Winchendon (School) MA to Rider; 6'7 Darren Benbow from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY to Lafayette; 6'0 Khalil Mumford from Philadelphia (Cardinal Dougherty) PA to St. Peter's; 6'3 Nate Minnoy from Schoolcraft (JC) MI to Central Michigan;  6'4 Tim Williams from Pontiac (Northern) MI, 6'4 Jr Brian Cushingberry from Romeo (H.S.) MI, and 6'5 Jr Drew Maynard from Lake Orion (H.S.) MI all to Oakland; and 6'9 Connor Smith from Waukesha (South) WI, 6'4 Kevin Smith from Murfreesboro (H.S.) TN, and 6'3 Chris Richard from Portland (Westview) OR all to Richmond.  Those last three join 6'8 Justin Harper from Richmond (Meadowcreek) VA, 6'3 Darryl Cowan from Goldsboro (Eastern Wayne) NC, and 5'10 Kevin Anderson from Suwanee (Peachtree Ridge) GA in a recruiting class that is now ranked #63 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  However, even more important is the fact that the Spiders now have an excellent combination of players with skills and athleticism in this year's recruiting class, which also is ranked #2 in the league, behind Massachusetts and ahead of Temple, Xavier, George Washington, Charlotte, Dayton, and La Salle.  Richard is best described as an athlete/shooter/defender.  Conor Smith is a skilled combo forward who can shoot, pass, and put the ball on the floor.  Kevin Smith is a slashing wing forward who is a good on-the-ball defender.  We're also impressed with the way Oakland is getting it done in their backyard, as five of the six players that they have landed in this year's and next year's recruiting classes are in-state players.  They are Williams, who is ranked #362 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'3 Peter Bunn from Lansing (Christian) MI, who is #396 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'7 Jonathan Tassin from Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI, who is ranked #755 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'5 Jr Drew Maynard from Lake Orion (H.S.) MI, who is ranked #219 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP; and 6'4 Jr Blake Cushingberry from Romeo (H.S.) MI, who is ranked #408 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  And the sixth player - 6'9 Will Hudson from Middleton (H.S.) WI, who is ranked #623 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; that Oakland has in the fold is from neighboring Wisconsin.  Minnoy, who was ranked in the 50-100 range nationally when he originally signed with Purdue as a high school senior two years ago, is an absolute steal for Central Michigan.  We're talking about a skilled wide-bodied athlete with deceptive finesse and mobility and the ability to play both inside and outside, which makes him a match-up problem for anybody he faces at this level.  Mumford is ranked #789 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and ranked #50 in the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey area by Allen Rubin.   But we still think he's still an excellent catch for St. Peter's, because he is an athletic point guard who can more than just keep you honest from beyond the arc.  Benbow is an inside guy who is ranked #26 in the New York City by Ron Naclerio and Ringgold is a 5th Year player who is quick enough to defend four positions, thanks to his his foot speed and athleticism.  However, Ringgold, who is really an undersized inside guy, is not proficient enough to play out on the perimeter at the offensive end.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson also tells us that several early verbal commitments that have slipped through the cracks include 6'1 Jr Daniel West from Saginaw (H.S.) MI to Bradley and 6'2 Jr Dominique Buckley from Romulus (H.S.) MI to Iowa State and our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein is reporting that 6'2 Corey Bingham from Lee (Academy) ME has verbally committed to Toledo and 6'4 Jr Alberto Estwiek from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ is following the footsteps of his teammate - 5'11 Jr  Gio Fontan from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, who picked Fordham a week ago.  And making that second one even more interesting is the fact that Estwiek is being called a "poor man's Terry Dehere due to the fact that he's a late bloomer (only been playing organized basketball three years) and has big time athleticism with deep shooting range.  Bingham is a long armed slashing athletic 2-guard who has a knack for getting to the basket and finding a way to score.

In the 69-year history of the NCAA Final Four, only eight teams have repeated as NCAA Champions.  They are Oklahoma State in 1945 and 1946; Kentucky in 1948 and 1949; San Francisco in 1955 and 1956; Cincinnati in 1961 and 1962; UCLA in 1964 and 1965; UCLA in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973; Duke in 1991 and 1992; and Florida in 2006 and 2007.  And, if you still have any doubt about whether the Florida Gators, which beat Ohio State, 84-75, in the NCAA Championship Game last night in Atlanta, GA, are a great basketball team, just ask the Ohio State Buckeyes.  Not only did Florida shoot the lights out (10-18 3-pointers), but many of those shots came at crucial times in the second half when Ohio State was trying to get back into the game.  And it really was a team effort, as we think 6'9 Jr Corey Brewer, who was named the MVP of the Final Four and scored 13 points in the championship game; 6'10 Jr Al Horford, who had 18 points and a dozen rebounds in the championship game; 6'0 Jr Taurean Green, who had 16 points and six assists in the championship game; and 6'2 Sr Lee Humphrey, who had 14 points and made three of the biggest shots in the title game; all deserved consideration for MVP honors.  We also think Florida winning the NCAA Championship was great for college basketball, because this Gators team had a lot of fun in the process and seemed to be representative of all of the great things what college basketball is all about.  In contrast, the Ohio State players reminded us more of professional athletes, as they seemed to have more of a business as usual approach.  However, we do have to give 7'0 Frosh Greg Oden credit for stepping up and playing one of his best games of the season, as he finished with 25 points, 12 points, and four blocks.  As a matter of fact, Oden played so well that he would have gotten my vote for MVP of the NCAA Final Four, despite the fact that his team finished second in the title game.  And, while Oden deserves all the credit in the world for an excellent performance, he also once again appeared to be protected by the officials, as he didn't pick up his second foul until 8:59 left in the game.  Contrast that with the fact the Florida's four inside players (Noah, with four fouls, Horford with three fouls, 6'9 Sr Chris Richard with five fouls, and 6'10 Frosh Marreece Speights with three fouls) were all in foul trouble late in the game.  In other words, the argument can be made that Oden is the most protected player that we can remember in college basketball since Lew Alcindor and, as a result, it wouldn't be a tragedy if he entered his name into the NBA Draft this spring.  Remember, Ohio State has another great big man on the horizon next year in 7'1 Kosta Koufos from Canton (Glenoak) OH, who is ranked #9 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  So, with 6'1 Frosh Michael Conley, 6'5 Frosh Daequan Cook, 6'2 Jr Jamar Butler, 6'9 Jr Othello Hunter, and 6'6 Frosh David Lighty all expected to be back next year and a recruiting class that is ranked #9 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 and also includes 6'9 Dallas Lauderdale from Solon (H.S.) OH, 6'6 Eric Wallace from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'6 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky (H.S.) OH, and 6'6 Evan Turner from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL, we think the Buckeyes will once again be one of the best teams in college basketball next year.  Unfortunately most of the key players (Humphrey and Richard will graduate and Brewer, Horford, and 6'11 Jr Joakim Noah will probably forgo their final year of college eligibility this spring) and their coach (Billy Donovan, who may make the move to either the University of Kentucky or the Miami Heat later this month) may not be back next year to defend their title for a second straight year.  But just imagine what we might be talking about a year from now, if Donovan, Brewer, Horford, and Noah all get together, decide to stick around, and go for a three-peat.  And, when one also remembers that Florida has the #4-ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007 with players like 6'4 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'7 Alex Tyus from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, 6'9 Chandler Parsons from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, and Adam Allen from Milton (H.S.) FL all in the fold, it is easy to see why this could potentially be best team since the Lew Alcindor (1967, 1968, and 1969) and Bill Walton (1972, 1973, and 1974) eras at UCLA.  But, while many of the top players in college basketball appear to be intent upon taking the money and running, it's refreshing to see that it's not all about the money with some of the top college coaches in the game today.  Two great examples are Memphis head coach John Calipari and Creighton head coach Dana Altman, both of whom could have gotten ridiculous money by taking the University of Arkansas job.  Ironically, Altman, who changed his mind earlier today after being introduced as the new head coach of the Razorbacks yesterday, becomes the sixth candidate for the job who has turned it down.  The others are believed to be Calipari, Texas A&M head coach Billy Gillespie, Kansas head coach Bill Self, USC head coach Tim Floyd, and Marquette head coach Tom Crean.  And, if Wildcats Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart isn't careful, the same thing may happen to him, if Florida's Billy Donovan doesn't take the Kentucky job and he doesn't then go after Memphis' John Calipari.  Now also is a good time to intensify the Bobby Huggins rumors for West Virginia due to the fact that Mountaineers head coach John Beilein is noe heading to Michigan.  However, if by some chance Huggins doesn't the West Virginia job, then Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall and Kent State head coach Jim Christian would be great candidates to take over the reigns of the Mountaineers.  We also think Butler head coach Todd Lickliter is a great hire by the University of Iowa, but we still have to wonder why the Hawkeyes didn't go after Dana Altman, whose dream job has always been the University of Iowa.  The first name that most people think about for the Butler job is Ohio State assistant coach John Groce, who is one of the fastest rising assistant coaches in the nation, as well as the primary recruiter for the Ohio State, which doesn't have another scholarship available until 2010, unless somebody goes pro or transfers.  However, the smart money is on Barry Collier, who was the guy that really got things rolling at Butler when he took over as head coach in 1989.  Did you also know that Butler had just two 20-win seasons in the 91 years prior to when Collier become the head coach, but went 196-132 and had five 20-win seasons during Collier's 11-year reign at the school?  Collier also had some great assistant coaches, like Ohio State head coach Thad Matta and Oregon State head coach Jay John.  And, when Collier left Butler to take over as the head coach at Nebraska seven years ago, Matta got the head coaching job and hired Lickliter, who a year later would get the head coaching job when Matta moved onto Xavier, as his top assistant.  In other words, when Collier mysteriously left the University of Nebraska last summer to take over as the athletic director at Butler, it put him in the perfect position to get his old job back.  So, obviously we think Collier, who is a both a heck of a coach and a first class person, would be smart to hire himself.  We also suspect that the Florida assistant coach Donnie Jones will be named as the new head coach at Marshall sooner than later and we were glad to see that former Arkansas head coach Stan Heath did get the South Florida job last night. 

Everybody talks about parity in college basketball, but tonight the University of Florida will more than likely become the first team in 15 years (Duke won back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992) and the second team in 34 years (UCLA won seven straight NCAA Championships between 1967 and 1973) to repeat as National Champions.  And they also very well could be the first team ever to win the National Championship against the same school in the same year in both football and basketball.  Even Ohio Editor Chris Johnson is guardedly optimistic about Ohio State's chances.  But, before you rule out the Buckeyes entirely, remember that this is the fourth consecutive spring that 7'0 Frosh Greg Oden and 6'1 Frosh Michael Conley have been in a position to win it all.  And, in addition to winning three straight Indiana State Championships in high school, this dynamic duo also won the Reebok Big Time Tournament, which, at the time was the best AAU Tournament in the nation, during the summer prior to their junior and senior years in high school.  However, for Ohio State to pull off the upset, Oden has to stay out of foul and Ohio State's guards - Conley, 6'4 Jr Ron Lewis, and 6'2 Jr Jamar Butler - need to shoot well and handle the pressure they are sure to receive from the Gators out on the perimeter.  They will also need to get more out of 6'5 Frosh Daequan Cook, who played well early in the season, but has not given the Buckeyes a lot of production late in the year, shut down the passing lanes, and not let the Gators bury them with their outside shooting.  In other words, the Buckeyes will need to play an A+ game tonight.  And, if they do, it could turn out to be one of the classic title games of all time.  But that may be easier said than done as the Gators, which appear to be on the verge of putting the finishing touches on what already is arguably one of the great teams in college basketball history, will go to war tonight with 6'11 Jr Joakim Noah and 6'10 Jr Al Horford inside; 6'0 Jr Taurean Green, 6'2 Sr Lee Humphrey, and 6'9 Jr Corey Brewer out on the perimeter; and 6'9 Sr Chris Richard, who scored 16 points in the game on Saturday, coming off the bench.  And Florida head coach Billy Donovan appears to be well on his way towards becoming not only the "Coach-of-the-Decade, but a win tonight will make him the third coach since 2000 with three NCAA Final Four appearances.  The other two are Roy Williams, who guided Kansas to NCAA Final Four appearances in 2002 and 2003 and North Carolina to the NCAA Championship in 2005, and Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who won the 2000 NCAA Championship and guided the Spartans to return appearances in 2001 and 2005.  And, if Florida wins tonight, Donovan will join a very elite group of head coaches in the history of the game who have won more than one NCAA Championship.  That list currently includes John Wooden with 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years at UCLA; Adolph Rupp, who won four NCAA Championships at Kentucky; Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight, who each have won three NCAA Championships; and Jim Calhoun, Denny Crum, Dean Smith, Henry Iba, Ed Jucker, Branch McCracken, and Phil Woolpert, all of whom have won two NCAA Championships apiece.  And Donovan is just in his early 40's.  No wonder Donovan is in a position to take his pick of jobs this spring, as University of Florida and University of Kentucky are expected to battle it out within the coming days for the services.  Or Donovan may go in a different direction and take the Miami Heat job, which would give him a chance to coach players like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwayne Wade.  Our guess is that Donovan will probably remain in college basketball and, it wouldn't surprise us if he changes his mind three or four times before he makes a final decision later this week or early next week.  We really do think it's that close!  But, while the wait for Donovan's decision continues, some of the other dominos are getting ready to fall.  As a matter of fact, Memphis head coach John Calipari turned down a deal yesterday from the University of Arkansas that was reported to be in the $4 million range per year and now it's being reported that Creighton head coach Dana Altman will become the next boss of the Razorbacks.  Calipari told me yesterday that his decision wasn't about the money, but those in the know still think he could leave Memphis for either Kentucky or Florida, depending upon whether Donovan decides to return to his old stamping grounds where he was an assistant coach during the Rick Pitino era.  Remember, even if Donovan leaves, Florida is still one of the best jobs in college basketball and the cupboard should be full for years to come, as 6'5 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'8 Chandler Parsons from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'8 Alex Tyus from Cincinnati (Harmony Christian) OH, all three of whom are the equivalent of a top 25-ranked senior in high school, are apart of recruiting class that is currently ranked #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  And the Gators, would move up to #2 on this list, if they also land 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, who is ranked #15 nationally in the senior class and is the best player still available in either the high school or prep school ranks.  Getting back to coaching rumors, the latest two names we're hearing for the South Florida job are former Marquette, Tennessee, and Northwestern head coach Kevin O'Neill and former Arkansas head coach Stan Heath.  Right now the smart money appears to be on Heath, who despite getting a raw deal for Arkansas, is still one of the top up-and-coming young guys in the business.  It also looks like former Virginia head coach Pete Gillen has emerged as the leading candidate for Iona, we think former Seton Hall head coach Louis Orr will get Bowling Green, and we're getting a lot of mix signals with regards to whether West Virginia head coach John Beilein makes the move to Michigan.  But, if Beilein become the next boss of the Wolverines, we'd be shocked if Kansas State head coach Bobby Huggins will make the move to Morgantown, WV.