HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION  

FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2002

Hot Recruiting Information available for previous months June 1998 July 1998 August 1998 September 1998 October 1998 November 1998 December 1998 January 1999 February 1999 March 1999 April 1999 May 1999 June 1999 July 1999 August 1999 September 1999 October 1999 November 1999 December 1999 January 2000 February 2000 March 2000 April 2000 May 2000 June 2000 July 2000 August 2000 September 2000 October 2000 November 2000 December 2000 January 2001 February 2001 March 2001 April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 November 2001 December 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 April 2002

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

We've been telling you for months that we thought 6'4 Jr Dion Harris from Detroit (Redford) MI, who is ranked #5 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, was a near lock for the University of Michigan.  Well, he made it official yesterday!  This is important, because Harris will join 6'1 Daniel Horton from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, who signed with the Wolverines last fall, to give Michigan one of the best backcourts in college basketball a-year-and-a-half from now.  The Wolverines also are set at both wings spots for at least the next several years with Bernard Robinson and 6'6 Lester Abram from Pontiac (Northern) MI, so they are really only couple of quality big men away from once again becoming one of the dominant teams in college basketball.  And one of them will probably be 6'10 Jr Drew Naymick from North Muskegon (H.S.) MI, who is ranked #41 in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Actually it's a two-horse race between Michigan and Michigan State, but, if Michigan State gets 6'10 Erazem Lorbeck from Slovenia, which is something that is supposed to happen any day now, we would be surprised if Naymick picked the Spartans.   Remember, Michigan State already has landed two quality inside players - 6'10 Paul Davis from Rochester (H.S.) MI and 6'8 Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI - in this recruiting class.  We also have confirmed that over the weekend the University of Kansas got a pair of commitments from 6'1 Jr Jeremy Case from McAllister (H.S.) OK and 6'6 Jr J.R. Giddens from Oklahoma City (John Marshall) OK, who is ranked #42 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Neither commitment comes as much of a surprise, because both players were in Lawrence, KS recently on official visits.  So was 6'8 Jr Kris Humphries from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN, who is ranked #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Kansas is also believed to be the co-favorite, along with Georgia, for 6'9 Mohammed Abukar from San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) CA.  Speaking of Georgia, it was reported over the weekend that 7'0 Julius Lamptey from Oklahoma City (Northeast) OK had picked the Bulldogs.  However, I've been sick in bed since returning home yesterday from Houston, TX and, as a result, have been out of the loop.  Assuming that Lamptey's commitment is official, that would move Georgia's recruiting class up to #10 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  If you will recall, they signed 6'11 Alexander Johnson from Albany (Dougherty) GA and 6'3 Wayne Arnold from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA last fall, 6'10 John Toombs from Lincoln Trail (JC) IL committed during the winter, and 6'10 Larry Turner from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, who signed a year ago, will return after a year in prep school.  In other words, they could have four new players in the program next year who are 6'10 or bigger (last year the tallest player on the team was 6'8).  They also have Damien Wilkens waiting in the wings and the word we get is that is attitude has never been better.  Moral to the story, don't be surprised next season if this turns out to be one Jim Harrick's best teams ever and that's saying a lot when one remembers that he won the NCAA Championship in 1995 at UCLA and he guided Rhode Island to the Elite Eight with Lamar Odom.  We also heard over the weekend from Reggie Tisdale that 6'6 Rodney Carney from Indianapolis (Northwest) IN, who is ranked #3 among seniors in the state by Indiana Basketball News, was going to pick Memphis or Oklahoma.  Well, our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman left a message for me earlier today telling me it was Memphis.  We also have confirmed that Manhattan has signed 6'5 Mike Konovelschick from New Hampton (Prep) NH.   Unfortunately we didn't get to see Konovelschick play in the National Prep School Invitational in early February, but we heard they were missing one of their best players.  Konovelschick is described as a tough hardnosed skilled white kid who may turn out to be the best player head coach Bobby Gonzalez has landed during his three years at Manhattan.  We also expect Manhattan to get 5'10 Jason Wingate from New York (Rice) NY.  It appears that 6'1 Carlos Hurt, who was kicked off Louisville's team at the conclusion of the season, has signed with Wabash Valley (JC) IL.  Apparently the connection is Wabash Valley assistant coach Everick Sullivan, who played at the University of Louisville in the early 90's.   South Carolina has beaten Tulane for 6'5 Marcus Morrison from St. Petersburg (Lakewood) FL, who is ranked #4 in the senior class in the state of Florida by the HOOP SCOOP, and San Diego State appears to have a major steal in 6'10 Samuel Eze from Abuja, Nigeria.  Eze joins 6'3 Brandon Heath from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, who signed with the Aztecs last fall, and 6'5 Travis Hanour, who is transferring from Arizona to San Diego State, and 6'10 Chris Manker, who is transferring from Oregon State to San Diego State.   Ironically, both Hanour and Manker played on the same team at Laguna Hills (H.S.) CA two years ago.  We also expect San Diego State to land Marquis Poole from Mt. San Antonio (JC) CA.  William & Mary has landed 6'8 Brian Hutt from Wheatridge (H.S.) CO, who is ranked among the top 200 seniors nationally.  This also is significant because he joins 6'7 Jack Jenkins from Andover (Proctor Academy) NH, 6'0 Brett Howell from Auburn (H.S.) AL, and 6'5 Taylor Mokris from Charlotte (Providence Day) NC, all of whom signed with the Tribe last fall, to give William & Mary the top ranked recruiting class, along with George Mason, in the Colonial Athletic Association. 

Saturday, April 27, 2002, Sunday, April 28, 2002, & Monday, April 29, 2002

It was one of the most intense battles I've seen in a long time.  I'm talking about the match-up between 6'8 Jr Brandon Bass from Baton Rouge (Capital) LA versus 6'10 Jr Ndudi Ebi from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX in the quarterfinals game between the Houston Hoops and the Belmont Shore/H-Squad in the 8th Annual Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX early Sunday afternoon.  Bass, who is one of the fastest rising players in the junior class nationally, reminds us of Kenyon Martin in many ways.   Not only is he an incredible athlete and tremendous physical specimen who is almost impossible to stop whenever he decides to drive to the basket, but he also is a fierce competitor (he plays every possession like it might be his last).  Ebi is rail thin, but he too is a tremendous competitor, awesome athlete, and an unbelievable shot blocker.   As a matter of fact, he is one of the most active big guys and best shot blockers I've ever seen.  His lean frame, long wing span, and explosive quickness are reminiscent of Darius Miles.  Prior to the Houston Kingwood Classic we already had Ebi ranked as the #2 junior in the nation, but, after watching his two incredible performances in the quarterfinals against Belmont Shore/H-Squad and YOMCA Team Memphis in the semi-finals, we are more convinced than ever.  Ebi was complemented in the backourt by one of the top junior point guards in the nation in 5'11 Jr Taurean Minor from Houston (Washington) TX and one of the top five sophomores in the nation in 6'3 Soph Daniel Gibson from Houston (Jones) TX.  Jones reminds you of Stephon Marbury.  Not only can he play both guards spots, thanks to his terrific handling and passing skills, excellent outside shooting, and explosive moves to the hole, but he also has a great feel for the game, plays good defense, and is an excellent rebounder for his size.   Minor reminds you of a smaller version of Jonathan Hargett with his upper body strength, explosiveness, and ability to change speeds.  However, Minor doesn't shoot it like Hargett does, plus he has a tendency to cherry pick and coast on defense.  Kentucky, Connecticut, LSU, Oklahoma, and Duke are the top schools on his list, but right now it appears that Cincinnati is the heavy favorite and, if he picks the Bearcats, it will interesting to see how Minor and Cincinnati head coach Bobby Huggins deal with one another.  Also playing well for the Houston Hoops were 6'3 Michael Morris from Katy (Cinco Ranch) TX and 6'2 Jr Prince Cousinard from Houston (Yates) TX.  Cousinard is an athletic wing player who can beat you both outside with his 3-point shooting and inside with his athleticism and explosive quickness to the basket.  Morris was one of the few seniors who played in the tournament, but he got to play, because he's young for his class.  And what a steal he is for Colorado State!  Morris is more of a slasher than a shooter, but he's got surper quick hands, is tough on the boards, and excellent at the defensive end.  Providing depth for the Houston Hoops were 6'5 Jr Ugo Inekweazu from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX, 6'2 Jr Michael Rose from Houston (Spring Woods) TX, 6'10 Jr Elijah Miller from Cleveland (Heritage Christian) TX.   Belmont Shore/H-Squad also had the horses, as 6'3 Soph Demarcus Nelson from Vallejo (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Jr Wesley Washington from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'3 Soph Curtis Allen from Palos Verdes (Rolling Hills Prep) CA, 6'3 Jr John Winston from Richmond (Salesian) CA, and 6'3 Jr Mark Bradford from Los Angeles (Fremont) CA rotated in and out at the point guard and wing spots and 6'7 Jr Oneye Ibekwe from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA, and 6'9 Jr Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA complemented Bass inside.  And for a while we thought we had an upset in the making as Belmont Shore jumped out to 30-20 lead midway through the first half.  However, at that point Ebi, who had 10 blocks in the first half, took over the game and the Houston Hoops went on a 30-10 run to take a 50-40 at half-time lead.  And they  never looked back in the second half, as Minor scored 41 points and Ebi went for a triple double.  Ebi (26 points) also edged out Bass (24 points) in the scoring column, while Washington chipped in 20 points for the losers.  Minor and Gibson also combined for 51 points in the championship game, as the Houston Hoops beat a good Ft. Sooy No Limit (Illinois) team, 83-69, to take home the title.  Ft. Sooy No Limit had a lot of interchangeable parts as all five of their starters - 6'4 Jr Richard McBride from Springfield (Lanphier) IL, 6'6 Soph Shaun Livingston from Peoria (Richwoods) IL, 6'8 Jr Brian Randle from Peoria (Notre Dame) IL, 6'6 Jr Rodney Edgerson from Peoria (Woodruff) IL, and 6'7 Blake Schib - fall into the 6'4 to 6'8 range.  McBride was their  best outside shooter and leading scorer with 18 points; Randle, Edgerson, and Schib, who apparently is bound for prep school next fall, formed a good trio inside; and Livingston, who, at 6'6, has the ball handling and passing skills necessary to play point guard, ran the show.  Livingston reminds us of a smaller version of Tayshaun Prince, although Livingston is more explosive and better off the dribble than Prince.  California Team Select, which lost to Ft. Sooy No Limit, in the semi-finals, featured 6'8 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'8 Jr Ekene Ibekwe from Carson (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Soph Gabriel Pruitt from Compton (Centennial) CA, 6'4 Soph Josh Shipp from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, 6'4 Jr Darryl Strawberry from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'1 Jr Shaun Davis from San Diego (Lincoln) CA, and 6'10 Soph Robert Swift from Bakersfield (Garces) CA.   However, we were extremely disappointed in Swift, who was supposed to have been the best sophomore on the West Coast.  Sure, Swift has both skills and upside, but he's not as good right now as 6'10 Soph David Burgess from Irvine (Woodbridge) CA, who is ranked #9 on our list of the top sophomores in California and was solid this weekend playing for the Southern California All-Stars.  Speaking of the Southern California All-Stars, 6'3 Jr Marcus Williams from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA played well the first day, but was somewhat of a disappointment after that.   Instead, we liked 6'6 Soph Marcel Jones from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA and 6'4 Soph Arron Aflalo from Compton (Centennial) CA.  Earlier in the tournament we also were very impressed by the two young players - 6'3 Frosh Tiki Mayben from Troy (H.S.) NY and 6'7 Soph Dayshaun Wright from Syracuse (Fowler) NY - we told you about from the Albany Rocks.  Mayben has incredible poise, savvy, and skills for somebody his age.  He reminds us of Andre Barrett and Terrance Ford, but he's a lot better at the same stage. As a matter of fact, he's best player we've seen nationally in the freshman class to-date.  Not only does he make great decisions, but he's an incredible passer, good defender, and deceptively quick off the dribble.  Wright is a physical specimen with the athleticism and aggressiveness inside to develoip into another Elton Brand.  Another one of our favorites player in the entire tournament was 6'0 Jr Derek Ravio from Bend (Mountain View) OR.  We're talking about an overachieving tough hardnosed white kid who led his team to the championship in their pool and the final 16 in the tournament before losing to the Houston Hoops.  In other words, Dan Dickau comparisons may be in order.  Another white point guard who really impressed us was 6'1 Jr Lee Humphrey from Maryville (H.S.) TN.  As a matter of fact, we were impressed with a number of players from the Tennessee Travelers, including 6'8 Jr Kenyona Swaden from Smyrna (H.S.) TN, 6'2 Soph Justin Hare from Cleveland (Bradley Central) TN, 6'5 Jr Antiyan Koger from Lavergne (H.S.) TN, and 6'9 Jr Matt Malone from Greenville (H.S.) TN.  However, the Tennessee Travelers weren't good enough to beat the Orlando Force, which featured 6'3 Jr Jimmy Hudson from Eustis (H.S.) FL, in the first round of the playoffs.  Hudson, who is ranked #10 in the state of Florida by John Adkins, is a big time athlete who explodes to the basket and beats you outside with his 3-point shooting.  YOMCA Team Memphis, which advanced to the final four of the tournament, was led by 5'10 Soph Andre Allen from Memphis (Booker T. Washington) TN, 6'7 Jr Courtney Bohannon from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, 6'6 Soph David Jackson from Memphis (Westside) TN, and 6'10 Soph Marc Gasol from Memphis (Lausanne) TN.  The Arkansas Wings Red finished among the final eight in the playoffs, thanks to the efforts of 6'5 Jr Vakeaton Waffler from Pineview (H.S.) LA.  We're talking about a major sleeper with big time athleticism, a knack for getting to the basket, and good perimeter skills.   The two best players for the Louisiana Select Team were supposed to be 6'1 Jr Troy Aaron from Lake Charles (St. Louis) LA and 6'1 Jr Jay Jackson from Monroe (Quachita) LA, but 6'8 Jr Paul Milsap from Grambling (Lab) LA blocked shots, scored seemingly at will inside, and dominated the boards well enough to get top 100 national consideration.  And the same can be said about the Georgia Stars with 5'11 Jr Matt Causey from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA and 6'8 Jr Patrick Ewing from Marietta (H.S.) GA, both of whom are overrated in our opinion.   Instead, we liked 6'9 Jr Rashun Bryant from Rome (Coosa) GA.   Not only is Bryant a physical specimen who knows how to use his body inside, but he's surprisingly mobile and, as a result, also is a threat out on the perimeter with his 3-point range.  We also thought 6'8 Jr Alex Weeks from Lilburn (H.S.) GA, 6'2 Jr Vincent Banks from Atlanta (South Atlanta) GA, 5'11 Jr Mike Woodard from Creekside (Fairburn) GA, and 6'3 Jr Demetric Bennett from Albany (H.S.) GA played well for Georgia Elite.  However, we disappointed in 6'8 Jr Corey Gibbs from Atlanta (Pace) GA and 6'9 Soph Mohamed Tangara from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC.  The Ft. Worth Lions have a pair of forwards who need to be mentioned in 6'8 Jr Warren Carter from Dallas (Lake Highlands) TX and 6'7 Jr Phillip Thomasson from Burleson (H.S.) TX.  Thomasson is a tough hardnosed blue collar white kid who gets it done inside and, as a result, is a steal for Colorado State.  Carter is a silky-smooth skilled athlete with long arms and a soft jumper from mid-range.  We missed out on seeing 6'10 Soph Tyrone Nelson from Hempstead (H.S.) TX, because he had to attend his prom on Saturday night, but we were impressed by 6'6 Soph Marshall Brown from Johnson City (Lyndon B. Johnson) TX, who is one of the top sophomores in Texas, and 6'2 Jr Michael Umeh from Missouri City (Hightower) TX, who was one of the best 3-point shooters in the tournament.  The best player for Houston Select was supposed to be 6'8 Jr Cartier Martin from Houston (Nimitz) TX, but he didn't shoot it like he did when we saw him last winter at the National Academy Invitational.  We also were disappointed in 6'9 Jr Darrell Dora from Gonzales (H.S.) TX and 6'9 Soph Joseph Jones from Normangee (H.S.) TX, both of whom pass the look test with their size, athleticism and mobiliity.  However, neither dora nor Jones was a dominant force inside.  The Mississippi Panthers featured 6'8 Jr Emanuel Willis from Mendenhall (H.S.) MS, who played so well that we think he deserves top 50 consideration nationally.   As a matter of fact, he reminds us of Kenyon Martin with his aggressiveness, body, and athleticism inside.  We also liked 6'0 Jr Lester McGlabb from New Orleans (O.P Walker) LA and 6'2 Soph Milton Collins from New Orleans (O.P. Walker) LA.  McGlabb is an uptempo point guard with good ball handling and passing skills, plus he can shoot the three.   Collins can't shoot, but he's a phenomenal athlete who reminds you of Stevie Thompson.  Team Texas, which lost to California Team Select in the final eight, got the most out of 6'2 Soph Jason Horton from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, 6'6 Jr David Fisher from Dallas (South Oak Cliff) TX, and 6'8 Soph Keith Langford from Crowley (North Crowley) TX, but 6'7 Soph Rell Porter from Pittsburg (H.S.) TX appeared to be vastly overrated.  So is 6'10 Soph Ra'Sean Dickey from St. Bennettsville (Marlboro County) SC.  Instead, we like three other players - 6'2 Soph Zam Fredrick from St. Matthews (Calhoun County) SC, 6'2 Jr Victor Sims from Irmo (Dutch Fork) SC, and 6'10 Soph Damien Harris from Greenville (Wade Hampton) SC - on the South Carolina Ravens a lot better. 

Friday, April 26, 2002

The University of Virginia has signed 6'6 Devin Smith from Coffeyville (JC) KS and this is huge, because the Cavaliers needed an immediate replacement on the perimeter to replace Roger Mason, who recently entered his name into the NBA Draft.  It also is huge, because they beat Iowa and Kansas for a player right in their own backyard.  Acutally Smith is originally from Delaware, but the Jayhawks and the Hawkeyes had all the contacts necessary to get this one done.  However, in the end, Smith still elected to sign with Virginia.  In other words, Cavaliers head coach Pete Gillen hasn't lost his touch when it comes to closing the deal, but assistant coach Walt Fuller also deserves a lot of the credit.  Smith led his team to a runner-up finish in the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, KS last month and probably would have been the tournament MVP, if his team had won.  Smith joins 6'7 Derrick Byars from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, who signed with Virginia last fall, to move Virginia's recruiting class into a tie at #58, along with Kansas and Charlotte, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  If you will, we don't include transfers when ranking recruiting classes, but, if we did Virginia's class would moved all the way up to #14 behind Louisville and ahead of Michigan.  Remember, 6'1 Todd Billet, who transferred from Rutgers, and 6'10 Nick Vander Laan, who transferred from California, are both waiting in the wings and 6'2 Majestic Mapp may finally be healthy next season after two years of injuries.  In other words, Virginia, which has been snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee two of the last three years and lost in the first of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, should emerge as one of the team's to beat in college basketball next year.  We also have confirmed that 6'2 Jr Tron Smith from Canyon Springs ( Moreno Valley) CA has verbally committed to Arizona State.  Smith doesn't rank among our top 100 juniors nationally yet, but he will!  We saw him three weeks ago in the Desert Shootout in Las Vegas, NV, where he impressed us with his outside shooting, athleticism, and toughness.  And our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that he's gotten even better since then.  We also have confirmed that Syracuse has gotten an early commitment from 6'7 Jr Demetrius Nichols from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, who is ranked #83 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  This comes as somewhat of a surprise, because St. Andrews head coach Mike Hart had always led us to believe that Providence was the heavy favorite.  Speaking of being the favorite, we believe the Orangemen are the leader for 6'8 Jr Terrance Roberts from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, who is ranked #25 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and one of the leaders for 6'3 Jr Mustafa Shukur from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA.   Remember, the Orangemen stole Shukur's former high school teammate (Hakim Warrick) a-year-and-a-half ago.  Our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman tells us that 6'5 Johnny Jackson from Memphis (Fairley) TN and 6'5 Ashley Champion from Jackson State (JC) TN both made it official yesterday.   Jackson signed with Boston College and Champion, who was the Tennessee Junior College Player-of-the-Year, signed with UT-Chattanooga.  We also have confirmed that 6'1 Chris Williams from Oxon Hill (H.S.) MD has signed with Kent State.  Kent State also signed 6'1 Armon Gates from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH last week, plus they landed 6'2 DeAndre Haynes from Detroit (Southwestern) MI and 6'6 Cliff Brown from Ferndale (H.S.) MI, who are ranked #14 and #15, respectively in the state of Michigan by Steve Bell.   If that weren't enough, new head coach Jim Christian has hired one of the top young assistant coaches in the business in Rob Senderoff, who previously was at Towson and Yale.  If you will recall, Senderoff was ranked #19 on our list of the top assistant coaches at the lower Division I level.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'3 Pat Betley from Haddonfield (H.S.) NJ has picked Lafayette, 6'6 Lawrence Hamm from Harrisburg (H.S.) PA has signed with Towson, and 5'9 John Iati from York (Catholic) PA. 

We also were surprised last night when we heard that Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew had retired yesterday after 14 seasons.  Drew, who will remain at the school as a special assistant to the president for university advancement, steps down with a 236-185 record at Valparaiso.  His teams also won the Mid-Continent Conference Championship seven times and advanced to the NCAA Tournament six times, including in 1998 when they advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, thanks in part to his son and point guard Bryce Drew.  However, it will be Drew's other son, Scott Drew, who has been an assistant for his father the last nine years and is widely regarded as the best there is when it comes to finding good international players, who takes over the helm for the Crusaders.  The younger Drew also is was recognized as one of the bright up-and-coming guys in the business, as is evident by the fact he was ranked #2 on our list of the top assistant coaches at the lower Division I level.  I was even more surprised when we found out this morning that Marquette assistant coach Tod Kowalczyk had gotten the Wisconsin-Green Bay job.  No, it's not that we don't think Kowalczyk isn't a great choice and extremely qualified for the job, because we do.  Remember, this is the guy who signed players like Dahntay Jones, who is now at Duke, and Todd Billet, who is now at Virginia, when he was Rutgers and helped Marquette become one of the surprise teams in college basketball this season.  Instead, I was surprised, because I talked with Kowalczyk on the phone yesterday afternoon and he never said a word about the Wisconsin-Green Bay job.  One that we did see coming was University of Kentucky assistant coach Mike Sutton getting the Tennessee Tech job.  Sutton, who has been an assistant coach under Tubby Smith the last eight years at Tulsa, Georgia, and Kentucky, is not one of the bright up-and-coming young guys in the business.  Instead, at age 46, Sutton has been around a while and we have to give him credit.  Not only is he one of the smartest assistant coaches in the business, but he has been one of the hardest working assistants out on the road since  replacing Shawn Finney, who became the head coach at Tulane two years ago.  We also understand that Hampton head coach Steve Merfeld has finally moved up the ladder by getting the Evansville job today.  The only surprise here is why it took so long.  Remember, Hampton pulled off on of the all-time great upsets in NCAA Tournament history when they beat Iowa State in the first round a year ago and Merfeld is ranked #6 on our list of the top up-and-coming head coaches in the game today (you must have been a head coach five years or less to make the this list).  And if that weren't enough, Hampton's recruiting class, which includes 6'9 Bakary Konate from Cincinnati State (JC) OH, 6'7 Rodney Hughes from Owens (JC) OH, 6'3 Jeff Granger from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, 6'2 Dewayne Spencer from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township) PA, 6'7 Troy Washington from Denmark (Denmark-Olar) SC, 6'11 Bruce Brown from Richmond (Henrico) VA, and 6'10 Frank Russell from Fayetteville (Pine Forest) NC, is ranked #29 nationally on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  We're also pleased to see that Merfeld's top assistant coach Bobby Collins, who was instrumental in helping build the program, has gotten the head coaching job at Hampton. 

Thursday, April 25, 2002

The limitation on scholarships, whereby, a school can only sign five players one year and four the next for a total of nine over a two-year period, helps schools that don't recruit the top players, but penalizes schools that sign players who more often than not aren't going to remain in college all four years.  The perfect illustration is the University of Memphis.  If you will recall, Tigers head coach John Calipari landed the #1-ranked recruiting class a year ago with 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'8 Chris Massie from Oxnard (JC) CA, 6'4 Anthony Rice from North Clayton (College Park) GA, 6'2 Antonio Burks from Hiwassee (JC) TN, and 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL, plus at one time he had 6'9 Amare Stoudemire from Orlando (Cypress Creek) FL, 6'8 Qyntel Woods from Northeast Mississippi (JC) MS, 6'3 Jeremy Hunt from Memphis (Craigmont) TN, and 6'8 Almany Thiero from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC all the fold for this year.  More recently Caliapri added an explosive point guard in 6'0 Clyde Wade from Memphis (Kingsburg) TN via prep school at Winchendon (School) MA as a walk-on.  He also will have 6'6 Billy Richmond, who transferred from Vanderbilt last winter, available beginning second semester next season, and 6'3 Rashaad Carruth, who is rumored to be transferring from Kentucky, appears to be almost a done deal.  And when you add Scooter McFadgon, Modibo Diarra, Arthur Barclay, and John Grice, who were the nucleus of Calipari's first recruiting class two years ago, into the equation, the Memphis program should be in terrific shape.  However, it's not.  Let's start with Stoudemire.  His commitment to Memphis fell through last summer when George Raveling got Stoudemire's mother out of jail and, as a result, Stoudemire switched back to NIKE.  This is important, because that eliminated Stoudemire's legal guardian and AAU coach Travis King, who is originally from Memphis and was the connection to the program, from the picture.  The next to go was Wagner, who is expected to be one of the top picks in the NBA Draft this June.  And right behind Wagner was Woods, who is widely regarded as the top player in the junior college ranks, as well as a potential top five pick in the draft.  All this was expected, but I don't think a lot of people were predicting that McFadgon would transfer to Tennessee last week and Massie would enter his name into the NBA Draft earlier this week.  In other words, with the graduation of Kelly Wise, the premature departure of Wagner, Massie, and McFadgon, and the loss of several recruits (Stoudemire and Woods), Calipari suddenly finds himself in a tough spot.  Let's take a closer look.  Earl Barron and Grice will be seniors, Barclay, Diarra, and Richmond will be juniors, Rice and Erwin will be sophomores, and Hunt and Thiero will be freshmen next year (Burks and Wade are both walk-ons).  That's nine players on scholarship, two of whose status is still questionable.  Will Barclay return now that Wagner is gone and will Grice, who sat out last year for academic reasons, return for his final season?  This group also includes only one player who was a full-time starter (Burks) on a team that just missed making the NCAA Tournament, as well as two part-time starters (Rice and Barron) and a two-year starter at Vanderbilt (Richmond).  There also is a major question of proven size inside, which means the Tigers #1 recruiting priority should be trying to sign the best inside player still available.  Remember, Memphis signed five players a year ago in Wagner, Massie, Erwin, and Rashid Dunbar, who is still in school, but not on scholarship due to his medical problems.  So, with Thiero, Hunt, and Richmond counting towards the current class, the Tigers can only sign one more player.   In other words, it makes no sense for Carruth to go to Memphis, because the Tigers already are well stocked at both guard and wing spots with Richmond, Rice, Hunt, Burks, and Wade.  And it makes even less sense for Carruth to go there, because Calipari runs a pro-style offense, whereby, you have to create shots for yourself.  Didn't Wagner set a school record for missed shots doing exactly that (creating for himself) last season?  Sure, Carruth is a great shooter when he has time to get set, but creating off the dribble has never been one of his strong suits.  An even bigger problem may occur if Memphis continues to be plagued by injuries and transfers, and/or their recruits in the junior class go hardship.  The Tigers should be able to sign five players next year - the most likely being 6'10 Jr Kendrick Perkins from Beaumont (Ozen) TX.  However, if Perkins never materalizes or something else unforeseen occurs (several more players transfer or are injured), Calipari could have a hard time finding enough bodies to even practice a year from now.  In other words, this is a classic example of how the current rules hurt the schools at the top, but help everybody else at different levels of the Division I spectrum.  While all this is extremely interesting, it also brings us to a very important question.  What would do if you were in Calipari's position for next year?  Sign the five best players available and run the risk of more defections or sign less talented and/or less high profile players who you think you can build your program around.  Make sure you tell us by answering our "Question of the Day".

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Forget about the fact the Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX is the only event in the nation where college coaches can evaluate high school players this weekend.   And don't worry about the fact the tournament will include over 200 teams and be broken down into 9-Under, 10-Under, 11-Under, 12-Under, 13-Under, 14-Under, 15-Under, 16-Under, and 17-Under age groups.  That's tournament direcotor Hal Pastner's problem.  And a big problem it will be, as all nine age groups are scheduled to be completed from start-to-finish within 48 hours beginning with pool play on Friday night at 7:00 PM and ending with the championships in each age group late on Sunday afternoon.  Some things you may want to know are that the game between the Hoosier Hoops and the Dallas Mustangs, which are the two teams that played for the national championship in the AAU 14-Under age group last summer, at 1:50 PM on Saturday afternoon in the 15-Under Division (there will be at least 10 future major Division I players in that game alone) is a must see.  You might also want to know that Pastner thinks the freshman class in the United States is the best he's seen in over 20 years.  And he should know, because he has teams in the younger age groups and, as a result, has already seen a lot of these players in person.  While that's nice to know, it's even nicer to know that a shocking number of these freshmen are expected to be in attendance this weekend at the Houston Kingwood Classic.  Some of the big name players who will be in attendance include 6'10 Jr Ndudi Ebi from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX, 6'10 Jr Kendrick Perkins from Beaumont (Ozen) TX, 6'11 Soph Robert Swift from Bakersfield (Garces) CA, 6'9 Soph ReSean Dickey from Clio (Marlboro County) SC, 6'8 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) IL, 5'11 Jr Taurean Minor from Houston (Washington) TX,  6'3 Soph Daniel Gipson from Houston (Jessie Jones) TX, 5'11 Soph Jason Horton from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, 6'8 Jr Corey Gibbs from Atlanta (Pace) GA, 6'10 Soph Tangara Mohamed from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'3 Jr Richard McBride from Springfield (Lanphier) IL, 6'6 Jr Brian Randle from Peoria (Notre Dame) IL, 6'6 Soph Shawn Livingston from Peoria (Richwoods) IL, 6'9 Jr Mohamed Abubar from San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) CA, 6'10 Soph David Burgess from Irvine (Woodbridge) CA, 6'2 Jr Marcus Williams from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA, 6'0 Jr Rayshawn Reed from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Jr Ayinde Ubaka from Oakland (H.S.) CA, 6'7 Jr Oneye Ibekwe from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA, 6'3 Jr Wesley Washington from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, and 6'9 Jr Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY, 5'11 Soph Rajon Rando from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'8 Jr Brandon Bass from Baton Rouge (Capital) LA, 6'0 Jr Jay Jackson from Monroe (Quachita Parish) LA, 6'8 Jr Warren Scott from New Orleans (Abramson) LA, 6'3 Jr Ryan Appleby from Stanwood (H.S.) WA, 6'7 Soph Dayshaun Wright from Syracuse (Fowler) NY, and 6'3 Frosh Tiki Mayben from Troy (H.S.) NY, plus I guarantee you that some major sleepers will emerge, especially from places that get underrecruited nationally in the first place, like Louisiana and Mississippi.  All these players will be in the 17-Under Division, which includes a 66-team field with teams from seemingly everwhere.  The schedule can be found by going to Houston Kingwood Classic, but the list of teams tells the entire story.  We're talking about the Southern California All-Stars, Houston Hoops, and Bloomington Red in Pool A; Kentucky Hoopstars, California Team Select, and YOMCA/Team Memphis in Pool B; Georgia Stars, Albany City Rocks, and Arkansas Wings Red in Pool C; Houston Select, Tennessee Travelers, and Portland Legends in Pool D; Belmont Shore/H Squad, Georgia Elite, and Magnolia Bulldogs in Pool E; Louisiana Select, Team Texas Elite, and KW Mustangs White in Pool F; St. Louis Eagles, Houston Superstars 3 Stripes, and Austin Dawgs White in Pool G; Arizona Stars, KYBA Select, and Port Arthur Heat in Pool H; Arizona Heat, Atlanta Prep Stars, and KT Mustangs in Pool I; Team Indiana/Bloom Black, Houston Jr. Hardballers, and KW Mustangs Blue in Pool J; Ft. Sooy No Limit, Houston Hoopdogs, and ATX in Pool K; Salt Lake Metro, Austin Dawgs Red, and Houston Unknowns in Pool L; South Carolina Ravens, Corpus Christi Elite, and Southside Allstars in Pool M; Mississippi Panthers, Gulf Shores Academy, and North Texas Rice Owls in Pool N; Ft. Worth Lions, Team Texas Select, and Arkansas Wings White in Pool O; New Jersey Wildcats, Houston Gold, and Texas Platinum in Pool P; Emerald City Pioneers, San Antonio Gata, and Texas Heat in Pool Q; High America, Houston Lynx Blue, and Texas Tornadoes in Pool R; Copper State All Stars, Houston Superstars Elite, and Gulf Coast Stars (MS) in Pool S; Orlando Force, North Texas Cowboys, and Shot Callers in Pool T; Texas Top Prospects 2002, Arizona Stars Gold, and Galveston Hornets in Pool U; and TABA Team Illinois, Atlanta All Stars, and Ft. Worth Jayhawks in Pool V.  

I remember it like it was yesterday.   It was July 6, 1998 and I was getting ready for the practice session at the adidas ABCD Camp in Teaneck, NJ, when I got the call from one of my guys at the NIKE All-American Camp.  The big topic of conversation was the big kid that nobody had ever seen before and, as a result, the main item that I wrote previewing the NIKE All-American Camp is as follows:  "The big story at the NIKE Camp promises to be the emergence of 7'3 Yao Ming from Shanghai, China...somebody who saw Ming practice yesterday tells us he is unbelievably skilled and versatile enough to post you up inside or beat you outside with his 3-point range."   Well, fortunately that person was just a source and not somebody ever worked for the HOOP SCOOP.  But, if he had, I would have fired me.  Not only did I get a chance to see Ming play at both the NIKE All-American Camp and at the NIKE Summer Championship in San Diego, CA, but I have to admit that was one of the biggest misses we're ever had.   Ming was mechanical and lacked both mobility and coordination, plus his skill level and versatility weren't nearly as good as advertised.  He did get ranked #20 among centers at the NIKE Camp by the HOOP SCOOP, but, by that time, we're usually just trying to find a few more names at that position to balance out the list.  In other words, he wasn't a factor!  Sure, Ming was extremely long and he did have a lot of potential to develop, but he also had a lot farther to go in terms of development than any of the average men in the class.  Actually comparing Ming to 7'5 Neil Fingleton, who transferred from North Carolina to Holy Cross this spring, would have been a good comparison at the time.  Ironically a year earlier another overhyped big man - 7'1 Raynell Brewer from Houston (Bellaire) TX - was also ranked #20 among centers at the adidas ABCD Camp.   And similar to the situation with Ming, the overhype job that Brewer had received prior to coming to camp was incredible.  "He should be no lower than top 10 or 15 country," said his AAU coach.  Brewer did look great in the airport, because you can't teach somebody to be that tall and athletic.  Unfortunately Brewer didn't have much heart and, as a result, 2 ppg and 2 rpg were the norm during the summer of 1997.   So maybe he was top 10 or 15 in another country, but not in this country.  Top 500-1000 was more like it.  The story gets better several years later when the same AAU coach told tried to me how much Brewer had improved, as he attempted to back up the ranking I'd just seen in a pre-season basketball magazine that had Brewer ranked #17 in the junior college ranks.  Now I can be fooled once, but not twice.  So naturally I was skeptical at the at time and not surprised a month or two later when the athletic director at the junior college Brewer was attending told me that Brewer still was   averaging only a couple of points and rebounds a game.  Now Ming may have improved dramatically, as well as gotten bigger, stronger, more athletic, and more coordinated since we saw him four years ago.  However, I also know one person in our business who once told me he would probably rank a 7'5 dead guy high, if we propped his arms up and could keep him from falling over.  In other words, you're just going to have to show me on this one.  Remember, we broke the story about how good Ming was the first time.  What do you think?  Is Ming for real this time....will he make an impact in the league next year.  Or is Ming a fraud again, somebody who will tease you with his potential, but who can't live up to the incredible expectations that should go along with being one of the top picks in the NBA Draft?   Tell us by answering today's "Question Of The Day".

Miami (Christian) FL head coach Art Alvarez tells us that the two senior guards - 5'11 Jose Juan Barea and 6'2 Carlos Rivera - who led his team to a 38-2 record and a 11 national ranking in the final USA Today poll both signed a National Letter-of-Intent yesterday.  Barea, who is ranked #6 in the senior class in the state by the HOOP SCOOP, picked Northeastern.  And we think this is an absolute steal, because Barea is a hardnosed relentless competitor who can both shoot the lights and make his teammates better with his excellent ball handling and passing skills.   He also is an excellent defender, outstanding student, and terrific kid.  In other words, the only thing preventing him from playing at the highest level mighr be his lack of size.  We also think Rivera, who is ranked #12 in the state by the HOOP SCOOP, is a steal for Jacksonville University.  Not only does he have the athleticism, ballhandling skills, and deep shooting range to play either guard spot, but he also is a terrific competitor who will likely blossom into one of the best players in the Atlantic Sun Conference.  As a matter of fact, Rivera reminds us of the type of player that Jacksonville head coach Hugh Durham was so successful with during the 70's at Florida State.  Alvarez also tells us that Memphis head coach John Calipari was in town yesterday to see his two juniors - 6'8 Jr Ivan Lopez, who is ranked #7 in the junior class in the state by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'5 Jr Jesus Verdajo, who is ranked #14 in the junior class in the state by the HOOP SCOOP.   Obviously Northeastern assistant coach Frank Martin will be hoping to take advantage of his Miami contacts again in the future when it comes time to get both Lopez and Verdajo, but he may have another war on his hands (we understand it was really difficult for Berea to say no New Orleans and Oregon State), as Memphis, Connecticut, Texas Tech, Louisville, Florida, Florida State, N.C. State, Marquette, Miami-FL, Florida International, South Florida, and Arizona are among the schools that have already shown interest in both players.  Alvarez also tells us not to fall asleep on Verdajo.  Last winter we liked Verdajo's ability to slash, defend, and rebound, but we also thought he was a tweener at 6'4.  However, now he's grown an inch and put on 20 pounds.  And it looks like he's not done yet, as Alvarez expects Verdajo to top out at 6'7 or 6'8.  We also understand that Northeastern has landed 6'1 David Sills from Bronx (Regional) NY, who might be one of the biggest sleepers in the nation.  The word we get is that he's a 4th year senior, but this athletic 2-guard played most of his senior year for New York Riverside Church's winter team, instead of for his high school team.  As a result, Sills didn't get the notoriety and exposure that he would have gotten, if he'd played all year exclusively for his Bronx Regional.  But that doesn't mean he's wasn't one of the top players in the New York City this year.  As a matter of fact, our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio thinks Sills might be good enough to play in the Big East, instead of the America East.   However, once again, we have to give Martin credit for getting this one done.   Did you know that Sills almost committed to Northeastern last fall, but then decided to drag it out until spring?  Last fall Northeastern also landed 6'10 Gene Olinyk from Miami (Northwest Christian) FL and 6'3 Jeremy Lang from Springfield (McDuffie) MA, but since that time Lang has been denied admission into school and, as a result, is free to go someplace else where the academic standards aren't as tough.  Northeastern also has landed a walk-on in 6'6 Javorie Wilson from Odessa (JC) TX and there is a Frank Martin connection here as well.  Did you know that Wilson played for Martin at Miami (Senior) FL prior to originally signing with Northern Iowa?  And, if that weren't enough, Northeastern head coach Ronnie Everhart also has two other excellent players (Sylbrin Robinson and Cornelius Wright) waiting in the wings (they both had to sit out last year).  In other words, Northeastern should be one of the most improved teams in college basketball next year and Martin will have be ranked high on any list of the top assistant coaches that we do in the future.  Another team in the America East Conference that has been busy as of late is New Hampshire.  If you will recall, last week the Wildcats signed 6'4 Griffin Wallace from Coffeyville (JC) KS and last night, according to our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey editor Allen Rubin, they signed 6'4 Brian Gibbs from Huntsville (H.S.) AL and 5'10 Shejdie Childs from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA.  Childs' commitment is especially impressive, because he's one of the best point guards still available.  In other words, forget about the fact that he's ranked no higher than #25 in the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey by Rubin.  Childs is an excellent defender and good playmaker, plus Rubin has never been known to be on the high end when ranking undersized point guards.  So we think getting Childs elevates New Hampshire's recruiting class into one of the top classes in the league, right up there along with along with Northeastern and Boston University, which landed 6'8 Richard Bagby from Richmond  (Collegiate) VA and 6'2 Shawn Wynn from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY last fall and signed 6'8 Kevin Gardner from Peninsula (Rolling Hills) CA over the weekend. 

Tuesday, April 23, 2002

Jim Hart, the director of the Albany City Rocks club team program, tells us that his team won Wayne Simone's adidas Hoop Challenge in New Haven, CT over the weekend.   The Rocks beat the Long Island Panthers, 63-48, in the championship game, thanks to the efforts of 6'7 Rashawn Freeman from Schenectady (H.S.) NY with 19 points, 6'7 Soph Dayshaun Wright from Syracuse (Fowler) NY with 16 points, and 6'3 Frosh Tiki Mayben from Troy (H.S.) NY with nine assists.  That's right!  Hart's two youngster are getting it done at the 17-Under level right now and, as a result, they both must be ranked among the top players nationally in their class, respectively.  Wright, who is already a physical specimen and dominant force inside, scored all but one of his baskets (seven) off dunks.  "He's really going to special," says Hart.  "At the Boo Williams Invitational they were calling him baby-Wilt (Chamberlain), because on several occasions he caught the ball in the post and just flipped it over his head for an easy basket.  But I think he's more like Caron Butler, because he has big hands, incredible athleticism, toughness, and he can do things away from the basket, like run, catch, handle, and shoot.  All Wright is lacking right now are post moves."   Hart also compares Mayben to T.J. Ford.  "He's super quick, great a penetrating and dishing, and he's always looking to set up his man.  He's also a good outside shooter.  As a matter of fact, I wish he'd look to shot more.  The Albany City Rocks also have another outstanding sophomore to keep an eye on in 6'7 Soph Will Daniels from Poughkeepsie (Franklin D. Roosevelt) NY.  He's not in same class right now with Wright and Mayben, but he has grown five inches during the last year and has a tremendous upside.  Playing well for the Long Island Panthers were 6'9 Jr Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, who is ranked #21 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'4 Jr Mike Jones from Braintree (Thayer Academy) MA, who is ranked #17 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP; and 6'1 Soph Josh Wright from Utica (Proctor) NY, who is another outstanding sophomore from upstate New York who you need to keep an eye out for.   We also are keeping an eye on who is going to get the Richmond and Tennessee Tech jobs.  The word we get is that former North Carolina assistant coach Dave Hanners, who is now an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, turned down the Tennessee Tech last week.  So now it looks like the two leading candidates are University of Kentucky assistant coach Mike Sutton and Dayton assistant coach Ron Jirsa.  Ironically both Sutton and Jirsa worked for Tubby Smith at Georgia and Tulsa.  UNC-Greensboro head coach Fran McCaffery, American University head coach Jeff Jones, UNC-Wilmington head coach Jerry Wainwright, Davidson head coach Bob McKillop, and Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall are the names we're hearing for the University of Richmond, but the real question is why did John Beilein turn down jobs of equal stature (i.e. Rutgers) a year ago and decide to make the jump now?  We also hear that South Florida assistant coach Clive Vaughn and George Washington assistant coach Kevin Broadus are the two finalists to replace Dave Leitao, who left Connecticut last week to become the new head coach at DePaul.  Vaughn may have more experience, but Broadus knows the Washington, DC area like the back of his hand, plus he may have the right connections.  Remember, George Washington head coach Karl Hobbs previously was an assistant coach at Connecticut. 

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 5'10 Donald Copeland from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ has verbally committed to Seton Hall and that 6'1 Calvin Wooten from Detroit (MacKenzie) MI may have verbally committed to Rutgers.  Copeland got overshadowed last year in the backcourt at St. Anthony's by 6'0 Elijah Ingram and 6'0 Dwayne Lee, but he is good enough to provide the perfect backup to Andre Barrett in the backcourt next year.  This also gives Seton Hall the necessary in to continue to recruit St. Anthony's players in the future.  It also will likely prohibit the Pirates from taking 5'10 Jason Wingate from New York (Rice) NY, which reinforces what our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio told us over the weekend - that Wingate will pick either Manhattan and Fairfield.  Copeland joins 6'6 J.R. Morris from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, 6'9 Eric Davis from Raleigh (Bonner Academy) NC, and 6'7 Kelly Whitney from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC to move Seton Hall's recruiting class up to #55 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  If the Wooten commitment is holds up, the Scarlets Knights may have stolen one.  Wooten was the leading scorer in the Detroit Public League last season, plus he is ranked #7 in senior in the state by the HOOP SCOOP behind 6'11 Paul Davis from Rochester (H.S.) MI, 6'2 Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'3 Ricardo Billings from Detroit (Rogers) MI, 6'4 Maurice Ager from Detroit (Crockett) MI, 6'6 Lester Abram from Pontiac (Northern) MI, and 6'7 Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI.  Rubin also told us several days ago that 6'3 Adam Payton from Lawrenceville (Prep) NJ has signed with Vanderbilt and 6'8 Kevin Gardner from Peninsula (Rolling Hills) CA has signed with Boston University.  The Gardner commitment is especially interesting, because he's an athletic white kid with skills and the ability to play with both his back to the basket and facing the basket.  Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that it's a two-horse race between Kansas and Georgia for 6'9 Jr Mohammed Abukar from San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) CA, plus he thinks Southern California may now be in the lead for 6'9 Jr Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA.  Apparently Schaen's recent official visit to USC went extremely well.  Another interesting connection that USC is that Schaen's father is a professor at school.  Texas Christian appears to the leader for 6'9 Jr Keith Wooden from Lawrence (Free Street) KS.  Did you know that Wooden plays on the same AAU team as Neil Dougherty's son?   Remember, Dougherty, who previously was an assistant coach at Kansas, recently got the head coaching job at TCU.  We've also heard rumors that Wooden wants to transfer to Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA or Louisville (Male) KY.  Apparently Wooden's father lives in Louisville, KY.   Thus, explains why Louisville and Kentucky are both on his list, along with schools like Kansas, Wichita State, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio State, Illinois, and Duke.  However, we'd be surprised if Wooden isn't back at Lawrence (Free Street) KS next season, because his mother has legal custody and wants to remain in control.  As for Dougherty, don't underestimate the connection (Wooden is best friends with his son and, as a result, has been sleeping over at his house since he was in 7th grade).  Despite the fact we weren't very impressed with 6'8 Jr Ross Neltner from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY at the 2002 Executive Inn All-Star Classic, he probably has to be our choice for Mr. Basketball in the state, if we had to cast a vote today.  Not only does Neltner have a 3.9 gpa and the potential to grow several more inches, but he's also very skilled and versatile.  However, he's not a great athlete and he needs to get bigger, stronger and tougher, which means he needs to be careful when making his college choice.  Among the schools that are showing interest in Neltner are Stanford, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Xavier, Purdue, Princeton, Louisville, Northwestern, Western Kentucky, Notre Dame, and Michigan.  Louisville, Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Penn State are the schools that 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY gave to Michael Cruz of Basketball America, who later passed the list onto us (sometimes you have to give up information in order to get other information).  But we think the deciding factor will be when Cardinals head football coach John L. Smith tells Bush he can play both football and basketball in college.  However, we're not sure that Bush is the answer for Louisville in basketball, because he doesn't play very hard and, as a result, he hasn't lived up to his vast potential.  In other words, he looks like Tarzan, but plays like Jane. 

Monday, April 22, 2002

The senior Division of the 2002 Kentucky Hoop Star Classic featured some excellent players like 6'3 Jr Richard McBride from Springfield (Lanphier) IL, 6'6 Soph Shawn Livingston from Peoria (Richwoods) IL, 6'5 Jr Dwight Holmes from Dayton (Stebbins) OH, 6'9 Jr Keith Wooden from Lawrence (Free Street) KS, 6'2 Jr Kenny Love from South Bend (Adams) IN, 6'3 Jr Grant Gibson from Bloomington (South) IN, 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY, 6'1 Soph Rajon Rondo from Louisville (Eastern) KY, and 6'3 Jr Jonathan Lee from Evansville (Harrison) IN.  However, it was the Junior Division at Eddie Ford's tournament that got most of our attention.  Let's start with the Kentucky Junior Elite Team, which beat Dayton Metro, 67-61, in the championship game.  Any way you slice it, 6'2 Soph Chris Lofton from Maysville (Mason County) KY and 6'2 Soph Justin Taylor from Lexington (Tates Creek) KY have to be ranked among the top players in the state's loaded sophomore class.  Lofton is the better of two right now, because he's smart, savvy, and extremely talented.   He also plays under control, makes great decisions, and big plays with his excellent passing ability, good defense, and athleticism.  Lofton also shoots it well enough and has enough size to move over to the 2-guard spot when 6'1 Soph Stephen McKinney from Louisville (Male) KY, has the ball in his hands.  McKinney isn't quite ready to take over at this level yet, but this extremely talented point guard with good handling and passing skills and quickness off the dribble has a tremendous upside.  Taylor has incredible natural talent, explosive athleticism, an aggressive on the boards, and a flair for the spectacular.  He also always seems to find a way to score when he gets the ball around the basket.  However, Taylor may fall into the tweener trap down the road, if he doesn't grow at least several more inches and/or develop more of a perimeter game.  Unfortunately McKinney got hurt and didn't play in the playoffs of the tournament and 6'4 Soph Stephen Gabbard from McKee (Jackson County) KY, who is another one of the top sophomores in the state, had a prior commitment and, as a result, was not in attendance over the weekend.  So Lofton and Taylor, who combined for 33 points in the title game, and 6'3 Soph Ty Rogers from Eddyville (Lyon County) KY, who is the ultimate blue collar player, picked up the slack en route to the championship.  The Dayton Metro Team were led by 6'3 Soph Marquis Brooks from Trotwood (Trotwood Madison) OH with 15 points in the championship game and 7'0 Soph Seth Gorney from Vandalia (Butler) OH, who provided a physical presence inside.   We also were impressed by 6'5 Soph Robert Vaden from Indianapolis (Pike) IN, 6'3 Soph Josh Lanham from Sellersburg (Silver Creek) IN, 6'5 Soph Derek Drews from Elkhart (Central) IN, and 6'10 Frosh Luke Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN and intrigued by 6'8 Soph Lowell Grissom from ?????? (Canterbury) ?? and 6'6 Mike McCoy from Indianpolis (Pike) IN.  Neither Grissom and McCoy understand how to play the game, but they're both extremely active and very athletic.  The most interesting games for us at 2002 Executive Inn All-Star Classic at duPont Manual High School on Saturday were early in the day, because that's when we got a chance to see some of the top 8th graders, freshmen, and sophomores in the state.  Clearly the best player in the first game was 6'3 Frosh Ra'Von Lee from Louisville (Ballard) KY, who finished with 12 points, most of which were off dunks or athletic moves to the basket.  Lee also is a terrific shot blocker, but he will either have to grow down the road or develop perimeter skills.   However, right now he is the best of Ballard's three outstanding freshman - 6'1 Frosh Jordan Newby and 6'5 Frosh Will Reeves, who combined for 21 points in the second game.  The leading scorer in the first game was 6'6 8th Grader Patrick Elliott form McKee (Jackson County) KY.   We're talking about an agile white kid with a soft touch from the high post, excellent moves to the basket, and excellent rebounding skills, which he used to clearly outplay 6'7 8th Grader Albert Jackson from Madisonville (Hopkins County Central) KY, who passed the look test, but who wasn't nearly as impressive once the game started.  We also liked the savvy, hustle, ball handling skills, and long range shooting displayed by 5'9 Frosh Ryan Troutman from Mt. Washington (Bullitt East) KY, plus we want to mention 5'10 Frosh Brandon Adams from Horse Cave (Caverna) KY, 6'1 8th Grader Aaron Dunaway from Frankfort (H.S.) KY, 5'9 Frosh Louisville (Waggener) KY, 6'2 8th Grader Walt Allen from London (South Laurel) KY, 5'9 Frosh Andrew Robinson from Louisville (Manual) KY, and 6'0 Frosh Justin Royles from Louisville (Manual) KY.  The most natuarally talented player in the second game was 6'3 Frosh Maurice Gridner from Fairdale (H.S.) KY, but the three players who played the best were 5'11 Frosh JaJuan Spillman from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY with 15 points; 5'11 Frosh Dominic Tillford from Louisville (Jeffersontown) KY with 14 points, and 6'7 Soph Matt Maresca from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY with 11 points and 16 rebounds.  Spillman and Tillford both had a field day in transition with their athleticism and quickness.  However, Spillman also impressed us with his outside shooting and excellent defense.  Maresca is a versatile white kid with the athleticism and versatility to play both inside and outside.   However, what we liked best about Maresca were his competitiveness and willingness to battle on the boards.  In other words, here's another outstanding sophomore who needs to move way up on our list (previously we had him #22 in the Class of 2004).   Others who made an impact in the second game include 6'6 Frosh Mark Patton from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'2 Frosh Jawan Wilson from Berea (Madison Southern) KY, 6'2 Soph Brock Whitney from Bowling (Green (Warren Central) KY, 5'6 Frosh Keith Nash from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'4 Soph Jordy Maxey from Horse Cave (Caverna) KY, and 5'9 Frosh Keith Burton from Fulton (City) KY.  The third game was the story of two halves as 6'2 Soph Rajon Rando from Louisville (Eastern) KY stole the show prior to intermission by scoring all of his 21 points and 6'9 Soph Robbie Simpson from Louisville (Seneca) KY did most of his damage in the second half en route to 22 points.   However, the player with the most potential might just be 6'10 Soph Terrance Farley from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, who scored only five points, but did more to effect the game than anybody else with his rebounding, shot blocking, and improved aggressivness at the defensive end.  We also think 6'0 Soph Isaiah Britt from Louisville (Seneca) KY, who finished with 12 points, and 5'9 Soph Richard Long from Owensboro (Apollo) KY, who finished with 17 points, deserve mentioning.   But that's it!  What a terrible game!  And the next game was even worse, so we'll skip right to the 5th game of the day, where 6'6 Jr David Cornwell from Louisville (Eastern) KY played well enough to get strong consideration for top player honors in Kentucky's mediocre junior class.  I know, if we did that we'd probably get the same type of reaction that Time Magazine would have gotten if it had named Osama bin Laden as its Man-of-the-Year.  Remember, Cornwell has had all kinds of off-the-court problems and, as a result, was kicked off Ballard's team early last season.  However, 6'8 Jr Ross Neltner from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY and 6'9 Jr Isaiah Mills from Corbin (H.S.) KY, who scored seven and eight points apiece in this game, haven't stepped up and impressed us yet either.  And neither has 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY, who coasted through the Hoop Star Classic over the weekend.  Maybe we should compromise and go with 6'2 Jr Sean Booker from Louisville (Ballard) KY, who had 19 points in the game, or 6'8 Jr Guy Ngarndi from Louisville (Western) KY, who is the biggest slepper in the state right now.  Ngarndi is a foreign exchange student who came to this country in February, but he really impressed us with wing span, athleticism, and ability to go coast-to-coast.  We talking about somebody who is extremely raw in terms of skills, but his upside may be unlimited.  The most impressive outside shooter in the game was 6'2 Jr Maurice Blakey from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, who finished with 19 points.  We also have to mention a pair of multi-dimensional athletes in 6'5 Jr Dante Sweet from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY and 6'6 Jr Marques Dawson from Ashland (Rose Hill Christian) KY.  We were not able to stick around for the final two games of the day, but in the top senior game 5'9 Brandon Stockton from Glasgow (H.S.) KY hit a trio of 3-pointers en route to 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists.  The two leading scorers in the game were 5'11 Petie Brown with 17 points and 6'6 Victor Gomes with 19 points, both from Louisville (Moore) KY.  However, Moore head coach Don Evans' best prospect - 6'9 Mohammed Camara - had only three points. 

Saturday, April 20, 2002, & Sunday, April 21, 2002

The rumor that 6'7 Jr Lebron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH, who is widely regarded as the best player in the nation regardless of class, is thinking about transferring to Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA appears to be is totally false.  And it doesn't make sense either.  Remember, everybody thinks James is going to enter his name into the NBA Draft a year from and he might even do so this year, if NBA commissioner David Stern would let him.  In other words, James' biggest concern is not what he does in core classes or on the SAT, it's becoming the best player he can be and not letting the overwhelming amount of attention and notoriety that goes along with being the most heralded high school player since Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant go to his head.  Instead, we like the rumor about James getting a $9 million offer to play professionally next season in Italy.  We've also heard that adidas is willing to give James $20 million per year, but our guess is that NIKE will top that with no problem.   Remember, we reported several months ago that NIKE thinks James is so good that when the time comes they will do whatever it takes financially to sign James to a long term shoe deal.  Can we confirm any of this?  No!  Are we predicting this will happen?  No!  However, we are raising the possibility.  What would you do if you were James and you get at least $29 million next year to skip your senior in high school and go play in Europe?  Tell us by answering our "Question of the Day" from Saturday, April 21, 2002.  In our opinion James would be crazy not go to for one simply reason.  He's good enough to make the same type of impact that Garnett did 1996 and Bryant did in 1997.  Remember, it is our believe that you should only by-pass college and go straight to the NBA, if you are going to get quality playing time immediately.   This is the point where somebody asks what about James graduating from high school?  Well, I'm sure if he gives St. Vincent-St. Mary's a million dollar endowment, they'd probably give him an honorary degree.  And with the kind of money he's potentially going to make, if going to college is important, he can buy his own college and give himself an honorary degree.   But let's not stop there, because we may be talking about the next Michael Jordan.  At some point, if James doesn't get what he wants from NIKE and adidas, he probably will be able to go out and find his own venture capitalists and start his own shoe company.  Of course, if this rumor is true and James went to play in Italy, he would not get to play in the McDonald's All-American Game next March and all the wheeling and dealing that the high school tournament directors will have done will have been for not.  However, this is big business, not amateur athletics.   And that's "Question of the Day" for Sunday, April 21, 2002.  Does this NCAA get it?   Do they understand they are in competition with not just the NBA and minor league basketball, but everything else that is out there competiting for the entertainment dollar?  Tonight on our radio show from 10:00 PM-12 Midnight EST we will talk about all of this, as well as how the new NCAA rules will effect the game this summer.  You don't want to miss it!  You can listen to live or archived later by clicking on HOOP SCOOP On-Radio.

Our New York Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that 6'2 Ricardo Soliver from Bronx (All Hallows) NY has signed with Iona.  This comes as no surprise, because two of Soliver's teammates - 6'0 Marvin McCullough and 6'8 Kiril Wachsmann, both from Bronx (All Hallows) NY, signed with the Gaels last fall.  Soliver's big claim to fame came when he played out of his mind (he scored 48 points in one game and was the leading scorer for the tournament) at the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL right before Christmas.  Soliver also was on fire when we saw him as a junior at the AAU Super Showcase when New York Riverside Church advanced all the way to the championship game.  However, more often than not this streaky outside shooter who creates all kinds of havoc with his speed, quickness, and athleticism belongs in the Atlantic-10 or the Colonial Athletic Association.  In other words, we think he is a steal for the Iona and, if he ever puts it altogether consistently and gets bigger and stronger, there is no doubt in our mind that he could be a pro.  However, that's easy said than done.   Naclerio also tells us that 5'10 Jason Wingate from New York (Rice) NY appears to be close to signing with either Manhattan or Fairfield.  Seton Hall also is still being mentioned for Wingate, but our guess is that Pirates head coach Louie Orr isn't going to make the scholarship offer.   We also have confirmed that 6'5 Orlandus Hill from Paducah (Tilghman) KY, who is the #5 ranked senior in the state of Kentucky by the HOOP SCOOP, has signed with Eastern Kentucky.  We also are looking for the Colonels to sign two more players tomorrow and, we'll let you know all the details, as soon as they become available.  A lot of people seem to think the University of Kentucky isn't recruiting a lot of the top players in the nation, but that isn't true, as the list we've accumulated includes 6'7 Bobby Perry from Durham (Hillside) NC, 6'5 Jr Olumuyiwa Famutini from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'8 Jr Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 7'3 Jr Shagari Alleyne from New York (Rice) NY, 6'6 Jr Brian Randle from Peoria (Notre Dame) IL, 6'8 Jr Kris Humphries from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN, 6'8 Jr Leon Powe from Oakland (Tech) CA, 6'9 Jr Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Academy) NJ, 6'9 Jr Ekene Ibekwe from Carson (H.S.) CA, 6'10 Jr Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS, 5'10 Jr T.J. Banninster from Jacksonville (Detroit Country Day) FL, 6'7 Jr Omari Israel from Wheaton (Good Counsel) MD,  6'8 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'8 Jr Warren Scott from New Orleans (Abramson) LA, 6'11 Jr Brian Butch from Appleton (West) WI, 6'8 Jr Ross Neltner from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY, 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY, and 6'9 Jr Keith Wooden from Lawrence (Free Street) KS.  

Friday, April 19, 2002

Western Kentucky wrapped up its recruiting for the Class of 2002 by landing two prep school players from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME.  We're talking about 6'2 Danny Rumph and 6'5 Kevin Massiah, neither of whom would be ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally, if they were high school seniors, but both of whom would fall into the 100 to 200 range nationally, just like the three players - 7'2 Michael Doe from Ft. Walton Beach (Choctawhatchee) FL, 6'4 Anthony Winchester from Austin (H.S.) IN, and 6'7 Jamaal Brown from Spartanburg (H.S.) SC - the Hilltoppers signed last fall.  In other words, the Western Kentucky has landed five players who can make an impact in the Sun Belt Conference and, as a result, their recruiting class is ranked #49 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   We also have confirmed that 6'7 Kennedy Winston from Prichard (H.S.) AL has not only gotten his release from the University of California, but has signed with the University of Alabama.  Normally we would treat Winston like a transfer, because he would have to sit out a year.  However, it appears that Winston will likely get out of the National Letter-of-Intent he signed last fall with the University of California due to an illness by his mother.  Winston replaces 6'9 Rodney Bass from Shelton State (JC) AL, who was the marquee player in the Crimson Tide's recruiting class last fall, and, as a result, Alabama's class, which also includes 6'8 Charles Davis from Selma (Southside) AL, 6'5 Emmett Thomas from Bevil State (JC) AL, and 6'8 Evan Brock from Marrietta (Lassiter) GA, will remain ranked #23 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  In other words, with everybody back, except 6'8 Soph Rod Grizzard (assuming he enters his name for the NBA) and 6'7 Soph Reggie Rambo, who is rumored to be transferring to to South Alabama, the Crimson Tide not only should be even better than they were this past season, but they also will likely be one of our pre-season top five teams next season.  Merrick Horn of MidSouth-Hoops.Com has beaten our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman to the punch by telling us that Scooter McFadgen plans to transfer from the University of Memphis and that Tennessee is the favorite over Miami-FL and South Florida.  Horn also confirms that 6'4 Trey Pearson from South Fulton (H.S.) TN has signed with Ole Miss.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that 6'7 Jr Adam Liddell from Waterloo (DeKalb) IN, who is ranked #217 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP has made an early verbal committed to Purdue, and Greg Swaim of GregSwaim.com thinks Kansas may be on the verge of getting a verbal commitment from 6'1 Jr Jeremy Case from McAllister (H.S.) OK, who made a visit to Lawrence, KS two weeks ago.  McAllister isn't ranked among our top 225 juniors nationally, but Swaim thinks that will change when we see him this summer.  Case is the son of the legendary Oklahoma City University head coach Win Case, who has several NAIA National Championships on his resume'.  Swaim also thinks the Jayhawks will get a commitment next week from 6'6 Devin Smith from Coffeyville (JC) KS, who was one of the top players at the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, KS in late March.  However, Smith's junior college coach has strong ties to the University of Iowa.  As a matter of fact, Smith will be at Iowa this weekend and you can bet they will turn up the heat to get Smith to follow in the footsteps of another former player from Coffeyville (JC) KS who signed with the Hawkeyes two years ago (Reggie Evans).  If Smith picks Iowa, their recruiting class, which also includes 6'7 Greg Brunner from Charles City (H.S.) IA, 6'2 Jeff Horner from Mason City (H.S.) IA, and Josh Rhodes from Santa Cruz (H.S.) CA, would move up from #28 to #10 on out list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  However, if Smith, as expected, picks Kansas, the Jayhawks' class would move up from #56 into a tie at #28, along with Iowa.   Swaim also tells us the final three for 7'0 Julius Lamptey from Oklahoma City (Northeast) OK appear to be Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Georgia.   "If he stays in-state, I think it will be Oklahoma State," says Swaim.   "And, if he leaves, it's going to be Georgia.  Kentucky and Connecticut just have too much ground to make up."

Catholic University head coach Mike Lonegran could be on the verge of having his best team ever next season, which is saying a lot when one is reminded of the fact that Catholic University won the Division III National Championship two years ago, finished in the final 16 with 26-3 record a year ago, and finished ranked #7 in Division II just last month.  As a matter of fact, the three recruits - 6'5 Matt Tanner from Hagerstown (St. Maria Gorietti) MD, 6'9 Matt Spierenburg from Hagerstown (St. Maria Gorietti) MD, and 6'8 Shane Sowden from Wilmington (St. Mark's) DE - that Lonegran's right hand man (assistant coach Steve Howes) landed this spring are good enough to make Catholic University the pre-season Division III #1-ranked team next year.  Tanner, who was the MVP of the Baltimore Catholic League, also is good enough to be one of the leading candidates for Division III Rookie-of-the-Year next season.  We talking about an athletic white kid who can beat you inside with his ability to get to the hole and outside with his excellent 3-point shooting range.  Spierenburg, who also elected to stay close to home by picking Catholic University over a number of Ivy League and Patriot League schools, as well as Towson State and Mt. St. Mary's, gained his claim to fame this spring by dominating 6'10 Jr Byron Joynes from Towson (Catholic) MD, who is ranked #87 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, in the Baltimore Catholic League Semi-Finals.  Sowden is an athletic shot blocker who was first team All-State in Delaware last season.  We also understand that 6'2 Brian Morrison, who is transferring from North Carolina, was at UCLA on an official visit two days ago and a source close to the Bruins program think it's almost a done deal.  Also transferring from North Carolina is Adam Boone and one of the schools being mentioned is University of Kentucky.  However, the smart money appear to be on the University of Minnesota.  Remember, he's originally from Minnetonka (H.S.) MN.  As a matter of fact, Dave Telep of TheInsidersHoops.com tells us that Golden Golphers head coach Dan Monson has already been down to recruit him.   We also have confirmed that Hampton University has added another player in 6'2 Dewayne Spencer from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township) PA, who is ranked #12 in the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Area by Allen Rubin.   Not only is this a steal for Pirates head coach Steve Merfeld, whose team is already is recognized as a giant killer, after knocking off Iowa State a year ago in the first round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago and after being on the first team's to knock off North Carolina last season, but Spencer's signing also moves the Pirates recruiting class up even higher on our list of Top Recruiting Classes To-Date. That's right!  Hampton's class, which is ranked #29 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is highest ranked class in the nation among schools that aren't in the top eight Division I Conferences (ACC, SEC, Big-10, Big-12, Pacific-10, Big East, Conference USA, and Atlantic-10).  However, the class does have seven players - Spencer, 6'9 Bakary Konate from Cincinnati State (JC) OH, 6'7 Rodney Hughes from Owens (JC) OH, 6'3 Jeff Granger from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, 6'2 Dewayne Spencer from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township) PA, 6'7 Troy Washington from Denmark (Denmark-Olar) SC, 6'11 Bruce Brown from  Richmond (Henrico) VA, 6'10 Frank Russell from Fayetteville (Pine Forest) NC.  Hampton can do this, because Konate and Granger both enrolled after the semester break in early January and, as a result, count with last year's recruiting class with regards to the NCAA rule that allows Division I schools to sign nine players over a two-year period (five on year and four the next). 

Thursday, April 18, 2002

Yesterday we told you that we thought Duke was on the verge of landing two of the top five players in the junior class nationally in 6'7 Jr Luol Deng from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ and 6'10 Jr Ndudi Ebi from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX  and that the University of Louisville appears to be in a position to land what may be the best recruiting class in college basketball next year.  However, let's take a closer look at the top juniors nationally and make some predictions.  There is no doubt in our mind that 6'7 Jr LeBron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, who is the consensus #1 ranked player in the nation regardless of class, will by-pass college and enter his name into the NBA Draft a year from now.  As a matter of fact, James is so good that if he entered his name into the NBA Draft this spring, he would almost for sure be the #1 pick.  We've already said that Deng is a lock for the Blue Devils and we also think they are the favorite for Ebi.  And, if it were done today, we think Louisville would get 6'10 Jr Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS, Illinois would get 6'4 Jr Shannon Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, Michigan would get 6'4 Jr Dion Harris from Detroit (Redford) MI, Mississippi State would get 6'9 Jr Travis Outlaw from Starkeville (H.S.) MS, Memphis would get 6'10 Jr Kendrick Perkins from Beaumont (Ozen) TX, Florida would get 6'8 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, Kansas would get 6'8 Jr Kris Humphries from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN, Illinois would get 6'3 Jr Richard McBride from Springfield (Lanphier) IL, Louisville would get 6'4 Jr Brandon Jenkins from Detroit (Southeastern) MI, Villanova would get 6'9 Jr Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, Syracuse would get 6'8 Jr Terrance Roberts from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, Arizona would get 6'10 Jr David Padgett from Reno (H.S.) NV, Georgia Tech would get 6'9 Jr Chris Taft from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY, Michigan would get 6'10 Jr Drew Naymick from North Muskegon (H.S.) MI, Louisville would get 6'11 Martin Iti from Winchendon (School) MA, USC would get 6'10 Nick Sigger from Van Nuys (Montclair Prep) CA, USC would get 6'4 Jr Roderick Stewart from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA, and USC would get 6'4 Jr Loderick Stewart from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA.  Speaking of the Trojans, it is being reported that USC signed 6'0 Brandon Brooks from Indian Hills (JC) IA, who was ranked as the #3 point guard by the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook, and 6'4 Roy Smiley from Southeastern (JC) IA, who was ranked as the #3 point guard by the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  If you will recall, we reported on Tuesday, January 22nd, that both players had verbally committed to the Trojans.  We also are looking for USC to have a huge recruiting year next year.  As a matter of fact, we think it's almost a done deal for Stigger and the Stewart twins, despite the fact the Stewart's teammate - 5'9 Nate Robinson from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA - reneged on the verbal commitment he made in December to USC and, instead, signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play football at the University of Washington in February.  We also hear that 6'8 Jr Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who is ranked #49 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'8 Jeff McMillan, who is transferring from Fordham, are both making officials to USC today.  USC also is one of the favorites, along with schools like LSU, Miami-FL, and Indiana, for 6'8 Brandon Bass from Baton Rouge (Capital) LA, and they are in the hunt, along with California, Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, and UCLA, for 6'9 Jr Ekene Ibekwe from Carson (H.S.) CA.  Speaking of Ibekwe, UCLA is also in the hunt for his older brother - 6'7 Onye Ibekwe from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA - who is one of the best inside players still available nationally.  Not only does Ibekwe combine toughness and athleticism, but he might be the entrée necessary to get his younger brother.  UCLA also appears to be out of the picture for 6'10 Erazem Lorbeck from Slovenia, who at one time was thought be a done deal for either UCLA or North Carolina.  Instead, it looks like Lorbeck may now be on the verge of signing with Michigan State.  And, if that happens the Spartans recruiting class would up to #2, behind Duke and ahead of Iowa State, North Carolina Maryland Villanova, and Florida, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date. The top three schools for 6'7 Bobby Jones from Long Beach (Poly) CA, who is one of the top unsigned players available who is academically qualified, are Utah, Oregon, and Oregon State.  Kansas, Iowa, and Virginia appear to be three finalists for 6'6 Devin Smith from Coffeyville (JC) KS, who was one of the top players at the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, KS in late March.   Not only was Smith one of the top freshmen in the junior college ranks last year, but he is academically qualified and, as a result, eligible to transfer to a four-year school and play for three years.   

This weekend there will be two events - the Executive Inn All-Star Classic at duPont Manual High School and the Hoop Stars Classic at Male High School- in Louisville, KY, both of which I plan to attend.  The Hoop Stars Classic will tip-off tomorrow night at 7:30 PM with the four teams in the Senior-To-Be Division from Pool C (Kentucky HoopStars Senior Elite versus Southern Indiana BBall and GCBA Gray versus the Evansville Basketball Club).  Then, at 8:45 PM we will get a look at some of the top teams in the Junior-To-Be Division as it will be the Kentucky HoopStars Junior Elite versus Indiana South and the Kentucky HoopStars Frosh/Soph versus St. Louis Gameface.  At 10:00 PM we'll get another look at the Senior-To-Be Division as it will be Team Ohio versus the Indiana Shooters and GCBA versus Kansas City Nets.  And that will be followed by another set of games in the Junior-To-Be Division at 11:15 PM with the Kentucky HoopStars White versus the Cincinnati Stars and the Nashville Stallions versus the Spiece Top Prospects.  We also plan to get up early on Saturday morning to see the 8:00 AM games, which will feature Bloomington Red versus the Durham Disciples in the Senior-To-Be Division and Team Ohio versus the Indiana Shooters in the Junior-To-Be Division.  The other two teams in the 12-team senior division (Ft. Sooy No Limit versus St. Louis Gameface) will play at 9:30 AM Saturday morning and the remaining teams in the Junior-To-Be Division (Ft. Wayne Bearcats versus the Spiece Stars) will play at 9:30 AM at Male High School and (Dayton Metro versus Bloomington Gold and the Nashville Stallions versus Maximum) will play at Waggener High at 11:45 AM.  Pool play will continue on the rest of the day at Male High School.  The playoffs will begin at 8:00 AM on Sunday at Male High School.  The championship of the Junior-To-Be Division will be at 3:30 PM and the championship of the Senior-To-Be Division will be at 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon at Male High School. The Executive Inn All-Star Classic will tip-off on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM with some of the top freshmen and 8th graders in the state playing in Game #1.  In that game the West Squad will feature 6'2 8th Grader Walt Allen from London (South Laurel) KY, 6'6 8th Grader Patrick Elliott from McKee (Jackson County) KY, 6'2 8th Grader Andre Henderson from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'1 8th Grader Charles Keene from Frankfort (Western Hills) KY, 6'3 Frosh Ra'Von Lee from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 5'8 8th Grader Travis Owsley from Owensboro (Catholic) KY, 5'9 8th Grader Ty Proffitt from London (South Laurel) KY, 5'9 Frosh Andrew Robinson from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'0 Frosh Justin Royles from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'2 Frosh Justin Troutman from Shepherdsville (Bullitt Central) KY, 5'9 Frosh C.J. Willis from Louisville (Seneca) KY versus 5'9 Kelvin Wilson from Louisville (Seneca) KY and the East Squad will feature 5'10 Frosh Brandon Adams from Horse Cave (Caverna) KY, 5'11 Frosh Daniel Alcorn from Mt. Washington (Bullitt East) KY, 5'8 8th Grader Damion Barnes from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'0 Frosh Daniel Bolden from Louisville (Waggener) KY, 6'1 8th Grader Aaron Dunaway from Frankfort (H.S.) KY, 6'7 8th Grader Albert Jackson from Madisonville (Hopkins County Central) KY, 5'10 Frosh Frank Middleton from Evarts (H.S.) KY, 6'1 Frosh Jacob Porter from Mt. Washington (Bullitt East) KY, 6'2 Frosh Anthony Thomas from Munfordville (Hart County) KY, 5'9 Frosh Ryan Troutman from Mt. Washington (Bullitt East) KY, and 6'0 8th Grader Tyler Wimsatt from Owensboro (H.S.) KY.  Game #2 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature freshmen and sophomores, will tip-off at 11:30 AM.  The West Team will include 6'3 Frosh Maurice Gridner from Fairdale (H.S.) KY, 5'11 Soph Brett Haskins from Bardwell (Carlisle County) KY, 6'2 Frosh Julius Maddox from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'7 Soph Matt Maresca from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, 5'9 Frosh Troy McFarland from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, 6'1 Frosh Jordan Noble from Corbin (H.S.) KY, 6'1 Soph Jordan Samuels from Frankfort (Western Hills) KY, 5'11 Frosh JaJuan Spillman from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, 5'10 Soph Corey White from Mt. Washington (Bullitt East) KY, 5'11 Frosh George White from Louisville (Iroquois) KY, 6'2 Soph Brock Whitney from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, and 6'2 Frosh Jawan Wilson from Leitchfield (Grayson County) KY.   The East Team will include 5'9 Frosh Keith Burton from Fulton (City) KY, 6'9 Frosh Tyler Clark from Vanceburg (Lewis County) KY, 6'0 Frosh Will Current from Frankfort (H.S.) KY, 6'2 Soph DeCoreo Edwards from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY, 5'11 Frosh Wesley Jones from Maysville (Mason County) KY, 6'4 Soph Jordy Maxey from Horse Cave (Caverna) KY, 5'6 Frosh Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'1 Frosh Jordan Newby from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'6 Frosh Mark Patton from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'5 Frosh Will Reeves from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 5'11 Frosh Dominick Tillford from Louisville (Jeffersontown) KY, and 6'1 Soph Michael Whitlock from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY. Game #3 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature exclusively sophomores, will tip-off at 1:00 PM.  The West Team will include 6'0 Soph Ryan Anderson from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, 6'3 Soph Melvin Beasley from Louisville (Iroquois) KY, 6'6 Soph Lonnell Dewalt from Bowling Green (Warrren Central) KY, 6'5 Soph Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'5 Soph Brandon Hamby from Fern Creek (H.S.) KY, 5'10 Soph Michael James from Owensboro (Apollo) KY, 5'9 Soph Spindle Johnson from Louisville (Jeffersontown) KY, 6'4 Soph Travis Johnson from Owensboro (Apollo) Ky, 5'9 Soph Richard Long from Owensboro (Apollo) KY, and 6'7 Soph Mario Urririta from Fern Creek (H.S.) KY.  The East Team will include 6'0 Soph Isaiah Britt from Louisville (Seneca) KY, 6'10 Soph Terrance Farley from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, 6'2 Soph Ronnie George from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'3 Soph Dustin Grutza from Maysville (Mason County) KY 6'2 Soph Steve McKinney from Louisville (Male) KY, 5'11 Soph James Ray from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'2 Soph Rajan Rondo from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'9 Soph Robbie Simpson from Louisville (Seneca) KY, 6'2 Soph Chris Warfield from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'2 Soph Demetrius Woods from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY, and 6'8 Soph Gerry Young from Louisville (Seneca) KY.  Game #4 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature exclusively juniors, will tip-off at 2:30 PM.  The West Team will include 5'10 Jr Matt Beil from Union (Ryle) KY, 6'1 Jr Matthew Belcher from Feds Creek (H.S.) KY, 6'2 Jr Andrew Coates from Munfordville (Hart County) KY, 6'0 Jr Adam Coleman from Pikeville (Millard) KY, 6'2 Jr Kevin Collins from London (South Laurel) KY, 5'9 Soph Matt Fabiani from Covington (St. Henry) KY, 6'2 Jr K.B. Falks from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY, 6'2 Jr Buddy Hinton from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'5 Jr Brad King from Berea (Madison Southern) KY, 5'10 Jr Jacob Raymond from Hartford (Ohio County) KY, 6'6 Jr Ricky Redden from Franfort (H.S.) KY, and 5'10 Jr Maurice Sanders from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY.  The East Team will include 6'1 Jr C.J. Brewer from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY, 6'2 Jr Keenon Burton from Louisville (Manual) KY, 6'2 Jr Demetrius Fuqua from Louisville (Iroquois) KY, 6'3 Jr Gerrard Garrett from Louisville (Doss) KY, 5'10 Jr Michael Hall from Hi Hat (South Floyd) KY, 5'11 Jr Ryan Isam from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY, 6'5 Jr Blake Powers from Brandenburg (Meade County) KY, 6'3 Jr Roman Ritchey from Hodgenville (La Rue County) KY, 5'9 Jr Brian Steele from Shepherdsville (North Bullitt) KY, 5'9 Jr Chad Stivers from Shepherdsville (Bullitt Central) KY, and 6'0 Jr Terrance Walker from Louisville (Iroquois) KY. Game #5 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature exclusively juniors, will tip-off at 4:00 PM.  The West Team will include 6'2 Jr Sean Booker from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'6 Jr David Cornwell from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'0 Jr Zach Grace from Tompkinsville (Monroe County) KY, 6'2 Jr Radford Graves from from Tompkinsville (Monroe County) KY, 6'4 Jr Bryan Miles from Louisville (DeSales) KY, 5'11 Jr Nathan Myrick from Maysville (Mason County) KY, 6'8 Jr Ross Neltner from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY, 6'8 Jr Guy Ngarndi from Louisville (Western) KY, 6'2 Jr Matt Norris from Louisville (Moore) KY, 6'3 Jr Trey Sharpe from Somerset (H.S.) KY, 6'1 Jr Armund Taylor from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, and 6'2 Jr Chris Wilson from Evarts (H.S.) KY.  The East Team will include 6'2 Jr Maurice Blakey from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, 6'3 Jr Anthony Chism from Fairdale (H.S.) KY, 6'3 Jr Brandon Cummings from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, 6'6 Jr Marques Dawson from Ashland (Rose Hill Christian) KY, 6'2 Jr Matt Endy from Louisville (Kentucky Country Day) KY, 5'11 Jr Jerome Givens from Versailles (Woodford County) KY, 6'0 Jr Pat Kelly from Louisville (St. Xavier) KY, 6'4 Jr Mark King from Ashland (Rose Hill Christian) KY, 6'9 Jr Isaiah Mills from Corbin (H.S.) KY, 6'5 Jr Donte Sweat from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, 6'1 Jr Carlos Williams from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, and 6'4 Jr Leroy Wilson from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY. Game #6 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature exclusively seniors, will tip-off at 5:30 PM.  The West Team will include 6'3 Ryan Atwell from Campbellsville (H.S.) KY, 6'3 Deandre Burnette from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'1 Aaron Ferrell from Fulton (City) Ky, 5'6 Larry Fox from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY, 5'11 Darryl Hunter from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'7 Paul Ladzik from Owensboro (Catholic) KY, 5'11 Brandon Oldham from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY, 6'3 Adam Schott from Shepherdsville (North Bullitt) KY, 6'7 Jordan Sulker from Owensboro (H.S.) KY, 6'4 Jarius Sykes from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY, and 6'2 Kevin Taylor from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY.  The East Team will include 6'6 Patrick Bugg from Harrodsburg (H.S.) KY, 6'1 Monte Calloway from Somerset (Pulaski Southwestern) KY, 6'4 Carroll Coffman from Madisonville (Hopkins County Central) KY, 5'10 Tee Commodore from Maysville (Mason County) KY, 6'1 Travis Foley from Crestwood (South Oldham) KY, 6'3 Kevin Hill from Frankfort (H.S.) KY, 6'7 Matt Jarrett from Henderson (County) KY, 6'2 Early Jefferson from Louisville (Waggener) KY, 6'5 Jordan Mann from Somerset (H.S.) KY, 5'10 Robert Myrick from Maysville (Mason County) KY, 6'1 Marques Osborne from Louisville (Doss) KY, and 5'10 Jamie Roach from Louisville (Shawnee) KY. Game #7 of the Executive Inn All-Star Classic, which will feature exclusively seniors, will tip-off at 7:00 PM.  The West Team will include 6'3 John Berry from Louisville (Trinity) KY, 6'7 LaVar Carter from Louisville (Male) KY, 6'2 Eric Davie from Hopkinsville (Christian County) KY, 6'4 Demarko Foreman from Henderson (County) KY, 6'7 Brad Lightle from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, 6'1 Johnny Mathis from Louisville (Male) KY, 6'3 Scott Reynolds from Louisville (Seneca) KY, 6'7 Daniel Russ from Louisville (Trinity) KY, 6'7 Todd Spencer from Shepherdsville (Bullitt Central) KY, 6'1 Rusty Tackett from Hi Hat (South Floyd) KY, and 6'7 Larry Williams from Louisville (Seneca) KY.  The East Squad will include 6'1 Petey Brown from Louisville (Moore) KY, 6'0 David Bryant from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'9 Mohamed Camara from Louisville (Moore) KY, 6'4 Robert Daniels from Shelbyville (Shelby County) KY, 6'1 Bobby Fuqua from Louisville (Iroquois) KY, 6'6 Victor Gomez from Louisville (Moore) KY, 6'3 Brandon Kirk from Bowling Green (Warren Central) KY, 6'5 Anthony Milan from Fairdale (H.S.) KY, 6'2 David Quero from Louisville (Beth Haven) KY, and 5'11 Quentin Smith from Radcliff (North Hardin) KY.  Unfortunately, due to NCAA rules, Division I college coaches can't attend either event. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that Temple has lot out in the sweepstakes for 5'11 Roscoe Biggers from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC.   Instead, Biggers has signed with Auburn.  The Tigers also signed another point guard last week in 6'0 Chris Lollar from Johnson County (JC) KS.   Neither Biggers or Lollar is the equivalent of a top 100 senior (Biggers is a 5th year player and Lollar is a junior college player), but both are good enough to help solve Auburn's point guard problems.  Remember, the Tigers should be as good as anybody in the league at the other four positions next year with Kyle Davis, Marco Killingsworth, Brandon Robinson, Derrick Bird, Dwayne Mitchell, Adam Harrington, 6'9 Terry Licorish from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 6'4 Steve Leven from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, plus Cliff Ellis is a heck of coach.   So don't be surprised if he puts all the pieces together and Auburn is one of the most improved teams in college basketball next season.  Previously we thought Biggers might walk-on at Temple and get a scholarship when one becomes available a year from now.   At least that's what Rubin told us might happen in late February.  Now the Owls coaching staff is trying to work-out the same type of arrangement with 6'1 Chris Gaither from Leitchfield (Grayson County) KY, who is ranked #13 in the state of Kentucky by the HOOP SCOOP and was named to the Kentucky All-Star Team, which will play the Indiana All-Stars in the annual Kentucky-Indiana Series in June.   However, our guess is that Gaither will end up at Austin Peay, where he will join another talented guard the Governors stole recently in 6'2 Maurice Hampton from Russellville (H.S.) KY.  Rubin also tells us that New Hampshire has signed 6'4 Griffin Walker from Coffeyville (JC) KS and it appears that Arizona has landed 6'6 Chris Dunn from Hobbs (H.S.) NM.  Our guess is that Dunn, who is not very highly touted, but is a phenomenal athlete, will red-shirt next year, as the other three players - 6'3 Chris Rodgers from Portland (Wilson) OR, 6'4 Hassan Adams from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, and 6'5 Andre Igoudala from Springfield (Lanphier) IL - in Arizona's recruiting class battle for playing time at both wing spots.   We also have confirmed that Fordham has signed three players - 6'8 Manny Messy from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'4 Drew Williams from Australia, and 6'4 Jermaine Anderson from Toronto (Eastern School of Commerce) ON - to go along with 6'2 John Blackgrove from Winchendon (School) MA, who signed with the Rams last fall.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson also tells us that Fordham assistant coach Shay Berry has been spending a lot of time in Poland, Finland, and Germany looking for a quality big man who can step in and make an immediate impact next year for the Rams.  We also believe that Duke is extremely close to getting a verbal commitment from 6'7 Jr Luol Deng from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, who is ranked #3 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  As a matter of fact, Deng is supposed to be in Durham, NC this week on an official visit to Duke and it wouldn't surprise us if a verbal commitment from Deng was forthcoming to the Blue Devils as soon as next week.   And that may get some of the other dominos to start falling.  Take 6'8 Jr Kris Humphries from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN, who is ranked #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, for example.  Humphries claims he is wide open, but all his father talks about is what great coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams are, which leads us to believe Duke and Kansas are two of the favorites.  Well, if Deng commits to the Blue Devils next week and 6'10 Jr Ndudi Ebi from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX also picks the Blue Devils this spring (Duke is believed to be Ebi's favorite school, but Arizona, Texas, and Louisville also are in the hunt), then Humphries may be out of luck, if he wants to go to Duke.  That's unless he makes up his mind soon.  Another school that appears to be in a similar position is the University of Louisville, which is one of the favorites for a number of the top players in the nation, including Ebi, Humphries, 6'10 Jr Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS, 6'8 Jr Leon Powe from Oakland (Tech) CA, 6'4 Jr Dion Harris from Detroit (Redford) MI, 6'4 Jr Shannon Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, 6'4 Jr Brandon Jenkins from Detroit (Southeastern) MI, 6'5 Jr Olu Famutimi from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'8 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'10 Jr David Padgett from Reno (H.S.) NV, 6'11 Martin Iti from Winchendon (School) MA, 7'3 Jr Shagari Alleyne from New York (Rice) NY, 6'8 Jr Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, 6'9 Chris Taft from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY, 6'9 Jr Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, and 6'10 Nouha Diakite from Barton County (JC) KS.  If you're Rick Pitino, do you take Iti or Alleyne?  Alleyne checks in at 7'3, but Iti is more athletic and has an incredible upside.  And do you take whichever two players commit first out of the group that includes Butler, Powe, Ariza, Padgett, Outlaw, Diakite, Villanueva, and Taft or do you wait on Butler, Padgett, and Powe, where you have obvious connections?  Did you know that Marvin Stone's former AAU coach and Butler's AAU coach are one in the same in Mark Komara?  Speaking of Komara, our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson tells us that Butler has a lot of  respect for Komara and, as a result, Komara will have a lot of influence when it comes time for Butler to make a decision.  University of Louisville associate head coach Mick Cronin also has known Powe's high school coach for years via their association with adidas and Cronin is extremely close to Dana and David Pump, who run the Pump N Run Club Team program for which Padgett has played during the last several years.  However, we still don't believe the Cardinals can beat the University of Michigan for Harris and the University of Illinois for Brown.   Remember, it's almost impossible to beat these schools in their backyard, but Louisville is believed to be #2 on Harris' list and they are in the hunt, along with schools like Illin