HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR FEBRUARY 2007

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson confirms that 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV, who is currently ranked #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, does have a press conference scheduled for Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM and, as things stand now, he will become the final player to get a scholarship in Ohio State's' 2008 recruiting class.  Babbitt will pick the Buckeyes over Arizona, UCLA, Gonzaga, and Nevada.  However, that doesn't mean that Ohio State is done recruiting players in the Class of 2008, as 6'6 Jr Terrelle Pryor from Jeanette (H.S.) PA, who is ranked #68 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the #1-ranked high school football player in America, plans to play both football and basketball in college and has Ohio State right at the top of his list, along with schools like Michigan, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Penn State.  Johnson also tells us that Babbitt's commitment should also help clear up the picture with regards to where the other three highly touted juniors in the state - 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH, 6'9 Jr Yancy Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH, and 7'1 Jr Kenny Frease from Massillon (Perry) OH, who are ranked #3, #14, and #44 nationally in the junior class respectively by the HOOP SCOOP - will go to college.  "I'm now 90% sure that Roe will end up at North Carolina," says Johnson.  "And Roe will likely make his college decision sometime after his team, which is currently undefeated, wins the state championship on March 24th and before the beginning of the AAU season in early April.  The only other school that still has a shot at Roe's services is Michigan State.  But they're a long shot at best."  And, assuming that the Tar Heels pull this off as expected, it could be start of a recruiting class similar to the one a year ago when North Carolina had the #1-ranked recruiting class with 6'4 Wayne Ellington from Merion Station (Episcopal Academy) PA, 6'0 Tywon Lawson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'10 Brandan Wright from Brentwood (Academy) TN, 6'6 William Graves from Greensboro (Dudley) NC, 6'9 Alex Stepheson from North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, and 6'8 Deon Thompson from Torrance (H.S.) CA.  This time around North Carolina is among the leaders for Roe, 6'4 Jr Tyreke Evans form Aston (American Christian) PA, 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, 6'3 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA, 6'9 Jr Al-Farouq Aminu from Norcross (H.S.) GA, 6'8 Jr Drew Gordon from San Jose (Archbishop Mitty) CA, 6'8 Jr Howard Thompkins from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'9 Jr Ed Davis from Richmond (Benedictine) VA, 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'0 Jr Larry Drew from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'6 Jr Olu Ashaolu from Humble (Christian Life) TX, and 6'3 Jr Travis Releford from Shawnee Mission (Bishop Miege) KS.  However, for the Tar Heels to sign another five or six-man recruiting class a year-and-a-half from now, several of the current players in the program will have to either go pro or transfer.  As things stand now, the Tar Heels have 10 freshmen and sophomores in the program in 6'9 Soph Tyler Hansbrough, 6'3 Soph Bobby Frasor, 6'5 Soph Marcus Ginyward, 6'5 Soph Danny Green, 6'10 Frosh Brandon Wright, 6'0 Frosh Tywon Lawson, 6'4 Frosh Wayne Ellington, 6'8 Frosh Deon Thompson, 6'9 Frosh Alex Stepheson, and 6'0 Frosh William Graves, and within the next month they should have an early commitment from Roe.  In other words, North Carolina head coach Roy Williams and his staff can be very selective, as they currently have a total of three scholarships available for the junior class.  When Roe commits and, if Hansbrough enters is name into the NBA Draft this spring, that number will remain at three.  However, it could go up to four, five, or six with a commitment by Roe and defections by Hansbrough, Wright, Lawson, and/or Ellington to the NBA either this spring or a year from now.  Johnson thinks Cincinnati and Xavier are the teams to beat for Gates, although Georgetown, Florida, Michigan, and Indiana are still in the picture and this one is likely to drag out until next fall.  As for Frease, he made an unofficial visit to Notre Dame over the weekend and, in his first game back after suffering an eye injury that sidelined him a month ago, had Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey and assistant coaches from Michigan, Michigan State, and Xavier all in the house to see him play on Monday night.  Johnson also points out that, if 7'0 Jr B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH, who is ranked #15 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, had not verbally committed to Ohio State during his freshman year, the Buckeyes would have been a near lock to get Frease.  The connection is that Frease's mother played at Youngstown State on the women's basketball team with Dan Peters' sister.  Peters, who is now an assistant coach at Ohio State, also was the the head coach of the Penguins in the mid-90's and he was the only coach in Youngstown school history to win 20 or more games in a season and has been described as an X's and O's genius on more than one occasion.  And this is important, because Peters has been instrumental in helping the Buckeyes get 6'5 David Lighty from Cleveland (St. Joseph) OH, 7'0 Kosta Koufas from Canton (Glenoak) OH, and 6'6 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky (H.S.) OH from Northeast Ohio and he's worked for two of the premier head coaches in the game today at Ohio State for Thad Matta and at Cincinnati for Bobby Huggins.  So obviously Peters is a guy that any astute athletic director with a job opening at a good mid-major program in the Midwest this spring will want to try and hire.  Ohio State also is still recruiting players in the Class of 2009, as is evident by the fact that they had 6'9 Soph Stephan Van Treese from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN and 6'4 Soph Desmar Jackson from Warren (John F. Kennedy) OH on campus for unofficial visits on Sunday during the Ohio State-Wisconsin game.  Also at this game were two of the top freshmen in the state - 6'7 Frosh Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH and 6'1 Frosh Peshon Howard from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH.  However, 6'8 Frosh DeShaun Thomas from Ft. Wayne (Bishop Luers) IN, who is ranked #3 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP and was one of the leading scorers in the state this year averaging over 26 ppg, had to stay home to practice and get ready for his team's first high school playoff game in which he scored 32 points last night.  Thomas has already taken unofficial visits to Ohio State and Indiana, but schools like Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Duke, and North Carolina are also showing a lot of early interest.  

Earlier today we published Rick Staudt's updated Florida Report exclusively in the Members Section and I was very surprised by some of his rankings, which include his six all-state teams regardless of class and position and his list of the top 120 seniors, top 80 juniors, top 60 sophomores, and top 30 freshmen in the state.  However, I also think it's important that to point out that I not only enjoy a good debate, but encourage our state-by-state and area editors to not necessarily bark the party line and, as a result, draw their own conclusions.  The first surprise came when I saw that 6'5 Alvin Mitchell from Ft. Lauderdale (Cardinal Gibbons) FL was ranked #4 in the state ahead of 6'1 Edwin Rios from Miami (Senior) FL, who up until a-year-and-a-half ago was clearly the best player in the state in this class.  Staudt also does a good job of backing up his conclusion when points out that "Mitchell may have the best pro potential of any player in the class."  But I disagree with that as well.  As a matter of fact, I've said on numerous occasions that when it's all said and done that 7'1 Solomon Alabi from Montverde (Academy) FL, who we currently have ranked #25 nationally in the senior class, could end up being the best player nationally in the entire class.  Remember, we're talking about an incredible shot blocker/athlete/rebounder with an incredible amount of potential and whose offensive skills have improved leaps and bounds during the last year.  I also would have had 6'6 Adam Allen from Milton (H.S.) FL, who I last saw at Five-Star's loaded Honesdale session in late August, ranked behind players like 6'5 Lance Kearse from Ft. Myers (H.S.) FL, 5'11 Chris Warren from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL, 5'11 Javier Gonzalez from Miami (Dr. Krop) FL, 6'2 Devon Lamb from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 6'2 Fred Brown from Palm Beach Gardens (Dwyer) FL, 6'10 Joseph Katuka from Montverde (Academy) FL, and 6'8 A.J. Stewart from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL.  In other words, I think Allen is a terrific outside shooter, but don't think he has the athleticism and necessary to anything more than a good role player for the Gators.  However, Staudt reminds me that Allen was hurt last summer and he's seen him a lot more than I have over the last year.  So it will be interesting to see how this one turns out in the future.  I also would have 6'0 Jr Dashan Harris from Montverde (Academy) FL and 6'7 Jr Martez Walker from Montverde (Academy) FL, who check in at #7 and #8 on Staudt's list of the top juniors in the state, ranked ahead of 6'9 Jr Eloy Vargas from Plantation (American Heritage) FL, who is ranked #4 in the state's junior class by Staudt.  And, in this case, I've seen Harris dating back to his days as a freshman at Santa Monica (Crossroads) CA and Walker dating back to his days as an 8th Grader at LaPlace (Reserve Christian) LA a lot more than Staudt, who got his first look at these two players this season at Montverde Academy.  All this is important, because we do this type of thing all the time when compiling both our state-by-state and national rankings.  But, in the final analysis, I have the final say when it comes to the national rankings and our state-by-state and area editor's have the final say when it comes time to the publication of their reports.  The publication of our Florida Report also now brings the number of the state-by-state and area reports that we've published in just over the last month to five.  If you will recall, we published Dennis Marshall's Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia Report on January 25th, Adam Finkelstein's New England Report on February 1st, Larry Kihnley's Kentucky Report on February 5th, and Lavel Johnson's Mississippi Report on February 13th.  I've also been typing in Ron Naclerio's rankings of the top players in New York City off-and-on for the last several weeks, which means the publication of his report will likely occur by the end of the week, and our West Coast Editor Alan Utter and Tennessee Correspondent Andre Whitehead will probably be the next two up after we get New York City out of the way.

Our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein tells us that 5'11 Ronnie Dixon from Exeter (Phillips Exeter Academy) NH has verbally committed to Dartmouth and 6'3 Barry Latham from Thompson (Marianapolis Prep) CT has verbally committed to Bryant College.  And we're intrigued with both commitments.  Dixon is a small quick point guard who makes good decisions, but, at the same time, is very efficient in an up tempo setting.  In other words, it looks like Dixon is ideally suited to step in next and complement all of the good young players that Big Green head coach Terry Dunn already has in the program.  Currently Dartmouth is 9-16 overall and 4-8 in the league, but they lost to Pennsylvania by only two points on Saturday and three of their top five players - 6'5 Soph Alex Barnett, 6'1 Soph DeVon Mosley, and 6'8 Soph Dan Biber - are sophomores.  Dartmouth also already has 6'8 Clive Weeden from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH in the fold, which means that Dunn and his staff have already replaced the only two players in the program - 6'2 Sr Leon Pattman, who is the team's leading scorer with 16.1 ppg, and 6'5 Sr Jason Meyer (4.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg) - that get any meaningful playing time.  Normally we don't report Division II commitments, but Latham was getting a lot of interest from schools in the Northeast and America East Conference and he will be playing for the legendary Max Good, who is best known for his 10-year run at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME when he posted an incredible 275-30 record, but since arriving at Bryant College five years ago has guided the Bulldogs to three straight NCAA Division II regional appearances, including a runner-up finish in the NCAA II Championship Game in 2004.  Latham is best described as a long athletic left-handed 2-guard with an excellent mid-range game.  Finkelstein also tells us that the brackets are set for this year's NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) Tournament and the quarterfinals of the Class "A" Division" will tip-off on Wednesday, February 28th, at Endicott College in Beverly, MA with #1-seeded North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME versus #8-seeded Exeter (Phillips Exeter Academy) ME at 2:00 PM, #4-seeded Winchendon (School) MA versus #5-seeded New Hampton (Prep) NH at 4:00 PM, #3-seeded South Kent (Prep) CT versus #6-seeded Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA at 6:00 PM, and #2-seeded Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH versus #7-seeded Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT at 8:00 PM.  The semi-finals of the Class "A" Division will also be held at at Endicott College in Beverly, MA at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Friday, March 2nd, and the championship of the Class "A" Division will be held at 4:00 PM on Sunday, March 4th, at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA.  And preceding the  Class "A" Division Championship Game at Worcester Academy will be the Class "B" Championship Game at 2:00 PM and the Class "C" Championship Game at Noon.  Finkelstein also tells us that for the first time ever there will be a true National Prep School Champion crowned next week.  This will take place in the 2007 National Prep Basketball Finals, which will be held on Wednesday, March 7th, and Thursday, March 8th, at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC.  As things stand now, three of the four teams are already set, as Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, and Lenoir (Patterson) NC have already played themselves into the field, and the last spot will probably go to either Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA or Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, depending upon how things go later this week.  Obviously this will be a great homecoming for 6'8 Michael Beasley, who is ranked #6 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is originally from the Washington, DC area.  However, with the potential to also see a number of other great players like 6'6 Jermaine Peterson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'10 Craig Brackins from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'7 Jeff Allen from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'5 Jeremy Hazel from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'4 Thomas Manzano from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'8 Justin Burrell from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'1 Terrell McKenzie from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'6 Tirrell Baines from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'5 Dominique Sutton from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, 6'3 P. Allen Stinnett from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, and 6'2 Deonte Roberts from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, there is no doubt that this event will be well worth the price of admission.  For more information and the pairing of teams when they become available, go to PrepChampionship.com.  Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter is telling us that it looks like our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson was right on the money when we quoted him on Thursday, February 8th, in this section about Ohio State being the team to beat for 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV, who is currently ranked #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  "Usually it's hard for a school from the Midwest to beat schools from the West Coast like UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga, and Nevada," says Johnson.  "But Babbitt has already made an unofficial visit to Columbus during the Ohio State-Michigan State game on January 27th and all of his relatives from both sides of the family live in Ohio."  We mention all of this, because Utter thinks a verbal commitment by Babbitt to the Buckeyes will be forthcoming later this week.  And, assuming that he is correct, this would just be the icing on the cake for Ohio State's third great consecutive recruiting class.  If you will recall, their recruiting class was ranked #4 with 7'0 Greg Oden from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, 6'1 Michael Conley from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, 6'4 Daequan Cook from Dayton (Dunbar) OH, 6'5 David Lighty from Cleveland (St. Joseph) OH, and 6'9 Othello Hunter from Hillsborough (JC) FL in our Final Ranking of the Top Recruiting Classes for the Class of 2006 ; they currently have the #9-ranked recruiting class with 7'1 Kosta Koufas from Canton (Glenoak) OH, 6'9 Dallas Lauderdale from Solon (H.S.) OH, 6'6 Eric Wallace from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'6 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky (H.S.) OH, and 6'6 Evan Turner from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007; and they already have the #1-ranked recruiting class with 6'10 Jr B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH, 6'1 Jr Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI, 6'5 Jr William Buford from Toledo (Libbey) OH, and 6'3 Jr Walter Offutt from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2008.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that if Ohio State does get Babbitt and Oden enters his name into the NBA Draft either this spring or next spring, the Buckeyes won't have another scholarship available for either the Class of 2008 or Class of 2009, unless one of the just mentioned players transfers or enters his name into the NBA Draft.  Utter also tells us that Washington State has landed 6'10 Fabian Boeke from Hamburg, Germany and the latest list for 6'9 Jr Edgar Garibay from Compton (H.S.) CA, who is ranked #75 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, includes Louisville, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State, Memphis, and USC.  It also looks like previous reports about UCLA not being that interested anymore in 6'9 Soph Renardo Sidney from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who is the #1-ranked sophomore nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, were way off base.  Did you know that Bruins head coach Ben Howland was in the house last Friday when Sidney scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked eight shots, and dished out six assists against Simi Valley (H.S.) CA?  Utter also tells us that Sidney attended the UCLA-Stanford game on Saturday and thinks the Bruins are currently the leader for Sidney's services.  As a matter of fact, last summer Sidney told Utter that he plans to follow in Kevin Love's footsteps and sign two years from now with UCLA.  Utter also has confirmed that 6'1 Venoy Overton from Seattle (Franklin) WA, who is ranked #71 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has reneged on his verbal commitment to USC and now is heading to the University of Washington.  However, this doesn't comes as much of a surprise for several reasons.  First, the Trojans already have 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV, who is the #2-ranked senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and is capable of playing either guard spot, in this year's recruiting class and 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who is both our #1-ranked point guard and player overall in the junior class nationally, is already in the fold for next year.  Second, the Huskies need a quality point guard who can step in, run show, make good decisions, and complement all of the other good young players who are already in the program. 

It's finally official and the 24 players who were named to the play in this year's McDonald's All-American Game, which will be held in Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY on Wednesday, March 28th, are 6'5 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'0 Johnny Flynn from Niagara Falls (H.S.) NY, 6'5 Austin Freeman from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'9 Donte Green from Towson (Catholic) MD, 6'9 James Hickson from Marietta (H.S.) GA, 7'1 Kosta Koufos from Canton (Glenoak) OH, 6'8 Gani Lawal from Norcross (H.S.) GA, 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'5 Corey Stokes from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'0 Chris Wright from Washington (St. John's) DC, 7'0 Cole Aldrich from Bloomington (Jefferson) MN, 6'6 James Anderson from Junction City (H.S.) AR, 6'3 Jerryd Bayless from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, 6'8 Michael Beasley from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'3 Eric Gordon from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'8 Blake Griffin from Oklahoma City (Oklahoma Christian) OK, 6'4 James Harden from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'7 Taylor King from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, and 6'9 Kyle Singler from Medford (South Medford) OR.  And, while I agree with most of the players selected to the team, there are a number of interesting items that I want to take a minute and point out.  First, on my final ballot, which asked me to pick 10 players on an East Team and 10 players on a West Team, 19 of the 20 players that I voted for actually made this year's McDonald's All-American Team.  The lone exception was 6'9 Chandler Parsons from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, who got my vote on the East Team, along with Wright, Calathes, Smith, Freeman, Green, Parsons, Beasley, Patterson, Hickson, Koufas, and Green, based on the brilliant performance that he turned in at the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL in late December.  The 10 players that I picked for the West Team were Rose, Mayo, Bayless, Gordon, King, Singler, Griffin, Lawal, Aldrich, and Love.  Second, my ballot also contained a note at the bottom of the page that said the next five players that I would have voted for are 6'1 Corey Fisher from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 7'1 Solomon Alabi from Montverde (Academy) FL, 6'0 Johnny Flynn from Niagara Falls (H.S.) NY, 6'7 Gary Johnson from Houston (Aldine) TX, and 6'5 Lacedaris Dunn from Monroe (Excelsior Christian) LA.  I also made a note that 6'10 Anthony Randolph from Dallas (Woodrow Wilson) TX and 6'11 DeAndre Jordan from Humble (Christian Life) TX both have the talent to play in the game, but lack the attitude and character necessary to get my vote.  In other words, I thought about three players from the Lone Star State, but the guy who made it - 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX - wasn't one of them.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that I'm one of Lucas' biggest fans, as is evident by the fact that we have him ranked #34 nationally in the senior class.  However, this looks like politics at it's best, as Lucas' father is former University of Maryland All-American and Houston Rockets star John Lucas.  However, I'm not going to be too critical of this one, because the younger Lucas is both a class act and one of the hardest working guys at any level in the game today and the older Lucas is a great love for the game and has gained my respect over the course of time.  I also like the fact that 6'4 James Harden from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who is currently ranked #19 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, was named to play in the game.  As a matter of fact, if I had it do over again, I probably would have mentioned him on the list of players, along with Fisher, Alabi, Flynn, Johnson, and Dunn, that were next on my list.  Third, there were two major surprises when I first saw the 24-man McDonald's All-American Team roster that is listed above.  They are 6'5 Corey Stokes from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ being named to play in the game over 6'1 Corey Fisher from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ and 6'6 James Anderson from Junction City (H.S.) AR, who is ranked #86 nationally in the class by the HOOP SCOOP, being named to play in the game at all.  And, ironically, I really like both players.  If you will recall, Anderson is a big time athlete and good outside shooter who established himself as one of the better wing forwards in the nation last summer when we ranked him #26 overall and #6 at his position at the NIKE All-American Camp.  I also thought Anderson helped himself even more as the summer wore on, but this is the first time I can ever remember anybody mentioning him in the discussion as one of the best players nationally in the Class of 2007.  Stokes, who is ranked #45 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is a good 3-point shooter, but he doesn't have Fisher's speed, quickness, and ability to create his own shot.  And to reinforce this point even further is fact that Fisher is the only player ranked among the HOOP SCOOP's top 20 high school seniors who was not named to play in the game.  But, then again, what do I know?  Remember, I'm the same guy who thought that 6'5 Paul Harris from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA and 6'9 Derrick Caracter from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA should have been in the McDonald's All-American Game and that 6'9 James Keefe from Rancho Santa Margarita (Santa Margarita) CA should not have been in the game a year ago.  And, with Caracter playing an important role in Louisville's turnaround this season, Harris averaging 8.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, and 1.6 apg on a team that is on the verge of playing itself into the NCAA Tournament, and Keefe playing only 6.6 minutes per game and averaging 1.0 ppg, and 1.6 rpg on a team whose one question mark might be depth inside, I will stand by what I said about each of these players a year ago.  Fourth, it's worth pointing out that the West Squad, which features our #1, #3, #4, #5, #6, and #8 ranked players in 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, 6'3 Eric Gordon from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'3 Jerryd Bayless from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, 6'9 Kyle Singler from Medford (South Medford) OR, 6'8 Michael Beasley from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 6'3 Derrick Rose from Chicago (Simeon) IL, has most of the star power.  In contrast, the East Squad should have good chemistry, as 6'3 Austin Freeman from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'0 Chris Wright from Washington (St. John's) DC, 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA are all from the Washington, DC area and have been teammates in high school and/or in AAU ball for years; 6'9 Donte Green from Towson (Catholic) MD, 7'1 Kosta Koufos from Canton (Glenoak) OH, 6'5 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'0 Chris Wright from Washington (St. John's) DC, 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, and 6'8 Gani Lawal from Norcross (H.S.) GA all know one another from playing on the NIKE circuit; 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 6'8 Gani Lawal from Norcross (H.S.) GA, and 6'9 James Hickson from Marietta (H.S.) GA have the athleticism necessary to make things interesting inside against 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR and 7'0 Cole Aldrich from Bloomington (Jefferson) MN; and 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV, 6'9 Donte Green from Towson (Catholic) MD, 6'5 Nick Calathes from Winter Park (Lake Howell) FL, 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, and 6'0 Chris Wright from Washington (St. John's) DC promise to provide plenty of firepower out on the perimeter.  Fifth, we also are looking forward to seeing how 7'1 Kosta Koufas from Canton (Glenoak) OH does against 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, especially in light of what our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson said on Friday about Koufas and Love.  And, while I personally don't agree with Johnson with regards to Koufas potentially being better than Love, I do like a good debate. 

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that 6'7 Jon Diebler from Upper Sandusky (H.S.) OH, who is ranked #96 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has a chance to become the all-time leading scorer in the state of Ohio tonight against Norwalk (H.S.) OH, if he equals his current 42.6 ppg scoring average.  The previous record was set by former Ohio State point guard Jay Burson, who finished his high school career with 2,958 points at the end of the 1985 season.  Diebler, averaged 24.3 ppg as a freshman, 26.3 ppg as a sophomore, and 34.8 ppg as a junior and is averaging 42.6 ppg this season, also had a game when he scored 77 points on January 13, 2006, which is the 7th highest individual game scoring performance in state history.  Johnson also tells us that if 6'5 O.J. Mayo from Huntington (H.S.) WV had stayed this year at Cincinnati (North College Hill) OH, where he would have played without 6'5 Billy Walker and 6'10 Keenan Ellis, he too may have had a shot at breaking the state's all-time career scoring record, as well as become the second player in the history of the state, along with LeBron James, to be named Mr. Basketball three straight seasons.  Speaking of Mr. Basketball, Johnson thinks Diebler will win this year's coveted Mr. Basketball Award, but adds that his vote goes to 7'1 Kosta Koufos from Canton (Glenoak) OH.  Not only is Koufos ranked #9 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but since late December when his team suffered its last loss to Dayton (Dunbar) OH, he has been averaging a triple-double with averages in the range of 30 ppg, 20 rpg, and 10 bpg.  Johnson also thinks Koufos, who was still not at full strength when all of the scouts saw him last spring and summer, has even more upside and potential than 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, who is our #1-ranked player nationally in the senior class.  "Koufos has not had the advantage of developing under the tutorage of a father who once played in the NBA," says Johnson.  "He's also three inches taller than Love, has a lot more room to get bigger and stronger, and has a much higher ceiling on his potential.  A lot of people compare Koufos with Dirk Nowitzki, but I liken him more to former Portland Trailblazers 7'2 center Arvidas Sabonis, who may have been the best big man in the game in 90's, instead of Shaquille O'Neal, if he hadn't suffered an Achilles tendon and knee injury after leading the Soviet Union to the 1988 Olympic Gold Medal."  Johnson also tells us that 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Toledo, OH has now surfaced at Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, which makes sense due to the fact that he's already verbally committed to the University of Connecticut and this New England prep school is only 50 miles away from the Huskies' campus in Storrs, CT.  And hopefully this will be the last stop in Miles' high school career, which has already included stops at Toledo (Libbey) OH, Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, Toledo (Waite) OH, San Antonio (Cornerstone Christian) TX, and Humble (Christian Life) TX.  Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter tells us that 6'7 Darrington Hobson from Decatur (Christian) IL, who is ranked #12 on our list of the top 5th Year Players, has finally made it official for Pepperdine.  And this is huge for the Waves, because Hobson is multi-dimensional enough to play any position from point guard to power forward and talented, skilled, and athletic enough to have a chance to make money playing the game someday.  However, Hobson has never lived up to expectations due to off the court issues and questionable academics, which makes it a blessing in disguise that he didn't try to go to the highest level school that was recruiting him.  Instead, he will get the coaching and discipline that he needs in order to live up to expectations and, at the same time, Pepperdine head coach Vance Walberg, who is an X's and O's genius, will get another big time player around which to build the program.  Remember, Pepperdine already has landed a 6'7 Tyrone Shelley from San Diego (Crawford) CA, who is ranked #74 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'8 Malcolm Thomas from San Diego (Crawford) CA, 6'6 Jon Reed from Rolling Hills Estates (Palos Verdes Peninsula) CA, 6'7 Mychal Thompson from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, all of whom are the equivalent of a player in the 101-300 nationally in the senior class; and 5'10 Tyler Tucker from San Diego (Crawford) CA, who is ranked #745 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but is a heady point guard who knows how to run a team.  So, it should come as no surprise that Pepperdine's recruiting class now is ranked #18 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2007.  It also appears that earlier this week that 6'5 Austin Thornton from Cedar Springs (H.S.) MI decided to become a walk-on at Michigan State, instead of accepting one of the scholarships offers that he had from schools like Richmond, Kent State, Oakland, Saint Louis, Drake, Central Michigan, and Toledo.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Thornton, who is now regarded by many as the state's unsigned senior, has a 4.0 gpa and has nice size and versatility out on the perimeter.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'8 Jared Mintz from Toronto (Vaughan Road) ON, who is ranked #875 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has verbally committed to Lafayette.  We're talking about a skilled inside player who can post-up, rebounds well, and is good at passing our of the double-team. 

It's been almost a month since we last speculated on which teams will make the field of 65 in this year's NCAA Tournament, so, with just a week and a half left in the regular season, now it the perfect time to take another look and see who we think is in and who we think is out based on the way things stand right now.  The first trend that we see is that things really do seem to be lining up perfectly for the super conferences, as the Atlantic Coast Conference with eight teams - North Carolina (24-4), Maryland (21-7), Duke (21-7), Virginia Tech (19-8), Clemson (19-8), Virginia (18-8), Georgia Tech (18-9), and Boston College (18-9); the Big East Conference with seven teams - Pittsburgh (24-4), Marquette (22-7), Georgetown (21-5), Notre Dame (21-6), Louisville (20-8), West Virginia (20-7), and Villanova (18-9); the Big-12 Conference with six teams - Kansas (24-4), Texas A&M (23-4), Texas (20-7), Oklahoma State (19-8), Kansas State (19-9), and Texas Tech (17-11); the Big-10 Conference with five teams - Wisconsin (26-3), Ohio State (25-3), Michigan State (20-8), Illinois (20-9), and Indiana (18-8); the Pacific-10 Conference with five teams - UCLA (24-3), Washington State (22-5), Oregon (21-7), USC (19-8), and Arizona (17-9); and the Southeastern Conference with five teams - Florida (24-3), Kentucky (19-8), Alabama (19-8), Tennessee, (19-9), and Vanderbilt (18-9); account for six of the 31 automatic bids and 30 of the 34 at large bids into the NCAA Field.  In other words, if we had to seed the NCAA Tournament right now, the only conferences other than the six that we just mentioned that would get any at-large bids into the field of 65 are the Missouri Valley Conference, which would get three teams - Southern Illinois (24-5), Creighton (18-10) and Missouri State (20-9), and the Mountain West Conference, which would also get three teams - Air Force (23-5), UNLV (23-6), and Brigham Young (21-6), into the tournament.  The rest of the field consists of other 23 teams that get automatic bids, which barring an upsets in their conference tournaments, should be Vermont (21-6) in the America East Conference, Xavier (20-7) in the Atlantic-10 Conference, East Tennessee State (20-8) in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Weber State (18-10) in the Big Sky Conference, Winthrop (24-4) in the Big South Conference, Long Beach State (18-7) in the Big West Conference, Virginia Commonwealth (23-6) in the Colonial Athletic Association, Memphis (24-3) in Conference USA, Butler (25-5) in the Horizon League, Pennsylvania (17-8) in the Ivy League, Marist (22-7) in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Oral Roberts (19-9) in the Mid-Continent Conference, Akron (20-6) in the Mid-American Conference, Delaware State (16-11) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Central Connecticut State (18-11) in the Northeast Conference, Austin Peay (18-9) in the Ohio Valley Conference, Holy Cross (21-8) in the Patriot League, Davidson (25-4) in the Southern Conference, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (20-5) in the Southland Conference, Jackson State (16-11) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Western Kentucky (20-10) in the Sun Belt Conference, Gonzaga (19-10) in the West Coast Conference, and Nevada (25-2) in the Western Athletic Conference.  And, if Wright State, which currently is 21-9 and has already knocked off Butler once this year, wins the Horizon League, then we'd have to find another team to eliminate from one of the eight conferences mentioned above with at-large bids.  Obviously all this is important, because there are a lot of really good teams, like Stanford (17-8), Syracuse (19-8), Bradley (19-11), Massachusetts (20-7), Mississippi (18-9), Michigan (18-10), Providence (17-9), Old Dominion (22-7), Hofstra (21-8), Drexel (21-7), New Mexico State (20-6), San Diego State (19-8), that need to finish strong in order to insure themselves a spot in this year's NCAA Tournament field.  Also interesting is the fact that we've now tracked six Division I head coaching openings that must be filled this spring.  If you will recall, Minnesota, Colorado, Radford, and Hawaii all opened months ago when Dan Monson was bought out from his contract and Ricardo Patton, Byron Samuels, and Riley Wallace announced that they would step down at the end of the season.  Then, Santa Clara head coach Dick Davey, whose team is currently 20-7 overall and battling Gonzaga for the top spot in the league with a 10-2 conference record, announced that he will retire on February 1st and earlier today it was announced that Rickie McKay, who currently has a 15-13 overall record and 4-9 conference record in his 5th season at New Mexico, will be fired at the end of the season.  And, if the Lobos don't want to make the same mistake they made last time when they hired McKay after two average seasons as the head coach at Oregon State, they ought to go after a top level assistant coach like Florida's Larry Shyatt or Kansas' Joe Dooley.  Not only are we talking about the #1 and #2-ranked assistant coaches in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP, but the both have previous head coaching experience (Shyatt in the Clemson from 1998 to 2003 and Dooley at East Carolina from 1995 to 1999) and they both already have been assistant coaches at New Mexico (Shyatt from 1982 to 1988 and Dooley from 1999 to 2002).  The name we're hearing the most with regards to the Santa Clara job is UCLA assistant coach Kerry Keating and the two names that are being mentioned the most prominently for Colorado are Air Force's Jeff Bzdelik and Metro State's Mike Dunlap.  The obvious choices for Radford and Hawaii are George Mason assistant coach James Johnson and Hawaii associate head coach Bob Nash and we still think Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders will get the Minnesota job, if he wants it.  Did you know that Saunders was in Minneapolis, MN this past weekend during the NBA's All-Star weekend for the 25-year reunion of the Gophers Big-10 Championship team, but denies that he has met with university president Robert Bruininks about the head coaching job and repeatedly has said that he has no interest in becoming the next head coach of the Golden Gophers?  So, if we take Saunders at his word, then the obvious leading candidate at take over as boss of the Golden Gophers would become Washington State head coach Tony Bennett, who right now is one of the leading candidates for National Coach-of-the-Year and has plenty of Big-10 ties dating back to when he worked for his father (Dick Bennett) and Bo Ryan at the University of Wisconsin.  And, if they can't get Saunders or Bennett, then North Dakota State head coach Tim Miles, whose team knocked off Marquette earlier in the year, might move right up to the top of the list.  Some other names that we've heard for the Minnesota job include Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski, former UCLA head coach and current ESPN television analyst Steve Lavin, UNLV head coach Lon Kruger, former Utah head coach and current ESPN analyst Rick Majerus, former Stanford and Golden State Warriors head coach Mike Montgomery, Wichita State head coach Mark Turgeon, Creighton head coach Dana Altman, Southern Illinois head coach Chris Lowery, Old Dominion head coach Blaine Taylor, Butler head coach Todd Lickliter, Dayton head coach Brian Gregory, and Bradley head coach Jim Les.  We also believe that Minnesota head coach Dan Monson, who is both an alumnus of the University of Idaho and the son of former Idaho and Oregon head coach Don Monson, will become the next head coach of the Vandals, which are 3-24 under first year head coach George Pfeifer.  And now you know the rest of the story, which is why Idaho would pass on all the excellent list of candidates for the job and hire an assistant who had only been at the school for one season prior to becoming the head coach last spring.  We also continue to hear that University of Arkansas head coach Stan Heath is in trouble, unless he makes the NCAA Tournament, and that UNLV head coach Lon Kruger could be in line for the job.  And, if that happens, look for Western Illinois head coach Derek Thomas, who still has one more year on his contract, to beat the posse and rejoin his former boss.  Another great name for the Arkansas job would be Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton, whose father, Eddie Sutton, was the head coach of the Razorbacks from 1974-1985 and recently has been quoted as saying that he's sorry that he ever left the University of Arkansas to take the Kentucky job in 1985.  Other jobs that we hear may open this spring include Oregon State, South Florida, Texas Christian, Colorado State, St. Bonaventure, Utah, Louisiana-Lafayette, Iona, Indiana State, Illinois-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Detroit, Wyoming, Long Beach State, Denver, and St. Francis-PA. 

I get calls all the time from people asking me about what camps and tournaments that I recommend and right at the top of my list is the Five-Star Basketball Camp, which is second to none when it comes to instruction, competition, and exposure in an intense basketball playing environment.  This will be the 42nd year for the traditional overnight camps and the main thing that separates Five-Star from other camps is the fact that players go through 12 different stations (shooting fundamentals from A to Z, back-to-basket offensive moves, the lost art of of passing, science of footwork, shell, help and recover, the screening game, man-to-man pressure, rebounding, blocking our and pitching out, plyometrics, strength and conditioning, post defense, one-on-one moves facing, and game conditioning dribbling drills).  And, if that weren't enough, the players in attendance at the camp also have the option of attending Five-Star's optional Station 13, which provides individualized skills development on a daily basis.  The Five-Star session at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL on June 10th-14th not only will kick off the summer, but should be one of Five-Star's best weeks, along with their sessions at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, VA on June 17th-21st, Fordham University in the Bronx, NY on June 24th-28th, Baylor University in Waco, TX on July 7th-11th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 10th-14th, and 76ers Camp in Stroudsburg, PA on August 25th-29th.  Other traditional sessions will be held at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL on June 30th-July 3rd, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 5th-9th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 15th-19th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 22nd-26th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 27th-31st, East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA on July 29th-August 1st, Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL on August 4th-8th, and Camp Wayne in the Preston Park/Honesdale PA area on August 19th-23rd.  There also will be another session at a date yet to be announced at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY some time in July.  Five-Star will also have seven junior camps, which will have the same format as the traditional camps, whereby the camp is divided into three leagues (the NIT, NCAA, NBA) with a maximum of 10 players on a team with each player playing a minimum of half of each game.  The first junior camp sessions will be at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL and Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on June 30th-July 3rd, followed by another session at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 22nd-26th, University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL on July 28th-31st, Lewis University in Romeoville, IL on July 30th-August 3rd, Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH on August 14th-18th, and Camp Wayne in the Preston Park/Honesdale, PA area on August 14th-18th.  Five-Star also is famous for its specialty camps of which there will be nine this year.  The first specialty camp will be at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney, VA on June 14th-17th, followed by East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA on June 25th-28th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 3rd-5th, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL on July 3rd-5th, Baylor University in Waco, TX on July 11th-13th, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 19th-22nd, Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 31st-August 3rd, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL on on July 31st-August 3rd, and 76ers Camp in Stroudsburg, PA on August 30th-September 2nd.  Five-Star also will have a number of day camps, beginning with the one at the Valley View Sportsplex (grades 8th-12th) in Dallas, TX on May 29th-June 1st, followed by Boys Latin School (grades 4th-10th) in Baltimore, MD on June 25th-29th, Quince Orchard High School (ages 9-15) in Gaithersburg, MD on July 2nd-6th, Boys Latin School (grades 4th-10th) in Baltimore, MD on July 9th-13th, Riverdale Baptist High School (ages 9-15) in Upper Marlboro, MD on July 9th-15th, Basketball City (ages 8-15) in Boston, MA on July 9th-13th, KI School (grades 4th-10th) in Baltimore, MD on July 16th-20th, Hunter College (ages 8-15) in conjunction with Basketball City on July 16th-20th, Bowie City Gym (ages 9-15) in Bowie, MD on July 17th-21st, Teaches Hoops (junior high players) at Bell Middle School in Chappaqua, NY on July 23rd-27th, Boys Latin High School (grades 4th-10th) in Baltimore, MD on July 30th-August 3rd, Georgetown Prep (ages 9-15) in Washington, DC on July 30th-August 3rd, Boys Latin High School (grades 4th-12th) in Baltimore, MD on August 6th-10th, and Fordham Prep (ages 8-15) in the Bronx, NY on August 6th-10th.  Five-Star also will have a Broadcasting School that will have accreditation through Robert Morris University (3-Credit Course) will be run by Will Klein and Len Elmore at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 9th-14th and a Coaching Academy that will have accreditation through George Mason University (3-Credit Course) that will be run by Will Klein, Kevin O'Neill, and Dr. Harold Merritt at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA on July 9th-14th.  Five-Star also plans to host three competitive basketball tournaments this year.  The 2007 Five-Star Hoop Classic in New York, NY will be May 18th-20th, 2007 Five-Star Hoop Classic in Tallahassee, FL will be July 27th-31st, and 2007 Five-Star NIT in Winter Haven, FL will be August 3rd-5th.  For more information about all of these events, click onto Five-Star Basketball Camp.  We also think it's interesting to point out that Howard Garfinkel, who is a co-founder and consultant to the camp, and Will Klein, who is a co-founder and co-owner of the camp, passed the baton a year ago to Leigh Klein, who is a co-owner and president of the camp, and Tony Bergeron, who is now the program director and recruiting coordinator for the camp.  And this is important, because the younger Klein and Bergeron now provide the energy and coordination necessary to help run all of the events mentioned above and Garfinkel and the older Klein, who are both legends in the business as well as members of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame and recipient of the Anaconda Lifetime Achievement Award, are still around to provide their wisdom and expertise and do valuable work in the publications department.  I also am particularly intrigued with Coaching Academy, because Five-Star has always been a great place for bright up-and-coming coaches to learn about teaching the game and making valuable contacts that will help them move up the coaching ladder down the road.  As a matter of fact, I'm not sure that Five-Star isn't just as important a tool for the coaches who work the camp as it is for the players who participate in the camp.  And I know first hand, because that contacts that I've made just covering the Five-Star Camp dating all the way back to 1983 when Chris Washburn, Delray Brooks, Al Lorenzen, and Troy Lewis were some of the top players at Five-Star's loaded Pitt I and Pitt II sessions have been extremely important for both myself and the HOOP SCOOP. 

When the University of Kentucky landed a verbal commitment from 6'7 Jr Draymond Green from Saginaw (H.S.) MI yesterday, it was huge for a number of reasons.  First, Green, who now is one of the leading candidates for Mr. Basketball in the state's junior class, is one of the fastest rising players in the junior class nationally, as is evident by the fact that he moved up 173 spots in our latest national rankings and, as a result, now checks at #71 in our updated Ranking of the Top 200 Juniors Nationally.  Second, Green is exactly what the doctored ordered to help fill the Wildcats inside needs, as this tough hardnosed aggressive athletic power forward is averaging 22 ppg, 14 rpg, and five bpg this season.  Third, Green plays in one of the most successful programs in the state, as he and Boston College-bound 6'10 Josh Southern from Saginaw (H.S.) MI have led their team to a 16-1 record and a #1-ranking in their classification in state so far this season.  Fourth, getting Green is excellent insurance in case the Wildcats don't get 6'8 Patrick Patterson from Huntington (H.S.) WV, who is ranked #15 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the top ranked senior nationally still available.  And, if the Wildcats do get Patterson, then Green, who has the versatility, perimeter skills, and quickness necessary to also play out on the perimeter.  Fifth, Green has a huge upside and potential, which means he should be the perfect complement to both Patterson and 5'8 Jai Lucas from Houston (Bellaire) TX, both of whom are expected to pick the Wildcats this spring.  However, before you etch all this into stone, remember that Patterson also still has Florida and Duke on his list, Oklahoma State is still believed to be the co-favorite for Lucas, and that players from Michigan who have made early commitments have a history of changing their mind.  If you will recall, Kentucky's Joe Crawford and Florida's Al Horford, both of  whom originally verbally committed to the University of Michigan; Syracuse's Eric Crawford, who originally committed to Michigan State, and Tennessee's Ramar Smith, who originally committed to the University of Connecticut, all ended up going elsewhere.  Still, this is a major step in the right direction, because the only player on the Wildcats' current roster who made a verbal commitment before the start of his senior year in high school was 6'2 Frosh Michael Porter.  And, this is important, because the only legitimate question that we think fans might have about Kentucky's recruiting in recent years has been whether they have gotten involved with and landed their share of the top high school players in the nation early enough in the recruiting process.  For those people who still want to question the end result, remember the Wildcats finished with the #2-ranked recruiting class in the nation three years ago when they signed they signed 7'0 Randolph Morris from Fairburn (Landmark Christian) GA, 6'3 Joe Crawford from Detroit (Renaissance) MI, 6'3 Ramel Bradley from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL, 6'2 Rajon Rondo from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, and 6'4 Adam Williams from St. Albans (H.S.) WV.  And Randolph, Crawford, and Bradley, who provide the nucleus of their team today, were ranked #17, #19, and #6 in high school (Randolph and Crawford) and prep school (Bradley) respectively by the HOOP SCOOP.   We also had three of Kentucky's four freshmen - 6'5 Derrick Jasper from Paso Robles (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Jodie Meeks from Norcross (H.S.) GA, and 6'9 Perry Stevenson from Lafayette (Northside) LA - ranked #47, #55, and #60 in our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2006.  So, if the Wildcats do get Patterson and Lucas this spring and Morris comes back for his senior season, then they will be going to war next year with eight players who were ranked among the top 60 players in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP when the graduated from high school.  In other words, it's not as good as Duke or North Carolina, but an overwhelming number of schools at the high major level would love to trade the talent that they currently have in the program for what Kentucky could potentially have next season.  And, if Green continues to improve at his current pace, then he'll also fall into that same category year after next.  It also appears that over the weekend that Southern Illinois got another verbal commitment from a player in the Class of 2008.  We're talking about 6'8 Jr Anthony Booker from Florissant (McCluer North) MO and he joins 6'2 Jr Torres Roundtree from Florissant (McCluer North) MO, who is ranked #312 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'3 Jr Chris Parrish from Riverside (Brookfield) IL, who is ranked #429 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, in a recruiting class that is now ranked #15 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2008.  And this comes on the heels of the three excellent recruits - 6'8 Carlton Fay from Granville (Putnam County) IL, 6'11 Nick Evans from Carbondale (H.S.) IL, and 6'3 Brandon Wood from Kokomo (H.S.) IN - that the Sulukis already have in the fold for this year.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson also tells us that Washington State has gotten an extremely early verbal commitment from 6'7 Frosh Patrick Simon from Ehrata (H.S.) WA.  But one has to wonder if this one will hold up.  Not only are we talking about a three-and-a-half-year period before Simon can enroll into school, but Washington State head coach Tony Bennett, whose team is now 22-4 and 11-3 in the Pacific-10 Conference, also is one of the hottest guys in the business and, as a result, is already being mentioned for some high level head coaching job (i.e. the University of Minnesota) that will be open this spring.  We also have received word from our Georgia Editor Horace Neysmith about three commitments that recently occurred in the Peachtree State.  They are 6'1 Andrew Goudalock from Stone Mountain (H.S.) GA verbally committing to the College of Charleston, 5'10 Kevin Anderson from Suwanee (Peachtree Ridge) GA verbally committing to the University of Richmond, and 6'7 Trey Lang from Marietta (Wheeler) GA committing to the University of Massachusetts.  "Goudalock is an excellent scorer with range," says Neysmith.  "Anderson is a creative ball handler with good range on his jumper and he makes other around him better.  Lang has a good upside and a nice body with good bounce." 

At some point things like experience, chemistry, skills, coaching, execution, and heart and desire trump great talent and this was especially evident over the weekend at the President's Day All-American Tournament at the Beaverton Hoop Facility in Beaverton, OR when adidas Team Phenom barely escaped, 72-71, against Total Package in double overtime in the opening round of the playoffs and was upset, 57-52, by Seattle Rotary Black in the quarterfinals of the 14-Under Division.  If you will recall, adidas Team Phenom featured an all-star cast with players like 6'3 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, 6'8 8th Grader Bernard Sullivan from Gastonia, NC, 6'6 8th Grader Michael Gilchrist from Somerdale, NJ, 6'6 8th Grader Chandler Thomas from Indianapolis, IN, 5'8 8th Grader Stevie Taylor from Gahanna, OH, 6'7 8th Grader Jacob Lawson from Reidsville, NC, 5'10 8th Grader George Marshall from Chicago, IL, 6'2 8th Grader Juan'ya Green from Philadelphia, PA, 5'10 8th Grader Austin McBroom from Lancaster, CA, 6'7 8th Grader Julian Royal from Roswell, GA, 6'8 8th Grader Zach Peters from Plano, TX, and 5'5 7th Grader Tyler Lewis from Statesville, NC.  But prior to the two just mentioned games, adidas Team Phenom had only had one practice the night before the tournament began and won easily against three teams of lesser talent in their three games in pool play.  And, when you also take in account that adidas Team Phenom didn't have much team chemistry, played mediocre defense, failed to block out on the boards, got too much scoring and not enough creating out of the point guard spot, and did not take advantage of their superior size, strength, and athleticism inside, this all-star-like team with players from 10 different states certainly did not live up to the incredible expectations.  The first warning sign came when adidas Team Phenom didn't break open their final game in pool play against a solid Salt Metro Team, which had one great player in 6'0 8th Grader Corbin Miller from Sandy, UT, but otherwise did not play with the poise and patience necessary to pull off the upset, until midway through the 3rd Quarter.  Speaking of Miller, we're talking about somebody who wasn't on our radar screen prior to this tournament, but scored his team's first 11 points, made tough shot after tough shot en route to 28 points, and had several people go so far as to make J.J. Redick comparisons.  However, Miller is more of a pure point guard than Redick and he's tremendous at creating his own shot, which makes him arguably one of the best guards in the nation in the Class of 2011.  The next tip-off that adidas Team Phenom was in trouble came when they didn't have an answer for 6'2 8th Grader Julian Lewis from Galveston, TX, who shot the lights out early and was unstoppable whenever he decided to go the hole.  And if Lewis, who finished with 34 points and four 3-pointers, plays like this all the time, he has to be one of the top five-ranked players nationally in the Class of 2011.  So it appears that our Texas Editor Tim Miller really missed the boat on this one, as we currently don't have Lewis ranked any higher than #62 nationally in the class.  But, then again, in Miller's defense, Lewis didn't play this well when he finished ranked #21 in the 8th Grade Division when we saw him a month ago at the the U.S. Elite Basketball Camp in Waco, TX.  Lewis also had plenty of help from players like 5'8 8th Grader Shai Fields from Pearland, TX, who is a jet-like quick point guard with good ball handling and passing skills, excellent body control, a knack for making things happen defensively, and the ability to make big shots; 6'2 8th Grader Prince Williams from Houston, TX, who has a strong upper body, excellent athleticism, and the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside; 6'0 8th Grader Garrick Scott from Texas City, TX, who pound-for-pound, inch-for-inch was the best rebounder we saw all weekend; and 5'5 8th Grader Josh Brown from Galveston, TX, who has an excellent combination of strength and athleticism and is capable of playing either guard spot at this level.  This was also the game where the weaknesses of 6'2 8th Grade Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, who is one of the best players nationally in the Class of 2011, first got exposed.  Carlino has deep 3-point shooting range, excellent court vision and passing skills (he was one of the leaders in the tournament in assists), an incredible understanding of the game and a very high skill level, and the heart and desire necessary to beat you when the game is on the line, but at this level can't match-up against a great athlete who is his size or taller.  The final nail in adidas Team Phenom's coffin came when they faced 6'3 8th Grader Tony Wroten from Renton, WA and 6'1 8th Grader Glen Brooks from Seattle, WA, who formed the deadliest one-two punch that we saw all weekend, as they combined for 38 of their team's 57 points in their win against adidas Team Phenom in the quarterfinals.  Wroten also left little doubt about who the best 8th Grader in the nation is, as he ran the point and set up his teammates for open shots, got to the basket pretty much a will, made more than his share of tough outside shoots, and just flat our impressed everybody with his versatility, athleticism, and incredible talent all weekend.  Brooks, who finished with 23 points against adidas Team Phenom and was one of the best players in the tournament in his own right, was the big benefactor when Wroten was looking for the open man out on the perimeter.  However, Seattle Rotary Black, which also upset Team Next in the semi-finals, didn't have enough weapons to beat Quick Shot, which featured 6'0 Frosh Alex Varner from Rialto, CA, 6'2 8th Grader Joe Stein from Pasadena, CA, 6'10 8th Grader Kyle Caudill from Brea, CA, and 5'9 8th Grader C.J. Cooper from Ontario, CA, in the championship game.  Not only was Quick Shot the antithesis of adidas Team Phenom with their execution, team play, and great chemistry, but they pulled this off without the help of 6'2 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, who has played for Quick Shot over the years, but was hurt a year ago and didn't play when they won this tournament a year ago, and 5'10 8th Grader Austin McBroom from Lancaster, CA, who played for adidas Team Phenom this time around, but was the point guard for Quick Shot when they won the championship in this age group in this tournament a year ago.  Varner is a strong physical athletic slashing wing player who deceives you with his speed and quickness, but it was Stein who took home tournament MVP honors after scoring 20 points and knocking down a pair of treys in his team's 49-48 win over Seattle Rotary Black in the title game.  Stein, who is one of the most athletic white kids that we've seen in a long time, also was one of our favorite players in the tournament, because he's a high energy guy with a great nose for the ball, makes things happen on defense, and has an extremely high basketball IQ.  Caudill has the potential to evolve into an Aaron Gray-type physical specimen inside, because he has amazing coordination, mobility, and skills for somebody his size and age.  And making this story even more interesting is the fact that Caudill was one of the most improved players that we saw from start to finish in the tournament, which means that his upside and potential may be unlimited.  The other two teams that advanced into the final four in the 14-Under Division of the tournament were Team Next with 6'0 8th Najee Whitehead from Mt. Vernon, NY, 6'0 8th Grader Davontay Grace from Brooklyn, NY, 5'8 8th Grader Tavon Sledge from Spring Valley, NY, and 5'9 8th Grader Chris Gayot from Queens, NY, 5'6 8th Grader Tyler Seidman from Bellmore, NY and Team Texas with 6'1 8th Grader Benjamin Dillard from Frisco, TX, 6'2 8th Grader Marc Brown from Mansfield, TX, and 5'6 8th Grader Dion Houston from Grand Prairie, TX.  Houston was the small quick point guard who ran the show.  Brown impressed us with his toughness and ability to score inside, but we also like his athleticism and ability to hit the 3-point shot out on the perimeter.  Dillard also is versatile enough to play both inside and outside, is excellent in the open court, and knows how to play the game.  Seidman was one of the best 3-point shooters, Sledge was one of the best passers (he had 17 assists in a game in pool play), and Whitehead was one of the best slashers and rebounders in the tournament.  We also were impressed with Grace's ability to get it done against bigger guys inside and Gayot's athleticism and versatility.  In addition to 6'2 8th Grader Joe Stein from Pasadena, CA, 6'3 8th Grader Tony Wroten from Renton, WA, 6'0 Frosh Alex Varner from Rialto, CA, 6'2 8th Grader Julian Lewis from Galveston, TX, 6'2 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, 6'0 8th Najee Whitehead from Mt. Vernon, NY, 6'0 8th Grader Davontay Grace from Brooklyn, NY, 6'0 8th Grader Corbin Miller from Sandy, UT, 6'1 8th Grader Benjamin Dillard from Frisco, TX, and 5'8 8th Grader Stevie Taylor from Gahanna, OH, all of whom have already been mentioned above, 6'2 8th Grader Javari Brown from Oakland, CA and 5'8 8th Grader T.J. Taylor from Oakland, CA also were named to the all-tournament team in the 14-Under Division.  But I have a hard time believing that T.J Taylor should have been on the team after watching him get shut down by 5'8 8th Grader Tavon Sledge from Spring Valley, NY in the first round of the playoffs and I wouldn't have named two players from adidas Team Phenom to the all-tournament team, unless they'd advanced to the final four of the tournament.  I also think it's a crime that 6'1 8th Grader Glen Brooks from Seattle, WA was not named to the all-tournament team.  I also want to mention three players - 6'2 8th Grader Anthony Bowden from Puyallup, WA, 5'9 8th Grader Isaiah Hamlin from Puyallup, WA, and 5'11 8th Grader Cody Shackett from Puyallup, WA - on the Breakaways Ballerz.  Bowden, who has the athleticism and slashing ability necessary to have a shot to project as a high major player someday, is the most naturally gifted, but Hamlin, who finished with 27 points and three treys, and Shackett, who had 18 points and knows who to get his shot, were the two big guns when I watched them play.  I also liked 5'6 7th Grader Dominic Artis from San Leandro, CA, who was playing up a year in age, 6'3 8th Grader Kendall Andrews from Fremont, CA for the Oakland Soldiers and 6'2 8th Grader Jelran Smith from Seattle, WA, 6'4 8th Grader Chris Cormier from Seattle, WA, and 6'8 Frosh John Gates from Vashon Island, WA for the Seattle-Friends of Hoop.  As for the players on adidas Team Phenom, 6'3 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ  impressed us with his outside shooting, passing ability, and ability to make big plays when the game was on the line; 6'8 8th Grader Zach Peters from Plano, TX has some similarities to Christian Laettner; 6'8 8th Grader Bernard Sullivan from Gastonia, NC has great moves to the basket; 6'7 8th Grader Jacob Lawson from Reidsville, NC is an excellent shot blocker; 6'7 8th Grader Julian Royal from Roswell, GA can be a dominant force on the boards; 6'6 8th Grader Michael Gilchrist from Somerdale, NJ is versatile, skilled, and athletic enough to play both inside and outside; 6'6 8th Grader Chandler Thomas from Indianapolis, IN has excellent hands, a terrific nose for the ball, and big time athleticism; 6'2 8th Grader Juan'ya Green from Philadelphia, PA can beat you with both his outside shooting and ability to slash to the basket; 5'8 8th Grader Stevie Taylor from Gahanna, OH never saw a shot he didn't like; 5'10 8th Grader George Marshall from Chicago, IL is a prolific scoring combo guard with incredible natural talent and athleticism; 5'10 8th Grader Austin McBroom from Lancaster, CA is the floor general and potential glue to the team, if he gets more playing time; and 5'5 7th Grader Tyler Lewis from Statesville, NC  is solid role player who is capable of shooing the lights out.  I only got to see one game in the 13-Under Division, but watching New York Skyrider beat Ice Vibe was one of the highlights of the entire weekend.  New York Skyrider featured an extremely balance scoring attack, as 6'2 7th Grader Dontay Payne from Brooklyn, NY, 5'11 7th Grader Lebrent Walker from Queen, NY, 5'11 7th Grader DaJuan Palmer from Brooklyn, NY, and 5'6 7th Grader DaShawn Suber from Brooklyn, NY all scored between 10 to 13 points.  They also combined for 46 of their team's 51 points and one of the highlights of the weekend was watching Payne, who is an aggressive athletic shot blocking/rebounding force to be reckoned with inside, totally dominate against 6'2 7th Grader Khiree Johnson from Tacoma, WA, who put up big numbers all weekend, but had a hard time finishing against Payne inside in this game.  Walker once again was unbelievable in transition, Palmer is deceptive around the basket and in transition, and Suber has ice in his veins, as he made two big 3-point shots to finalize his team's 17-8 at the end of the game.  Several other players to keep an eye on from the Ice Vibe team are 5'8 7th Grader Desmond Dupree-Turner from  Tacoma, WA, 5'3 7th Grader Jeffrey Lowery from Seattle, WA, and 5'5 7th Grader L.A. Williams from Bonney Lake, WA.  And one we didn't see play, but worth keeping an eye on in the future is 5'9 6th Grader Nigel Williams from Portland, OR.  Apparently he averaged well over 30 ppg while playing up a grade and leading his team to the final four in the 7th Grade Division.  Williams also tells us that he's a straight "A" student and that he can speak Chinese, which is pretty incredible when one finds out just how young he really is.  However, what really caught out attention was the fact that I saw Williams hit well over 50% of his shots, most of which came from beyond the NBA 3-point line, when he was shooting around after the tournament was over and almost everybody else had gone home. 

Anybody who doubts that the recruiting process has been speeded up dramatically in recent years, needs to look no further than our updated Ranking of the Top 200 Juniors Nationally, which was published exclusively earlier today in the Members Section of the HOOPSCOOPOnline.com and later will be reprinted in Basketball Times.  As a matter of fact, with yesterday's verbal commitment by 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA to Oklahoma State, 25 of our top 100-ranked juniors are already off the board.  The rest of this list includes 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA to USC, 7'0 Jr B.J. Mullens from Canal Winchester (World Harvest) OH to Ohio State, 5'11 Jr Korie Lucious from Milwaukee (St. Pius X) WI to Michigan State, 5'7 Jr Erving Walker from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY to Florida, 6'5 Jr William Buford from Toledo (Libby) OH to Ohio State, 6'6 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA to UCLA, 6'3 Jr Melquan Bolding from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY to Louisville, 6'11 Jr Beas Hamga from Decatur (Christian) IL to Iowa, 6'1 Jr Anthony Crater from Flint (Southwestern) MI to Ohio State, 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Toledo, OH to Connecticut, 6'5 Jr Malik Story from Lakewood (Artesia) CA to USC, 6'7 Jr Darnell Wilkes from Nashville (Pioneer Christian) TN to Cincinnati, 6'5 Jr Nasir Robinson from Chester (H.S.) PA to Pittsburgh, 6'3 Jr Walter Offutt from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN to Ohio State, 6'8 Jr Chris Braswell from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD to Georgetown, 6'5 Jr Scotty Hopson from Hopkinsville (University Heights) KY to Mississippi State, 6'4 Jr Nick Williams from Mobile (LeFlore) AL to Marquette, 6'11 Jr Andy Poling from Portland (Westview) OR to Gonzaga, 6'5 Jr Matt Gatens from Iowa City (H.S.) IA to Iowa, 7'2 Jr James Tyler from Lenoir (Patterson School) NC to LSU, 7'0 Jr Jeff Withey from San Diego (Hoover) CA to Louisville, 6'0 Jr Travon Woodall from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ to Pittsburgh, 6'0 Jr Antoine Young from Bellevue (West) NE to Creighton, and 6'2 Jr Jason Clark from Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA to Georgetown.  A quick review of our Ranking of the Top 200 Juniors Nationally also provides us with some major surprises and right at the top of the list is the fact that we've moved 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH up to #3, ahead of 6'10 Jr Greg Monroe from Gretna (Helen Cox) LA, who is ranked as high as #1 in the class by some of our competitors, but now checks in at #4 on our list.  However, based on college potential and what Roe has accomplished this winter, he's earned it!  In contrast, Monroe has a bigger upside, thanks to his size, athleticism, and skills.  But he's another classic of example of somebody who doesn't appear to want it bad enough..  And this was especially evident when we saw him in four times in four days at the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL in December.  We also will probably surprise a lot of people by ranking Gillenwater #6, ahead of 6'3 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA.  But this is no knock against Holiday, who turned out to be a lot better than we originally thought when I saw him two weeks ago at the NIKE Extravaganza in Santa Ana, CA.  It's just that we think Gillenwater, who has the killer mentality and ability to dominate inside necessary to become the next Mario Boggan at Oklahoma State, is that good.  We also think 6'5 Jr Sylvan Landesberg from Flushing (Holy Cross) NY, who checks in at #8 on our list, is a totally different player from the one that we saw last spring and summer.  The big key here is that Landesberg, who is so skilled, so smart, so versatile and such a great 3-point shooter, is much better in a structured setting (i.e. his high school team).  And it appears that the University of Texas coaching staff agrees, because the Longhorns not only have turned up the heat on Landesberg this winter, but now appear to be the team to beat for his services.  We also look for 6'8 Jr Romero Osby from Meridian (Northeast Lauderdale) MS, who has one of the best combination of skills, athleticism, and versatility to have a break-out spring and summer and, as a result, he checks in at #20 so that we can be ahead of the curve.  We also have moved 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, who previously was ranked #49 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, up 27 spots.  But that's still lower than most of our competition, because we still think he's too mechanical and question whether he has the necessary height and athleticism project as a power forward in the NBA someday.  We also have moved 6'6 Jr Malcolm Lee from Riverside (J.W. North) CA up from #40 to #26, because he continues to grow, can play multiple positions, and just keeps getting better and better all the time.  There also is 6'9 Jr Stanley Simpson from Chicago (Leo) IL, who we think is still the best kept secret in the junior class nationally.  Not only is Simpson an aggressive shot blocker who rebounds, scores inside, runs the floor, and make things happen, but we actually think it's a very tough call when it comes to deciding which player we like better - 6'11 Jr Beas Hamga from Decatur (Christian) IL or Simpson, who we have ranked #26 and #27, respectively.  In other words, we think Simpson may be the best junior in the state ahead of both Hamga and 6'6 Jr DeAndre Liggins from Chicago (Washington) IL, who checks in a #33 on our list.  Another one of our favorite players in the class is 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, who has moved up from #65 to #28 due to the fact that he's one of the most ferocious rebounders and better athletes in the class.  The biggest feast or famine guy in the class is 6'7 Jr Nate Miles, who has left Humble (Christian Life) TX and is now back in Toledo, OH.  When he's on, Miles is a top 10 guy.  But, when he's off, Miles doesn't even deserve to be on the list.  The best 3-point shooter in the class is 6'1 Jr Rotnei Clarke from Claremore (Verdigris) OK, but a lot of people question how far he can go without a lot of size and athleticism?  We also have moved 5'9 Jr Lewis Jackson from Decatur (Eisenhower) IL up a 150 spots due to the fact he's super quick, makes excellent decisions, and scores in bunches.  The highest ranked new player on the list is 6'7 Jr Jared Swopshire from Bradenton (Pendleton School) FL, who checks in at #71 on our list, and several other players where it would be a good time to buy, if they were a stock, are 6'7 Jr Draymond Green from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'7 Jr Kris Joseph from Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC, 5'11 Jr Kemba Walker from New York (Rice) NY, 6'7 Jr Andrey Semenof from Middleburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 6'2 Jr Shelvin Mack from Lexington (Bryan Station) KY.  The Class of 2008 does have some size, as 11 of the top 20 players are 6'8 or bigger, but it lacks the greatness at the top that the Class of 2006 had, the Class of 2007 has, and the Class of 2009 appears to have.  The Class of 2008 does have several great point guards in 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'3 Jr J'covan Brown from Port Arthur (Memorial) TX, as well as some terrific combo guards, like 6'4 Jr Tyreke Evans from Aston (American Christian) PA, 6'3 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA, and 5'11 Jr Korie Lucious from Milwaukee (St. Pius X) WI, all of whom are ranked among the top 20 in the country.  But the Class of 2008 lacks depth and it has a lot of players, including 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'8 Jr Devin Ebanks from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'3 Jr Melquan Bolding from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY, 6'9 Jr Matt Simpkins from Sacramento (Capital Christian) CA, 6'7 Jr Nate Miles from Toledo, OH, 6'0 Jr Dashon Harris from Montverde (Academy) FL, 6'8 Jr Christian Morris from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'9 Jr Malcolm White from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 5'11 Jr Dwan McMillan from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'4 Jr Paul Hagler from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, and 6'0 Jr Jeremiah Kelly from Chicago (Boys to Men) IL, who are reclassified juniors, which is another growing trend in the game today.  And, without the state of California, which has a dozen players ranked among our top 100 juniors, the depth of the class would be even worse, as traditional hotbeds like Texas with only six players, Georgia with only three players, Michigan with only three players, Maryland with only three players, Indiana with only two players are way down when we look at our list of the top 100 juniors nationally.  Ohio is particular strong at the top with four players ranked among our top 25 juniors nationally, but when you dig a little deeper, the junior class is the Buckeye State is about normal with six players ranked among our top 100 juniors nationally.  Florida and Illinois also appear be about normal with six top 100-ranked juniors apiece and the Deep South appears to be particularly strong, as Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana combine to account for 11 of our top 100 ranked players.  New York has seven players ranked among our top 100 juniors nationally, but only four of them - 6'5 Sylvan Landesburg from Flushing (Holy Cross) NY, 5'7 Jr Erving Walker from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, 6'7 Jr James Southerland from Bayside (Cardozo) NY, and 5'11 Jr Kemba Walker from New York (Rice) NY - are actually from the city.  And last, but not least, we had a tough time deciding between 5'7 Jr Erving Walker from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY and 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ.  However, in the end we went with Walker, because he's a better player right now.  But, if we're talking just about college potential, Samuels would have been the clear winner.  And making this story even more interesting the fact that, if either player grows a couple of more inches, it would change everything.

Tomorrow I will be flying to Portland, OR to cover the President's Day All-American Tournament which will be held Saturday, February 17th, Sunday, February 18th, and Monday, February 19th, at the Beaverton Hoop Facility in Beaverton, OR and will feature many of the top 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th & and 8th Graders in the nation.  The list of teams in the 14-Under Division includes the Bay Area Heat, Break Away Ballerz, California Student Athletes, Chinese National Team, Chinese National Team 2, Clackamas, Clarkston Jayhawks, D.B.C. Nor Cal, Oakland Bulldogs, Fairfield Ballers, Friends of Hoop, Galveston Lakers, Hawkeyes, HPA Lakers, Wingate All Stars, NOC Rage-Southern California, Oakland Soldier, Portland Hoop Kings, Quaxe, Quick Shot Blue, Quick Shot Orange, Rotary Style Blue, Rotary Style Black, SA Flight, Salt Lake Metro, Southern California Aces, Spanaway Hoopers, Ice Vibe, TC Fire, Team California Black, Team Next-New York, Team Phenom, Team Texas-Stacy Houston, Tri-City Triple Threat, Urban Sports, Vancouver Maverick Sports, Westview, and Sunset Wendall Talley.  The list of teams in the 13-Under Division includes Eastern Washington Heat, Hoop Dream Idaho, Iceman-Gary Ward, Jefferson Community Center, New York Sky Riders, Portland Generals, Quick Shot-Cooper, Inner City Players-Portland, Rotary Style Black, Rotary Style Blue, Southern California Aces, Tukwilla Blazers, Portland Hoop Kings, Vision Tacoma, Bay Area Renegade, Team Freddie Jones, YBA Sacramento, Club Yakima, Liberty Travel Team, Run it Black Rebels, Beaverton Bulldogs, Deep 3, Yakima Ice, Bruins of Olympia, Sik with It, and Portland Hoop Kings Red.  The list of teams in the 12-Under Division includes New York Team Next, Vision, Emerald City, Portland Spartans, Rotary Style Black, Southern California Aces, Quick Shot, Portland Hoop Kings, Inner City Players-Portland, Team Lyden, Team Freddie Jones, Ice Vibe, East Bay Ballers-Chapman, Cali Gades, United Ballers, Next Level, Clackamas Cavs White, Clackamas Cavs Red, Showtime Team Brooks, Competitive Edge Team MoJo, Southside Basketball Club-Vista, Team Heat, Run it Back Rebels, Fairfield Ballers, TC Venim, Hoop Dreams Idaho, Salem Select, Rotary Blue, Bremerton Eagles, and Jefferson Flight.  The list of teams in the 11-Under Division includes Westlinn-Sitton, Westlinn-Shemere, Spartans, Inner City Players Black, Rotary-Team Webster Black, A Touch of Class, Bremerton Eagle, Dribble Drive, Team Freddie Jones, Clackamas Cavs, Team Comcept, Mavericks, Competitive Edge, Hoop Dreams Idaho, Salem Select, Vista Boys and Girls Club, Tigard Elite, and TAC City Hoopers.  The list of teams in the 10-Under Division includes Team California Rod Green, Vista Boys and Girls Club, Portland Spartans, Rotary-Style Black, Inner City Players-Portland, and Molalla Mohicans.  The list of teams in the 9-Under Division includes Cisco, Team Platinum Nor Cal, Lions, Westlinn-McNulty, Rotary-Black, Vista Boys and Girls Club, Joe Barr-Puyallup Basketball Academy, Dribble Drive, and Inner City Players-Portland.  Obviously I'll spend just about all of my time watching the 14-Under, 13-Under, and 12-Under Divisions of the President's Day All-American Tournament and I will especially interested to see all of the great players that Joe Keller, who also is the president and C.E.O. of the Adidas Junior Phenom Camp, has put together on his adidas Team Phenom team.  The head coach of this team will be former NBA star Antonio Davis and the star-studded cast of adidas Team Phenom includes 6'3 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, 6'8 8th Grader Bernard Sullivan from Gastonia, NC, 6'6 8th Grader Michael Gilchrist from Somerdale, NJ, 6'6 8th Grader Chandler Thomas from Indianapolis, IN, 5'8 8th Grader Stevie Taylor from Gahanna, OH, 6'7 8th Grader Jacob Lawson from Reidsville, NC, 5'10 8th Grader George Marshall from Chicago, IL, 6'2 8th Grader Juan'ya Green from Philadelphia, PA, 5'10 8th Grader Austin McBroom from Lancaster, CA, 6'7 8th Grader Julian Royal from Roswell, GA, 6'8 8th Grader Zach Peters from Plano, TX, and 5'5 7th Grader Tyler Lewis from Statesville, NC.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that all of the just mentioned players, except Sullivan, are ranked among the top 50 nationally in their respective classes.  And the word we're getting is that Sullivan, who is currently ranked #57 nationally in the Class of 2011 by the HOOP SCOOP, may be the best player on team. We'll get to see for our self this weekend, so stay tuned!  

We still have not to heard anything official about when, where, and even if Reebok will have a shoe company sponsored camp this summer, but the word on the street is that it will be held at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, PA in early July and there will be 120 players, two courts, and three sets of games each afternoon and each evening.  And, assuming that the camp does come off, we expect Chris Rivers, who is charge of grass roots basketball for Reebok, to not miss a beat when running this camp.  However, it also will still be strange, because this will be the first year since the summer of 1984 that Sonny Vaccaro hasn't had his camp.  If you will recall, Vaccaro assumed control over the AFBE (Athletes For Better Education) Camp, which was held during the summers of 1983 and 1984 in Princeton, NJ, at the end of the summer in 1984 and he ran the NIKE ABCD Camp in Princeton, NJ from 1985 to 1990.  Then, Vacarro moved the NIKE ABCD Camp to Indianapolis, IN, where he ran the camp for one year during the summer of 1991 prior to when he left NIKE and took the ABCD Camp name with him.  Converse sponsored the ABCD Camps in Irvine, CA and Ypsilanti, MI during the summers of 1992 and 1993 and then, the camp finally found a  home at the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, where it was the adidas ABCD Camp from 1994 until 2003 and the Reebok ABCD Camp from 2004 to 2006.  We also find it ironic that with the exception of one year (in 1994 when it was held in Deerfield, IL), the NIKE All-American Camp has been held continuously since 1991 in Indianapolis, IN.  However, that too will change this summer, as the NIKE Camp is moving to Akron, OH and will now be called the Lebron James Skills Academy.  The tentative dates for the Lebron James Skills Academy are July 7th-10th and, as usual, the HOOP SCOOP will be there.  As a matter of fact, I personally have been to all but two (I did not attend the AFBE Camp in 1984 and the NIKE Camp in 1995) of the above mentioned camps, as well the adidas Superstar Camp in Suwanee, GA each of the last three summers, since the evolution of the superstar oriented camp in 1983.  Now also is a good time to point out that the McDonald's All-American Team will be announced on ESPN's SportsCenter on Saturday, February 24th, and this year's game will be played at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY on Wednesday, March 28th.  The Original Roundball Classic will be held at the United Center in Chicago, IL on Tuesday, April 3rd; the NIKE Hoop Summit will be held at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN on Saturday, April 7th; the Derby Classic will be held in Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY on Saturday, April 14th; and 2007 Jordan Brand All-American Game will be played on Saturday, April 21st, at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.  But, with the exception of the Original Rounball Classic and Derby Classic, I will be attending other events, instead of the spring all-star games, as I will already be in Atlanta, GA to attend my 35th consecutive NCAA Final Four when the McDonald's All-American Game tips off on March 28th; I will be at the Las Vegas Easter Classic in Las Vegas, NV when the NIKE HOOP Summit tips off on April 7th, and I will be at the Houston Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX when the Jordan Brand All-American Game tips off in New York, NY on April 21st.  In other words, April is a time when I can get a head start on next year and, in addition to attending the Las Vegas Easter Classic in Las Vegas, NV the first weekend, the Derby Classic in Louisville, KY the second weekend, and the Kingwood Classic in Houston, TX the third weekend in April, I also have told Wes Grandstaff that I will again be at his Next Level National Tournament at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, TX on April 27th-29th.  I also plan to be at the Spiece Run N'Slam in Ft. Wayne, IN on May 4th-6th; the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in Chapel Hill, NC on May 25th-27th; the Pangos All-American Camp in Los Angeles, CA on June 1st-3rd; the NBA Players Association Camp in Charlottesville, VA on June 20th-21st; the adidas Junior Phenom Top 150 Camp in San Diego, CA on June 22nd-24th; and the Blue Chip Basketball Camp on June 27th and July 22nd.  Some other important dates to remember include the Queen City Profit Madness in Cincinnati, OH on March 30th-April 1st; Battle of the South Classic in Jackson, MS on March 30th-April 1st; Real Deal on the Hill at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR, April 6th-8th; Boo Williams Invitational Tournament in Hampton, VA on April 6th-8th; Pearland Texas Classic in Houston, TX on April 6th-8th; Jerry Watson All-Ohio NIKE Cup in Columbus, OH on April 7th-8th; Pittsburgh Jam Fest at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA, April 20th-22nd; King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, OH, April 27th-29th; Las Vegas Spring Showcase in Las Vegas, NV, April 27th-29th; Wallace Prather Memorial Classic in Atlanta, GA on May 11th-13th; adidas May Classic in Bloomington, IN on May 11th-13th; 13th Annual adidas Hoop Challenge in Cleveland, OH on May 18th-20th; Cactus Classic at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ, May 18th-20th; All-Ohio Great 8 in Columbus, OH on May 19th-20th; Midwest Future Stars Shootout and Showdown in Columbus, OH on May 25th-27th; NIKE Memorial Day Classic in Nashville, TN on May 26th-28th; NIKE Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, MO, June 13th-16th; USA Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, CO on June 20th-24th; adidas It Takes 5ive Classic in Cincinnati, OH on July 6th-9th; NIKE Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC on July 12th-15th; Main Event in Las Vegas, NV, July 22nd-26th; adidas Super 64 Tournament in Las Vegas, NV, July 22nd-26th; and Reebok Summer Championship in Las Vegas, NV on July 22nd-26th.  And, for those of you who are interested in dates for international events, our International Editor Chris Johnson also tells us that FIBA 19-Under World Championships will be held in Novi Sadi, Serbia on July 12th-22nd; 20-Under European "A" Division Championship will be held in Nova Gorica, Slovenia and Gorizia, Italy and "B" Division Championship will be held in Warsaw, Poland on July 6th-15th; 18-Under European "A" Division Championship will be held in Madrid, Spain and the "B" Division Championship will be held in Sofia, Bolgaria on August 3rd-12th; the 16-Under European "A" Division Championship will be held in Reathimnon, Greece and the "B" Division Championship will be held in Skopje, Macedonia on July 20th-29th; the South American 17-Under Championship will be held in Cumana, Venezuela on June 26th-30th; and South American 16-Under Championship will held someplace in Argentina on October 11th-15th. 

The state of Mississippi has produced some great players, like 6'4 Monta Ellis from Jackson (Lanier) MS, 6'9 Al Jefferson from Prentiss (H.S.) MS, 6'10 Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 6'9 Darius Rice from Jackson (Lanier) MS, and 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, in recent years, but the big reason why this is such an important area for the HOOP SCOOP to cover are all of the hidden gems that our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson knows about long before anybody else in the nation.  And a perfect example of what we're talking about is illustrated on Johnson's list of the top juniors in the state, which can be found in his updated Mississippi Report that we published exclusively in the Members Section earlier today.  We're talking about the fact that the junior class in Mississippi features three players - 6'8 Jr Romero Osby from Meridian (Northeast Lauderdale) MS, 6'9 Jr Rashanti Harris from Columbus (New Hope) MS, and 6'4 Jr Scottie Haralson from Jackson (Provine) MS - who should increase the value of their stock dramatically when both college coaches and our competition see them out on the recruiting trail this spring and summer.  The junior class in Mississippi also has more than its fair share of size, as 10 of the top 14-ranked players in the class are 6'7 or bigger.  We're talking about 6'8 Romero Osby from Meridian (Northeast Lauderdale) MS, 6'9 Jr Rashanti Harris from Columbus (New Hope) MS, 6'9 Jr Malcolm White from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'7 Jr Latavious Williams from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 6'10 Jr Chano Rashiddin from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'9 Jr Jacoby Pittman from Madison (Central) MS, 6'7 Jr Travis Jackson from Moss Point (H.S.) MS, 6'7 Jr Thomas Franklin from Biloxi (H.S.) MS, 6'9 Jr Brandon Webb from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, and 6'8 Jr Wayne Wiggins from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS.  Johnson also thinks that there are at least a dozen players in this class with the potential to get recruited at the high Division I level.  They are 6'8 Romero Osby from Meridian (Northeast Lauderdale) MS, 6'9 Jr Rashanti Harris from Columbus (New Hope) MS, 6'9 Jr Malcolm White from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'4 Jr Paul Hagler from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'4 Jr Scottie Haralson from Jackson (Provine) MS, 6'7 Jr Latavious Williams from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 6'10 Jr Chano Rashiddin from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'9 Jr Jacoby Pittman from Madison (Central) MS, 6'7 Jr Travis Jackson from Moss Point (H.S.) MS, 6'2 Jr Lavance Pennington from Mendenhall (Genesis One) MS, 6'6 Jr Jeremy Newsome from Okolona (H.S.) MS, and 6'7 Jr Thomas Franklin from Biloxi (H.S.) MS.  Johnson, whose list includes his ranking of the top dozen 5th Year Players, top 120 seniors, top 75 juniors, top 40 sophomores, top 15 freshmen, and top 10 8th Graders, also is excited about the potential of 6'5 Soph Shaunessy Smith from Macon (Noxubee County) MS and 6'6 Soph Emery Kelly from Jackson (Provine) MS.  Smith has nice size, is very athletic, shoots the three, has dribble drives, is excellent at driving to the basket, and has an incredible amount of potential.  Kelly needs to grow, but he's got good athleticism and strength and is a good finisher and rebounder around the basket.  We also like the fact that Johnson has decided to stir up some controversy by ranking 6'4 8th Grader Mychal Ammons from Vicksburg, MS ahead of 6'7 8th Grader Laquinton Ross from Jackson, MS on his list of the top players in the Class of 2011.  If you will recall, we had Ross tied at #1, along with 6'2 8th Grader Matt Carlino from Tempe, AZ, 6'0 8th Grader Davontay Grace from Brooklyn, NY, and 6'7 8th Grader LaBryan Nash from Dallas, TX, nationally in the Class of 2011 prior to when we attended the U.S. Elite Basketball Camp a month ago in Waco, TX.  And, while we really liked Ross' size, skills, athleticism, and potential, he didn't have that burning desire necessary to achieve greatness.  In other words, if Ross wants to be the #1 player in his class in either the state or the country by the HOOP SCOOP, then he's going to have to earn it!  I also want to point out that Johnson, who has been our Mississippi Editor for the last seven years, has started his own scouting service, Mississippi Hoop Report, which is available via subscription, if you call Johnson at 1-(601) 214-3425.  And it's well worth the $200 annual subscription price if you're interested in players in this area.  Johnson not only has the best handle on the state, but he's an excellent evaluator of talent and is one of the most dedicated, hardest working, and most conscientious people in the business. 

Originally I had planned on attending both the National Prep School Invitational at the Keaney Gym at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI on Thursday, February 8th, and Friday, February 9th, and the Prime Time Shootout at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ on Saturday, February 10th, and Sunday, February 11th.  But upon returning from the West Coast last week I was sidelined with the flu and, as a result, have gone to plan "B," which is get the highlights at the National Prep School Invitational from our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein and the highlights from the Prime Time Shootout from our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin.  Fingelstein, who was at the National Prep School Invitational on Friday and Saturday, tells us that the biggest story through Saturday night was the play of 6'8 Michael Beasley from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA.  "Beasley led his team to two impressive victories against a very good Boys to Men team and then in dominating fashion against Stoneridge Prep," says Fingelstein.  First, Beasley finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks shots in 28 minutes of action in his head-to-head match-up against 6'9 Nyal "Mac" Koshwal, as Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA knocked off Chicago (Boys to Men) IL, 72-68, in one of the most exciting games of the weekend.  Then, Beasley put on the best show that Finkelstein has seen in a long time while going head-to-head against 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater during the first half of Notre Dame's game against Stoneridge Prep on Saturday.  "No statistics were available at the break, but the vast majority of Beasley's 30 points and 15 rebounds came before the intermission, as helped Notre Dame build a commanding lead.  In fact, there was a period of about two-and-a-half minutes where Beasley scored every time down the floor on the offensive end and then either blocked a shot or pulled down a rebound on every defensive possession.  Out of the gate, Beasley did a nice job of establishing himself on the interior with offensive rebounds put-backs and with his back to the basket utilizing a fall away jumper that was virtually unstoppable.  After that, the rest of his game took off as he was an absolute monster on the both backboards, hit threes, handled the ball in the open floor, created some off the dribble, and found his teammates for open looks."  Also very impressive was 6'3 Deonte Roberts from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA.  "Although his numbers weren't huge, Roberts played very efficient basketball getting to the rim whenever the lane was available and even connecting on his outside jumpers.  And that is especially important, because, if Roberts develops a consistent outside stroke, then he could be absolutely tremendous at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as he is already terrific off the dribble, very athletic, and a good passer inside a congested lane."  In Notre Dame's game against Stoneridge Prep, 6'7 Jr Troy Gillenwater, who finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and four blocked shots, put up a valiant effort when matched up against Beasley.  "Despite the fact that this 6'7 power forward is sometimes undersized on the block, he has tremendous footwork when facing up and attacking the basket and does a great job of bring the ball into the shot blocker's chest to limit his ability to elevate."  North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, which knocked off Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 105-83, and Lenoir (Patterson School) NC, which held off Winchendon (School) MA, 86-80, also turned in impressive wins on Friday.  And making the story even more interesting in the latter of the two mentioned games is the fact that Patterson was able to hold off a pair of outstanding performances that were turned by Winchendon's 6'5 Chris Turner, who had 27 points and hit 7-13 3-pointers, and 6'1 Malcolm Grant, who finished with 21-points, four assists, and three steals.  On Saturday, Bridgton and Patterson met in what was one of the most anticipated games of the tournament and Bridgton once again used a balanced offensive attack to win 97-84, although the game was much closer than the final score reflects.  As a matter of fact, Bridgton's 6'8 Justin Burrell, 6'2 Greg Hill, 6'1 Brian Rudolph, 6'3 Paris Horne, 6'8 Aaron Ellis, and 6'4 Rashad Green all scored in double digits in both games.  "Hill was particularly impressive showing his tremendous shooting ability from long range with 26 points on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc on Friday against Stoneridge Prep and 20 points on 7-8 shooting from the floor and 4-5 from behind the 3-point line on Saturday against Patterson."  Patterson is another team with multiple weapons as any one of a number of their talented players can step up on any given night.  On Friday it 6'5 swingman Dominique Sutton, who scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and 6'2 Dwight Hardy, who had 18 points, while on Saturday it was 6'5 Anjuan Wilderness and 6'6 Tirrell Baines leading the way with 22 points and 15 points apiece.  Baines also hit 7-9 field goals and grabbed six rebounds, as he once against showed why he's regarded as one of the best combo forwards still available.  Also playing well was 6'8 Jr Devin Ebanks from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, who had 27 points on 13-17 shooting in a 65-63 loss to Laurinburg (Institute) NC on Friday and 21 points and six rebounds in a St. Thomas More win a day later.  6'5 Tristan Thompson, 6'3 P'Allen Stinnett, and 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Negedu all played well for Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, which won despite the fact 6'11 Craig Brackins was not in the line-up.  "Negedu was unstoppable under the basket converting 10-12 field goals en route to 22 points, while Thompson, who is still unsigned, scored 20 points, knocked down 3-pointers, showed off his mid-range game, and also got his share of rebounds.  Stinnett ran the show and made some highlight reel dunks to ignite the crowd, as he finished with 15 points, eight assists, and only one turnover." Another interesting story to come over the weekend was the commitment by 5'9 Jr Stevie Mejia from Groton (Lawrence Academy) MA to the University of Rhode Island.  "Mejia is a cerebral and skilled floor general who should be a good addition to the Rams backcourt for the 2008-2009 season." 

Rubin tells us that the best individual performance at the Prime Time Shootout was turned 6'7 DaJuan Blair from Pittsburgh (Schenley) PA, who had 32 points, 20 rebounds, five blocked, and five assists shots against Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD.  "We're talking about a a man among boys," says Rubin.  "Blair scored inside, was dominant on the boards, set screens, passed the ball well, and was surprisingly mobile and athletic for somebody his size."  Rubin also was singing the praises of 6'5 Soph Lance Stephenson from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, who had 42 points and showed one of the best mid-range games that Rubin has seen all year.  However, Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, which moved up to #1 in the nation in the most recent USA Today high school basketball poll, beat Lincoln, 91-74, on Saturday and a day earlier they also coasted to a 71-55 win against Chester (H.S.) PA in a Prime Time Shootout game at Villanova University in Philadelphia, PA.  And in both games their best player and high scorer was 6'5 Jeff Robinson from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, who finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds against Chester and 30 points, five rebounds against Lincoln.  Also worth noting is the fact that 6'3 Soph Dexter Strickland had 12 points and nine assists versus Lincoln and 6'8 Jr Quintrell Thomas, who recently became eligible and provides St. Patrick's head coach Kevin Boyle the inside presence that he needs to complement Robinson, Strickland, and 6'1 Corey Fisher, had 18 points against Lincoln.  Rubin also tells us that 6'8 Jr Samardo Samuels from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ was totally dominant inside with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 12-16 field goals and that 6'6 Rakim Sanders from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI had 19 points and eight rebounds when their two teams matched up in what turned out to be lopsided 86-64 victory for St. Benedict's.  The best athlete in the entire tournament, according to Rubin, was 6'3 Jerryd Bayless from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, who had 18 points, but didn't have much of a supporting cast as his team suffered an 83-54 loss to Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  The leading scorer for St. Anthony's was 6'2 Jr Mike Rosario with 22 points.  Another highlight for Rubin was the 68-61 upset that Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA pulled off against Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD team, thanks primarily to the efforts of 6'3 Bradley Wanamaker, who had 27 points and four assists.  There also was the 24-point effort, which includes 4-6 3-pointers, that 6'7 Jr Lance Goulbourne from Princeton (The Hun School) NJ, who is now getting looks from schools like Rutgers, Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. Joseph's, La Salle, Penn State, Temple, Stanford, and Vanderbilt, had against Centereach (Our Savior New American) NY.  Other noteworthy performances were turned by 6'8 Marcus Morris and 6'8 Markieff Morris, who combined for 37 points and eight rebounds in their team's 99-66 loss at Villanova University on Friday against Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA; 6'9 Lavoy Allen from Fairless Hills (Pennsbury) PA, who had 12 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in his team's 54-50 win over Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New) PA; and 5'7 Jr Desmond Wade from Linden (H.S.) NJ, who had 13 points and four assists in his team's 58-55 win over Aston (American Christian) PA on Friday night.  However, we also should note that American Christian was missing four of its better players - 6'6 Michael Glover, 6'1 Andre Tarver, 6'4 Michael Tuitt, and 7'0 Keenan Ellis - in this loss against Linden.  But they were at full strength in the final game of the evening on Saturday night against Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  And, while this game featured our top two-ranked juniors in the nation in 6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'5 Jr Tyreke Evans from Aston (American Christian) PA, who was coming off a 25-point/4-assist game the previous night against Linden (H.S.) PA, both of these players had to take a back seat to 6'3 Nolan Smith from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and 6'6 Michael Glover, who had 25 points and 17 rebounds.  Evans, who had 23 points and three assists, was the better of the top-ranked juniors in this game, but Rubin tell us that it was Jennings, who had 15 points and four assists, that actually determined the outcome of the game.  "With the scored tied at 72-all and Oak Hill with the basketball, Jennings controlled the ball for the entire last 45 seconds of the game," says Rubin.  "He made his move to basket with two second left and got fouled with four-tenths of a second left.  After missing his first free throw, American Christian head coach Tony Bergeron called timeout to ice the shooter.  But the move didn't work as Jennings calmly swished the second free throw to seal the 73-72 win."  6'5 Alexander Legion chipped in with 18 points and 6'8 Jr  Howard Thompkins had 14 points and eight rebounds for Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  American Christian also got solid performances from UAB-bound 7'0 Keenan Ellis, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, and 6'0 Josh Spivey, who had five points, but did a good job of guarding Jennings.  Rubin also notes that Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA beat Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, 87-56, thanks primarily to the efforts of 6'2 Antonio "Scoop" Jardine, who had 22 points, 13 assists, and three steals, and 6'9 Rick Jackson, who had 18 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, and five dunks.  St. Augustine was led by 6'7 Jr Eugene Teague from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, who is a wide-bodied very efficient inside guy who can also step out and hit the mid-range shot and might be the best junior in South Jersey, with 22 points.  Rubin also notes that the early list for 6'0 Soph Malik Wayns from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, who is the one of the fastest rising sophomores in the area and is a legitimate top 100 sophomore nationally, includes Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph's, Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, and La Salle.  Among those showing the most interest in 6'7 Jr Kevin Jones from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY are Connecticut, Syracuse, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Florida, Pittsburgh, Indiana, Louisville, and St. Joseph's.  The final four for 6'5 Jr Tyreke Evans from Aston (American Christian) PA appear to be Villanova, North Carolina, Louisville, and Memphis. 

The list of great freshman this year in college basketball this year is seemingly endless, as players like Texas' Kevin Durant, D.J. Augustine, and Damion James; North Carolina's Tywon Lawson, North Carolina's Wayne Ellington, North Carolina's Brandan Wright; Ohio State's Greg Oden, Michael Conley, and Daequan Cook; Georgia Tech's Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton; Duke's Jonathan Scheyer and Gerald Henderson; Kansas' Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins; Tennessee's Duke Crews, Ramar Smith, and Wayne Chism, Washington's Spencer Hawes and Quincy Pondexter; Stanford's Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez; Connecticut's Jerome Dyson, Doug Wiggins, and Hasheem Thabett, Louisville's Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith, and Earl Clark; Seton Hall's Eugene Harvey and Larry Davis, Kentucky's Jodie Meeks and Derrick Jasper; Southern Mississippi's Sai'quon Stone and Jeremy Wise; Villanova's Scottie Reynolds; Oregon's Tajuan Porter; Syracuse's Paul Harris; Oklahoma State's Obi Muonelo; California's Ryan Anderson; Arizona's Chase Budinger; USC's Taj Gibson; Iowa's Tyler Smith; Notre Dame's Luke Harangody; Arkansas' Patrick Beverly; Arizona State's Christian Polk; Northwestern's Kevin Coble; Michigan State's Raymar Morgan; Baylor's Demond Carter; Nebraska's Ryan Anderson, Duquesne's Robert Mitchell; Davidson's Stephen Curry; La Salle's Rodney Green; Vermont's Joe Trapani; are all having impressive seasons.  So, with this in mind, it should come as no surprise that I have gotten several phone calls from people wanting to know who was in the great Class of 1979, which is without a doubt that best high school class ever.  That was before I starting doing the HOOP SCOOP, but I do have a copy of Bill Cronauer's All-American Wrapup:  The Top 3000, which was published on April 30, 1979 by the B/C Scouting Service.  The Co-Players of the Year were 7'3 Ralph Sampson from Harrisonburg (H.S.) VA and 6'8 Clark Kellogg from Cleveland (St. Joseph) OH.  Cronauer's list of 10 more Super Seniors included 7'1 Sam Bowie from Lebanon (H.S.) PA, 6'11 Steve Stipanovich from St. Louis (DeSmet) MO, 6'9 Sidney Green from Brooklyn (Thomas Jefferson) NY, 6'9 James Worthy from Gastonia (Ashbrook) GA, 6'8 Antonie Carr from Wichita Heights (H.S.) KS, 6'7 Derrick Hord from Bristol (H.S.) TN, 6'7 Dominique Wilkins from Washington (H.S.) NC, 6'7 Darren Daye from Granada Hills (Kennedy) CA, 6'4 Ricky Ross from Wichita (South) KS, and 6'1 Isiah Thomas from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL.  And the rest of his 33-Player First Team included 6'11 Melvin Turpin from Lexington (Bryan Station) KY, 6'11 Greg Kite from Houston (Madison) TX, 6'10 Tim Andree from Birmingham (Brother Rice) MI, 6'9 Terry Cummings from Chicago (Carver) IL, 6'9 Darrell Lockhart from Thomaston (Robert E. Lee) GA, 6'8 Terry Grubbs from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, 6'8 Steve Bouchie from Washington (H.S.) IN, 6'7 Terry Fair from Macon (Southwest) GA, 6'7 Rodney McCray from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, 6'6 Larry Anderson from Pittsburgh (Schenley) PA, 6'5 Bill Varner from New Kensington Valley (H.S.) PA, 6'5 Dave Russell from Bellport (H.S.) NY, 6'4 Tony "Red" Bruin from Astoria (Mater Christi) NY, 6'4 Horace Owens from Philadelphia (Dobbins) PA, 6'4 Quintin Dailey from Baltimore (Cardinal Gibbons) MD, 6'3 Leon Wood from Santa Monica (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Dirk Minniefield from Lexington (Lafayette) KY, 6'2 Michael Holton form Pasadena (H.S.) CA, 6'2 John Paxson from Kettering (Alter) OH, 6'1 Rod Foster from New Britain (St. Thomas Aquinas) CT, 6'1 Jimmy Braddock from Chattanooga (Baylor School) TN, and 6'1 Raymond McCoy from Chicago Heights (Bloom Township) IL.  Obviously the Class of 1979 had all the prerequisites for greatness, as it had size, depth, and incredible talent at the top.  There also have been several other great classes since in the Class of 1979 and the first one that comes to mind is the Class of 1988, which featured players like 6'10 Alonzo Mourning from Chesapeake (Indian River) VA, 6'11 Shawn Kemp from Elkhart (Concord) IN, 6'8 Billy Owens from Carlisle (H.S.) PA, 6'1 Chris Jackson from Gulfport (H.S.) MS, 6'9 Kenny Williams from Elizabeth (Northeastern) NC, 6'10 Christian Laettner from Buffalo (Nichols) NY, 6'11 Stanley Roberts from Hopkins (Lower Richland) SC, 6'7 Malik Sealy from Bronx (Tolentine) NY, 6'7 Chris Mills from Simpsonville (Hillcrest) SC, 6'10 LaPhonso Ellis from East St. Louis (Lincoln) NY, 6'9 Don MacLain from Simi Valley (H.S.) CA, 6'7 Todd Day from Memphis (Hamilton) TN, 6'2 Lee Maybury from Tulsa (Rogers) OK, 6'7 Jay Bias from Hyattsville (Northwestern) MD, 6'9 Adam Keefe from Irvine (Woodbridge) CA, 6'7 Chris King from Hobbton (H.S.) NC, 6'0 Derrick Martin from Long Beach (St. Anthony's) CA, 6'9 Eric Anderson from Chicago (St. Francis DeSales) IL,6'5 Anthony Peeler from Kansas City (Paseo) KS, 6'5 Ray Thompson from Summitt (Argo) IL, 6'7 Matt Steigenga from Grand Rapid (South Christian) MI, 6'5 Everick Sullivan from Simpsonville (Hillcrest) SC, 6'4 David Young from Greenville (H.S.) SC, 6'9 Cesar Portillo from Miami (Senior) FL, 6'10 Jerrod Mustaf from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'2 Sean Woods from Indianapolis (Cathedral) IN, 6'6 Bryant Stith from Lawrenceville (Brunswick) VA, 6'6 Milton Bell from Richmond (John Marshall) VA, 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Forrest) FL, and 6'10 Robert Werdann from Jamaica (Archbishop Molloy) NY.   The Class of 1995 also was incredible, as it featured players like 6'10 Kevin Garnett from Chicago (Farragut) IL, 6'2 Stephon Marbury from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, 6'7 Ron Mercer from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'9 Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Marietta (H.S.) GA, 6'9 Robert Traylor from Detroit (Murray-Wright) MI, 6'5 Vince Carter from Daytona  Beach (Mainland) Fl, 6'6 Paul Pierce from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Chauncey Billups from Denver (George Washington) CO, 6'8 Antawn Jamison from Charlotte (Providence) NC, 6'7 Derek Hood from Kansas City (Central) MO, 6'8 Terrance Roberson from Saginaw (Buena Vista) MI, 7'0 Mark Blount from Dobbs Ferry (H.S.) NY, 6'2 Charlton Clarke from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'0 Terrell Stokes from Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) PA, 6'0 Shamgod Wells from New York (La Salle) NY, 6'2 B.J. McKie from Columbia (Irmo) SC, 6'7 Ryan Blackwell from Pittsford (Sutherland) NY, 6'3 Vonteego Cummings from Thomason (H.S.) GA, 6'9 Harold Jamison from Holy Hill (H.S.) SC, 6'7 Terrence Christie from Frederick (St. John's at Prospect Hall) MD, 6'4 Rasheed Brokenborough from Philadelphia (University City) PA, 6'4 Duany Duay from Bloomington (North) IN, 6'2 Ricky Moore from Augusta (Westside) GA, 6'4 Todd Myles from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY, 6'4 Melvin Levett from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'2 Louis Bullock from Laurel (Baptist) MD, 6'11 Randell Jackson from Detroit (Murray-Wright) MI, 6'7 Sam Okey from Cassville (H.S.) WI, 6'10 Taymond Domzalski from Roswell (New Mexico Military) NM, 6'7 Courtney James from Indianapolis (Ben Davis) IN. 

Our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein tells us that 6'5 Jermaine Peterson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA has verbally committed to Providence College and we think this is a major coup.  Not only are we talking about our #3-ranked 5th Year Player, but Peterson also would be the second highest ranked player still available, if we combined high school seniors and 5th Year Players.  Peterson is an undersized power forward, but it really doesn't matter, because he's a ferocious rebounder and is one of the most explosive athletes to come down the pike in a long time.  In other words, Peterson promises to be the next in a long line of players, like Sheiku Kabba, Donnie McGrath, Rob Sanders, Ryan Gomes,Sheraud Curry, Randall Hanke, Weminmi Englert, Herbert Hill, Geoff McDermott, who were under recruited, but turned out to be excellent players for the Friars.  And, once again, most of the credit has to go to Providence assistant coach Steve DeMeo, who has been at Providence for nine years and also was primarily responsible for landing all of the above mentioned players.  Cincinnati was believed to be the heavy favorite for Peterson's services, but this still doesn't comes as that big of a surprise.  Remember, DeMeo, who previously made stops as an assistant coach at Iona College, head coach at Monroe (JC) NY and Bronx Community (JC) NY, assistant coach at LIU-C.W. Post and Queensborough College, and player at Bayside (Cardozo) NY, has more than his share of New York City contacts and the Friars already have four players - 6'11 Jr Randall Hanke, 6'7 Soph Geoff McDermott, 6'5 Soph Weyinmi Efejuku, and 6'4 Frosh Brian McKenzie - who are from the New York Metropolitan area on their current roster.  It also looks like our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has the scoop our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson with regards to 6'5 Jenirro Bush from Artesia (East Okitibbeha) MS verbally committing to the University of Arkansas.  And this too appears to be a major steal, because Bush, who is ranked #165 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is one of the best seniors nationally still available, is versatile enough to with his size, athleticism, outside shooting, and ball handling and passing skills to play the one, two, and the three spots.  Johnson also tells us that it's the same old list (North Carolina, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas, and Ohio State) for 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH, but adds that he'd be shocked if Roe, who is ranked #4 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, doesn't pick the Tar Heels.  And Johnson even goes so far as to give us the date, which is March 4th, when Roe is supposed to make an unofficial visit to the Chapel Hill, NC for the North Carolina-Duke game.  Indiana now appears to be making a strong push for 6'9 Jr Yancey Gates from Cincinnati (Withrow) OH, who is ranked #14 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  But Johnson thinks this one is too wide open to attempt to call, as Xavier, Cincinnati, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Louisville, Kentucky, and Syracuse are all being prominently mentioned and his list changes almost daily.  Johnson also notes that there may be some kind of junior jinx for 7-footers from Stark County.  If you will recall, 7'0 Kosta Koufos from Canton (Glenoak) OH broke his foot during the middle of the season a year ago and was sidelined until the King James Shooting Stars Classic in late April.  And 7'1 Jr Kenny Frease from Massillon (Perry) OH, who is ranked #79 nationally in the junior class, has suffered a similar fate, as earlier in the season he was out with a broken wrist and now has been sidelined again with a broken orbital bone, which is a bone around the eye.  However, between injuries Frease was able to make an unofficial visit to Lexington, KY on January 28th and attend the Kentucky-Tennessee game.  So obviously the University of Kentucky is high on his list, along with schools like Xavier, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Indiana.  But, when it's all said and done, Johnson thinks Xavier will be the team to beat, because the Musketeers have been recruiting him the longest and the strongest.  Johnson also informs us that the fastest rising junior, as well as a serious challenger to 6'1 Jr Anthony Crator from Flint (Southwestern) MI for 2008 Mr. Basketball honors in the state, is 6'7 Jr Draymond Green from Saginaw (H.S.) MI.  So, with this in mind and the fact that North Carolina is going to be tough to beat for 6'8 Jr Delvon Roe from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH, it comes as no surprise that both Michigan and Michigan State are making Green a priority.  Johnson also thinks Ohio State will be the team to beat for 6'8 Jr Luke Babbitt from Reno (Galena) NV, who is ranked #5 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  "Usually it's hard for a school from the Midwest to beat schools from the West Coast like UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga, and Nevada," says Johnson.  "But Babbitt has already made an unofficial visit to Columbus during the Ohio State-Michigan State game on January 27th and all of his relatives from both sides of the family live in Ohio."  Johnson also notes that 6'9 Nathan Jawai from Midland (JC) TX, who was the best freshman in the junior college ranks this season until he decided to return to Australia and sign a professional contract, is one that has gotten away.   "We're talking about a 6'9, 280-pound beast inside who is cross between Elton Brand and Darryl Dawkins," says Johnson.  "And, if he'd remained in the United States, the two schools that appeared to have the inside track were Baylor and Utah." 

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Who is the only player since Allan Houston graduated from Ballard High School in 1989 that was highly touted early in his career as destined for stardom in the state of Kentucky who actually lived up to all of the expectations, notoriety, attention, and early accolades?  Believe it or not, the answer is Boston Celtics rookie Rajon Rondo.  I bring this up because yesterday we published exclusively in the Members Section our updated Kentucky Report and I touched on the fact that high school basketball in the city of Louisville isn't what it used to be.  However, I didn't go into any detail in this report, which includes Larry Kihnley's ranking of the top 60 seniors, top 40 juniors, top 20 sophomores, and top 20 freshmen in the state, as well as any names I could pick up from other sources about the top 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders in the state, about why I think basketball has fallen off so much in Louisville since the days of Wes Unseld, Michael Redd, Henry Bacon, Ron Thomas, Ron King, Otto Petty, Tom Payne, Larry Harrelson, Wesley Cox, Wayne Golden, Ronnie Daniels, Flenoil Crook, Robert Miller, Darrell Griffith, Bobby Turner, Durand Macklin, Jeff Lamp, Lee Raker, Jerry Eaves, Winston Bennett, Tony Kimbro, Felton Spencer, Herbert Crook, Allan Houston, Dwayne Morton, Jermaine Brown, Maurice Morris, Jason Osbourne, Danyell Macklin, DeJuan Wheat, and Derek Anderson.  Actually I think there a number of reasons for this great decline, but I'm convinced that the evolution of it all began with busing the mid-70's.  Did you know that Louisville (Central) KY, Louisville (Male) KY, and Louisville (Shawnee) KY won the Kentucky State High School Basketball Championship every year but one between 1969 and 1975 and the talent pool in the West End of city was so great that the argument can be made that each of these three schools at any give time in that era was producing more great talent than the entire state is producing today.  To illustrate this point even further, I still remember Bob Graves, who then was the coach at Central, telling me in 1977 that there were over 30 players starting for teams in the city that were his players and that most of them couldn't even make his junior varsity.  In addition to all of the top high school players in city being scattered all over town, the inner city schools also slowly but surely lost the incredible fan support that they once had from the black community.  In other words, there is no longer the status that once went with being a good high school basketball player and today there are a lot more things competing for your time, as we now live in the age of computers, video games, and immediate gratification.  The argument also has been made that high school basketball in Louisville has been hurt by the fact that many of the better players in recent years have been two-sport stars and their primary focus has been on playing football.  Another part of problem appears to stem from the fact that there are too many overzealous parents, friends, relatives, and street agents not only trying to get their hooks into players, but filling their heads with delusions of grandeur, instead of stressing hard work, doing well in school, and going through the normal development process.  There also is the problem that playing too much club team and AAU ball presents.  With all of the events that are going on in spring and summer, when does anybody have any time to just stay home work on their game?  A lack of direction, parental support, and doing the wrong things (i.e. drugs, alcohol, and gangbanging) also may have been a contributing factor in why players destined for stardom, like Tony Kimbro, Jason Osbourne, Ronnie Griffin, Brandon Bender, and Carlos Hurt, went South and why less heralded players, like DeJuan Wheat, Derek Anderson, Scott Padgett, and Larry O'Bannon, ended up being the players who exceeded all of the early expectations.  Certainly all of these things and more have contributed to this down cycle in recent years, but I think the biggest part of the problem involves the fact that there has not been a strong grass roots feeder system in place at the elementary and and junior high school levels in both the city and the state.  However, this may be changing as several brand new state-of-the-art multiple court basketball facilities are opening in Louisville, KY, BCI Basketball at the younger age levels is becoming a force to be reckoned with out in the state, and there are a number of people who are trying to make a dent into the youth basketball market in city of Louisville.  So stay tuned! 

Saturday, February 3, 2007, Sunday, February 4, 2007, & Monday, February 5, 2007

The two best players in the first game earlier today at the NIKE Extravaganza were the 6'5 Julyan Stone from Goleta (Dos Pueblos) CA, who finished with 14 points and nine assists, and 6'2 Dan Morris from Fountain Valley (H.S.) CA, who had 25 points, 10-18 field goals, four assists, and six turnovers.  Stone, who is ranked #200 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is being recruited by schools like Western Kentucky, Portland, UC-Santa Barbara, Wyoming, and Pepperdine, also is one of the better unsigned seniors still available.  We're talking about a 6'5 athletic point guard who makes good decisions, rebounds well for his size, is good defensively, and is very good at getting to the basket.  Morris is an excellent 3-point shooter (3-6 3-pointers), but undersized white 5'11 2-guards are a dime a dozen and, as a result, he's best described as "a good high school player."  The second game was much more lopsided than the first game when Dos Pueblos beat Fountain Valley, 70-63, but this 20-point win by Capistrano Valley (J. Serra) CA over Ocean View (H.S) CA was a lot more interesting in terms of talent and individual performances, as J. Serra featured 6'5 Chris Robinson, 6'4 Devon Adams, 5'11 Ryan Jocson and 6'9 Jr Chris Gabriel and Ocean View got solid efforts from 6'5 Jr Cameron Holz, 6'2 Dijon Horne, and 6'1 Frosh Avery Johnson.  Anderson was Ocean View's leading scorer with 10 points and was easily the best prospect in the game due to his long arms, big feet, excellent athleticism, and potential to grow to 6'5 or 6'4.  Horne, who finished with eights points, impressed us with his explosiveness to the basket and Holz, who had nine points and demonstrated an ability to play both inside and outside, although he'll have to get bigger and stronger physically in order to attract much Division I interest.  Robinson, who finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists, was the best player for J. Serra.  Adams, who is an undersized inside guy, was almost unstoppable inside, as he finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, and hit 10-11 field goals.  Jocson, who finished with 13 points, impressed us with his deep 3-point shooting range (3-7 3-pointers) and Gabriel, who had 11 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots, impressed us with his soft touch and good post moves.  However, Gabriel also is extremely slow and non-athletic, which makes us wonder whether he'll be able to get it done against quicker guys his own size.  Still, Gabriel is worth keeping an eye on, especially if he conditioning ever catches up with his skill level.  Despite the fact 5'10 Jay Dee Luster from San Diego (Hoover) CA didn't play due to a shoulder injury, San Diego (Hoover) CA still managed to make things interesting for the first three quarters in the third game of the day against Ontario (Colony) CA, thanks to the excellent point guard play that they got from 6'2 Todd Doxey, who had eight points, five steals, and 12 assists; and versatility and athleticism shown by 6'3 Jr Corey Trisby, who finished 24 points and 15 rebounds.  But 6'8 Jr Michael Bostic and 6'0 D'Anthony Peterson totally took over the game at crunch time for Ontario (Colony) CA, which went on a 24-14 run in the 4th Quarter en route to a 75-61 victory.  We also really liked Bostic's athleticism, rebounding, and ability to draw fouls and finish around the basket, as he finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds, 5-8 field goals, and 8-11 free throws and made us wonder if he's not one of the bigger sleepers in the junior class on the West Coast.  Peterson never saw a shot he didn't like, but it's tough to fault a guy when he hits 9-15 field goals and 3-7 3-pointers and finishes with 24 points.  We also thought 5'11 Jonathan Love from Ontario (Colony) CA, who had eights points and three assists, was solid at point guard and 6'5 Frosh Tyler Lamb from Ontario (Colony) CA, who is ranked #27 nationally in the freshman class by the HOOP SCOOP and had 10 points and six assists, more than lived up to expectations.  Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV came back from a double-digit deficit against Compton (Dominguez) CA to tie the fourth game of the day at 62-62 with eight seconds left, but 6'4 Soph Myron Green from Compton (Dominguez) CA tipped the ball in with less than a second remaining to seal the win.  And, believe it or not, this athletic wing forward was Dominguez's second best player, as he finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, three steals, and five turnovers.  Dominguez's best player was Illinois-bound 6'4 Quinton Watkins, who finished with 17 points, 2-6 3-pointers, three steals, and six turnovers.  The only two players worth mentioning for Bishop Gorman were 6'4 Jr Jordan Hill and 5'10 Jr Kevin Loyd, who combined for 33 points and where instrumental in sparking Bishop Gorman's comeback.  In other words, Bishop Gorman's highly touted 2-guard 6'3 Jr Quinton Dailey, who is ranked #310 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, laid an egg, as he finished with four points, five rebounds, and five turnovers.  Also falling into this category were UT-San Antonio-bound 6'10 Matthew DeWaal from Compton (Dominguez) CA, who only had seven points and four rebounds, and 6'5 Derrick January from Compton (Dominguez) CA, who had only eight points and six rebounds.  North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA jumped out to a 30-13 lead and never looked back en route to a 75-59 win against Villa Park (H.S.) CA, but this was still easily the best of the first five games of the day, as 6'3 Jr Jrue Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA, 6'6 Justin Holiday from North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA, and 6'8 Drew Viney from Villa Park (H.S.) CA were easily the three best players that we've seen so far today.  Justin Holiday, who had 28 points, eight rebounds, and 11-15 field goals, was the benefactor of some great passes from his younger brother, who finished with 18 points, 14 points, and eight rebounds, and three steals and convinced us that he's a legitimate top 10 junior nationally.  If you will recall, we had Jrue Holiday ranked #17 in the junior class nationally, but he's been ranked as high as #2 by some of our competitors.  So obviously this was one we were watching closely.  We also were impressed Viney's outside shooting, as he hit 4-6 treys en route to a 27-point/10-rebound performance and 5'11 Kertd Elisaldes from Villa Park (H.S.) CA, who chipped in with 19 points, impressed us with his passing, quickness off the dribble, and ability to create his own shot.  However, Elisaldes needs to improve his decision making and shot selection in order to get recruited any higher than at the low Division I level.  And as an added bonus, we also got a good look at all of the good young players in this game, including 6'6 Soph Keegan Hornbuckle and 6'6 Frosh James Johnson, who combined for 17 points for North Hollywood (Campbell Hall) CA, and 6'7 Frosh Michael Atwater, 6'7 Frosh Clint Bozner, and 6'8 Frosh Jordan Didier, who combined for 11 points for Villa Park (H.S.) CA.  Los Angeles (Westchester) CA beat Carlsbad (H.S.) CA, 69-52, in the sixth game of the day, but it actually should have been worse, as the Comets featured five players - 6'7 Dane Suttle, 6'3 Jr Jarred Dubois, 6'7 Frosh Dwayne Polee, 6'3 Jr Oscar Bellfield, 6'4 Isaiah Jenkins - who will play at the mid-major level or higher and Carlsbad didn't have a player on their roster who projects as a Division I player.  Suttle, who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, was Westchester's best player.  But we were disappointed with Suttle's outside shooting, as he hit only 1-6 treys.  Dubois chipped with in 18 points and Jenkins, Bellfield, and Polle had 11, eight, and four points apiece, respectively for Fairfax.  Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA jumped out to a 12-7 lead early against Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA in the first of the two big games of the day, but Oak Hill did not put Fairfax away when it had a 10-point lead and the momentum with 2:55 remaining in the first half.  So this opened the door for Fairfax, which cut the lead to seven by half-time and only three with 5:30 left in the third quarter, to get back in the game.  But then the momentum shifted again, as Oak Hill went on a 15-3 run and coasted to a 70-54 win.  The best player and leading scorer for Oak Hill was 6'8 Nolan Smith, who finished with 27 points and eight rebounds and was unstoppable in transition, as he hit 12-17 field goals and had the best dunk of the day early in the game with an explosive move to the basket.  6'1 Jr Brandon Jennings from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA followed up on his 25-point/6-assist performance last night with 12 points and eight rebounds tonight and 6'5 Soph Terrance Boyd, 6'5 Alexander Legion, and 6'8 Jr Howard Thompkins also chipped in with 11 points, 10 points and nine points apiece for Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  However, Thompkins failed to score a single point and had only one rebound, while playing nine minutes in the second half, which was one of the reasons why Fairfax was able to hang around.  Fairfax was led by UCLA-bound 6'8 Chase Stanback, who finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, but he also took move than his share of bad shots, as he hit only 9-27 field goals and 1-6 3-pointers.  Also scoring in double-digits for Fairfax was 6'2 Jr Chris Solomon, who finished with 13 points, but hit only 4-11 field goals and 2-7 3-pointers, which means that the Lions's two leading scorers combined for 13-38 field goals and  3-13 trey.  And that really was the big difference in the game, as Oak Hill shot 29-45 from the field (64.4%) and 4-10 beyond the arc (40.0%), while Fairfax hit only 21-64 field goals (21-64) and only 4-22 3-pointers (18.2%).  If we had any doubt before who the best high school player in the nation is today, we don't anymore after watching 6'9 Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR score 36 points against Santa Ana (Mater Dei)) CA in the final game of the day at the NIKE Extravaganza.  Love was often double and triple-teamed, but still was unstoppable when he got the ball in the low post with his incredible post moves and unbelievable quickness and mobility for somebody his size.  Love also blocked shots, threw his usual array of outlet passes to open teammates at the other end for easy lay-ups, and showed his shooting range by hitting 1-2 3-pointers.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Love, who had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half, was single-handedly keeping his team in the game on the road against one of the top high school teams in the nation.  As a matter of fact, Lake Oswego enjoyed a brief two-point lead with 3:59 left in the first half, led by as many as much as seven points at the end of the third quarter, and went up by 14 points with 3:52 left in the game when 6'1 Kyle Lavender hit a 3-pointer from the corner.  And that really was the final nail in the coffin, as Lake Oswego pulled off a stunning 61-52 upset against Mater Dei.  6'1 Kamyron Brown led Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA with 16 points, while 6'7 Taylor King and 6'9 Soph David Wear chipped in with 12 and nine points apiece for Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA.  We also think it's worth pointing out that King shot only 3-18 from the field and only 1-11 from beyond the arc, as Mater Dei as a team hit 19-60 field goals (31.7%) and 3-22 3-pointers (13.6%) for the game.  In contrast, Love hit 14-22 field goals and Lake Oswego hit 23-44 field goals (52.3%) and 3-9 3-pointers (33.3%).   

Friday, February 2, 2007

I read with great interest the staff and wire service reports in today's USA Today about Texas' 6'10 Frosh Kevin Durant scoring 37 points and grabbing 23 rebounds two nights ago against Texas Tech and how Longhorns' head coach Rick Barnes called Durant "a once in a lifetime guy."  The article also quoted ESPN's Dick Vitale as saying "his equals are three guys that made the jump from high school to the NBA:  Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, and Dirk Nowitzki.  But I prefer the Carmelo Anthony comparison.  And, at this point in his freshman year, Durant's stats a lot better than Anthony's, as we're talking about a somebody who is not only ranked #6 in scoring with 25.0 ppg and #4 in rebounding with 11.6 rpg in the Division I ranks, but also is my choice as both the Freshman-of-the-Year and the Player-of-the-Year in college basketball this season.  And, just like Syracuse during the middle of Anthony's freshman season, the Longhorns, which are ranked #22 in the most recent Associated Press poll and #23 in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll, are on everybody's radar screen, but few people are talking about Texas being a NCAA Final Four team and nobody thinks this is the team to beat for the National Championship.  Durant also falls into the same category as Anthony in terms of incredible natural talent, world-class athleticism, tremendous skills, and prolific scoring ability (Anthony currently is leading the NBA in scoring with 31.3 ppg).  The comparisons also don't end here, as I think it's important to point out that Carmelo Anthony was to LeBron James what Kevin Durant currently is to Ohio State's 7'0 Frosh Greg Oden.  In other words, it really doesn't matter how good Anthony was back then or how good Durant is now, because the popular consensus was that James was one of the best high school players in the history of the game and Oden is the best big man prospect to come down the pike in a long time.  However, I'm not one of these status quo guys who goes with the popular consensus and, as a result, I'm ready to start talking about Durant being the #1 pick in the NBA over Oden this spring.  But what I do I know?  I'm also the guy who said four years ago that picking James over the Anthony wasn't the no-brainer that everybody thought it was and also went on record saying that the Detroit Pistons picking Darko Milicic #2 in the NBA Draft over Anthony was almost as bad as the Portland Trailblazers picking Sam Bowie as the #2 player in the 1984 NBA Draft over Michael Jordan.  I also wrote in Basketball Times in 1995 that the Chicago Bulls should trade Scottie Pippen to whoever has the #1 pick in order to make sure that they would be able to draft Kevin Garnett.  That way the Bulls would still have the best player in The League when Jordan retired.  Three years ago I was the guy who said that 6'11 Dwight Howard from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA not only should be the #1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft over Connecticut's Emeka Okafor, but that Howard also was one of the three best high school players, along with Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, in the last 10 years.  Currently Howard is the third leading rebounding in NBA with 12.1 rpg and appears to be well on his way towards being one of the best inside players in the league for years to come.  I also said that when Amare Stoudemire was a high school junior that he was a better prospect than Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, and Eddy Curry, all of whom by-passed college and were lottery picks in the 2001 NBA Draft.  However, anybody who goes out on a limb like I do is also going to miss on a few and, as a result, now also is a good time to mention how badly I missed on DaJuan Wagner, who has been plagued by injuries and is no longer in the league, and 7'6 Yao Ming, who has to be one of the most improved players of all time since we first saw him at the NIKE All-American Camp in the summer of 1998 when we ranked him #20 at his position in camp.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that Rider has a verbally commitment 5'11 Matt Griffin from Philadelphia (St. Joseph's Prep) PA and he thinks this is an excellent catch for several of reasons.  First, Griffin is like a coach on the floor and is excellent at getting everybody else involved.  Second, he's got a great bloodline, as is evident by the fact that his father used to be the head coach at St. Joseph's Prep and his older brother is a starter at Bucknell.  Third, he's an excellent 3-point shooter.  

Thursday, February 1, 2007

A week ago we published our updated Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia Report and today we are ready to bring you our New England Report, which means we are making steady progress with regards to catching up on all of our state-by-state and area reports.  I also plan to publish our updated Kentucky Report this weekend and, with the help of our numerous area and state-by-state editors and correspondents, expect to publish reports exclusively in the Members Section from New York City, Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, and California periodically during the next several months.  And, just like our Washington, DC Area Editor Dennis Marshall, who provides the most up-date information about high school basketball and recruiting his area via DCMetroHoops.com, our New England Editor Adam Finkelstein is quickly establishing himself as the foremost authority on high school basketball in New England.  And you can keep track of what he's covering on regular basis by going to his web site at NewEnglandBasketballServices.com.  We also like the way Finkelstein has combined 5th Year Players and high school seniors together on his List of the Top Players in New England for the Class of 2007, which gives us a totally different look from our national rankings, where we separate anybody who has reached his 9th Semester of high school by putting them on our 5th Year list.  And by providing you with this different look, we get an excellent gage of just how slim the pickings are with regards to high level talent that is still available in this six-state area, as the only two players ranked among the top 25 players in the Class of 2007 that are still unsigned/uncommitted are 6'5 Jermaine Peterson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA and 6'4 Rashad Green from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME.  However, there are still a number of players, like 6'2 Greg Hill from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'5 Chris Baez from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'0 Gary Correia from Northfield (Northfield-Mount Hermon) MA, 7'1 Tomasz Kwaitkowski from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'2 Ronnie Moss from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 7'1 Phil Wait from Andover (Proctor Academy) NH, 6'6 Bill Clark from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'1 Brian Rudolph from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'2 Corey Bingham from Lee (Academy) ME, 6'0 Johnny Higgins from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'5 Mike Ringgold from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'5 Mike Moore from New Haven (Hillhouse) CT, 7'1 Kenechukwu Obi from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'5 Tristan Thompson from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, and 6'4 Sedale Jones from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who will project as good mid-major recruits.  When we look at the rankings of the top juniors in New England, we find that the list is full of players, like 6'8 Jr Devin Ebanks from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 5'9 Jr Isaiah Thomas from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'8 Jr Christian Morris from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'1 Jr Lonnie Hayes from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'0 Jr Darius Gabriel from Winchendon (School) MA, 5'10 Jr Quaism Pugh from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'7 Jr Hakim McCullar from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'0 Jr Sean Crawford from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'5 Jr Kieran Ramsey from South Kent (Prep) CT, and 6'2 Jr Dorian Williams from Lee (Academy) ME, who will be in their 9th Semester of high school next year, and players, like 6'2 Jr Terrell McKenzie from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH and 6'2 Jr Thomas Manzano from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who are already in their 9th Semester of high school, but are being listed as juniors, because they still need another year of high school before they will recruitable by four-year Division I schools.  In other words, one of the trends in the New England prep schools is to show up early and reclassify and, as a result, these are the players on which schools at the high major level are focusing a lot of their time and attention.  The other big story that Finkelstein addresses in his report, which includes his list of the top 100 seniors, top 50 juniors, top 35 sophomores, and top 20 freshmen on five-man teams regardless of position and an additional honorable mention list by height of 17 seniors, 12 juniors, and 13 sophomores in their respective classes, is just how strong the sophomore class is in New England.  Remember, 6'8 Soph Alex Oriakhi from Winchendon (School) MA and 6'6 Soph Jamal Coombs from Winchendon (School) MA have both already made early verbal commitments to the University of Connecticut and 6'9 Soph Jin Soo Kim from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'8 Soph Erik Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, 6'5 Soph Givon Crump from Tilton (School) NH, 6'8 Soph Dartaye Ruffin from Winchendon (School) MA, and 6'6 Soph Tevin Baskin from Stamford (Trinity Catholic) CT are all good enough to be ranked among our top 100 sophomores nationally.  We also think it's important to point out that Finkelstein has done a great job of also incorporating all of the top players from New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine onto his list, which is just one more reason why this is beyond question the best New England Report that we've ever published.