Friday, July 31, 1998

Yesterday in the Las Vegas Grand Finale the Bronx Gauchos beat the Kansas City Heat, Aim High (NY) beat the Tennessee Travelers, the SYF Players (IN) beat Inflight (CA), and All Ohio Red beat the Oklahoma Rams to set up the final four at the Las Vegas Grand Finale. In this afternoon's the Bronx Gauchos will meet Aim High in a battle for supremcy in New York and All Ohio Red will meet the SYF Players in what promises to be a Midwest showdown. The winners will play at 6:00 PM local time and immediately following the game we'll head for San Diego, CA, where we'll finish up with NIKE Summer Championship. Also tomorrow we'll get a report from Chris Johnson, who will be at the all-star game tonight at Five Star Pitt IV, and from Allen Rubin, who is at Eastern Invitational today. While the summer will be over for us in two more days, it's not over for you, because we'll spend all of August writing more in-depth about a number of the events we've been to, this month. Plus we'll come out with our summer awards and post-summer rankings. Also we'll be keeping up with all the recruiting, so you'll have a head start on the fall signing period.

Louisville head coach Denny Crum won't get the Most Visible Head Coach of the Summer, but he did work harder and was out more than any summer in memory and one of the main players he was watching was 6'4 Antonio Falu from Houston (Waltrip)TX, who helped the Houston Jaguars win the NIKE Peach Basket several weeks ago in Augusta, GA. Another big-time player originally from Texas that Louisville is involved with is 6'8 Travis Watson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA. Watson's list includes Virginia, Texas, Syracuse, Florida State, Clemson, Michigan, and Kansas.

UCLA head coach Steve Lavin was named the Most Visible Head Coach of the Summer last summer, but this summer he won't get it either, because he's been living with three players - 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, 6'9 Andrew Gooden from Cerritos (H.S.) CA, and 6'8 Justin Davis from Alameda (St. Joseph) CA. If Lavin, who currently only has two scholarships available, gets Boozer and either Davis or Gooden, that would be the perfect complement to the #1 ranked recruiting class that the Bruins brought in the last spring. Also look for UCLA to sign 6'5 Kareem Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO next spring, but for that to happen, several things would have to fall into place. First, UCLA would have to have a scholarship to become available and Rush would have to want to join his brother (Jaron) at UCLA. We think there is a good chance that this will happen.

Almost a week ago now, when the New Orleans Jazz won the adidas Double Pump Best of the Summer High School Boy's Basketball Tournament at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA, we were really impressed with several unheralded players on that team including 6'2 Derrick Zimmerman from Gossman (H.S.) LA, 6'11 Andy Slocum from West Monroe (H.S.) LA and 6'7 Thomas Davis from Pineville (H.S.) LA. A week ago we gave you schools on Zimmerman. Slocum, who is one of the most improved players we've seen all summer, impressed us with his ability to play both inside and outside, as he battled for boards and hit an impressive number of 3-pointers. His list includes Notre Dame, USC, Mississippi, Southern Miss, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Utah, LSU, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, and South Carolina. Davis, who is one of the best athletes in the class, is a killer on the boards, because he plays so hard. Arkansas, Wyoming, Southern Miss, and Southwestern Louisiana are the schools at the top of his list.

The player on the New Orleans Jazz that everybody wants to know about is 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, but he's not talking about his recruitment. As a matter of fact, the only two things he would tell us are that the player who gave him the most trouble this summer was 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA and that the players he's tried to pattern himself after are Scottie Pippin and Kevin Garnett. However, every time we watched him this summer Florida head coach Billy Donovan and Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury were also in the house, so they have to be the leaders. Our guess is that in the end it will be tough to beat Mississippi State.

Thursday, July 30, 1998

At half-time New York Riverside Church was only ahead of the Washington State Altoids, 31-26, in the championship game of the 1998 BCI Boys Summer Prep Larry Walker Memorial National Basketball Tournament at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. But Riverside Church's depth and excellent guard play proved to be too much, as the Hawks won their second tournament in less than week, as well as the championship at BCI for the second consecutive year. Riverside was up by as many as nine in the first half, but the Altoids, led by 6'10 Curtis Borchardt from Redmond (East Lake) WA, made it an ugly game. As a result, never let Riverside Church up the pace, as the game was closer than the 64-49 final score would indicate. The leading scorer for Riverside Church was 6'7 Jr Zach Williams from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY with 12 points. 6'0 Omar Cook from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY chipped in with 10 points and 6'4 Nick Delfico from New Rochelle (Iona Prep) NY had eight points, including a pair of big 3-pointers in the first half. The TouranmentMVP was 6'0 Omar Cook from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY. Washington Brewster, led by 6'2 Jr Luke Ridnour from Blaine (H.S.) WA, beat Colorado Fleet Feet earlier yesterday to win the consolation championship in the open Division at BCI. The all-tournament team included Cook, Borchardt, Ridnour, 6'9 Jr Brian Boddicker from Duncanville (HH..S.) TX, 6'5 Shawn Mason from Albuquerque (West Mesa) NM, 6'9 R.T. Guinn from Albuquerque (Cibola) NM, 6'5 Jeff Brandt from Minot (H.S.) ND, 6'1 Justin Cooper from Sioux City (East) IA, 6'8 Donnell Knight from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, 6'7 Kevin Johnson from Milford (Academy) CT, and 6'3 Abdul Mills from Milford (Academy) CT.

Two of our favorite players at the 1998 BCI Boys Summer Prep Larry Walker Memorial National Basketball Tournament at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ were 6'0 Heath Orvis from Longmont (H.S.) CO and 5'9 Mike Folda from Pueblo (East) CO, both of whom shot the lights out and reminded us of McDonald's All-American and Florida bound 5'9 Ted Dupay. Folda is physically too small to get ranked that high, but Orvis, with his 3.86 gpa and 33 inch vertical jump, might be a great sleeper for our top 100 nationally. He is a tremendous competitor and an excellent passer and ballhandler. Right now Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Gonzaga, and Loyola-Marymount are showing interest, but he wants to go someplace where he can play with great players.

We continue to hear rumors that 6'10 Wesley Wilson from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME has committed to Georgetown, but when we talked with MCI head coach Max Good yesterday, he did not confirm this commitment. He does think the Hoyas are the leader and their is a definite connection. If you will recall, Georgetown for another one of Good's players - 6'1 Kevin Braswell - last spring.

Wednnesday, July 29, 1998

It's no big surprise that 6'8 Donnell Knight from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ picked Arizona State, who currently ranks #24 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but we didn't expect the commitment to come quite so soon. Neither did Indiana, because IU assistant coach Patrick Knight was in town last night to watch him in the BCI Boys Summer Prep Larry Walker Memorial National Basketball Tournament at Arizona State University. This could mark the beginning of a big recruiting class for Arizona State, because the Sun Devils also are expected to keep home two other players - 6'8 Tommy Smith from Phoenix (North) AZ and 6'7 Rasul Hakim from Tucson (Pueblo) AZ - with top 100 potential and they are one of the leaders for 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (H.S.) CA. Maddox's list includes Cincinnati, Arizona State, Kansas, Duke Utah, N.C. State, Michigan, and USC. Hakim tells us that Arizona State and USC are the leaders, but Washington, Georgetown, and Washington State also get mentioned. Smith, who is a sleeper who has grown six inches in the last year and hasn't played in any major tournaments before the BCI Tournament, likes Arizona State, Houston, USC, San Jose State, California, Washington State, Boise State, and Kentucky.

Several weeks ago Arizona landed 5'10 Jason Gardner from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, who ranks among the top 10 players nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but the Wildcats were still looking for somebody who can get time at both the one and the two spots. Over the weekend they got their man when 6'3 Jimmy Haywood from Seattle (Franklin) WA verbally committed. Haywood is best described as a great scorer, but he'll be a terrific complementary player for Arizona.

Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME head coach Max Good tells us that one of his players - 6'4 Sheldon Wise - who originally committed to Illinois State, isn't going to there, because head coach Kevin Stallings no longer has a scholarship available. Apparently Wise, who has high Division I potential, never signed the national letter-of-intent, but is now academically eligible. Western Michigan, Southern Illinois, and Penn State are currently showing interest, but here is a wing forward who is still available. College coaches who are interested in recruiting Wise should contact Good immediately. As long as we're talking about Maine Central Institute, some of the big name players already planning on attending Maine Central Institute next year include 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, 6'8 Andre Williams from Kansas City (Schlagle) MO, 6'1 Demon Brown from Randallstown (H.S.) MD, 6'1 Alfred Miller from Washington (Coolidge) DC, 6'10 Wesley Wilson from Vallejo (H.S.) CA, 6'7 Jamal Brown from Baltimore (Dunbar) MD, 6'3 Jaron Brown from Lexington (Bryan Station) KY, and 5'5 Avery Queen, the jet quick point guard for California who led his team to the final four in the adidas & Double Pump Best of the Summer High School Boy's Basketball Tournament at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA and now ranks as the #6 junior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.

The MVP at the 17-Under National AAU Tournament in Orlando, FL according to Stephen Wacaser, Editor & Publisher of Assists, Turnovers, and Loose Balls, which is one of the premier scouting services in the nation, was 5'11 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St.Augustine) LA, who will move into the HOOP SCOOP's top national top 50 when we finalize our national top 100 senior list that we posted day before yesterday. Price led the Shreveport Bossier Team in the championship over the Central Jersey Hawks, 60-58. According to Wacaser, the best center at the 17-Under Tournament was 6'10 George Leach from Charlotte (Olympic) NC. Wacaser also ranked 6'9 Nick Collison from Iowa Falls (H.S.) IA as the best center/power forward; 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph-Clay) GA as the #1 power forward; 6'8 Aloysious Anagonye from Detroit (St. Martin DePorres) MI as the top power forward/wing forward; 6'6 Joe Johnson from Little Rock (Central) AR as the #1 wing forward; 6'7 Damien Wilkins from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD as the top wing forward/second guard; 6'5 Donte Porter from Chamblee (H.S.) GA as the best second guard; 6'2 Clifford Crawford from Winston-Salem (Parkland) NC, who recently committed to N.C. State, as the best combo guard; and 5'11 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA was the best point guard. The first and second team all-tournament from the 17-Under National Tournament are also below.

FIRST TEAM

Hollis Price, 5'11, PG, New Orleans (Augustine) LA

Carl Baker, 6'8, Sr, Palestine (Wheatley) AR

Carlton Baker, 6'5, Sr, East Chicago (Central) IN

Nick Collison, 6'9, Sr, Iowa Falls (H.S.) IA

Ebi Ere, 6'6, Sr, Tulsa (McLain) OK

Marcus Ghent, 6'4, Sr, Lakeland (Jenkins) FL

Donnell Harvey, 6'7, Sr, Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) NJ

Vincent Hart, 6'8, Sr, Gary (West Side) IN

Josh Hayes, 6'7, Sr, Little Rock (Parkview) AR

Tahj Holden, 6'9, Sr, Little Silver (Red Bank) NJ

Dahntey Jones, 6'3, Gr, Signed with Rutgers

Mike Monserez, 6'4, Sr, Cincinnati (Moeller) OH

Bernard King, 6'3, Sr, Gibsland (Gibsland-Coleman) LA

Antonio Reed, 6'0, Sr, Tulsa (McLain) OK

Rasheed Wright, 6'4, WF, Greensboro (Southern Guilford) NC

SECOND TEAM

Brian Martin -Arkansas Red Wings

Alton Ford, 6'9, Jr, Houston (Milby) TX

Garner Meads, 6'8, Jr, Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT

Shane Power, 6'6, Jr, Gary (Andrean) IN

Glen Worley, 6'7, Jr, Iowa City (West) IA

Aloysious Anagonye, 6'8, Sr, Detroit (St. Martin DePorres) MI

Brent Darby, 6'0, Sr, River Rouge (H.S.) CA

Steve Esterkamp, 6'5, Sr, Cincinnati (LaSalle) OH

David Fanning, 6'2, Sr, Chesapeake (Western Branch) VA

Joe Johnson, 6'6, Sr, Little Rock (Central) AR

Jarrett Hart, 6'4, Sr, Little Rock (Central) AR

Danny Jones, 6'6, Sr, Birmingham (Carver) AL

Jason Parker, 6'8, Sr, Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC

Ricky Wright, 6'7, Sr, East Chicago (Central) IN

Alonzo Lane, 6'7, Sr, Canton (H.S.) MS

Tuesday, July 28, 1998

I got a call yesterday from Darren Matsubara, the head coach of the EBO-Fresno Team, which features two of the premier players in the nation in 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK and 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA. He wanted me to get the word out that the EBO Team will finish the summer with an open workout on July 31st in the evening at Washington Union High School in Fresno, CA. College coaches who want more details can call Matsubara at (209) 275-4121.

It appears that Kentucky still hasn't offered 7'1 Nathan Popp from Lexington (Catholic) KY and it appears that they won't, unless they land the expected big recruiting class, which would include 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, and 6'4 Keith Bogans from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD. If Kentucky gets all these guys, then they could afford to take a project, like Popp, and red-shirt him, but if the Wildcats don't have a big recruiting year, they will need more margin for error, because the players they sign won't be as good. One player Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and Cincinnati are all looking at is 6'9 Marquis Estill from Richmond (Madison Central) KY, who has improved dramatically this spring and summer. Getting back to Popp, if the Wildcats don't offer, look for him to go to Georgia. If you recall, Georgia landed Popp's high school teammate - 6'3 Shawn Fields - last fall and apparently they are currently making a very strong push for Popp.

He did not have a good summer, especially at the adidas ABCD Camp where his shot refused to drop most of the week, but the top three - Virginia, Syracuse, and Florida - for 6'9 Matt Bonner from Concord (H.S.) NH are still very impressive.

Nick Van Der Lean, the 6'10 center originally from Northern California, but who plays for the Los Angeles Rockfish program, tells us that he is transferring from Kent (H.S.) CT to Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT. He also tells us that he hasn't narrowed his list down and refuses to give us a list until the fall. But inquiring minds want to know, so we'll give you the same list that we got in the spring. It included Notre Dame, Florida State, California, Utah, Providence, Wake Forest, Kansas, and UCLA.

A year ago in one of the tournaments out West we saw 6'2 Luke Ridnour from Blaine (H.S) WA as a rising sophomore and thought he had a lot of potential. Now a year later, he ranks as one of the best junior point guards in America and he is already a prime recruiting target of Utah, Washington, Gonzaga, Alabama, and Mississippi State. His father and coach tells us that he also likes Kansas, North Carolina, and Duke, but other than the usual letters that everybody gets, his son has yet to hear from those elite schools. However, our guess is that he will.

Monday, July 27, 1998

We are heading into the home stretch of the summer with a stop the next several days at the BCI Tournament in Phoenix, AZ. Later this week we'll head back to Las Vegas, NV for the Grand Finale and then we'll finish up at the NIKE Summer Championship in San Diego, CA over the weekend. Also, we'll be getting reports from a number of our correspondents who are at other events around the nation. Obviously, there will still be some changes and some new players will surface, but we already have put together a late summer ranking of the top 100 seniors, top 50 juniors, top 20 sophomores, top 10 freshmen, and a list of the fastest rising players in the nation. And it all can be found below.

SENIORS

Rank, Name, Height, Class, Position, Hometown (High School) State, College

1. Donnell Harvey 6'7 Sr PF Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA

2. Keith Bogans 6'4 Sr 2G Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD

3. Leon Smith 6'10 Sr C Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL

4. Marvin Stone 6'10 Sr C Huntsville (Grissom) AL

5. Carlos Boozer 6'9 Sr PF Juneau (Douglas) AK

6. Jason Williams 6'2 Sr PG Metuchen (St. Josephs) NJ

7. Brett Nelson 6'3 Sr PG St. Albans (H.S.) WV - Committed-Florida

8. Jason Gardner 5'10 Sr PG Indianapolis (North Central) IN - Committed-Arizona

9. Casey Sanders 6'11 Sr C Tampa (Prep) FL

10. Jonathan Bender 6'11 Sr PF Picayune (H.S.) MS

11. Jason Kapono 6'8 Sr WF Lakewood (Artesia) CA

12. Kevin Gaines 6'3 Sr PG Las Vegas (Clark) NV

13. Brian Cook 6'10 Sr PF Lincoln (H.S.) IL - Committed-Illinois

14. Dermarr Johnson 6'9 Sr WF Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME

15. Casey Jacobson 6'6 Sr WF Glendora (H.S.) CA

16. Jason Richardson 6'5 Sr 2G Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI

17. Rob Grizzard 6'7 Sr WF Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL

18. Majestic Mapp 6'0 Sr PG Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY

19. Joe Forte 6'4 Sr 2G Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD

20. George Williams 6'8 Sr WF Sugar Land (Elkins) TX

21. Derick Payne 6'6 Sr WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA

22. Marshall Williams 6'5 Sr WF Milwaukee (Vincent) WI

23. Joe Johnson 6'6 Sr WF Little Rock (Central) AR

24. Donnell Knight 6'8 Sr PF Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ

25. Kenny Satterfield 6'1 Sr 2G New York (Rice) NY

26. Jason Parker 6'8 Sr C Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC

27. Caron Butler 6'6 Sr WF Racine (Washington Park) WI

28. Damien Wilkins 6'7 Sr PF Kensington (Newport School) MD

29. Mike Bauer 6'8 Sr PF Hasting (H.S.) MN

30. Jamario Moon 6'7 Sr WF Rockford (Coosa Central) AL

31. Brent Darby 6'0 Sr PG River Rouge (H.S.) MI

32. Aloysius Anagoyne 6'8 Sr PF Detroit (St. Martin DePorres) MI

33. LaVall Blanchard 6'6 Sr WF Ann Arbor (Pioneer) MI

34. Todd Billet 6'0 Sr PG Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ

35. DeShawn Williams 6'2 Sr PG Paterson (Catholic) NJ

36. Travis Watson 6'7 Sr PF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA

37. Nick Collison 6'9 Sr PF Iowa Falls (H.S.) IA

38. Antonio Falu 6'5 Sr PG Houston (Waltrip) TX

39. Tony Robertson 6'3 Sr PG Barrington (St. Andrews) RI

40. Chuck Eidson 6'8 Sr WF Sommerville (Pinewood Prep) SC - Committed-South Carolina

41. Josh Moore 6'11 Sr C Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ

42. Bernard King 6'3 Sr PG Gibsland (Gibsland-Coleman) LA

43. Matt Bonner 6'9 Sr PF Concord (H.S.) NH

44. Samuel Dalembert 6'11 Sr C Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ

45. Marcus Cox 6'3 Sr PG Bridgeport (Kolbe Cathedral) CT

46. Matt Carroll 6'6 Sr 2G Horsham (Horsham-Hatboro) NJ

47. Roger Mason 6'4 Sr 2G Wheaton (Good Counsel) MD

48. Eric Siegrist 6'3 Sr 2G Poughkeepsie (Spackenkill) NY

49. Kirk Hinrich 6'3 Sr PG Sioux City (West) IA

50. Ndu Egekeze 6'7 Sr WF Augusta (Westside) GA

51. Reese Gaines 6'5 Sr 2G Madison (West) WI

52. Andrew Gooden 6'9 Sr C El Cerrito (H.S.) CA

53. Michael Dunleavy 6'7 Sr WF Portland (Jesuit) OR

54. George Leach 6'11 Sr PF Charlotte (Olympic) NC

55. Ryan Wildenborg 6'11 Sr C Kirkland (Juanita) WA

56. Brian Wethers 6'4 Sr 2G Murrietta (Murrietta Valley) CA

57. Curtis Borchardt 6'10 Sr C Redmond (Eastlake) WA

58. Brian Woodward 6'3 Sr 2G Bayside (Cardozo) NY

59. Tito Maddox 6'4 Sr PG Compton (H.S.) CA

60. Ray Henderson 6'9 Sr PF Charlotte (East Mechlenburg) NC

61. Tony Bobbitt 6'5 Sr WF Daytona Beach (Mainland) FL - Committed-Florida State

62. Demetrius Hunter 6'1 Sr PG Las Vegas (Rancho) NV

63. Derek Smith 6'6 Sr WF Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY

64. Jamal Brown 6'7 Sr PF Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME

65. John Grove 6'10 Sr C Grove City (George Jr. Republic) PA - Committed-Cincinnati

66. Jon Higgins 6'2 Sr PG Shaker Heights (H.S.) OH

67. Andrew Sullivan 6'8 Sr PF Richland (St. Augustine) NJ

68. Kenny Walker 6'9 Sr PF Jacksonville (Wolfson) FL

69. Erwin Dudley 6'8 Sr PF Uniontown (R.C. Hatch) AL

70. Rodney Tucker 6'8 Sr PF Stone Mountain (H.S.) GA

71. Marquis Daniels 6'7 Sr WF Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC

72. Micah Brand 6'11 Sr C Milford (Academy) CT

73. Steve Hunter 6'11 Sr C Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC

74. Jamison Brewer 6'3 Sr PG East Point (Tri-Cities) GA

75. Jonathon Oden 6'7 Sr PF St. Louis (Cardinal Ritter) MO

76. Leland Anderson 6'8 Sr PF North Attleboro (H.S.) MA

77. Tyrone Hayes 6'7 Sr WF Augusta (Josey) GA

78. Gregory Morton 6'7 Sr PF Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY

79. Ronald Dupree 6'6 Sr WF Biloxi (H.S.) MS

80. Edward Scott 5'11 Sr PG Hopkins (Lower Richland) SC

81. Ezra Williams 6'4 Sr 2G Marietta (H.S.) GA

82. Jibraum Ike 6'11 Sr PG Minneapolis (St. Anthony's) MN

83. Courtland Freeman 6'8 Sr PF Myrtle Beach (Socastee) SC

84. Julian Swartz 6'6 Sr WF Waukesha (South) WI - Committed-Wisconsin

85. Richard Wright 6'6 Sr PF East Chicago (Central) IN

86. Alonzo Lane 6'7 Sr PF Canton (H.S.) MS - Committed-Mississippi State

87. Tahj Holden 6'10 Sr C Little Silver (Red Bank) NJ

88. Kareem Rush 6'5 Sr WF Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO

89. Ronald Slay 6'6 Sr WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA - Committed-Tennesseee

90. Clarence Moore 6'5 Sr PF Galliano (South LaFourche) LA

91. Abraham Keita 6'9 Sr C Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT

92. Justin Davis 6'8 Sr PF Alameda (St. Joseph) CA

93. Brandin Knight 6'0 Sr PG West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ

94. Demon Brown 6'1 Sr PG Randallstown (H.S.) MD

95. Troy Bell 6'0 Sr PG Minneapolis (Holy Angels) MN

96. Rodrick Johnson 6'7 Sr WF Canyon Springs (H.S.) CA

97. Travis Kraft 6'6 Sr WF Mayfield (Mayfield CG) ND

98. Sherrod Teasley 6'2 Sr PG Frederick (Prospect Hall) MD

99. Val Brown 6'0 Sr PG Springfield (Robert E. Lee) VA

100. Gavin Groninger 6'5 Sr WF Plainfield (H.S.) IN

JUNIORS

Rank, Name, Height, Class, Position, Hometown (High School) State, College

1 Marcus Taylor 6'3 Jr PG Lansing (Waverly) MI

2. Alton Ford 6'9 Jr PF Houston (Milby) TX

3. DeShawn Stevenson 6'5 Jr 2G Fresno (Washington Union) CA

4. Taliek Brown 5'11 Jr PG Astoria (St. John's Prep) NY

5. Imari Sawyer 6'1 Jr PG Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL

6. Avery Queen 5'5 Jr PG Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME

7. Jared Jeffries 6'9 Jr PF Bloomington (North) IN

8. Omar Cook 6'0 Jr PG Middle Village (Christ the King) NY

9. Maurice Searight 6'3 Jr PG Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI

10. Darius Miles 6'9 Jr C East St. Louis (Lincoln) IL

11. Zach Randolph 6'8 Jr PF Marion (H.S.) IN

12. Andre Brown 6'9 Jr PF Chicago (Leo) IL

13. Chris Lowe 6'6 Jr WF Roswell (H.S.) GA

14. Andrew Zahn 6'9 Jr C Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA

15. Glen Worley 6'7 Jr PF Iowa City (West) IA

16. Luke Whitehead 6'5 Jr WF San Francisco (St. Ignatius) CA

17. Chris Duhon 6'1 Jr PG Slidell (Salmen) LA

18. Brad Boddicker 6'9 Jr C Duncanville (H.S.) TX

19. Scott Hazelton 6'7 Jr PF Lawrence (Central Catholic) MA

20. T.J. Cummings 6'8 Jr PF Homewood (Homewood-Flossmoor) IL

21. Jerome Harper 6'5 Jr 2G Columbia (Keenan) SC

22. Justin Reed 6'7 Jr WF Jackson (Provine) MS

23. Isaiah Johnson 6'7 Jr WF Baltimore (Southern ) MD

24. Andre Barrett 5'8 Jr PG New York (Rice) NY

25. Eddie Griffin 6'7 Jr PF Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA

26. Luke Ridnour 6'0 Jr PG Blaine (H.S.) WA

27. James Theus 6'0 Jr PG Detroit (Martin Luther King) MI

28. Rio Logan 6'9 Jr PF Hillcrest (Country Club Hills) IL

29. Chris Hobbs 6'8 Jr C Chapel Hill (East Chapel Hill) NC

30. Jamel Davila 6'4 Jr PG Miami (Senior) FL

31. Keith Jenifer 6'2 Jr 2G Towson (Catholic) MD

32. J.C. Mathis 6'8 Jr PF Bronx (Kennedy) NY

33. Diarra Modibo 6'10 Jr C Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA

34. Garner Meads 6'8 Jr PF Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT

35. Patrick Dennehy 6'9 Jr PF Santa Clara (Wilcox) CA

36. Teyo Johnson 6'6 Jr WF Everett (Mariner) WA

37. Demetrius Smith 6'3 Jr PG LaGrange (Calloway) GA

38. Trevon Bryant 6'8 Jr C Long Beach (Jordan) CA

39. Julius Johnson 6'5 Jr 2G Garfield Heights (H.S.) OH

40. Raheim Lamb 6'6 Jr WF Lynn (English) MA

41. Brandon Mouton 6'4 Jr WF Lafayette (St. Thomas More) LA

42. Rolando Howell 6'9 Jr C Hopkins (Lower Richland) SC

43. Scooter Sherrill 6'3 Jr 2G Mt. Ulla (West Rowan) NC

44. Terrance Crawford 6'5 Jr WF Oklahoma City (Bishop McGinnis) OK

45. Nick Anderson 6'7 Jr PF Baton Rouge (Southern Lab) LA

46. Cedric Knight 6'5 Jr WF Louisville (Ballard) KY

47. Jesse Pinegar 6'9 Jr C Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT

48. Brody Boyd 5'11 Jr PG Dugger (Union) IN

49. Neil Fingleton 7'4 Jr C Worcester (Holy Name) MA

50. Derrick Goode 7'0 Jr C Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD

SOPHOMORES

Rank, Name, Height, Class, Position, Hometown (High School) State, College

1. Dujuan Wagner 6'1 Soph PG Camden (H.S.) NJ

2. Robert Whaley 6'8 Soph PF Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI

3. Tyson Chandler 7'0 Soph C Compton (Dominguez) CA

4. Kelvin Torbert 6'4 Soph 2G Flint (Northwestern) MI

5. Rashaad Carruth 6'3 Soph 2G Decatur (Cathedral Prep) GA

6. Eddy Curry 6'10 Soph C South Holland (Thornwood) IL

7. Apolinar Fernandez 6'9 Soph C Lakewood (Artesia) CA

8. Dandric Jones 6'1 Soph PG Dallas (Kimball) TX

9. Ernest Turner 6'2 Soph 2G Somerdale (Sterling) NJ

10. Greg Tinch 6'3 Soph 2G Albany, GA

11. David Harrison 6'9 Soph C Nashville (Brentwood Academy) TN

12. Najeeb Echols 6'6 Soph PF Chicago (Whitney Young) IL

13. Terrance Ford 5'10 Soph PG Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX

14. Chris Thomas 6'0 Soph PG Indianapolis (Pike) IN

15. Cornelius Mitchell 6'1 Soph PG Augusta (Josey) GA

16. Brandon Bender 6'9 Soph PF Louisville (Ballard) KY

17. Jack Martinez 6'8 Soph PF Lakewood (Artesia) CA

18. Jordan Collins 6'9 Soph C Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD

19. Ted Mumford 6'1 Soph PG Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY

20. Chris White 6'5 Soph PF Huntsville (Grissom) AL

FRESHMEN

Rank, Name, Height, Class, Position, Hometown (High School) State, College

1. Stanley Gaines 6'5 Frosh WF Chicago (Sayre) IL

2. Shelden Williams 6'7 Frosh PF Midwest City (H.S.) OK

3. Chad Moore 6'2 Frosh PG Huntsville (Grissom) AL

4. Maurice Rice 5'9 Frosh 2G Philadelphia (Strawberry Mansion) PA

5. Lativan Radford 6'5 Frosh PF Norcross, GA

6. Tyler Clevenger 6'2 Frosh 2G Winchester, IN

7. Jamar Greene 6'3 Frosh WF Queens, NY

8. Gerrod Knox 6'5 Frosh 2G Los Angeles, CA

9. Anthony Roberson 5'10 Frosh PG Saginaw, MI

10. Alex Stephen 6'2 Frosh PG Topsfield (Masconomet Regional) MA

Rank, Name, Height, Class, Position, Hometown (High School) State, College

1. Leon Smith 6'10 Sr C Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL

2. Jamario Moon 6'7 Sr WF Rockford (Coosa Central) AL

3. Mike Bauer 6'8 Sr PF Hasting (H.S.) MN

4. Avery Queen 5'5 Jr PG Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME

5. Abraham Keita 6'9 Sr C Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT

6. Ryan Wildenborg 6'11 Sr C Kirkland (Juanita) WA

7. Andrew Gooden 6'9 Sr C El Cerrito (H.S.) CA

8. Brent Darby 6'0 Sr PG River Rouge (H.S.) MI

9. Jason Richardson 6'5 Sr 2G Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI

10. Joe Johnson 6'6 Sr WF Little Rock (Central) AR

11. Jason Williams 6'2 Sr PG Metuchen (St. Josephs) NJ

12. Derick Payne 6'6 Sr WF Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA

13. Michael Dunleavy 6'7 Sr WF Portland (Jesuit) OR

14. George Leach 6'11 Sr PF Charlotte (Olympic) NC

15. Taliek Brown 5'11 Jr PG Astoria (St. John's Prep) NY

Sunday, July 26, 1998

Last night the New Orleans Jazz defeated DC Assault, 90-75, in the championship game of the adidas & Double Pump Best of the Summer High School Boy's Basketball Tournament at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA. But the biggest story of the day was the play of 5'5 Jr Avery Queen from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, who was the main reason why Inland upset the Long Island Panthers, Houston AAU, and EBO en route to the final four, where they lost to the eventual champion, 91-60. How impressive was Queen? According to Mike Miller of West Coast Hoops, Queen had 24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals against EBO and 23 points and nine assists against the New Orleans Jazz. Not only did he do it all, including get his shot from anywhere and shoot the lights out from downtown, but everal people were heard comparing Queen, who has jet like speed and quickness, to former UCLA point guard Tyus Edney and one person was even heard telling UCLA head coach Steve Lavin that Queen would be the perfect replacement for Baron Davis in a couple of years. The tournament MVP went to 6'6 Ronald Dupree from Biloxi (H.S.) MS, but 6'1 Jr Chris Duhon from Slidell (Salmen) LA also deserved strong consideration for this award. 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Pittsfield Maine Central Institute) ME deserves credit for stepping it up in the quarterfinals, as he hit all the big shots down the stretch and singlehandedly carried his team past Virginia Select in the quarterfinals, but nine points in the championship by Johnson was not enough for DC Assault to get past a very talented New Orleans Jazz Team in the championship.

New York Riverside Church beat the Bay Area Ballers I, 77-47, to take home their third consecutive championship in the 1998 Slam-n-Jam National Invitational Tournament at Long Beach State. However, it wasn't quite that easy for Riverside Church, which escaped, 66-65, in the semi-finals yesterday morning against Howard Pulley in overtime. The MVP of the tournament was 6'3 Abdul Mills from Cheshire (Academy) CT, but that wasn't based on his efforts in the championship, where he finished with only six points. Our choice would have been 6'0 Jr Omar Cook from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, who had 13 points in the championship game. Also named to the all-tournament team, along with 6'10 Micah Brand from Cheshire (Academy) CT, 6'7 Zach Williams from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, 6'3 Tony Robertson from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 5'10 Frank Cardwell from Columbus (Brookhaven) OH, 6'1 Troy Bell from Minneapolis (Holy Angels) MN, 6'1 Adam Boone from Washburn (H.S.) ND, 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'2 Joe Skiffer from San Francisco (St. Ignatius) CA, and 6'9 Jr Patrick Dennehy from San Francisco (Wilcox) CA, who is one of the fastest rising juniors in America.

Saturday, July 25, 1998

Several days ago we reported that we had heard a rumor that Western Kentucky had received a verbal commitment from 6'7 Derek Smith from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY, who is not only the best basketball player in the state of Kentucky, but also is the #1 ranked football player. However, we had serious reservations about whether this was true or not, because only a week ago when we saw him Augusta, GA, Smith gave us his list of schools and Western Kentucky was not on the list. Yesterday we made a call to the Smith home and his mother confirmed that her son had not committed to any school and was still considering his options. Perhaps the college assistant coach who passed this bit of totally inaccurate information along to us got confused, because Western Kentucky did get a commitment from 6'0 Derek Robinson from Paris (Bourbon County) KY, who originally committed to Morehead State, but never signed a national letter-of-intent. Robinson is a graduated senior and will be eligible to play in the fall.

Today the adidas & Double Pump Best of the Summer High School Boy's Basketball Tournament at Cal State Dominguez Hills, CA and the 1998 Slam-n-Jam B National Invitational Tournament both come to a conclusion and we will provide you with the results and highlights from both tournaments late tonight or tomorrow during the day. At Slam-n-Jam last night New York Riverside Church beat All-Ohio Red, 58-53; Howard Pulley (MN) beat Greater Compton, 63-50; the Ball Area Ballers I beat the Southern California All-Stars, 72-63; and the Long Island Panthers beat the USA Slam (CA), 60-49, to set up this mornings semi-final games. The semi-final games at the Double Pump Tournament won't be until this afternoon and the championsip won't be until 6:20 PM tonight. Right now the tournament appears to be wide open, but some of the teams that are just absolutely loaded include the New Orleans Jazz with 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, 6'1 Jr Chris Duhon from Slidell (Salmen) LA, 6'2 Derrick Zimmerman from Gossman (H.S.) LA, 6'4 Courtney Trask from Baton Rouge (Parkview Baptist) LA, and 6'7 Thomas Davis from Pineville (H.S.) LA; DC Assault with 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'6 Derick Payne from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA,6'0 Val Brown from Springfield (Robert E. Lee) VA, 6'2 Jr Cliff Hawkins from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'0 Al Miller from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME; and EBO with 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Anchorage (Juneau) AK, 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, 6'9 Andrew Gooden from El Cerrito (H.S.) CA, and 6'4 Willie Johnson from Fresno (Edison) CA.

Our leading candidate for Biggest Disappointment of the Summer has to be 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, but he may have an excuse, because his AAU coach Curtis Malone tells us that Johnson has been hampered by a groin injury since late June. Malone adds that he didn't even know about it until the several days ago. It was only then that Johnson asked Malone for less playing time. Hopefully playing hurt all summer is a sign of Johnson's chararcter and willingness to do what it takes to become a great player, because he'll need to with what is in store in the future. If you will recall, a month ago we told you that a great player was expected to transfer to Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME. That great player is Johnson and Malone has told us that the official annoucement will be made immediately after the DC Assault Team gets home from their West Coast trip next week. Our prediction is that Johnson will live up to the tremendous expectations, if he survives a year playing for Maine Central Institute head coach Max Good. However, if Johnson lasts as along as Lamar Odom did at Maine Central Institute, which was less than a week, the future may not be as bright.

Chris Johnson, our Ohio Editor, was at Five Star's Pitt III Session and he reports that 6'8 Jonathon Oden from St. Louis (Cardinal Ritter) MO, who impressed us at both the adidas ABCD Camp and the adidas Big Time Tournament, was named the MVP for the week. Also in the NBA 6'0 Derrick Snowden from Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD was named the Best Playmaker and the Most Promising Prospect, which is an award that goes to the best underclassmen in camp. He was totally unknown before this session, but 6'2 Trayvean Scott from Baton Rouge (Southern Lab) LA was named the MVP in the camp playoffs and also was the camp's Best Defender. 6'2 Jr Jitim Young from Chicago (Gordon Tech) IL was named the MVP in the Orange-White All-Star Game. In the highly touted Developmental League 6'0 Soph Chris Thomas from Indianapolis (North Central) IN was named MVP for the week , the MVP in the All-Star Game with 24 points and nine rebounds was 6'4 Soph Karl Hollingsworth from Jonesboro (Mt. Zion) GA, and 6'5 Soph Pat Carroll from Horsham (Horsham-Hatboro) PA was the Playoff MVP. The hgh scorer for the week and the Best Rebounder in the Developmental League was 6'7 Soph Levi Watkins from Laurel (St. Vincent Pallotti) MD.

Friday, July 24, 1998

We're currently in Southern California covering two different tournaments, but yesterday we spent most of our time at the Best of the Summer High School Basketball Tournament at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA, where two of the names everybody is talking about are 6'5 Jamal Crawford from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA and 6'11 Ryan Wildenborg from Kirkland (Juanita) WA, both of whom play for the Friends of Hoop I Team. Crawford, who is one of the most explosive athletes in the nation, signed a national letter-of-intent with Fresno State in the spring, but now has been reclassified and will return for another year of high school (although we'll list him as a 5th year player). Any way you slice it, Crawford is a top 100 player nationally in his class, because he is a tremendous slasher who does an excellent job of handling and passing on the break. However, if he develops more of a shooter's mentality, he'd rank among the top 20 or 30 players in the nation. Right now college coaches can't recruit Crawford, because technically he still belongs to Fresno State, but when his recruitment opens back up in the fall, schools like Michigan, Washington, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Arizona, Syracuse, and DePaul are expected to come calling. Wildenborg has a nice hook shot, a good outlet pass, and he's very active around the basket, but what we like most is his aggressiveness on the boards. After watching last night, there is no doubt that he belongs among our top 50 nationally and, like Crawford, he's also a great kid. Wildenborg says his list includes Clemson, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, DePaul, UCLA, USC, Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, Washington, and Stanford.

Yesterday USC got a commitment from 6'3 Nate Hair, who is one of the best shooters in the class and a legitimate top 200 player nationally. He was at Aliso Niguel (H.S.) CA, but who is transferring to Capistrano Valley (H.S.) CA this fall where he will play his senior season. This is huge, because it means that USC, which is still recruiting a lot of players, only has one scholarship left, but the guy who has the top of their wish list is 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who will move into the top 10 nationally based on his performance this summer, both at the adidas ABCD Camp and more recently out West. Kapono is also being heavily recruited by UNLV, Stanford, California, and UCLA, but let's say that he does go to USC for a minute. Southern Cal, which is an excellent school academcially, is located in the predominately black area of South Central Los Angeles and they have a black head coach in Henry Bibby. As a result, you probably wouldn't expect USC's recruiting class to consist of two middle class white kids, but we think it would be great if they pull it off.

We reported several weeks ago that N.C. State had a verbal commitment from 6'3 Clifford Crawford from Winston-Salem (Parkland) NC and that Clemson had gotten 6'6 Ricardo Marsh from Hillsborough (Orange) NC, which was a surprise to us, because we hadn't heard of either player. After doing some checking, we have found out that Marsh is a great kid, but isn't good enough to really be more than a practice player - he may not even get a scholarship. Crawford, on the other hand, appears to be a major sleeper. Apparently he is good enough that N.C. State head coach Herb Sendek is no longer recruiting a point guard. As a result, the Wolfpack is no longer in the hunt for 6'0 Majestic Mapp from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY or any other point guard in the Class of '99. However, they still hot after an athletic combo guard and a quality wing player. At the top of their list are 6'6 Matt Carroll from Horsham (Horsham-Hatboro) PA and 6'1 Ken Satterfield from New York (Rice) NY.

It's hasn't been officially announced yet, but Allen Rubin, our Philadelphia Area Editor, tells us that 6'8 Julian Dunkley, who is transferring from Temple, will pick the University of Maine. "It's a done deal," says Rubin.

Another player who has made a name for himself this summer is 6'2 Derrick Zimmerman from Gossman (H.S.) LA. He not only teams with 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS and 6'1 Jr Chris Duhon from Slidell (Salmen) LA on the New Orleans Jazz, but he provides the perfect complement, because he's one of the most explosive athletes in the class and he shoot is better than we originally thought. The only thing currently keeping out of the top 100 nationally is his lack of size, but a wide range of schools like Tulane, Alabama, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Louisiana Tech, Southwestern Louisiana, and Furman, are all interested.

We are getting reports that the Michigan Mustangs, without 6'4 Soph Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, but with 6'8 Soph Robert Whaley from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI, have picked up in the 17-Under National AAU Tournament in Orlando, FL, where they left off at the adidas Big Time Tournament. If you will recall, where they won the championship on Sunday. Apparently they are destroying all challengers and thanks to the efforts of 6'6 Jason Richardson from Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI and 6'0 Brent Darby from River Rouge (H.S.) MI, they are not only the heavy favorite to win the tournament in Orlando, FL, but also will likely win the coveted HOOP SCOOP Team of the Summer Award.

Thursday, July 23, 1998

Among the fastest rising players in the nation this summer are 6'10 Curtis Borchardt from Redmond (Eastlake) WA, 6'8 Abraham Keita from Oakdale (St. Thomas  More) CT, and 6'9 Rodney White from Newark (St. Benedict) NJ. Borchardt, who is an outstanding student and, as a result, can get into any school in the nation, has Washington, Stanford, Clemson, Syracuse, Utah, Northwestern, and Oregon State on his list. Keita, who was the leading shot blocker at the adidas ABCD Camp, likes Connecticut, Massachusetts, UCLA, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Xavier, Clemson, Hartford, and Providence. White, who plans to go the prep school route this fall, is getting a lot of attention from Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Pittsburgh, Rhode Island, Syracuse, and Villanova.

We published our final ranking of the top recruiting classes in early June, but we are still adding players who have signed land/or committed late, including 6'7 Rico Harris from Los Angeles City (JC) CA, who has committed to Rhode Island. If you also include 6'9 Lamar Odom, who sat out last year, along with 6'9 Leon Brisport from Los Angeles (Valley) CA, 6'2 Zach Marbury from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'6 Tavorris Bell from Winchendon (Prep) MA, 6'3 Tip Vinson from New Britain (St. Thomas Aquinas) CT, Rhode Island had a great recruiting class. So good that we'd rank it 4th right behind UCLA, DePaul, and LSU.

The Alabama Lasers didn't have 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, but they still had an outstanding front line with 6'7 Ricky Wright from East Chicago (Central) IN, 6'8 Erwin Dudley from Uniontown (R.C. Hatch) AL, and 6'7 Rod Grizzard from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL and were one of the favorites to win the Orlando Super Showcase. However, when the tournament was over several days ago, another team from Alabama had walked off with the title. That's right! The Alabama Challenge that beat the Potomac Valley Blue Devils, 63-61, in the championship and the hot new name in Alabama is 6'7 wing forward Jamario Moon from Rockford (Coosa Central) AL. Moon's biggest claim before the tournament was that he had been recruited to Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC by head coach Joel Hopkins, who told Moon that he could be the next Tracy McGrady. However, upon arriving, Moon changed his mind and decided to return to play his senior in Alabama. Moon is a world class, an outstanding wide receiver in football, and a terrific outside shooter. He led his team with 14 points against the Georgia Stars in the semi-finals and in the third quarter of the championship game Moon totally took over, as he scored 13 of his game high 19 points, including 4-5 3-pointers. Playing particularly well for Potomac Valley were 6'3 Chris Monroe and 6'4 Roger Mason, both from Wheaton (Good Counsel) MD. The Georgia Stars were without 6'5 Sherod Teasley from Frederick (Prospect Hall) MD, but 6'7 Damien Wilkins from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, apparently redeemed himself after a lackluster performance at both the NIKE Camp and and the NIKE Peach Jam in Augusta, GA, has he led his team to the its second final four appearance in a week.

It was not one of Five Star's best sessions, but Chris Johnson of the HOOP SCOOP provides us with some of the major award winners, including the MVP for the week in the NBA at Pitt II, who was 6'11 Jesse Young from Petersborough (H.S.) ON. Young also was the best rebounder for the week. The MVP in camp playoffs and and the Most Promising Prospect was 5'10 Jr William Watson from Baton Rouge (Belaire) LA. The leading scorer was 6'4 Mike Screck from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ and 6'8 Rudy Rothseiden from Alchua (Santa Fe) FL took home MVP honors in the all-star game. The MVP for the week in the NCAA was 6'5 Jr Andrew Wilson from Kenneshaw (Harrison County) GA and the Orange-White All-Star Game MVP was 6'0 Jr Jon Carroll from Berea (Midpark) OH. In the NIT Division, the MVP for the week was 6'3 Soph Chase Howard from Columbus (Brookhaven) OH and 6'0 Frosh Dwayne Lee from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ was named the MVP in the all-star game.

According to Chris Johnson of the HOOP SCOOP, the three best players at the Jerry Mullen's Junior College Camp at Oral Robers University in Tulsa, OK, July 17th-19th were 7'3 Alexander Rodrjevic from Barton County (JC) KS, 6'5 Antonio Jackson from Butler County (JC) OK, and 6'5 Lamont Roland, who is tranferrring from Ball State to Butler County (JC) KS. This is the second time in two days that we're run across Jackson's name. Apparently Jackson is a high priority for the University of Alabama, because this tremendous combo guard is from Huntsville, AL and new Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried is also in hot pursuit of another great player from Huntsville - 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, who currently ranks among the top five seniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.

Wednesday, July 22, 1998

It looks like college basketball is losing one of it's best coaches, because Iowa State head coach Tim Floyd resigned today and, as a result, there are a number of interesting questions that must be answered. First, will Floyd be named as the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls and assuming that this happens, it will be very interesting to see if Michael Jordan returns to the Bulls. If you will recall, Jordan has already let it be known that if Floyd gets the job, he won't be back next season. The second question that must be answered is who will get the Iowa State job?  Obviously it's early, but a name we heard today was former Michigan head coach Steve Fisher. Third, what does this do to the availability status of 6'3 Kirk Hinrich from Sioux City (West) IA, who ranks #47 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. If you will recall, Hinrich committed to Iowa State last winter, but his father told us in May that if Tim Floyd left Iowa State, that his son would reconsider his decision and open up his recruitment. We already know that both Utah and Kentucky have interest in Hinrich and you can bet that numerous other schools will also try to get involved once word gets out about how good Hinrich is and that he is now available.

At the NIKE Peach Jam last week 6'7 Derek Smith from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) KY, who is the consensus best football and basketball player in the state of Kentucky, told us that the only schools still on his list for basketball were Kentucky, Tennessee, Northwestern, and South Carolina. His football list includes Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan, but he told us that he wants to play both sports in college, so if he ends up at anyplace except Kentucky or Tennessee, we would consider it a major surprise. So obviously we were very surprised when an assistant coach at one of the schools mentioned above told us that Smith has verbally committed to Western Kentucky. However, we have been unable to confirm this and are reporting this only as rumor. Certainly the Hilltoppers new head coach Dennis Felton is expected to do a great job of recruiting, but last week they weren't even on the list. If you will recall, the last time a player who committed to a school that wasn't even on his list was when Jason Kidd went to California.

We told you yesterday how well 6'6 Jason Richardson from Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI, 6'0 Brent Darby from River Rouge (H.S.) MI, and 6'4 Soph Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, all of whom were named to the all-tournament team, played in the adidas Big-Time Tournament, but we didn't give you their latest list of schools, Richardson likes Michigan, Michigan State, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, USC, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Penn State. Darby mentions Michigan, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Kansas, and Connecticut. Torbert is just a rising sophomore, so it's very early to get a list, but Michigan State assistant coach Tom Crean and Michigan head coach Brian Ellerbe both highly visable every time the Michigan Mustangs played throughout the week.

We've been hearing for some time that North Carolina was the heavy favorite for 6'8 Jason Parker from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, who is such a man-child, physical specimen, and athletic that one college coach was heard calling him "the closest thing to Duke All-American Elton Brand that I've seen." Parker confirmed to us, after his team lost to the Michigan Mustangs in the championship in Las Vegas Sunday night , that North Carolina is the strong leader, but also tells us that Wake Forest, Maryland, Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, Michigan, Kentucky, UNC-Charlotte, Syracuse, Georgetown, Kansas, and UCLA.

One of the many unique things that the HOOP SCOOP does is name a Most Visible Head Coach and Most Visible Assistant Coach of the summer. You'd be amazed at how many coaches lobby for this award, because it not only looks good on their resume, but it also recognizes their efforts and shows how hard they have worked during the long month of July. As it stands now Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Cremins, who wants to sign both a great power forward and great a wing forward, like 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph-Clay) GA, 6'7 Damien Wilkins from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, and 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, is the runaway leader for Most Visible Head Coach. While Cremins is frequently one of the highest profile guys in the business, the leaders of Most Visible Assistant Coach may come as a surprise, because neither Syracuse assistant coach Louie Orr and Kansas assistant coach Neil Dougherty are high profile guys. Instead, they usually just show up, watch the players they need to see, and simply get the job done. However, both have been there every time we've turned around this summer. But stay tuned, because there are still 10 days left in the live period in July and that's a long time in this business.

Tuesday, July 21, 1998

Things don't always work out the way you expect them to and this was the case at the adidas Big-Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV yesterday, as DC Assault and the Illinois Fire both lost in the quarterfinals. In the process 6'4 Keith Bogans from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL both had horrible games, as Bogans was slowed by an injury and Smith was totally intimidated by 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA. Harvey may be an undersized power forward and there may be a great big question mark about whether he will ever develop perimeter skills, but we've decided to rank him #1 in the class nationally until somebody takes it away from him. We're tired of pampered superstars who only show up to play when the feel like it. Harvey plays every possession like it's the last minute of a one point game and he's one of the best rebounders we've seen in a long time, as was evident in one game when he had 27 boards. In the quarterfinals against the Illinois Fire, he not only totally embarrassed Smith, who is much bigger and stronger, but he also iced the game with an impressive block with 25 seconds remaining. However, Harvey and the Atlanta Celtics ran into a major roadblock when they faced the Michigan Mustangs in the semi-finals. As a matter of fact, the only team in the tournament that played any harder than the Celtics was the Mustangs, which featured 6'6 Jason Richardson from Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI, 6'0 Brent Darby from River Rouge (H.S.) MI, and 6'4 Soph Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, all of whom were named to the all-tournament team. Throw in 6'4 Jr Desmen Farmer from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'8 Jr Kelly Butler from Grand Rapids (Union) MI, and 6'0 Antione Johnson from Southfield (Lathrup) MI and you have a group, who as a team, did to the Team Carolina Sonics I in the championship game exactly what Harvey did to Smith the quarterfinals. The final score was 98-76, but the game wasn't really even that close. Richardson led the tournament in earth shattering dunks, as he took home tournament MVP honors and Darby proved that he is one of the most prolific scoring point guards in the nation, as he shot the lights out from 3-point land, played excellent defense, and made a living off transition, as he and Richardson accounted for 45 of the Michigan Mustangs 93 points. Torbert, who had 17 points of his own, is another physical specimen who terrorizes opponents. Farmer didn't make the all-tournament team, but we also like his ability to hit the 3-pointer and slash to the basket. He's also an excellent rebounder for his size and he's just a junior.

In addition to Richardson, Darby, and Torbert from the Michigan Mustangs, the all-tournament team included 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, 6'4 Ronald Blackshear from Camilla (Mitchell Baker) GA, 6'10 Curtis Borchardt from Redmond (Eastlake) WA, 6'8 Nick Collison from Iowa Falls (H.S.) IA, 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portland (Jesuit) OR, 6'8 Chuck Eidson from Summerville (Pinewood) SC, 5'10 Soph Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 6'4 Kevin Gaines from Las Vegas (Clark) NV, 5'10 Jason Gardner from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'9 Andrew Gooden from El Cerrito (H.S.) C, 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, 6'2 Demetrius Hunter from North Las Vegas (Cheyenne) NV, 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'6 Kyle Kerver from Pella (H.S.) IA, 5'11 Brandin Knight from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 6'0 Carl Krauser from Bronx, NY, 6'7 Alonzo Lane from Canton (H.S.) MS, 6'0 Majestic Mapp from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'8 Jeff McMillan from Staten Island, NY, 6'8 Garner Meads from Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT, 6'8 Jason Parker from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, 6'7 Justin Reed from Jackson (Provine) MS, 6'1 Imari Sawyer from Chicago (Martin Luther King) MI, 6'6 Shane Schilling from Minnetonka (H.S.) MN, 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) MI, 6'5 Jr Deshawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, 6'9 Tim Washington from Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC, 6'5 Brian Wethers from Murrieta (Murrieta Valley) CA, 6'8 George Williams from Sugar Land (Elkins) TX, and 6'5 Marshall Williams from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI.

Monday, July 20, 1998

Today promises to be one of the most important days of the summer, as the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV not only comes to a conclusion, but who the HOOP SCOOP ranks as the #1 player nationally in the senior class may also be on the line. The two leading candidates are 6'4 Keith Bogans from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, who flew in on Friday to play for the DC Assault Team, and 6'10 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, who was ranked #3 at the adidas ABCD Camp by the HOOP SCOOP and has totally dominated in every game he has played in this tournament for the Illinois Fire. When the tournament began on, Wednesday, July 15th, there were 224 teams, but tomorrow morning when the quarterfinal games begin only eight teams remain with a shot at the title. At 9:00 AM the Madison Broncos will face DC Assault and Team Carolina Sonics I will meet Pump &Run I. Then at 10:20 AM the Michigan Mustangs will play Above the Rim, which is from Mississippi, and the Atlanta Celtics will face the Illinois Fire. At 11:40 AM and 1:00 PM there will be consolation bracket semi-final games and at 2:20 PM we'll watch the semi-finals. Our guess is that DC Team Assault will play the Team Carolina Sonics and the Michigan Mustangs will play the Illinois Fire. The consolation championship will be at 3:40 PM and the winners' bracket championship will be at 5:00 PM. If it's DC Assault (last year's championship) against the Illinois Fire, which won the adidas Big Time Tournament the year before, Bogans and Smith will both have a chance to show that they have the stuff that great players are made of. And maybe 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, who is as talented as anybody in the nation and is the defending MVP in this tournament, will finally explode as well. It has all the makings of the top event of the summer and we'll have all the highlights and results late tonight.

During the weekend the United States won the Gold in the Men's Youth Games in Moscow, as they defeated Russia, 78-72. The leading scorer for the United States team was 6'6 Casey Jacobson from Glendora (H.S.) CA with 23 points, while 6'7 Travis Watson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA chipped in with 10 rebounds. The leading scorer for the Russian team, which was also undefeated until they lost in the championship to the United States team, was 6'7 Andrei Kirilenko, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals, four assists, and three blocks. How good is this 17-year-old Russian superstar? Some think he coud be the next Dirk Novitzky.

Sunday, July 19, 1998

One of the best players at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV is 6'4 Kevin Gaines from Las Vegas (Clark) NV, who is the leading scorer in the tournament after posting 46 and 32 points in separate games, which after four days rank #1 and #6 among the single game scoring leaders in the tournament. Gaines' AAU coach and personal trainer Mitch Mitchell tells us that Gaines will likely wait until spring to sign, but right now it looks like Kentucky is the leader over Georgetown, Michigan, St. Louis, Mississippi State, Kansas, and Duke. Gaines certainly fits the description of the quality point guard that Kentucky is seeking to replace Wayne Turner, who will graduate after next season, and he would be the perfect to complement to 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, and 6'4 Keith Bogans fron Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, all of whom currently also rank Kentucky at the top of their list.

Right now Stanford and Duke appear to be among the favorites for 6'6 Casey Jacobson from Glendora (H.S.) CA, 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, and 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portland (Jesuit) OR, all of whom are great 3-point shooters, as well as excellent students. Jacobson also has Utah and Kentucky on his list, while Dunleavy's list also includes Kansas, Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan, and North Carolina. Kapono told us last night that he is still open, but did confirm that UNLV and Kentucky are a lot stronger than we thought.

A week ago we told you that Cincinnati could be on the verge of a big recruiting year, because the Bearcats already have averbal commitment from 6'9 John Grove from Grove City (George Jr. Republic) PA and they appear to be the heavy favorite for 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (Dominguez) CA. If that weren't enough, Cincinnati also is now listed as the leader over Maryland, Connecticut, and Georgetown for 6'6 Derrick Payne from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who continues to elevate his game every time we see him. Last night he was sensational at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV, as he really impressed us going to the basket and with quick hands and explosive athleticism.

Another player we talked with last night at the adidas Big Time Tournament was 7'0 Josh Moore, who confirms that he won't be back next year at Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ and, as a result, is now exploring his options on where he will spend his senior year of high school. Moore, who was ranked #7 at the center position and #28 overall at the adidas ABCD Camp by the HOOP SCOOP, also still appears to be wide open on colleges. But as it stands now Kentucky, UCLA, Syracuse, Connecticut, DePaul, Kansas, Rutgers, and Seton Hall are among the schools that are recruiting Moore the hardest.

Yesterday we saw one of the best games we've seen all summer at the adidas Big Time Tournament when the Toledo All-Stars took EBO-Fresno, which features 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AR, 6'3 Brett Nelson from St. Albans (H.S.) WV, and 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, to overtime. They aren't household names, but 6'2 Jr Keith Triplett from Toledo (Bowsher) OH, 6'1 B.J. Barry from Toledo (Whitmer) OH, 6'5 Kelly Hunt from Toledo (Central Catholic) OH, and 6'3 Justin Chapman from Toledo (Rogers) OH all deserve to be mentioned, because they not only showed tremendous poise, but really deserved to win the game. Instead, they have been eliminated and EBO-Fresno escapes with its life.

Saturday, July 18, 1998

We reported earlier that Duke had backed off 6'9 Matt Bonner from Concord (H.S.) NH, who was one of the biggest disappointments at the adidas ABCD Camp last week, but we talked to him last night and he still has the Blue Devils on his list, along with Connecticut, Syracuse, Florida, North Carolina, Kansas, and Virginia. We also have confirmed it with somebody on the Duke coaching staff, the Blue Devils are still recruiting Bonner.

One of the biggest surprises at the adidas ABCD Camp was 6'9 Andrew Gooden from El Cerrito (H.S.) CA, who we had ranked #6 in camp at the center position behind 6'10 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, 6'9 Jr Alton Ford from Houston (Milby) TX, 6'8 Soph Robert Whaley from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI, 6'11 Steve Hunter from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, and 6'8 Jason Parker from Charlotte (West) NC. However, statistically he probably should have been ranked higher, as he finished 1st in camp in rebounding with 9.8 rpg, 4th in scoring 14.6 rpg, and 4th in field goal percentage at 60%. The only problem is I can't figure out who to drop, because the five guys ranked ahead of him were all terrific. Gooden, who was ranked #266 nationally before the summer, will rank among our top 50 nationally (and maybe higher) when we update our national rankings in August. As a result, Duke, USC, Kansas, California, North Carolina, UCLA, Kentucky, Oregon, Connecticut, Maryland, Miami-FL, Florida State, and Michigan are all showing a lot of interest.

Last night at the adidas Big-Time Tournament Larry McKay, the tournament director of the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic, gave us the list of teams he has in his 50-Team Field, which will be held December 19th-23rd. The field includes Marrero (Archbishop Shaw) LA, Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, Ashland (Boyd County) KY, Huntsville (Butler) AL, Las Vegas (Cimarron) NV, Las Vegas (Clark) NV, Cody (H.S.) WY, Denver (East) CO, Compton (Dominguez) CA, Las Vegas (Durango) NV, Anchorage (East Anchorage) AK, Manteca (East Union) CA, Fresno (Edison) CA, Las Vegas (Eldorado) NV, Fontana (H.S.) CA, Los Angeles (Fremont) CA, Reno (Galena) NV, St. Catherine's (Governor Simcoe SS) ON, Merced (Golden Valley) CA, Henderson (Green Valley) NV, North Hollywood (Harvard-Westlake) CA, Henderson (Henderson County) NV, Hopkinsville (H.S.) KY, Thornton (Horizon) CO, Inglewood (H.S.) CA, Long Beach (Jordan) CA, Killeen (H.S.) TX, Las Vegas (H.S.) NV, Harlington (Marine Military) TX, Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, Van Nuys (Montclair Prep) CA, Mesa (Mountain View) AZ, Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, Newbury Park (H.S.) CA, Bellevue (Newport) WA, Surrey (North Surrey) BC, Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, Aurora (Overland) CO, San Bernardino (Pacific) CA, Las Vegas (Palo Verde) NV, Aurora (Rangeview) CO, Brooklyn (Robeson) NY, Thornton (Skyview) CO, South Gate (H.S.) CA, San Francisco (St. Ignatius) CA, Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ,  Manhasset (St. Mary's) NY, Houston (Stratford) TX, Sylmar (H.S.) CA, and Los Angeles (Westchester) CA.

Friday, July 17, 1998

Thanks to Stephen Wacaser, Editor & Publisher of Assists, Loose Balls, and Turnovers, we can provide you with some of the highlights from the NIKE Peach Jam. There wasn't an all-tournament team, but 5'11 Jr Taliek Brown from Astoria (St. John's Prep) NY, who scored 24 points and went coast-to-coast to hit the game winning shot in the championship game with five seconds left, easily deserved to be the tournament MVP. Complementing Brown in the championship game were 6'7 Jr Ivan McFarlan from Houston (Boys & Girls) TX with 14 points and 10 rebounds, 6'9 Larry Satchell from Waco (H.S.) TX with nine points and eight rebounds, and 6'5 Quinton Ross from Dallas (Kimball) TX, who shot the lights out in this tournament, with 17 points. A big reason why Houston won was their 32-60 field goal percentage, including 16-23 in the second half. The Arkansas Wings/Rockets big gun 6'6 Joe Johnson from Little Rock (Central) AR was worn out and it showed, as he hit only 6-25 field goals in the title game. He finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, but Arkansas' leading scorer was 6'3 Jarrett Hart, also from Little Rock (Central) AR, with 20 points. However, it wasn't enough as Houston won a game that really wasn't as close as the 72-70 score would indicate.

One of the star players for the Alabama Lasers, which finished in the final four of the NIKE Peach Jam, is 6'7 Ricky Wright from East Chicago (Central) IN, who is a recruiting priority for Purdue, but the Boilermakers' chances of getting Wright were much greater when he was playing with the Spiece program, which is based in Lafayette, IN. Right now Wright's list includes Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, UAB, Alabama, and Florida State, but the big winner could be Alabama or Indiana, both of which may have been involved in strategically placing Wright with the Lasers in the first place.

New York Riverside Church didn't make it out of pool play at the NIKE Peach Jam partly because 6'4 Reggie Brown from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY wasn't hitting shots like he did when we saw him earlier in the summer in the Pro Am Tournament in Washington, DC. Brown, who was ranked as the 16th best point guard at the NIKE All-American Camp, is really a wing player with excellent slashing ability, athleticism, and 3-point range. We're not sure that all of these schools will offer, but his list includes Texas Miami-FL, Syracuse, Kentucky, Villanova, Tulane, Oregon State, Tulsa, St. John's, and Georgia Tech.

He tells us he is wide open, but 6'9 Larry Satchell from Waco (H.S.) TX tells us that Texas A&M, UNLV, Memphis, Texas, and Oklahoma are showing the most interest. His teammate on the Houston Jaguars, 6'7 Ivan McFarlin from Houston (Boys & Girls) TX, is only a junior, but he appears to have a better of idea where he might go to college than Satchell does. His list includes North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, Clemson, Tulsa, St. Louis, Wake Forest, Texas, and Georgia Tech.

Thursday, July 16, 1998

We have not been in a position to provide you with an update since early yesterday morning, due to the fact that we were in Augusta, GA during the day yesterday wraping up the NIKE Peach Jam and then flew across the country late last night to Las Vegas, NV, where we will spend the next five days covering the adidas Big-Time Tournament. As a result, the commitment by 5'10 Jason Gardner from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, who ranks #8 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, to Arizona  is several days old. However, it is absolutely huge, because it gives Arizona head coach Lute Olson the point guard to replace Mike Bibby, who has taken his act to the NBA. Gardner should be the final piece to the puzzle for Arizona, which landed six players, all of whom player either the two, three, or the four spot, as well as 7'0 Loren Woods, who is transferring to Arizona from Wake Forest.

After watching 6'11 Casey Sanders from Tampa (Prep) FL yesterday at the NIKE Peach Jam in Augusta, GA, there is no doubt in our mind that he should be ranked higher than 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS. As a result, Sanders, who was ranked #6 nationally prior to the summer, will move into our top five nationally and Bender, who was ranked #3, will move down into the top 10. Obviously these things change on a daily basis, as we continue to see guys play during the summer, but right now the #1 ranked player in the nation is 6'4 Keith Bogans from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, followed by 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, 6'3 Brett Nelson from St. Albans (H.S.) WV, and Sanders. Sanders tells us that he is not a lock for Duke, which right now is the popular belief, but the first school out of his mouth was Duke, followed by Syracuse, Florida State, Florida, Miami-FL, Kentucky, Kansas, South Florida, and South Carolina.

Before the summer 6'6 Joe Johnson from Little Rock (Central) AR was ranked #55 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but after turning in a terrific performance at the NIKE Peach Jam, there is no doubt that he is a legitimate McDonald's All-American candidate and a top 20 player nationally. He's also a winner, as he carried his team, which hasn't lost an AAU game against anybody in Arkansas in five years, to the final two of the NIKE Peach Jam. Right now he is still open, but his list does include Arkansas, Michigan, Texas, St. John's, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Duke, and Connecticut.

We are hoping to get the all-tournament team and more information on the championship game at the NIKE Peach Jam in Augusta, GA latertonight, but we do have the results. The Houston Jaguars beat the Arkansas Wings/Rockets, 72-70, in the title game. When we left to catch a flight late in the first semi-final game, the Georgia Stars had blown the lead, so it comes a no surprise that Houston beat the Georgia Stars 73-64. In the other semi-final game Arkansas beat the Alabama Lasers, which deserves a lot of credit, because they advanced all the way to the final four without their big guns 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL and 6'7 Rod Grizzard from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL. However, we understand that both Stone and Grizzard are en route to Orlando, which means the Lazers should be the favorite to win the NIKE Orlando Super Showcase.

Another player who really impressed us at the NIKE Peach Jam 6'0 Troy Bell from Minneapolis (Holy Angels) MN. Bell is an athletic point guard who makes his teammates better, but also showed that he can shoot the lights out, as he is a legitimate sleeper for the top 100 nationally. Right now his list includes Tulsa, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Furman, Wyoming, Rice, Michigan, Minnesota, and Rutgers, but don't be surprised if a lot of schools try to get involved.

It looks like Louisville is on the verge of getting a late commitment from 6'11 Mohammed Kante, who is originally from Africa via Dijon, France. Not only is Kante, who also has Georgetown, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh on his list, very athletic, but he appears to be good enough to step in give the Cardinals immediate help up front. However, Louisville still needs a point guard, because even though 6'2 Calib Gervin from Cathedral City (H.S.) CA recently got the score he needed on the SAT, he still lacks the necessary core credits to be eligible to play as a freshman under NCAA standards. As a result, it could be a long season for the Cardinals next year, even though they promise to be dramatically improve inside with Kante, 6'9 Deon Edward from Westark (JC) AR and 6'9 Tobiah Hooper from St. Catharine (JC) KY

We still are in the process of adding to our analysis of the NIKE All-American Camp and the adidas ABCD Camp, both of which concluded last Friday, but we have made a major change that you need to know about. We have made a separate page for each camp, so you can refer back to it again and again over the next year. We also now have a list of the leading rebounders and assist leaders in camp and by tonight we hope to also have added the leaders in steals, blocks,and shooting. You can get to these pages via the first page of the Members Section or by clicking on NIKE All-American Camp and adidas ABCD Camp.

Wednesday, July 15, 1998

Reggie Brown, the sharpshooting 6'4 wing guard from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY, who plays for New York Riverside Church, tells us that his list of schools includes Kentucky, Texas, Miami-FL, Syracuse, Villanova, Tulane, Oregon State, Tulsa, St. John's, and Ga Tech. Brown's teammate on Riverside Church, 6'10 Micah Brand from Cheshire (Academy) CT, who was ranked #26 at the NIKE Camp by the HOOP SCOOP, is one of the fastest rising big men in the nation. His list includes Villanova, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Miami-FL, Boston College, Massachusetts, Xavier, Northwestern, and Connecticut.

We've been telling you for some time that Virginia is the heavy favorite for 6'1 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who was ranked #4 among point guards and #17 overall at the adidas ABCD Camp. He was also so terrific at Five Star Hamden-Sydney, VA in mid-June that legendary camp director Howard Garfinkel compared Billet to John Stockton. In addition to Virginia, Billet also has Rutgers, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Princeton all on his list.

Marcus Cox from Bridgeport (Kolbe Cathedral) CT was ranked no higher than the #14 point guard in camp at the adidas ABCD Camp by the HOOP SCOOP, but that was based on camp performance and not overall ability and college potential. As a result, he is still ranked among the top point guards in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP. Connecticut appears to be the heavy favorite, but Kansas, Providence, Villanova, Rutgers, Virginia, and Massachusetts also are being mentioned.

Don't be surprised if 6'9 Jr Jesse Pinegar and 6'8 Jr Garner Meads, both from Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT, go to the same college, as their lists are identical. They both mention Utah, Stanford, Syracuse, Arizona, and Brigham Young.

Tuesday, July 14, 1998

He isn't good enough for Ohio State or Cincinnati, but 6'6 Brooks Hall from Troy (H.S.) OH, who was ranked #212 going into the summer by the HOOP SCOOP, is an excellent get for the University of Dayton. It isn't official yet, but we expect an annoucement as soon as today. The Flyers will beat Michigan State, Michigan, Kentucky, and N.C. State, but when it is all said and done, we're not sure if any of those schools were going to offer Hall a scholarship.

Allen Rubin was at Eastern Invitational in Trenton, NJ over the weekend and he reports that 6'8 Slobodan Ocokoljic from Massillon (Washington) OH, who has already committed to Ohio State, took home camp MVP honors for the week. The MVP in the camp championship game was another Serbian, as well as Ocokoljic's high school teammate at Massillon (Washington) OH, 6'10 Sasa Mijajlovic. Also having an outstanding week was 6'4 Jeremy Logan from Milford (Academy) CT.

Both of these commitments have not been confirmed, but Prep Stars, which is based in North Carolina, is reporting that 6'3 Clifford Crawford from Winston-Salem (Parkland) NC has picked N.C. State over schools like Clemson, Georgia, and Virginia Tech and that 6'6 Ricardo Marsh from Hillsborough (Orange) NC was committed to Clemson.

The best game we've seen so far at the 1998 NIKE Invitational Peach Jam in Augusta, GA matched the Howard Pulley Panthers with 6'8 Mike Bauer from Hastings (Senior) MN, 6'5 Nike Jacobson from Fargo (Shanley) ND, 6'6 Travis Kraft from Mayville (Mayville CG) ND, 6'7 Johnny Gilbert from Minneapolis (Patrick Henry) MN, and 6'0 Troy Bell from Minneapolis (Holy Angels) MN from Minnesota against Georgia Elite, which featured 6'3 Soph Rashard Carruth from Decatur (Cathedral Academy) GA and 6'8 Rodney Tucker from Stone Mountain (H.S.) GA. It was highlight film time as Bauer and Tucker took turns dunking in each other's face, but the best shooter in the nation might just be Carruth, who showed 25 range on several occasions. North Carolina and Georgia Tech are the early favorites for Carruth, but Michigan State, Michigan, Duke, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, California, Kentucky, Syracuse, and Miami-FL are also on his list. A lot of schools are showing interest in Tucker, but is mother tells us that Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, Miami-FL, Wake Forest, Villanova,Western Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Florida are among the favorites.Bauer tells us that we wasn't on anybody's national list prior to the NIKE Camp, where he ranked #4 among power forwards and #16 overall, but no he is a legitimate top 30 senior nationally and schools like Kansas, Northwestern,, Michigan, Minnestoa, Clemson, and Nebraska are all in hot pursuit. Jacobson tells us Utah, Minnesota, Texas, Clemson, and Northwestern have all be in contact, but that list should expand, because he's played really well at the Peach Jam.

One of our favorite players in the class is 6'1 Jon Holmes from Bloomington (North) IN, who was named the MVP at Jerry Watson's Memorial Day Weekend Tournament in late May in Columbus, OH. Holmes is a terrific floor general and he makes his teammates better, but he's also one of the guttiest hardnosed players in the class. He can also shoot the 3-pointer and creates all kinds of havoc defensively, which may be why South Carolina is so interested. Also on his list are Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana State, and Pittsburgh.

It now looks like 6'7 Rico Harris from Los Angeles City (JC) CA will end up at Rhode Island and we can't wait to see how head coach Jim Harrick deals with 6'2 Zach Marbury from Milford (Academy) CT and 6'9 Lamar Odom, all of who are very high maintaince guys. If you will recall, the last several years Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian has also had more than his share of high maintaince players and his team has dramatically underachieved, unlike Rhode Island, which last year advanced all the way to the final eight of the NCAA.

Monday, July 13, 1998

We heard several weeks ago that 6'9 Sylbrin Robinson from Miami (Senior) FL, who committed to the University of Florida as a junior in high school almost two years ago, was go to have to go to prep school, because he wasn't going to have the necessary test score to be eligible under NCAA standards. Today the USA Today confirmed this fact.

He was listed as a sophomore on the roster at the adidas ABCD Camp, but 5'7 Avery Queen from Mareno Valley (H.S.) ME tells us that he is a rising junior and that he plans to enroll at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME this fall. Although Queen is undersized, he was one of our favorite players in camp, because he's makes his teammates better with his excellent handling and passing skills and he's a very good defender who has a lot of speed and quickness. Queen was a sleeper until he made a name for himself last week at the adidas Camp, but Michigan, N.C. State, Oregon State, and Miami-FL apparently have gotten the early jump, because they knew about him before camp.

North Carolina has to be considered the favorite for 6'8 power forward Jason Parker from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, who finished the adidas ACBD ranked #19 overall and #5 among center (which is the position he played in camp) by the HOOP SCOOP, but he tells us that Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, and Maryland are also high on his list.

Sunday, July 12, 1998

In addition to covering both the NIKE and adidas Camps last week, we also gathered a lot of recruiting information, thanks primarily to the efforts of our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin, who talked with over a 100 players at the adidas Camp. During the next week we will share a lot of what he found out on this page, but first I want to pass along one of my favorite rumors from the NIKE All-American  Camp. If you will recall, 6'1 Soph Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, who was ranked #3  at the conclusion of the camp by the HOOP SCOOP, will likely transfer from Camden, because head coach Clarence Turner has been suspended and the state high school association has ruled Camden ineligible to play any non-conference games and to compete in the state tournament the next two years. We had reported earlier that Wagner might transfer to a high school in Louisville, KY, perhaps Louisville (Ballard) KY. Now we're hearing that Wagner will transfer to Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ. And making the story even more intriguing is the fact that at NIKE Wagner played on UCLA, which was coached by none other than Kevin Boyle, who happens to be the head coach at St. Patrick.

Arkansas, UAB, and Alabama are working 6'7 Rob Grizzard from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, who was ranked #5 by the HOOP SCOOP based on his performance at the NIKE All-American Camp, like there is no tomorrow. But they aren't the only schools on his list and we understand it is far from over, as Auburn, Georgia, Connecticut, Louisville, and Kentucky are also in the hunt.

A player who we probably didn't have ranked high enough at the conclusion of the adidas ABCD Camp, as was evident by the fact that he finished #2 in camp in rebounding with 9.4 rpg, was 6'7 Terry Sanders from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI. Right now his list includes Cincinnati, Marquette, Illinois, Creighton, Michigan, Wisconsin, Loyola-Chicago, Valparaiso, and Ball State.

Everybody thinks that it's a done deal - that 6'7 Andrew Sullivan from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ is a lock for Villanova. However, the list he gave HOOP SCOOP Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin at the adidas Camp also includes Maryland, Connecticut, St. Joseph's, Seton Hall, Miami-FL, Indiana, and Duke.

Among the biggest disappointments at the adidas ABCD Camp was 6'9 Dermarr Johnson from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD. While Johnson has the talent to be as good as any player in camp, he was ranked no higher than #32 in camp based on his lackadaisical performance all week. There is talk about Johnson declaring hardship for the NBA draft after he graduates from high school, but we have to wonder now if he is even ready to make an immediate impact at some of the schools he is considering, like North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, and UNC-Charlotte. Johnson's lack of effort also appears to have carried over into the classroom, because he is so far away from predicting academically that we are already hearing rumors about his going to prep school.

Early in the week at the adidas ABCD Camp 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA wasn't even being considered as one of the top players in camp, but as the week wore on, his outside shot started falling, which sets up the rest of his game, and he finished as the leading 3-point shooter in camp, as well as #12 in scoring with 12.1 ppg and #14 in rebounding with 6.0 rpg. With that in mind, it is easy to see why he edged out 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA for the final spot among our top five ranked players in camp. Kapono, who has a 3.83 gpa, has UCLA, Stanford, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Syracuse, Kentucky, and USC on his list.

Saturday, July 11, 1998

Both the adidas ABCD Camp and the NIKE All-American Camp concluded yesterday and we're in the process of putting it all together. However, we do already have all the statistics from both the senior and underclassmen all-star games at the adidas Camp, as well as our list of the top 25 scorers in camp. And there are some other things you need to know. The best player at NIKE from start to finish was 6'3 Jr Marcus Taylor from Lansing (Waverly) MI, who has been ranked as the #1 player in his class by the HOOP SCOOP since he was in 8th grade. The MVP at adidas, 6'3 Brett Nelson from St. Albans (H.S.) WV, who had eight assists in the all-star game, was also the runaway winner. The leading scorer early at the adidas was 6'5 Antione Whelchel from Gainesville (East Hall)  GA, but he finished ranked #17 in the camp in scoring and never even got mentioned as one of the better players in camp, because he was an undersized power forward who got most of his points off cheap baskets in the paint. The leading scorer in camp was 6'7 LaVell Blanchard from Ann Arbor (Pioneer) MI, who averaged 16.8 ppg. The leading rebounder was 6'9 Andrew Gooden from El Cerrito (H.S.) CA. He grabbed 9.8 rpg. The assist leader was 6'0 Majestic Mapp from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who has 5.5 apg and was ranked #11 overall in camp. The player with the best field goal percentage was 6'3 Jovan Harris from El Cerrito (H.S.) CA, who hit 70% of his shots. The leading 3-point shooter in camp was 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who hit 57% from beyond the arc. The leader in steals was 6'0 Brevin Knight from East Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ with 2.5 spg. Stevenson was the best free throw shooter in camp (89%)and 6'9 Abraham Keita from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT led the camp in blocked shots with 1.5 bpg.  For all of our exclusive coverage from both camps, click on coverage.

Among the most interesting recruiting items we picked up this week involves 6'9 Matt Bonner from Durham (H.S.) NH. Apparently Duke is out, as the Blue Devils have withdrawn their scholarship offer. As a result, we are now projecting Virginia as the heavy favorite for both Bonner and 6'0 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who was not only one of the top five point guards at the adidas Camp, but also finished ranked among the top five in 3-point shooting.

The point guard position at NIKE was absolutely loaded and one of our favorite point guards in camp was 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (H.S.) CA, who has Cincinnati and N.C. State at the top of his list. He also is being heavily recruited by Arizona State, Michigan, and Kansas, but what we find extremely interesting is that Maddox says Cincinnati's possible NCAA probation will have no effect on his college decision. As a result, Cincinnati could be on the verge of another excellent recruiting year, because the Bearcats already have a commitmment from 6'9 John Grove from Grove City (George Jr. Republic) PA, who also is expected to go to Cincinnati regardless of whether the Bearcats get hit with NCAA sanctions.

Friday, July 10, 1998

ADIDAS CAMP TOP SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME ROSTERS

July 10, 1998 at 8:00 PM

WHITE TEAM

Number, Player, Height, Position Class, Hometown (High School) State

24 Nick Van Der Laan, 6'11, C, Sr, Kent (H.S.) CT

25 Jonathan Bender, 6'11, PF, Sr, Picayune (H.S.) MS

20 Marshall Williams 6'5, WF, Sr, Mil