HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR MAY 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010, Sunday, May 30, 2010, & Monday, May 31, 2010

The Long Island Lightning beat the Michigan Hurricane 76-66 in the championship game in the 17-Under Division of the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions over the weekend in Chapel Hill, NC.  And this capped off a weekend full of upsets and surprise performances that included 6'4 Jr Derrick Gordon from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ emerging as the tournament MVP and one of the top five-ranked players in the tournament.  Gordon not only was the leading scorer with 23 points in the championship game, but he also was a model of consistency as he finished with 13 points, 21 points, and 25 points the other three times I watched his team play.  And this tough hardnosed competitor even showed that he occasionally is capable of stepping out and knocking down an open 3-pointer.  In other words, we're talking about a guy who is an absolute steal for Western Kentucky and somebody who projects as wing forward, instead of a jack-of-all-trades, but a master on none, at the next level.  There also was the incredible 30-point performance by 6'0 Jr Cezar Guerrero from Bellflower (St. John Bosco) CA in Belmont Shore's impressive win against the New York Panthers on Saturday morning.  Guerrero does have a tendency to be turnover prone.  But he still is one of our favorite players due to the fact that he plays with incredible energy, makes things happen in an up tempo setting, and is capable of putting up prolific numbers from the point guard spot, as is evident by the fact that he was one of the leading scorers in the tournament.  And 6'5 Jr Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN didn't take any prisoners when he was matched up against 6'11 Soph Andre Drummond from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT when the Memphis Magic Elite and the Connecticut Basketball Club went head-to-head on Saturday afternoon.  If you will recall, Thomas is a beast on the boards and he doesn't back down from anybody, which explains why we have him ranked #13 nationally in the junior class, despite his tweener size and fact that he's a true power forward at all the way.  Even more impressive is the fact this came right on the heels of a performance the night before by Drummond that Reggie Rankin of ESPN.com described as being one of the best he's seen in a long time.  The same also was said by those who saw 6'5 Soph Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV in his games on Friday and Saturday evening.  Unfortunately the only time I saw Muhammad play in this tournament he was a major bust, as he had only 10 points in his team's loss to the Smyrna Stars and he appeared to lack the explosiveness and athleticism that separates from almost everybody that he plays against.  And this is important, because our ranking of both Drummond and Muhammad are based more on what we've heard and how talented they are than on how they actually played when we saw them in this tournament.  It's also important to point out that nobody came close to duplicating the incredible 43-point performance turned in by 6'4 Jr B.J. Young from Florissant (McCluer North) MO on the first night of the tournament and, as a result, he was unanimously selected as our #1-ranked player in the tournament.   We also were pretty darn impressed with the 39-point effort turned in by 6'2 Elijah Carter from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ against Team Loaded and 5'11 Jr Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC early Saturday evening.  Yes, that's the same guy who signed with St. Bonaventure last fall, but now plans on going the prep school route in an attempt to go to the Big East or the ACC, instead of the Atlantic-10.  Right now it appears to be a three-way race among Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NJ, Winchendon (School) MA, and South Kent (Prep) CT.  And, if Carter continues to play like this, he now has the confidence necessary to go along with athleticism and explosiveness in transition to be one of the best 5th Year Players in the nation next year.  Getting back to Lewis, he not only hit the game winning shot on Friday night against the Raising Champions, but he also led his team to important victories while matched up against two of the best players - 6'4 Jr B.J. Young from Florissant (McCluer North) MO and 6'2 Elijah Carter from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ - in the entire tournament.   Now also is good place to mention just how good the 16-Under Division was this year at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.  Thanks to 26-point and 13-point efforts by 6'8 Soph William Goodwin from Decatur (Southwest DeKalb) GA and 6'5 Soph Jordan Adams from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA, the Atlantic Celtics beat the CP3 All-Stars 69-68 in the championship game.  However, the player that totally knocked everybody's socks off in the age group was 6'4 Soph Ryan Arcidiancono from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA, who knocked down 3-pointers and put up prolific numbers faster than you can say Gerry McNamara.  Arcidiancono scored 31 points and had eight 3-pointers in the quarterfinals of the 16-Under Select Division and averaged 31.8 ppg for five games in the tournament.  However, unlike McNamara, Arcidiancono also makes great decisions, has a high basketball IQ, is tremendous passer, and is outstanding at running at team, which makes him a true combo guard capable of playing either position.  It also looks like our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin was right on the money about 6'7 Soph Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA and 6'6 Soph Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA being two of the top juniors nationally.  Right now Goodman is the better player thanks to his strength and advanced skill level.  However, Jefferson is a long fluid athletic wing forward who is just oozing with upside and potential.  They both scored 22 points apiece and 5'7 Soph Maurice Watson from Philadelphia (Boys Latin) PA also chipped in with 18 points.  But it still wasn't enough as the Atlanta Celtics knocked off Team Philly in the semi-finals of the 16-Under Division.  We also have to give props to 6'6 Soph Damien Wilson from Mableton (Peeblebrook) GA, who scored 17 points and 20 points in his team's quarterfinals and semi-finals wins and has a knack for finding a way to score when he slashes to the basket, and 6'8 Soph Jeremy Hollowell from Indianapolis (Lawrence Central) IN, who is the guy primarily responsible for the Eric Gordon Central Stars upside against Indiana Elite/Team Indiana in pool play on Saturday morning and final four finish in the 16-Under Division. 

HOOP SCOOP Editor & Publisher Clark Francis, our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin, and our North Carolina Editor Rick Lewis were at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions over the weekend at the Dean E. Smith Center and numerous other sites in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC, and our ranking of the top 60 players in the 17-Under Division based primarily on performance as follows:  1) 6'4 Jr B.J. Young from Florissant (McCluer North) MO (St. Louis Gameface), 2) 6'5 Jr Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN (Memphis Magic Elite), 3) 6'4 Jr Derrick Gordon from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ (Long Island Lightning), 4) 6'0 Jr Cezar Guerrero from Bellflower (St. John Bosco) CA (Belmont Shore), 5) 6'2 Elijah Carter from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ (Sports U./Team Izod), 6) 6'11 Soph Andre Drummond from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT (Connecticut Basketball Club), 7) 6'5 Soph Shabazz Muhammad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV (Dream Vision), 8) 5'11 Jr Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC (Team Loaded), 9) 6'4 Jr Bobby Parks from Memphis (Melrose) TN (M33M Elite), 10) 6'4 Jr Damien Leonard from Greenville (J.W. Mann) SC (Team Power), 11) 6'8 Soph Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA (New England Playaz), 12) 6'4 Jr Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale County) GA (Atlanta Celtics), 13) 6'3 Jr Derrick Henry from Newtown (H.S.) GA (World Wide Renegades), 14) 6'8 Jr Bernard Sullivan from Charlotte (North Mecklenburg) NC (Team Charlotte), 15) 6'9 Jr Adjehi Baru from Chester (Steward School) VA (Team Loaded), 16) 6'1 Jr Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL (Illinois Wolves), 17) 6'1 Jr Tavon Sledge from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills West) NC (Rich Soil), 18) 6'0 Jr Quinn Cook from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD (DC Assault), 19) 6'5 Jr P.J. Hairston from Greensboro (Dudley) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 20) 6'8 Jr Darnell Harris from Milwaukee (Hamilton) WI (Michigan Hurricanes), 21) 6'8 Jr DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA (Belmont Shore), 22) 6'1 Jr Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ (New York Panthers), 23) 6'2 Jr Andre Hollins from Memphis (White Station) TN (Memphis Magic Elite), 24) 6'11 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN (Indiana Elite/Team Indiana), 25) 6'6 Jr Maurice Harkless from Jamaica (Forest Hills)  NY (New York Panthers), 26) 6'2 Jr Chasson Randle from Rock Island (H.S.) IL (Illinois Wolves), 27) 6'7 Jr Jay Rome from Valdesta (H.S.) GA (Smyrna Stars), 28) 6'6 Soph Jordan Tebbutt from Tualatin (Horizon Christian) OR (Pump 'N Run Elite), 29) 6'2 Jr John Johnson from Philadelphia (Girard College) PA (Team Philly), 30) 6'3 Jr Jeff Short from South Kent (Prep) CT (New York Panthers), 31) 6'1 Jr Kareem Canty from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY (Long Island Lightning), 32) 6'4 Jr Mike Frazier from Tampa (H.B. Plant) FL (Florida Elite), 33) 6'3 Frosh Rodney Purvis from Raleigh (Upper Room Academy) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 34) 6'4 Frosh Deonte Burton from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI (Michigan Hurricanes), 35) 6'7 Jr Chane Behanon from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY (Ohio Basketball Club), 36) 7'0 Soph Kaleb Tarezowski from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA (New England Playaz), 37) 6'5 Jr Shaq Morris from Norcross (Meadowcreek) GA (Smyrna Stars), 38) 6'8 Jr Kamari Murphy from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY (Long Island Lightning), 39) 5'11 Soph Kevin Ferrell from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN (Indiana Elite/Team Indiana), 40) 6'4 Jr Dezmine Wells from Raleigh (Word of God) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 41) 6'5 Jr Jermaine Sanders from New York (Rice) NY (New Heights), 42) 6'6 Jr K.J. Daniels from Birmingham (CPCS) AL (Team Alabama), 43) 6'5 Frosh Andrew Harrison from Houston (Strake Jesuit) TX (Houston Defenders), 44) 6'5 Frosh Aaron Harrison from Houston (Strake Jesuit) TX (Houston Defenders), 45) 5'10 Jr Darrell Lucky from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY (New Heights), 46) 6'6 Jr Dantiel Daniels from Holt (H.S.) MO (St. Louis Gameface) MO, 47) 6'0 Jr Shane Larkin from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL (Florida Assault), 48) 5'8 Jr Isaiah Morton from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ (Raising Champions Elite), 49) 6'6 Soph Amir Garrett from Lawndale (Leuzinger) CA (Pump 'N Run Elite), 50) 6'8 Jr Jacob Lawson from Oak Ridge (Military) VA (CP3 All-Stars). 51) 6'6 Jr Robert Brown from Claremont (East Ridge) FL (Florida Assault), 52) 6'7 Jr Nino Johnson from Memphis (White Station) TN (Memphis Magic Elite), 53) 6'8 Chris Brown from Tampa (TAAG Academy) FL (Georgia Ballers), 54) 6'10 Jr Willy Koussi from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL (Team Alabama), 55) 6'8 Jr Amdy Fall from Bronx (Wings) NY (Raising Champions Elite), 56) 6'0 Jr Jordan Daniels from Etiwanda (H.S.) CA (Pump 'N Run Elite), 57) 6'1 Jr Jarvis Threat from Richmond (Highland Springs) VA (Virginia Assault), 58) 6'6 Jr Rashaud Bell from Atlanta (South Atlanta) GA (Atlanta Celtics),  59) 6'8 Jr Anthony Gill from Charlotte (Christian) NC (Team Charlotte), and 60) 6'3 Jr Tekele Cotton from Mableton (Whitefield Academy) GA (Smyrna Stars).

Andre Whitehead, who is the Editor & Publisher of TennesseePrepHoops.com, picked the all-tournament teams for the 15-Under & 16-Under Divisions at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Championships and the list of players named to later includes 6'4 Soph Ryan Arcidiancono from Langhorne (Neshaminy) PA (Pennsylvania Playaz), 6'8 Soph William Goodwin from Decatur (Southwest DeKalb) GA (Atlanta Celtics), 6'5 Soph Jordan Adams from Lawrenceville (Central Gwinnett) GA (Atlanta Celtics), 6'6 Soph Damien Wilson from Mableton (Peeblebrook) GA (Atlanta Celtics), 6'6 Soph Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA (Team Philly), 6'7 Soph Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA (Team Philly), 6'8 Soph Jeremy Hollowell from Indianapolis (Lawrence Central) IN (Eric Gordon All-Stars), 6'1 Soph Braxton Obgueze from Charlotte (United Faith Christian) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 6'4 Soph Reggie Dillard from Greensboro (Dudley) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 6'7 Soph Abdul Kasim from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 6'1 Soph D.J. Ballentine from Kokomo (H.S.) IN (Eric Gordon All-Stars), 6'6 Soph J.P. Tokoto from Menomonee (Menomonee Falls) WI (Wisconsin Playground Warriors), 6'3 Soph Davontes Smith-Rivera from Indianapolis (North Central) IN (Indiana Elite/Team Indiana), 6'8 Soph Hanna Perra from Charlotte (United Faith (Indiana Elite/Team Indiana), 6'8 Soph Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH (Indiana Elite/Team Indiana), 5'11 Soph Jarvis Haywood from Charlotte (Waddell) NC (Charlotte Nets), 6'2 Soph Michael Brown from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC (Charlotte Nets), 6'3 Soph Andre Horne from Newark (Hodgson) DE (Team Final), 5'10 Soph Frank Mason from Petersburg (H.S.) VA (Team Loaded), 6'7 Soph Montrezl Harrell from Tarboro (North Edgecombe) NC (Carolina Elite), 6'6 Soph Daniel Dingle from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY (Long Island Lightning), 6'4 Soph Tyree Robinson from San Diego (Lincoln) CA (Dream Vision), 6'4 Soph Shawn Smith from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL (Heart & Hustle), 6'3 Soph Devontae Morgan from Tampa (Prep) FL (Florida Rams), 5'11 Soph Patrick Holloway from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA (DC Team Takeover CB), 6'3 Soph Brian Bernadio from Long Island (Xaviren) NY (New York Gauchos), 6'5 Soph Kellen Dunham from Pendleton (Heights) IN (Indiana Elite One), and 6'1 Frosh Jaren Sina from Gladetone (Gil St. Bernards) NJ (Hoop Heaven Heat).  The list of players named to the former includes 6'3 Frosh Sanderius Thornwell from Lancaster (H.S.) SC (Team United), 6'4 Frosh Byron Gladden from Charlotte (Vance) NC (Team United), 6'1 Frosh Bronson Koeing from Wisconsin Dells (H.S.) WI (Wisconsin Playground Warriors), 6'7 Frosh Austin Mecca from Manitowoc (Lincoln) WI (Wisconsin Playground Warriors), 6'0 Frosh Solomon Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL (Atlanta Celtics), 6'3 Frosh Rodney Purvis from Raleigh (Upper Room Academy) NC (CP3 All-Stars), 6'9 Frosh Kuran Iverson from Hartford (West Catholic) CT (Long Island Lightning), 6'1 Frosh Elijah Brown from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH (Ohio Basketball Club), 6'6 Frosh Jordan Fuchs from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY (New York Gauchos),6'5 Frosh Josh McNeal from Durham (Hillside) NC (DC Assault), 6'8 Frosh Isaiah Hicks from Oxford (J.F. Webb) NC (Gardner Road Bulldogs), 6'2 Frosh Anton Gill from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC (Gardner Road Bulldogs), 6'0 Frosh Jairus Lyles from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD (Ivy 27 Terps), 6'2 Frosh Terrence Samuels from Brooklyn (South Shore) NY (New Heights), 6'5 Frosh Dom Reed from Winslow Township (Timbercreek) NJ (Team Philly), 6'2 Frosh Chris Regus from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ (Westchester Hawks), 6'3 Frosh Brian Andrews from Baltimore (McDonogh) MD (Baltimore Wildcats), 6'3 Frosh Jarod Williams from Danville (George Washington) VA (Squires Richmond), 6'3 Frosh Imara Ready from Little Rock (North Pulaski) AR (Arkansas Hawks), 6'4 Frosh Tyrone Outlaw from Roxboro (Person) NC (Durham Hurricanes), 5'8 Frosh Akil Carr from Baltimore (Patterson) MD (Team Melo), 6'7 Frosh Jordan Washington from Queens (Pathways) NY (New Heights), and 6'2 Frosh Yosef Yacob from Radnor (Archbishop Carroll) PA (Team Final).  The only serious omission that we can find is 6'3 8th Grader Romelo Trimble from Temple Hills (Progressive Christian) MD, who had 24 points and was sensational in a losing effort for DC Assault against Team United in the championship game of the 15-Under Division.  Thornwood was named the MVP in the National Division and Mecca and Koeing were the co-MVP's in the Select Division, which is the tournament for teams that finished second in their pool in pool play.  Goodwin took home MVP honors in the 16-Under National Division, which is the tournament for the teams that finished first in their pool in pool play. 

Friday, May 28, 2010

There were some great individual performances turned in earlier tonight at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC.  And right at the top of the list was the 43-point scoring effort by 6'4 Jr B.J. Young from Florissant (McCluer North) MO.  Yes, that's the same guy who scored 45 points in the semi-finals of the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam All-Star Classic and this time around he was especially lethal from mid-range, knocking down open treys, and using his speed, quickness, and athleticism to both penetrate and dish.  We also were really impressed with the outside shooting and ability to get to the basket displayed by 6'4 Jr Bobby Parks from Memphis (Melrose) TN, who finished with 31 points and six 3-pointers against a well-balanced Indiana Elite/Team Indiana team that featured 6'11 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN, 5'11 Soph Kevin Ferrell from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN, 6'3 Ge-Lawn Gyun from Georgetown (Scott County) KY, 6'6 Jr Austin Etherington from Arcadia (Hamilton Heights) IN, 6'11 Jr Marshall Plumlee from Arden (Christ School) NC, 6'2 Jr Jeremiah Davis from Muncie (Central) IN, and 6'8 Jr Vinny Zollo from Winchester (Clark County) KY.  And what about the big 3-pointer that 5'11 Soph Tyler Lewis from Lewisville (Forsyth Country Day) NC hit with three seconds left in the game to give Team Loaded a 69-68 win over the Raising Champions Elite?  Lewis finished with 24 points and impressed us with his great court savvy, incredible basketball IQ, and excellent ball handling and passing skills, as he also did a good job of setting the table for 6'10 Jr Adjehi Baru from Chester (Steward School) VA, 6'6 Jr Andrew White from Chester (Thomas Dale) VA, and 6'0 Jr Jackson Simmons from Smokey Mountain (H.S.) NC.  It also was business as usual for 6'4 Jr Damian Leonard from Greenville (J.L. Mann) SC, who hit eight 3-pointers en route to 28 points, and 6'8 Soph Alex Murphy from Southborough (St. Mark's) MA, who finished with 30 points, when Team Power and the New England Playaz were matched up against one another.  We also really like the size, versatility, and athleticism of 6'4 Jr Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale County) GA, who finished with 23 points, three 3-pointers, and was equally efficient at either guard spot for the Atlanta Celtics.  Perhaps the biggest sleeper to emerge was 6'7 Soph Montrezl Harrell from Tarboro (North Edgecombe Magnet) NC, who finished with 29 points and rebounded, blocked shots, ran the court, hit several threes, and didn't take any prisoners when matched up against the likes of 6'6 Soph Jean-Pierre Tokoto from Menomonee (Menomonee Falls) WI, 6'6 Soph Darrell Bowi from Wauwatosa (East) WI, and 6'10 Soph Phillip Nolan from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI on the Wisconsin Playground Warriors.  It looks like 6'8 Jr Bernard Sullivan from Charlotte (North Mecklenburg) NC, who finished with 25 points for Team Charlotte against St. Louis Gameface, has turned things back around.  If you will recall, several years ago Sullivan was ranked among the top middle school players in the nation.  However, he has not lived up those early press clippings throughout most of his high school career. 

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions is always one of the premier events of the entire year and our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin, and I will all be at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC when things tip-off tomorrow at 7:00 PM.  And that's where I will stay unless there is a must see game, like the DC Assault-Dream Vision match-up in the 16-Under Division at Hillside High School in Durham, NC at 2:15 on Saturday, May 29th.  With one exception, the schedule tomorrow night at the Dean E. Smith Center tomorrow is reserved exclusively for teams in the 17-Under Division.  And all day Saturday the schedule is staggered perfectly so that we have a chance to watch a round of 15-Under Division games at 8:30 AM, a round of 16-Under Division games at 9:45 AM, two rounds of 17-Under Division games at 11:00 AM and 12:15 PM, a round of 15-Under Division games at 2:15 PM, three 17-Under Division games and Team Final versus the Atlanta Celtics in a 16-Under Division game at 3:30 PM, a round of 15-Under Division games at 4:45 PM, a round of 17-Under Division games at 6:00 PM, a set of first round winner's bracket playoff games in the 16-Under Division at 8:00 PM, and a set of first round winner's bracket playoff games in the 17-Under Division at 10:00 PM.  Then on Sunday, May 30th, things should really get interesting, as the quarterfinals in the winner's bracket in the 17-Under Division will tip-off at 9:00 AM, the semi-finals in the winner's bracket of the 16-Under Division will tip-off at 10:30 AM, the semi-finals in the winner's bracket of the 17-Under Division will tip-off at Noon, the championship games in the 15-Under and 16-Under Divisions will tip-off at 2:30 PM, and the championship games in the 17-Under Division will tip-off at 4:00 PM.  The 17-Under Division will have a total of 64 teams and it breaks down by pool as follows:  Pool A has Indiana Elite/Team Indiana, Long Island Lightning, Triangle Flight (NC), and M33M; Pool B has the CP3 All-Stars, Nashville Celtics, Mid Atlantic Select, and Coastal Crew Rebels (GA); Paul C has the Atlanta Celtics, East Coastal Fusion (VA), Jacksonville Bulls (FL), and Carolina Elite; Pool D has Team Loaded (VA), Sports U./Team Izod (NJ), Baltimore Cecil-Kirk, and Raising Champions (NY); Pool E has the Illinois Wolves, New Heights, Garner Road, and the Birmingham Ice; Pool F has Pump N' Run, Florida Rams-Black, North Carolina Gaters East, and BB Stars America (NC); Pool G has the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, Carolina Raptors, Maryland's Finest, and the Georgia Ballers; Pool H has Belmont Shore, Louisiana Future, New York Panthers, and Southern Kings (GA); Pool I has the New England Playaz, Florida Elite, N.C Gaters Blue, and Team Power (GA); Pool J has the Houston Defenders Select (TX), Worldwide Renegades (GA), Queen City Prophets (OH), and Michigan Hurricanes; Pool K has Dream Vision, Team Philly, Smyrna Stars, and Virginia Assault; Pool L has DC Assault, Milwaukee Spartans, Team Alabama, and Team Truth (SC); Pool M has St. Louis Gameface, Westchester Hawks, Dallas Heroes, and Team Charlotte; Pool N has the Ohio Basketball Club, Rich Soil (NY), NC Athletics East, and Triple Threat; Pool O has Memphis Magic Elite (TN), Connecticut Basketball Club, West Virginia Wildcats, and Team United (NC); and Pool P has the Houston Hoopstars Elite, Eric Gordon Fast Break (IN), Squires Richmond, and Florida Assault.  The 16-Under Division will have a total of 32 teams and it breaks down by pool as follows:  Pool A has the Atlanta Celtics, Team Final, Team Takeover Canada, and Dallas Heroes; Pool B has the Eric Gordon Central Stars, Sports U./Team Izod, Indiana Elite/Team Indiana, and United Stars (NC); Pool C has the CP3 All-Stars, Hoop Heaven Heat, Long Island Lightning, and Nashville Celtics; Pool D has the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, Team Philly, Florida Assault, and Carolina Elite; Team E has Team Ferrari, DC Team Takeover-CB, Indiana Elite One, Net Gain Sports (MN); Pool F has the Pennsylvania Playaz, Florida Rams, North Carolina Gaters-Blue, and Garner Road; Pool G has the New York Gauchos, Team Loaded, Ohio Basketball Club, and Heart and Hustle (FL); and Pool H Has DC Assault, Dream Vision, Charlotte Nets, and South Carolina Hornets.  The 15-Under Division will have a total of 32 teams and it breaks down by pool as follows:  Pool A has the the CP3 All-Stars, Baltimore Wildcats, Nashville Celtics, and Atlanta Xpress; Pool B has the Eric Gordon All Stars, Ivey 23 Terps, Ohio Basketball Club, and United Stars; Pool C has the Arkansas Hawks, Team Final, Team Loaded, and Durham Hurricanes; Pool D has the Atlantic Celtics, Team Philly, Team Melo, and Team United (NC); Pool E has the Richmond Squires, BST Allstars (TX), Westchester Hawks, and Team Charlotte; Pool F has DC Team Takeover, Long island Lightning, Wisconsin Playground Warriors, and Carolina Elite; Pool G has New Heights, DC Assault, North Carolina Gaters, and Carolina Hoya (SC); and Pool H has the New York Gauchos, Garner Road, Team Takeover Canada, and Florida.  Some of the top players who we expect to be in attendance include 6'9 Kadeem Jack from New York (Rice) NY via South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'5 Jr P.J. Hairston from Greensboro (Dudley) NC, 6'5 Jr Adonis Thomas from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'0 Jr Quinn Cook from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'7 Jr DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'4 Jr Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale) GA, 6'8 Jr Nick Jacobs from South Atlanta) GA, 6'10 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN, 5'10 Jr Chris Jones from Memphis (Melrose) TN, 6'7 Jr C.J. Barksdale from Danville (George Washington) VA, 6'0 Jr Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 6'10 Jr Norvell Pelle from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 5'11 Jr Marquis "Jerrell" Rankin from Charlotte (Vance) NC, 6'4 Jr Achraf Yacoubou from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY, 6'10 Jr Nnanna Egwu from Chicago (St. Ignatius) IL, 6'9 Jr Adejhi Baru from Chester (Steward School) VA, 6'5 Jr Dezmine Wells from Raleigh (Word of God) NC, 6'2 Jr B.J. Young from Florissant (Hazelwood Central) MO, 6'9 Jr Ronnie Stevens from Gardena (Serra) CA, 6'2 Jr Delante "Bishop" Daniels from Raleigh (Word fo God) NC, 6'5 Jr Aaron Thomas from Cincinnati (Aiken) OH, 6'6 Jr Chane Behanan from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY, 6'5 Jr Kevin Bailey from Fresno (Clovis East) CA, 6'0 Jr Cezar Guerrero from Bellflower (St. John Bosco) CA, 6'9 Jr Marshall Plumlee from Arden (The Christ School) NC, 6'7 Jr Jacoby Lawson from Oak Ridge (Military Academy) VA, 6'5 Jr Jermaine Sanders from New York (Rice) NY, 6'2 Jr Chasson Randle from Rock Island (H.S.) IL, 6'3 Jr Juan'ya Green from Radnor (Archbishop Carroll) PA, 5'10 Jr Shane Larkin from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL, 6'1 Jr Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL, 6'8 Jr Vinny Zollo from Winchester (Clark County) KY, 6'3 Jr Jeremiah Davis from Muncie (Central) IN, 5'10 Jr Chris Gayot from Bayside (Cardozo) NY, 6'6 Jr Austin Etherington from Hamilton (Arcadia) IN, 6'11 Jr Kyle Caudill from Brea (Brea Olinda) CA, 5'11 Jr Karl Cochran from Marietta (Wheeler) GA, 6'5 Soph Shabazz Muhammed from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'8 Soph Winston Sheppard from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'11 Soph Andre Drummond from South Kent (Prep) CT, 6'5 Soph Savon Goodman from Bryn Athyn (Academy of the New Church) PA, 6'7 Soph Amile Jefferson from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'4 Soph D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'10 Soph Joseph Uchebo from Oak Ridge (Military Academy) NC, 5'11 Soph Tyler Lewis from Statesville (Forsyth Country Day) NC, 6'5 Soph Jean Pierre Tokota from Menomonee Falls (H.S.) WI, 6'8 Soph Ben Carter from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV,5'11 Soph Kevin Farrell from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN, 6'8 Soph Grant Jarrett from La Verne (Lutheran) CA, 6'6 Soph Jordan Tebbutt from Tualatin (Horizon Christian) OR, 7'0 Soph Obij Aget from Beckley (Mountain State University Academy) WV, 6'9 Soph Hanner Perea from Charlotte (United Faith) NC, 6'5 Soph Cameron Harvey from Westchester (St. Joseph) IL, 7'0 Soph Peter Jurkin from Charlotte (United Faith) NC, 5'11 Soph Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos (H.S.) MI, 6'8 Soph Kenny Kaminski from Medina (H.S.) OH, 6'0 Soph Jermaine Myers from Culver (Academies) IN, and 6'4 Soph Ronnye Beamon from Culver (Academies) IN, 6'3 Frosh Nigel Williams-Goss from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, 6'2 Frosh Rodney Purvis from Raleigh (Upper Room Christian Academy) NC, 6'6 Frosh Kristopher Jenkins from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, 6'4 Frosh Aaron Harrison from Houston (Strake Jesuit) TX, 6'0 Frosh Nathaniel Britt from Washington (Gonzaga) DC, 6'4 Frosh Andrew Harrison from Houston (Stake Jesuit) TX, 6'4 Frosh Tyree Robinson from San Diego (Lincoln) CA, 6'4 Frosh Tyrel Robinson from San Diego (Lincoln) NV, 6'3 Frosh Eric Cooper from La Verne (Lutheran) CA, 6'7 Frosh Derrick Griffin from Rosenberg (Terry) TX, and 6'4 Frosh Rashaad Muhmmad from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

It has to be one of the biggest farces in the history of recruiting.  We're talking about what has been written recently by people like David Peterson in places like the Bleacher Report:  Former UCLA Recruit Signs With Mississippi Valley State.  The headline reads "Former UCLA Recruit Signs with Mississippi Valley State" and the articles says "former UCLA recruit Jerome Harris, who left Ben Howland's program early in the season due to qualifying issues has signed to play for Mississippi Valley State of SWAC Conference."  After quick check of our archives and several phone calls to people like our West Coast Editor Alan Utter just to check and make sure that I'm not crazy, I think it's safe to say that this story is totally bogus.  And it gets even better, as the article makes note of the fact that Harris left the UCLA program in November and spent time at Spoon River Junior College, where he was "one of the top three junior college guards in the country" and "about how Harris is expected to be a one-and-done type of prospect."  However, a quick google search reviews that this guy has never been talked about by anybody in the know as one of the top junior college guards in the nation.  His name is also missing from our Final Ranking of the Top 1000 Players in the Class of 2008.  But the article goes on saying "Harris is a big time talent that can really make a name for himself against one of the toughest pre-season schedules next season.  Harris chose Mississippi Valley State over Texas, Minnesota, and USC.  Harris possesses a complete game of an elite nature.  His physical strength and tight ball handling get him wherever he needs to be on the court.  And his shooting skill and court vision allow him to consistently finish plays.  On the other side of the ball he is an elite defender who more than adequately rebounds his position.  Top off all of this with high level competitiveness and you have one of the elite talents in the country."  The official Mississippi Valley State press release announcing that Harris has signed with the Delta Devils is a little less flattering, as it mentions the following:  "Jerome Harris comes to MVSU from Spoon River Community College and Collins High School in Illinois. The Chicago, IL, native is a 6'3 guard who averaged 9.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 1.1 apg last season for Spoon River.  He connected on 18 3-pointers while shooting 45% from the field and 26% from three-point range.  He had 10 points and five rebounds against Robert Morris and 14 points, three rebounds and three assists against Milwaukee Tech.  He also had 19 points and two steals versus Kishwaukee College while tallying 19 points and two assists against Lincoln Land Community College.  He also finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three steals against Illinois Central."  We also found another article from a year-and-a-half ago by Peterson in the Bleacher Report:  Jerome Harris: Chicago Star Coming Into His Own, where he claims that "Harris was invited to the LeBron James Skills Academy and put on a show against some of the nation's best."  And that is a total lie.  I was there.  He was not.  End of story.  On the other hand, Harris does appear to be the third best player in a recruiting class for Mississippi Valley State that also includes 6'8 Paul Crosby from Navarro (JC) TX and 6'4 Falando Jones from Mississippi Delta (JC) MS.  Jones averaged 15.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, and 1.4 spg and is a big-time slasher/scorer.  Crosby is a 6'8, 235-pound power forward with a big body and nice touch around the basket.  He also was the #1-ranked power forward in the state as a high school senior at Holt (H.S.) MI prior to making brief stops at the University of Toledo and Binghamton. 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Our West Coast Editor Alan Utter has confirmed that 6'9 Frosh Travis Wear and 6'9 Frosh David Wear, both of whom announced earlier this spring that they were transferring from North Carolina, have made it official for UCLA.  We do not include transfers when ranking recruiting classes.  But, if he did, the addition of the Wear twins would move UCLA's recruiting class, which tied at #21, along with Louisville, all the way up to #3 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.   However, even more important, they promise to give the Bruins the one thing that they don't have in this year's recruiting class, which is a pair of guys who are versatile enough to play both inside and outside.  If you will, 6'8 Josh Smith from Covington (Kentwood) WA promises to be the anchor inside and 6'5 Tyler Lamb from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'1 Lazeric Jones from John A Logan (JC) IL, and 6'3 Matt Carlino from Bloomington (South) IN all are capable of fulfilling various roles out on the perimeter.  And they may not be done yet this spring, as Utter also tells us that the UCLA coaching staff appears to be one of the final three, along with St. John's and Arizona State, for 6'7 Remi Barry from Loomis (Del Oro) CA.  We're talking about a total under the radar screen guy due to the fact that he was ruled ineligible to play this past season by the C.I.F. (California Interscholastic Federation).  Barry is originally from Paris, France and he impressed us with athleticism, ability to run the court, and rebound and score around the basket when we saw him team with Kenny Boynton and Raymond Taylor two years ago for Plantation (American Heritage) FL in the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL.  In one game we saw Barry finish with a double-double (14 points and 12 rebounds).  However, it's the fact that he's quicker, faster, more athletic, and more ideally suited to defend the three that makes him ideally suited to complement the Wears and the other forwards (Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson, and Brendan Lane) who are already in the program.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Barry is in line to get UCLA's 13th scholarship and, as things stand now, they will have no seniors in the program next year.  One also has to wonder if all of this is just something that has happened recently or whether UCLA head coach Ben Howland cleared the deck for all of this to materialize when 6'8 Soph Drew Gordon transferred to New Mexico, 6'10 Frosh J'mison Morgan transferred to Baylor, and 6'8 Frosh Mike Moser transferred to UNLV.  It also looks like UCLA coaching staff wants to bring in two more perimeter players in next year's recruiting class and right now 6'3 Jr Norman Powell from San Diego (Lincoln) CA appears to be right at the top of a list that also includes 5'11 Jr Jahii Carson from Mesa (H.S.) AZ, 6'2 Jr Josiah Turner from Sacramento (H.S.) CA, 6'5 Jr Amir Garrett from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'4 Jr Spencer Dinwiddie from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA, 6'4 Jr Nick Kerr from San Diego (Torrey Pines) CA, and 6'4 Max Hooper from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA via prep school at Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH.  However, for that to happen somebody would have to transfer (i.e 6'2 Soph Jereme Anderson) and/or somebody will have to forego the rest of his college eligibility and enter the 2011 NBA Draft (i.e 6'4 Soph Malcolm Lee and 6'7 Frosh Tyler Honeycutt).

Saturday, May 22, 2010, Sunday, May 23, 2010, & Monday, May 24, 2010

Two of the highest ranked players still available - 6'7 D.J. Wright from Mt. San Jacinto (JC) CA and 6'9 J.P. Kambola from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ - both are originally from Toronto, ON and they both played for Ro Russell in his Grassroots Canada club team program.  So I decided to call Russell and find out what's the deal.  If you will recall, a year ago Wright led Salt Lake (JC) UT to the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Championship and, in the process, took home tournament MVP honors.  He also fell off the radar screen when he left Mt. San Jacinto (JC) CA in January due to an family emergency involving his mother and, as a result, did not complete his associates degree.  He also no longer counts as apart of Louisiana Tech's recruiting class and will not eligible to play at a four-year Division I college or university next year.  Instead, it appears that Wright is exploring options overseas and hopes to someday parlay that into a spot on a NBA roster.  Kambola still has a chance to make it academically and end up a Division I school next year.  But a lot is going to hinge on how well he does on the SAT when he takes it in early June.  And, if he makes a high enough score, then new Marshall head coach Tom Herrion is perfectly positioned to steal this long athletic shot blocking big man who is just oozing with upside and potential.  Currently we have Kambola ranked #168 nationally in the senior class.  And, if he does pick the Thundering Herd, then he will be the perfect complement to 6'3 Dante Holmes from Baltimore (St. Frances) MD, who picked Marshall three weeks ago, and 6'10 Aundra Williams from Indian River (JC) FL, who signed with Marshall last week.  Williams has grown two more inches in junior college and he's a physical presence who averaged 8.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg en route to first team All-Conference and FCCGA All-Tournament team honors.  Holmes is a strong physical athletic wing with the versatility and talent necessary to evolve into one of the better players in the league.  Other recent signings and commitments by players in junior college ranks that have caught our eye include 6'0 Tyree Graham from Brunswick (JC) NC to Rutgers, 6'6 Delwan Graham from Chipola (JC) FL to Jacksonville, 7'0 Beas Hamga from Weatherford (JC) TX to UAB, and 6'5 DeAndre Bynam from Southwest Tennessee State (JC) TN to Jacksonville State.  Graham is one of those well traveled guys who started his career at Durham (Southern Durham) NC and made stops at Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, Fayetteville (Village Christian Academy) NC, Texas Tech, and Harcaum (JC) PA prior to landing at Brunswick (JC) NC, where he averaged 17.4 ppg, 3.8 ppg, and 3.8 apg, shot 43% from beyond the arc, and scored 17 points in each of the two games in which his team played in the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.  He also committed 13 months ago to Binghamton, committed a month ago to UAB, and now has become apart of a recruiting class that also includes 6'9 Gilvyda Biruta from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ, 6'3 Austin Carroll from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, and 6'4 Mike Poole from Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ.  The other Graham was ranked #111 in our Final Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2008 and originally signed with LSU, where he averaged 1.7 ppg and 1.5 rpg as a freshman year before last.  And, while this raw athletic tough hardnosed undersized power forward obviously was in over his head in the Southeastern Conference, he has a chance to step in and immediately be one of the best players in the Atlantic Sun Conference while playing for Dolphins head coach Cliff Warren.  Hamga is ranked #35 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and he too has been around the block a few times.  If you will recall, this native of Cameroon was a consensus top 100-ranked senior when graduated from Decatur (Christian) GA in 2007.  However, he has yet to live up to the press clippings, as he played in only five games in two years at UNLV, spent a semester at Valparaiso, and was plagued by injuries most of this past season at Weatherford (JC) TX.  Bynam is ranked #83 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and averaged 9.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg this past season. 

Friday, May 21, 2010

Loyalty is always important and, in addition to hiring his entire staff (Van Macon as the Associate Head Coach, David Duke and Michael Kelly as assistant coaches, John Corso as the Director of Basketball Operations, and Mike DePaoli as the Video Coordinator) into the positions that they previously held at Hofstra, new Fordham head coach Tom Peroca also has three players that plan to follow him across town.  The first is 6'7 Marvin Dominique from Winchendon (School) MA, who signed with Hofstra last fall, but was released from his binding National Letter-of-Intent in April and earlier this month signed with Fordham.  The second is 6'3 Branden Frazier from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, who committed to Hoftsra in early March, but changed his mind after the coaching change and also signed with Fordham earlier this month.  The third is 6'0 Devon McMillan from Uniondale (H.S.) NY, who signed with Hofstra last fall, but now plans to reclassify, go the prep school route, and then be apart of Fordham's 2011 recruiting class.  The new regime also has landed 6'3 Lamount Samuell from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, who verbally committed to Robert Morris, but then changed his mind when he got wind that there might be a coaching change at that school, and 6'10 Kervin Bristol from Broward (JC) FL, who is ranked #69 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and averaged a double-double en route to 12.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg, and 5.8 bpg this past season.  Samuell is a quick point guard with nice size and good ball handling and passing skills, Frazier is an athletic 2-guard whose forte is 3-point shooting, and Dominique is a long athletic wing forward with a big upside and a deadly outside shot when he's on.  McMillan is ranked #208 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is best known for his ability to make things happen in transition and play tenacious defense.  In addition to the three above mentioned players (Dominique, Frazier, and Samuell), Hofstra also will be losing the team's second and third leading scorers in 6'8 Frosh Halil Kanacevic, who averaged 8.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg and is transferring to St. Joseph's, and 5'9 Frosh Chaz Williams, who averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.2 apg and is transferring to a school yet to be determined.  However, before you start to feel too sorry for new Hofstra head coach Mo Cassara, it's important to remember that 6'3 Jr Charles Jenkins, who averaged 20.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 3.9 apg this past season and is the two time player-of-the-year in the conference, will be back for his senior year.  And it looks like new Hofstra assistant coach Steve DeMeo hasn't lost his touch recruiting in the city after having served for a year as the head coach at Newberry College in the Division II ranks.  Already in the fold are a pair of local big men in 6'8 Roland Brown from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY and 6'8 Stephen Nwaukoni from Brooklyn (Edison) NY.  They also recently landed 6'3 Shemiye McLendon from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL, who is a crafty scorer and has a great mid-range game, and they appear to have the inside track for 6'2 J.T. Thomas from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL, who is one of the best point guards still available.  It also looks like you can chalk up a pair of early verbal commitments made by 6'4 Jr Levi Randolph from Madison (Bob Jones) AL and 6'5 Jr Rodney Cooper from Phenix City (Russell County) AL to the University of Alabama.  And this is especially important, because the race is on between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers to keep the top players at home.  Randolph is ranked #97 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is the second best junior in the state, behind 6'3 Jr Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL.  Randolph also has the length and athleticism necessary to fit into the Crimson Tide's up tempo style and is a winner, as is evident by the fact that he led his team to the Class 6A State Championship.  Cooper also has big time athleticism, is excellent defender, and is one of the fastest rising players in the Deep South after putting up prolific numbers this past season. 

Thursday, May 20, 2010

With the decision of 6'9 Terrence Jones from Portland (Jefferson) OR to renege on the verbal commitment that he made to the University of Washington and to sign last night with the University of Kentucky, there can be no doubt that one of the great recruiting stories in college basketball history is what Wildcats head coach John Calipari and his staff have managed to pull off this spring.  If you will recall, the only player that the Wildcats landed during the Fall Signing Period was 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL.  However, things started to get interesting when 6'10 Enes Kanter from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA  reneged on the verbal commitment that he made to the University of Washington in early February and picked the University of Kentucky in late March.  Then, 6'3 Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL and 6'5 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA followed suit and picked the Wildcats in early April.  And a week ago 6'11 Eloy Vargas from Miami-Dade (JC) FL also made it official for the Wildcats.  In other words, we're talking about the best recruiting class since the great Indiana University recruiting class that included Calbert Cheaney, Lawrence Funderburke, Greg Graham, Pat Graham, Chris Reynolds, Chris Lawson, and Todd Leary in 1989.  Currently we have Knight ranked #3, Jones ranked #12, Lamb ranked #13 nationally in the senior class and all three of those players were named to the prestigious McDonald All-American Team.  We also have Kanter ranked #1 in our Final Ranking of the Top 5th Year Players and Vargas, who was one of the best junior college players in the nation this past season, was ranked #22 nationally in our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2008.  In other words, the Wildcats have five players in this year's recruiting class who are the equivalent of a top 25-ranked or higher high school senior.  And, if Poole continues to improve at the same pace that he has during the last year, it's not inconceivable that he too could end up making money playing the game some day.  We also don't want to forget about 6'2 Jarrod Polson from Nicholasville (West Jessamine) KY, who is a walk-on that led his team to two consecutive trips to the Kentucky State High School Basketball Tournament.  Obviously all this gives Kentucky a recruiting class that is clearly better than the one it landed a year ago with the likes of 6'4 John Wall from Raleigh (Word of God) NC, 6'11 DeMarcus Cousins from Mobile (LeFlore) AL, 6'10 Daniel Orton from Oklahoma City (Bishop McGuiness) OK, 6'7 Darnell Dobson from Miami-Dade (JC)  FL, 6'0 Eric Bledsoe from Birmingham (Parker) AL, and 6'7 Jonathan Hood from Madisonville (North Hopkins) KY.   It also gives John Calipari and his staff more than enough firepower to replace the two graduating seniors - 6'7 Sr Ramon Harris and 6'9 Sr Perry Stevenson and the plethora of guys - 6'9 Jr Patrick Patterson, 6'7 Soph Darnell Dobson, 6'4 Frosh John Wall, 6'11 Frosh DeMarcus Cousins, 6'1 Frosh Eric Bledsoe, and 6'10 Frosh Daniel Orton - who have decided to forego the rest of their college eligibility and filed for early entry into this year's NBA Draft.  As things stand now, the Wildcats have six new scholarship players and four players - 6'10 Jr Josh Harrallson, 6'7 Soph Darius Miller, 6'6 Soph DeAndre Liggins, and 6'6 Frosh Jonathan Hood - who were already in the program.  So it's not conceivable that the Wildcats could add yet another player this spring.  Or they could add at least another couple of players, like 6'8 Jr Quincy Miller from High Point (Westchester Country Day) NC and 6'3 Jr Tony Wroten from Seattle (Garfield) WA, to next year's recruiting class, which already includes 6'8 Jr Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ and 6'2 Jr Marquis Teague form Indianapolis (Pike) IN, who are ranked #1 and #3 respectively in the junior class nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Are you starting to get the idea that Calipari is well on his way towards establishing himself as the best recruiter in the history of the game and that Wildcat assistant coach Orlando Antigua, who has been Calipari's right hand man on the recruiting trail, needs a big fat raise, if not a really good head coaching job of his own? 

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

It has to be one of the biggest coups of the Spring Signing Period.  We're talking about the fact that Fairfield has beaten schools like Boston College and Georgia Tech for 6'8 Majok Majok from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA.  If you will recall, Majok was one of our favorite players at the 2010 National Prep School Invitational when he finished with 19 points and used his toughness, energy, and athleticism to dominate in the low post.  He is tough on the boards, gets a lot of second chance points, sees the open man, can guard bigger and smaller guys equally well, and has long arms, good hands, and quick feet.  We're talking about the type of inside player who is ready to walk in and contribute right away next year as a college freshman.  The addition of Majok moves also the Stags' recruiting class, which also includes 6'2 Jamel Fields from Albany (Academies) NY, 6'7 Adam Jones from Winter Park (H.S.) FL, 6'4 Maurice Barrow from Middle Village (Christ the King) NY, and 6'5 Keith Matthews from Sebastian River (H.S.) FL, into a tie at #71, along with San Francisco, Nevada, Minnesota, and Wisconsin-Green Bay, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And, if that weren't enough Fairfield also is expected to get 6'5 Sr Rakim Sanders, who is transferring from Boston College after averaging 13.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 2.1 apg and playing 28.1 minutes per game last season.  However, even more important, Stags head coach Ed Cooley appears to have all of the pieces in place for his program to be one of the dominant team's in the league for years to come, as six of his top eight players return from a team that finished 23-11 overall and 13-5 in the conference this past season.  The other big news on this the last day of the Spring Signing Period is the signing of 6'7 Marcus Thornton from Atlanta (Westlake) GA by the University of Georgia.  Thornton is ranked #200 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and this athletic combo forward really doesn't have a true position.  But he's still an important catch for a number of reasons.  First, Thornton, who originally signed with Clemson, but got out his National Letter-of-Intent after the coaching change, is a high energy athlete who plays every possession like it might be his last.  Second, he was named the state's Mr. Basketball, which is important from an perception standpoint as Bulldogs head coach Mark Fox and his staff attempt to keep the top players in their backyard at home.  Third, they beat some pretty fast company, as his final list of schools also included Georgia Tech, Alabama, and Texas.  Fourth, the current regime continues to build a strong foundation, as Thornton joins 6'9 Donte Williams from Lithonia (Miller Grove) GA, 6'8 Cady Lalanne from Orlando (Oak Ridge) FL, and 6'2 Sherrard Brantley from Northwest (JC) FL, all of  whom also already have signed with the Bulldogs.  It also is being reported that 6'9 Alex Gavrilovic from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL has picked Providence, 6'9 Patrick Auda from the Czech Republic via Canary Islands in Spain has signed with Seton Hall, 6'8 Jr Seth Tuttle from Sheffield (West Fork) IA has made an early verbal commitment to Northern Iowa, and 6'5 Tashawn Mabry from Rocky Mount (H.S.) NC has made it official for Rhode Island.  And that last one is a major steal!  Mabry, who is ranked #212 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is an undersized beast inside and he broke Phil Ford's all-time school scoring record this past season.  And the guy who deserves most of the credit for getting this one done is Rams assistant coach Kevin Clark, who is one of the most astute recruiters in the business.  Mabry picked Rhode Island over Charlotte, Clemson, N.C. State, and UAB.  Tuttle is a versatile face-up four-man who averaged 20.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, and 2.6 bpg on a 22-1 team this past season.  Auda is a 6'9 power forward who appears to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Pirates after the collapse of Herb Pope in late April.  If will recall, this is the agile big man who finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3-7 3-pointers, and 8-17 field goals and impressed us with his agility, toughness, ability to able and shoot the three, and knack for finding ways to finish in traffic at the 2010 National Prep School Invitational.  Gavrilovic has a good combination of size and skills, a high arching 3-point shot, and a willingness to bang and compete inside. 

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

One of the primary things that Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson was looking for in this year's recruiting class was outside shooting and offensive fire power.  And that's exactly what he will get from the three junior college players - 6'4 Khalid Gerard from Technical Career Institutes (JC) NY, 6'0 Corey Jackson, 6'0, PG, Fashion Institute of Technology (JC) NY, and 6'8 Edis Dervisevic from Western Texas (JC) TX - that the 49ers landed this spring.  Gerard can flat out shoot, as is evident by the fact that he made nine 3-pointers twice during his career and seven 3-pointers four other times.  He also finished ranked sixth in the nation in the junior college ranks in scoring with 23.3 ppg and shot an incredible 49% from beyond the arc.  And so can Jackson (flat out fill it up), who averaged 20.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, and 1.5 spg and hit 35.3% from the beyond the arc.  Jackson also was named a Second Team NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Division III All-American and finished ranked 20th in the nation in scoring.  Dervisevic battled an assortment of injuries this past season while averaging only 5.2 ppg.  However, the previous year Dervisevic averaged 7.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg and shot 59.0% from the field and 48.3% from beyond the arc.  However, even more important, Dervisevic is a terrific passing big man and has a great feel for the game, which allows him to impact the game without ever scoring a point.  He's also a banger inside, which makes him ideally suited to step in and complement 6'8 Soph T.J. Robinson, who averaged a double-double with 15.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg and clearly was one of the best players in the league this past season.  And, when you also add 6'4 Jacob Thomas from Columbia Heights (H.S.) MN, 6'9 Nick Shepherd from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX, and 6'5 Shelton Boykin from Long Beach (Poly) CA, all of whom signed with the 49ers during the Fall Signing Period, into the equation, it's easy to see why we have Long Beach State's recruiting class tied at #49, along with Middle Tennessee State, Georgia State, and Liberty, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  However, even more important, the 49ers' recruiting class is ranked #1 in the league and five of their top eight players will be juniors next season.  We also are impressed with the additions that Stephen F. Austin has made this spring to a recruiting class that already included 6'2 Antonio Bostic from Neosho County (JC) KS, 5'9 Darius Gardner from Houston (Yates) TX, 6'5 J.J. Thomas from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA, and 6'4 Amos Olatayo from Alief (Alief-Elsik) TX.  We have 6'3 Desmond Haymon from Durant (William Sullivan) MS ranked #293 nationally in the senior class and 6'5 Dion Prewster from San Jacinto (JC) TX averaged a double-double with 13.5 ppg and 11.8 rpg while earning First Team All-Texas Junior College honors.  And, if that weren't enough, the Lumberjacks round out this eight-man recruiting class with 6'5 Zachary Downing from Arizona Western (JC) AZ, who averaged 8.7 ppg and shot 44% from behind the arc, and 6'6 Brandon Cutler from Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa (JC) OK, who is an under the radar type guy due to the fact he missed the better part of the last two seasons with foot injury that required several surgeries.  Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio has three things for us.  First, Rutgers has landed 6'3 Mike Poole from Newark (St Benedict's) NJ.  And this tough hardnosed athletic slashing 2-guard promises to be an excellent role player and a good piece to the puzzle for the Scarlet Knights.  Second is a list of schools, which includes Georgetown, Connecticut, Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, St. Joseph's, and George Mason, for 6'2 Jr Myles Davis from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ, who is ranked #69 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is one of the best 3-point shooters we saw all last winter.  Third, it looks like Hofstra may have steal on its hands with the addition of 6'8 Stephen Nwaukoni from Jamaica (Edison) NY, who is ranked #21 in the city's senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  "What he does best is rebound," says  Naclerio.  "He's never been coached and is really raw right now.  But Nwaukoni is a great kid and willing to work."  We also have confirmed that 6'4 Josh Elbaum from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA has made it official for the University of Vermont.  And what makes this one so intriguing is the fact Elbuam is a point guard good size and the ability to defend and make those around him better.  He also promises to be an excellent complement the other three players - 6'9 Ryan McKeaney from Marlton (Cherokee) NJ, 6'5 Brian Voelkel from New Rochelle (Iona Prep) NY, and 6'1 Sandro Carissimo from New Rochelle (Iona Prep) NY - who are already apart of the Catamounts' current recruiting.  It also looks like Auburn has landed 6'2 Chris Denson from Columbus (Shaw) GA, DePaul has gotten a commitment from 6'8 Cleveland Melvin from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and Sam Houston State has signed 6'6 Marcus James from Seward County (JC) KS.  James is ranked #101 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and averaged 10.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg this past season.  Melvin is a long lean raw athlete four-man with a lot of upside and potential.  Denison is an athletic point guard who is quick off the dribble, capable of putting up prolific numbers, and blossomed into one of the better players in the Peachtree State during his senior year in high school. 

Monday, May 17, 2010

It looks like Lamar head coach Steve Roccaforte, who previously worked as an assistant coach for John Calipari at the University of Memphis, is a chip off the old block as he and his staff have landed what appears to be an entire team.  We're talking about 10 players in a recruiting class that is now ranked #9 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  The latest addition is 6'1 Michael James from Eastern Arizona (JC) AZ.  And he might just be the best of the bunch.  James is a true combo guard, which means he is capable of playing either guard spot equally well.  However, James had to carry the load on his junior college team and, as a result, put up prolific numbers to the tune of 25.9 ppg, 3.9 agp, and 1.8. spg this past season.  And James isn't the only player in this recruiting class who can light up a scoreboard.  Did you know that 6'2 Devon Lamb from Southwestern Christian (JC) TX, who was named a Second Team NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Division I All-American and averaged 27.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, and 5.6 apg, finish first in scoring and 13th leading rebounding in the junior college ranks and 6'6 Brandon Davis from Southwestern Christian (JC) TX, who averaged 20.8  ppg and 5.7 apg and shot 111-232 (47.%) from beyond the arc, finished ranked #15 in the nation in scoring and fifth in the nation in 3-point shooting?  There also is 6'1 Tremell Adams from South Suburban (JC) IL, who was named the Region IV Player-of-the-Year and a First Team All-American in the Division II junior college ranks and averaged 22.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 3.3 apg and shot 74-197 (38%) from behind the arc, and 6'5 Vincenzo Nelson from Itawamba (JC) MS, who was his team's leading scorer and rebounder and 12.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg and also took home game MVP honors in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game with 15 points and 12 rebounds.  In other words, it looks like Roccaforte is stockpiling the kind of firepower and scoring necessary to do his former boss and mentor (Billy Tubbs) proud, as the Cardinals have the potential to average over 100 ppg next season.  And, if that weren't enough, Lamar also has four in-state high school players in 6'1 Tre Lynch from Lancaster (H.S.) TX, 6'8 Michale Kyser from Lancaster (H.S.) TX, 6'4 Demetris Smith from Pflugerville (H.S.) TX, and 6'7 Darius Harris from Port Arthur (Memorial) TX and an undersized  junior college big man in 6'7 Orlando Brazier from California Community (JC) CA in this year's recruiting class.  One we're not quite sure what to do with is 6'9 Eric Moreland from Missouri City (Hightower) TX via Bayville (Ocean Academy) NJ and the University of Texas-El Paso, where he enrolled into school in early January and sat out the remainder of the season while practicing with the team as a red-shirt freshman.  However, after the coaching change at UTEP, Moreland decided to look elsewhere and late last week he signed a financial aid agreement with Oregon State.  So suddenly the question becomes is Moreland a new recruit or is he a transfer?  If he is eligible to play right away, it's the former.  On the other hand, if he has to sit out a year, it's the latter.  And that's the direction we're leaning, at least until we hear otherwise.  As for Moreland, he appears to be an under the radar type guy who grew five inches between his high junior year and senior year in high school.  He's also long and athletic, which allows him to be a good shot blocker and rebounder, and runs the court and excels in an up tempo setting, which makes him tailor made to be the replacement for Seth Tarver at the top of  the Beavers' 1-3-1 press.  So it looks Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson and his staff have landed the perfect complement to 5'8 Ahmad Starks from Chicago (Whitney Young) IL, 6'8 Devon Collier from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'7 Reese Murphy from Lee (Academy) ME, and 6'11 Chris Brown from Bayville (Ocean Academy) NJ in a recruiting class that is now tied at #31, along with Connecticut, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  If you will recall, Starks is a jet quick point guard who creates all kinds of havoc and makes things happen in transition.  Collier is a skilled power forward who is ranked #43 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  Murphy is an athletic 2-guard originally from Australia who can shoot the lights out.  And Brown is a 6'11, 245-pound, post player with a powerful upper body and the potential to develop into a big time player.  If we add Moreland to this group, then Oregon State's recruiting class would be tied at #21 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And, if we also were to include 6'4 Frosh Roberto Nelson, who sat out all of last season, but now has been cleared to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse, then the Beavers' recruiting class would be ranked #6 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  We also think new University of Hawaii head coach Gib Arnold and his staff have struck gold once again with the addition of 5'11 Anthony Salter from Iowa Western (JC) IA, who is ranked #3 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and averaged 12.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, and 2.8 apg for one of the top junior college programs in the nation this past season.  Salter is an up tempo point guard who uses his speed and quickness beat you in transition, pull-up and hit the mid-range jumper, and more than just keep you honest from behind the arc.  He also promises to be a terrific complement to 6'1 Bobby Miles from City of Industry (Workman) CA, who might have been the biggest sleeper to emerge this spring and three weeks ago made it official for the Warriors.  Miles is best described as a tough hardnosed competitor who plays excellent defense, knows how to run a team and make those around him better, and can score in a variety of ways.  And this is important, because Salter and Miles should be interchangeable in the backcourt, as well as exactly what the doctor ordered to go along with all of the other players in the Warriors' recruiting class, which is now ranked #7 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010 and also includes 6'7 Trevor Wiseman from Valencia (Golden Valley) CA, 6'10 Vander Joaquin from Eastern Utah (JC) UT, 6'8 Dominck Brumfield from Big Bend (JC) WA, 6'7 Josten Thomas from Southern Idaho (JC) ID, 6'4 Jordan Coleman from Calabasas (H.S.) CA, and 6'4 Bo Barnes from Phoenix (Westwind Prep) AZ.  It also looks like La Salle with the addition of 6'3 Cole Stefan from Minnetonka (H.S.) MN, Penn State with the addition of 6'8 Jonathan Graham from Towson (Calvert Hall) MD, and Ole Miss with the addition of 6'9 Steadman Short from Chipola (JC) FL have done well for themselves as the Spring Signing Period continues to wind down.  Short is a skilled power forward who is ranked #44 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com.  Stefan is ranked #194 nationally in the senior class and is a terrific 3-point shooter.  And Graham is a long athletic skilled four-man with a big upside. 

Saturday, May 15, 2010, & Sunday, May 16, 2010

It is the editorial policy of the HOOP SCOOP to state the obvious before it becomes obvious.  I mention this because earlier today Kenny Gillion, who, along with his brothers, runs the Team Breakdown club team program, called to tip me off about 6'11 Eloy Vargas from Miami-Dade (JC) FL picking the University of Kentucky over North Carolina, Arizona, and Seattle.  Vargas was ranked #22 nationally in our Final Ranking of the Top Players in the Class of 2008 two years ago when he was a senior at Plantation (American Heritage and he averaged 21.1 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 3.4 bpg, and 2.0 spg this past season in the junior college ranks.  In other words, the Wildcats have landed the athletic power forward that they were looking for to help fill the void created by defections of 6'11 Frosh DeMarcus Cousins, 6'9 Jr Patrick Patterson, and 6'10 Frosh Daniel Orton, all of whom earlier this spring decided to forgo the rest of their college eligibility and enter the NBA Draft.  At 6'11, 215 pounds, Vargas still needs to get bigger and stronger physically.  However, he's an agile, mobile, coordinated athletic four-man who can block shots and run the court with the best of them.  He also has good hands, nice footwork, and can pop out and knocked down the mid-range and long range shot.  The fact that he's a straight "A" student and probably isn't a one-and-done type of guy are just added bonuses.  The obvious connection here is University of Kentucky assistant coach Orlando Antigua, who recruited Vargas the first time around when he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh.  But at the time Vargas instead opted to attend the University of Florida, which did not turn out to be a good move, as he got only limited playing time as a freshman during the 2008-2009 season and then decided to go the junior college route.  The addition of Vargas also is enough to squeak the Wildcats over the top with the #1-ranked recruiting class, which is something we've been telling you for months was likely to happen.  If you will recall, the Wildcats also already have 6'3 Brandon Knight from Ft. Lauderdale (Pine Crest) FL, 6'10 Enes Kanter from Simi Valley (Stoneridge Prep) CA, 6'5 Doron Lamb from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'5 Stacey Poole from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL, and 6'2 Jarrod Polson from Nicholasville (West Jessamine) KY in the fold and there also still appears to be a chance that 6'9 Terrence Jones from Portland (Jefferson) OR could renege on his commitment to the University of Washington and sign with the Wildcats.  And, if that happens, we'd be talking about the best recruiting classes to come down the pike since the great Indiana University recruiting class in 1989, which featured Calbert Cheaney, Lawrence Funderburke, Greg Graham, Pat Graham, Chris Reynolds, Chris Lawson, and Todd Leary.  On the other hand, if the Wildcats turn out to be done for the spring, their recruiting class  would be ranked exactly the same as it was a year ago with 41 points and six players - 6'4 John Wall from Raleigh (Word of God) NC, 6'11 DeMarcus Cousins from Mobile (LeFlore) AL, 6'10 Daniel Orton from Oklahoma City (Bishop McGuiness) OK, 6'7 Darnell Dobson from Miami-Dade (JC)  FL, 6'0 Eric Bledsoe from Birmingham (Parker) AL, and 6'7 Jonathan Hood from Madisonville (North Hopkins) KY.  We also think that it's important to point out that University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari helped lay the foundation for the #2-ranked recruiting class on our list of Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010 back when he was the head coach at the University of Memphis.  That class also has 41 points and includes 6'0 Joe Jackson from Memphis (White Station) TN, 6'8 Will Barton from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, 6'6 Jelan Kendrick from Marietta (Wheeler) GA, 6'8 Tarik Black from Memphis (Ridgeway) TN, 6'4 Chris Crawford from Memphis (Sheffield) TN, 6'0 Antonio Barton from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 6'8 Hippolyte Tsafack from Charlottesville (The Miller School) VA.  But Tigers have seven players in this year's recruiting class compared to the Wildcats, which only have six and, as a result, that breaks the tie. 

Friday, May 14, 2010

The University of Oregon got a steal a week-and-a-half ago when the Ducks landed 5'10 Jonathan Loyd from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV and, now that 6'8 Tyrone Nared from Monroe (JC) NY has gotten out of the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed with Creighton and is following new University of Oregon head coach Dana Altman to Eugene, OR, it looks like they are now two-for-two in terms hitting the jackpot this spring.  The two things that this versatile athletic combo forward does best are shoot 3-pointers and block shots.  He averaged 12.0 ppg and 9.7 rpg and led his team to a 29-8 record and a 7th Place finish in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Tournament.  Nared's decision not to attend Creighton also opens up a scholarship for 6'7 Doug McDermott from Ames (H.S.) IA, who originally signed with Northern Iowa, to play for his father (Greg McDermott), who is the new head coach of the Bluejays.  We also are interested to see what is going to happen with regards to Kenny Payne, who still has two years remaining on his contract with the University of Oregon at $400,000 for next year and $425,000 in 2011-2012.  Altman has already gone on record saying that he definitely wants Payne to be apart of his coaching staff, which also already includes Brian Fish, who was Altman's top recruiter at Creighton.  But right now it appears that Payne is exploring his options and it wouldn't surprise us one bit if Payne ended up at the University of Kentucky.  Remember, just yesterday Wildcats assistant coach Rod Strickland was voluntarily reassigned to an administrative position within the program and, as a result, University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari suddenly has an opening on his coaching staff.  And Payne has all the right connections to get the job.  Remember, Payne was a teammate of Milt Wagner on the University of Louisville's 1986 NCAA Championship team and Wagner worked for Calipari at the University of Memphis.  Payne also is recognized as one of the recruiters in the business and has a great rapport with the players and alumni at the University of Oregon.  Speaking of Wagner, he also could be a possibility to fill the open spot on the Wildcats' coaching staff.  And, if Calipari makes that hire, it really would ironic in light of the fact that University of Louisville did not to recruit Wagner's son (Dajuan Wagner) back in the final years of the Denny Crum era.  As for Wagner, he's spent the last four years at UTEP and, along with Miners assistant coach Tony Madlock, and Randall Dickey, has followed Tony Barbee from UTEP to Auburn.  It also looks like DePaul has gotten an early verbal commitment from 6'4 Jr Jamie Crockett from Crete (Crete-Monee) IL and the new regime at East Carolina has signed its second player this spring.  We're talking about 6'8 Robert Sampson from Potomac (The Bullis School) MD, who, just like his father (Ralph Sampson), is more of a finesse big man than a force to be reckoned with inside.  Sampson is a good 3-point shooter, but it's the likelihood that he will continue to grow and the fact that he's only just beginning to scratch the surface of his upside and potential.  Sampson joins 6'5 Tony Smith from Seward County (JC) KS, who averaged 14.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.5 apg, 2.3 spg, is ranked #38 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com, and signed with the Pirates a couple of weeks ago.  Crockett is not a highly touted player, but he is a phenomenal athlete and does provide an important link into the Mac Irvin Fire club team program. 

Thursday, May 13, 2010

The most interesting thing that we've run across in terms of signings and commitments within the last several days has been the University of Maryland's signing of 6'10 Berend Weijs from the Netherlands via Harcum (JC) PA.  We're talking about a 6'10, 210-pound shot blocking big man with the athleticism, agility, and coordination necessary to be very fluid around the basket and to run the court like a deer.  In other words, we're not talking your stereotypical European player who is slow, mechanical, and cumbersome.  He averaged 6.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 4.4 bpg this past season.  But those numbers are deceptive as he was apart of a three-man rotation at center on a team that led the country in scoring with 109.6 ppg, 3-pointers made, and 3-point percentage and finished ranked #3 in the country with 26-3 record.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Weijs shot 65.7% from the field, has a great work ethic, and is a tremendous competitor.  He's also a terrific student and still has a big upside.  Weijs does need to get bigger and stronger physically, but the Terrapins have a good strength and conditioning program, which means he has the potential to be the next in a long line of players blossom while playing for Maryland head coach Gary Williams.  Ironically, everybody in the Terps' current recruiting class, which currently is ranked #28 nationally on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010, falls into this category.  If you will recall, 6'5 Mychal Parker from Charlottesville (The Miller School) VA is a skilled athletic wing forward who checks in at #92 in our Ranking of the Players Nationally in the Class of 2010.  We don't include 6'3 Pe'Shon Howard from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA on our list of the top seniors nationally, because he's a 5th Year Player.  But he is a tough hardnosed combo guard who is like a jack-of-all-trades and his team usually wins.  There are questions about whether 6'0 Terrell Stoglin from Tucson (Santa Rita) AZ can physically get it done in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.  But nobody can question this scoring point guard's ability to put up prolific numbers.  He also can run the show and find the open man.  Everybody likes the versatility, athleticism, and skill set of 6'6 Hauker Palsson from Montverde (Academy) FL.  But it's his upside and potential that gets everybody excited.  There also is 6'8 Ashton Pankey from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, who is an athletic four-man with great hands, quick hops, an excellent motor, and the ability to get up and down the court like a true thoroughbred.  He does need to develop his offensive repertoire, get bigger and stronger physically, and remain injury free (he missed his entire senior season with a stress fracture).  But, like all of the other players in the University of Maryland's current recruiting class, what we like most about Pankey are his upside and potential.  And who better to help these guys realize their potential than Maryland assistant David Adkins, who is recognized as one of the best player development coaches in the game today?  And who better to coach them than Gary Williams, who year- in and year-out always seems to have his team in the upper half of the league?  It also looks like new Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach Brian Wardle has not missed a beat since his former boss (Tod Kowalczyk) left in early April to take a similar position at the University of Toledo.  The latest addition being 6'5 Jarvis Williams from Kirkland (JC) IA, who averaged 16.5 ppg and 8.8 rpg and shot 51.0% from the field on a team that went 25-7 on the season and finished third in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.  We're talking about a big time athlete who is versatile enough to play both the three and the four, is a tough hardnosed competitor, and is an excellent defender.  Williams joins 6'2 Steven Baker from Southeastern Iowa (JC) IA and 7'0 Alec Brown from Winona (Senior) MN, both of whom also have been signed this spring by the new regime, and 6'3 Kameron Cerroni from Sussex (Hamilton) WI and 6'6 Daniel Turner from Mount Vernon (H.S.) IN, both of whom were signed last fall, in a recruiting class that is now tied at #69, along with San Francisco, Nevada, and Minnesota, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  And, if we included transfers in our ranking of the top recruiting classes, the Phoenix would be ranked even higher due to the fact that they also have 6'7 Frosh Tyler Brown, who transferred back in January from Illinois State to Wisconsin-Green Bay, and 6'0 Terry Johnson, who transferred from Illinois State to Wisconsin-Green Bay earlier this spring, waiting in the wings.  It also looks like 6'2 Jr Scott Wilbekin from Gainesville (The Rock School) FL will follow in the footsteps of 6'2 Jr Matt Carlino from Bloomington (South) IN, who plans to graduate from high school a year early and enroll into college this fall.  In the case of Wilbekin, he will attempt to complete the remaining credits that he needs to graduate this spring and summer and become apart of the University of Florida's current recruiting class.  And this is important, because the addition of Wilbekin, who is ranked #222 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and promises to be an excellent role player for the Gators, moves Florida's recruiting class, which also already includes 6'8 Patric Young from Jacksonville (Providence School) FL, 6'8 Cody Larson, from Sioux Falls (Roosevelt) SD, 6'6 Casey Prather from Jackson (Northside) TN, and 6'6 Will Yeguete from Melbourne (Florida Air Academy) FL, into a tie at #10, along with California, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010. 

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The signing and commitments have finally slowed down enough for us to stop and take a quick look at where things currently stand with regards to the Class of 2011.  And, believe it or not, 24 of our top 50-ranked juniors are already off the board.  This list includes 6'8 Jr Michael Gilchrist from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ to Kentucky, 6'2 Jr Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN to Kentucky, 6'8 Jr James McAdoo from Norfolk (Christian) VA to North Carolina, 6'2 Jr Myck Kabongo from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV to Texas, 6'2 Jr Jamal Branch from Arlington (Grace Prep) TX to Texas A&M, 6'7 Jr Aaron Ross from Little Rock (Parkview) AR to Arkansas, 6'5 Jr Wayne Blackshear from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL to Louisville, 6'5 Jr Samuel "P.J. Hairston from Greensboro (Dudley) NC to North Carolina, 6'3 Jr Bradley Beal from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO to Florida, 6'5 Jr Sheldon McClellan from Houston (Bellaire) TX to Texas, 6'0 Jr Marquavius "Deville" Smith from Jackson (Callaway) MS to Mississippi State, 6'2 Jr Shannon Scott from Alpharetta (Milton) GA to Ohio State, 6'6 Jr Michael Gbinije from Richmond (Benedictine) VA to Duke, 6'4 Jr Kevin Ware from Conyers (Rockdale) GA to Tennessee, 6'4 Jr Trevor Cooney from Hockessin (Sanford) DE to Syracuse, 6'1 Jr John Johnson from Philadelphia (Girard College) PA to Pittsburgh, 6'7 Jr C.J. Barksdale from Danville (George Washington) VA to Virginia Tech, 6'0 Jr Sterling Gibbs from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ to Maryland, 5'11 Jr Marquis "Jerrell" Rankin from Charlotte (Vance) NC to Virginia Tech, 5'9 Jr Chris Jones from Memphis (Melrose) TN to Tennessee, 6'5 Jr Brandon Kearney from Detroit (Southeastern) MI to Michigan State, 6'2 Jr Matt Carlino from Bloomington (South) IN to UCLA, 6'7 Jr Grady Glaze from Andover (Proctor Academy) NH to UNLV, 6'9 Jr Tyler Adams from Brandon (H.S.) MS to Duke.  And when we dig a little deeper we find that 13 players in the 51-100 range also have already made early verbal commitments to Division I schools and universities.  This list includes 6'0 Jr Naadir Tharpe from Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH to Providence, 6'6 Jr Ryan Taylor from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN to Louisville, 6'8 Jr DeAndre Daniels from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA to Texas, 6'2 Jr Carlton Brundidge from Southfield (H.S.) MI to Michigan, 6'4 Jr Julien Lewis from Galveston (La Marque) TX to Texas, 6'10 Jr James "Zac" Price from Lakewood (St. Edwards) OH to Louisville, 6'4 Jr Achraf Yacoubou from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY to Villanova, 6'10 Jr Hunter Mickelson from Jonesboro (Westside) AR to Arkansas, 6'2 Jr Gelaun Wheelright from Corona (Centennial) CA to USC, 6'5 Jr Elgin Cook from Milwaukee (Hamilton) WI to Iowa State, 5'11 Jr Shabazz Napier from Groton (Lawrence Academy) MA to Connecticut, 6'3 Jr John Isaac from Leesville (Pickering) LA to LSU, 6'1 Jr Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL to Illinois, and 6'6 Jr Austin Etherington from Arcadia (Hamilton Heights) IN to Indiana.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that 10 of the 38 above mentioned players (Gilchrist, Kabongo, Blackshear, Beal, Scott, Cooney, Carlino, Glaze, Adams, and Daniels) have picked a school that is not located in their own state or in a neighboring state.  That's over 25% and, in almost every case, they did so without having made an official visit to the school.  In other words, it's more important than ever to get players on campus when they are young for unofficial visits.  We also think it's important to point out that although Carlino is a junior, he signed a binding National Letter-of-Intent late last week and plans to enroll at UCLA this fall.  And Tharpe, Daniels, and Napier will be 5th Year Players next year and, as a result, they too will not be included in our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2011 once we move everybody up in class on July 1st.  A quick look at our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011 shows that once again schools in the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference are winning the recruiting war, as the former accounts for six of the top 20-ranked recruiting classes with Kentucky at #2, Tennessee at #7, Arkansas tied at #9, Mississippi tied at #12, and Mississippi State and Florida, which are tied at #15, and the latter accounts for four of the top 20-ranked recruiting classes with Virginia Tech at #4, North Carolina at #5, and Duke and Maryland, which are tied at #15.  And this comes right on the heels of this year's current recruiting classes, as the Atlantic Coast Conference with Wake Forest at #6, Virginia at #7, North Carolina at #8, N.C. State #15, and Duke at #16 leads the way and the Southeastern Conference with Kentucky at #4, Auburn at #11, Florida at #19, and Tennessee tied at #20 checks in second, as they account for almost half of the top 20-ranked recruiting classes.  We also think it is interesting to mention that Kentucky, which is ranked #4 in 2010 and ranked #2 in 2011; North Carolina, which is ranked #8 in 2010 and ranked #5 in 2011; Ohio State, which is ranked #2 in 2010 and ranked #16 in 2011; Duke, which is ranked #16 in 2010 and ranked #9 in 2011, Tennessee, which is tied at #20 in 2010 and ranked and #7 in 2011; and Florida, which is ranked #19 in 2010 and ranked #16 in 2011.  Obviously this is important, because, when a school starts putting together back-to-back top 20-ranked recruiting classes, it's usually a harbinger of good things to come.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

It looks like our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin was right on the money last night when he told us that 6'7 Ron Roberts from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ was a done deal for St. Joseph's.  And this is huge due for several reasons.  First, Roberts is an athletic four-man who is active around the basket and is versatile enough to step out and beat you with his outside shooting.  Second, Roberts has that North Jersey toughness and he is a real competitor.  Third, he is good enough to be ranked among the top 100 seniors nationally when we publish our Final Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2010.  And he's not the only player who is major steal for the Hawks in this year's recruiting class.  If you will recall, we have 6'3 Langston Galloway from Baton Rouge (Christian Life) LA ranked #79 nationally in the senior class and Rubin tells us that 6'10 C.J. Aiken from Plymouth Meeting (Plymouth Whitemarsh) PA has evolved into the best senior in the Philadelphia area, ahead of 6'2 Tony Chennault from Philadelphia (Neumann-Goretti) PA and 6'1 Tyrone Garland from Philadelphia (John Bartam) PA, both of whom are ranked among our top 100 seniors nationally.  Aiken is a long lean athletic big man who is a terrific shot blocker, excellent rebounder, and a good mid-range shooter.  He also has a huge upside and the potential to become one of the best players in the league.  Rubin also has 6'6 Daryus Quarles from Paulsboro (H.S.) NJ ranked #5 in the senior class in the area and 6'4 Patrick Swilling from New Orleans (Brother Martin) LA is a big time athlete and a major sleeper out of the Deep South.  So it's easy to see why Rubin thinks this will be one of the best recruiting classes in the history school and why we have this class tied at #35, along with Florida International, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  However, even more important, the Hawks have the best recruiting class in the league and the horses necessary to turn things around in a hurry.  We also have confirmed that Idaho State has added an eighth player - 6'11 Kamil Gawrzydek from North Platte (JC) NE - to a recruiting class that is now tied at #39, along with Boston University, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010 and already includes 6'0 Kenny McGowan from Sequoias (JC) CA, 6'4 Andre Hatchett from Tucson (Santa Rita) AZ, 6'5 Chase Grabau from North Platte (JC) NE, 6'3 Nick Mason from Memphis (Southwind) TN, 6'9 Abner Moreira from Western Wyoming (JC) WY, 6'9 Justin Brunswick from Middletown (Madison) OH, and 6'6 Brandon Glanz from Las Vegas (Coronado) NV.  Gawrzydek only averaged 3.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg this past season, but he was slowed by injuries and, at 6'10, 260 pounds, is the big strong physical presence that Idaho State head coach Joe O'Brien and his staff were looking for as they brought in a little bit of everything in this year's recruiting class.  McGowan is the experienced point guard who can run the show.  Hatchett has the size and ability to be a tough match-up out on the wing.  Grabau is a good all-around player who can do a little bit of everything.  Mason is a great 3-point shooter.  Moreira is a face-up four-man.  Brunswick is an excellent shot blocker.  And Glanz is a prolific scoring undersized 4-man who averaged 25.8 ppg and 16.7 rpg this past season.  It also looks like Ball State hit the daily double a couple of weeks ago when they added 6'2 Tyrae Robinson from Gary (Bowman Academy) IN and 6'4 Chris Bond from Gary (Bowman Academy) IN to a recruiting class that already included 6'7 Matt Kamieniecki from Clarkston (H.S.) MI, 5'11 Marvin Jordan from Peoria (Manual) IL, and 6'7 Jay Copeland from Suffolk (King's Fork) VA.  Like so many players from the Northwest Region of Indiana, Robinson and Bond both have been flying under the radar screen both nationally and state wide.  But I sure liked them when I saw them at the Marshall County Hoopfest in early December.  If you will recall Robinson, who is a scoring point guard, used his speed and quickness and knack for finding a way to score to finish with 21 points, four rebounds, 7-14 field goals, and 2-4 3-pointers.  Bond who is a world-class athlete that gets to the basket seemingly anytime he wants, chipped in with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  When one also remembers that Kamieniecki is a skilled four-man, Copeland is an athletic post player, and Jordan is a true point guard and excellent distributor, it's easy to see why the Cardinals' recruiting class is now tied at #85, along with Morehead State, Utah State, and Illinois-Chicago, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The word on the street is that 6'9 Frosh David Wear and 6'9 Frosh Travis Wear have both decided to transfer to UCLA.  And, assuming that this is true, it puts the Bruins coaching staff in a very interesting predicament.  As things stand now, UCLA has seven players - 6'2 Jr Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, 6'4 Soph Malcolm Lee, 6'8 Frosh Reeves Nelson, 6'7 Frosh Tyler Honeycutt, 6'9 Frosh Brendan Lane, 6'10 Frosh Anthony Stover, and 6'2 Frosh Jermaine Anderson - who will return next season and four players - 6'8 Josh Smith from Covington (Kentwood) WA, 6'5 Tyler Lamb from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'1 Lazeric Jones from John A. Logan (JC) IL, and 6'3 Matt Carlino from Bloomington (South) IN - in a recruiting class that is now tied at #22, along with Louisville, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  So, if you add both of the Wear's into the equation, UCLA will have 13 players on scholarship next year with only one senior in the program and they are actively recruiting a lot of players in the junior class, like 6'3 Jr Norman Powell from San Diego (Lincoln) CA, 6'10 Jr Norvel Pelle from Los Angeles (Price) CA, 6'5 Jr Amir Garrett from Lawndale (Leuzinger) CA, 6'9 Jr Paulin Npawe from Redlands (East Valley) CA, 6'8 Jr Ryan Anderson from Long Beach (Poly) CA, 6'4 Jr Spencer Dinwiddle from Woodlands Hills (Taft) CA, 6'4 Jr Nick Kerr from San Diego (Torrey Pines) CA.  They should be able to find an academic scholarship for Abdul-Hamid, who will be a 5th Year senior next year and is such a good student that he was accepted to go to Harvard when he was senior in high school.  And they might be able to find another scholarship or two, if Lee and/or Honeycutt have a stellar year next year and decide to enter the 2011 NBA Draft.  Or it's possible that Anderson and/or Stover could eventually follow in the footsteps of Drew Gordon, J'Mison Morgan, and Mike Moser, all of whom are in the process of transferring to other schools this spring.  We also are very intrigued by the fact that Indiana University signed 7'1 Guy-Marc Michal from North Idaho (JC) ID over the weekend.  We're talking about somebody with a 7'6 wing span and weighs in at 256 pounds.  He's also already 21-years-old, gained valuable experience while playing on the 20-Under French National Team, and averaged 7.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 3.1 bpg this past season.  His defense and shot blocking are way ahead of his offense, but new Hoosiers assistant coach Steve McClain, who had been recruiting Michal when he was at the University of Colorado, already had all of the right connections to get this one done.  He also appears to be exactly what the doctor ordered to provide an immediate physical presence inside for the Hoosiers and he should be an excellent complement to 6'5 Victor Oladipo from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and 6'5 Will Sheehey from Weston (Sagemont) FL, both of whom are already apart of the Indiana's current recruiting class.  And the best may be yet to come as the Hoosiers appear to be among the leaders for some of top juniors and sophomores in the state, including 6'9 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN, 6'4 Soph D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera from Indianapolis (North Central) IN, 6'3 Soph Ron Patterson from Indianapolis (Broad Ripple) IN, and 6'4 Soph Gary Harris from Fishers (Hamilton Southeastern) IN.  As a matter of fact, one of the hot rumors that we kept hearing over the weekend at the 2010 Indiana AAU Boys Basketball National Qualifier was that early verbal commitments from two or three of the above mentioned players are imminent in the near future.  And what would you think if 7'0 Soph Tyler Zeller transferred from North Carolina to Indiana and became apart of a package that included both him and his younger brother?  We have no idea if there is any validity to this rumor.  But it is interesting and it is out there.  We also have confirmed that 6'2 Ben Burst from Mundelein (H.S.) IL, who is ranked #175 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and recently changed his mind about going to the University of Iowa, has found another system that he is ideally suited to step into at the University of Wisconsin.  There also are reports about 6'5 Jr Mychael Henry from Chicago (Orr) IL, whose great work ethic, big time athleticism, and knack for getting to the basket make him one of the fastest rising players in the state, making an early verbal commitment to the University of Illinois.  The addition of Henry continues to give the Fighting Illini a great head start on the future in a recruiting class that also already includes 6'10 Jr Nnanna Egwu from Chicago (St. Ignatius) IL and 6'1 Jr Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL and is ranked #8 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  It also looks like 6'11 Jr Dennis Clifford from Milton (Academy) MA has made an early verbal commitment to Boston College.  We like this agile big man's wing span, good hands, soft shooting touch, and excellent post moves.  But we wonder whether he'll be able to develop physically and gain the strength necessary in order to evolve into a quality big man in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin reminds us that a week ago 5'10 Rakeem Brookins from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA verbally committed to Siena and earlier this evening he received an unconfirmed report about 6'7 Ron Roberts from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ picking St. Joseph's over Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Oklahoma.  If you will recall, Roberts was terrific when we saw him in the Prime Time Shootout in early February and, as a result, we think this athletic four-man who is active around the basket and can step out and also keep out honest with his outside shooting is an absolute steal for the Hawks.  Brookins is a 5'11 2-guard, but he can flat out shoot the basketball, which makes him an excellent catch for the Saints.   

Friday, May 7, 2010, Saturday, May 8, 2010, & Sunday, May 9, 2010

Who do you like better - 6'2 Jr Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN or 6'6 Jr Brandon Dawson from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN?  That's the question a lot of people were asking this weekend at the 2010 Indiana AAU Boys Basketball National Qualifier at Franklin Community High School in Franklin, IN.  Dawson is an incredible athlete with great hands, a tremendous wing span, and that Gary toughness, which he uses to rule the boards and dominate around the basket.  He's also an extremely quick jumper, has a better outside shot than most people give him great for having, and is second to none when it comes hitting a teammate on the fast break with the outlet pass.  We're talking about a guy who list of schools includes Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, UCLA, Marquette, Georgetown, and Louisville and is good enough to be ranked among the top 10 players nationally the next time we update our Ranking of the Top Players Nationally in the Class of 2011.  However, in the final analysis it doesn't matter how much we like Dawson's game.  He's just not better than Teague, who is so quick and athletic, has so much natural talent, and has such good handling and passing skills that he is almost impossible to stop off the dribble.  Teague does need to become more consistent and play harder at times.  But his game is on another level and, even though he wasn't hitting his shot in the championship game, he was finding the open man and making his teammates better.  The main beneficiary in the title game was 6'1 Jr Demetrius Lawson from Zionsville (H.S.) IN, who finished with 22 points and three 3-pointers against a loaded SYF Players team, which featured Dawson, 6'9 Jr Mitch McGeary from Chesterton (H.S.) IN, 6'0 Jr Travis Trice from Huber Heights (Wayne) IN, 6'0 Jr Brandon Clark from Merrillville (H.S.) IN, and 6'4 Jr Jeremiah Jones from Merrillville (H.S.) IN.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that Progeny jumped out to a six-point early lead against the SYF Players and was only down by one at the half, despite the fact that Teague only had two points prior to the intermission.  Teague did end up scoring 19 points.  But down the stretch the SYF Players slowly but surely opened things up en route to a 80-71 victory in the 17-Under Championship Game.  Dawson was the leading scorer with 25 points and McGeary, who is one of the biggest sleepers in the nation due to the fact that he missed most of last season with injuries, chipped in with 17 points.  We also were impressed with McGeary's athleticism, ability to run the court, and step outside and keep you honest with his outside shooting.  Another sleeper who makes things happen with his speed and quickness is 6'0 Jr Brandon Clark from Merrillville (H.S.) IN, who finished with 20 points in the championship game.  He can beat you with his outside shot, has a knack for getting to the basket, and along with Trice, creates all kind of havoc in transition and at the defensive end.  Trice only had six points in the championship game, but put up prolific numbers most of the weekend and had one game where he had five 3-pointers.  Jones doesn't have a true position, but he had 10 points in the championship game and you have to like his strength, athleticism, ability to slash to the basket, and 3.5 gpa.  The other big story at this year's 2010 Indiana AAU Boys Basketball National Qualifier was Indiana Elite South's stunning 77-63 win against the SYF Players in the championship game of the 15-Under Division.  The SYF Players clearly had the best player in the game in 5'9 Frosh DeAndre Williams from Gary (Lew Wallace) IN, who finished with 19 point and has jet-like speed and quickness and is great going coast-to-coast.  However, former Bowling Green head coach Dan Dakich had a pair of coaches' sons on his team (his own and Evansville head coach Marty Simmons' son) and they did an excellent job of running motion, making shots, and keeping the SYF Players from getting into any kind of rhythm.  The star of the game was 6'3 Frosh Blake Simmons from Castle (H.S.) IN, who finished with 25 points and made a living all weekend cutting to the basket for easy lay-ups.  Also chipping in with 10 points was 6'0 Frosh Andrew Dakich from Zionsville (H.S.) IN.  And providing the necessary presence inside was 6'7 Frosh Mark Donnal from Whitehouse (Anthony Wayne) OH.  The championship game in the 16-Under Division went right down to the wire, as MBA Black, which was led by 5'9 Soph Todd Johnson from Elkhart (Memorial) IN and 6'6 Soph Bo Calhoun from South Bend (Washington) IN, beat Indiana Select, 61-59.  Johnson is another jet-like point guard who makes big 3-point shots, gets to the hole, and thrives in an up tempo setting.  Calhoun is an athletic inside guy who is not afraid to compete, very active on the boards,  and good at scoring around the basket and from mid-range.  The best player on Indiana Select was 6'2 Soph Eron Harris from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, who finished with 11 points and impressed us with his length and athleticism, ball handling and passing skills, and ability to get to the basket.  He does not have the basketball IQ and understanding of the game necessary to be a pure point guard.  But that could come in time and, if it does, he could evolve into one of the best players in his class in the state.  We also have to mention all of the talented players on the SYF Players loaded 16-Under team, which got knocked off by MBA Black in the semi-finals in the 16-Under Division.  And right at the top of the list is 6'3 Soph Avery Seals from Gary (Westside) IN.  He's got long arms, is super quick, is a tremendous competitor, and rebounds extremely well extremely well for his size, which allowed him to grab the board and go coast-to-coast on numerous occasions.  He also has the ball handling skills necessary to be able to bring the ball up the court and has got the quick hands and feet necessary to be a great defensive player.  The only problem is that right now Seals is just a raw athlete with no idea how to play game.  We also liked 6'8 Soph Edward Seay from Merrillville (H.S.) IN and 6'7 Soph Elijah Ray from Gary (Bowman) IN.  Ray is like a junkyard dog around the basket with his aggressiveness and willingness to crash the boards.  However, he also can step out an hit the mid-to-long range shot.  Seay is an agile athlete who runs the court, blocks shots, rebounds, and scores inside.  We were disappointed with 6'6 Jr Glenn Robinson Jr from St. John (Lake Central) IN.  But he gets a pass due to the fact that he was sick and probably shouldn't have even been playing.  And we like the upside and potential of 6'6 Soph Stephen Hawkins from Hobart (River Forest) IN.  He's needs strength and isn't very skilled, but his mom is 6'4 and he's long and athletic, runs the court, and is good in transition.  We also got out first look ever at 6'7 Soph Jeremy Hollowell from Indianapolis (Lawrence Central) IN, who is widely regarded as one of the top sophomores in the state.  And the more we watched him the more we liked this athletic wing player who is capable of playing the two, three, and the four.  He needs strength, but has good hands, excellent timing, rebounds well for his size, and is active around the basket.  He's also quick enough to defend out on the perimeter, can shoot the three,  runs the court like a deer, and is very unselfish.  Ohio State is the early leader and Tennessee, Xavier, and Indiana are also already in the hunt for this silky smooth athletic who also has all kinds of upside and potential.  We also really liked 5'10 Soph Damon Brown from Bloomington (North) IN and 6'6 Soph Stephen Davis from Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN, who led Team Blaze to an upset against the Eric Gordon Central Stars in the second round the playoffs.  Brown had 22 points in that game and, despite his lack of size, was great beating his man off the dribble.  Davis only had eight points, but this skinny athletic big man ran the court, blocked shots, and was active in the post.  And on the Team Blaze 17-Under Team we were impressed with the way 6'1 Jr Kahreem Hersley from Bloomington (North) IN shot the three and got to the hole.  One for the future is 6'0 8th Grader Ernie Duncan from Evansville, IN.  He's a terrific passer, is always around the ball, and has excellent  court savvy and maturity beyond his age. 

Thursday, May 6, 2010

We're been hearing for the last several weeks that 6'9 Frosh David Wear and 6'9 Frosh Travis Wear were both on the verge of transferring from North Carolina and that UCLA and Arizona were the two most likely choices due to their strong West Coast ties.  And, after their father's comments last night about his sons' decision to transfer, which first was reported by the Orange County Register, it looks like this is one step closer to happening.  Reading the tea leaves the smart money is probably on the University of Arizona due to the fact that the Wildcats have an obvious need for somebody who can step in and provide an inside complement to or replacement for 6'8 Frosh Derrick Williams, who was the team's leading scorer with 15.7 ppg and leading rebounder with 7.1 rpg, year after next.  Remember, the Wildcats have a lot of good young guards and perimeter players in the program and this year's recruiting class with the likes of 6'3 Soph Kyle Fogg, 6'6 Frosh Solomon Hill, 6'0 Frosh Lamont Jones, 6'6 Frosh Kevin Parrom, 6'6 Daniel Bejarano from Phoenix (North) AZ, 6'8 Jesse Perry from John A. Logan (JC) IL, and 6'2 Jordin Mayes from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA. However, except for Williams, Arizona head coach Sean Miller and staff are in need of an immediate quick fix inside.  On the other hand, the Los Angeles area is home to the Wear twins and the Bruins have strong ties to the Mater Dei High School program in Santa Ana, CA.  Did you know that Mater Dei head coach Gary McKnight's son (Clay McKnight) was the video coordinator at UCLA prior to becoming the head coach last fall at Anaheim (Fairmont Prep) CA?   However, UCLA should be well stocked with front court players for years to come with 6'8 Frosh Reeves Nelson, 6'7 Frosh Tyler Honeycutt, 6'9 Frosh Brandon Lane, and 6'8 Josh Smith from Covington (Kentwood) WA and, as a result, the Wear twins will likely run into the same problem at UCLA that they had at North Carolina, whereby, they will have to stand in line and wait their turn.  It also looks like 6'6 Dwayne Polee from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA did indeed pick St. John's earlier today.  And clearly this was a case where new Red Storm head coach Steve Lavin and new Red Storm assistant coach Rico Hines were able to take advantage of their strong West Coast ties and get one of the best players still available.  We also were not surprised by the fact that 6'10 Jr Hunter Mickelson from Jonesboro (Westside) AR has elected to the stay home and attend the University of Arkansas.  We're talking about a long lanky 6'10 face-up power forward with excellent coordination, mobility, and agility.  He also has good skills, runs the court like a deer, and is ranked #71 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  However, it's Mickelson's upside and potential that really get us excited.  In other words, the sky could be the limit as he gets bigger and strong physically and continues to grow into his body.  Mickelson joins 6'7 Jr Aaron Ross from Little Rock (Parkview) AR, who made an early verbal commitment to the Razorbacks several years ago and, as a result, Arkansas' recruiting class is now tied at #8, along with Syracuse and Illinois, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011.  It also looks like 6'3 Jr Chase Fischer from Ripley (H.S.) WV, who recently changed his mind about staying home and attending Marshall University after the coaching change, and has moved quickly to cast his lot with Wake Forest. 

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

It's three down and two to go!  We're talking about the five week Spring Signing Period, which began on Wednesday, April 14th, and will run through Wednesday, May 19th.  And with two weeks still to go the most interesting thing left to be determined appears to be whether 6'6 Dwayne Polee from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA will pick St. John's, Oregon or Georgia.  If you will recall, Polee made one of the earliest verbal commitments ever when he picked USC during the fall of his freshman year.  And, ironically, less than a year later his father who goes by the same name was hired as the Director of Basketball Operations by then Trojans head coach Tim Floyd.  The younger Polee has always had his father's incredible natural talent and world-class athleticism.  However, while his peers were developing physically and improving their skill level, Polee's game appeared to go backwards as he lost confidence and no longer could just live off of his freak-like athleticism.  And last fall when new USC head coach Kevin O'Neill landed 6'7 Garrett Jackson from Portland (Westview) OR, who is a similar type player, but with a better skill set, Polee reneged on the verbal commitment that he made three years earlier.  At the time we suspected that it would only be a matter of time before the father was forced to start looking for a job.  But the timing of yesterday's resignation is extremely interesting in light of the fact that his son's college decision is imminent.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that none of the schools that are recruiting the son can hire the father into a similar position to the one he previously held due to the rule that was passed by the NCAA in January 2010 that prohibits schools from hiring anyone associated with a basketball recruit for a two-year period before or after the player enrolls at the school.  If 6'9 Terrence Jones from Portland (Jefferson) OR decides to renege on the commitment that he made last week to the University of Washington and, instead, goes to the University of Kentucky, that obviously would trump the pending decision by Polee.  However, as things stand now, Jones is committed to the Huskies.  And, until he says otherwise, that's the end of the story.  We also are intrigued by some of the signings and commitments that we added earlier today to our list of Recent Commitments.  The first is addition of 6'9 John Wilkins from Southeastern Iowa (JC) IA to Illinois State's recruiting class.  Yes, that's the same guy who originally signed with Bradley, but sat out the last two years after being declared ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse due to questions about his amateur status.  However, a month-and-a-half ago he verbally committed to Iowa State.  But this athletic power forward with the potential to evolve into the next Craig Brackins apparently changed his mind about playing for the Cyclones after the recent coaching change. The second is the signing of 6'9 Kyle Hunt from Snead State (JC) AL by Middle Tennessee State.  This is a a guy who had 21 double-doubles en route to averaging 17.8 ppg and 11.8 apg and earning Alabama Community College Player-of-the-Year honors.  Hunt has a good pull-up jumper, is a great offensive rebounder, and brings to the table that New York City toughness (he's originally from Queens), which makes him the perfect complement to 6'5 Kerry Hammonds from Murfreesboro (Seigel) TN, 6'7 Melvin Baker from Odessa (JC) TX, 6'1 Jeffrey Simmons from Greenwood (H.S.) MS, and 6'7 Shawn James from Hialeah (Miami Hialeah Lakes) FL in a recruiting class that is now ranked #64 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  The third is the early verbal commitment by 6'4 Jr Dwaun Anderson from Suttons Bay (H.S.) MI to Michigan State.  We're talking about an athletic 2-guard who is ranked #200 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but has had a great spring and, as a result, is currently one of the fastest rising players in the state.  Anderson joins 6'5 Jr Brandon Kearney from Detroit (Southeastern) MI in a recruiting class that is tied at #13, along with Connecticut and Mississippi, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2011, as the Spartans continue to stockpile guards and wing players who will help replace 6'1 Jr Kalin Lucas, 6'4 Jr Durrell Summers, and 6'3 Jr Chris Allen a year from now.  The fourth is the signing of 6'3 Will Harrison from Western Texas (JC) TX by Quinnipiac.  And this quick athletic scoring 2-guard who averaged 13.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg this past season isn't the only player that Bobcats head coach Tom Moore and his staff have landed this spring.  The other is 6'3 Frosh Lance Brown, who is transferring from Fordham after starting 18 games and averaging 6.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg during his rookie season.  It also should be noted that Brown will have to sit out next season and he does not count with Quinnipiac's current recruiting class due to the fact that we don't count transfers when ranking recruiting classes.  The fifth is addition of 6'1 Lamont Austin from Howard (JC) TX to Morehead State's recruiting class, which already includes 5'7 Patrick Meyers from Chattanooga State (JC) TN, 6'7 Romaric Lasme from Laramie (JC) WY, 6'5 Robert Wade from Nashville (Maplewood)T TN, and 5'11 Kevin Gray from Reynoldsburg (H.S.) OH and is now tied at #77, along with Utah State and Illinois-Chicago, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  Austin was 4-8 from beyond the arc and finished with 14 points in the Championship Game of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Tournament.  However, even more important for the purposes of Racers head coach Donnie Tyndall, this athletic 2-guard who averaged 9.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and 3.3 apg is good at getting into the gaps and hitting the pull-up jump shot from mid-range.  The sixth is the fact that Arkansas-Pine Bluff has totally reloaded after the Golden Lions loss to Duke in the first round of this year's NCAA Tournament with the addition of seven new players - 6'8 Daniel Broughton from Watson Chapel (H.S.) AR, 6'4 Keith Ross from Watson Chapel (H.S.) AR, 6'10 Shamus Ferguson from Mineral Area (JC) MO, 6'7 Mitchell Anderson from Wallace State (JC) AL, 6'5 Jonathan Ratliff from Holmes (JC) MS, 6'1 Marcell Mosley from Marion (H.S.) AR, and 6'7 Lavoris Weathers from Iowa Western (JC) IA. 

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

It looks like the new regime at Auburn has scored a major coup by getting 6'9 Marquez "Luke" Cothron from Red Springs (Flora MacDonald Academy) NC, who is ranked #6 on our List of the Top 5th Year Players and until today was the top player unsigned/uncommitted player still available.  Cothron, who played his first two years of high school at Huntsville (Butler) AL, needs to learn to play harder and realize that his bread and butter is inside, where he can use his quickness and athleticism to block shots, rebound, defend, and score around the basket.  In other words, the sky could be the limit, if Cothron works hard and continues to develop his post moves.  The addition of Cothron also is important for several other reasons.  First, new Auburn head coach Tony Barbee and new Auburn assistant Tony Madlock, who were the two driving forces behind getting this one done, beat some pretty fast company for Cothron's services, as Cothron's final five schools also included Alabama, Kentucky, Connecticut, and Tennessee.  Second, he appears to be the final piece to a recruiting class that is now ranked #11 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010 and also includes 6'8 Adrian Forbes from Trinity Valley (JC) TX, 6'6 Josh Langford from Huntsville (Lee) AL, 6'6 Heath Houston from Powder Springs (Hillsgrove) GA, 6'9 Shawn Kemp from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, and 6'5 Allen Payne from Cincinnati (Winton Woods) OH.  Third, Cothron and Langford, who is ranked #108 nationally in senior class by the HOOP SCOOP and signed with the Tigers two weeks ago, both provide an important link to 6'3 Jr Trevor Lacey from Huntsville (Butler) AL, who is ranked #6 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and is on track to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state.  As things stand now, Lacey appears to be wide open on schools.  But, when it is all said and done, look for this to be a three-horse race among Auburn, Alabama, and Memphis.  It also looks like Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury has not lost his touch when it comes to keeping the top players in his backyard at home with the early verbal commitment the Bulldogs received over the weekend from 5'11 Jr Marquavius "Deville" Smith from Jackson (Callaway) MS.  This is a guy who is ranked #22 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and he more than makes up for his lack of size with his explosiveness in transition and ability to light up a scoreboard from both downtown and when he slashes to the basket.  He also should be the perfect complement to or replacement for 6'2 Soph Dee Bost, who averaged 13.0 ppg, 4.4 rpp, 5.2 apg, and 1.3 spg and is expected to take his name out of the NBA Draft prior to the May 8th deadline and return to school for at least another year.  Our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson also points out that with Smith's early verbal commitment three of the top six-ranked juniors are already off the board.  The other two are 6'9 Jr Tyler Adams from Brandon (H.S.) MS, who picked Duke last week, and 6'5 Jr Ladarius White from McComb (H.S.) MS, who picked Ole Miss a-month-and-a-half ago.  That leaves 6'7 Jr Rodney Hood from Meridian (H.S.) MS, 6'8 Jr Johnny O'Bryant from Cleveland (Eastside) MS, and 6'6 Jr Mychal Ammons from Vicksburg (H.S.) MS, all three of whom promise to be big time players.  Also still on the board in this class is another highly touted native Mississippian - 6'8 Jr LaQuinton Ross, who made stops at Jackson (Callaway) MS and Jackson (Murrah) MS prior to heading East last January to Burlington (Life Center) NJ.  We also are looking forward next year to finally getting to see 6'9 Frosh Renardo Sidney, who has not entered his name into the NBA Draft, show his wears on the college basketball court.  If you will recall, Sidney was forced to sit out this past year due to the fact that he was never cleared to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse.  We also think 6'3 Dante Holmes from Baltimore (St. Frances) MD is an excellent catch for new Marshall head coach Tommy Herrion.  Holmes is a big time athlete with the versatility and toughness necessary to step in and make an immediate impact next year.  He also plays with a lot of energy, absorbs contact, rebounds extremely well for his size, and has a great bloodline.  Did you know that Holmes is the grandson of Dicky Kelly, who played for Baltimore (Dunbar) MD in the mid-60's and is one of the greatest players to ever play high school basketball in the city of Baltimore?  The Thundering Herd beat schools like St. John's, UAB, and Loyola-Maryland for Holmes' services.  There also are reports that 6'10 Jr Orlando Allen will be following new Marshall assistant coach Mark Cline from the University of Oklahoma.  Speaking of the coaching staff that Herrion assembled, there is no doubt that he deserves an A+ for his efforts.  If you will recall, Cline helped Jeff Capel build the programs at Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma, former Duquesne assistant coach Bill Barton has more than his share of contacts in the New England prep school ranks, and former St. Bonaventure assistant coach Dino Presley is one of the best recruiters on the East Coast and is one of the bright up-and-coming guys in the business.  There also is the signing of 5'10 Jonathan Loyd from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, who was the best point guard still available on the West Coast and is the first player that new University of Oregon head coach Dana Altman has landed since taking over as the boss of the Ducks.  Loyd is a tough hardnosed point guard who thrives in an up tempo setting and was so impressive when we saw him in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC that he took home tournament MVP honors.  We also are impressed with all of the additions that Campbell head coach Robbie Laing has made this spring.  The first is new Fighting Camels assistant coach Charles Baker, who established himself as one of the best recruiters in the country when he held similar positions at the Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, and the University of Colorado.  The second is 6'8 Soph J.C. Chaney, who was the Rookie of the Year in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) in the Division II ranks two years ago at Virginia State and is now transferring from Patrick Henry (JC) VA to Campbell.  And, at 6'8, 240-pounds, Chaney is a wide bodied power forward with an unbelievable skill set, great hands, and the ability to step out and knock down the three.  The third is the addition of 6'2 Rico Ferguson from Martinsville (Heat Academy) VA and 6'6 Marvel Harris from Martinsville (Heat Academy) VA to a recruiting class that is now ranked #53 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010 and already included 6'10 Martell Jackson from Garden City (JC) KS, 6'8 Eric Griffin from Garden City (JC) KS, and 6'7 Anthony Horton from League City (Clear Springs) TX.  So, with all this in mind, it's clear that Laing should give both Baker and Brian Burg, who is his other ace recruiter, more than just a pat on the back, as he's already replaced his top six players, all of whom were juniors and seniors on a team that finished 19-11 overall and won the league with a 14-6 record.  We also need to take minute and mention all of the signings and commitments that have occurred in the junior college ranks.  And right at the top of the list is 6'5 Tim Steed from Highland (JC) IL, who has picked  Fresno State.  This strong tough athletic wing forward who can score off the dribble is ranked #39 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com.  There also is 5'11 Chris Kupets from Hill (JC) TX, who has picked the University of Utah.  He joins 6'0 Josh Watkins from Howard (JC) TX, 6'6 Antonio DiMaria from Casper (JC) WY, 6'6 Will Clyburn from Marshalltown (JC) IA, 6'6 J.J. O'Brien from Alta Loma (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Dominique Lee from Berkeley (St. Mary's) CA, 5'11 Preston Guiot from Bolivar (H.S.) MO, 6'10 Neal Monson from Waterford (H.S.) UT, and 6'6 Josh Fuller from Rexburg (Madison) ID in recruiting class that is ranked #17 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2010.  That's four junior college players and five high school players, including a pair of walk-ons in Monson and Fuller.  It also is being reported that 6'8 Edis Dervisevic from Western Texas (JC) TX has picked Long Beach State, 6'6 Kenny Harris from John A. Logan (JC) IL has signed with Evansville, and 6'10 Kervin Bristol from Broward (JC) FL will sign with Fordham.  Bristol is ranked #69 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and he has the incredible wing span necessary to be an intimidating presence inside.  Harris is ranked #108 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and has big time athleticism, and a great mid-range game.  Dervisevic is ranked #109 in the junior college ranks by JucoJunction.com and he is a true low post player with good skills, a high basketball IQ, and deceptive mobility for somebody his size (6'8, 240 pounds).  We also understand that 6'3 Darian Thibodeaux from Navarro (JC) TX has signed with the University of Houston, 6'7 Orlando Brazier from California Community (JC) CA has picked Lamar, 6'7 B.J. Frazier from Chattanooga State (JC) TN will stay home and attend UT-Chattanooga, 6'7 Curtis Wilkinson from California Community (JC) CA has picked East Tennessee State, 6'8 Latay Darden from Paris (JC) TX has signed with Jacksonville State, 5'10 Kendrick McDonald from Jones County (JC) MS will attend Alcorn State, 6'5 Chase Grabau from North Platte (JC) NE has signed with Idaho State, and 6'6 Marcus Graham from Brunswick (JC) NC has picked North Carolina Central.

Saturday, May 1, 2010, Sunday, May 2, 2010, & Monday, May 3, 2010

It was a tail of upsets in the Seniors-To-Be Division at the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam All-Star Classic at the Spiece Fieldhouse in Ft. Wayne, IN over the weekend, as Indiana Elite knocked off Mean Streets and St. Louis Gameface knocked off the Illinois Wolves, and Seattle Rotary Select en route to a surprising match-up in the title game.  And making the story even more interesting is the fact that 6'2 Jr Bob Young from Florissant (Hazelwood Central) MO, who had 45 points against Seattle Rotary Select, scored more points in the semi--finals than his entire team did in the championship game.  The final score in that game was 44-41 and Indiana Elite, which was led by 6'10 Jr Cody Zeller from Washington (H.S.) IN with 12 points, 6'3 Jr Jeremiah Davis from Muncie (Central) IN with eights points, and 5'11 Soph Kevin Ferrell from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN with seven points, clearly had the talent and the depth necessary to win its fifth game in less than a 24-hour time-period.  In contrast, Young and 6'6 Jr Dontiel Daniels from Wentzville (Holt) MO, who combined for 32 of their team's 41 points in the title game, once again did almost all of the damage for St. Louis Gameface.  And they are a great duo, as Daniels is an undersized athletic 4-man who does most of his dirty work inside and Young is a slashing athletic combo guard who makes a living scoring off transition.  Young also gets our vote as the third best player in the entire Seniors-To-Be Division based on performance.  The second best player that we saw all weekend was 6'3 Jr Tony Wroten from Seattle (Garfield) WA, who is ranked #8 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP and, although doesn't have his explosiveness back yet, he appears to be fully recovered after being slowed by a series of injuries off-and-on during the last year.  Wroten also impressed us with his improved 3-point shooting (he hit five treys on the first night).  But it was his high skill level, improved understanding of the game, and ability to make those around him better that convinced us that he's still one of the premier players in the junior class nationally.  We liken him to a pitcher in baseball who used to be able to strike you out with the velocity on his fastball, but must learn how to change speeds and find location in order to overcome things like injures and getting older.  Wroten also showed that he still has plenty of heart, as he played a key role in his team's 15-point come from behind 89-82 double overtime win against the Ohio Basketball Club in the second round of the playoffs and he was terrific in his team's rematch win from last summer in pool play against the Mac Irvin Fire.  Wroten also had plenty of help, as Gonzaga-bound 6'2 Jr Gary Bell from Kent (Kentridge) WA and 6'2 Soph Anrio Adams from Seattle (Franklin) WA provided plenty of firepower with their 3-point shooting out on the perimeter and 6'8 Soph Zach Banner from Lakewood (Lakes) WA, who has good post moves and is a force to be reckoned with on the boards, should make this a team to reckoned with the rest of the spring and summer.  The best player, as well as the guy everybody was talking about all weekend, was 6'10 Jr Anthony Davis from Chicago (Progressive) IL and Marcus Camby comparisons are definitely in order.  We're talking about a long lanky athletic shot blocking big man who hasn't been on anybody's radar screen until recently due to the fact that he hasn't played any AAU or club team ball since he was in 8th Grade and he attends a charter school that is known for its academics, instead of its athletics.  Davis also has a 3.8 gpa, has grown four-and-a-half inches in the last year, and has quick hands, great hops, a tremendous motor, and unbelievable coordination, agility, and mobility for somebody who is still a long way away physically from having his body catch up with his growth.  And just as refreshing is the fact it appears that he has no idea yet how good he can be, which is important, because he has not yet been corrupted by the process.  Right now Davis is a legitimate top 25 junior nationally.  But his upside and potential are off the chart and, as a result, there will probably be some idiot out there who will anoint him as next can't miss great player and rank him among the top five players nationally in his class.  Unfortunately that's one of the big problems with the game today.  So we'll let Davis earn it before we start talking about him being in our top five nationally or touting him as a lock for the prestigious McDonald's All-American Game.  But, if assuming that he gets bigger and stronger physically and doesn't lose any of the quickness and athleticism, he does have that type of length, athleticism, and potential.  Providing Davis with a great supporting cast were 5'10 Jr Julius Brown from Country Club Hills (Hillcrest) IL, 6'2 Jr Phil Green from Chicago (Julian) IL, 6'7 Jr Shayok Shayok from Chicago (Julian) IL, and 6'7 Jr Jamari Turner from Chicago (Julian) IL and this tough hardnosed athletic bunch more than lived up to their name (Mean Streets) when they knocked off the Mac Irvin Fire in the second round of the playoffs.  However, this story might have been different, if 6'5 Jr Michael Blackshear from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL hadn't been sidelined with an ankle injury right after he'd stepped up and scored on three straight possessions.  We also were impressed with the play of 6'5 Jr Mychael Henry from Chicago (Orr) IL, who is an athletic wing forward with a great work ethic and knack for getting to the basket.  However, once again we expected more from 6'9 Jr Mike Shaw from Chicago (De La Salle) IL and 6'5 Jr Andre Henley from Carbondale (Brehm Prep) IL, both of whom have big time athleticism and a world of potential, but have yet to develop that killer mentality necessary to achieve greatness.  The best player in the tournament would have been 6'2 Jr Marquis Teague from Indianapolis (Pike) IN.  But apparently playing in front of most of the top scouts in the nation (i.e. Tom Konchalski of the H.S.B.I. Report, Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com, Dave Telep of Scout.com, and yours truly) apparently wasn't a priority and, as a result, the Spiece Indy Heat lost 68-57 to Mean Streets in the quarterfinals.  But that's still pretty good when one remembers that three of Spiece's best players - 6'5 Soph Raphael Davis from Ft. Wayne (Southside) IN, 6'5 Soph DeJuan Marrero from Gary (Bowman) IN, and 6'11 Soph Aaron Hammons form Carmel (H.S.) IN - are a year younger than most of the guys they were playing against and 6'8 Jr Antonio Wilson from Ft. Wayne (Elmhurst) IN is a raw athlete who up until this tournament was operating under our radar screen.  This also is a good place to make note of just how much better Davis was than Hammons in their head-to-head match-up in the quarterfinals.  Davis finished with 24 points and clearly was the best player in the game.  On the other hand, Hammons had only seven points and, although, he's a class younger, looked more like a project than a finished product.  We also were impressed with the outside shooting of 6'4 Soph Michael Frazier from Tampa (Plant) FL and the speed, quickness, and decision making of 5'11 Jr C.J. Wakeley from Gainesville (Santa Fe) FL, as they led Florida Elite to a solid quarterfinals finish.  And, of course, there was the well-balanced and well-coached Illinois Wolves team, which featured 6'2 Jr Chasson Randle from Rock Island (H.S.) IL, 6'11 Jr Egwu Nnanna from Chicago (St. Ignatius) IL, 6'10 Jr Frank Kaminsky from Lisle (Benet Academy) IL, and 6'1 Jr Tracy Abrams from Chicago (Mt. Carmel) IL.  Also playing up on teams in the Seniors-To-Be Division were 6'6 Frosh Tony Farmer from Garfield Heights (H.S.) OH, who was the leading scorer with 14 points when the King James Shooting Stars beat the Eric Gordon All Stars in the championship game of the Silver Division, and 6'1 Frosh Dontel High Smith from Dowagiac (H.S.) MI, who was the best player on Steve Bell's ACB Bank Hoops team and is one of the top freshman in Michigan.  Martin Brothers Select, which was led by 6'0 Soph Mike Gesell from South Sioux City (H.S.) NE with 24 points and 6'0 Soph Marcus Paige from Marion (Linn-Marr) IA and 6'11 Soph Adam Woodbury from Sioux City (East) IA with 14 apiece, beat the Ohio Basketball Club, 68-65, in the Juniors-To-Be Division.  However, the player who impressed us the most in this age group was 6'6 Soph Jean-Pierre Tokota from Menomonee Falls (H.S.) WI, who is a silky smooth athletic wing forward that is versatile and skilled enough to play three different positions.  Unfortunately Tokota was injured on the last day and this probably prevented the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, which also featured 6'7 Soph Darrell Bowie from Wauwatosa (East) WI and 6'6 Soph Sam Dekker from Sheboygan (Lutheran) WI, from getting past the Ohio Basketball Club in the semi-finals.  We also have to mention 6'10 Soph Willie Cauley from Spearville (H.S.) KS, because this long lanky athletic big man has incredible length, good mobility and agility, and has grown at least four inches in the last year.  In other words, he's a poor man's 6'10 Jr Anthony Myles from Chicago (Progressive) IL and, if he get bigger and stronger physically and doesn't get corrupted by the process, he has the potential to be just as good.  And what about 6'0 Soph Aaron Simpson from Chicago (North Chicago) IL, who Daniel Poneman of IllinoisHSBasketball.com thinks is the best sophomore in the state right now?  This slashing athletic 2-guard who gets to the basket and absorbs contract extremely well scored 26 points and had three 3-pointers when I watched him play.  All Ohio Red beat the Spiece Indy Heat, 69-59, in the championship game of the Sophomores-To-Be Division and our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that this is the next powerhouse team that Jerry Watson plans to go to war with on the national AAU circuit.  This team doesn't have a horse in the middle like 6'8 Jared Sullinger from Columbus (Northland) OH.  But it does have plenty of star power and a lot of balance, as is evident by the fact that 6'5 Frosh Evan Bradds from Jamestown (Greenview) OH, 6'3 Frosh Brogan Roback from Toledo (St. John's) OH, 6'7 Frosh Marc Loving from Toledo (St. John's) OH, and 5'11 Frosh Charles Tucker from Lansing (Eastern) MI all scored between 12 and 15 points respectively in the title game.  They also knocked off a very good team that featured a lethal backcourt duo in 6'1 Frosh Bryson Scott from Ft Wayne (Northrop) IN and 6'0 Frosh Brenton Scott from Ft Wayne (Northrop) IN, who combined for 30 points in the championship game; 6'5 Frosh V.J. Beachem from Ft. Harding (H.S.) IN, who likes to pull the trigger from out on the perimeter; and 6'7 Frosh Richard Freeman from Indianapolis (Lawrence Central) IN, and 6'7 Frosh Vitto Brown from Bowling Green (H.S.) OH, both of whom provide athleticism in the post.  We also were really impressed with the speed, quickness, toughness, hustle, handle, and ability to pass and make things happen in transition displayed by 6'10 Frosh Markee Williams from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL.