HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION FOR NOVEMBER 1998

Monday, November 30, 1998

We've talked a lot about which programs have done well during the fall signing period, but we haven't focused much attention upon who came up high and dry. At the top of the list is Georgia Tech. However, head coach Bobby Cremins isn't worried just yet, because he has two feature two potential NBA players in Alvin Jones and Jason Collier up front, as well as Jason Floyd and Dion Glover out on the perimeter, although Glover will the miss the entire season due to an injury. Freshman Tony Akins is expected to get the top done at point and they all return next year. All Georgia Tech was missing is another great player or two to provide the seven man rotation that Cremins likes. They were close, but no cigar, as they missed on their two prime targets - 6'4 Joe Forte from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and 6'7 Damien Wilkins from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL, who signed instead with North Carolina and N.C. State - during the fall signing period. However, they are still in the hunt for 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, who ranks as the #1 senior in America by the HOOP SCOOP and they are also looking at junior college and foreign players. According to our Ohio and International Edtior Chris Johnson, Georgia Tech is now pursuing three talented foreign players, all of whom are now in this country, They are 6'11 Ivan Kartelo from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'10 Arturas Jautokas from Western Nebraska (JC) NE, and 6'8 Tomas Nagys from Montgomery (Catholic) AL.

Speaking of our Chris Johnson, he is putting the finishing touches on his latest Ohio Report and he offers a sneak preview of the top 10 seniors in the state. The top three players are the same as they were when he came out with his last list June, as Tennessee signee 6'2 Jon Higgins from Shaker Heights (H.S.) OH is #1, Michigan State's 6'9 Adam Wolfe from Westerville (South) OH is #2, and 6'8 Slobodan Ocokoljic from Massillon (Washington) OH, who is a steal for Ohio State, is #3. Next is 6'6 Brooks Hall from Troy (H.S.) OH, who is also a steal for Dayton. Rounding out the top five is 6'7 Ray Austin from Youngstown (Liberty) OH, who has signed with Illinois State. Next was 6'7 Torey Reed from Cleveland Heights (H.S.) OH, but he has transferred to prep school at Milford (Academy) CT. Instead, Michigan State signee 6'9 Jason Andreas from Sugarcreek (Garaway) OH occupies the #6 spot, followed by the only new name on the list in 6'10 Robertas Jautokas from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary's) OH. Rounding out the top 10 are 6'10 Brian Conklin from Hubbard (H.S.) OH, 6'10 Marcus Bonta from Springfield (North) OH, and 6'4 Dominic Crutchfield from Bedford (H.S.) OH.

Huntsville (Grissom) AL beat Birmingham (Minor) AL, 63-41, in the championship game of the Rumble on the Ridge Tournament in Forest City, AR over the weekend. Marvin Stone, who ranks as the #3 senior in the nation, had 26 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks, but the big story Stone's eight assists. Not only can Stone be a dominate force inside, but his shooting and passing skills 20 feet away from the basket are amazing for somebody his size. Also in the tournament was 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, but his team didn't help him much help, as they lost two and went home. Third place went to West Monroe (H.S.) LA with 6'10 Andy Slocum, who gets ranked on a lot of national top 100 lists.

For the third consecutive year, the 5th Annual NIKE Dream Classic at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA, which will be held on Monday, January 18th, will feature the potential state champions in Division I and Division II in California. Two years ago the premier matchup featured Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA against Compton (Dominguez) CA and last year it was Los Angeles (Westchester) CA against Compton (Dominguez) CA. This year the premier game will match Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA against Compton (Dominguez) CA. But that's not all, as at least seven of the top 10 teams in California will be playing in this seven game single day event. Compton (H.S.) CA versus Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA should also be one of the marquee games of the entire year. The other games will feature Simi Valley versus Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, Mission Viejo (H.S.) CA versus Capistrano Valley versus Glendora (H.S.) CA, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) CA versus Inglewood (H.S.) CA, Los Angeles (Verbum Dei) CA versus Long Beach (Jordan) CA, and Los Angeles (Manual Arts) CA versus Long Beach (Poly) CA.

Sunday, November 29, 1998

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin talked tonight with 6'8 Jr Eddie Griffin from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, who ranks among the top 10 juniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Right now it appears that Massachusetts is the leader, but Seton Hall, Georgetown, Temple, Villanova, Syracuse, Clemson, Xavier, Virginia, and West Virginia are also on his list.

One of the areas that we currently don't cover with our state-by-state reports is Minnesota, but this year it deserves special attention, because there are as many as 15 seniors in the state who will get recruited at the Division I level. Richard Flaata, who publishes the Minnesota Roundball Prep Newsletter, ranks 6'6 Shane Schilling from Minnetonka (H.S.) MN, who has signed with the University of Minnesota, as the #1 senior in the state. Next, in order are Duke bound 6'11 Nick Horvath from Arden Hills (Mounds View) MN, Northwestern signee 6'2 Ben Johnson from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN, Minnesota recruit 6'8 Mike Bauer from Hastings (H.S.) MN, and 6'1 Troy Bell from Richfield (Holy Angels) MN, who is an absolute steal for Boston College. Heading the second five is Utah signee 6'6 Nick Jacobson, who transferred this fall from Fargo (Shanley) ND to Roseville (H.S.) MN, because his father got the head coaching job at Roseville in August. Next is 6'0 Jibrahn Ike from Minneapolis (St. Anthony) MN, who made a name for himself at the NIKE All-American Camp last summer, where he thrived in the uptempo setting. According to Flaata, Illinois State, Tulsa, Furman, Miami-OH, and Indiana State have all shown interest in Ike, but he may end up going the junior college route. Rounding out the top 10 in the state are 6'0 Drew Carlson from Belle Plaine (H.S.) MN, 6'6 Steve Esselink from Hills (Beaver-Creek) MN, and 6'5 Jason Kron from Cold Spring (Rocori) MN. Carlson is getting attention from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, Kansas City-Missouri, Dayton, Valparaiso, Lafayette, and the University of Minnesota-Mankato, but Esselink and Kron have already signed with Augustana and St. Cloud State, respectively. Flaata tells us that the junior class in Minneasota isn't nearly as good, but it does feature three players who are ranked among our top 50-100 nationally in their class. Right now 6'1 Jr Jake Sullivan from Oakdale (Tartan) MN gets the #1 billing, but 6'9 Jr Johnny Gilbert from Minneapolis (Patrick Henry) MN and 6'0 Jr Adam Boone from Minnetonka (H.S.) MN are a close second and third. Flaata only thinks one player in the sophomore class has emerged as a national recruit and that's 6'10 Soph Rick Richert from Duluth (East) MN, who could emerge into the next great 7-footer from the state. To keep up with all the action in Minneasota, we encourage you to subscribe to Flaata's newsletter. The cost is $18 per year for six issues. The address is Minneasota Roundball Prep, 25860 10th Street West, Zimmerman, MN 55398 or you can call (612) 856-0859.

Saturday, November 28, 1998

Patrick Jira, Editor & Publisher of the Recruiting Beat, tells us that Wright State is currently the leader for 6'6 Marcus Jefferson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, but Providence, Rhode Island, and Ball State are also high on his list.. If you will recall, Jefferson, who is best described as an athletic combo forward, because he doesn't have a true position, was ranked as the #4 senior in Indiana by the HOOP SCOOP before transferring from East Chicago (Central) IN to prep school this fall.

Sources close to the UCLA program are now confirming that the Bruins did not sign anybody during the fall signing period. However, several people we've talked with on the West Coast still feel like UCLA will get all their three recruiting priorities - 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, 6'8 Justin Davis from Alameda (St. Joseph) CA, and 6'5 Kareem Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO. As a matter of fact, Rush has told the UCLA coaches that he follow in the footsteps of his brother and sign in the spring.

Friday, November 27, 1998

Eddie Oliver, who for many years was the driving force behind the Beach Ball Classic, has sent me a copy of his latest issue of HOOPSUSA and it is a must for anybody interested in high school basketball. Not only does he provide all the dates and several paragraphs previewing the players and teams that will be participating at each of the major Holiday Tournaments, but he also provides the names and phone numbers of a contact person for each tournament. This 16 page issue is well worth the $12 cover price and you can get it by sending a check or money order to HOOPSUSA, P.O. Box 15403, Surfside Beach, SC, 29587. Or you can purchase his annual report, which also includes this issue, for only $25. As long as we're talking about Holiday Tournaments, a special thanks goes to Eddie Oliver, who has provided us with many of the dates and events that we've added to our page that lists upcoming events. To go there, click on future events.

Tonight on the phone, Bobby Jacobs, who is the Excecutive Director Slam Dunk to the Beach, reminded me of what I told him when I first met him a number of years ago at a tournament in Newark, DE. I told him that his hospitality room and all the other extras didn't matter. I also the only thing that would get me to his tournament were a lot of good players. I added that I'd go to the end of the world if I could see enough good players. Since that time Jacobs has not only listened, but almost singehandedly has built Slam Dunk to the Beach into the nation's premier holiday tournament, as well as one of the top events of the entire year. So it is fitting that out-of-the-blue, Jacobs would call me to tell me about the teams he already has signed contracts from for 1999, which is 13 months away. The list includes West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, East Greenbush (Columbia) NY, Fayetteville (71st) NC, Highland Springs (H.S.) VA, Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, Fresno (Washington Union) CA, Houston (Milby) TX, Louisville (Ballard) KY, and Columbia (Keenan) SC. The last one is especially noteworthy, because five years ago Keenan High School, which features 6'5 Jr Jerome Harper, who is one of the top three or four juniors in the nation, would have been a lock to go to the Beach Ball Classic. That's not all! In 1999 Slam Dunk to the Beach will also feature two of the other top five juniors in the nation in 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA and 6'8 Alton Ford from Houston (Milby) TX, as well as one of the top 10 juniors in 6'8 Eddie Griffin from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA. If that weren't enough, Ballard High School features the two top ranked juniors and the top ranked sophomore in Kentucky, plus we continue to hear rumors about 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ transferring to Ballard after this season.

Thursday, November 26, 1998

The adidas Kingdom of the Sun National Invitational, which will be held at Central Florida Community College, December 26th-31th, doesn't have huge corporate sponsorship, but tournament director Jim Haley still always has one of the better events in the nation. This year Fresno (Washington Union) CA with 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson, who is a consensus top five junior nationally, is the main attraction. However, Mercer Island (H.S.) WA also features for players - 6'3 Elliott Prasse-Freeman (Harvard), 6'6 Tyler Besecker (Stanford), 6'3 Josh Fisher (Pepperdine), and 6'3 Matt Logie (Lehigh) - all of whom have already signed with Division I teams and their is also plenty of talent on the other out of state teams, which include Fresno (Edison) CA, Mobile (LeFlore) AL, Albany (Dougherty) GA, Cincinnati (LaSalle) OH, and Cleveland (St. Joseph's) OH. The Florida schools include North Marion (H.S.) FL, Alachua (Santa Fe) FL, Brandon (H.S.) FL, Clearwater (H.S.) FL, Gainesville (H.S.) FL, Bloomington (H.S.) FL, Trent (H.S.) FL, Bellevue (H.S.) FL and the host school Ocala (Vanguard) FL, which features 6'7 Napoleon Rhodes and legendary head coach Jim Haley, who has been the driving force behind this tournament since it was founded in 1974. For more information click on adidas Kingdom of the Sun.

The University of Louisville still needs a point guard and the most likely candidates appear to be 6'5 Antonio Jackson from Butler County (JC) KS, 6'5 Reese Gaines from Madison (West) WI, and 6'3 Jamison Brewer from Kensington (Newport Preps) MD. But as it stands now, it looks like they will be waiting until spring before anything official happens. Another player that Louisville had been mentioned with is 6'9 Jeremy McNeil from San Antonio (Sam Houston) TX, but Mitch Malone, who publishes the Texas Blue Chip Report, tells us that the final four for McNeil are Syracuse, Florida, Oklahoma, and Fresno State.

Our New England Editor Wayne Simone tells us that the best available point guard in Connecticut, and perhaps New England, 6'2 Mike Wilson from Naugatuck (H.S.) CT has narrowed his list to Drexel, Rider, Hartford, and Manhattan.

Wednesday, November 25, 1998

A month ago HOOP SCOOP Ohio and International Editor Chris Johnson told us that Miami-FL was a near lock to get 6'10 Tomas Ress from Hialeah (Champagnat Catholic) FL, who was the top player on the 18-Under Italian National Team in July in the tournament in Bulgaria. Well it looks like Johnson was right, because Ress has signed a national letter-of-intent with with the Hurricanes, but apparently it was turned in late, because it has only been reported within the last several days.

Another player who Chris Johnson had the scoop on a month ago has finally made it official for the the University of Nebraska. That's right! The Cornhuskers have signed 6'6 Steffon Bradford from Compton (JC) CA, who is a first team junior college All-American. This is important, because Bradford moves Nebraska's recruiting class into a tie for #35 nationally, along with California, St. Louis, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin. If you will recall, Nebraska also got a big commitment from 6'7 Kenny Booker from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who is ranked among the top 100 nationally by a number of publications, and they also signed 6'10 Brian Conklin from Hubbard (H.S.) OH.

Our New England Editor Wayne Simone tells us that Rutgers is no longer in the picture with 6'9 Abraham Keita from Winchendon (School) MA, because the Scarlet Knights recently got 7'0 Josh Moore from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT. Instead, Keita is considering schools like Massachusetts, Providence, Connecticut, and St. John's. As a matter of fact, Keita, who likely won't sign until spring, is at the St. John's-Stanford game tonight at Madison Square Garden.

On Sunday, November 22nd, Wayne Simone hosted the Connecticut Select Top 80 at Cheshire Academy and 6'10 Marcus Doughit from New Britian (St. Thomas Aquinas) CT scored 18 points and was named MVP in the senior all-star game. The MVP in the underclassman all-star game was 6'1 Kendall Williams from Hartford (Weaver) CT, but three other players also have to be mentioned in 6'3 Derek Glasper from Plainville (H.S.) CT, 6'2 Soph Dan Oglesby from Hamden (Hall) CT, and 6'1 Soph Mark Jones from Norwich (Academy) CT. And the last two names aare worth remembering, because they are two of the marquee players in the Class of 2001, which is the next "great class" in Connecticut.

We had been wondering what ever happened to 6'3 Keith McLeod from Canton (McKinley) OH, who dropped out of sight earlier this fall. After signing with Bowling Green last spring, we thought he was prep school bound. But we were told that this wasn't an option, because he had already met the necessary requirements to eligible as a freshman under NCAA guidelines and, as a result, he would have to sit out two years, instead of just one, if he didn't honor his signature on the national letter of intent. So it came as a surprise when Chris Johnson read us an article from the Toledo Blade which stated that McLeod has finally gotten the score and will be eligible to play at Bowling Green, beginning on December 19th. The important thing is that this is a major coup for head coach Dan Dakich, because McLeod was one of the top five players in Ohio last year and he'd ranked among the top prep school players in the nation, if he had gone that route.

Tuesday, November 24, 1998

Our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman is reporting that the University of Memphis has a commitment from one of the best freshmen in the junior college ranks in 6'5 Immanuel McElroy from Tyler (JC) TX. McElroy was ranked as the #17 senior in Texas by Mitch Malone last spring when was at Port Arthur (Lincoln) TX, but earlier had received top 100 consideration. He is currently averaging 21 ppg, 8 rpg, and 6 apg.  But we don't look for McElroy to play at Memphis next season, because NCAA rules prohibit Prop 48 casualties from transferring to a four-year school and being eligible right away. As a result, he will likely either transfer to Memphis and sit out next year or stay at Tyler Junior College next year and get his two-year degree.

We talked with Wallace Prather today about the two top players in his program and he tells us that there is nothing new going on in the recruitment of 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, who is ranked as the #1 senior in America by the HOOP SCOOP. His list currently includes Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia Tech, but Prather expects some other schools, including possibly Kentucky, to jump back into the mix during the winter. He says that 6'3 Jamison Brewer from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, who is the best unsigned available point guard in the nation, is still considering Georgetown (it had been reported earlier that the Hoyas were out), along with Villanova, Texas, South Florida, Auburn, and Louisville. Prather also tells us that Georgia State also appears to be close to getting a commitment from 5'11 Jeffrey Braswell from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA.

Speaking of the top players in the nation, Donnie Wilkie, the tournament director for the The Nation's Bank City of Palm's Tournament, tells us his field will include has six of the Sporting News' top 30 seniors in the nation, as well as five of the HOOP SCOOP's top 20 sophomores and four of the USA Today's top 25 teams. The tournament tips off at 6:00 PM on Friday, December 18th with #10 ranked Elizabeth (St. Patrick's) NJ hosting Miami (Northwest Christian) FL. Then, at 8:15 PM Naples (Barron Collier) FL will face #5 ranked Lakewood (Artesia) CA and at 10:00 PM #15 Georgetown (Scott County) KY will meet Gainesville (H.S.) FL in what Wilkie predicts will be one of the wildest games of the tournament. First round action will resume on Saturday at 12:40 PM with Decatur (Cathedral Prep) GA squaring off against #17 ranked Little Rock (Central) AR, which is Wilkie's sleeper to win the tournament. At 2:25 PM Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC will face Jacksonville (Ribault) FL and 4:10 PM Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA will play will Louisville (Ballard) KY. Then, first round will conclude with Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA against Washington (Coolidge) DC at 6:05 PM and at 8:20 PM Huntsville (Grissom) AL versus Cape Coral (Mariner) FL. These last two games are especially important, because 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA is the #1 ranked senior in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP and 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL is the #3 ranked senior on our national list. If that weren't enough, at 10:05 PM, quarterfinals action will begin with the winners of games #1 and #3 playing. Sunday, December 20th, is a dead day, so action will resume on Monday and there will be games all day on December 21nd, 22nd, and 23rd.

Patrick Jira and Matt Borrello have requested that we make you aware that their Recruiting Beat web site is back in action and better than ever. In addition to the latest recruiting information, his new and improved site also features diary's from some of the top players and coaches, pictures of players, and conference reports from the ACC and Big East.

For a while there had been speculation about 6'11 Steve Hunter from Maywood (Proviso East) IL possibly reneging on his commitment to DePaul, but this was one we never paid much attention to because we know how tough it is to get a kid out of Chicago. But just to put the subject to rest, Hunter has signed the national letter-of-intent with DePaul. But that's not all! The Blue Demons also are still in good shape with 6'11 Leon Smith now that it appears that he will be staying at Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL. If that weren't enough, we also are hearing that DePaul is very strong with two of the top juniors in the state - 6'9 Jr Rio Logan from Hillcrest (Country Club Hills) IL and 6'8 Jr Terry Cummings from Homewood (Homewood-Flossmoor) IL, who are ranked #17 and #21, respectively, nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.

Monday, November 23, 1998

Vincent Baldwin, Editor & Publisher of Michigan and Ohio High School Basketball Prep Spotlight, has given us a late commitment that we can add to our list. 6'3 Willie Green from Detroit (Cooley) MI, who is ranked #12 in Michigan by Baldwin, has signed with the University of Detroit. Baldwin also gives us an early look at where some of the top juniors in the state are leaning. Obviously, Michigan State is the heavy favorite for 6'3 Jr Marcus Taylor from Lansing (Waverly) MI, but Duke, UCLA, and Michigan are also prominently mentioned. The other great junior in the state 6'2 Jr Maurice Searight from Orchard Lake (St. Mary's) MI also has Michigan and Duke high on his list, but Fresno State being listed so early may come as a surprise. Another junior who hasn't gotten a lot of notoriety yet, but who promises to be a top 30 junior nationally is 6'8 Jr Arthur Johnson from Detroit (Pershing) MI. "Those who have seen him think he's better than Aloyius Anagonya right now," says Baldwin. Michigan and Michigan State are both showing interest, but most people don't even now about him yet.

The high school basketball season is just around the corner and one of the big early season events is the Coca-Cola KMOX Shootout in St. Louis, MO, which will be held on Thursday, December 10th, will feature four of the HOOP SCOOP's top 10 seniors and juniors - 6'4 Keith Bogans from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, 6'10 Marvin Stone from Huntsville (Grissom) AL, 6'11 Casey Sanders from Tampa (Prep) FL, and 6'5 Jr DeShawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA. The first of nine games begins at 9:30 AM when Jennings (H.S.) MO hosts Minnetonka (H.S.) MN. Then at 11:00 AM it's University City (H.S.) MO against Fresno (Washington Union) CA and at 12:30 PM New Haven (H.S.) MO plays Bunker Hill (H.S.) IL. At 2:00 PM when Tampa (Prep) FL meets Troy (Buchanan) MO and then things really heat up at 3:30 PM when Jackson (Provine) MS faces Peoria (Central) IL. At 5:00 PM it's Huntsville (Grissom) AL against Nashville (H.S.) IL and 6:30 PM Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA plays Mount Vernon (H.S.) IL. At 8:00 PM Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD faces St. Louis (CBA) MO and at 9:30 the nightcap will feature Warsaw (H.S.) IL against Red Lake (H.S.) MN.

Marquette lost out on two of its prime recruiting targets this fall - 6'7 Ndu Egekeze from Augusta (Westside) GA and 6'7 Ray Austin from Youngstown (Liberty) OH, who signed with Penn State and Illinois State. However, sometimes things turn out for the best. According to the Racine Journal & Times, 6'7 Terry Sanders from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI, who Marquette also has been recruiting, was left three tickets (won for himself and two for guests) to a home game last week. One of the people he brought with him was his high school team 6'5 Marshall Williams, who ranks #22 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. This is important, because Williams has been kind of up in the air about his recruitment since taking official visits to Memphis and Colorado. However, word is that Williams had a great time at the game and is now seriously considering Marquette. As a matter of fact, we wouldn't be surprised if Marquette gets Sanders and Williams in a package deal. However, Williams' grades are still a question mark and Marquette's academic standards are higher than the normal minimum requirements under NCAA guidelines. So it may not be a done deal just yet, although this might be the perfect time for them to make an exception.

Sunday, November 22, 1998

Our ranking of the top 75 recruiting classes from the fall signing period have been compiled and can be found by clicking on top recruiting classes. We find it extremely interesting that teams from five of the top seven conferences in college basketball - the SEC with Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida; the ACC with Duke, Virginia, and N.C. State; the Big 10 with Indiana and Michigan; Conference USA with Houston; and the Big East with Georgetown - have accounted for all of the top 10 recruiting classes. The SEC with Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas and the Big 10 with Michigan State, Ohio State, and Illinois also have three more teams each ranked among our top 20 nationally in recruiting. Add DePaul from Conference USA; Connecticut and Rutgers from the Big East; and Kansas from the Big 12; all of whom also rank among our top 20 recruiting classes, and you have only six conferences with teams ranked among our top 20 in recruiting.

Another commitment that we have confirmed, but which has not been widely reported is 6'9 Leon Brisport from L.A. Valley (JC) CA, who has re-signed with Providence. However, he won't count with the Friars recruiting class in the spring, because he will graduate from junior college in the December and play for Providence beginning second semester. Players at other schools like 6'1 Anthony Grundy from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, who gets N.C. State ranked among our top 10 this fall, also fall into this category. Thus, explains why certain schools may drop in the spring, even though they are ranked high right now.

Patrick Jira of the Recruiting Beat has confirmed a report we got late in the week about 6'9 Stromile Swift bailing out on LSU after the school was hit recently with NCAA Probation that included being banned from post season play for a year. Apparently Swift is leaning towards transferring to Fresno State, where they need help up front. Just imagine if you had Swift and 6'10 Melvin Ely, who is currently the Bulldogs starting center, on the same front-line.

Saturday, November 21, 1998

Chris Johnson, our Ohio Editor, has the latest scoop on several foreign kids - 7'1 Matthew Forget from France and 6'5 Raoul Heinen from the Netherlands. Forget weighs only 200 lbs., but Johnson tells us he may have NBA potential if he bulks up to the tune of 40 or 50 lbs. Wichita State, which will get the first visit, is believed to be the leader, but he also has Louisville, Miami-FL, Rutgers, George Mason, Valparaiso, and Old Dominion on his list. Heinen, who impressed us last summer when we saw him at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas while playing point guard for Patrick Boggs' Virginia Select American Team, is being recruited by Clemson, Michigan, Virginia, Duke, and Wichita State. But right now Utah appears to be the leader.

Patrick Jira of The Recruiting Beat is reporting that 6'1 Soph Jonathan Hargett from Highland Springs (H.S.) VA, who is ranked as sophomores in the nation by the Jira, has applied for admission at Mouth of Wilson (H.S.) VA and likely will transfer to this basketball factory beginning second semester, although there also is a possibility that he could end up at Kensington (Newport Prep) MD. "Hargett is a proto type combo guard with deep 3-point range, excellent defensive skills, and perhaps one of the quickest first steps in the nation," says Jira.

We don't count transfers when ranking recruiting classes, but if we did Florida International's recruiting class would get a lot of attention. To go along with 5'10 Fab Fisher from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY, who recently signed with the Golden Panthers, is 6'5 Lucas Barnes, who transferred a year ago from Miami-FL. If you will recall, Barnes was ranked among the top 30 players in the nation when he was a senior in high school and he is a big time athlete. Also counting Florida International's recruiting class are 6'10 Jabahri Brown from Miami (Champagnat Catholic) FL, 6'3 Nate Aaron from Jacksonville (University Christian) FL, and 6'2 Akin Joseph frm Miami (Champagnat Catholic) FL.

Friday, November 20, 1998

One of the things we've been working on the last several days is updating our list of all the fall signings and commitments and, as a result, I'd be surprised if we don't have the most accurate and complete list currently available. You can access this list by clicking on signings and commitments. We also have been working on our rankings of the top recruiting classes, which hopefully will be completed sometime tomorrow. As it stands right now Duke has the #1 class, followed by 2) Kentucky, 3) Georgia, 3) Indiana, 5) Houston, 5) Michigan, 5) Virginia, 8) N.C. State, 9) Florida, 10) Georgetown, 11) Alabama, 12) Tennessee, 13) Connectict, 14) Michigan State, and 15 Kansas. The most interesting trend is that the Southeastern Conference has five schools ranked among the top dozen nationally and this comes on the heels of a year ago when the league was also the runaway recruiting winner.

Several of our competitors have reported that 6'10 Demetrius Williams from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, who ranks as a legitimate top 150 player, has gone to Northeastern. This is not correct! Instead, Williams has followed his former high school teammate - 6'6 Anthony Johnson - to Southwestern Louisiana. This may come as a surprise to many, but not to us. Ragin' Cajuns head coach Jessie Evans is one of the best recruiters in the nation and he has stolen more than his fair share of sleepers over the years. As a matter of fact, 6'6 Darryl Robbins from Baton Rouge (Istrouma) LA, who signed with LSU last spring, but who didn't make it academically, is also now at Southwestern Louisiana. Word is that Robbins has gotten the necessary score and he will become eligible next month, just in time for Southwestern Louisiana's game against Cincinnati.

We talked with the father of 6'5 Antonio Jackson from Butler County (JC) KS today and he tells us that Alabama and Louisville are the leaders for his son, who ranks as one of the top five junior college players in the nation. Jackson will visit Louisville on December 26th, but we still think it will tough to get him away from Alabama. Also still on Jackson's list are Connecticut, which has been making a push as of late, Texas A&M, and Iowa State. Michigan is out, which makes perfect sense, because the Wolverines already have commitments from two outstanding guards in this recruiting class in 6'4 Kevin Gaines from Las Vegas (Clark) NV and 6'5 Jamaal Crawford from Seattle (Rainier Beach) WA.

This has not been widely reported, but 5'10 Tony Cole from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA has signed with Rhode Island. You remember Cole. He's the guy who started at Baton Rouge (Glen Oaks) LA,along with Lester Earl and Corey Powell, as a sophomore three years ago. He's also they guy who was supposed to transfer to Memphis (Booker T. Washington) TN last fall, but then found out he wouldn't be eligible to play, so instead, he wound up at Compton (Dominguez) CA. However, he never played there either because he was injured the first half of the season and then fell into the dog house and simply disappeared until he surfaces this fall in prep school at Notre Dame Academy. How good is Cole? Dominguez head coach Russell Otis thought he was almost as good as Kenny Brunner. For Rhode Island's sake, hopefully he won't be as bad a Brunner turned out to be, because they are hoping he will be eligible beginning second semester this year. Apparently Cole has made the necessary score to be eligible. This is important, because Rhode Island needs another point guard now that Zach Marbury has been ruled ineligible for the season.

Thursday, November 19, 1998

A week ago we told you that we thought that UNLV would get 6'9 Dalron Johnson from Los Angeles (Verbum Dei) CA and 6'8 Oscar Garcia from Spain via Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA. Recruiting USA has now confirmed this fact. They also are reporting that 6'2 Jimmy Haywood from Seattle (Franklin) WA, who committed to Arizona in late July, but later reneged, has signed with Oregon State. Several other important commitments, as reported with the last several days by West Coast Hoops include 6'6 Tyler Besecker from Mercer Island (H.S.) WA, who has signed with Stanford, and 6'1 Kevin Bradley from Irvine Valley (JC) CA, who has re-signed with Pepperdine.

It looks like the commitment by 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (H.S.) CA to Arizona State isn't as firm as we thought. We've been getting conflicting reports for a week, but now we have enough to remove his name from our list of signings and commitments. "Michigan, UConn, Arizona State, they're all still in it" is what Maddox told Southern California Hoops when they saw him several nights ago at a USC basketball game. They also point out that while USC currently doesn't have a scholarship available, "it's not inconceivable that someone might not return next year. And if another scholarship did happen to open up, Tito would be an excellent choice, another immediate impact player on this young team provided he can qualify (we hear he has qualified, despite rumors to the contrary about his transcripts that surfaced with UConn last month). Whether Tito would consider USC though is anyone's guess."

The University of Missouri-Kansas City won't be ranked among the top recruiting classes in the nation, but head coach Bob Sundvold has landed what promises to be the best recruiting class in school history. The marquee player in the class is 6'8 Herb Brown from Penn Valley (JC) MO, who was ranked among the top 200 seniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP when he graduated from high school. They also have signed two other big guys who are sleepers in 6'10 Jake Dederer from Rolling Hills Estates (Peninsula) CA and 6'8 Chris Williams from Sherman Oaks (Notre Dame) CA. Also in the fold are 5'11 Michael Watson from Kansas City (Central) MO and 6'5 Corey Jones from North Little Rock (H.S.) AR. Jones provides 3-point shooting and Watson is also a great athlete.

Wednesday, November 18, 1998

Last night Reggie Tisdale, the Editor & Publisher of Indiana Basketball News, told us that 6'6 Carlton Baker from East Chicago (Central) IN, who is ranked as the #2 senior in Indiana ahead of his much more publicized teammate 6'6 Richard Wright, has committed to Barton County (JC) KS. Baker will be ineligible the first part of the season, but Tisdale thinks the "bad rap" on Baker isn't fair. "The game is too easy for him," says Tisdale. "He doesn't work very hard. So his high school coach is always on his case on and off the court, which is why he is ineligible right now.  But he is still the best player on the East Chicago Central team."

Vincent Baldwin, Editor & Publisher of Michigan and Ohio High School Basketball Prep Spotlight, has called to tip us off about 6'8 Aloyius Anagonya from Detroit (St. Martin DePorres) MI, who has a press conference scheduled for 6:00 PM tonight. Unless something unforeseen at last minute occurs, Anagonya will announce that he's signing with Michigan State. This is huge, not only because he ranks #37 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, but also because the Spartans have gotten two of the big four seniors in Michigan. If you will recall, 6'5 Jason Richardson from Saginaw (Buena Vista) MI, who ranks #16 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, also picked Michigan State earlier this fall. The Spartans also have commitments from two excellent role players in 6'9 Jason Andreas from Sugarcreek (Garaway) MI and 6'9 Adam Wolfe from Westerville (South) OH and a terrific transfer is sitting out in Mike Chappell, who left Duke for Michigan State last spring. We don't include transfers in our rankings of the top recruiting classes, but if we did, the Spartans would be right there at the top of the list, along with Duke. However, the four players who do count in Michigan State's class are enough to move the Spartans into our top dozen nationally. But the best still still be yet to come, because the Spartans are believed to be a near lock for 6'3 Jr Marcus Taylor form Lansing (Waverly) MI, who was the #1 ranked player at the NIKE All-American Camp by the HOOP SCOOP last summer and they are the favorite for 6'8 Jr Zach Randolph from Marion (H.S.) IN, who also ranks among the top five nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.

Vincent Baldwin also has the scoop on two other commitments out of the state of Ohio. Yale is getting 6'1 Chris Leanza from Cleveland (Benedictine) OH and 6'6 Rasheed Bonner from Cleveland Heights (H.S.) OH is following fellow Ohioan 6'9 Steve Albany from Canton (Glen Oaks) OH, who committed to Albany University a month ago, to this Division II school in upstate New York.

Tuesday, November 17, 1998

We have now confirmed that 6'0 Jamaal Gilchrist from Middleburg (Notre Dame) VA , who is a borderline top 100 player, has committed to Texas A&M. This would be huge for Aggies, because earlier this fall they also got 6'2 Bernard King from Gibsland (Gibsland-Coleman) TX, who ranks #59 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Together, King, who can play either guard spot, and Gilchrist should quickly emerge into one of the best back-court combinations in the Big 12 Conference. Gilchrist has picked Texas A&M over George Mason.

Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried told us last summer that the Crimson Tide would have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation this year and it appears that he's going to be right. Earlier this fall he got commitments from 6'7 Rod Grizzard from Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, 6'8 Erwin Dudley from Union (R.C. Hatch) AL, and 6'2 Terrance Meade from Scottsboro (H.S.) AL and now he has just added 6'9 Kenny Walker from from Jacksonville (Wolfson) FL. This most recent addition moves Alabama's class into the #11 position nationally and they don't appear to be done yet. We are still predicting that Alabama will also get 6'5 Antonio Jackson from Butler County (JC) KS, who ranks as the #1 guard prospect in the junior college ranks, and they are in better shape with 7'1 Raynell Brewer from Mississippi Gulf Coast (JC) MS than most people realize. However, neither Jackson nor Brewer is expected to sign until spring and a lot could happen between now and then. But as it stands now, those two players would be enough to move the Crimson Tide ahead of Duke, which currently is #1 in our rankings of the top recruiting classes.

When Mike Wilson got the assistant coaching position at Baylor a year and a half ago, he immediately landed 6'0 Tevis Stukes from Independence (JC) KS, who now appears to be on the verge of becoming the premier point guard in the Big 12 Conference. Now Wilson has added two outstanding perimeter players to Stukes with the additions of 6'2 Wendell Greenleaf from Houston (North Shore) TX, who ranks among our top 100 nationally,, and 6'7 Terry Black from Indian Hills (JC) IA, who was the only freshman to make the all-tournament team in the NJCAA Tournament last March and a first junior college All-American. Greenleaf committed a month ago, but Black didn't make it official until today. In the spring look for Baylor to sign one of the three 7-foot Russian players they're involved with and don't be surprised if they make a strong push for 6'5 Marshall Williams from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI. If you will recall, Williams visited both Colorado and Memphis recently, but was overwhelmed on either visit enough to commit.

There are three great point guards in the New York City in the junior class, but if we had to pick only one, the guy we would want is 6'1 Jr Taliek Brown Astoria (St. John's Prep) NY, who is ranked #7 nationally in the class by the HOOP SCOOP. His early list continues to change, because schools that he had previously been interested in, like Michigan, Duke, and Rutgers, have all signed a great point guard this fall. Right now it looks like Georgia Tech is the heavy favorite, but Brown also is very interested in Seton Hall, Providence, Syracuse, Connecticut, California, Houston, UCLA, and Kentucky.

You may have already noticed, but several days ago we added a page with the HOOP SCOOP's Pre-Season Top 30 Teams and College All-American Teams. W hile college basketball is not our regular beat, covering recruiting and following many of the players since they were freshmen and sophomores in high school gives us an interesting perspective. And unlike most of the pre-season magazines, which rank teams based on popularity and how they did the previous year, we have a much better of understanding of the kind of immediate impact that freshman and junior college players are likely to make at the college level. Also found on this page are a number of the other pre-season rankings and All-American Teams from most of the other pre-season polls and magazines. A special thanks to my father, Ralph Francis, who did much of the research on this project, and Eric Dixon, who helped compile all the information.

Monday, November 16, 1998

It won't be official until later today, but we now have a very reliable source who tells us that 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portland (Jesuit) OR will sign with Duke today. The press conference will be at the Portland Trailblazers corporate offices. If you will recall, Dunleavy's father, Michael Dunleavy, Sr, is the head coach of the Trailblazers and reportedly wanted his son to go to North Carolina. However, the word we got is that the younger Dunleavy favored Duke. We're glad he made the decision, because he's the person who has to go to school there the next four years. This is huge, because Dunleavy's commitment moves the Blue Devils recruiting class clearly into the lead over Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Michigan, Virginia, Houston, Arizona State, and Florida, all of whom are now in a close race for the #2 ranked class behind Duke.

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, who ranks #5 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has been in New York yesterday and today making his official visit to St. John's. Johnson also tells us that the Red Storm may be close to getting a commitment from 6'10 Jack Wolfinger from Redding (Barlow) CT. Wolfinger is skilled, but he's not necessary what the Red Storm needs, because he's not a physical presence inside. Instead, he's more of a finesse player, as he does most of his damage out on the perimeter. Our New England Editor Wayne Simone is now confirming that Wolfinger has made it official for St. John's.

We have finally gotten something concrete on 7'1 Raynell Brewer from Mississippi Gulf Coast (JC) MS, who did not commit to Mississippi State last week as was reported by both Jim Rothman of the HOOP SCOOP and Ron Briscoe of Ron Briscoe's Regional Scouting Service. Last night Greg Swaim of Midwest Basketball told us that Brewer will likely sign with Houston in the early period. We also have gotten this confirmed from a reliable source in Houston. Apparently the Houston coaching staff doesn't want to have to wait around to see if 7'5 Yao Ming is able to get out of China to attend college in the United States. If they wrap up their recruiting this fall, they can start working on juniors, like 6'9 Jr Alton Ford from Houston (Milby) TX, who is one of the leading candidates in the nation for national player of the year honors in the junior class.

We talked with Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME head coach Max Good last night and he confirms that 6'11 Wesley Wilson has signed with Georgetown and that 6'3 Jaron Brown has signed with Pittsburgh. But the big story at Maine Central Institute is the re-emergence of 6'9 Dermarr Johnson as one of the top five players in the nation. In his first three games this season, he's scored 37 points, 29 points, and 27 points and shot 6-10, 5-6, and 3-5 from 3-point land. "But what really been impressive is the way he gets in the passing lanes and his defensive intensity," says Good. "He's got more assassin in him than I thought he did." The top three for Johnson are Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Connecticut, but Good also thinks Maryland and Georgetown.

No surprise here, but we have now confirmed that 6'7 John Oden from Phoenix (Carl Hayden)  AZ has signed with DePaul. This gives the Blue Demons four excellent recruits - Oden, 6'11 Steve Hunter from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, 6'2 George Baker from Lexington (Dunbar) GA, and 6'2 Joe Tulley from Rockford (Boylan) IL - coming in on the heels of last year's #2 nationally ranked recruiting class.

Sources in Ohio are telling us that 6'8 Ben Walters from Youngstown (Rayen) OH has committed to The Citadel and 6'6 Romeo Augustine, also from Youngstown (Rayen) OH, has picked Toledo over Duquesne. We also are getting reports that 6'8 Tory Reed from Cleveland Heights (H.S.) OH has left school and has enrolled at Milford (Academy) CT, where he will be reclassified as a junior. However, for our purposes, he will be listed a 5th year player next year, because once we've identified a player, we move him with his class. Also looks like Hampton University is on the verge of getting another steal in the super quick three sport star 6'1 B.J. Davis from East Cleveland (Shaw) OH.

Rutgers, which had the #11 ranked recruiting class a year ago, has followed up with another banner year. Earlier this fall the Scarlet Knights got two 6'7 Sean Axani from Little Silver (Red Bank) NJ and 6'9 Kareem Wright from Mercersburg (Academy) PA and more recently won a very important battle for 6'1 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who ranks #21 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Now Rutgers has won another very important race. Reliable sources tell us that 7'1 Josh Moore from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT has a press conference scheduled for 3:30 PM this afternoon and he will pick the Scarlet Knights.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! For several weeks we thought 6'8 Carl Baker from Palestine (Palestine-Wheatley) AR would sign with either Oklahoma State or Mississippi, but we now have confirmed that Baker has told the Arkansas coaching staff that he will sign with the Razorbacks either today or tomorrow. This is important, because when Arkansas lost out on 6'7 Antonio Meeking from Farmerville (H.S.) LA, they were able to jump back in with Baker and get it done. Speaking of Meeking, the same source who tipped us off about Baker, tells us that "Meeking will now sign with LSU and not Louisiana Tech. Wonder where his high school coach will end up as an assistant?" Ron Briscoe of Ron Briscoe's Regional Basketball Scouting Service called us tonight to tell us that Meeking is not going to LSU. Briscoe talked with his coach this afternoon and he confirmed that Meeking has signed with Louisiana Tech, which makes his coach and family extremely happy, because it's close to home and they'll be able to see play.

Sunday, November 15, 1998

A player who is getting underrecruited is 6'4 Duane King from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY, who impressed us enough at the adidas ABCD Camp last summer to be ranked ranked #44 in camp. Not only is he a great athlete with long arms and 3-point excellent shooting range, but he's also the senior class president, valedictorian of his class (has never gotten anything less than an A), and has never missed a day of school in his life. Right now his list of schools includes Marquette, Pennsylvania, Western Kentucky, LaSalle, Wichita State, and Florida State, but he still wide open.

Finally, we have finished the reports from Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey, Georgia, Kentucky and Indiana and I am pleased to tell you that it is much easier to access the player rankings this time around.  While our computer people are still working on the sorting problem (will they ever finish?), Dennis Branson, who has done my accounting for years, has saved the day by figuring out how to export the reports into an html file that our web page can read. To get the player rankings, click on the report that you want (above) and then scroll to the bottom of the report and click on the link that will take you to the list of the top players. The same principle will also work when we finish our national player list once all the state-by-state and area reports are done.

Another very important item that we have added to the Members Section is an alphabetical listing of all the signings and commitments to date, including early commitments for the Class of 2000. In addition to just giving you the names, we also list to the left of each player's name is a ranking on a scale of 1-10. A top five player nationally = 10 points, a top 10 player nationally = nine points, a top 40 player nationally = eight points, a top 70 player nationally = six points, a top 100 player nationally = four points, a top 300 player nationally = three points, a top 1000 player nationally =two points, anybody not ranked among the top 1000 nationally is worth only one point. Junior college, 5th year, prep school, and foreign players are factored in accordingly. This is important, because it gives you a real good idea of where each school's recruiting class will rank, although some changes will be made once we finalize our national player list.

Saturday, November 14, 1998

Last week Ron Briscoe, Editor and Publisher Ron Briscoe's Regional Scouting Service, told us he thought 6'7 Ndu Egekeze from Augusta (Westside) GA would commit to Tulane. Well, it looks like Egekeze changed him mind, because Allen Rubin of the HOOP SCOOP confirmed last night that Egekeze has signed with Penn State. This is huge for the Nittany Lions, becaue Egekeze is a world class athlete, a 4.0 student and a legitimate top 100 player nationally. Although our Georgia Editor Linzy Davis only ranks Egekeze #7 in the state of Georgia, we loved him last summer at the NIKE All-American Camp, where he thrived in the uptempo wide open setting, as he was ranked #13 in camp and #3 among wing forwards by the HOOP SCOOP.

Several weeks ago 6'5 Jimmy Boykin from Jackson (Murrah) MS verballed to Western Kentucky, but this is one of the few commitments that may not hold up, because Boykin is thinking about reneging on the Hilltoppers. Instead, there is talk about about him signing with Southern Mississippi. Western Kentucky has signed 6'8 Nate Williams from Raleigh (Ravenscroft) NC and 6'8 David Boyden from Fork Union (Military) VA.

Friday, November 13, 1998

Friday the 13th appears to be a lucky day for Ball State, because Mark Karram of Ohio Roundball Prep is reporting that 6'7 Theron Smith from Auburndale (H.S.) FL has committed to the Cardinals. Not only is Smith a major steal, but he was the only player at the adidas ABCD Camp last summer to average in double digits in both scoring and rebounding. Karram also tells us that head coach Ray McCallum and assistant coach Tim Buckley, both deserve a major pat on the back for this one.

We've been hearing for some time that the University of Florida was making a strong push for 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, who ranks as the #1 senior in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP. Not only have we confirmed this fact, but we also understand that Harvey will be in Gainesville, FL this weekend with his AAU coach Wallace Prather for an unofficial visit. Clemson is currently the leader, but if he waits until spring, which is our guess, it could be a war between Georgia and Georgia Tech to keep him home. Also don't be surprised if Kentucky jumps back in, if a scholarship becomes available and they don't decide they need a point guard more.

We have now confirmed that 6'4 Joe Forte from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, who ranks #21 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has made it official for North Carolina, which brings us to our next order of business. Will this effect the decision 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portland (Jesuit) OR, who ranks #39 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP? Maybe, but Brick Oettinger of the Recruiter's Handbook and Prep Stars thinks that Dunleavy will pick Duke over North Carolina, because that's where he thinks he will feel more comfortable and there might be more playing time available.

Our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin informs us that the University of Pennsylvania has beaten out Princeton and Cornell for 6'8 Ugonna Onyekwe from Mercersburg (Prep) PA. If you will recall, Onyekwe signed with Long Beach State last fall, but has since changed his mind. However, like Anthony Grundy when he signed with Bradley,but later changed his mind, Onyekwe would have to sit out two years if Long Beach State doesn't release him from the national letter-of-intent. The only exception is if he goes to an Ivy League school, which is possible in this case, because Onyekwe is an excellent student, as well as an excellent basketball player.

Thursday, November 12, 1998

Ron Briscoe, Editor & Publisher of Ron Briscoe's Regional Scouting Service, is reporting that Eastern Michigan has gotten a commitment from 6'7 Ryan Prillman from New Orleans (McDonogh) LA. Briscoe thinks this is big for head coach Milton Barnes, who is one of the hot young head coaches in the nation, because Prillman is a major sleeper. "He's a great athlete with long arms and excellent shooting range," says Briscoe. "And not many people know about him."

Despite several erroneous reports from the local media in Columbus, OH to the contrary, the 7'3 Alexksander Radojevic from Barton County (JC) KS, who ranks as one of the top two junior college players in the nation, has signed a national letter-of-intent with Ohio State. Also signing yesterday with the Buckeyes were the other two players - 6'2 Brent Darby from River Rouge (H.S.) MI, who ranks #32 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'8 Slobodan Ocokaljic from Massillon (Washington) OH, who is a borderline top 100 player nationally - who had given verbal commitments this fall to the Ohio State coaching staff.

Our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin is reporting that 6'4 John Cox from Philadelphia (Engineering & Science) PA, who ranks #6 in the Philadelphia Area by the HOOP SCOOP,  has picked the University of San Francisco over Pepperdine and Southern California. Cox, who is the cousin of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, wanted to sign with a school on the West Coast, because he wanted to be closer to Kobe. Also Rubin, who talked with Notre Dame signee 6'6 Matt Carroll from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA last night, thinks the Irish are the leader for 6'10 Andy Slocum from West Monroe (H.S.) LA. However, Oklahoma and Utah are also very high on his list. So don't be surprised if this one drags out for a while.

Ohio Editor Chris Johnson reported several weeks ago that the University of Nebraska was on the verge of getting 6'8 Kenny Booker from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who ranks #106 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Well, now you can write it down. This athletic combo forward has signed the national letter-of-intent, but it won't become official until his mother (she lives in Mississippi) receives, co-signs, and mails the national letter to Nebraska.

Chris Johnson is also reporting that the University of Oklahoma, which landed 6'0 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA two days ago, has picked up another commitment from '6'6 Ebe Ere from Tulsa (McClain) OK, who ranks as the #1 senior in the state by Greg Swaim of Midwest Basketball. Johnson also tells us that 5'11 Antonio Reed from Tulsa (Washington) OK has gone ahead and committed to Tulsa

Illinois State head coach Kevin Stallings continues to get players who should make the Redbirds a powerhouse for years to come. The latest is 6'7 Ray Austin from Youngstown (Liberty) OH, who ranks #8 in Ohio by Chris Johnson. "Austin is a 6'7 power forward with a nice shooting touch," says Johnson. "If he were two inches taller, he would have signed with Illinois or Ohio State, instead of Illinois State. He should make an immediate impact next year."

Wednesday, November 11, 1998

Loyola of Chicago has gotten a commitment from 6'3 Jerrell Parker from Chicago (St. Francis DeSales) IL. This is huge, because the new coaching staff has already done what the former regime was never able to do (get the top players in their backyard). Not only does Parker rank among the top five seniors in Illinois by the HOOP SCOOP, but he this athletic 2-guard is ranked as one of the top 100 seniors nationally.

Jim Rothman, our Mid-South Editor, is reporting that 7'1 Raynell Brewer from Mississippi Gulf Coast (JC) MS has committed to Mississippi State. Brewer currently ranks #17 nationally among junior college players by Phil Henzel, but this is the same guy who Mitch Malone of the Texas Blue Chip Report, ranked as the #1 player in Texas ahead of Rashard Lewis pre-summer two years ago. Not only was this one of the all time great misses, but Brewer was embarrassingly non-productive every time we've seen him play. Maybe he's improved, but at 7'1 and very athletic, my guess is he's still getting ranked based on potential and not performance. As a result, we don't get overly excited about this one and we certainly don't think Brewer will be good enough to make a major impact on the program. We just talked with Mitch Malone of the Texas Blue Chip Report and he tells us that Brewer has not committed to Mississippi State. He also says that the Bulldogs are not ranked among the final three, which includes Fresno State, Alabama, and Oklahoma. As a result, the inquiry sign is up and the race has not been declared official. Stay tuned!

Somebody (we're still not sure who) is wrong on 7'1 Raynell Brewer from Mississippi Gulf Coast (JC) MS, but we have confirmed that Mississippi State has signed 6'10 Lincoln Smith from Hollandale (H.S.) MS and 6'8 Jason Johnson from Vicksburg (St. Aloysius) MS. If you will recall, yesterday we reported that both of these players were probably for the Bulldogs.

UNLV has yet to get a commitment this fall, but that could change within the week, because David Goussev of West Coast Hoops is predicting the Runnin' Rebels will get both 6'9 Dalron Johnson from Los Angeles (Verbum Dei) CA and 6'8 Oscar Garcia from Spain via Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA. UNLV also is believed to be the co-favorite, along with Missouri, for 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, but a decision probably won't be forthcoming until spring.

Hulan Pickett, the editor & publisher U.S. High School Hoops, has confirmed that the press conference for 6'6 Damien Wilkins from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL went off without a hitch. He picked N.C. State. If you will recall, a week ago we were the first to tell you that Wilkins, who ranks as one of the top 30 seniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, was not a lock for Georgia Tech, which at the time was the popular opinion. Instead, we told you that "the press conference is scheduled for a week from today and our sources think it will be N.C. State." We also told you to rememeber where you heard it first.

We are now getting reports that all the players who will be signing this fall at Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD are supposed to announcing together on Friday. 6'11 Derek Ahern has already committed to American University, 6'1 John Sadusky is heading to Boston University, and Keith Bogans will sign with Kentucky. So the only question mark is what will 6'4 Joe Forte do?  The N.C. State people had become hopeful today, because no word had been forthcoming, but with this additional information, there is no longer any doubt in our mind. Forte will pick the Tar Heels on Friday.

Several days ago Southern California Hoops is reported that 6'10 J.J. Todd from West Hills (Chaminade) CA picked UC-Santa Barbara over Loyola of Chicago, UC-Riverside, Lehigh, and Cal State Fullerton. Another important commitment that has slipped past us is 6'6 Jr Eddie Baker from Jacksonville (Ribault) FL, who verballed to the University of Florida last week. This is important, because he is ranked #70 nationally in the Class of 2000 by the HOOP SCOOP.

Yesterday we told you that we had an unconfirmed report from Patrick Jira of the Recruiting Beat regarding 6'11 Micah Brand from Milford (Academy) CT picking the University of Massachusetts. Our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin saw Milford Academy coach Brad Shapiro at a game this afternoon and he has confirmed it.

We now have confirmed that 6'6 Sidney Ball from Tuscaloosa (Hillcrest) AL has committed to UAB. While we remember seeing Ball play last summer for the Alabama Lasers AAU team, we're not sure how good he is, because it was hard to gage on him in that setting (he's the 8th player off the team to get a Division I scholarship). He is very athletic, skilled, and well coached (former Alabama assistant coach Thad Fitzpatrick is his high school coach). Therefore, we wouldn't be surprised if he blossoms into a major surprise down the road for the Blazers.

It looks like 6'4 Antonio Falu from Houston (Waltrip) TX is trying to win our award for the strangest recruiting scenario of the year. Remember, he committed last spring to Alabama, but then reneged when the NCAA found out about the money he received and started investigating. Then, early in the fall he was telling the Louisville coaching staff that he would commit to the Cardinals, but then turned around and committed to Houston. However, he was still telling Louisville that he planned to visit, but later eliminated the Cardinals when the NCAA handed down sanctions. But he still was looking around for other schools to visit and found takers in Oregon State and Florida International. While all this was going on he was still officially committed to Houston. Last night he told a source close to the HOOP SCOOP that he plans on signing late and has put Louisville back on his list (the visit was scheduled for November 26th). But he was also telling other people that he plans to sign tomorrow with Houston, because his mother is moving to Houston from Puerto Rico so she can watch him play. What a mess! I've come to the conclusion that he's the Bill Clinton of high school recruits and I'm not believing anything about Falu until I actually see him on the court in uniform playing for a particular college team.

We have now confirmed that the University of Houston has signed 6'8 George Williams from Sugar Land (Elkins) TX, 6'4 Antonio Falu from Houston (Waltrip) TX, and 6'11 Chris Andersen from Blinn (JC) TX. With these three players, the Cougars recruiting class moves into the top 10 in recruiting nationally and they rank #2 if you include 7'5 Yao Ming from Shanghai, China. However, there are still questions about whether he will ever get out of China.

The latest list for 6'3 Jamison Brewer from Kensington (Newport Prep) MD, who we think is the best available point guard in the nation, includes Villanova, Louisville, LSU, and Georgia, but it now looks like Texas is the leader. Speaking of Newport Prep, we are still getting reports that at this basketball factory in Maryland are still concerned about the possibility of 6'1 Ken Satterfield from New York (Rice) NY transferring to the their school. This is especially an issue with 6'0 Erick Wills, because Satterfield would take his spot if he shows up. We don't look for this to happen, but we think it is still important to mention, because this rumor is not dead (yet).

Tuesday, November 10, 1998

A year ago the Southeastern Conference by far and away did the best job of recruiting and now the league has followed that up with eight schools - Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Carolina - that rank among our top 25 nationally in recruiting thus far this year. When you remember that LSU's and Auburn's classes ranked #3 and #6 nationally a year ago by the HOOP SCOOP, it looks like only two schools in the SEC - Vanderbilt and Georgia - are yet to have a big year. Well, Georgia is on the verge. Several months ago the Bulldogs got a commitment 7'1 Nathan Popp from Lexington (Catholic) KY and yesterday they got a commitment from 6'3 Erza Williams from Marietta (H.S.) GA, who ranks #88 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Georgia also is expected to re-sign 6'3 Shawn Fields from Lexington (Catholic) KY, who now is academically qualified, but who has been sitting out this fall while taking classes back in Lexington. We also are looking for Georgia to land a pair of talented point guards in 6'2 Ramod Marshall from Fork Union (Military) VA and 5'11 Moses White from Fitchburg (Notre Dame Prep) MA. But the player who moves this class into a tie for the #1 recruiting class nationally, along with Kentucky and Indiana, and just ahead of Houston, Michigan, and Virginia, is 6'4 Alfred Bell from Santa Fe (JC) FL. Bell not only ranks as one of the top junior college players in the nation, but he also was the MVP in the Beach Ball Classic two years ago when he was a senior at Tifton (Tift County) GA. He also led Tifton County to the state championship in Georgia and has averaged over 20 ppg during each of the last four years dating back to when he was a junior in high school. Unless something unexpected happens, all six of these players are expected to sign with the Bulldogs on Wednesday. Assuming this happens, all that would be left for head coach Ron Jirsa to do is get 6'7 Donnell Harvey from Cuthbert (Randolph Clay) GA, who ranks as the #1 senior in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP in the spring. And if they do that, you can bet that this class will be ranked among the top two or three when it is all said and done in June.

We reported last week that if 6'8 Justin Davis from Alameda (St. Joseph) CA had a good visit to UCLA last weekend that it was a done deal. But apparently the visit didn't go well enough for him to commit this week to the Bruins, because it look like he will open his recruitment back up. We now are getting reports that Davis will visit Michigan this weekend, but right now this is unconfirmed.

We have confirmed that 6'0 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA, who ranks #46 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP has picked the University of Oklahoma over LSU and Texas. This is important, because it gives the Sooners a terrific backcourt for the next four years. If you will recall, 6'4 Jarrett Hart from Little Rock (Central) AR, who ranks #130 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but who has the potential to move much higher, committed to Oklahoma a month ago.

We have what we consider to be a reliable source who is telling us that 6'2 Ken Satterfield, who ranks #15 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has been kicked out of New York (Rice) NY and is now planning to enroll at Kensington (Newport Prep) MD. If indeed this is true, this would not only make Newport Prep the #2 team in the Washington, DC area behind Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, but also would give them one of the best backcourts in the nation with 6'3 Jamison Brewer at the point and Satterfield at the 2-spot. And coming off the bench backing them both up would be 6'0 Erick Wills. Across the front line Newport Prep would also be loaded with 6'9 Rodney White at center, 6'7 Soph James White power forward, and 6'7 Victor Samnick at the 3-spot. Potentially you could compete in the Big East or the Atlantic Coast for the conference title with this group in three or four years. Our source is from the Washington, DC area, but so far HOOP SCOOP New York City Editor Ron Naclerio has been unable to confirm this story with anybody in New York City. Another interesting twist is whether this will have any effect on Satterfield's commitment to Cincinnati. Also he has not yet met the necessary requirements to be eligible as a college freshman. So how will this effect his chances becoming qualified academically? Long Island Panthers head coach Gary Charles has confirmed that there was something to this, but unless something has happened in the last day or so, he thinks Satterfield staying put. Following up further, Courtney Goldwire, Editor and Publisher of Full Court Magazine, got a hold of New York (Rice) NY head coach Maurice Hicks and he says that Satterfield has not been kicked out of school. However, he does confirm that previously there had been some problems and the possibility of transferring had been discussed, but now everything seems to be fine.

Ron Briscoe, Editor and Publisher Ron Briscoe's Regional Scouting Service, tells us that he thinks 6'7 Ndu Egekeze from Augusta (Westside) GA will commit today to Marquette, Georgia Tech, Penn State, College of Charleston, or Tulane. Briscoe thinks he's going to Tulane. While Egekeze has a 4.0 gpa, he's not as skilled on the basketball court, because he lacks perimeter skills, which means he lacks a true position. But it might matter, because is a great athlete who thrives in transition and effective rebounds against bigger and stronger guys. So in the program it might matter if doesn't have a true position.

The race for the #1 recruiting class becomes even more interesting, because we have spend University of Florida will re-sign 6'9 Sylbrin Robinson from Miami (Senior) FL via Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA. This is important, because with 6'2 Brett Nelson from St. Albans (H.S.) WV, 6'9 Matt Bonner from Concord (H.S.) NH, and 6'3 Justin Hamilton from Sarasota (Booker) FL, also already in the fold, Florida's recruiting class moves into a tie for the #1 ranked recruiting class, along with Kentucky, Georgia, and Indiana, and one point ahead of Houston, Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona State. This is getting real interesting!

The University of Texas lost out on 6'0 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA, who committed to Oklahoma today, but we now have confirmed that the Longhorns are getting 6'6 Chris Ogden from Seminole (H.S.) TX, who ranks #72 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. However, as it stands now this is unconfirmed.

Patrick Jira of the Recruiting Beat is hearing that the University of Massachusetts has a commitment from 6'11 Micah Brand from Milford (Academy) CT. However, Jira cautions us that although his source is usually accurate, this one too is still unconfirmed.

We are also looking for Mississippi State to get another commitment tomorrow from 6'10 Lincoln Smith from Hollandale (H.S.) MS. He's a project in basketball, but he'a a big time football player. However, our sources tell us that if Mississippi State offers, he'll sign with the Bulldogs to play basketball. We're also hearing that Mississippi State could sign 6'8 Jason Johnson from Vicksburg (St. Aloysius) MS.

The HOOP SCOOP is now reporting that 6'4 Maurice Jeffers from Westark (JC) AR, who ranks #5 among junior college wing guards by Rick Ball, has committed to St. Louis. We also have confirmed that St. Louis is no longer involved with 5'11 Antonio Reed from Tulsa (Washington) OK, because the Billikens recently got a commitment from 5'9 Marque Perry from Chicago (Prosser) IL.

Former Michigan assistant coach and current Eastern Kentucky head coach Scott Perry has gone back to his old stamping ground to get his first commitment of the year. According to Vincent Baldwin, Editor and Publisher of Michigan Prep Spotlight, 6'6 Ricardo Thomas from Detroit (CMA) MI, who ranks #11 in the state of Michigan by both the HOOP SCOOP and Michigan Prep Spotlight, has committed to Eastern Kentucky. We also are expecting Eastern Kentucky to get 6'3 Lavoris Jerry from Compton (JC) CA, who is ranked as high as the #2 wing guard in the junior college ranks in California. Our sources tell us that Jerry, who is a phenomenal athlete originally from Ocala (Vanguard) FL, has already told the Eastern Kentucky coaches he's coming and will make it official tomorrow.

Frank Burlison is reporting in the Orange County Register that 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (H.S.) CA has given Arizona State a verbal commitment. This is huge, because Maddox, along with 6'8 Donnell Knight from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, 6'8 Tommy Smith from Phoenix (North) AZ, 6'6 Tanner Shell from Mesa (Mountain View) AZ, and 6'8 Shawn Redhage from Lincoln (Northeast) NE, all whom have already committed to the Sun Devils, would move Arizona State's recruiting class in a tie for second, along with Houston, Virginia, and Michigan, and only one point behind Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia (assuming that things fall for the Bulldogs as expected tomorrow).

David Benezra, the Managing Editor of Recruiting USA, tells us that 6'8 Aloyius Anogonya from Detroit (Martin DePorres) MI, who ranks as one of the top four seniors in Michigan and as a consensus top 40 senior nationally, had a good visit to Michigan this past weekend, but still thinks that the University of Detroit is the school you have to beat. Michigan State is probably #2 on his list, but Penn State and Florida Atlantic appear to be long shots. He'll be at Detroit this weekend.

It looks like Fordham University is making major in-roads into the state of Ohio. Last week they got a skilled big guy in 6'10 Sasa Mijalovic from Massillon (Washington) OH. Now, as predicted, the Rams have gotten 6'6 Phillip Dupree from Columbus (Brookhaven) OH. Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson doesn't rank Dupree among the top 10 seniors in the state, but he still thinks he's a great for Fordham, because he's a tremendous defender who will be able to shut down most of the top players he faces in the Atlantic 10. If Dupree ever develops outside shooting range, the sky could be the limit.

Monday, November 9, 1998

It is finally official! Reggie Tisdale, who is the publisher of Indiana Basketball News, has the scoop on where 6'6 Richard Wright from East Chicago (Central) IN, who ranks #87 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has committed. Apparently he picked Villanova last night. This is a great get for the Wildcats, because it gives them a blue collar power forward whose forte is doing all the dirty work on the boards. He should be the perfect complement to the extremely talented 6'8 Andrew Sullivan from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, who also committed this fall to Villanova. Right now Sullivan is also a power forward, but he hopes to eventually become a wing forward, which means there should plenty of playing time for both of them during the next four years. This may come as a surprise to a lot of folks, but not when you remember that Villanova freshman Bobby Smith is originally from East Chicago (Central) IN. Apparently Smith and Wright are close friends.

With the beginning of the fall signing period only two days away, it now looks like this could be a big week for the North Carolina Tar Heels. We already have gotten an unconfirmed report that 6'4 Joe Forte from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD told the UNC coaching staff that he plans to sign with the Tar Heels this week. We also are now getting reports that North Carolina may win out for 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portland (Jesuit) OR. Apparently Dunleavy wants to go to Duke, but his father, Portland Trailblazers head coach Mike Dunleavy, Sr, who was college a college All-American at South Carolina, is good friends with former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith and, as a result, wants his son to sign with North Carolina. It also looks like North Carolina is the co-leader, along with Davidson, for 6'8 Will Johnson from Hickory (H.S.) NC. But if Johnson picks the Tar Heels, he will likely walk-on.

We have finally confirmed that 6'9Tahj Holden from Little Silver (Red Bank Regional) NJ, who ranks #92 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has committed to the University of Maryland. According to Allen Rubin of the HOOP SCOOP, Holden's mother's sister lives in College Park, MD. So when she drives down to see her son play she will stay with her sister. Holden is expected to play both the power forward and wing forward spots, similiar to Terrance Morris.

We talked with Greg Swaim of Midwest Basketball today and he thinks we could hear as soon as tonight on 6'8 Carl Baker from Palestine (Palestine-Wheatley) AR. Will it be Oklahoma State or Mississippi? Right now it appears to be too close to call. Another one that Swaim expects to find out about within the next few days is 6'0 Hollis Price from New Orleans (St. Augustine) LA, whose final three are Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU. Swaim is predicting that 6'9 Jeremy NcNeil from San Antonio (Sam Houston) TX, 6'10 Andy Slocum from West Monroe (H.S.) LA, and 5'11 Antonio Reed from Tulsa (Washington) OK will all wait until spring. Swaim also thinks a package deal could be in the works that involves 6'5 Kareem Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO, 6'5 Josh Kroenke from New Hampton (Prep) NH, and 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) MO all to the University of Missouri.

Sunday, November 8, 1998

It looks like University of Maryland assistant coach Billy Hahn has done it again. Allen Rubin of the HOOP SCOOP now confirms that 6'9 Tahj Holden from Little Silver (Red Bank Regional) NJ will announce for Maryland tomorrow. "I never bet against Billy Hahn," says Rubin. "He's one best recruiters in the business, but what sets him above rest is his ability to evaluate players and close the deal."

We are still waiting word on 6'6 Richard Wright from East Chicago (Central) IN, who is expected to make a commitment any day now, but Reggie Tisdale, who is the publisher of Indiana Basketball News, is reporting that another one of the top power forwards in the state - 6'7 Jermaine Dearman from Indianapolis (Warren Central) MI - has committed to Southern Illinois. As for Wright, the leaders still appear to be on Michigan and Purdue, but Villanova could be the sleeper.

John Stovall, the Associate Editor of Michigan Prep Spotlight, is reporting that Duquesne will like beat Toledo for 6'7 Romeo Augustine from Youngstown (Rayen) OH, who ranks #6 in Ohio by Michigan Prep Spotlight and #8 by the HOOP SCOOP. And it could happen as soon as tomorrow. Stovall also reports that 6'8 Steve Albany from Canton(Glen Oaks) OH, who ranks #27 in Ohio by Chris Johnson of the HOOP SCOOP, has committed to Albany University.

We did talk with Compton assistant coach George Barthwell last night and he says he has never seen anything like the situation involving 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL. "Out here it would be no big deal if a player transferred from one school to another in order to have a chance to become eligible academically," says Barthwell. "But in Chicago the entire city is in an uproar, which makes no sense, because Leon will not get eligible to play this season if he remains at King. We are fully prepared to give him the support that he needs both to become eligible this year and as a freshman in college. Right now he's like a fish out of water. Nobody cares about the kid. But when he wants to leave everybody makes a big deal about it. He waited until he was 18 and now he wants to be able to do for himself and make his own decisions. But when they found out that he wanted leave, he got scared and ran off (Smith was missing for three days earlier this week)." Barthwell also added that they will do everything they can to try and help Smith, if he transfers.  But reading between the lines, I think he'd be surprised if Smith ever gets out of Chicago. It appears the establishment is prepared to do whatever it can to keep Smith at King. And if that happens, Barthwell thinks it will be a shame. He also thinks Smith will never set foot in college, because "he's played his last game at King, regardless of whether they let him leave or not."

George Barthwell also tells us that his star player 6'4 Tito Maddox from Compton (H.S.) CA may wait until spring to sign, especially if 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL transfers to his school. "They're both being recruited by Rhode Island, Fresno State, and Michigan," says Barthwell. "And they're friends. I wouldn't be surprised if they went as a package deal." Maddox also has Connecticut and Arizona State on his list. Smith also is considering DePaul, Georgetown, and Louisville, but if he leaves Chicago his recruitment could start from scratch.

Saturday, November 7, 1998

Yesterday Patrick Jira of the Recruiting Beat gave us the scoop on 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL transferring to Compton (H.S.) CA, but now it appears that the whole matter is extremely complicated, as both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune are investigating into what has become a complete mess. According to the Chicago Sun-Times article, a number of people, including officials Martin Luther King High School, are doing their best to stop Smith from transferring. There are also questions about Smith's residential status and his transcript. Smith is a ward of the state (essentially an orphan) that, although he is 18, still must go through proper channels to leave the state. Apparently Smith has been missing for the last three days, but now it looks like he has been found. George Barthwell, an assistant coach from Compton (H.S.) CA, tells us that Smith will be issuing a statement to the Sun-Times later tonight and assuming he calls us back, we may have a lot more for you late tonight or tomorrow.

Allen Rubin, our Philadelphia Area Editor, tells us that 6'9 Tahj Holden from Little Silver (Red Bank Regional) NJ, who ranks #92 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has a press conference scheduled for 2:00 PM on Monday. Rubin thinks it's too close to call, between Syracuse and Maryland. Clemson is out! But Courtney Goldwire, Editor and Publisher of Full Court Magazine, thinks it will be Maryland.

Friday, November 6, 1998

Are you ready for this? Patrick Jira of the Recruiting Beat tells him us that 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and was a strong candidate for player of the summer, based on his performances at the adidas ABCD Camp and adidas Big Time Tournament, is transferring to Compton (H.S.) CA. Jira thinks this will greatly enhaunced Smith's chances of getting eligible, because Compton High School has "an academic plan" that should improve his in areas where he is deficient dramatically. What does this do to Smith's recruiting? Jira says that it totally opens everything back up. As a result, DePaul might not be the lock they once were if he was still in Chicago.

Fordham has gotten a verbal commitment from 6'10 Sasa Mijalovic from Massillon (Washington) OH, who lacks athleticism, but has excellent offensive skills and a huge upside. We also wouldn't be surprised if the Rams also got 6'6 Phillip Dupree from Columbus (Brookhaven) OH, who lacks perimeter skills, but is an excellent slasher with lots of athleticism.

We are getting unconfirmed reports that the race for 6'5 Reese Gaines from Madison (West) WI, who ranks #40 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has come down to two schools - Wisconsin and Louisville. Apparently Clemson is out.

It looks like South Carolina head coach Eddie Fogler is determined to become the Bob Knight of the South. Fogler is already infamous for the way he treated a reporter when he was at Vanderbilt and he has alienated most of the people in our business for years with his attitude and remarks about people in the recruiting profession, including his own friend Bob Gibbons, whose credibility he once questioned publicly, because he is a former insurance agent turned basketball scout. But now Fogler has gone too far. At the Southeastern Conference media day earlier this week Fogler made a cheap shot directed at two of the best people in our business - Bret Bearup, the President of Pro Trust, which does financial planning for professional athletes, and Billy Donovan, who is the head coach at the University of Florida. "Want to hear the new gig? This is a beauty," said Fogler. "The new gig - it's legal. Now is it ethical? You be the judge. The new gig is financial managers, money managers, who put together summer trips." Fogler was talking about the annual trip that Bearup has underwritten in recent years, whereby 10 of the better high school players in the nation get to tour in Europe for two weeks at the end the summer. Among the players on this year's trip were 6'1 Ken Satterfield from New York (Rice) NY, 6'11 Jonathan Bender from Picayune (H.S.) MS, 6'6 Marshall Williams from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI, 6'2 Jr Imari Sawyer from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, 6'10 Jr Rio Logan from Hillcrest (Country Club Hill) IL, 6'11 Donald Little from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'2 Brett Nelson from St. Albans (H.S.) WV, 6'8 Mike Miller from Mitchell (H.S.) SD, and 6'9 Matt Bonner from Concord (H.S.) NH. Fogler's remarks were directed at the fact that Miller, Nelson, and Bonner all are going to the University of Florida and his intent was question whether this was a major recruiting advantage. Well, I can assure you that it wasn't.  I should know, because I went on this trip two years ago when the list of players included Baron Davis, Chris Burgess, Ricky Davis, Dean Oliver, Ricky Anderson, and a young Jason Kapono. Obviously basketball was a non-stop topic of conversation during the entire trip, but one of the reasons I have so much respect for Bearup is the way he conducts himself. I know first hand that Bearup didn't do anything to try to influence any of the players to become his future clients (which is obviously why underwrites the trip), much less influence where any of them go to college. It's not that they don't tell us. As a matter of fact, Baron Davis not only said he was going to Duke, but on several occasions tried to call Mike Krzyzewski. Bearup, who obviously is a good businessman, deserves credit for trying to give something back to the game. From a business point of view, he is not a sports agent, most of whom are widely regarded as the lowest form of life, along with drug dealers and politicians. Instead, Bearup is a financial manager and a very good one at that.  So good that if I ever have a lot of money, I would have to seriously consider letting him handle my portfolio. As for Donovan, he has built the Florida program the same way he played the game - with guts, determination, hard work, and class. He deserves all the credit in the world, instead of Folger being paranoid and insecure about maintaining his already established position as one of the best coaches in both the conference and the country.

Thursday, November 5, 1998

Our Mid-South Correspondent Jim Rothman is reporting that 5'9 Charles Tatum from Midland (H.S.) TX, who is a borderline top 100 player nationally, has picked the University of Arkansas over Memphis, Texas, and Arizona State. We find this extremely interesting, because the Razorbacks signed a terrific point guard a year ago in Brandon Dean. However, according to Rothman the Arkansas coaching staff successfully convinced Tatum that there will be plenty of playing time for both of them, because they plan to play Dean a lot at the 2-spot.

Hulan Pickett, the editor & publisher U.S. High School Hoops, which is based in North Carolina, is reporting that 6'4 Tony Dobbins from Washington (Maret) DC, who ranks #190 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has committed to Virginia Tech. Not only is Dobbins one of the more underrated players nationally, but his athleticism, ability to score both inside and outside, and potential make him an absolute steal of the Hokies. And he's not the only one, as we find out tonight that Virginia Tech also has picked up a commitment from 6'6 Brian Felts from Knoxville (Austin-East) TN, who ranks #122 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.

Hulan Pickett also confirms that Duke is a near lock for 6'7 Michael Dunleavy from Portand (Jesuit) OR. "His father would like to see him go to North Carolina," says Pickett. "But he didn't have a good visit to Chapel Hill last weekend and Duke was the leader anyway. So I'd be real surprised if he didn't so go to Duke." Besides, we've been predicting for months that North Carolina was a lock for 6'4 Joe Forte from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, who is one of the best 3-point shooters in the class. He is scheduled to visit North Carolina this weekend. So don't look for a commitment before next week.

American University has landed 6'8 Charles Pringle from Philadelphia (Christian) PA and 6'11 Derek Ahren from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD. Pringle ranks #4 among 5th year players by Allen Rubin in the Philadelphia Area, but the guy we really like is Ahren, who played extremely well in the championship game when we saw him at the Charlie Webber Tournament in College Park, MD in September.

Florida International head coach Shakey Rodriguez has stolen one of our favorite players - 510 Fab Fisher from Brookville (Long Island Lutheran) NY, who ranks #250 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. But don't let the ranking fool you. Fisher lacks size and 3-point shooting range, but he's a jet quick point guard with terrific playmaking skills and lots of savvy.

Three players we don't want to make any predictions on are 6'9 Carlos Boozer from Juneau (Douglas) AK, 6'6 LaVell Blanchard from Ann Arbor (Pioneer) MI, and 6'5 Marshall Williams from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI. With Boozer, who is scheduled to make an official visit to Duke this weekend, it now appears to be too close to call between UCLA and Duke. Virginia, Georgetown, and Michigan are the three most mentioned with Blanchard, who cancelled his visit to California last weekend, but this one appears to be a long way from being over and, as a result, we think he will likely wait until spring. At different times Williams appeared to be a near lock for both Cincinnati and Memphis, but now his recruitment has opened back up, as Missouri, Iowa, St. Louis, and Colorado are all being mentioned. If you're looking for a possible connection, he'll be at Colorado this weekend and, if you will recall, Jose Winston, who was Williams' AAU teammate for several years, is now a freshman at Colorado. Also taking an official visit this weekend, is 6'8 Justin Davis from Alameda (St. Joseph) CA, who will be at UCLA. At it stands now, UCLA is the only school on his list. If he likes his visit, look for him to commit to the Bruins.  If he doesn't, look for him to open it back up and wait until spring.

Wednesday, November 4, 1998

The race for 6'1 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who was the MVP in the all-star game at Five-Star Honesdale great August session, is over. He has elected to follow in his brother's (Geoff) footsteps and stay home. He will commit to Rutgers at 2:00 PM this afternoon. This is huge, because, Billet gives head coach Kevin Bannon a great point guard to go with the excellent recruiting class (ranked #11 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP) he landed a year ago. Billet's commitment could also appears to be effecting the decisions of 5'9 Marque Perry from Chicago (Prosser) IL and 6'0 Antonio Reed from Tulsa (Washington) OK. Perry's final three were Rutgers, Providence, and St. Louis, but Rob Matera of Full Court Magazine tells us that Perry is already done for St. Louis. Reed's final two schools are St. Louis and Tulsa, but with Perry committing to St. Louis and Tulsa getting 5'11 Dante Swanson from Wagoner (H.S.) OK, who knows what will happend with Reed.

Most of our competitors still think 6'7 Damien Wilkins from Orlando (Dr. Phillips) FL, who ranks #36 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is going to Georgia Tech. However, we think N.C. State is the leader. Wilkins did not have a good visit recently to Georgia Tech and the fact that Wilkins' mother lives outside of Raleigh, NC certainly doesn't hurt the Wolfpack's cause. The press conference is scheduled for a week from today and our sources think it will be N.C. State. So remember where you heard it first!

Tracy Pierson on West Coast Hoops and Frank Burlison in the Orange County Register are both reporting that USC has filled its lone remaining scholarship by securing a commitment from 7'3 Luke Minor from Dyke (Blue Ridge Academy) VA, who was on campus for an official visit last weekend. Minor is a total project, but you can't teach 7'3 and he's only been playing basketball for three years. Also the Trojans have time to wait and see if Minor develops, because they totally reloaded with good back-to-back recruiting classes the last two years.

We reported earlier that 6'5 Kareem Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO had committed to UCLA, but that his mother has denied that he is committed to the Bruins. Despite the fact that Rush was seen at the University of Missouri's exhibition game last weekend, I stand by what we've reported earlier. Rush has told the Bruin coaching staff that he is coming, but apparently he wants to make the announcement on his terms and not the media's.. Besides, Missouri assistant coach Rich Daly is a relentless recruiter and he doesn't give up until it's over - when you've signed that national letter-of-intent. Our guess is that Rush wanted to go to the game, but I doubt that he would have gotten a ticket if he had told the Missouri coaching staff that he's already committed to UCLA.

Also on campus last weekend at the University of Missouri's exhibition game were 6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA and 6'5 Josh Kroenke from New Hampton (Prep) NH and the connection is very interesting. If you will recall, Kapono and Kroenke played on the same AAU team all last summer and are very close friends. So why are guys who go to school on opposite coasts thinking about going to the same school in Missouri? Easy if your parents live there, which Kroenke's do. As a matter of fact, Missouri assistant coach Rich Daly has known about Kroenke, who is one of the most improved players in the nation in the last year, longer than anybody in the business and has done an excellent job of recruiting him all the way through.

Several days ago when 6'11 George Leach from Charlotte (Olympic) NC picked Indiana University, we also predicted that 6'7 Jeffrey Newton from Atlanta (Mays) GA would soon follow in Leach's footsteps. But originally we thought it would not happen until next week, because Newton's mother wanted to take her time making the decision. However, our sources tell us that IU head coach Bob Knight put the pressure on last night. So finally she gave it her blessing and Newton made Knight's day when he agreed to sign with Indiana next week.

According to Greg Swaim of Midwest Basketball, 6'8 Carl Baker from Palestine (Paletine-Wheatley) AR might not be the lock that we thought he was for the University of Mississippi, despite the fact that his uncle (Jason Smith) currently plays for the Rebels and three of his AAU teammates, including his best friend 6'9 Richard Kirklin from Pine Bluff (Watson Chapel) AR, are already committed to the Rebels. Giving Ole Miss serious competiton is Oklahoma State, which has a lot to sell, including a top 10 nationally ranking in many of the pre-season polls and a Hall of Fame coach in Eddie Sutton. As a result, this one appears to be too close to call.

James Madison has picked up two more recruits in 6'9 Ian Caskill from Virginia Beach (Cox) VA and 6'7 Pat Mitchell from Washington (Gonzaga) DC. Earlier this fall the Dukes also landed 6'1 David Fanning from Chesapeake (West Branch) VA and 6'8 Jarian Younger from Danville (George Washington) VA, who is a legit top 200 senior nationally.

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has confirmed that Brigham Young has gotten an early commitment from 6'9 Jr Jesse Pinegar from Salt Lake City (Brighton) UT, who ranks #46 in the junior class nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Johnson also very accurately points out that this should help BYU get Pinegar's teammate - 6'8 Jr Garner Meads, who ranks among the top 30 juniors in America and was terrific when we saw him this summer.

Tuesday, November 3, 1998

It is official for 6'6 Matt Carroll from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA, who ranks #43 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. As expected he picked Notre Dame tonight. How good is Carroll? Not only is Carroll a perfect fit for Irish head coach John MacLeod's system, but he also could turn out to be the most important recruit MacLeod has ever signed, especially if he can convince 6'1 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who ranks #21 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, to follow in his footsteps.

There are reports on the internet that 6'6 Richard Wright from East Chicago (Central) IN, who ranks #87 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has committed to the University of Michigan. This is not correct, according to Reggie Tisdale, who is the publisher of Indiana Basketball News and the head coach of the 17-Under Spiece Gym Rats. And Tisdale should know, because he's not only coached Wright in AAU ball since he was in 7th grade, but also talks with Wright half-an-hour at school every day. He also called Wright just to make sure. So this is coming second hand from the horse's mouth late last night. Tisdale also tells us that Wright's list of schools is still the same - Michigan, Purdue, Xavier, and Villanova.

Greg Swaim of Midwest Basketball reported a week ago that 5'11 Dante Swanson from Wagoner (H.S.) OK has verbally committed to the University of Tulsa, but they are trying to keep it quiet. As a result, no official annoucement has been forthcoming. Apparently Tulsa also is still recruiting 6'0 Antonio Reed from Tulsa (Washington) OK, but we think Reed, who has narrowed it to Tulsa and St. Louis, will pick the Billikens, because he doesn't want to have to compete with Swanson for playing time.

Yesterday our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin predicted that 6'6 Matt Carroll from Horsham (Hotboro-Horsham) PA would pick Notre Dame, but at the time it was more of a hunch than something he actually knew. Now he knows for sure. It is Notre Dame! This could also help Notre Dame get several other players, including 6'10 Andy Slocum from West Monroe (H.S.) LA, who was one of the most improved players in the nation by the end of the summer, and 6'1 Todd Billet from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ, who ranks #21 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. If you recall, Notre Dame had faded with Billet, because there was talk about the Irish leaving the Big East and joining the Big 10. Apparently this will not happen. So Billet's parents, who live in New Jersey, would have easy access to most of Notre Dame's road games in the Big East, if Billet signs with Irish. We think this could also be a factor in his decision, if he picks Notre Dame.

Rutgers appears to be among the final three, along with St. Louis and Providence, for 5'9 Marque Perry from Chicago (Prosser) IL, but you can bet the Scarlet Knights won't take Perry if they think they're getting 6'1 Todd Billet frm Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ. If you will recall, Billet's list includes Rutgers, Villanova, Clemson, and Notre Dame, but he's playing it extremely close to the vest. As a result, nobody as of yet as a good read on which school he will pick. However, if Perry commits to Rutgers and/or 6'0 Edward Scott from Columbia (Lower Richland) SC commits to Clemson, in both case that would be an indicator that they aren't taking Billet.

Another commitment that would be coming down late this week or early next week is 6'10 Tahj Holden from Little Silver (Red Bank Regional) NJ, who ranks #92 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. His final three are Maryland, Clemson, and Syracuse, but once again we think it is too close to call.

Monday, November 2, 1998

Nearly a month ago we told you that 6'11 George Leach from Charlotte (Olympic) NC had narrowed his list to Maryland and Indiana. So it comes as no surprise that yesterday Leach told the Indiana coaching staff that he plans to sign with Indiana this fall. Leach ranks #42 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but if you base his ranking only on potential, he could be one of the top players in the class, because he is a tremendous athlete who runs the court like a deer and has an incredible wing span with arms like Sam Perkins. However, for Leach to realize his potential, he most put on weight, continue to develop his offensive skills, and get tougher and more consistent inside. And like the Woodward commitment yesterday, this has not been officially announced yet, but it is confirmed. So write it down!

We also are looking for Indiana University to get another commitment later in the week from 6'7 Jeffrey Newton from Atlanta (Mays) GA, who ranks as the #6 player in the state by our Georgia Editor Linzy Davis. Like Leach, Newton is a world class athlete who has a major upside, especially if he puts on the necessary weight and strength that he'll need to be successful in the Big 10. With 6'11 George Leach from Charlotte (Olympic) NC already in the fold and 6'9 Kei Madison from Columbiana (Shelby County) AL stashed away at New Hampton (Prep) NH also waiting in the wings, Newton would give head coach Bob Knight three extremely talented southern big men in this recruiting class with all kinds of athleticism and potential. If that weren't enough, IU assistant coach Mike Davis, who was hired two years due to his great contacts in the South, also has the Hoosiers in a great position with 6'4 Jr A.J. Moye from Atlanta (Westlake) GA. "It's still early, but IU is way out in front," says Linzy Davis. "Moye is a 6'4 stud-missile who likes the point, but can also play the two and three slot very effectively. His versatility can cause big match up problems for opposing defenses. And if you think you can step off him to concede the 3-point shot, you're making an embarrassing mistake. Moye is my kind of player."

Assuming that Indiana does get 6'7 Jeffrey Newton from Atlanta (Mays) GA later this week, this could also have a direct effect on the recruitment another player that IU assistant coach Mike Davis was trying to steal out of Alabama - 6'7 Josh Bryant from Town Creek (Hatton) AL. As it stands now, Indiana has only three scholarships to give. Two are already promised and assuming Newton commits later this week, we think Indiana will drop out of the sweepstakes for Bryant. As a result, we think this white kid who can shoot the lights out will pick either Alabama or UAB.

Our Philadelphia Area Editor Allen Rubin is reporting that Penn State has picked up a commitment from 6'10 B.J. Vossequil from Orange Park (H.S.) FL.

Allen Rubin is also reporting that 6'6 Matt Carroll from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA,who ranks #43 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has a press conference scheduled for tomorrow night at 10:00 PM. Will it be Villanova, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Penn State, or St. Joseph's? Rubin talked with Carroll's mother tonight and she isn't saying. What's Rubin's gut feeling! "Notre Dame," says Rubin. "But that's an educated guess. Hopefully we'll find out for sure during the day tomorrow."

Allen Rubin also has the latest in the soap opera involving the entire mess at Camden (H.S.) NJ. If you will recall, 6'2 Dujuan Wagner and 6'7 Arthur Barclay, both have been talking about transferring from Camden (H.S.) NJ to Camden (Catholic) NJ. Apparently they are not happy with the selection of new head coach Glen Jackson, who will replace the suspended Clarence Turner this year. Late last week it looked like a done deal - they were going to Camden Catholic. But now it looks like they've done a 180 degree turn, because now the word is they are staying at Camden High.

Our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman tells us that 5'9Charles Tatum from Midland (H.S.) TX is supposed to make it official later this week. It will be Memphis or Arkansas, but right now it's too close to call. "He hasn't even told his mother where he's going yet," says Rothman. Stay tuned.

I am getting reports that SMU has received a committment from 6'7 Jibran Kelley from Lee's Summit (North) MO. This would give the Mustangs their second commitment this fall. Early they got 6'5 Quinton Ross from Dallas (Kimball)  TX.

Word on the street is that Fresno State is now the favorite for 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but when it is all said and done, we still think it will be very tough to beat DePaul, especially when you look at their track record of getting the top talent in Chicago since the current regime took over a year and a half ago. However, we don't look for a decision to be forthcoming until spring, because Smith is still a long way from meeting the necessary requirements to become eligible under Prop 48. If he doesn't make it, we think he will either declare hardship for the NBA draft in the spring or he will enroll at DePaul as a part-time student next year.

In the near future we also are looking for DePaul to beat Xavier and Massachusetts for 6'7 John Oden from Phoenix (Carl Hayden) AZ, who ranks #81 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Assuming that happens, DePaul, which also already has commitments from 6'3 George Baker from Lexington (Dunbar) KY, 6'11 Steve Hunter from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, and 6'4 Joe Tulley from Rockford (Boylan) IL, will only have one scholarship left. As a result, we look for the Blue Demons to go after a good junior college big man, because they can't wait afford to wait on 6'11 Leon Smith from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL, who likely won't make it academically. And even if he does, Hunter is also an academic question mark. With this in mind, we don't look for DePaul to offer 7'0 Josh Moore from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, because he too is not assured of making in academically.

6'8 Jason Kapono from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, who ranks #11 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, was at UNLV for an official visit over the weekend, but we still don't think he will sign until spring. According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Kapono's list also still includes Missouri, N.C. State, Rhode Island, Utah, and Syracuse.

Sunday, November 1, 1998

Patrick Jira, the Editor & Publisher of the Recruiting Beat, tells us that he has talked to the mother of 6'5 Kareem Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO about whether her son has committed to UCLA. Apparently the mother says no, because wants him to wait until spring before making a decision. And she is the one who has to sign the national letter-of-intent to make it officially binding. However, Kareem says yes, so we think that should be the end of the discussion - at least until he says otherwise. If you will recall, a year ago the recruitment of Kareem's older brother - 6'6 Jaron Rush, who originally committed to Kansas, but later changed his mind and signed with UCLA, was also all screwed up.

Ron Naclerio, our New York City Editor, has given us the exclusive scoop tonight on where 6'3 Brian Woodward from Bayside (Cardozo) NY is going to school. Woodward told the Rhode Island coaching staff this afternoon that he will sign with the Rams this fall. Woodward currently ranks #58 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but Naclerio, who also is Woodward's high school coach, thinks Woodward's value will go up dramatically this winter now that he has fully recovered from his injury. "He's filled out and put on 18-20 lbs," says Naclerio. "In the IS8 Tournament he played with a vengence. He was the best player on his team. Better than Marcus Cox and Mark Jerrell-Wright." Naclerio also tells us that he won't release this publicly to the local media until tomorrow. But it is official!

G.J. King, the director of the Chicago based Recruiter on Line, talked earlier today with 6'9 Demetrius Williams from Chicago (Martin Luther King) IL and he tells us that Williams has narrowed his list done to two schools - Washington and Northeastern. While Williams had a great visit to Washington a week ago, King thinks Williams is leaning toward Northeastern, which is seriously involved with several other players in the Chicago area. If you will recall, a week ago the Huskies got a commitment from 6'7 Terrance Shannon from Elgin (JC) IL and also a week ago had 6'9 Mike Morrison from Deerfield (H.S.) IL on campus for an official visit.