HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION  

FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2001

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

Wednesday, October 31, 2001

Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that Cornell has gotten a verbal commitmment from 6'4 Lenny Collins from Rancho Santa Margarita (H.S.) CA and that 5'10 Carlos Rivers from Long Beach (Poly) CA will make an official visit this weekend to Montana.  Rivers also is considering UC-Riverside, Sacramento State, St. Mary's, and Southern Utah.   Trigonis also tells us that one of the best kept secrets in the junior college ranks right now it 6'2 Marquis Poole from Mt. San Jacinto (JC) CA.   "Poole has good size, long arms, and of lots of athleticism," says Trigonis.  "He also can score and defend."  We also understand that 6'4 Hassan Adams from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA was spotted at a UCLA practice on Sunday, which means the Bruins chances are looking better and better all the time.  If you will recall, Adams was supposed to make an official visit to UCLA in October, but that visit was postponed until the weekend of November 10th. 

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin is finally finished making changes to his report and, as a result, we are finally in a position to publish what always is the most comprehensive report available on any state found anywhere.  Don't believe it?  Well, his list includes his rankings of the top 559 seniors, top 464 juniors, top 269 sophomores, top 157 freshmen, top 54 8th graders, and top 13 7th graders, all of which can be found by clicking on Rubin Ranks Em:   The Top Players in Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey.  That's a total of 1,516 names and they are ranked in order by class! He also provides us with his all area teams, which includes his ranking of the top 40 players in the area regardless of class, as well as the information for an article that provides some interesting comments about each class, including the Class of 2005, which promises to the next great class in the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Area.  To get all this click on Philadelphia; Eastern Pennsylvania; South Jersey.  In the senior class it comes as no surprise that 6'2 Gerry McNamara from Scranton (Bishop Hannan) PA is ranked #1 in the area.  He's followed in order by 6'6 Matt Walsh from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'7 Lee Melchionni from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'1 Mike Lasme from Burlington (Life Center) NJ, 6'11 Ted Skuchas from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'6 Mike Blackshear from Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) PA, 6'4 Dominic Mejia from Voorhees (Eastern) NJ, 6'8 Nana Mensah-Bonsu from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, 6'4 Mike Cook from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'4 Kenell Sanchez from Pennsauken (Bishop Eustace) PA, 6'7 Mike Haddix from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, 6'2 DeWayne Spencer from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township) PA, 6'3 Tommy Baker from Millville (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 Zakee Boyd from Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA, 6'5 Zach Martin from Medford (Shawnee) NJ, 6'3 Raheem Scott from Philadelphia (Martin Luther King) PA, 6'6 Terrance Mack from Merion Station (Episcopal Academy) PA, 5'10 Scott Greenman from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, 6'4 Maurice Collins from Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) PA, and 6'5 Dahliek Powell from Philadelphia (Roxborough) PA.    Nine of Rubins top 11 seniors list above are already verbally committed, but Blackshear and Cook are both still available and both could be a steal for the right mid-to-high major program.  Blackshear is considering Temple, Towson, and UNC-Greensboro, but his recruitment could increase dramatically if and even he makes it academically.

Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Already 6'7 Derrick Character from Scotch Plains, NJ and 7'1 Jason Bennett from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, who are widely regarded as the top two 8th graders in the nation, are receiving a lot of national attention, but our Texas Editor Wes Grandstaff tells us there is another player in the class who is just as good.  He's talking about 6'6 Durrell "Slim Shady" Arthur from Dallas (Brown Middle) TX.  "I haven't been this excited about a player in a long time," says Grandstaff.  "He's very already fundamentally sound, doesn't miss free throws, and is almost unstoppable with his baby hook shot and good turnaround jumper."  But that doesn't even begin to tell the story.  However, 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 blocks for Team Texas against the Top Achiever Pistons in the championship game of a 15-Under Tournament last weekend in Texas does give you an idea of how dominant this aggressive shot blocking athlete is inside.  And Arthur was playing up a year against 9th Graders.  Team Texas lost the game, but that was after Arthur fouled out with four minutes remaining.  Arthur also helped the Team Texas 13-Under team achieve a 150-11 record last summer, as well as a 3rd place finish in the 13-Under AAU National Tournament.  Is Grandstaff, who is the director of the Team Texas AAU program, just trying to overhype one of his players?  He could be, but his track record is pretty good.  Remember, he told us how good 6'10 Frosh Kendrick Johnson from Morton, TX was a year ago and, after watching him last spring in the Houston Kingwood Classic, we have to concur.  We also bring this up, because the comparison is especially interesting.  Johnson is physically a lot bigger and stronger physically, but Arthur is a lot more athletic and polished offensively.   He also might be better than Johnson, who is ranked as the #1 freshman in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP, right now.  The only other important news that Grandstaff has to pass along involves 6'9 Ike Diagu from Garland (H.S.) TX, who burst onto the national scene at the adidas ABCD Camp, where he finished ranked #12 in camp by the HOOP SCOOP, and, as a result, was a guy everybody tried to get involved with the rest of the summer.  However, Arizona State has been there the longest and strongest, so it makes sense that the Sun Devils are among the final three, along with Connecticut and Illinois.  And Grandstaff thinks a final decision could be forthcoming at any time. 

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has a number of signings and commitments to pass along, but the most interesting commitment involves 6'2 Jason Haas from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, who has verbally committed to Stanford.    Sure, The Cardinal could have taken somebody right out their own backyard, like 6'1 Patrick Hadden from Woodbridge) CA, if they wanted a backup point guard.  However, Hadden doesn't have somebody like 6'8 Jr Luol Deng from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, who will be ranked #3 among juniors nationally when we update our junior list next month, as a teammate.  If you will recall, the new regimes at Rutgers and Seton Hall were hoping to convince Deng to stay home, but all that changed last summer when Deng's value went off the Ricketier Scale.  Now Deng's list includes schools like Duke, North Carolina, Ohio State, Villanova, and Stanford.   Another very signficant commitment comes to today from 6'1 Frank Richards from Olney Central (JC) IL, who is the #4-ranked point guard in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  Richards picked Kansas State, where he will join a three other highly touted junior college players from a year ago in 6'5 Gilson DeJesus from Trinidad State (JC CO, 6'6 Janerio Spurlock from Chipola (JC) FL, and 6'9 Pervis Pasco from Pensacola (JC) FL.  In other words, second year head coach Jim Wooldridge already has most of the pieces in place and, as a result, it wouldn't surprise us a bit if the Wildcats were one of the sleeper teams in college basketball a year from now.   The University of Buffalo has gotten a commitment from 6'4 Mario Jordan from Cleveland (Benedictine) OH, Siena has a steal in 6'9 Paul Williams from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and Utah State has beaten Brigham Young for 6'11 Steve Cobbley from Pocatello (Highliand) ID.  Instead, Brigham Young got 6'11 Rafael Araujo from Arizona Western (JC) AZ, who is ranked as the #2 center in the junior college ranks in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  This too was a two-horse race, but when UNLV got 6'8 J.K. Edwards from Indian Hills (JC) IA over the weekend, that pretty much was the deciding factor for Araujo.  And the same thing appears to have happened with 6'8 Cody Horning from Longmont (H.S.) CA when he picked Pepperdine over Wichita State.  If you will recall, Wichita state recently got a commitment from 6'10 Sasa Mijajlovic from Hutchinson (JC) KS.  Johnson also tells us that 6'6 Jr LaBron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, who is the consensus #1-ranked player in the nation regardless of class, is still at least paying lip service to attending college for a year or two.   The six schools being mentioned by James are Ohio State, North Carolina, Duke, Florida, California, and Cincinnati.   However, if by some chance he does attend college, it's really only a two-horse race between the Buckeyes and the Tar Heels.   Speaking of James, somebody recently asked me if James did indeed play football this year?  If you will recall, we reported several months ago, that James was supposed to play both sports, but never followed up.  Well, Johnson tells us that James missed the first two games, but in the last nine games has caught 45 passes and scored 13 touchdowns.  He also is averaging about 20 yard per reception.  All this could become important, if his team keeps winning in the state football playoffs, because James and four of his girdiron teammates also play important roles on the basketball team, which promises to be ranked among the top five nationally pre-season.

Monday, October 29, 2001

We told you on Friday that the tide had turned in the sweepstakes for 6'8 Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN and boy does it look like we were right.  We still haven't confirmed it as official, but by all accounts it appears that May is a done deal for the University of North Carolina.  Obviously this is huge for the Tar Heels, because they had already lost out on a number of their prime targets this fall, including 6'10 Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, who picked Duke; 6'9 Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who picked Duke; 6'9 Torin Francis from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, who picked Notre Dame; 6'8 Brad Buckman from Austin (Westlake) TX, who picked Texas; and 6'10 Alou Kane from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, who picked Minnesota.  Our first reaction is that May was probably the least likely of the bunch to pick the Tar Heels.  Remember it's tough to beat Indiana for a player right in their own backyard.  However, North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty and his staff may have had an unfair advantage on this one, because Doherty was the head coach at Notre Dame for a year prior to taking over a North Carolina a year ago.  Not only did they recruit May when at Notre Dame, but they obviously also benefited from the exposure and familiarity that comes from being at another program in the same state.  Getting May moves North Carolina's recruiting class from #19 to #4 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date, but, even more important, it give the Tar Heels the coveted big man they need to go to war with in the Atlantic Coast Conference.   It also means that North Carolina has three probable McDonald's All-American's in the fold, plus it gives the Tar Heels the highest talent rating average per recruit (8.7) in this recruiting class and it moves them into a tiew with Duke for the best three players who are committed to any school this fall.  And they aren't done yet, as they are still among the final four for 6'8 Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY and they're in the hunt for 7'0 Keith Butler from Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA.

A verbal commitment that slipped right past us was 6'2 Quincy Douby from Brooklyn (Grady) NY, who recently made it official for Hofstra.   We think this is very significant, because first year head coach Tom Pecora has to get his share of the top players in New York City.  Remember, the Flying Dutchmen are entering the Colonial Athletic Association, which is one of the fastest rising conferences in the nation (we predict it will be on the same level as the Atlantic-10 Conference within a couple of years), and Douby should provide the perfect complement to the great recruiting class that Hofstra landed a year ago.  If you will recall, that class, which included 6'4 Chris McRae from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'8 Kenny Adeleke from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY, 6'7 Wendell Gibson from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY, and 5'9 Woody Souffrant from Brooklyn (Grady) NY, is totally home grown and already several of these guys are pushing the returning players, like 6'3 Jr Rick Apodaca, 6'11 Jr Lars Grubler, 6'6 Jr Danny Walker, and 6'8 Jr Marc Petit, for starting spots.  This group is picked #1 in the conference by the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook, but the big key will be the maturation process and how quickly Pecora, who is widely regarded as one of the bright young head coaches in the business, finds the right the chemistry.  Getting back to Hofstra's recruiting, the Flying Dutchmen are also in the hunt for players, like 6'7 Omar Alston from Carteret (H.S.) NJ, 7'1 Michael Doe from Ft. Walton Beach (Choctawhatchee) FL, 6'8 Shakiem Mitchell from New York (Rice) NY, and 5'11 Gary Ervin from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY, but it will likely come down to whoever commits first (Hofstra has two remaining scholarships, but the word we get is that other scholarship will likely be saved until spring in case the right transfer pops up).  Holy Cross head coach Ralph Willard also appears to be the process of reloading with several players from the New York Catholic League, as the Crusaders have verbal commitment from 6'9 Kevin Hyland from White Plains (Archbishop Stepanic) NY and 6'4 Kevin Hamilton from Jamaica (Archbishop Molloy) NY.  Hyland was ranked #45 in New York City when Ron Naclerio last updated his New York City Report last spring, but it appears that this long armed shot blocker with a great upside has grown several inches since then.  Hamilton also has grown four inches in the last year and, as a result, is capable of playing either guard spot and putting up prolific numbers. 

The best place to get a handle on the top young talent in the state of Florida is at the adidas Rookie Sensations Exposure Camp and Jim Haley, who is the director of the camp, provides us with the following rankings and comments about the Top 22 All-Stars (First 10 are ranked in order) from this year's 10 annual camp:
(1) Alex Gorden, 5'11, Soph, Pensacola (H.S.) FL - Has all the tools to play PG.  You won't believe he's only a soph.
(2) Derrick Simmons, 6'5, Soph, Lake Wales (H.S.) FL - Great athlete who can score.
(3) Zaronn Cann, 6'6, Frosh, Brandon (H.S.) FL - Powerful with great hands.
(4) Taurean Green, 6'0, Soph Ft. Lauderdale (Westminster Academy) FL - Quick and savvy. 
(5) Michael Lee, 6'6, Soph, West Palm Beach (Wellington) FL - Great agility and body control.
(6) Marquis Johnson, 6'4, Frosh, Longwood (Lyman) FL - Will be a varsity scorer as freshman.
(7) Ron Larris, 5'9, Soph, Gainesville (H.S.) FL, Athletic and strong combo guard.
(8) Jermonte Bush, 5'10, Frosh, Tallahassee (Rickards) FL - Best freshman guard in camp.  Handles, sees, floor, defends.
(9) Lewis Lampley, 6'1, Frosh, St. Petersburg (Boca Ciega) FL - Scoring point guard.
(10) Luke Postorino, 6'0, Soph, Clearwater (H.S.) FL - Leader on the court who can score.
----- Blake Young, 6'0, Soph Orlando (Oak Ridge) FL - Great anticipation.
----- Derrick Williams, 6'0, Frosh, Tallahassee (Rickhards) FL - 2nd half of talented young backcourt at Rickards.
----- Malcolm McGriff, 6'5, Soph, Panama City (Bay) FL - Forward with great potential.
----- Greg Carr, 6'3, Soph, North Mation (H.S.) FL - Great combination of slashing and power.
----- Eric Sorenson, 6'4, Soph, Bartrum Trail (H.S.) FL - Shooter/scorer.
----- Jordan Carrier, 5'10, Soph, Ocala (Vanguard) FL - Quick and very skilled.  Great finesse scorer.
----- Antonio Wilson, 6'2, Soph, Pahokee (H.S.) FL - Slasher with varsity experience.
----- Benny Clyde, 6'3, Soph, St. Petersburg (H.S.) FL - Smooth scorer with great genes.
----- Reggie Burnett, 6'0, Soph, Eustis (H.S.) FL - Lots of talent and potential. 
----- Clifford Floyd, 6'5, Soph, Ocala (Vanguard) FL - Finesse Forward with good court awareness.
----- Jeff Brown, 6'2, Frosh, Gainesville (H.S.) FL - Great athlete who plays hard.
----- Jason Bennett, 7'1, 8th, Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL - Continues to improve...and grow.
Other top prospects include 6'4 Soph Jason Daniel from Jacksonville (Wolfson) FL, 6'2 Soph Tommy Lampley from St. Petersburg (Boca Ciega) FL, 6'0 Soph Casey McNeil from Belleview (H.S.) FL, 6'6 Soph Antoine Dade from Orlando (Jones) FL, 5'10 Soph E.J. Murray from West Melbourne (Brevard Christian) FL, 6'1 Soph John Mason from Panama City (Bay) FL, 6'4 Soph Calvin Wilson from Eagle Lake (Lake Region) FL, 6'1 Soph Denver Cobb from Delray Beach (Atlantic) FL, 6'4 Frosh Maurice Toolie from Leesburg (H.S.) FL, 5'10 Frosh Greg Anderson from Gainesville (P.K. Yonge) FL, 6'0 Soph Chauncey Lampkin from Gainesville (P.K. Younge) FL, 6'2 Frosh Billy LeBlanc from West Melbourne (Brevard Christian) FL, 6'7 Frosh Leslie Doucette from Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, 5'6 Soph Landon Baize from Lecanto (H.S.) FL, 6'0 Soph Taylor Gangis from Brandon (H.S.) FL, 6'1 Soph Cory Miket from Gainesville (Eastside) FL, 6'1 Soph Will Sanders from Jacksonville (Ribault) FL, 6'4 Soph Pat Calathes from Winter Springs (Lake Howell) FL, 6'5 Frosh Andy Hampton from Winter Springs (Lake Howell) FL, 5'10 Soph Tim Ryan from Clearwater (H.S.) FL, 6'2 Soph Jonathan Banks from Brandon (H.S.) FL, and 6'0 Soph Janoris Rittman from Shanks (H.S.) FL.

Sunday, October 28, 2001

It happened a week ago, but it wasn't made public until this morning.  We're talking about the verbal commitment that UNLV has gotten from 6'8 K.J. Edwards from Indian Hills (JC) IA.  This is huge, because Edwards is the #1 ranked center in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  And at 6'8, 250 lbs, Edwards also is the best low post scorer in the junior college ranks, which means new head coach Charlie Spoonhour is already well on his way towards restoring the Runnin' Rebels into the powerhouse they once were during the Jerry Tarkanian days.   If you will recall, earlier this fall UNLV also landed 6'8 James Peters from Butler County (JC) KS.  He too will provide a physical presence inside, but didn't get the notoriety he deserves, as he didn't attend any camps last summer.  This second commitment moves UNLV's recruiting class into a tie, along with UNC, Charlotte, Kansas, and Georgia, at #27 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  It also comes on the heels of a recruiting class, which included 6'1 Marcus Banks from Dixie (JC) UT, 6'2 Ernest Turner from Sterling (Somerdale) NJ, 6'5 Lamar Bigby from Schoolcraft (JC) MI, 6'7 Louis Amundson from Louisville (Monarch) CO, 6'9 Jamal Holden from Westark (JC) AR, that was ranked #21 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP last spring.  Bigdy, Amundson, and Holden all promise to be good players, but Banks, who was the best point guard in the junior college ranks last winter, and Turner, who was ranked #59 nationally in our final rankings of the top players in the Class of 2002, should make the same kind of impact this year in the backcourt that Edwards and Peters make inside a year from now.

The inquiry sign is up with regards to our counting 6'11 Brian Brown from Richmond (Henrico) VA recently with Hampton's recruiting class.   But it has been disallowed, despite the fact we don't normally count Prop 48 casualties when ranking recruiting classes.  You see, Brown's case is different, because he didn't make it academically a year ago when he signed with Duquesne.   Instead, he falls into the 5th year category, whereby, he can either enroll at a prep school or sit out a four-year school while he attempts to get his grades in order.  Not only is there a clear precedent, but it also helps us decide what to 6'5 JaQuan Hart from Flint (Northern) MI, who signed with the University of Michigan a year ago, but failed to get admitted into school academically and, as a result, ended up enrolling at Ohio State this fall.  Hart was ranked #31 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP last spring, but we've been uncertain whether Hart's commitment should be counted with Ohio State's recruiting class a year ago or their recruiting class this year.   The problem with counting him with last year's class is that's it's too late (we've already long since moved onto this year's class) to start making a major changes.   However, due to the fact that Hart is a partial qualifier, which is the equivalent of being a 5th year player, we've decide to count him with this year's recruiting class.   Suddenly this becomes very important for several reasons.  First it moves Ohio State's recruiting class up from #29 to #16 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  Second, it establishes that the Buckeyes are not just strong in their own backyard, but also in the state of Michigan.  Remember, Ohio State also got a commitment this fall from 6'5 JaQuan Hart from Flint (Northern) MI.  They also landed 6'8 Aaron Spears from Chicago (Dunbar) IL and 6'9 Charles Bass from Crete (Crete-Monee) IL this fall and had a recruiting class last spring, which included 6'1 Brandon Fuss-Cheatham from Beaver Falls (Black Hawk) PA, 6'7 Matt Sylvester from Cincinnati (Moeller) OH, 6'7Clark Williams from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA, and 6'9 Terrance Dials from Youngstown (Boardman) OH, that was ranked #10 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Unfortunately Williams didn't make it academically and, as a result, had slipped through the cracks.   However, earlier tonight our Georgia Editor Linzy Davis, who also is the editor of GeorgiaEliteMagazine.com, called to tell us that Williams is at Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT.  Williams was rnaked #67 nationally in our final ranking of the top players in the Class of 2001, so naturally we have to add him to our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  We've also added Hart and Brown to our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.   As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes probably won't get 6'6 Jr LaBron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, because he already appears to be a lock to enter his name into the NBA Draft at the end of his senior year in high school in the spring of 2003.  Instead, the Buckeyes will have to depend upon what already appears to be a tremendous nucleus of great young talent, as well as the great coaching of Jim O'Brien, who is one of the best in the business, to develop into one of the powerhouse teams in college basketball for years to come. 

Brian Merritt of the Elite Scouting Service in Baltimore, MD has the scoop on what's happened to 6'10 Jermaine Bell from Rochester (Franklin) NY.  If you will recall, Bell was supposed to transferred to Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA this fall, but it never happened.  Instead, Bell has surfaced at Virginia Beach (Coastal Christian) VA, where he will be reclassified as a sophomore.  Apparently Boo Williams is the one who placed Bell at Coastal Christian, so we expect Bell to play for the Boo Williams AAU team, where he will provide an excellent complement to 6'3 Soph Marquis Cooke from Suffolk (Nansemond River) VA, 6'9 Jr Darren Townes from Alexandria (T.C. Williams) VA next summer.  Our Georgia Editor Linzy Davis tells us that UAB has gotten a commitment from 6'5 Derrick Broom from Cartersville (Woodland) GA and 6'7 Clark Williams from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, who is now ranked #14 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players, is being recruited by Boston College, St. John's, East Carolina, and Massachusetts.  However, Davis adds that Williams wants to sign with a school that is as close to home as possible.  Georgia and Georgia Tech are the first schools that come to mind, but the Bulldogs landed 6'4 Arnold Wayne from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA earlier this fall and the Yellowjackets signed Isma'il Muhammad and Barry Elder a year ago.  What Williams does best is shoot the basketball, but he also rebounds well enough and is big enough to play some inside.  Unfortunately Williams had a bad summer prior to his senior year and, as a result, he's been getting underrecruited ever since.  Another player who appears to have slipped through the cracks is 6'2 Jabulah Murray from Toronto (Eastern School of Commerce) ON, who signed with St. Bonaventure last spring, but didn't get admitted into school.   However, he has since been cleared by the clearinghouse and Ro Russell, who is the co-director of the Grass Roots Canada AAU team, tells us that he is looking for a school where he can enroll either in January 2002 or in September 2002.  If you will recall, Murray attended the adidas ABCD Camp a year ago and could be a steal for the right mid-to-high major program. 

Saturday, October 27, 2001

I have received several phone calls this week from people who wanted to know when we were going to update our calendar of Future Events. Well, thanks primarily to the efforts of Eddie Oliver, who is the editor & publisher of HoopsUSA.com, we have published the most comprehensive list that is currently available anywhere.  While this list does a great job of giving you the basics, like the name, city, and date of each event, we haven't gone into the incredible detail that Oliver always does.  And you get it all in his 2001-2002 HOOPSUSA Tournament and Events Report, which is a must for anybody who is trying to figure out where they need to be this winter (are you listening scouts and college coaches?).    This report feature the teams, players, dates, sites, and more for nearly 100 events that are scheduled from late November until early March.  Printed out this report is 19 pages and the best way to receive it is via email for only $35.  Oliver also has contact names, phone numbers, and email addresses for the director or person running each event that is available to college coaches for $100.  To reserve your copy, send your email address and billing information to ozone@sccoast.net or mail a check to HoopsUSA, P.O Box 15403, Surfside Beach, SC   29587.    Or you can call Oliver at 1-(843) 650-5422.   Obviously having all this information at our fingertips has been extremely valuable as we attempt to figure out what events we plan to attend this winter.    Tentatively our schedule looks like this:  Morgan Wootten Invitational in College Park, MD on December 1st; KMOX Shootout in St. Louis, MO on December 6th; Blue Chip Basketball Invitational in Louisville, KY on December 7th;  Adolph Rupp Classic in Lexington, KY on December 14th-15th; King of the Bluegrass at Fairdale, KY on December 18th-19th; City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL on December 20th-22nd; Slam Dunk to the Beach in Lewes, DE on December 26th-28th; Academy National Invitational in Houston, TX on December 29th; Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC on December 30th; the National Hoops Classic in Columbus, OH on January 19th; the Dream Classic in Azusa, CA on January 21st, Mater Dei/NIKE Prep Classic in Long Beach, CA on February 2nd, the National Prep School Invitational in Smithfield, RI on February 7th-8th the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, NJ on February 9th-10th, and the St. James Invitational in St. James, MD on February 14th-16th.  

Friday, October 26, 2001

If you had told me yesterday that North Carolina was the leader for 6'8 Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN, I would have thought you were nuts.  But things can change quickly in the recruiting game and we now have reason to believe the Tar Heels are the favorite over both Indiana and Louisville.  As a matter of fact, we have a source, who over the years has always been very reliable, telling us that the word on the street in Bloomington, IN is that May is going to North Carolina.   We also have a source in North Carolina who is telling us the same thing.  One thing is certain.  Both of May's parents appear to be pushing him away from Indiana and the driving force behind this former IU head coach Bob Knight, who is pissed off at current IU head coach Mike Davis.  This doesn't come as too much of a surprise, because Knight, who is now getting a second chance at Texas Tech, is usually pissed off at somebody.  However, in this case he's doing the best he can to sabotage Indiana's chance and it appears he has enough influence over May's parents to be successful.  Remember, May's father, Scott May, was one of the best players to ever play for Knight at Indiana and, as a result, it should come as no surprise that Scott May is one of the Knight's biggest allies.  So the million dollar question is whether Sean May, who has grown up around IU basketball, will be strong enough to stand up to his parents, if he indeed wants to stay home.  If you recall, one of the big reasons why 6'2 Marshall Strickland from Sykes (South Carroll) MD and 6'3 Bracy Wright from The Colony (H.S.) TX both committed to Indiana was because they thought May would also be part of the recruiting class.  And they had to have gotten that idea from someplace.  We've also heard that Knight was pushing May to Louisville (Knight and Rick Pitino have been friends for a long time).  So North Carolina may be the compromise choice.   The Tar Heels are also desperate for a quality inside player, especially after already having lost out on 6'10 Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, who picked Duke; 6'9 Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who picked Duke; 6'9 Torin Francis from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, who picked Notre Dame; 6'8 Brad Buckman from Austin (Westlake) TX, who picked Texas; and 6'10 Alou Kane from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, who picked Minnesota, this fall.  And there is a precedent for this dating back to the 1989-90 season when Eric Montrose picked the Tar Heels over the Hoosiers.  However, this all may be a smoke screen.  Remember, most people thought, 6'9 Jared Jeffries, who was May's high school teammate at Bloomington (North) IN two years ago, was a lock for Duke.  But we told you not to bet against Indiana and we turned out to be right.   No, we didn't have any more first hand knowledge than we do right now.  The key is when in doubt bet on the local school, because 90% of the time we'll turn out to be right. 

Yesterday we told you that we had heard 6'11 Jabbar Young from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD had verbally committed to West Virginia, 6'4 Charlie Bell from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD had committed to Loyola-Maryland, and 6'10 Dakin Braddick from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD had left school and returned to North Charleston, SC.  However, at the time we also added that all this was unconfirmed.  Well, now you can tell you that all three of these things are official, because we talked with National Christian head coach Trevor Brown today.   Obviously Brown is excited about Young deciding to go to West Virginia, because he will be following in the footsteps of one of his former players - Jonathan Hargett, who is doing extremely well this year for the Mountaineers during the pre-season.  He also has to pleased about Bell's decision, because this athlete wing player has the talent, skills, and 3-point shooting range necessary to develop into one of the bettter players in the Metro Atlantic Conference.   But he has to be disappointed, because Braddick, who one of the top 10 players we saw at the Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament a month ago and, as a result, is ranked #13 our list of the top Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  However, if you're going to run a successful program there can only be two ways a player can go - the coach's way or the highway.  In addition to confirming the information about Young, Bell, and Braddick, Brown also tells us that 6'0 Lionell Edwards from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD has verbally committed to Dickinson, which is a Division I school, and 6'4 Donnell King from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD will be visiting Sacret Heart this weekend.  All the players mentioned above will be important contributors this season, but the future is even brighter, because 6'2 Soph Earl Rigby, 6'6 Jr Keith Blanks, and 6'9 Soph Anthony Ivory are all underclassmen.

Thursday, October 25, 2001

It comes as no surprise that 6'6 Eric Hicks from Greensboro (Dudley) NC has verbally committed to the University of Cincinnati.  Actually it happend several days ago and, as a result, the Bearcats recruiting class, which also includes 6'2 Chadd Moore from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'7 Armein Kirkland from Tyler (Lee) TX,   moves into a tie with Kentucky at #22 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  Hicks is not ranked among our top 100 nationally, because he falls into the undersized inside player category.  However, that will change next time we update our national rankings, because the word we're getting is that Hicks just keeps getting better and better.  He also is the protoypical player that Bob Huggins has been extremely successful with over the years at Cincinnati.  Sure, Hicks doesn't have a true position, but he's a tough hardnosed aggressive athlete who doesn't take any prisoners inside.  And the Bearcats aren't done yet.  As a matter of fact, they are in the hunt for three of the top big men still available nationally in 7'0 Keith Butler from Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA, 7'0 Julius Lamptey from Oklahoma City (Northeast) OK, and 6'11 Alexander Johnson from Albany (Dougherty) GA.  Yes, it looks like Johnson has opened things back up, as is evident by the fact that he is planning on making an official visit to Cincinnati in the near future.  Actually he was supposed to visit Cincinnati this weekend, but he cancelled that visit yesterday due to a death in the family.  Cincinnati also appears to be right there with Butler, although North Carolina and Miami-FL have suddenly become a serious players, Illinois has been there the strongest and the longest, and Temple has the advantage of the kid being right in their backyard.  If you will recall, Butler transferred this fall from Winchendon (School) MA to Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA.  Cincinnati is believed to be a long shot with Lamptey, but they are on his list, along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Washington, Illinois, and Georgia.  Wouldn't it be ironic if Georgia lost Johnson to Cincinnati, but ended up getting Lamptey?

The University of Houston has gotten a commitment from 6'3 Dwight Jones from Kline (H.S.) TX.  If the name sounds familiar, it should, because Jones' father, Dwight Jones Sr, also played for the Cougars. This athletic 2-guard with good speed and quickness should provide an excellent complement to 6'4 Cedrick Hensley from Cleveland (Heritage Christian) TX, who is playing so well this fall that he deserves national top 100 consideration, and 6'4 Kevin Gaines, who is sitting out the first semester after transferring from Michigan last winter.  Houston also added some coveted size earlier this fall when they got a commitment from 6'4 Anwar Ferguson from Lee (JC) TX, but the Cougars coaching staff is still are hoping to add another inside player in this recruiting class.   Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin called last night to tell us that Rhode Island has landed 6'6 Terrance Mack from Merion Station (Episcopal Academy) PA, who is ranked #17 among seniors on Rubin's updated player list, which currently is in the process of being finalized.  Right now Mack is more of a power forward, but Rubin thinks he will be able to make the transition to the wing forward spot.  And if he is successful, Macks' value could go way up.   Lavel Johnson, who is the Mississippi Editor for both the HOOP SCOOP and MidSouth-Hoops.Com has several scoops to pass along.  First, he tells us that Mississippi has gotten 6'8 Lonnie Jackson from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) MS.  This interesting, because Jackson was a qualifier coming out of high school and, as a result, can transfer to a four-year school after only one year of junior college.  In other words, he will have three years to play.  Jackson apparently was part of the package that was also supposed to have also included 6'8 Brandon Vincent from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL.  However, a week ago Vincent surprised everybody and committed instead to Mississippi State.  Second, Southern Mississippi has landed its first recruit in 6'10 Geoffrey Brown from Sheridan (JC) WY.  This too is an attention grabber, because Brown was ranked as the #6 center in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook. 

Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that Pepperdine could be on the verge of getting two of the best unsigned seniors in Southern California, as 6'8 Adam Zahn from Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) CA has it narrowed to Pepperdine and San Diego State and 6'6 Bobby Jones from Long Beach (Poly) CA has narrowed it Pepperdine, New Mexico, and Boston College.  Trigonis also tells that UCLA head coach Steve Lavin is getting pressure to offer 6'7 Matt McKinney from Santa Yrez (H.S.) CA, who is one of the best volley players in the nation, a basketball scholarship.  If you will recall, NCAA rules prohibit a player from playing basketball or football, if he is on scholarship in a minor sport.   In other words, Lavin doesn't want to tie up a valuable scholarship on a player who doesn't even figure to be a good role player.  As a matter of fact, McKinney couldn't even get quality playing time while playing for the Pump N Run All-Stars last summer.  And this isn't the first time this type of problem has arisen for the UCLA coaching staff this fall.  Remember, 6'8 Kevin Bookout from Stroud (H.S.) OK, who may have a future competing in the Olympics in the discus and shotput, has been considering UCLA for track.  However, we think UCLA's chances of getting Bookout are slim and none, despite the fact UCLA has one of the best track and field programs in the nation.  Obviously Lavin doesn't realize how good Bookout, who is ranked #24 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is in basketball.   But it may not matter, because Lavin already has a free player at Bookout's position.  If you will recall, we recently reported that 6'7 Mercedes Lewis from Long Beach (Poly) CA, who is one of the top football prospects in the nation, has already verbally committed to UCLA in football.  Lewis isn't real skilled, but he's good enough on the hardwood to give UCLA the blue collar athlete it needs to bang people and take care of business inside.

We are getting reports that 6'11 Jabbar Young from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD, who is ranked #45 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players, and 6'4 John Winchester from Raleigh (Bonner Academy) NC, who is ranked #6 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players, both have verbally committed to West Virginia. Well, the Young commitment may be legit, but Winchester's commitment to Tennessee appears to be as solid as a rock.  So solid that he is returning home to North Jersey in order to get away from the people who want him to renege on his original commitment.  Obviously this opens up another very interesting question, which is where Winchester will surface in terms of prep school?  How about Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ?  First year head coach Danny Hurley is one of the most legitimate guys in the business and it's close to home.  Remember, Winchester attended high school at Bayonne (Marist) NJ.  We also have gotten several other reports (all of which are unconfirmed, because we haven't been able to get a hold of the right people) regarding 6'4 Charlie Bell from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD and 6'10 Dakin Braddick from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD.  The word we get is that Bell has verbally committed to Loyola-Maryland and that Braddick is no longer in school at National Christian.  Apparently he has had off the court problems and returned to North Charleston, SC. 

North Carolina's recruiting class, which featured 6'1 Raymond Felton from Latta (H.S.) SC and 6'4 Rashad McCants from New Hampton (Prep) NH is currently ranked #17 nationally on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  It also is second to none in terms of who has signed the best two players.  However, the Tar Heels have struck out with most of the big men, including 6'10 Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, who picked Duke; 6'9 Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who picked Duke; 6'9 Torin Francis from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, who picked Notre Dame; 6'8 Brad Buckman from Austin (Westlake) TX, who picked Texas; and 6'10 Alou Kane from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, who picked Minnesota, they'd been recruiting during the summer and fall.  North Carolina is still in the hunt for 6'8 Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY and 6'8 Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN, but they are not the leader in either race.  Certainly things can change, but as things stand now, Villanova and St. John's appear to be out in front of Louisville and North Carolina in the Jason Fraser-sweepstakes.  We still think May will end up at Indiana, but, if the rumors are true that he has a press conference scheduled for early next week, it may favor Louisville.  Remember, we guessing that the longer this one goes, the harder it is going to be for May to say no to all the pressure to stay home.  As for North Carolina, we've already mentioned that they're making a strong push for 7'0 Keith Butler from Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA, plus we have heard the Tar Heels are involved with 6'9 Jamar Smith from Allegany (JC) MD, who was ranked as the #4 power forward in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook. 

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

For the second consecutive day our Texas Editor Wes Grandstaff has the scoop on a verbal commitment made by a Texas player.  Actually 6'10 Alou Kane attends Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, but he plays AAU ball for Team Texas, so we associate him with from that state.  Kane, who is ranked #52 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked the University of Minnesota and we think this comes as somewhat of a surprise.  Sure, Minnesota was among the final three on Kane's list, along with SMU and North Carolina, but we thought he would either follow 6'1 Bryon Hopkins from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, who was his teammate last spring and summer on Team Texas, to SMU or remain in ACC country and pick the Tar Heels.  However, in terms of developing against great competition a year from now as college freshman, Kane couldn't have made a better choice.   Remember, the Golden Gophers landed two outstanding big men a year ago in 6'10 Jerry Holman, who was one of top junior college players in the nation two years ago, and 6'10 Rick Rickert, who was a McDonald's All-American last spring and has been frequently compared to former Duke star Christian Laettner.   Right now Kane is raw offensively, but he does have good hands and a natural feel around the basket.  He also is a physical specimen with surprising athleticism, shot blocking, and rebounding skills.  But what we like the most about Kane are the intensity and effort he brings every night.  In other words, he doesn't take any prisoners.  The fact that he's also a great kid and outstanding student are just the icing on the cake.  Yes, the sky is the limit for Kane and, assuming he continues to develop the way we expect, Golden Gophers head coach Dan Monson should have one of the best inside one/two punches in the Big-10 for years to come.  Minnesota also recently landed a talented wing forward in 6'7 Stanley Gaines from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, but that should not effect their ability to land 6'7 Jr Kris Humphries from Minnetonka (Hopkins) MN, who is one of the top 10 juniors nationally according the HOOP SCOOP, a year from now.  We've also heard that Texas and UCLA are high on Humphries early list, but when it is all said and done, we'd be surprised if Humphries leaves home. 

Yesterday we talked with Ray Miller, who is one of the assistant coaches at Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and he brought us up-to-date on the recruitment of 6'9 Paul Williams, 6'5 Mawel Soler, 6'10 Jr Grant Billmeier, and 6'1 Jr Michael Nardi.  Williams is coming on like gangbusters and, as a result, would be a steal for Siena, Drexel, or Cleveland State, which are the schools that have shown the most interest to-date.  However, Pittsburgh is getting involved and, if Williams waits until spring, you can bet a lot of other Big East schools will also start calling.  The top three for Soler are Fairleigh Dickinson, Central Connecticut State, and Wagner.  Billmeier's favorite school is Duke, but Villanova, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Virginia are the schools that have been showing the most early interest.  Nardi has a similar list that includes Seton Hall, Rutgers, Maryland, and Virginia.  Especially interesting is the fact that Rutgers is mentioned for both Billmeier and Nardi.  Remember, new Scarlet Knights head coach Gary Waters and his staff are from the Midwest and building a strong foundation and establishing the right connections in their new backyard is essential for their future success.  And so far it looks like he's doing a good job.  Remember, they recently landed 6'3 Dominick Mejia from Voorhees (Eastern Regional) NJ and now we're hearing they've made major in-roads with the good young players at St. Patrick's.  Speaking of good young players who are expected to play for head coach Kevin Boyle at St. Patrick's, Miller didn't want to touch the question about whether 6'7 Derrick Character from Scotch Plains, NJ, who is the #1-ranked 8th grader in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP, will enroll at St. Patrick's next fall.  However, just about everybody else we've talked with assume it's already a done deal.  If you will recall, Character has been attending the St. Patrick's basketball camp since he was in elementary school and, as a result, he already has a strong pre-existing relationship with Boyle.  Sure, we've heard the speculation about Character opting to attend four years of high school at a basketball factory, like Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA or Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, but we've also heard that there is no way he's going to leave the North Jersey area due to the close relationship he has with his grandmother. 

Several days ago somebody was asking me whatever happened to 6'7 Omar Weaver?  You remember him!  He's the guy who shot the lights out for Washington (Coolidge) DC at the City of Palms Classic three years ago, but who has had academic and eligibility problems that prevented him from going the Division I route.  Well, it appears he's surfaced at Riverside (JC) CA and it's still feast or famine depending on whether the outside shot is going down.  All this becomes significant, because our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that Weaver has verbally committed to Fresno State.   However, that is contingent upon Jerry Tarkanian, Danny Tarkanian, or John Welch being the head coach next year.   Remember, there are rumors about Tarkanian retiring after this season.  If he does, and one of his assistants gets the job, then Weaver says he will honor his commitment.  But if the administration looks elsewhere for a head coach, then all bets will be off when it comes to Fresno State getting Weaver.  Trigonis also tells us that Fresno State is a lot stronger than most people realize with 6'9 DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA.  Although Collins will likely by-pass college and enter his name into the NBA Draft next spring, it is interesting to think about his winding up at Fresno State.  If you will recall, Collins has the heart, desire, and talent necessary to become a great player, but most people haven't given him the credit he's do due to his troubled past and off the court questions.  Tarkanian has made living with players like this over the years.  As a result, we think this might be the perfect fit.  It also will be huge for Tarkanian.  Collins is a legitimate top five senior nationally, but also because he's a tough hardnosed competitor, like the players Tarkanian used to have during the glory days at UNLV. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

Our Texas Editor Wes Grandstaff tells us that we'll be able to finally write it down later today.  He's talking about 6'8 Brad Buckman from Austin (Westlake) TX, who has a press conference scheduled for this afternoon and the word is that he will announce for the University of Texas.  This comes as no surprise to us, despite the fact that North Carolina made a serious run in the end.  If you exclude 6'9 DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, who is believed to be a near lock to enter his name into the NBA Draft next spring, Buckman was the highest ranked player still available.  He is ranked #15 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but, even more important, he gives the Longhorns an extremely talented blue collar banger with skills and athleticism inside.   And you can bet he will make a living getting easy baskets from Terrance Ford, who was ranked as one of the top five high school seniors by the HOOP SCOOP last spring in our final ranking of the Class of 2001.  Buckman's commitment also is important, because it reaffirms the fact that the Longhorns can keep their share of the top players in their backyard at home.  If you will recall, Texas features six players among our top 30 ranked seniors in 6'10 Chris Bosh from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, who recently committed to Georgia Tech; 6'1 Bryan Hopkins from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, who has verbally committed to SMU; 6'3 Daniel Horton from Cedar Hill (H.S.) TX, who made it official for Michigan last June; 6'3 Bracy Wright from The Colony (H.S.) TX, who has picked Indiana; Buckman; and 6'2 Deron Williams from The Colony (H.S.) TX, who will sign with Illinois.  But really this one was never in doubt, because Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes and Buckman's father a long time friends and business partners.

We also have confirmed that Indiana University has got a verbal commitment from 6'7 Darryl Pegram from Worcester (Academy) MA, who is ranked #37 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  Pegram is best described as an athletic combo forward, but he needs to get bigger and stronger physically to play inside or develop better perimeter skills to become an impact player in the Big-10.  In other words, we're talking about a good role player who should provide an excellent complement to a recruiting class that already includes 6'3 Bracy Wright from The Colony (H.S.) TX, who is ranked #10 on our list of the top high school seniors nationally, and 6'2 Marshall Strickland from Sykes (South Carroll) MD, who is ranked #3 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  However, the icing on the cake would be if 6'8 Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN, who is ranked #35 nationally in the senior class, but who will likely move a lot higher once he gets back into playing shape this winter, elects to stay home.  In other words, head coach Mike Davis appears to be on the verge of landing three McDonald's All-American in this recruiting class.  He also has what is potentially one of the best backcourts to ever play at Indiana with Wright and Strickland.   Potentially right up there with Quinn Buckner and Bobby Wilkerson, Isiah Thomas and Randy Wittman, and Steve Alford and Keith Smart.  Getting Pegram moves Indiana's class up from #18 to #14 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date and, if they get May, their recruiting class would move all the way up to #3 behind Duke and Florida and ahead of Tennessee, Memphis, and Iowa State.  Pegram also gives the Hoosiers a great kid and an excellent student.  As a matter of fact, the school they beat to get Pegram was Princeton.  Pegram's commitment may also be significant, because Wocester Academy head coach Morgan Cassara has some great young talent in the program, including 6'0 Jr Stevie Hailey and 6'8 Nick Stafford, and, as a result, this may provide a great in with one of the top prep school programs in New England for years to come. 

Boston University has gotten a pair of commitments from 6'8 Richard Bagby from Richmond (Collegiate) VA and 6'2 Shawn Wynn from Brooklyn (Xaverian) NY.  Wynn was ranked #32 in New York City last spring by the HOOP SCOOP, but we think he's a lot better than that.  Not only is he a great defensive player, but he's a tough hardnosed kid who excels in transition and can play either guard spot.  We also think Bagby is a major sleeper, as he falls into the undersized power forward or oversized wing forward category.  As a matter of fact, he's a physical specimen who is built like a defensive end or a strong physical linebacker, which he is.  He's also a wide receiver and he'll even get a chance to fill in for the injured starting quarterback on his high school team this weekend.  Bagby picked Boston University over George Mason.  Speaking of George Mason, the Patrioits also have gotten a pair of commitments from 6'4 Mark Davis from Palm Beach (JC) FL and 6'8 Trent Wurtz from Sheboygan (North) WI and they should be just as pleased as we know Boston University is about their commitments.   As a matter of fact, after a quick check of Rick Ball's list of the top shooting guards in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook, which includes in order 6'4 Antwain Barbour from Wabash Valley (JC) IL, 6'1 Nate Johnson from Penn Valley (JC) IA, 6'2 Les Norman from Long Beach City (JC) CA, 6'4 Derrick Tarver from San Francisco (JC) CA, 6'5 Jerome Harper from Indian Hills (JC) IA, 6'4 Tony Bobbitt from Southern Idaho (JC) ID, 6'2 Junior Matias from Southeastern Iowa (JC) IA, 6'1 Chris Young from Daytona Beach (JC) FL, 6'3 Andre Joseph from Lee (JC) TX, and 6'5 Brandon Sims from Johnson County (JC) KS,   we have to conclude that the cat isn't out of the bag yet about Davis.  The word we're getting is that he's one of the top 2-guards in the junior college ranks.   Wurtz played in the shadow of 6'8 Andy Freud from Wauwatosa (East) WI and 6'5 Dan Grunfeld from Glendale (Nicolet) WI last spring and summer on Friends of Hoop, but he's like a poor man's Mike Miller.  With these two commitments, plus the commitment they received last week from 6'7 Jai Lewis from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, George Mason is done recruiting in this class and, as a result, will now turn their focus onto juniors and sophomores.  Boston University still has one more scholarship to give in this recruiting class and they would like to land a power forward/center to complement Bagby, who is a four/three. 

Early last week we reported that 6'7 Kennedy Winston from Prichard (Blount) AL was on the verge of verbally committing to the University of California.  Well, he did, but he also let it be known that he still planned to go on an official visit to another school.  So we never counted Winston with the Golden Bears recruiting class.  More recently we confirmed that Winston did indeed make an official visit last weekend to Alabama.  He was even quoted as saying that that it is too close to call among Alabama and California.  Winston also says Auburn is still is on his list, but nobody else will be added to the list.  We also are still waiting to see happens with 6'5 Rashad Anderson from Lakeland (Kathleen) FL.  If you will recall, two weeks ago we told you that the University of Connecticut was on the verge of getting a commitment from Anderson.  Well, they did, but Florida has turned the heat up and split the family.  Apparently Anderson still wants to go to play for the Huskies, but his father is pushing the Gators.  Our guess is that when the dust has cleared Anderson will honor the commitment he originally made to Connecticut and, if that happens, the Gators may be in line to get 6'5 DeAngelo Alexander from Midwest City (H.S.) TX.  That's right!  Greg Swaim of GregSwaim.com confirms the reports about Alexander reneging on the University of Oklahoma and it appears the Gators are making a strong push.  Swaim also believes it's only a matter of time before 6'6 Kelenna Azubuike from Tulsa (Victory Christian) OK reneges on his commitment to the Sooners and the big reason why is Azubuike's brother, who was a walk-on for the Oklahoma basketball team.  Believe it or not he quit the team after only several days of practice.  Swaim also has confirmed that 6'5 Seneca Collins from Duncanville (H.S.) TX picked the University of Tulsa late last week and 6'6 Anthony Price from The Woodlawns (H.S.) TX picked the Golden Hurricane yesterday.

Saturday, October 20, 2001, Sunday, October 21, 2001, and Monday, October 22, 2001

Hampton University pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history last March, but, even more important, Pirates head coach Steve Merfeld and his staff have been able to capitalize on their success on the recruiting trail.  If you will recall, a year ago Hampton's recruiting class finished ranked #1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference by the HOOP SCOOP when they landed 6'5 Devin Green from Columbia (Beechcroft) OH and 6'3 Tihon Johnson from Columbus (East) OH, both of whom were ranked among the top 200 nationally and were good enough to attract some Big-10 attention.  And this fall Hampton has stockpiled size, as 6'9 Bakary Konate from Cincinnati State (JC) OH, 6'7 Rodney Hughes from Owens (JC) OH, 6'7 Troy Washington from Denmark (Denmark-Olar) SC, and 6'11 Brian Brown from Richmond (Henrico) VA all recently have made verbal commitments.  Konate is a big time athlete with good ball skills, excellent 3-point shooting range, and the ability to run the court like a deer.  This explains why schools like Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, East Carolina, Iowa State, and Marquette were all showing interest a year ago.   However, Konate needed another semester in order to graduate from junior college and, as a result, he slipped through the cracks.  The same situation applies to Hughes, who at 6'7, 250 lbs., is a physical presence and a warrior inside.  In other words, Merfeld will have two players who will transfer in and enroll second semster.  This is important, because they will be able to practice every day with the team.   And Merfeld will have another player who is already in school.  That's right!   Brown, who was a top 300 senior nationally when he originally signed with Duquesne a year ago, is a Prop 48 casualty.  Although NCAA rules prohibit Prop 48 casualties from practicing with the team, this physical specimen with great hands and mobility should emerge into one of the best big men in the league down the road.   Washington, who is a consensus top 200 senior nationally, is another outstanding athlete and he can play either forward spot.  None of these players is the equivalent of top 100 senior nationally.  However, collectively they move Hampton's recruiting class into a tie at #29 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  And they aren't done yet, as the final piece to the puzzle is a point guard who will play both behind and along side of Johnson in the backcourt. 

The HOOPS SCOOP has confirmed that Loyola-Chicago has gotten a commitment from 5'11 Terrance Whittier from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, who is ranked #46 nationally on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  Obviously this is a major step in the right direction for Larry Farmer and his staff in their quest to rebuild the Ramblers program.  If  you will recall, Whittier is the athletic point guard originally from Brandywine (Gwynn Park) MD who stepped in and helped solve the backcourt problems for the Atlanta Celtics this summer.   As a result, he convinced us that he would be ranked among our top 200 nationally, if he still was a high school senior. 

For years our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio has refused to include players from Westchester County in his rankings, but Peter Abraham of The Journal News fills the void:   "6'9 Hilton Armstrong of Peekskill (H.S.) NY has become a hot name.  The thin big man has been offered scholarships by Texas A&M, La Salle, South Florida, and Niagara.  Armstrong comes from the same program that produced Elton Brand and likely will wait to sign in the spring.  He played well at Five-Star Honesdale.  Virtually unknown Alexi Korolev is a 6'10 Russian kid who came over last spring and will play for Panas High in Cortlandt Manor, NY.  Phil Martelli, who has had success with Russian kids, has already offered Korolev.   A lot of other schools are starting to ask about him.  Like a lot of European players, he's more of a shooter than a banger.  Adidas ABCD camper Rashard Tucker from Peekskill (H.S.) NY has academic questions, but the University of Maine is chasing him hard.  This 5'9 speedy point guard is also hearing from Iona and South Florida.  Mount Vernon (H.S.) NY guard Jomo Belfor will wait until spring.  He has been offered by Iona and Hofstra.  Iowa State also is following him closely.  Belfor is a a strong 6'1 point guard who played in Ben Gordon's shadow last season.  Westchester had two other players already make commitments:  6'3 Donnie McGrath from Somers (John F. Kennedy) NY to Providence and 6'7 Dave Ryan from Eastchester to Siena."

Friday, October 19, 2001

We have already mentioned on several different occasions that Danny Hurley has surfaced as the new head coach at Newark (St. Benedict's) NJ.  But we haven't gotten a chance to tell you about all the talent he has stockpiled at what promises to be one of the fastest rising high school programs in the nation.  His best player will be 6'3 Jr Art Bowers, who already is getting early interest from school like Maryland, Wake Forest, Villanova, Connecticut, and St. John's.  Bowers needs to work on his ball handling and decision making in order to become a pure point guard, but at 6'3 he also can play the two.  As a matter of fact, Bowers' explosiveness and ability to score remind Hurley of a smaller version of Dahntay Jones.  His best inside player right now is 6'7 Emmanuel Massey, who is ranked #25 on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  Right now Fordham, La Salle, Massachusetts, Arkansas, and New Mexico are showing the most interest in Massey, but assuming he signs late, he'll probably also get some Big East attention.  The two best prospects in the program are 6'8 Soph Stanley Branch and 6'7 Soph Keving Palacios.  Branch is an explosive athlete with excellent 3-point shooting range and a chance to play 10 years in the NBA, assuming that Hurley is a chip off the old block.  Remember, his father, Bob Hurley, Sr, has for years been regarded as the best high school coach in America at Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  Palacios is a multi-dimensional offensive player who can shoot the three, post up, and put the ball on the floor.  He also comes from the an ideal basketball environment, because both his parents are tall and his father played professionally in Venezuela.  Hurley also will go to war with 6'0 Jr Bashir Mason, 6'4 James Mathis, 6'3 Al Ishmal, and 6'6 Eric Hazard.  Hazard is a really skilled combo forward with an 1100 SAT.  Mason is a lefty point guard who makes a living beating you off the dribble.  Mathis has an excellent body and knows how to score.  He also was getting underrecruited prior to making a verbal commitment to Niagara earlier this week.  Ishmal is a wing player with athleticism. 

The HOOP SCOOP has confirmed that 6'4 Stanley Asumnu from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA has verbally committed to the University of Tennessee and this is huge for several reasons.   First, Asumnu is ranked #9 our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  However, that doesn't begin to tell you how good Asumnu is or how much he's improved when most people saw him playing with the Houston Hoops during the spring and summer of 2000.   Remember, we were among those singing his praises when Asumnu shot the lights out as a high school senior for Houston (Westbury Christian) TX last December in the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic.  Second, this moves Tennessee's recruiting class, which also features 6'4 John Winchester from Raleigh (Bonner Academy) NC, 6'1 C.J. Watson from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, 6'6 Justin Albrecht from Iowa Western (JC) IA, and 7'0 Just Herndon from Nashville (Donelson) TN all the way up to #3 behind Duke and Florida and ahead of Memphis and Iowa State on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  Third, getting Asumnu will likely enhance Tennessee's chances of getting future players out of the state of Texas.  As a matter of fact, that's the place where they're focused the most in their quest to land two big men and a point guard in the Class of 2003.  If you will recall, 5'11 Jr Dez Willingham from  DeSoto (H.S.) TX, who is the top junior point guard in the state of Texas, was recently at Tennessee on an unofficial visit.  And, even more important, Asumnu's commitment gives the Volunteers an another in with 6'8 Jr Ndudi Ebi from Houston (Westbury Christian) TX, who was the highest ranked underclassmen by the HOOP SCOOP last summer at the NIKE All-American Camp. 

The National Prep School Invitational has become one of our favorite events to cover in recent years, so we were excited to get a fax yesterday from Mike Procopio, who is the tournament's director.  This year's tournament will take place at Bryant College in Smithfield, RI on Thursday through Sunday, February 7th-10th, and will include Winchendon (School) MA, Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, Milford (Academy) CT, Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, Laurinburg (Institute) NC, Homestead (Berkshire) MA, Long Island (Our Savior) NY, Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH, North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, Toronto (West Hill Prep) ON, Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, Groton (Lawrence Academy) MA, Salisbury (The Salisbury School) CT, Andover (Proctor Academy) NH, Worcester (Academy) MA, Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, Springfield (The MacDuffie School) MA, Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, Hamden (H.S.) CT, and Troy (Redemption) NY.  In other words, the field is loaded and the number of great players is ridiculous, as 6'11 Martin Iti from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'7 Antoine Wright from Groton (Lawrence Academy) MA, 6'9 Torin Francis from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, 6'7 Francis Garcia from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Jarrett Jack from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'9 Terry Licorish from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'6 Denham Brown from Toronto (West Hill) ON, 6'8 Jr Lawrence Carrier from Salisbury (The Salisbury School) MA, 6'7 David Bell from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'8 Almamy Thiero from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, 6'8 Jr Nick Stafford from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'7 Jr Demetrius Nichols from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 6'4 David Teague from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, 6'6 J.R. Morris from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, 5'11 Jr Steve Hailey from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'6 Cortez Davis from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, 6'8 Luis Clemente from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'6  Demario Eddin from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'7 Kelly Whitney from Creedmore (Faith Christian) NC, 6'9 Kevin Young from Homestead (Berkshire) FL, 5'11 Darryl Hill from Milford (Academy) CT, and 6'7 Jack Jenkins from Andover (Proctor Academy) NH head what promises to be a star studded cast. 

Thursday, October 18, 2001

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has the scoop on 6'4 Derrick Tarver from San Francisco (JC) CA, who is ranked as the #4 shooting guard in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  Believe it or not Tarver has picked Akron over schools like Texas, Fresno State, Cincinnati, and Alabama.  Actually this is not that big of a surprise for several reasons.  First, Tarver's former high school coach at Akron (St. Vincent-St Mary) OH is Keith Dambrot and he was hired as an assistant coach last spring at Akron.  Second, one of Tarver's best friends is Maverick Carter, who transferred this fall from Western Michigan to Akron.  Our Baltimore Editor Paul Bowden tell us that 6'7 Jai Lewis from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME has picked George Mason over Virginia Commonwealth, Drexel, Robert Morris, James Madison, Rhode Island, La Salle, Ohio University, Youngstown State.  Lewis is ranked 50th on our list of the Top 5th Year & Prep School Players, but he is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Patriots.  Remember, they are still trying to replace George Evans, who was one of the best rebounders in the league during each of the last three seasons.  And at 6'7, 260 lbs., Lewis will provide the inside presence they need in the future.  The fact that he has good hands, good feet, and has the ability to score around the basket are just an added bonus.  So is that fact that Lewis has developed into Carl Hendrickson's best low post player this fall at MCI.  Bowden also tells us that 6'4 Jr Gerald Brown from Baltimore (Douglas) MD was at Providence on an unofficial visit last weekend and 5'10 Terrance Whittier from Laurinburg (Institute) NC will be at Loyola-Chicago this weekend.  Whittier also will visit Marshall and Youngstown State.  

Lavel Johnson, the Mississippi Editor for both the HOOP SCOOP and MidSouth-Hoops.Com, also has a major scoop, as he tells us that 6'8 Brandon Vincent from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL has committed Mississippi State.  Obviously at least part of the connection is 6'9 Kei Madison from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL, who committed to the Bulldogs several weeks ago.  Apparently Vincent visited Starkville, MS last weekend and things went so well that he decided to go ahead and make it official.  As a result, Mississippi State's recruiting class will move up from #22 to #17 on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.   Our Deep South Editor Mark Komara tells us that Birmingham Southern as a major steal in 6'3 B.J. Spencer from Starkville (H.S.) MS and the big reason why is Panthers assistant coach Scott Stapler, who is widely regarded as one of the top young assistants in business.  Some SEC schools, like LSU, Mississippi, and Auburn, even showed some interest after Spencer showed what he's capable of doing for the Southeast Raptots last summer when 6'2 Chadd Moore from Huntsville (Lee) AL got hurt, but Stapler was there from start to finish.  Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis informs us that 6'10 Ryan Hollins from Pasadena (Muir) CA has picked Saint Louis over Oregon, Southern Cal, and Arizona State.  Obviously Billikens head coach Lorenzo Romar is taking advantage of his West Coast ties, but he also may turn out looking like a genius on this one down the road.  Trigonis tells us that Hollins is a legitimate top 250 senior nationally, but after watching him at the Full Court Press All-West Camp last summer, he's sold on his potential and upside.  Trigonis also believes that Southern California may have gotten an early commitment from 6'8 Jr Nick Stigger from Memphis (Melrose) TN, who is ranked #37 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  And, if that indeed is correct, the Trojans have to be pleased, because Stiggers is an aggressive athlete who is active on the boards and fluid offfensively around the basket.  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Kennedy Winston from Prichard (Blout) AL has committed to the University of California, but we're not going to put him on our commitment list just yet.  Moral to the story, how can you be verbally committed, if you're still making visits to the other schools?

Did you know that 6'7 Stanley Gaines from Chicago (Providence-St Mel) IL recently committed to the University of Minnesota?  We didn't until tonight when we talked with Roy Schmidt of the Illinois Bulls-eye Report.  Gaines is a big time athlete with a lot of natural talent and potential, but it's hard to get real excited about this one.  Remember, Gaines put up prolific numbers in middle school and, as as result, was ranked as one of the top five 8th graders in the nation.  However, Gaines has been a disappointment ever since and, as a result, doesn't even get a sniff on most national top 100 senior lists.  Instead, the player in the state of Illinois who gets us excited is 6'7 Andre Igoudala from Springfield (Lanphier) IL, who ranks #73 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  "Igoudala is a big time athlete who locks his opponent up defensively, makes pressure shots, and has unlimited potential," says Schmidt.   "He's the prototypical type player Nolan Richardson has made a living with over the years.  And, if I had to bet on where he's going to college, I think it will Arkansas.  But I also like the chances of Arizona and Boston College."  In hind sight, the Illinois coaching staff may wish they'd gone after Igoudala harder earlier, but, at the same time that leaves the door open for the Fighting Illini to lock up all three of the top juniors - 6'2 Jr Shannon Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, 6'6 Jr  Brian Randle from Peoria (Notre Dame) IL, and 6'2 Jr Richard McBride from Springfield (Lanphier) IL - in the state early.  Schmidt actually thinks that's already on the verge of happening.  "They're in great such great shape on McBride that a commitment could be forthcoming in the not too distant future.  Brown will probably go through the recruiting process to some extent, but remember how early his teammate (Dee Brown) committed to Illinois.  Randle will definitely go through the recruiting process, as school like North Carolina, Kansas, Notre Dame, and Duke all will give it their best shot, but, in the end, it will be tough for that kid to leave the state."

We've had our Kentucky Report on hold for almost a week, as we continue to add to our list of the top young players in the state.  The problem stems from the fact that our Kentucky Editor Larry Kihnley, who is a long time assistant coach at Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY is unable to attend any middle school game and, as a result, is uncomfortable providing us with those rankings.  So we have always had to rely on other sources for those rankings, but this time they have been slow getting back to us.  However, we are going ahead and publishing our report, which includes our ranking in order of the top 65 seniors, top 50 juniors, top 36 sophomores, top 18 freshmen, top two 8th graders, and top two 7th graders, but we reserve the right to add additional names as they are made available.  And keeping track of all the good young players promises to be one of the highlights of the season, because the sophomore class, which features 5'10 Soph Rajon Rondo from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'8 Soph Robbie Simpson from Louisville (Eastern) KY, 6'3 Soph Demetrius Green from Lexington (Catholic) KY, 6'4 Soph Shawn Ballard from Richmond (Madison Central) KY, and 6'8 Soph Terrance Farley from Louisville (Pleasure Ridge Park) KY is loaded.  In sharp contrast, the junior and senior classes are that down after you get past 5'9 Brandon Stockton from Glasgow (H.S.) KY, who is the only serious candidate in the senior class for Mr. Basketball, and 6'3 Jr Michael Bush from Louisville (Male) KY and 6'7 Jr Ross Neltner from Ft. Thomas (Highlands) FL.  We also right in the middle of  updating Allen Rubin's Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Report and upon the publication of that report, we will start working on Chris Johnson's Ohio Report, which should also be published sometime next week. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Did you know that that 6'9 Jacob McCartney from Oak Ridge (H.S.) TN has verbally committed to Towson?  At least that's what our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Allen Rubin is telling us.  Not only is McCartney a major steal for the new regime, but it also establishes that first year Towson head coach Michael Hunt will be able to go back into his old stamping grounds to get players.  Remember, Hunt was an assistant coach at Tennessee during the Kevin O'Neill days and at Georgia for Ron Jirsa and Jim Harrick.  Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has the scoop on 6'6 Beckham Wyrick from Cincinnati (Roger Bacon) OH, who has picked UNC-Wilmington, 6'5 Andrew Burleson from Wheelersburg (H.S.) OH, who picked Wright State, and 6'0 John Floyd from Toledo (St. John's) OH, who picked Oakland.  Johnson thinks the commitment by Burleson is of particular significance, because this 6'5 athletic white kid who is the top player in the senior class in Southeastern Ohio is like a poor man's Luke Recker.  Burleson played for All-Ohio last spring, but switched to the Raleigh Heat at the beginning of the summer.  Johnson thinks this might have been the reason why Wright State was able to steal him.  "Mid-American schools aren't going to spend a lot of time watching the Raleigh Heat," says Johnson.  "So it looks like they missed the boat."  And that's good news for Wright State head coach Ed Schilling, who may end up looking like a genius down the road.

We also continue to hear that conflicting things about where 6'5 Rashad Anderson from Lakeland (Kathleen) FL is leaning.  One source swears up and down that Anderson is still a lock for Connecticut, but we also are getting strong indications that it might turn out to be the University of Florida.  Apparently Anderson wanted to go to Florida all along, but the Gators didn't know how good he was last spring and, as a result, didn't offer him a scholarship at the time.  Then, Anderson had a terrific summer, which was highlighted by his performance at the NIKE All-American Camp, where he finished ranked #2 in camp by the HOOP SCOOP, and the Gators lost out on several of the big men the were targeting, like 6'10 Chris Bosh from Dallas (Lincoln) TX, 6'10 Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, and 6'9 Torin Francis from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA.  So Florida turned heat up on Anderson and it looks like it has worked with his father who is putting a lot of pressure on Anderson to stay home.   However, it appears Anderson feels like the Gators snubbed him and that his word is important.  Did you know that he secretly committed to the University of Connecticut coaching staff the first week in October, but, due to increased pressure to stay home, is now struggling with the decision?  We also are still waiting to see if 6'7 Kennedy Winston from Prichard (Blount) AL is going to make it official for California and, if he does, what it will do to the Golden Bears chances of getting 6'4 Hassan Adams from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA.  Speaking of Adams, he visited Arizona last weekend and is scheduled to visit California on the weekend of October 27th, which was supposed to have been his final official visit.  However, we have gotten word that Adams has cancelled his visit to UCLA, which was originally scheduled for this weekend, and rescheduled it for the weekend of November 10th.  In other words, it looks like the Bruins are positioning themselves perfectly to turn up the heat at the most opportune time. 

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Well, it looks like the University of Kansas has hit the jackpot, as the Jayhawks have gotten verbal commitments from two of the top big men who are still available.  We're talking about 6'9 Moulaye Niang from El Cajon (Christian) CA, who is ranked #91 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'9 Jeff Graves from Iowa Western (JC) IA, who is ranked #4 among junior college centers by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook.  Instantly this moves the Kansas' recruiting class into a tie at #25 nationally, along with UNC-Charlotte, Oklahoma, and Georgia, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  However, that's way too low, if you factor in Niang's potential.  If you will recall, when we first saw Niang at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions last spring, we thought the sky was the limit.   Right now he's a skinny shot blocking athlete who runs the court like a deer, possesses excellent 3-point shooting range, and is a tremendous competitor.  But he's only just begun to scratch the surface.  The fact that he's a terrific student and a wonder kid are just added pluses.  We also have confirmed that 6'2 Ashanti Cook from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA has committed to New Mexico, which means that the Lobos now have landed eight players from California since the Fran Fraschilla era began two years ago.  We're talking about 6'9 Patrick Dennehy, 6'11 Chad Bell, 6'6 Jamaal Williams, 6'4 Senque Carey, 6'4 Ruben Douglas, and 6'2 Marlon Parmer, all of whom are already in the program, and Cook and 6'9 David Chiotti from Mountain View (St. Francis) CA, who committed to the Lobos several weeks ago.  Chiotti is 6'9, 250 lbs and is ideally suited to play in New Mexico's high/low post offense, because he's got the wide body necessary to play inside and the jump shot necessary to step away from the basket.  Cook, who is like a jack-of-all-trades, has grown to 6'2 and has improved his athleticism, which means he will get plenty of playing time as a freshman as a combo guard backing up Marlon Parmer and Ruben Douglas.   And just like Chiotti, Cook is extremely young for his class, as is evident by the fact he turned 17 this fall. 

After Temple recently landed 6'7 Antwyane Robinson from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin told us that the Owls focus had turned exclusively to big men.  However, Rubin left us hanging, because he failed to provide us with any names.  But now Rubin has finally come up with some names, like 6'9 Reggie George from Palos Heights (Shepard) IL, 6'6 Mike Blackshear from Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) PA, and 7'0 Keith Butler from Philadelphia (Celestial Prep) PA.  Speaking of Butler, Rubin tells us he was at Temple yesterday and today for an official visit.  And that's not the only place Butler has been lately.   Rubin also tells us that Butler was at Cincinnati for an official visit last weekend.  Blackshear doesn't have a true position, but he's a killer on the boards.  George is an enigma, except for the fact that Roy Schmidt of the Illinois Bulls-eye Report and All-Star Sports told Rubin in late July that George is a top 400 player nationally.  Hopefully Schmidt will be closer on that prediction than he will be on 6'9 Aaron Spears from Chicago (Dunbar) IL.  Actually, I had never heard of Spears before late June, but, after watching him at the NBA Players Association Camp, I remember telling Roy and his brother Harv that this was a guy they were missing on.  However, the Schmidt's held the ground, as they assured me that Spears was not even a Division I player.  In sharp contrast, some people in our business (not us) will now tell you that Spears is a high Division I player, because he has committed to a Big-10 school.  Actually, Spears, who made it official yesterday for Ohio State, is probably someplace in between.  Spears has dropped 20 lbs. this fall and can score around the basket, but he is still best described as a wide body and, as a result, is the perfect complement to 6'8 Charles Bass from Crete (Crete-Monee) IL, who needs to get bigger stronger if he wants to be effective down the road in the Big-10.  Remember, Bass also recently committed to the Buckeyes.  So did 6'4 Ricardo Billings from Detroit (Rogers) MI, plus the Buckeyes got 6'5 JaQuan Hart from Flint (Northern) MI, who was ranked #31 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP in our final rankings of the Class of 2001, after he failed to get accepted into school at the Michigan.

Saturday, October 13, 2001, Sunday, October 14, 2001, & Monday, October 15, 2001

Sometimes it's funny how things turn out.  Last winter 6'2 Chadd Moore from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA appeared to be a lock for Auburn and 6'9 Terry Licorish from Laurinburg (Institute) NC was a lock for the University of Louisville.  However, when Auburn head coach Cliff Ellis saw Moore play last summer he decided that Moore wasn't the point guard of the future for the Tigers.  Instead, Moore verbally committed to Cincinnati in August.  The only thing holding Licorish back from going to Louisville was academics and, as things turned out, he needed another year to get the grades and test score necessary to become eligible to play as a college freshman.  But when the coaching staff changed Licorish became less of a priority for the Cardinals, which enabled Auburn assistant coach Mike Wilson to sneak in the back door and get this one done.  Licorish is ranked #10 on our list of the top 5th Year & Prep School Players, but don't let that deceive you.  If Licorish were a high school senior, he would be ranked among our top 30 nationally.   Licorish is listed as a power forward by the HOOP SCOOP, but he also has excellent 3-point shooting ability and perimeter skills.  "Combine that with his ability to block shots, rebound, and play defense and he reminds you of Glenn Robinson, but without the toughness," says Ro Russell, who is the co-director of the Grass Roots Canada AAU team.  Wilson also took advantage of the fact that Licorish's teammates Laurinburg promises to be the ultimate role player at the big time college level.  We're talking about 6'4 Steve Leven, who checks in at #38 on our list of the top 5th Year & Prep School Players.  Leven is an excellent outside shooter and surprisingly athletic, but what makes him so valuable is his tough hardnosed demeanor.  The commitments by Licorish and Leven move Auburn's recruiting class into the top 30 nationally on our list of the top 30 nationally on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date, but even more important they give the Tigers two excellent players to complement the #3 ranked class nationally, which included 6'5 Dwayne Mitchell from New Orleans (John F. Kennedy) LA, 6'8  Brandon Robinson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'4 Derrick Bird from Schoolcraft (JC) MI, and Marco Killingsworth from Birmingham (Central Park) AL, they signed last spring.  However, Auburn is still looking for a point guard and, if they sign another player in this recruiting class, that will be the position the player needs to fill.  As a result, it should come as no surprise that Auburn is out of the hunt for 6'7 Kennedy Winston from Prichard (Blount) AL, who is ranked #31 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And so are Cincinnati and Alabama, which means it's now a one-horse race.  As a matter of fact, we think you can write it down for California and it may happen as soon as today.  

Adding fuel to the fire regarding the rumors about North Carolina being on the verge of getting 6'8 Brad Buckman from Austin (Westlake) TX is the fact that Buckman and his father were back in Chapel Hill, NC again over the weekend on an unofficial visit. And they weren't the only ones.  Did you know that the Tar Heels had 6'1 Raymond Felton from Latta (H.S.) SC, who committed to North Carolina last spring, and 6'8 Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY, who also is considering Villanova, St. John's, and Louisville, on campus for official visits and 6'7 Jr Trevor Ariza from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'10 Jr Major Wingate from Florence (Wilson) SC, and 6'3 Soph Marques Cooke from Sulfolk (Nansmooth River) VA on campus for unofficial visits?  If the Tar Heels strike gold and get both Buckman and Fraser, their recruiting class, which currently is ranked #16 nationally on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date, would move up to #2 behind Duke and ahead of Florida.  Also high on North Carolina's list is 6'10 Alou Kane from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) NC, who also is still considering Minnesota and SMU.  If the Tar Heels get Kane and Buckman or Fraser, their recruiting class would still be ranked #2 nationally.  However, if they just get Fraser or Buckman, their recruiting class would be tied at #3, along with Memphis and Iowa State, and if they just get Kane, their recruiting class would be ranked #6 behind Maryland and ahead of Michigan.

We have confirmed that 6'9 Kevin Young from Homestead (Berkshire) FL has verbally committed to the University of Missouri and 6'6 Ismael N'Diaye from Homestead (Berkshire) FL has made it official for Kansas State.  Obviously the connection the Tigers used to get Young is former Berkshire player 6'6 Duane John, who signed with Missouri a year ago.  Young is far from being a finished product and, as a result, currently doesn't rank among our top 100 nationally.  However, he is a physical specimen who has improved by leaps and bounds since we first saw him last spring.  So he should get the time he needs to develop in the Missouri program, plus he should benefit dramatically under Quin Snyder, who is one of the best in the business in terms of individual instruction and developing talent.  Young also should provide the perfect complement to 7'2 Giedrius Rinkevicius from North Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME, who has more of a finesse game.  If you will recall, Rinkevicius picked the Tigers several weeks and 6'4 Jimmy McKinney from St. Louis (Vashon) MO picked the Tigers last spring.  So Young's commitment moves the Missouri's recruiting class into a tie at #22, along with Mississippi State, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date.  N'Diaye is an excellent catch for Kansas State, because he's a big time athletic and great defender.  And that is exactly what the Wildcats need.  N'Diaye joins 6'8 Justin Johnson from Merrillville (H.S.) IN, who picked Kansas State a week ago, and together they should provide an excellent complement to Kansas State's #19-ranked recruiting class, which included 6'6 Janerio Spurlock from Chipola (JC) FL, 6'4 Gilson DeJesus from Trinidad State (JC) CO, 6'4 Nick Williams from Mansfield (H.S.) TX,  6'9 Pervis Pasco from Pensacola (JC) FL, 6'6 Marcello DaBarrosa from Brazil, 6'9 Travis Canby from Fork Union (Military) VA, and 6'4 Marcus Hayes from Ovieda (H.S.) FL, a year ago. 

Friday, October 12, 2001

Long Island Panthers and the Tim Thomas Playaz had a lot in common last weekend at the Connecticut Select Hoop Challenge.   They both were late additions and, once they were added to the to the field, they both had to be regarded among the favorites the win this four-day basketball extravaganza.  But neither the Panthers nor the Playaz made it past the semi-finals.  Instead, the New Jersey Roadrunners knocked off Connecticut Select, 70-47, in the championship game and 6'4 Dewitt Maxwell from Newark (Science) NJ stepped up big with 23 points in the championship game en route to tournament MVP honors.   Randy Foye, the 6'3 guard from Newark (East Side) NJ, chipped in with 16 points and 6'10 John Kelley form Wayne (DePaul) NJ added 13 points.  But the most dominant player in the playoffs was 6'2 Charles Easterling from Hartford (Buckeley) CT, who had 17 points in the championship game, 27 points in the semi-finals when Connecticut Select knocked the Tim Thomas Playazz, 102-88, and 29 points in the quarterfinals when Connecticut Select beat the Broncos, 93-92.  Easterling was complemented by 6'1 Dan Oglesby from Hamden (Hamden Hall) CT with 12 points in the championship game, but the guy who really stepped up for Connecticut Select in both the semi-finals with 19 points and the quarterfinals with 21 points was 6'5 Jr Roosevelt Lee from New Britain (H.S.) CT.   Also playing extremely well  for the Long Island Panthers in both the semi-finals with 20 points versus the New Jersey Roadrunners and the quarterfinals with 27 points versus Metro Boston was 6'8 Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY.  Our New England Editor Wayne Simone, who also was the tournament director, tells us that 6'3 Quincy Douby from Brooklyn (Grady) NY, 6'4 Mike Cooke from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, and 6'6 Jr Sean Banks from Oradell (Bergen Catholic) NJ also had impressive tournaments and, as a result, deserve special mention.  In addition to all the players mentioned above, the rest of the all-tournament team includes 6'1 Jomo Belfor from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, 6'2 Craig Benson from Hamden (H.S.) CT, 7'0 Jr Fernando Bonfin from Bridgeport (Kolbe Cathedral) CT, 6'5 Jr Dwight Brewington from Lynn (English) MA, 6'3 John Cagianello from Windsor (Loomis Chaffee) CT, 6'2 Matt Cahill from Bridgewater (Bridgewater-Raynham) MA, 6'4 Mike Cook from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'1 Sean Cooke from Trenton (Notre Dame) NJ, 6'0 Jr Donald Copeland from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'2 Matt Cushing from Ocean (H.S.) NJ, 6'4 Mamadou Diakite from Manhasset (St. Mary's) NJ, 6'4 Tim Doyle from Oyster Bay (St. Dominic) NY, 6'5 Soph Scott Draughn from Hamden (Hamden Hall) CT, 5'11 Jr D.J. Fields from Manhassett (St. Mary's) NY, 5'11 Darryl Hill from Bayside (Cardozo) NY, 6'6 Jr Robert Hinds from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, 5'10 Jr Pat Kenney from Manchester (East Catholic) CT, 6'7 Nicholas King from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'6 Jr Jonathan Langston from Randolph (Brockton) MA, 6'0 Jr Ben Luber from Newtown (Council Rock) PA, 6'5 Rob Lucky from Waterbury (Sacred Heart) CT, 6'0 Mikial Malik from Washington (Spingarn) DC, 6'7 Samuel Manhanga from Greenwich (H.S.) CT, 5'8 Jr Deon Merritt from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'4 Darlington Okerula from Jersey City (Hudson Catholic) NJ, 6'5 Brian Ormond from Schenectady (H.S.) NY, 6'3 Jeremy Plekitas from Woodbridge (Amity) CT, 6'1 Soph Emmanuel Quezada from Washington (St. Albans) DC, 6'5 Jr Matt Ross from Huntington (Walt Whitman) NY, 6'3 Jr Mustafa Shakur from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, 6'7 Nyheem Shiggs from Newark (Westside) NJ, 7'0 Ted Skuchas from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'6 Jeff Street from Niagara Falls, NY, 6'6 Curtis Sumpter from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, 6'5 Ron Timmons from Washington (Wilson (DC, 6'4 Dave Tvardzik from Seymour (H.S.) CT, and 6'6 Jeff Viggiano from Suffield (H.S.) CT.

On Wednesday, August 22nd, we did some checking and told you that any reports that you might have heard about 6'10 Matt Haryasz from Page (H.S.) AZ making a verbal commitment to Stanford were premature.  Well, it looks like you can finally write it down.  If you will recall, this mobile big man with the ability to score and block shots emerged in late July at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV and, as a result, is now ranked #58 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  He joins 6'5 Dan Grunfeld from Glendale (Nicolet) WI, who verbally committed to The Cardinal three weeks ago.  This is interesting, because Stanford currently has 13 players on scholarship and only one senior - 6'2 Tony Giovacchini - on the roster.  So our guess is that they are done recruiting and they will worry about potentially having 14 players on scholarship later.  The most likely scenario is that 6'6 Casey Jacobsen will declare hardship for the NBA next spring, but paying Grunfeld's way the first year wouldn't a problem for his father,  Ernie Grunfeld, who is the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that Lehigh has gotten a commitment from 6'1 Patrick Davidson from Melbourne (H.S.) AR and our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson believes that Ohio State may be on the verge of getting a verbal commitment from 6'9 Aaron Spears from Chicago (Dunbar) IL this weekend.  Apparently Spears will be in Columbus, OH on an unofficial visit and Johnson expects Spears to pick the Buckeyes over West Virginia while on the commit on the visit. 

It has been the editorial policy of the HOOP SCOOP for a number of years to rank players who are in their 9th semester or more of high school separately as 5th year players.  Obviously at times this can be a great source of confusion and controversy, but after a careful review of this policy we have decided to continue to rank 5th year players separately for several reasons.  First, most players who fall into this category are older than the rest of the players in the senior class nationally and, as a result, have an advantage of in terms of maturity both mentally and physically.  Second, it gives us a different perspective, just like when we combine our ranking from different states (i.e. Iowa/Kansas/Missouri/Nebraska/Oklahoma). Third, New York teams are not allowed to play against teams with players who are in their 9th semester of high school, although an exception appears to have been made recently with Marion (Tabor Academy) MA.   Apparently 6'9 Torin Francis didn't play basketball when he was a true freshman in high school and, as a result, has been reclassified, whereby, he is now regarded as a true high school senior by everybody but us.  This is important, because it means that Tabor Academy will be eligible to play in both the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL before Christmas and Slam Dunk to the Beach in Lewes, DE after Christmas against teams from New York.  However, for our purposes it is important to establish certain guidelines and, once we've done that, be consistent.  The best example is 6'9 Dermarr Johnson, who would have been the #1-ranked player in the Class of 1999, if he hadn't been a 5th year p