HOT RECRUITING INFORMATION  

FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2000

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

Saturday, September 30, 2000

Two weeks ago the Breakdown website, which ranks the top players and covers basketball recruiting in the state Florida, reported that 6'7 Rafael Luis from Miami (Northwest Christian) FL had verbally committed to Florida International, along with 6'9 Taurance Johnson from Philadelphia (Christian) PA and 5'11 David Luber from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA.  However, Donnie Wilkie, the Southeast Editor for HighWired Sports, who was the person who originally brought this to our attention, does not confirm Luis' commitment and his source on this is pretty good, because he talked with Luis' high school coach Anthony Pujol earlier today.  We also talked with Sam Rines, who is Johnson's club team coach, earlier today at the adidas Hoop Challenge and he tells us that first year Florida International head coach Donnie Marsh has a recruiting trip planned into the Northeast within in the next few days.  This is important, because if Luis had already committed to Florida International, they  would be out of scholarships.  If you will recall, new NCAA rules only allow schools to sign eight players two years (five players one year and only three the next).  Currently Florida International already has Johnson, Luber, 6'2 Carlos Morbein from Miami (Christian) FL, and 6'8 Johan Rivera from Miami (Christian) FL, which is a story in itself, because their recruiting class is ranked #9 nationally behind Florida, North Carolina, Auburn, Syracuse, Memphis, Ohio State, Missouri, and Clemson.  The addition of Luis would have moved the class up to #3 and, if that had been the case, everybody in the nation, including us, would have been asleep on one of the biggest recruiting stories of the fall.  Still, any way you slice it, Marsh, who previously was an assistant coach at Virginia Tech and Florida State, as well as the head coach at College of New Jersey, is recruiting like crazy.

It looks like Greg Swaim of GregSwaim.com was right on the money when he told us in late June that the verbal commitment by 6'4 Keith Langford from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX wasn't firm.  However, we ignored him, because Langford's mother was telling us otherwise.  Well, now it looks like Kansas, Oklahoma, and Baylor are also in the picture, along with Mississippi, so we're putting Langford back on the recruiting board.  And we're talking 6'7 Eric King from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'3 Robert Swaim from Milford (Academy) CT, and 6'8 Brandon Robinson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA off the board.  If you will recall, a year ago King signed with St. John's, Swaim signed with Connecticut, and Robinson signed with Auburn.  In each case, everybody tells us that they will re-sign this fall, but no official announcement has been forthcoming.  The same also can be said about 5'9 Andre Collins from Crisfield (H.S.) MD, who never made it official for Maryland last year, but who would have made it official, if he had qualified academically under NCAA guidelines. Another verbal commitment that is being reported by others is 6'9 Kei Madison from Iowa Western (JC) IA to Indiana.  Obviously the connection on this is IU head coach Mike Davis, but why would Madison pick the Hoosiers, if Davis is only the head coach on an interim basis.  Instead, Madison would be smart to wait until spring and see what happens.  Remember, when I ran into Madison airport in Chicago, IL in July, he told me that he'd sign with Tulane, if Davis got the Green Wave job.  Speaking of Indiana, we're still waiting to see where IU head coach Bob Knight ends up this season.  Our guess is that he'll be out of coaching for a year, because there currently are no Division I head coaching jobs open and we just have a hard time seeing Knight being an assistant someplace.  However, the other Knight (Pat Knight), who was previously at Indiana, has already landed on his feet by getting an assistant coaching job at Akron.  And this is no surprise, because while the younger Knight has always extremely loyal to his father, he also has always his own person.  As a result, has always had the respect of his peers and gotten the both the name and personalilty to become one of the best recruiters in the business. 

Friday, September 29, 2000

Today has been a travel day (we've been on the road to the adidas Hoop Challenge at Yale University in New Haven, CT), but we have picked up several commitments, including 6'7 Brandon Krug from Dwight (H.S.) IL to New Hampshire, 6'8 Andy Osborne from Longmont (H.S.) CO to Loyola-Marymount, 6'5 Tom Kelati from Walea Walea (H.S.) WA to Washington State, and 6'1 Corey Santee from Flint (Southwestern) MI to Texas Christian.  Krug's commitment is interesting, because New Hampshire was able to steal him away from in-state schools, like Bradley, Loyola-Chicago, and and Illinois-Chicago.   Prior to the summer we had Krug ranked #38 in Illinois, but he played well at the 17-Under National AAU Tournament in Orlando, FL and, as a result, should move up 10 or 15 spots.  Krug is best described as a combo forward, because he's good around the basket and can step out and shoot the three.  He's also a terrific student, as is evident by his 23 ACT and 3.5 gpa.  Osborne, who ranks #146 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, also is a steal, especially after his performance in July at the adidas Big Time Tournament, where he was one of the leading scorers in the tournament, as well as a member of the all-tournament team.  Santee is ranked #11 in the state by our Michigan Editor Steve Bell, but Kelati is a mystery man (until now we'd never heard of him).  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson also tells us that Bowling Green may have gotten a commitment from 6'4 Leon Petty from Indianapolis (Cathedral) OH, who is ranked #12 in the state by our Indiana Editor Jim Kasberg.  But that's still unconfirmed.  We also have gotten word from Rob Matera of All-Star Sports Report that 6'9 Jr Michael Thompson from New Lenox (Providence) IL, who ranks #31 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, may be close to making an early commitment to Notre Dame.  Thompson is also somewhat of a mystery, because he's played extremely well each of the last two summer at the NIKE All-American Camp, but he is nothing more than a role player whenever we see him with the Illinois Warriors club team.

Thursday, September 28, 2000

Sometimes things get lost in the translation.   Apparently that's what happened on Tuesday when we reported that our Texas Editor Wes Grandstaff had told us that 6'8 Jason Maxiell from Carrollton (Newman Smith) TX had a great visit to the University of Kentucky.  However, apparently that isn't right, because now he's telling us that it was an in-home visit.   Speaking of Kentucky, the Wildcats have already landed two players - 6'3 Rashaad Carruth from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA and 6'5 Josh Carrier from Bowling Green (H.S.) KY - in the fold and, as a result, their recruiting class currently is ranked #18 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  However, if they get Maxiell, 6'7 Andre Patterson from Los Angeles (Washington) CA, 6'6 Chuck Hayes from Modesto (Christian) CA, 6'9 Brandon Bender from Louisville (Ballard) KY, and 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, all of whom appear to be prime targets, their recruiting class would move into the top five nationally and, if they get any combination of the two, their recruiting class would move into #1 spot ahead of Florida. Kentucky also is making 6'2 Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, who ranks #4 nationally among juniors and who reminds of Stephon Marbury in many ways, although he lacks Marbury's strength, a prime target  However, that one may be just as difficult to get done as 6'1 Chris Duhon from Slidell (Salmen) LA, who Kentucky lost to Duke a year ago, because all the heavy weights, like Duke and North Carolina, are involved.  Plus, you can bet that Michigan and Michigan State will make things interesting.

Mike Waters of the Syacuse Post-Standard has confirmed that 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT, who ranks #114 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has finally made it official for Syracuse.  This is important not just because he gives the Orangemen another quality inside player, but also because it moves their recruiting class into the #3 position nationally.  And the best still may be yet to come if they also land 6'6 Julius Hodge from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   If you recall, Syracuse is believed to be the co-favorite, along with N.C. State, for Hodge, although Florida is making a strong push, as is evident by the fact that yesterday Gators head coach Billy Donovan and assistant coach John Pelphrey were both in New York City to watch Hodge play at IS8. Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has confirmed that 6'8 Sam Hoskins from Schoolcraft (JC) MI has verbally committed to DePaul and Rob Matera of the All-Star Sports Report tells us that Baylor has gotten a commitment from 6'9 Lawrence Roberts from Houston (Lamar) TX.  Hoskins, who originally was signed by Eastern Kentucky, but transferred when the old regime got fired last spring, apparently has really blossomed into a player and, as a result, now ranks among the top 30 junior college players in the nation.  Roberts, who ranks #60 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is an absolute steal for Baylor, which appears to be on the verge of big recruiting year.  If you will recall, in July they landed 6'3 Dandrick Jones from Dallas (Kimball) TX and more recently they got a commitment from 6'3 Kenny Taylor from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX.  Taylor is lights out 3-point shooter, Jones can step in and help run the show at point guard, and Roberts is a dominant force inside. 

Wednesday, September 27, 2000

One of our favorite events of the year is Wayne Simone's adidas Hoop Challenge, which will be held September 29th-October 1st at Yale University in New Haven, CT.  Not only will we get to see most of the top players in New England, but we'll also see some of the loaded prep school teams, including Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, Milford (Academy) CT, and Cheshire (Academy) CT.  And we won't have to wait very long to for Cheshire and Milford, because both teams are scheduled to play in the opening round of games at 5:30 PM at Lehman Rec Center.  It will be Cheshire versus Norwalk on Court 1, Milford versus Connecticut Starters A on Court 2, Connecticut Starters B versus Connecticut Jammers on Court 3, and Connecticut North Stars versus Big Ballers on Court 4..  Then, at 6:45 PM it will be St. Thomas More versus Mass Hysteria on Court 1, Connecticut Select and Connecticut Gold II on Court 2, NHA Peak versus NE Rockets on Court 3, Glastonbury versus Dawson (Canada) on Court 4, and New Zoo Crew versus CMAC at the Payne Whitney Gym.  The 8:00 PM Games will feature Connecticut Gold I versus NEPA White at Payne Whitney Gym, Jersey Shore Warriors versus AC Rocks III on Court 1, New York Wolfpack versus Power Player (NY) on Court 2, St. Michael's versus Willie Howie on Court 3, and Jersey Shore Warriors versus Slamma Jamma on Court 4.  All the games mentioned thus far are in the 17-Under Bracket, except the last one between Jersey Shore Warriors-Slamma Jamma game, which in is 16-Under Bracket.  So are the games between Monmouth Power versus Connecticut Comets on Court 3 and the Connecticut Select versus Bristol Stars on Court 4 at 9:15 PM.  Also at 9:15 PM, it will be St. Thomas A versus versus Rhode Island Breakers (Blue) at Payne Whitney Gym, Riverside versus Massachusetts Wildcats on Court 1, and Connecticut Rebels versus Connecticut Warriors on Court 2 in the 17-Under Bracket.  At 10:30 PM all the game are in the 17-Under Bracket, as it will be the Student Broncos versus Central Jersey Hawks in the Payne Whitney Gym, Long Island Lightning versus BANG on Court 1, New Jersey Rap versus Greater Boston on Court 2, Gauchos vesus Jersey Jaguars on Court 3, and the AC Rocks (Orange) versus 92nd Street Y on Court 4.  On Saturday morning Simone will have two additional courts at Hillhouse High School and Jackie Robinson Middle  School.  Games will resume at 8:30 AM on Saturday morning and run until 11:30 PM.  Then, things really will get interesting on Sunday morning, because the 16-Under Quarterfinals are at 9:00 AM, followed by the 17-Under Quarterfinals are 10:15 AM, 16-Under Semifinals are at 11:30 AM, the 17-Under Semifinals are 12:45 PM, and the 16-Under Championship at 2:00 PM, and the 17-Under Championship at 3:15 PM.  For the matchups on Saturday, directions, and hotel information, click on Simone's website at http://eteamz.com/connselect.

The senior class in Southern California is one of the best of all-time, but the big story at the 2000 Fullcourt Press Fall Showcase at Long Beach Millikan High School on Monday, September 25th, were the overwhelming number of outstanding players in the Sophomore All-Star Game.  At the top of the list is 6'8 Soph Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who already ranks among the top five sophomores in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP.  Others who played well and, as a result deserve mention, include 6'3 Soph Wesley Washington from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'4 Soph Fred Washington from Torrance (Bishop Montgomery) CA, 6'6 Soph Trevor Azisa from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'11 Soph Jared Bosewell from Lakeside (El Capitan) CA, 5'10 Soph Trevante Nelson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 5'8 Soph Kevin Bell from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, and 6'8 Soph Sean Phaler from Villa Park (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Soph Drew Terry from Irvine (Northwood) CA, 6'2 Soph Omar Wilkes from Los Angeles (Loyola) CA, 6'5 Soph Wendall White from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, and 6'0 Soph Marcus Williams from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA, 6'6 Soph Alex Bosley from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, and 6'3 Soph Kyle Hogan from Villa Park (H.S.) CA.  Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that 6'7 Jr Evan Burns from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA was once again sensational and that 6'4 Cody Pearson from Sherman Oak (Notre Dame) CA continues to take his game to another level.  Also playing well in the junior game were 6'7 Jr Jamaal Walls from Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA, 6'7 Jr Adam Zahn from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, 6'2 Jr Brandon Heath from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'6 Jr Bryant Markson from Monrovia (H.S.) CA, 6'7 Jr Kevin Gardner from Rolling Hills (Peninsula) CA, 6'8 Jr David Patton from Placentia (El Dorado) CA, 6'7 Jr Travis Niesen from Mission Viejo (H.S.) CA, 6'1 Patrick Haddan from Irvine (Woodbridge) CA, and 6'10 Jr Moulaye Niang from El Cajon (Christian) CA.  Among those who played well in the senior game were 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, 6'7 Andre Patterson from Los Angeles (Washington) CA, 6'4 Floyd North from San Diego (St. Augustine) CA, 6'4 Eric Osmundson from San Diego (St. Augustine) CA, 6'11 Chad Bell from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, and 6'11 Martin Iti from Villa Park (H.S.) CA.  Speaking of Iti, we recently reported that Iti was in his 7th semester of high school and, as a result, would only have one year of high school eligibility left.  Well, now it looks like he won't be able to play this year either.  Donnie Wilkie, the Southeast Editor for HighWired Sports, tells us that Iti has been declared ineligible to play this year by the school due to problems with his transcript.  And Iti's not the only one in Southern California who appears to be too old to play and/or has had immigration problems due to the fact documents and official papers were either falsified or not in order  If you will recall, 6'8 Jr Charlie Rodriguez from Fresno (Clovis West) CA is having visa problems getting back into the United States from the Dominican Republic and 6'9 Apolinar Fernandez and 6'8 Jack Martinez were both ruled academically ineligible at Lakewood (Artesia) CA last spring and, as a result, are now attending a high school in Canada. 

No program in college basketball has done a better job of filling their needs in recent years than Cincinnati.  Don't believe it?  Well, just look at the evidence.  In 1998 the Bearcats had the #7 ranked recruiting class when they landed 6'6 Pete Mickeal from Indian Hills (JC) IA, 6'11 Donald Little from Winchendon (School) MA, 5'11 Steve Logan from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, 6'7 Eugene Land from Cincinnati (Roger Bacon) OH, and 6'0 Alvin Mitchell from Indian Hills (JC) CA.  In 1999 the Bearcats had the #8 ranked recruiting class when they signed 6'9 DerMarr Johnson from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'2 Kenny Satterfield from New York (Rice) NY, 6'11 John Grove from Grove City (George Jr. Republic) PA, and 6'5 Leonard Stokes from Buffalo (Turner-Carroll) NY.  Last year the Bearcats had the #5 ranked recruiting class when they brought in three of the top junior college players in the nation in 6'7 Antwan Jones from from Tallahassee (JC) FL, 6'4 Immanuel McElroy from Tyler (JC) TX, 6'8 Jamaal Davis from Barton County (JC) KS, plus they signed two good high school players in 6'3 Field Williams from Houston (Waltrip) TX and 6'8 Rod Flowers from Huntsville (Butler) AL.  And if things fall right again, the Bearcats could be on the verge of a 4th straight top 10 recruiting class.  As it stands now, they are the co-favorite, along with Michigan State, for 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, who ranks #3 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  They also are right there, along with Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas, for 6'7 Jason Maxiell from Carrollton (Neuman Smith) TX, who ranks #36 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And they're battling it out with Texas and Louisville for 5'11 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, who ranks #17 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   But that's it, unless you include 6'11 Hiram Fuller from Wabash Valley (JC) IL. Apparently he was stashed there by Fresno State, but Cincinnati's strong ties to the Wabash Valley program are enough to make them a factor.  If you will recall, new Bearcats assistant coach Keith LeGree was an assistant coach at Wabash Valley at year ago and Wabash Valley head coach John Loyer was an assistant coach at Cincinnati during most of the 90's.

Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that West Virginia may be a lot closer to getting a verbal commitment from 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Durham (Emmanuel) NC, who ranks #8 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, than most people realize.  However, this is not a surprise to us, because recently we found out that new Mountaineers assistant coach Chris Cheeks previously was the high school coach of one of Hargett's older brothers.  As a result, he not only has a preexisting relationship with the family, but he also seems to have the trust of Hargett's mother, which is always important in the final stages of recruiting.  So don't be surprised if Hargett picks West Virginia and don't be surprised if it happens soon, like later this week.  Assuming that we're right on this West Virginia will be beating some pretty strong company, like Arizona, Tennessee, and LSU.  Rubin also tells us that Temple, Virginia, Florida State, and N.C. State are among the final four for 6'8 Elton Brown from Newport News (Warwick) VA and he still thinks Villanova is the school you have to beat for 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ.  However, Turner had better do it soon, because the Wildcats are also in hot pursuit of 6'3 Jermaine Harper from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA.  Their other remaining scholarship will also likely go to a perimeter player, but they'd like to sign somebody in the 6'5 to 6'8 range.  The newest name on their list is 6'8 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, who has emerged as the #1 senior in Philadelphia this fall, but right now he's primarily a high post player. 

Tuesday, September 26, 2000

With Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State, and Wake Forest all just up the road, it is especially important for the UNC-Charlotte coaching staff to identify who they can get early and out work everybody else during the recruiting process.  Well, it looks like they've been doing a great job, because with two consecutive top 25 recruiting classes, which include players like 6'9 Rodney White from Kensington (Newport School) MD, 6'7 Cameron Stephens from Vincennes (JC) IN, 6'7 Tory Reed from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, 6'5 Kevin Johnson from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'5 Rodney Zimmerman from Indian Hills (JC) IA, 6'8 Kenkay Jones from West Plains (JC) TX,  and 6'1 Demon Brown from Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME, the 49ers could emerge as one of the biggest surprises in college basketball in the near future.  No, UNC-Charlotte doesn't have any McDonald's All-American's or any real high profile players who will raise a lot of eyebrows.   Instead, they're more like the great Seton Hall team in 1989, which also was unheralded, but featured at least 10 players who were ranked among the top 100 nationally or the equivalent of top 100 in junior college or prep school.  Well, it looks like the 49ers have done it again, because yesterday they got a verbal commitment from 6'2 Mitchell Bittle from Winston-Salem (R.J. Reynolds) NC, who ranks #92 nationally and is capable of playing either guard spot.  Actually, Bittle is the perfect combo guard.   He doesn't have the decision making necessary to be a pure point guard and he's not big enough to matchup against bigger 2-guards.  However, it really doesn't matter, because Bittle is so athletic, explosive in transition, and naturally talented.  And he's not the only guy they may steal this fall.  Believe it or not, the 49ers may be the leader for 6'7 Quemont Greer from Milwaukee (Vincent) WI, who ranks #50 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   Greer is an unsized power forward, but nobody in the nation rebounds better.  Greer had a monster summer, as is evident by the fact that he finished ranked #9 at the adidas ABCD Camp by the HOOP SCOOP and was one of the best players at the adidas Big Time Tournament.   And the 49ers may also re-sign 6'5 Hector Romero from Venezuela, who is currently stashed in junior college.  But, if they get Greer, they may run into the same problem (no available scholarships) they faced when 6'9 Jason Parker from Fork Union (Military) VA suddenly became available in August.

Another program that appears to be on the of verge of being a major surprise in the near future is Holy Cross.  If you will recall, the Crusaders stole 6'0 Jave Meade from Northfield (Northfield-Mt. Hermon) MA, 6'5 John Bucaro from South Huntington (St. Anthony) NY, and 6'5 Greg Rector from Gaithersburg (Quince Orchard) MD a year ago and, as a result, their recruiting class, which included only three players, was ranked #2 in the Patriot League behind Lafayette.  The trend appears to be continuing, because earlier this fall they landed 6'7 John Hurley from Braintree (Thayer Academy) MA and yesterday got a commitment from 6'11 Nate Lufkin from Round Rock (H.S.) TX, who is ranked #26 in the state of Texas by Mike Kunstadt, who is widely regarded as the foremost authority on high school basketball in the state.   "He not there yet," says Wes Grandstaff, the Texas Editor of the HOOP SCOOP.  "But I really like his upside.  He's skinny, but he's got long arms and legs, excellent timing, and good mobility, all of which helps make him a good shot blocker.  He also runs the court well for somebody his and has a nice shooting touch out to 18-feet."  Lufkin picked Holy Cross over Colorado State, Kansas State, Rice, Stephen F. Austin, and SMU.  Grandstaff also tells us that another player in his state who committed within the last few days is 6'5 Nathan Doudney from Rockwell (H.S.) TX.  Doundey is a terrific 3-point shooter and, as a result, is a good catch for Tulsa. 

Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that 6'4 J.J. Sullinger from Columbus (Thomas Worthington) OH is finally official for Arkansas.   If you will recall, our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman jumped the gun on this one two weeks ago.  Another one we appear to have jumped the gun on is 6'2 Melvin Scott from Baltimore (Southern) MD, who ranks #59 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  But we're not retracting this one, because at the time we reported this, he had told Rob Matera of All-Star Sports Report that he was going to North Carolina.  Unless somebody tells us that it's off the record, that's good enough for us.  However, the official announcement was made yesterday.   We also have confirmed 6'8 Levi Watkins from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, who ranks #93 nationally, to N.C. State.  While Watkins is a better player right now than 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, who also is high on N.C. State's priority list, Collins is two inches bigger and has a much getter upside.  As a result, it will be interesting to see if Watkins commitment has any effect on Collins, whose final two appear to be Virginia and N.C. State.   However, the player who would instantly make N.C. State one of the elite teams in college basketball is 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Hodge was at Florida over the weekend, but Syracuse is still the school most people think you have to beat.  And don't forget Maryland, because Terps assistant coach Billy Hahn is second to none on the recruiting trail.  We still haven't confirmed 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT, but Mike Waters of the Syracuse Post-Standard tells us there is press conference scheduled for Thursday and it would be a major surprise to everybody, if it wasn't Syracuse.  Buffalo has gotten one of the biggest steals of the year in 6'3 Turner Battle from Kernerville (East Forsyth) NC, who ranks #138 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. 

Greg Swaim, the Editor and Publisher of GregSwaim.com, tells us that Oklahoma State and Texas Chrisitian are the co-favorites for 6'4 Antonio Falu from San Jacinto (JC) TX.  However, the smart money is on the Cowboys, because Falu and current Oklahoma State freshman 6'10 David Anderson and Falu are not only good friends, but were teammates on the Houston Jaguars club team two years ago.   Swaim also tells us that we may look real good down the road, because nobody else has listed Arkansas with 6'9 Jr Shelden Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who ranks #11 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP.  As a matter of fact, Swaim thinks Arkansas will be the team to beat, because Oklahoma and Oklahjoma State don't play his style of game and Duke and North Carolina are too far away from home.  So the Razorbacks appear to be the perfect fit and if it happens, remember where you heard it first!  Our Texas Editor Wes Grandstaff tells us the final four for 6'7 Jason Maxiell from Carrollton (Newman Smith) TX, who ranks #36 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, are Cincinnati, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Texas.  Most people think this one is a slam dunk for Cincinnati, but Grandstaff tells us that he had a great visit over the weekend and others are telling us that the Wildcats may actually be a lot closer to getting a verbal commitment than most people realize.  This is especially interesting, because Marvin Stone is just a sophomore and Marquis Estill and Jason Parker are both freshmen, plus Jules Camara, who is sitting out this year, is also waiting in the wings.  We also have confirmed that 6'7 Sean Kline from Huntington (North) IN, who ranks #96 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has reaffirmed his commitment to Indiana.  If you will recall, there was some question about whether his commitment would hold up after Bob Knight was fired two weeks ago.  

Monday, September 25, 2000

Reggie Tisdale, the Editor & Publisher of Indiana Basketball News, is reporting that 6'2 Chris Hill from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN, who is one of the best 3-point shooters in the senior class nationally, has made a verbal committed to Michigan State.  If you will recall, the Spartans wanted to bring in three wing players in this recruiting class.  Well, last week they got 6'6 Alan Anderson from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN, who ranks #32 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Now they have Hill, who ranks #142 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.   With those two players the Spartans just miss making our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes To Date, but if they get 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, who ranks as the #3 senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, then their class would move all the way up to #3 behind Florida and North Carolina and ahead of Memphis. Another school that continues to move up in our rankings of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes is Syracuse, but anybody who has reported that 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT has made it official for the Orangemen has jumped the gun.  Konecny was on campus over the weekend, but nothing happened.  Apparently he decided to return home and talk it over with his parents before making it official.  So suddenly the question becomes, is Connecticut turning up the heat, because they don't want to let the top player in the state get away, especially to a big rival like Syracuse.  Or maybe the Huskies have gotten   Konecny to hold off for a day or two so they can to turn the heat up on 6'8 Isaiah Fox from Santa Monica (Crossroads) CA, who was made an official visit to Connecticut over the weekend.  We also have confirmed that 6'8 Jason Carter from Las Vegas (Bishop Gorman) NV, who ranks #156 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has verbally committed to Colorado and 6'2 Jason Williams from Aurora (Hinckley) CO, who ranks #100 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked Xavier.

The Converse Jam Fest at Rutgers University featured an all New Jersey Final Four in the Open Division, as the New Jersey Rap beat the Jersey City Boys Club and the Tim Thomas Playaz beat the New Jersey Roadrunners in the semi-finals yesterday afternoon.  That set the stage for the New Jersey Rap, which doesn't travel to national tournaments, but which has at least five players who are good enough to get scholarships at the mid-to-low Division I level, to pull off a surprising upset in the championship game, as they beat the Tim Thomas Playaz, 69-61.  The key to their success was the outstanding guard play provided by 6'1 Dezmond Morgan from Columbia (H.S.) NJ, 6'1 Jr Anthony Drejaj from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, and 6'3 Aaron Davis from East Orange (Bishop Francis) NJ. Morgan is quick to the basket and good at coming off the screen to hit the open three.   Drejaj is a tough hardnosed white kid who can shoot the lights out.  Davis is a point guard who can score, as was evident when he scored 28 points in the championship game and took home MVP honors.  Also scoring 16 points in the championship game and doing most of the dirty work inside was 6'6 Scott Findlay from West Morris (H.S.) NJ.  He was complemented inside by the physical presence of 6'9 Kevin Martin from Columbia (H.S.) NJ and the athleticism of 6'6 Brian Robinson from Jersey City (St. Peter's) NJ.  The leading scorer in the championship game for the Tim Thomas Playaz was 6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA with 20 points, but one of the big surprises of the tournament was 6'8 Brandon Brigman from Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA, who finished with 18 points and played consistently harder than we've ever seen him play in the past.  As a result, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin will have to move him up on his next report, which should be completed sometime in October.   The Tim Thomas Playaz also featured 6'3 Jr John Winchester from Bayonne (Marist) NJ, who had 10 points in the championship game, 6'6 Danny Hinds from Allentown (Central Catholic) PA, 6'9 Jr Eric Davis from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'7 Lee Melchionni from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, and 6'0 Jeremiah King from Winchendon (School) MA, but they didn't seem to want it as bad as the New Jersey Rap and, as a result, they came up short in the championship game. The Tim Thomas Playazz also came up short in the championship game of in the 11th grade Division against New York Riverside Church, which featured 6'4 Jr Ricky Soliver fron Bronx (All Hallows) NY, 6'0 Jr Jason Wingate from New York (Rice) NY, and 5'9 Jr Keydren Clark from New York (Rice) NY outside and 6'9 Jr Shakiem Mitchell from New York (Rice) NY and 6'9 Jr Roberto Medares from Milford (Academy) CT inside.  The Tim Thomas Playazz were equally talented, but a little bit younger, as their top players included 6'4 Soph Marquis Webb from Paterson (Catholic) NJ, 6'6 Soph Demetris Nichols from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI, 6'9 Soph Darryl Watkins from Paterson (Passaic County Tech) NJ, 6'2 Soph Jamar Nutter from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ, 6'9 Jr Eric Davis from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 Soph Willie Irick from Teaneck (H.S.) NJ, and 6'8 Soph William Sheridan from Bear (Samford) DE.  In the other age brackets, Brooklyn USA won the 6th and 8th Grade Divisions, the New York Gauchos beat the Jersey City Boys Club in the 7th Grade Division, and Connecticut Select knocked off the New York Gauchos in the Sophomore Division.  However, the championship game that we found most interesting was the game between the Jersey City Boys Club and the Philadelphia Patriots in the 9th Grade Division.  The Jersey City Boys Club, which won in overtime, features 6'1 Frosh Marcus Williams from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 5'10 Frosh Ahmad Mosbey from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'2 Frosh David Whitehurst from Tinton Falls (Monmouth Regional) NJ, 6'1 Frosh Otis Campbell from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, 6'1 Frosh Matthew Givens from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ, and 6'4 Frosh Jimmy Mindingall from Randolph (H.S.) NJ.  Remember the names, because all of these guys have high major talent and potential and four of them will be playing for the legendary Bob Hurley for the next four years.  But they're also pretty good right now.  Remember, the Jersey City Boys Club  team, which featured 5'11 Jr Dwayne Lee, 5'10 Jr Donald Copeland, 6'4 Jr Zackie Boyd, and 6'8 Jon Kobryn, advanced to the Final Four in the Open Divison, even without their best player - 6'1 Jr Elijah Ingram, also from Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ.  Lee, Copeland, and Boyd were all very impressive, but the most impressive junior in the entire tournament was 6'4 Jr Randy Foye from Newark (East Side) NJ, who this fall has emerged as one of the top 20 players in his class nationally.  As a result, he's a high priority for Rutgers.  So are Ingram, Lee, 6'1 Jr Taquan Dean from Neptune (H.S.) NJ, and 6'0 Jr Mike Lesma from Burlington (Life Center) NJ and will be Scarlet Knight's assistant coach Danny Hurley's job to deliver at least two of these guards a year from now.  It may come down to whoever commits first, but one thing is for sure, all Rutgers fans have to do is be patient, because the pipeline is already clearly in place.  Another program that has great young talent is Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, which features 6'10 Soph Grant Billmeier, 5'11 Soph Michael Nardi, and 5'8 Soph Jason Patterson.  Billmeier has improved dramatically in the last year and, as a result, now ranks among the top big men in the nation.  So has Nardi, who reminds us of a young Bobby Hurley.  But we already knew about Billmeier, Nardi, 5'10 Sam Lake, and  6'6 Jamie Sowers.   Instead, Patterson, who is a lights out 3-point shooter, is the surprise and, as a result, St. Patrick's Kevin Boyle once again could have one of the best high school team's this year.  But his best team ever could be when Billmeier, Nardi, and Patterson are seniors, because that's when 6'7 Derrick Character will be arriving into 9th grade.  Since the State High School Association in New Jersey doesn't allow recruiting, Boyle already has a major jump on this 12-year-old 7th grader who has attended the St. Patrick's Basketball Camp each summer since he was in third grade.  Character also already is playing with Boyle's club team and last week he had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots while playing against juniors and seniors in high school.  As a matter of fact, the word is that this 6'7 man-child is already so good that he would be the best 9th grader in the nation, although he's still only in 7th grade.  Another great young player in the tournament was 6'8 Soph Lou Deng from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, whose older brother is Connecticut's Ajou Ajou Deng.  The younger Deng more than lived up to his earlier billing with his athleticism, shot blocking ability, and ability to shoot the three.  Not only is he a legitimate top five sophomore in America, but he's really good right now.  So is his teammate, 6'9 Soph Charlie Villanuava from Blairstown (Academy) NJ, who is a repeat sophomore, but unfortunately New Jersey Demons Rich Leary, who is back after spending the last four years coaching girls, lacked the guard support necessary and, as a result, got beat bad when we saw them against New York Riverside Church in the Junior Division.  Another big story this weekend at the Converse Jam Fest was the continuing emergence of 6'8 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, who now has to be regarded as a top 100 senior nationally.   If you will recall, led Positive Image to the championship at the Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament in College Park, MD, but he was even better here, as he blocked shots, rebounded, and scored in the paint.  So was 6'6 Jr Matt Walsh from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA.  Walsh reminds us of Matt Carroll, who was the best player in Eastern Pennsylvania a year ago.   However, Walsh is a lot more athletic and, as a result, better than Carroll at the same stage.  Walsh has a great nose for the ball, is an excellent outside shooter, and is extremely versatile, which is why he's suddenly become a top priority for numerous big time schools.  This future potential McDonald's All-American has Virginia, Maryland, Louisville, North Carolina, and Florida at the top of his list, but Kansas, Villanova, Pennsylvania, and Stanford also have to be mentioned. 

Sunday, September 24, 2000

The big story at Rick Barrett's Gym Rat Midnight Madness was not who showed up, but who didn't show up.   Among those who were missing in action were six of the top players - 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'2 Jr Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'2 Jr Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL, 6'7 Jr Stanley Gaines from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, 6'4 Levar Seals from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, and 6'8 Najeeb Echols from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL - who were supposed to be in the game.  Not only did they disappoint the several thousand fans, coaches, and scouts who came to see them play, but even more important, they missed the very important four-hour session put on by the Princeton Review people on Saturday morning.  During the first three hours the players actually take the test and, then, during the last hour, are taught things that they need to know in order to do better on the test.  Obviously, this will be a big help for those who attended and are interested in passing the SAT or the ACT.  While at least several of the players who were missing in action will need all the help they can get when it comes to becoming eligible to play college basketball as a college freshman , 6'6 Jr Matt Walsh from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, who already is a great student, represents the other extreme.  He not only took advantage of the opportunity, but he then drove an hour North to play with his team in the Converse Jam Fest at Rutgers University.  He also came back that night to play in the National Underclassmen Game at the Gym Rat Midnight Madness.  And he was one of the best players in the game with 12 points, even though his outside shot wasn't falling.  The leading scorers in the Underclassmen Game were 6'8 Soph Leon Powe from Oakland (Vocational Tech) CA and 6'5 Jr Antonio Lawrence from Jacksonville (Jackson) FL, who finished with 14 apiece.  Several area players - 6'8 Jason Herring and 6'5 Ronnie Lemelle - who were last also chipped in with 13 points apiece, but our favorite player in the game was 5'11 Soph Dewayne Green from Saginaw (Arthur Hill) MI, who hit several 3-pointers, scored in transition, and created havoc at the defensive end.   Also deserving a mention were 6'8 Soph Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'2 Soph John Winston from Richmond (H.S.) CA, 6'3 Jr Tim Drisdom from Downey (H.S.) CA, and 6'8 Jr Maurice Shaw from Fresno, CA.  Despite the no-shows, the All-American Game still featured a number of big name players, including 6'9 Julian Sensley from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'9 Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edward) CA, 5'10 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 6'3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ, and 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA.  However, the players without big reps were really the guys who stole the show.  Let's start with 6'2 Solomon Brown from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, who was the leading scorer with 18 points, as he hit four straight 3-pointers and impressed us with his quickness and ability to get to the basket in transition.  Also scoring 16 points and hitting several 3-pointers was 6'0 Ricky Morgan from Pontiac (Northern) MI, who thrived in this uptempo setting.  Most of the 14 points scored by Is'mail Muhammed from Atlanta (W.D. Mohammad) GA came from offensive rebounds or drives to the basket, but he brought the house down with his earth-shattering dunks on several occasions.  Barry Elder, the 6'4 2-guard from Madison (Morgan County) GA, who is bound for Georgia Tech along with Muhammed, also did his thing, which is outside shooting, as he went to the trifecta from 3-point land and finished with 11 points.  Also scoring 11 points and impressing us with both his outside shooting and ablity to go to the hole was 6'4 Cody Pearson from Sherman Oaks (Notre Dame) CA.  The biggest surprise was 6'11 Nate Vandersluis from Oak Harbor (H.S.) OH, who was ranked no higher than #19 in Ohio in Chris Johnson's pre-summer rankings.  Vandersluis doesn't pass the look test, but you can't teach size and heart like this guy's got.  He also has excellent skills and effects the game, which is why schools like Pittsburgh, St. Bonaventure, and Miami-OH are knocking down his door.   Game MVP honors went to Turner, who finished with 14 points, and Brown, who finished with 18 points, but the real MVP was Ford, despite the fact he only finished with two points.  Ford had a least 10 assists, but he also remembered his teammates, which is important in a game like this.  Also, deserving special mention is Sensley, who was the leading scorer for his team with 16 points, as well as the most talented player in the game. 

Saturday, September 23, 2000

We've heard rumors about Arizona being out with 6'9 Dennis Latimore from Halstead (H.S.) KS, who ranks #44 nationally by tee HOOP SCOOP, but nothing could be further from the truth.  As a matter of fact, nothing has changed with either Latimore or 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who ranks #12 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, since July.  That's right!   We still think you can write both of them down for Arizona.  And if Arizona also gets one of the three outstanding point guards - 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Durham (Emmanuel) NC, 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, and 5'9 Jason Fontent from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ - to go along with 6'10 Channing Frey from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ and 6'2 Salim Stoudamire from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR, both of whom also rank among our top 100 nationally, then the Wildcats would be in a position to challenge Florida and North Carolina for the #1 ranked recruiting class.  Speaking of North Carolina, the Tar Heels, which currently are ranked #2, could move into that elite position if they get 7'1 DeSagana Diop from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  However, right now you can be sure that Virginia is turning up the heat, because he's making his official to Charlottesville, VA this weekend, along with 6'8 Jason Clark from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA and 6'7 Erik Bond from Seattle (Prep) WA.  Virginia also has 6'4 Jr J.J. Reddick from Roanoke (Cave Spring) VA, who ranks #10 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, in this weekend for an unofficial visit and that too is a very important visit, because Reddick's top two schools are Duke and Virginia.   He's always been a Duke fan and he's a terrific student, but the smart money is on Virginia, because the Blue Devils recently got 6'3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, who plays an identical position..  Instead, we think it's more likely that Duke will land another great point guard, like 6'2 Jr Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'2 Jr Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL, and 6'2 Jr Gerry McNamara from Scranton (Bishop Hannan) PA, to replace Jason Williams and Chris Duhon, both of whom likely will be gone to the NBA by that time.  Getting back to North Carolina, don't be surprised if the Tar Heels get an early commitment from 6'6 Jr Curtis Sumpter from Brooklyn ((Bishop Loughlin) NY, who has emerged as the #1 junior in New York City. Apparently new North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty loves Sumpter's game and Sumpter has a mutual feeling about the Tar Heels.  And if this happens, it wouldn't be good news for St. John's, which is already targeting Sumpter and 6'8 Jr Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY, who ranks #19 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, as priorities for next year.  Apparently Sumpter and Fraser, both of whom are considering St. John's, North Carolina, Connecticut, Duke, Seton hall, and Ohio State, are already talking about going to the same school and, as a result, an early commitment by Sumpter would make the Tar Heels the team to beat for Fraser. 

It's not done yet, but Mike Waters, a sportwriter for the Syracuse Post-Standard, tells us that 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT, who ranks #114 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is in Syracuse, NY this weekend making his official visit and it would be a major shock if he returns home  before making it official for the Orangemen.   When that happens, Syracuse's recruiting class will move from #8 to #3 on our list of the top recruiting classes to date.  If you will recall, the Orangemen got 6'3 Billy Edelin from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD last spring and last week they got 7'1 Craig Forth from East Greenbush (Columbia) NY and 6'6 Josh Pace from Griffin (H.S.) GA.  But the big prize that make this a great recruiting class for the Orangemen is 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  However, that's easier said than done, because we're hearing that N.C. State may actually be the leader for Hodge and Maryland, and Florida are also very dangerous adversaries.  We also have confirmed that Hartford has 6'1 Saun Swan from Virginia Beach (Coastal Christian) VA, who averaged 20-plus ppg last season while playing with a broken hand and promises to be one of the biggest sleepers in the nation, and the University of Maine has gotten a commitment from 6'9 David Dubois from Laval (Montmorency College) QU.

Friday, September 22, 2000

For the third consecutive week we are eagerly awaiting the weekend, because we're heading East again to attend the Converse Jam Fest at Rutgers University on Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, plus we'll drive down to Cherry Hill, NJ on Saturday night for Rick Barrett's Midnight Madness.   And, as you will see in a minute, both events are loaded!  One of the things will be interested in at the Jam Fest is whether Positive Image and Connecticut Select, which played in the championship game last week at Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament, can do it again.  Also getting first round byes are the Tim Thomas Playaz, the Long Island Panthers, Mickey Walker, Virginia's Finest, Brooklyn Beast, Redemption, Philly 3 on 3, Broncos, Gauchos, and Dewey Street.  The rest of the field includes Cheshire, NEPA White, New Jersey Roadrunners, MBA Hoops, City Rocks Black, South Jersey Shore, New York Wolfpack, West Pennsylvania All Stars, City Rock Orange, Jersey State Cyclones, Toronot Ballhawks, Sullivan Eagles, James Lee (VA), Salvation Army, NEPA Green, Jersey Jaguars, Long Island Lightning, Les Nomades, Metro Boston,  Washington Heights Warriors, Youth Inter Soc., JCBC, East Windsor PAL, St. Mike's, Elizabeth Hilltoppers, Central Jersey Hawks, Berg Yellow Jackets, Original Celtics, Shore Rockets, Sam Rines, 92nd Street Y, Jersey Shore Warriors, On Top Their Game, New Jersey Celtics, TR Wolfpack, New Jersey Rap, Binghampton, and B-Ballers.  First round games will tip off beginning at 6:15 PM tonight at Rutgers University in what Steve Keller calls "a NCAA Tournament-like format."  If you lose you get to keep playing the losers bracket.  However, those that are fortunate enough to keep winning will contiue to advance in the winners bracket.   Loser bracket games will begin at 9:00 AM Saturday morning and winners bracket games tip off beginning at 11:20 AM.   Everybody who continues to advance in the winners bracket will get two games on Saturday, and three games on Sunday concluding with the championship game at 2:00 PM.   Barrett's event tips off with his 8th grade game at 5:00 PM on Saturday evening, followed by a freshman and sophomore game at 6:00 PM, a junior and senior game at 7:00 PM, and a game that features many of the top players in South Jersey regardless of class at 8:00 PM. Then, the highlight of the night will be his two national showcase games at 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.  The 9:00 PM game will feature many of the top underclassmen in the nation, including 6'2 Jr Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'5 Jr Antonio Lawrence from Jacksonville (Jackson) FL, 6'2 Jr Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL, 6'5 Jr Matt Walsh from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'8 Soph Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'5 Soph Olymuyiwa Famuttimi from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'3 Soph Dionne Harris from Detroit (Redford) MI, 6'6 Soph Jordan Ingram from Radnor (Archbishop Carroll) PA, 6'3 Jr Tim Drisdom from Downey (Calvery Chapel) PA, 6'8 Jr Leon Powe from Oakland (Vocational Tech) CA, 6'2 Soph John Winston from Richmond, CA, and 6'9 Jr Maurice Shaw from Fresno, CA.  The All-American Classic at 10:00 PM will feature 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ, 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, 6'3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 5'10 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 6'9 Dermarshay Johnson from Oakland (Vocational Tech) CA, 6'6 Is'mail Muhammad from Atlanta (W.D. Mohammed) GA, 6'5 Barry Elder from Madison (Morgan County) GA, 6'1 Solomon Brown from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, 6'3 Jermaine Harper from Dyke (Blue Ridge) VA, 5'9 Brian Swift from Bedford (Chanel) OH, 6'4 Levar Seals from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, 6'6 Najeeb Echols from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL, 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'9 Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, and 6'3 Cody Pearson from Sherman Oaks (Notre Dame) CA.  We also plan to be in the East again next weekend for Wayne Simone's Adidas HOOP Challenge at Yale University, September 29th-October 1st, which could be especially interesting if Simone's Connecticut Select team does well in the Converse Jam Fest this weekend.    Obviously, several final four appearances at Charlie Weber and the Jam Fest and a championship in the Adidas Hoop Challenge would put Simone's team in a great position to win the HOOP SCOOP's Team-of-the-Fall.  For the list of teams and other pertinent information about Simone's event, click on http://eteamz.com/connselect.

Thursday, September, 21, 2000

Tennessee may have lost the football game to Florida last weekend, but they won the recruiting battle for 6'7 Elgrace Wilborn from Springfield (South) OH, who ranks #152 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that Wilborn, who was in Knoxville, TN over the weekend making his official visit, not only verbally committed to the University of Tennessee yesterday, but he did so without taking any other official visits.  He was supposed to visit Georgia Tech this weekend and Nebraska next weekend, but that's been cancelled.  He also was being recruited by Michigan State, Old Dominion, and Miami-OH, but they too are looking elsewhere for another player who plays Wilborn's position.  And Wilborn isn't the only top player in the state of Ohio's elite eight seniors who is gone.  As matter of fact, Johnson points out that only two of his top eight are still uncommitted.  If you will recall, 6'9 Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH,who ranks as the #1 senior in the state, made it official for North Carolina two weeks ago.  The #2 and #3 seniors - 6'7 Matt Sylvester from Cincinnati (Moeller) OH and 6'9 Terrance Dials from Youngstown (Boardman) OH - are long gone to Ohio State.  Johnson's #4 ranked senior - 6'5 Keith Jackson from Cincinnati (Purcell Marion) OH - recently announced for Xavier and 6'7 Jordan Cornette from Cincinnati (St. Xavier) OH, who ranks #5 in the state, still plans to honor his committed to Notre Dame, despite the coaching change.   That leaves 6'9 Adam Waleskowski from Kettering (Alter) OH, who ranks #6, as the top unsigned player in the state.  Right now Dayton and Xavier appear to be the leaders, but Purdue and Tennessee are factors, plus Penn State is making a strong push.  Next is Wilborn, followed by the only other unsigned player - 6'4 J.J. Sullinger from Columbus (Thomas Worthington) OH, who will be making an official visit to Arkansas this weekend.  Sullinger also still has  Houston, Ohio University, and Bowling Green on his list, but the smart money is on the Razorbacks and, as a result, a commitment may be forthcoming immediately after the visit.

Anybody who thinks the Atlantic Coast Conference isn't still one of the elite conferences in college basketball needs to take a closer look.   Duke and North Carolina are two of the very elite programs in college basketball, Maryland has solidified its status as a top 10 team for years to come, Virginia great young talent in the program and, as a result, has emerged into a top 20 program, and Wake Forest will always be good as long as Dave Odom is the head coach.  That leaves Georgia Tech, which now has some margin for error, because head coach Paul Hewitt is only in his first year, Clemson, N. C. State, and Florida State.   N.C. State would emerge into that upper echelon if they get 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY and 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD.  So would Florida State, if Seminoles head coach Steve Robinson can continue to get his share of the top high school players in Florida and add a superstar or two to the mix.  However, it looks like Clemson has pulled into the lead  in this race.  Last spring head coach Larry Shyatt's recruiting class, which included 6'8 Chris Hobbs from Chapel Hill (East Chapel Hill) NC, 6'2 Tony Stockman from Medina (H.S.) OH, 6'5 Jamar McKnight from Northwest Mississippi (JC) MS, 6'5 Dwon Clifton from High Point (Westchester) NC, and 6'8 De'on Dixon from Fayetteville (Seventy-First) NC, was ranked #29 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And actually that was probably too low, because Dixon has dramatically improved.  He still needs to get bigger and stronger, but he's a multi-dimensional athlete who, at 6'8, is a terrific 3-point shooter and surprisingly good ball handler.   Dixon didn't make it academically, but he still counts in last year's recruiting class, because he signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the Tigers.  He tells us that he plans to do so again (sign with Clemson) after his junior college career is over.   And the timing would be perfect, because by that time we expect 6'3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS and 6'9 Sherrod Ford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, both of whom have verbally committed to the Tigers in the last week, to have developed into two of the better players in the league.  That would give Shyatt three potential NBA players to go along with a terrific supporting cast, which bring us to the real point of all this.  Today Clemson got a verbal commitment from another player who figures to be an important part of that supporting cast in 6'7 Olu Babalua from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, who ranks #113 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Babalua is a physical specimen inside, but actually he'd prefer to be a wing forward and he might be able to get away with it, because he's surprisingly mobile in transition for somebody his size.  He also plays hard, has a good nose for the ball, and makes things happens.  As a result, he should be perfect complement to Ford, who right now is best at the power forward spot, but who has the perimeter skills to eventually develop into an outstanding wing forward down the road.  Ford is a big-time athlete, while Babalua has the ability to do the blue collar work and, as s result, be a great role player.  However, if Babalua grows another inch or two, all bets are off, because the sky could be the limit.  So with the addition of Babalua, Clemson's recruiting class moves up from #10 nationally into the #6 position behind Florida, North Carolina, Memphis, Ohio State, and Missouri and ahead of Syracuse, Florida International, Washington, and Georgetown.  While these rankings of the top 20 recruiting classes are sure to change dramtically between now and when we wrap up recruiting at the end of both the fall and spring signing periods, they do provide a great indicator as to how has done the best to date.  For the top 20 list, click on Top 20 Recruiting Classes.

Wednesday, September 20, 2000

Along with the month of July and the Holiday Tournament time in late December, this has to be our busiest time of the year.  Not only are there major tournaments and events all over the nation every weekend, but we also have verbal  commitments coming in at a near record pace.  Yesterday we mentioned that 16 players who rank among our top 100 nationally in high school or the equivalent in junior college or prep school had committed in the last week alone.  Well, at three more to that list today, as 6'5 Cedric Bozeman from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA has picked UCLA, 6'6 Alan Anderson from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN committed to Michigan State, and 6'4 Chris McRae from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY made it official for Hofstra.  That's right!  Hofstra head coach Jay Wright has stolen another one.   As a matter of fact, McRae might be his biggest catch yet and that's a huge statement when one remembers that former Hofstra point guard Craig "Speedy" Claxton was drafted #12  in the NBA draft in June.   "Chris doesn't really have a defined position," says Gary DeCesare, who is the head coach at St. Raymond's. "He's just a basketball player who is willing to do whatever his team needs him to do in order to win."   This was especially evident this summer when McRae and 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY led the Bronx Ravens to a runnerup finish in the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, NV.  Hodge, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, got all the glory, but McRae was really the unsung hero.  He did all the dirty work both inside and defensively and, as a result, nobody really knows whether he has the perimeter skills necessary to be successful at the wing forward position at the next level.  Although we suspect that he does, by picking Hofstra it won't matter right away.  Not only will he be a big a fish in a little pond, but he'll have the time he needs to develop.  Currently McRae ranks #62 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but if he develops a consistent 3-point shot and turns into a good ball handler, the sky is the limit! Anderson, who ranks #32 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is exactly what Michigan State needs, because Spartans are looking to land three wing players in this recruiting class.  So he should plug in nicely at the wing forward spot and, as a result, that shouldn't have any effect on their recruitment of 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, who ranks #3 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and is a prime target for Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Connecticut.  UCLA getting Bozeman, who ranks #10 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is also huge, because that could start the domino effect for the Bruins.  If you recall, there had been a lot of talk about a possible package with Bozeman, 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, and 6'5 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA.  Well, UCLA is out with Childress, so unless he shocks everybody and changes his mind, Bozeman will only be able to push Sampson, who is his teammate at Mater Dei, and Miles, who developed a close friendship with Bozeman during the last year, UCLA's way.  Previously, we thought Kansas might be able to get all four (Bozeman, Childress, Sampson, and Miles), but Bozeman's commitment to UCLA has to put the Bruins back into the driver's seat and if UCLA head coach Steve Lavin can pull this off, it would be a major coup, because a great pure point guard (Miles) and a quality big man (Sampson) are exactly what the Bruins need. 

Last week we pointed out the many similarities basketball-wise between 6’3 Dommanic Ingerson from Santa Barbara (H.S.) CA   and Kevin Gaines, a former Wolverine player who has had more than his share of problems and, as a result, is transferring from Michigan to another school.  Both are tremendous athletes, scoring machines, and potential NBA players.  However, the comparison should end there, because any questions that have been recently raised about Ingerson’s academics, attitude, and background need to be put to rest here and now.   Despite rumors to the contrary, Ingerson has made it academically. As a matter of fact, somebody who has seen his transcript tells us that he is a surprisingly good student, especially in light of the fact that he’s had a tough home life while growing up.  He not only just survived, but he’s managed to stay out of trouble and in the process become a terrific basketball player, as is evident by the fact that he ranks #19 nationally in the HOOP SCOOP.  We bring all this up because Ingerson obviously is a major success story and that’s important in this day and age when it seems like all we hear about are players academic problems, police records, and other off the court problems. 

It looks like there is a new kid on the block in the Philadelphia Area.   We're talking about 6'8 6'8 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, who, after terrific performances at the 2000 Fullcourt Press Fall Hoops Classic at Lynwood High School in Lynwood, CA and the Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament in College Park, MD the last two weekends, has emerged as the #1 ranked senior in Philadelphia and the #2 senior in Eastern Pennsylvania behind 6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA.  Warrick is a good shot blocker, mobile athlete, and aggressive rebounder, but he still needs to get bigger and stronger to play for the schools that are now knocking on his door.  He's already had in-home visits with Rhode Island, Providence, Xavier, San Diego State, and Virginia.  La Salle will be in his home tonight and Syracuse will get the last in-home visit on September 28th, unless 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT makes it official for the Orangemen first.  Currently Warrick doesn't rank among our top 100, but at the rate he's progressing, that might turn out to be too low.  Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin also tells us that Lehigh has gotten a major steal for a school at their level.  He's talking about 6'8 Eric Heil from Bettendorf (Pleasant Valley) IA, who impressed us enough this summer to get ranked #513 nationally.   And it looks like the Mountain Hawks beat out some good competition, as Heil's list also included South Alabama, Central Florida, Air Force, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Harvard, and Dartmouth.  Another inside player with the potential to move way up in Philadelphia is 6'8 Brandon Brigman from Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA, who ranks #173 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  We've always seen flashes from this wide body who can be a dominant force on the boards, but if the light ever licks on and he decides he wants it.  As a result, his final four includes Virginia Tech, South Florida, Rhode Island, and Penn State. Also, Rutgers has landed 6'3 Jual Wiggin from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA. 

No, we haven't been ignoring the entire Bob Knight situation, but we've been busy with all the verbal commitments and travel to major events lately.  Especially amusing is the hypocrisy of it all.  Imagine one of Knight's players telling him that he didn't understand what he meant.  Knight's players, his assistant coaches, and everybody else associated with the program have always been first class, because Knight has only allowed there to be room for one jerk in the program (himself).  Last week, with press conferences and television interviews seemingly daily, I thought Knight and his supporters were going to stage a coup d'etat and oust IU President Myles Brand.  Sure, Knight was a great coach and he did a lot of positive things for Indiana University over the years, but his supporters just don't get it.  It's time for a change!  Based on tradition, facilities, conference, fan interest, and players already in the program (all they need is a point guard), Indiana is one of the top five jobs in the college basketball.  And if they had a coach whose passion was coaching basketball, instead of hunting and fishing, there would probably be several more NCAA Championship banners hanging in Assembly Hall.   Obviously Knight doesn't like to recruit, but neither do all the other head coaches who spend the entire month of July on the road watching 17 and 18-year-old kids every day.   In other words, Knight is a major underachiever!  Just imagine if IU had a head coach who got out and worked.  Instead, Knight's idea of  working hard a year ago was going to see 6'9 Jared Jeffries from Bloomington (North) IN play in three different settings (Indianapolis, IN, Augusta, GA, and San Diego, CA) during the entire summer.  Knight got Jeffries anyway, but recruits would be standing in line to go Indiana, just like they do when Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski comes calling, if Knight had just put in the effort.  Sure, Knight may coach again, but he also would have to recruit.  No, it will never be the same!  Just like with Woody Hayes, whether he likes it or not, Knight will always be synonymous with IU basketball.  The tradegy of it all is that he's had it his way for far to long, but he still doesn't get it either.  Hopefully, he still has time to learn that it's far better to treat everybody the way you would want them to treat you, instead of like a pesky fly you would swat any time somebody disagrees with you or something doesn't go your way.  If he doesn't, the future may be even tougher, at least until he realizes he has a problem and decides to really change.  Maybe he'll have to get fired from more jobs and eventually hit rock bottom, just like a drug addict or drunk, before he finally gets it.  One things is for sure, we haven't heard the last of Bob Knight....

Also extremely interesting is the situation that IU interim head coach Mike Davis is inheriting.  As both a person and a recruiter, Davis is second to none.  But can he coach?  Who knows, because he's never had the opportunity before.  But let's say somebody steps up and fills the point guard role or they are able to hide that weakness, it's is not inconceivable that Indiana could be very good this year, as well as  go deep into the NCAA Tournament.  If that happens, Davis would likely get the job on a permanent basis and short of that, it would be a great stepping stone career-wise.  So obviously Davis needed to hire the right interim assistant coaches.  However, he didn't hire the perfect candidate.  We're talking about San Diego State assistant coach Brian Dutcher, who already has established himself as the best interim assistant coach in the history of the game.   Think I'm kidding don't you?  Recall back to 1989 when Bill Frieder got fired and Steve Fisher took over as the interim head coach at Michigan right before the NCAA Tournament began.  If you will recall, Dutcher was an interim assistant coach on that NCAA Championship team and, as a result of their success, Fisher got the job on a permanent basis.  Then, when Fisher got fired at Michigan several years ago and Brian Ellerbe was moved into the interim position, history repeated itself.  Dutcher stayed around for a year as an interim assistant and Ellerbe got the job on a permanent basis and, as a result, is still the coach today.    Instead, Julius Smith and Dan Panaggio, who was a three time coach of the year in the CBA, were announced to fill the voids created at Indiana when Bob Knight was fired and his son and assistant coach Pat Knight resigned. 

Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Late last week we told you that 6'9 Taurance Johnson from Philadelphia (Christian) PA and 5'11 Dave Luber from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA would both verbally committed to Florida International over the weekend.  Well, write it down!  We also have confirmed that 6'5 Dwayne Mitchell from New Orleans (John F. Kennedy) LA, as expected, verbally committed to Auburn and, if you add 6'8 Sherrod Ford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, who picked Clemson on Sunday, and 6'5 Winsome Frazier from Miami (Northwestern) FL, who announced for Mississippi State, we were five for five on those predictions.  We also think it's only a matter of time before 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD announces for N.C. State and 7'0 Marcus Campbell from Albany (Westover) GA commits to Auburn.  However, when if you put it on line enough, you're going to surprised once in a while and that's what happened yesterday when 6'8 Marcus Austin from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, who ranks #82 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but who has the talent and potential to move much higher, announced for Villanova.  Actually, this wasn't any big surprise, because Austin's mother had been pushing the Wildcats all along and in the final analysis the mother often is the one who makes the final decision.  In the case of Austin, who always had been a Syracuse fan, he  apparently changed his mind on his official visit to Villanova over the weekend and, as a result, Syracuse won't even get a visit.  Instead, the Orangemen will likely take 6'10 Mark Konecny from Waterbury (Holy Cross) CT, who ranks #114 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  If you recall, last week we reported that Konecny's first choice was Seton Hall, but when 6'5 Greg Tinch from Albany (Westover) GA picked the Pirates, Konecny let it be known that he wanted to commit to Syracuse.  However, Austin was Syracuse's #1 recruit at the power forward spot, so they've been holding Konecny off until they knew what Austin was going to do.  It also looks like we are going to wrong about Clemson getting either Campbell or 6'8 Ed Nelson from Ft. Lauderdale (St. Thomas Aquinas) FL.  The word is that Nelson has gone to Georgia Tech and Campbell will likely make it official for Auburn sooner than later.  Instead, Clemson will likely turn the heat up on some other inside players, like 6'8 Olu Babalua from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, who ranks #113 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and fits the blue collar role that the Tigers need.

They are dropping like flies, as 16 players who either rank among our top 100 nationally or are the equivalent of a top 100 player nationally have made verbally commitments within the last week. In other words, 48 of the top 100 seniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP have already been taken off the recruiting board. And if you include 5th school players, the number is even higher, as 6’9 Julian Sensley from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT to California, 6’9 Sherrod Ford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA to Clemson, and 6’7 James White from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA to Florida have also made verbal commitments. Just today 6’8 Ed Nelson from Ft. Lauderdale (St. Thomas Aquinas) FL picked Georgia Tech. Yesterday 6’8 Marcus Austin from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ made it official for Villanova yesterday and 6’5 Dwayne Mitchell from New Orleans (John F. Kennedy) LA made it official for Auburn over the weekend. So did 6’9 Taurance Johnson from Philadelphia (Christian) PA, who, as expected, picked Florida International, and Ford, who became Clemson’s second big recruit in the last week. A week ago the Tigers also got 6’3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS. UNLV has gotten 6’1 Marcus Banks from Dixie (JC) UT and 6’11 Simplece N’Joya from Homestead (Berkshire) FL and Syracuse has added 6’5 Josh Pace from Griffin (H.S.) GA and 7’1 Craig Forth from East Greenbush (Columbia) NY. DePaul got 6’4 Levar Seals from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, Mississippi State has landed 6’5 Winsome Frazier from Miami (Northwestern) FL, and Michigan got a steal in 6’3 Dommanic Ingerson from Santa Barbara (H.S.) CA. North Carolina got 6’2 Melvin Scott from Baltimore (Southern) MD, Seton Hall took 6’5 Greg Tinch from Albany (Westover) GA, and Washington landed 6’5 Erroll Knight from Seattle (Chief Sealth) WA. However, that doesn’t mean the best isn’t yet to come, because most of the top seniors have yet to make verbal commitments. As matter of fact, only three of the top 10 seniors - 6’2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ to Memphis, 6’2 Carlos Hurt from Louisville (Moore) KY to Louisville, and 6’8 David Lee from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO to Florida - have already committed. Also only three players in the 11-20 range - 6’1 Maurice Williams from Jackson (Murrah) MS to Alabama, 6’3 Rashad Carruth from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA to Kentucky, and Ingerson to Michigan - and four players in the 21-30 range - 6’9 Jamal Levy from Homestead (Berkshire) FL to Wake Forest, 6’3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX to Duke, 6’9 Harvey Thomas from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD Georgetown, and Frazier to Mississippi State - have committed. However, in the 31-70 range 23 of the 40 players are already gone and in the 70 and in the 71-100 range half the players already have committed.

Monday, September 18, 2000

A year and a half ago UNLV had the #2 ranked recruit class in the nation by the HOOP SCOOP, but head coach Bill Bayno's most important addition to the program wasn't any of the players he signed.  Instead, it was former Maine Central Institute Max Good, who was hired because Bayno wanted somebody to push the players and up the tempo every day in practice.   Among the players in that recruiting class was a little known and underrated point guard - 6'1 Marcus Banks from Las Vegas (Cimarron) NV.  However, Banks didn't make it academically, so he went to Dixie (JC) UT, where he averaged 17 ppg and was one of the top freshmen in the junior college ranks last year.  Well, now it looks like he's heading back to UNLV.  That's right!  We confirmed late last night that Banks has committed again to the Runnin' Rebels and he's the perfect fit for the way Bayno wants to play.  Kris Vance, who was an assistant coach at Dixie last season, tells us that Banks will lock you up defensively.  "He reminds me of Darnell Valentine," says Vance. "He's a tough hardnosed defender just like all those guys who played for Good at MCI, but he also can run the show and put points on the scoreboard."  And Banks isn't the only player UNLV has landed this fall who will be fits this description.  If you will recall, a week ago 6'11 Simplece N'Joya from Homestead (Berkshire) FL, who ranks #91 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, made it official for UNLV.  While Simplece is raw offensively, he's an excellent shot blocker, good rebounder, and a force to be reckoned with at the defensive end.  This is important, because it moves the Runnin' Rebels into a tie with Kentucky for #13 on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to date, which currently is being updated daily.  To get this list click on Top 20 Recruiting Classes.  And if they get 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ, who ranks #49 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, their recruiting class would move into the top five nationally based on our currrent list to date.  However, our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin doesn't think that will happen, because he doesn't think Turner wants to go that far from home.  Instead, Rubin is predicting that Turner will pick Villanova over UNLV and Rutgers. 

Everybody seems to think that 6'11 Eddy Curry from South Holland (Thornwood) IL has narrowed his list to DePaul, Cincinnati or the NBA, but that's not what we're hearing.  Believe it or not, our source, who is extremely well placed, thinks Illinois is the team you have to beat for this giant who ranks who ranks #6 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And Memphis is in a lot better shape than most people realize.  Speaking of Memphis, Tigers head coach John Calipari has already done in-home visits with Curry, 6'9 Brandon Bender from Louisville (Ballard) KY, and 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St Jude) AL, he's on the West Coast today making in-home visits with Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA and 6'11 Chad Bell from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, and he'll make in-home visit on Wednesday with 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL.  Obviously, since the Tigers are so well stocked at the wing positions, the last pieces to Calipari's championship puzzle are several more quality big men and, as you can see, they are involved with nearly everybody, except, ironically, 6'10 David Harrison from Brentwood (Academy) TN.  Another interesting twist involves Bender, whose father was the college roommate of the father of Missouri assistant coach Tony Harvey.  So now you know why Bender had Missouri so high on his list early, but then the Tigers dropped out, because they already had all the inside players they need with Arthur Johnson and Travon Bryant, both of whom signed last spring, and 6'9 Robert Whaley from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI and 6'9 Jeff Ferguson from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI, both whom verball committed in early June, all in the fold.  However, now that Bryant's recruitment may open back up, if he doesn't make the necessary test score at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME this fall, and Bender's recruitment will likely drag on until spring (he likes to be recruited), we still think it's possible that Missouri will get back involved with Bender.  We also really like University of Colorado's chances, because assistant coach Larry Gay, who is widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation would like nothing more than to walk into Louisville and take several of the top players.  Also on Gay's list are 6'1 Adam Chiles from Louisville (Ballard) KY and 6'5 Larry O'Bannon from Louisville (Male) KY.

Virginia, North Carolina, Miami-FL, and Michigan are the final four for 7'0 DeSagana Diop from Mouth of Wilson (Oak HIll) VA.  Missouri and Illinois now appear to be the final two for 6'6 Najeeb Echols from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL.   N.C. State and Virginia are the final two for 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD.  Wake Forest is the leader over Georgia Tech, Virginia, and N.C. State for 6'8 Levi Watkins from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD.  Villanova had 6'8 Marcus Austin from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ on campus over the weekend, but we still think he's Syracuse to lose.   However, we don't think you'll be able to write it down for several more weeks, which is when Austin will be at Syracuse on his official visit. Maryland, Syracuse, George Mason, Rutgers, South Florida, and Hartford are all in the hunt for 6'5 Ricky Shields from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA.  Our guess is that he'll go to Maryland, unless they don't offer.  However, Hartford makes the list because Shields' AAU coach Chris Pompay recently was named to replace Keith Legree, who left Hartford to take the open assistant coaching job Cincinnati.  This is especially important, because Pompay, who is a former car salesman and respected AAU coach, will use his connections to make Hartford a major player in recruiting DC area kids.   And the first player Pompay will likely go after is a major sleeper he stashed at 6'1 Saun Swan from Virginia Beach (Coastal Christian) VA.

Our Washington, DC Editor Steve Turner tells us that things really got interesting after I left the Charlie Weber Invitational Tournament Saturday night (I was already en route to the Five-Star Hoops Classic at Staten Island, NY).  It started when 6'8 Levi Watkins from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD was ejected early in the third quarter of the opening round playoff game between DC Assault and Montrose Christian.  At the time of the ejection, DC Assault was up 40-33, but Montrose had been making a run.  However, the ejection destroyed their momentum and, as a result, DC Assault coasted to a 81-64 victory.  And from there it was upset city, as Connecticut Select knocked off DC Assault, 85-70, in the quarterfinals and then beat the Charlotte Aces, 75-54, in the semi-finals. Speaking of the Charlotte Aces, they knocked off the heavily favored Atlanta Celtics in the quarterfinals. On the other side of the bracket, Positive Image beat the Raleigh Heat, which featured 6'9 Jr Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, in the quarterfinals and Face Systems, which really was the Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD high school team, in the semi-finals.  That set up the unexpected championship game between Positive Image and Connecticut Select. Positive Image emerged as the victor, 68-64, and 6'8 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA simply picked up where he left off when we saw him last weekend at the 2000 Fullcourt Press Fall Hoops Classic at Lynwood High School in Lynwood, CA. Not only did Warrick, who had 17 points in the championship game, edge out 6'3 Jr Mike Cook from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA for tournament MVP honors, but he also now has to get top 100 consideration nationally in the senior class.  Cook, who was the leading scorer in the championship game with 23 points, also deserves top 100 consideration in the junior class, especially if he continues to develop better perimeter skills. Connecticut Select was led by 6'7 Ryan Gomes from Waterbury (Wilby) CT, who finished with 16 points and easily would have been the tournament MVP if Connecticut Select had won the championship game. Gomes is best described as a combo forward, because physically and athletically he's a force on the boards inside, but he also has enough of a perimter game to develop into a wing forward at the next level.  Plus, he's a 5th year player and, as a result, he will sit out this year, but that added year of maturity also should be important when he goes to the next level.  Gomes was complemented by 6'1 Mark Jones from Norwich (Free Academy) CT and 6'1 Jr Charles Easterline from Hartford (Bulkeley) CT, who combined for 24 points in the championship game.  Jones didn't have a good summer, but after his performance here his value is back on the rise.   Easterline,who promises to be Connecticut Select head coach Wayne Simone's next star,  played with 16-Under Team, but moved up to help the 17-Under Team once the younger team was eliminated.  A week ago we mentioned that we thought that 6'7 Jr Evan Burns from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA was the best junior in the nation.  Well, the ultimate test would have been when Belmont Shore with Burns played the New York Wolfpack, which featured 6'6 Jr Leonard Cooke from Old Tappan (H.S.) NY, in their 1:20 PM game on Saturday afternoon.  However, Cooke failed to show this weekend, so Burns, whose upside is also much greater (Cooke already is an 18-year-old senior) wins by default.  However, Burns isn't better than 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudamire from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC.  Stoudamire still needs to develop better post moves, but at this level it doesn't matter, because he's just shoots over you.  As a matter of fact, his jump shot is deadly from 15' and in and he's so aggressive and quick inside that he's the closest thing we've seen to Kevin Garnett since Garnett himself was playing at this level.  And like Garnett, he plays a lot harder than most of the overhyped pampered big men in the senior class, like 7'0 Tyson Chander from Compton (Dominguez) CA, 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA, and 6'11 Eddy Curry from South Holland (Thornwood) IL.  Stoudamire teamed with 6'9 Terry Licorish from Mt. Zion (Christian) NC to form the best one-two punch we saw in the entire tournament. Licorish, who is a legitimate top 30 senior nationally now that he has moved into the United States from Canada, is extremely athletic and active inside, but he also is versatile enough to quick enough to play out on the perimeter.  Stoudamire and Licorish were both playing for the Maryland Stallions, so we thought their matchup against Jersey Shore, which featured 6'10 Deng Gai from Milford (Academy) CT would be on the highlights of the tournament. Unfortunately it wasn't, because the Stallions played a zone and Gai seemed content to stay out on the perimeter.  As a result, he rarely scored.  Instead, the killer inside for Jersey Shore was 6'6 Soph Camel Drummond from Montclair (Montclair-Kimberly) NY, who has to rank among the top 50 sophomores in the nation.  However, several college coaches who saw Gai play in an early game tell us that he made a number of 3-pointers, plus he was more of dominant force inside.  Still, we like his athleticism, long arms, and incredible quickness and jumping ability.  In other words, the sky is the limit!  Speaking of Gai, did you know that Penn State might be the early favorite.  Apparently he was on campus during the Charlie Weber Tournament in late July and fell in love with the place.  Connecticut also is pushing strong and Seton Hall, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, St. John's, Louisville, Florida, Missouri, and Boston College are all on his list.  Howver, the lucky winner of this recruiting battle may have to wait two years, before he actually enrolls into school, because their are questions about whether he will be able to pass the SAT in his first year in the United States.  Apparently he is a smart kid, but he's still learning the language, so a second year of prep school may be necessary.  Getting back to the tournament, no official all-tournament team was selected, so we asked Turner to help us and we came up with our own all-tournament team.   It includes Warrick, Cook, Gomes, Stoudamire, Burns, Licorish, Randolph, Drummond, 6'7 Jr Curtis Withers from Charlotte (West Charlotte) NC, 6'8 E.J. Drayton from Charlotte (Vance) NC, 6'6 Jr Carmelo Anthony from Towson (Catholic) MD, 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD,   6'2 Jon Popofski from Guelph (H.S.) ON, 6'5 Eddie Basden from Greenbelt (Eleanor Roosevelt) MD, 6'2 Lamar Butler from Oxon Hill (H.S.) MD, 6'9 Jr DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'7 James White from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'9 Harvey Thomas from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, 6'10 Tony Key from Durham (Emmanuel) NC, 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS, 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Durham (Emmanuel) NC,6'6 Jr Denham Brown from Toronto (Bathhurst) ON, 6'6 Mike Grinnon from Oyster Bay (St. Dominic) NY, and 6'3 Soph Ricky Lucas from Falls Church (Bishop O'Connell) VA, whose team was eliminated after pool play, but who averaged 25 ppg.

Saturday, September 16, 2000, and Sunday, September 17, 2000

We've been telling you for the last four or five days that it was only a matter of time before 6'9 Sherrod Ford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA verbally committed to Clemson.  Well, write it down!   It's confirmed!  He joins 6'3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS, who ranks #41 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP to give the Tigers not one, but two potential NBA players in this recruiting class.  Ford is ranked among the top five 5th year players nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but if he was still a high school senior, he would be ranked among the top 25 nationally.  He also might be the most improved player nationally in the last six months, as is evident by the fact that he was ranked no higher than #29 in the Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia area by the HOOP SCOOP last spring.  However, since he exploded at the NBA Players Association Camp in late June, he has been dynamite. With the addition of Ford, Clemson's recruiting class moves into a tie for #9 nationally with Louisville and Seton Hall and, if they add 6'8 Ed Nelson from Ft. Lauderdale (St. Thomas Aquinas) FL, which also appears likely, their recruiting class would move all they way up to #3 behind Florida and North Carolina and ahead of Memphis.  Nelson, who ranks #54 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, would be the perfect complement to Ford, because he's your blue collar banger who does all the diry work inside.  We also have confirmed that 6'5 Meshak Bennett from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA has verbally committed to Northeastern, 6'5 Jamie Sowers from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ has committed to Wichita State, and 6'8 Kenny Adeleke from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY is on the verge of making it official for Boston College and it may happen as soon as tomorrow. 

New York Riverside Church pulled off two major upsets in the semi-finals and championship against Boo Williams and BABC (Boston Amateur Basketball Club) to take home the championship of the Five-Star Hoop Classic for the second time in the event's three year history.  The MVP of the Tournament was 6'7 Wendell Gibson from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY, who finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game.  Gibson ranks no higher than #200 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but it's amazing how he dominates games at this level.  He doesn't have great quickness or leaping ability and, as a result, his game is totally below the rim.  However, he has skills, heart, and a mammoth sized body, which is why schools like Miami-OH, Hofstra, Fairfield, Ohio University, Boston University, Siena, Marist, Manhattan, and Buffalo are all in hot pursuit.  Also playing well for the Riverside Church were 6'0 Teddy Mumford from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, 6'2 Jr Ricardo Soliver from Bronx (All Hallows) NY, 5'5 Tyquan Good from Brooklyn (Grady) NY, and 6'7 Hank Rivers, who will be in his 5th year of high school at Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ and, as a result, ineligible to play this year.  However, the best player in the entire tournament was 6'4 Jr J.J. Redick from Roanoke (Cave Spring) VA.  He averaged 12. 5 ppg and shot over 70% from the field, but even more important, he averaged five assists and won the Mr. Hustle Award, which shows just how complete a player he's become.  As a result, his ranking as the #10 junior nationally is more than justified and so is the early interest he's getting from schools like Duke, Virginia, and Florida.  Another candidate for our unofficial Most Outstanding Player Award is 6'3 Jermaine Watson from Marion (Tabor Academy) MA, who was largely reponsible for BABC's advancement all the way into the championship game.  Not only has Watson's decision making improved dramatically, but he's virtually unstoppable when he penetrates to the basket.  As a result, the value of his stock goes way up and it will do so even more, if he ever develops a consistent 3-point shot.  Still, Watson was the high scorer in the tournament with 17.5 ppg.  The Best Defender in the tournament was 7'1 Craig Forth from East Greenbush (Columbia) NY, who, along with 6'2 Jason McKrieth from Schenectady (H.S.) NY, led the Albany City Rocks to the Consolation Championship.  Good was named Best Playmaker, 6'8 Elton Brown from Newport News (Warwick) VA was named Best Rebounder, and 6'5 Antonio Hudson from Grambling (Lab) LA got the Sportsmanship Award.  No all-tournament team was named, but we came up with an unofficial 20 man team that includes Gibson, Redick, Watson, Mumford, Good, Forth, Brown, Hudson, 6'2 Jr Marshall Strickland from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD,  6'4 Pierre Pierce from Westmont (H.S.) IL, 6'6 Roger Powell from Joliet (Township) IL, 6'2 Johnny Gilchrist from Salem (H.S.) VA, 6'8 Brandon Robinson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'4 Ryan Williams from Milford (Academy) CT,6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA, 6'8 Kenny Adeleke from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY, 6'6 Jr Curtis Sumpter from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, 6'6 Jeff Varem from Buffalo (Traditional) NY, and 6'3 Juan Manuare from London (H.B. Beil) ON.  Especially noteworthy was Robinson, because he's improved at least 500% since we first saw him a year ago playing with the Alabama Lasers out West.  Robinson make a living dunking alley oops and getting put-backs inside, but with his versatility and athleticism, we're projecting him as a wing forward down the road.  Numerous college coaches were talking about him, but Robinson signed with Auburn a year ago and BABC head Leo Papile tells us that the commitment is firm.  Several other names to write down the future are 6'2 Frosh Marquis Cook from Sulfolk (Nansemond River) VA, who promises to be the next great point guard for Boo Williams; 6'6 Jr Michael Hall from Palos Heights (Shepard) IL, who not only is a terrific athlete with long arms and an excellent 3-point shot, but also is a legitimate sleeper for our top 100 national junior list; and 6'4 Jr Randy Foye from Newark (East Side) NJ, whose size, athleticism, passing and handling skills make him one of the best point guards in the junior class nationally.

Friday, September 15, 2000

It looks like our Georgia Editor Linzy Davis has been asleep at the switch, because 6'6 Is'mail Muhammad from Atlanta (W.D. Mohammed) GA and 6'5 Barry Elder from Madison (Morgan County) GA both committed to Georgia Tech several weeks ago, However, we didn't know it until earlier tonight at the Charlier Weber Invitational Tournament in College Park, MD when we talked with Wallace Prather, who has Muhammad and Elder both on his loaded  Atlanta Celtics AAU Team.  We also finally confirmed that LSU has gotten a commitment from 6'10 Shawnson Johnson from Lee (JC) TX.  If you will recall, in early August we said that was being reported that Johnson had verbally committed to the Tigers, but we hadn't confirmed it until tonight.  Another top priority for LSU is 6'5 Antonio Hudson from Grambling (Southern Lab) LA, who ranks #90 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and we're hearing that one is a lot closer to be done than most people realize. Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman has jumped the gun by reporting that 6'4 J.J. Sullinger from Columbus (Thomas Worthington) OH has committed to Arkansas.  "How can he be verbally committed to Arkansas when Dan Dakich went into his home last night," asks Johnson.   Obviously Bowling Green is still on Sullinger's list, along with Arkansas, Houston, and Ohio University.   Sullinger will be at Arkansas this weekend and that may be the only visit he takes.  But right now he is still on the board, so we're retracting this one. "It's kind of like when Marc Maggart reported that Terrance Dials was done for Ohio State in early June," says Johnson.  "It's probably going to happen, but it's not over yet."  We also reported that 6'9 Sherrod Ford from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA would be at Clemson this weekend on his official visit, but apparently that is wrong.  Instead, he is participating in the Charlie Weber Tournament in College Park, MD.  As a result, we don't know when or if Ford will be making an official visit to Clemson.  But that's not really important to the story, which is the Tigers are very close to getting this one done.  As a matter of fact, our Washington, DC Editor Steve Turner points out that Ford and 6'3 Chey Christie from Biloxi (H.S.) MS have developed a close friendship while playing together this summer and fall on the Potomac Valley Blue Devils club team and, as a result, have talked about going to the same school together as a package.  So don't be surprised if this one is done before Ford ever arrives on campus.  Getting back to Christie, the first person to tip us off about Christie going to Clemson was our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson, who seems to have a monopoly on information from that state.  So we have to pay attention when Johnson also tells us that Southern Mississippi appears to be close to getting a verbal commitment from 6'8 Jasper Johnson from Hollandale (Simmons) MS.

Well, it looks like the University of Michigan coaching staff wasted no time finding a replacement for Kevin Gaines, who recently was kicked out of school, as 6'3 Dommanic Ingerson from Santa Barbara (H.S.) CA, who ranks #20 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, announced for the Wolverines earlier today.  Ingerson is more of a 2-guard than Gaines, but Ingerson is just as natural talented, just as prolific scorer, and just as capable of dominating a game from the guard position.  Syracuse, which landed 7'1 Craig Forth from East Greenbush (Columbia) NY, on Wednesday, has picked up their second verbal commitment in two days, as 6'6 Josh Pace from Griffin (H.S.) GA, who ranks #88 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has picked the Orangemen today.   However, the big prize for Syracuse would be 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, but that's easier said than done, as he was the focus of attention tonight at the Charlie Weber Invitiational Tournament from the final four schools on his list.  No, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was not in the house, but assistant coach Troy Weaver was watching his every move.  So were both Florida assistants, N.C. State head coach Herb Sendek and assistant coach Sean Miller, and the entire Maryland coaching staff, all of whom can be in the gym, because the tournament being held in their on-campus facility at Cole Fieldhouse.  We still think Syracuse is the school you have to beat, but three other three all have a legitimate shot.  This one comes as no surprise, but another major commitment that we confirmed today is 6'5 Winsome Frazier from Miami (Northwestern) FL, who ranks #30 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, to Mississippi State.   Frazier needs to get bigger and stronger, but he's a world-class athlete and he showed he can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc at the NIKE All-American Camp last summer.  If that weren't enough for one day, we also have confirmed that 6'4 Levar Seals from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL has verbally committed to DePaul.  You know he's the guy who was supposed to have committed to Siena prior to the summer, but later denied it.

Greg Swaim, the Editor of Midwest Basketball, tells us that SMU has gotten a verbal commitment from 6'9 Eric Castro from Oklahoma City (Mt. St. Mary's) OK, who ranks #184 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Swaim also tells us that he's been getting a lot of heat from people in Oklahoma, because he's been focused more on the loaded junior class, instead of what appears to be a subpar senior class.  Our advise to Swaim is not to worry about it, because per capita the junior class in the state of Oklahoma has more talent than any other state in the nation.  Don't believe it?  Well, five juniors - 6'9 Jr Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who ranks #11 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'9 Jr Kevin Bookout from Stroud (H.S.) OK, who ranks #18 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; 6'6 Jr Kelenna Azuibuke from Tulsa (Victory Christian) OK, who ranks #53 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; and 6'3 Jr DeAngelo Alexander from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, who ranks #58 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; and 6'7 Jr Marques Hayden from Oklahoma City (Putnam City) OK, who ranks #97 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP; - from Oklahoma rank among the top 100 players nationally in the Class of 2002 and as a group they won the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando, FL and finished among the final four at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas,  NV.  And If they were able to accomplish all this as juniors, just imagine how good they'll be if they all stick together next summer as seniors.  Swaim tells us that North Carolina, Duke, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State are the major players for Williams.  Oklahoma apparently made an early push for Bookout, but since the Sooners' attempt wasn't successful, it now appears to be a three horse race among Oklahoma, Stanford, and Oklahoma State.  However, when it's all said and done, Swaim still thinks Bookout will sign with Oklahoma due to the fact that his parents and numerous relative have graduated from the school.  Illinois, Oklahoma State, Duke, and North Carolina are all showing a lot of interest in Azuibuke and Alexander's early favorites are Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. 

We've heard rumors that N.C. State may have gotten a verbal commitment from 6'9 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, but it hasn't happened yet.  It looks like a war between LSU and Auburn for 6'6 Kedrick Brown from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL, so it is only fitting that he's taking his official visit to Auburn this weekend for the Auburn-LSU football game.  UCLA appears to be out for 6'6 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, who ranks #11 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  As a result, Childress appears to be down to only two schools - Stanford and Kansas. UCLA also appears to be out and Cincinnati is in with 5'10 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, who ranks #17 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  Actually that's no big surprise, because Cincinnati assistant coach Mick Cronin first saw Ford play when he was in 8th grade.  So naturally he's been recruiting him via his AAU coach John Eurey for years, but Texas still appears to be the leader and Louisville is also very high on his list.   Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis is now confirming that 6'8 Travon Bryant from Long Beach (Jordan) CA, who signed with Missouri last spring, but falled to make the necessary test score to be eligible this year as a college fresham, is heading to Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME.  However, if Bryant doesn't get the necessary score this fall, he may not be heading to Missouri after all.  Instead, he would open up his recruitment and then things would really get interesting again.  Trigonis also tells us that 6'11 Jr Martin Iti from Villa Park (H.S.) CA is in his 7th semester of high school, if you include when he took several semesters of classes in Australia.  So he probably won't be eligible to play as a high school senior next year and, as a result, will probably have to go the prep school route in 2001-2002.  Ironically another one of the top juniors in Southern California also appears to be quickly running out of eligibility.  We're talking about 6'8 Jr Charlie Rodriguez from Fresno (Clovis West) CA, who is ranked #8 nationally in the junior class, but is already 19-years-old.  However, he may not be able to even play this year, because, as we reported earlier, he's stuck in Puerto Rico with visa problems.  Our Memphis Editor Jim Rothman tells us that the latest list for 6'3 Ernest Shelton from Memphis (White Station) TN, who ranks #32 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, includes Tennessee, Alabama, Wake Forest, Tulane, Georgetown, and Memphis.   Dayton appears to be the leader for 6'0 Mark Jones from Norwich (Free Academy) CT, but Boston University, Manhattan, Fairfield, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, and La Salle are also interested. 

Thursday, September 14, 2000

It's not over yet, but you should be able to write it down after this weekend, which is when 6'5 Dwa