SCOOP OF THE DAY

FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2001

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Wednesday, February 28, 2001 - We are getting reports that the University of Iowa may be close to getting a verbal commitment from 6'1 Chauncey Leslie from Indian Hills (JC) IA, who is unbelievably quick baseline-to-baseline and has emerged into one of the top point guards in the junior college ranks.  And that's saying a lot, because Indian Hills also has another great point guard in 6'0 Brandon Brooks.   However, Leslie, who has a year of junior college experience on Brooks, is the guy who runs the show.  And on Saturday afternoon Leslie was also perfect with his shooting, as he hit 9-9 field goals, including 7-7 3-pointers, and 2-2 free throws for a game high 27-points, as Indian Hills knocked off Southeastern Iowa (JC) IA, 68-62.   Also still on Leslie's list are Illinois, Pittsburgh, and Miami-FL, but assuming he picks the Hawkeyes, Leslie, along with 6'4 Pierre Pierce from Westmont (H.S.) IL, would go a long way towards solving head coach Steve Alford's lack of backcourt depth a year from now.  A month ago Iowa was 16-4 and ranked among the top 20 nationally.  But the Hawkeyes are only 2-5 since Luke Recker was sidelined with an injury in late January and, as a result, are still on the bubble in terms of whether they will get a NCAA Tournament bid.  Regardless of what happens the rest of this reason, Iowa will be one of the most improved teams in college basketball a year from now.  As a matter of fact, they should be a consensus pre-season top 10 next season, because, with the expection of Dean Oliver, everybody who counts will be back, including Recker and 6'8 Reggie Evans, both of whom will provide the senior leadership on what promises to be Alford's best team to-date.   Speaking of Alford, we would be very surprised if he had any interest in the Indiana job, if interim head coach Mike Davis is not retained.     However, the new athletic director had better not take any chances and at least make the call.  Just imagine what life would be like for the athletic director at Indiana University, if it later came out that Alford was actually interested in the job, but he was never even contacted.  Right now who the new athletic director at Indiana seems to be a deep dark secret, but it is widely known that there are currently only two serious candidates.  The two names we're hearing the most are two former Indiana University players - Toronto Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald and IU television announcer John Laskowski.  However, we think they are going to go outside of the university to make the hire and the two names we've uncovered are Tim Weiser, who interestingly replaced Tom Jurich at Colorado State when he left to take the Louisville job four years ago, and Michael McNeely, who is Vice President and the Chief Operating Officer for the San Diego Chargers.   McNeely also has prior college experience as athletic director at the University of the Pacific and working for the NCAA.  We also are hearing former IU player Randy Wittman's name being mentioned as a possible candidate if the head coaching job at IU opens up this spring.  Currently it is looking more and more like he might get fired from the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Wittman, who played for the Hoosiers from 1978-83 and has always been extremely popular in Indiana. 

Tuesday, February 27, 2001 - Camden's 32-game winning streak ended last night when Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ upset Camden (H.S.) NJ, 76-54, at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ.   6'0 Jr Elijah Ingram led St. Anthony with 31 points, but the leading scorer in the game, as usual, was 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ.  Also, as usual, Wagner didn't shoot well in this arena, as he was held to only 23 shots and 32 points.   But even more important is the fact that Wagner needs only 51 points to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of high school basketball in the state of New Jersey.  Currently the all-time leading scorer in New Jersey state history is John Somogyi from New Brunswick (St. Peter's) NJ, who scored 3,310 points from 1965-68, which was prior to the evolution of the 3-point shot.  Wagner may break that in his next game, but if Camden should lose two in a row, their season would be over and, if that were the case, Wagner could fall short of the record.  However, the more likely scenario is that Camden will likely win the state title in their classification, plus get several games in the Tournament of Champions, which includes all the winners from each classification in the state of New Jersey.   In other words, Wagner may get to play in another eight to 10 games and, as a result, break the record by several 100 points or more.  Speaking of Wagner, he was one of 12 players named to the East Squad when the McDonald's All-American Team was named earlier tonight at half-time of the Connecticut-Notre Dame.  Also named to the team were 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA, 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 6'11 David Harrison from Brentwood (Academy) GA, 7'0 DeSagana Diop from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'7 James White from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'9 Anthony Richardson from Raleigh (Leesville Road) NC, 6'3 Rashaad Carruth from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 6'1 Maurice Williams from Jackson (Murrah) MS, 6'1 Carlos Hurt from Louisville (Moore) KY, and 6'1 Chris Thomas from Indianapolis (Pike) IN.   The only surprises were Richardson, who is ranked #48 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and Thomas, who currently is ranked #46 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  However, upon closer inspection neither was really a surprise.  Richardson is a world-class athlete with incredible talent and versatility, but he's also very inconsistent.  As a result, being a local kid probably was enough to get him over the hump.  Thomas was ranked among the top five or 10 players nationally in his class as a freshman and sophomore, but others simply passed him up.  Remember, this class is absolutely loaded!  The West Squad, which was announced at half-time of ESPN's next game between Missouri-Texas, includes 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA, 6'11 Eddy Curry from South Holland (Thornwood) IL, 6'8 David Lee from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO, 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'9 Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, 6'6 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, 6'5 Cedric Bozeman from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, 5'11 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, 6'3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, and 6'8 Wayne Simien from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS.  This also included two players who must be considered political picks, but once again there is an easy explanation as to why they are in the game.  Ewing, who is ranked #32 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, is obvious, because this athletic two-guard is bound for Duke and the game is being played at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University on Wednesday, March 28th.  Simien, who is ranked #30 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, signed with Kansas last fall and will play in the Capital Classic All-Star in Washington, DC in early April.  While this may have been the best job the McDonald's All-American Selection Committee has done in recent years of picking players who truly belongs in the game (there is not one player on either team who can't compete), there are three glaring omissons - 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD, 6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA, and 6'9 Julian Sensley from Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT, all of whom are legitimate top 10 players nationally.  Sure, the argument can be made that Sensley is a 5th year player, but so is White.  Allen, who is ranked #10 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has come on like gangbusters this season.  But his omission is explainable, because last summer he was in the 30-40 range nationally.   The one that is unforgivable is Hargett.  He might be the best point guard in the class, if you don't include Wagner.  Sure, he's a had tough home life, but his team usually wins and the "bad kid rap" isn't as accurate as most people think it is.  Wouldn't it have been nice if he could have been in the game and dedicated his performance to his brother who recently died of natural causes?  More insight, comments, and analysis on the selection of the McDonald's All-American Team will be provided exclusively in the Members Section later today.  

Monday, February 26, 2001 - Last week we announced a price increase for the Members Section, whereby, we are raising the subscription price from $25 to $30 for one-month, $65 to 90 for three months, $125 to $180 for three months, and $250 to $375 per year.  However, we have left it open for you to subscribe to the Members Section at the old prices, if you called us at 1-502-493-0043 by the end of the month.  Well, time is running out, because February is almost over.   So we encourage you to act immediately!  If you already subscribe to the Members Section, now is the perfect time to extend your current subscription at the old prices.  If you are subscribing for the first time, you will shocked at how much more information we have in the Members Section.  Among the things that you are missing out on are our comprehensive state-by-state reports, rankings of the top 100 seniors in each class dating back to 1996, our in-depth ranking of the top recruiting classes for each of the last three years, and coverage of most of the top spring all-star games and events, including the HOOP SCOOP All-American Premiere, which will be held in Memphis, TN, May 18th-20th.  And to entice you even more, I will even give you an added amount of time on your subscription, if you call immediately.  However, if you can't afford or don't have the desire to get the most information available anywhere, you still can help us in another way.   Unfortunately, due to the sharp nose dive the entire dot.com industry has taken recently, our advertising revenue has declined sharply.  But we can offset this decline if you will support our advertisers by clicking on the banner ads, which are found at the top of each page.  This is important, because it may prevent us from having to also start charging you for the Scoop of the Day, as well as other material, which has been free for the last three-and-a-half years in the Visitors Section. 

Saturday, February 24, 2001, and Sunday, February 25, 2001 - It used to be you had to average 25 ppg and 10 rpg before you could even think about going hardship into the NBA draft after your sophomore or junior year of college.  But now, if you're 6'11 and have some skills, it looks like eight points, six rebounds, and four blocks is good enough for you to get considered as a lottery pick in the NBA draft.  Yes, according to Matt Borrello, who is best known for his expertise on New England preps, but who also is branching out into the Midwest, those were the numbers posted by 6'11 Eddy Curry from Thornwood (South Holland) IL, who fouled out with five left minutes left in the game last weekend against Chicago (Whitney Young) IL.  Also of major significance is the fact that 12 NBA scouts were in attendance.  And this isn't the first time they've gone away disappointed.  If you will recall, Curry also was a major bust in early December at the KMOX Shootout in St. Louis, MO when he went head-to-head against 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA.   However, everybody still talks about Curry being a can't miss pick in the NBA lottery next June.  Has the NBA really gotten that bad or is this just the trickle up effect by some of the first Prop 48 casualties into upper level management in NBA front offices?  Forget about being good basketball.  The NBA isn't even good entertainment.  As a matter of fact, people, like myself, who are avid college and high school basketball fans, can't stand to watch professional basketball anymore.   And forget about charging me for a ticket.   You couldn't pay me $50 to $100 for a court side seat to go 99% of all NBA games.   And they continue to make it even worse by talking about drafting all these suckers in high school, like Curry, Chandler, 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA, 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 6'4 Kelvin Tolbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, 6'9 Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edward) OH, 7'0 DeSagana Diop from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, et al. who think they might be good enough to jump straight from high school into the League.   Sure, they can take the money and run, but what these high school kids don't realize is that they're just another piece of meat to the team that is drafting them and, if they don't make it, there are 10 other guys waiting in line ready to take their place.   In terms of the risk factor (i.e getting hurt or not living up to expectations), it might be smart to take the money and run.   However, in terms of the percentages, the odds are much greater that a player will obtain superstar status, if he pays his dues and develops through the ranks (i.e Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn).   Sure, you can get better in the pros if you get an individual trainer and work on your skills in the off-season.   But all too often that doesn't happen.  Instead, the player, who won't even show up when he's supposed to get a $60,000 bonus for lifting weights twice a week, comes to mind.  In other words, you are a lot more likely to develop your skills and improve your game in a college setting, because the coach still has your attention, as well as some control.  And we haven't even mentioned how important the college years are mentally, physically, and intellectually, because that's the time when boys are making the transition into men.   But what do I know?   Remember, I didn't think Corey Maggette was ready when he left Duke after his freshman year to enter the NBA darft two years ago.   And look what happened to JaRon Rush and Jerome Moiso when the left UCLA a year ago?  On the other hand, I went on record in places like the HOOP SCOOP and Basketball Times saying that Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant were drafted too low when they went straight from high school to the NBA.   In other words, just because you're the top high school player in your class or 7-feet tall, it doesn't mean you have the heart, desire, and god given natural ability to be mentioned in the same breath with players like Garnett, Bryant, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, and 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, who you might notice wasn't mentioned above.  Yes, we think Wagner is capable of making the jump straight to the League, but hopefully he too will also get the time he needs to continue to develop next year at University of Memphis.  

Friday, February 23, 2001 - Yesterday we thought Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy would be the next head coach at the University of Louisville, due to his strong connections with athletic director Tom Jurich.  But today it looks like former Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino is the leading candidate for the Louisville job.  Although this is the hot rumor around town, we seriously doubt whether Pitino can become the Cardinals next head coach.  It would be like creating the sequel to the civil war in the Bluegrass State between fans of the University of Kentucky and fans of the University of Louisville.  It also would be the supreme insult to former Louisville head coach Denny Crum.  He not only couldn't beat Pitino (he actually beat Kentucky twice during the eight years Pitino was at Kentucky), but there is a direct parallel between when Pitino arrived in Lexington, KY in the spring of 1989 and the slow decline of the University of Louisville program, which occured throughout all of the last decade and is continuing. Also, there never has been any love lost between Crum and Pitino, especially after Crum made an illegal contact when he took Dwayne Morton and Morton's mother out to dinner in the fall of 1989 immediately before Morton picked Louisville over Kentucky.    If you will recall, at the time Pitino thought he had Morton wrapped up, but obviously something happened to change his mind.  As a result of this and other battles, the one person who likes Crum less than Jurich might be Pitino. We also are hearing that N.C. State head coach Herb Sendek might be in line for the UNLV job, if the Runnin' Rebels don't decide to extend the contract of Max Good, who took over when Bill Bayno was fired in December.   And that would open the door for Pitino to go to N.C. State, which would put him right in the heart of the biggest rivalry in college basketball amongst Duke, North Carolina, and N.C. State.    Sounds a little farfetched at first, but this isn't the first time Sendek has had interest in the UNLV job.  As a matter of fact, Sendek not only interviewed for the job, but he was actually offered the job five years ago right before they hired Bayno.    Also, Sendek was an assistant coach under Pitino at both Kentucky and Providence and you can bet that if Pitino doesn't take the UNLV job, he'll be pushing one of his guys in that direction.  Sendek also is one of the bright young coaches in college basketball, but he's not been able to put the pieces together yet at N.C. State and right now it looks like he's running out of time.   Also, if Pitino were to take over at N.C. State, he would inherit 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who signed with the Wolfpack last fall and is ranked as the #3 senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  And that parallel is also interesting, because Pitino built the foundation for the program during his years at Kentucky around another great player from the Bronx - Jamal Mashburn.   Pitino also is still being mentioned for Indiana, Michigan, and even the New Jersey Nets, but it looks like he was smart enough to say no to Rhode Island.  So was Bob Knight, but, if the Rams want to hire a big name coach, Crum may soon be available. 

Thursday, February 22, 2001 - To the surprise of most Indiana University fans, Tom Jurich has decided to remain in his current position as athletic director at the University of Louisville.  That decision was officially announced at 4:00 PM press conference this afternoon.  Jurich, who is widely regarded as one of the top athletic directors in the nation, appeared to be the heavy favorite for the IU job, but the fact that he turned it down doesn't bold well for University of Louisville head coach Denny Crum.   If you will recall, Crum and Jurich have been at odds for the last several months.   Our sources tell us that a decision by Jurich has already been made to buy Crum out of the last two years of his existing five-year contract.  Crum in the last few days has publicly raised questions about the $2.5 to $3 million deficit the athletic department has run during the last fiscal year and has let it be known that he doesn't plan to go quietly.  However, Jurich now appears to have the full support of the university president John Shumaker, as well as most of the members of the board of trustees.  As a result, it looks like Jurich is going to win, but the price could be very costly.  The original figure we heard a week ago was $2.4 million, but Louisville Courier-Journal Sports Columnist Rick Bozich today said that he thinks the cost could be "at least $4.5 million."  The only way Crum stays is if he can get immediate commitments from several legitimate big men, like 6'9 Brandon Bender from Louisville (Ballard) KY or 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL or convince Jurich that he will make good on any threat he might make behind closed doors to reveal where the bodies are buried.    Numerous Louisville fans have expressed their opinion about how poorly the situation is being handled on both sides (Crum's and Jurich's), but the bottom line is that it is very difficult to get rid of a Hall of Fame coach with two NCAA Championship and six NCAA Final Appearances, especially when the being forced out wants to keep coaching.  And to Crum's credit, he has worked harder in the last 12 months than he ever has before in his career.   Crum was named the Most Visible Head Coach of the Summer last summer by the HOOP SCOOP and also has been highly visible at numerous high school games this winter.   However, time is running out.    It's not about loyalty, wins or losses, what he's done in the past, or what he might do in the future.  Instead, it's all about fixing the immediate problem, which is lack of quality inside players currently in the program.  Crum has had every opportunity in recent years, but, instead of moving the program forward, he has allowed the program to digress to a level unparalled during his 30-year career at the University of Louisville.  Currently Louisville has a 10-17 overall record and, without two players like Bender and Cisse inside, next year could be just as bad.  In other words, it is time for Crum to either put up (produce verbal commitments from several big men like Bender and Cisse) or go out gracefully.  Should Crum opt for the latter, he would prove the people who talk about his strong character and tremendous integrity correct.  However, if he continues to politicize the situation, he is sure to lose not just his job, but also much of the respect and support that he's built up over the last 30 years.  Getting back to Jurich, Indiana's loss is Louisville's gain, because he's the perfect person to make the right hire and get the basketball program back on track once Crum is gone (either now or several years from now, if he can produce several big men).  Our guess is Jurich will hire Larry Eustachy.    However, I have gotten several emails from Iowa State fans who disagree.   They remind me that Eustachy is extremely happy in Ames, IA, plus he has a 10-year $1 million per year contract with the Cyclones.  However, there are a number of reasons why we disagree.  First, Freedom Hall seats 19,000-plus, which makes Louisville basketball a cash cow when they're selling out.  Second, the University of Louisville has an athletic surplus of over $30 million that they are saving for a rainy day.  Third, Jurich isn't afraid to spend money to make money.  Fourth, there are a number of big money people on the board of trustees and in the community who won't hesitate to help sweeten the pie (i.e. Howard Schnellenberger in the mid-80's), if it means getting the right coach.  Fifth, Jurich and Euctachy have been best friends since childhood and Jurich has a history of hiring people he's already had a prior relationship with from a previous school.  Sixth, Euctachy and Louisville football coach John L. Smith were both on the same coaching staff at Utah State and are good frirends.  As a matter of fact, that's why Jurich knows Smith so well.  

Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells Arizona State, Utah, Providence, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Drake, Oklahoma, and Loyola-Marymount are all in the hunt for 6'4 Cody Pearson from Sherman Oaks (Notre Dame) CA.   Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin believes St. Joseph's is the big leader over La Salle, Duquesne, and Massaschuetts for 6'7 Jamal Nichols from Philadelphia (Ben Franklin) PA.  Rubin also is looking for 6'6 Nicholas King from Philadelphia (Frankford) PA to decide among Fairfield, UNC-Greensboro, La Salle, Temple, and Hofstra.   Speaking of Hofstra, the Flying Dutchmen got a commitment that fell through the cracks several weeks ago from 5'9 Woody Souffrant from Brooklyn (Grady) NY, who is ranked #21 in the New York City area by Ron Naclerio.  Dave Zuberer, who is the assistant coach at Louisville (Manual) KY, as well as director of the Derek Smith All-Stars AAU program, tells us 6'8 Brian Thornton from Louisville (Manual) KY has verbally committed to Vanderbilt after taking an official visit to Nashville, TN last weekend.   The same source tells us that 6'11 David Harrison from Brentwood (Academy) TN told Thornton that he is down to Vanderbilt or Colorado, which is not good news for the University of Louisville in their seemingly never ending quest for a talented big man.  Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson believes that the University of Cincinnati may be on the verge of getting a verbal commitment from 6'6 Jimmy Hubbard from Johnson County (JC) KS.    Orginially from Belton (H.S.) MO, Hubbard had Arkansas-Little Rock and Southwest Missouri State on his list early.  However, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State both   jumped into the hunt after the value of his stock escalated at the Jayhawk Shootout in December.   Last weekend Johnson also gave us the scoop on 6'3 Jaison Williams, who recently transferred from Aurora (Hinkley) OH to Columbus (Northland) OH.   However, it now appears that after three games the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) has ruled him ineligible to compete the rest of the season, because his parents haven't taken up full-time residence in Ohio yet.  As a result, this will prohibit the potential showdown in second of the Central District Division I Regional Tournament between Northland and Dublin (Coffman) OH.  If you will recall, Coffman features 6'1 Jr Chris Quinn, who is ranked as the #3 junior in state by the HOOP SCOOP and already is a prime recruiting target of schools, like Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - The playoffs begin tomorrow night in what many believe is the nation's toughest athletic conference - the WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) in Washington, DC.  Our Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia Editor Steve Turner thinks it's the most wide open tournament in recent history.   "Anybody could win it," says Turner.  "It likely will come down to who puts three good games together."  The favorites are Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD (13-3), Washington (Gonzaga) DC (12-4), and Washington (Archbishop Carroll) DC (12-4).    The action begins tomorrow night at 7:00 PM when DeMatha, which is the #1 seed, hosts Alexandria (Bishop Ireton) VA, which is the seed #9 and has yet to win a conference game this year.  Also at 7:00 PM tomorrow night Arlington (Bishop O'Connell) VA, which is the #8 seed will be at Washington (St. John's ) DC, which is the #7 seed.   The remaining games will be at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, MD on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Friday's action will begin at 4:00 PM when Washington (Gonzaga) DC plays the winner of the O'Connnell-St. John's game.   Then, at 5:45 PM Archbishop Carroll, which is the seed #3, will play Forestville (Bishop McNamara) MD, which is the #6 seed, and at 7:30 PM Fairfax (Paul VI) VA, which is the #4 seed, will meet Wheaton (Good Counsel) MD, which is the #5 seed.  The semi-finals will take place on Saturday and we expect DeMatha to meet the winner of Good Counsel-Paul VI at 5:30 PM and, unless there is an upset, it should be Gonzaga and Archbishop Carroll at 7:30 PM.   The championship game will be held on Sunday at 6:00 PM and, if DeMatha wins, the smart money appears to be on the legendary Morgan Wootten retiring while he's on top.  However, if DeMatha doesn't win, most people are guessing the game's all time winningest coach will return for another season.   The Washington Public League (District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association)  playoffs won't begin until next week and Turner believes that race here also is totally wide open.  However, those in the know give Washington (Springarn) DC, Washington (Ballou) DC, Washington (H.D. Woodson) DC, Washington (Coolidge) DC, and Washington (Dunbar) DC all a shot at the title.  The other big story in the DC area appears to be the likelihood that Kensington (Newport) MD, which is widely regarded as one of the top basketball factories in the area, may be on the verge of closing.  And it may happen immediately, as the word on the street is that the school is over a $1 million in debt.  Hopefully this is more rumor than fact, because it would create havoc for all the players and Chris Chaney is one of the bright young guys in the business.  Also noteworthy is the fact that Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD upset Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, 82-74, in the Beltway League and the MVP of the tournament was 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD, who finished with 26 points and firmly established himself as the #1 senior in the area, as was evident by his team's balanced scoring attack, as 6'6 Glean Eddy had 19 points, 6'4 Charlie Bell had 13 points, and 6'4 Jr Donnell King had 14 points. The players at Montrose Christian and the legendary Stu Vetter may not have wait long to redeem themselves for long after last night's loss to National Christian, because they play Oxon Hill (H.S.) MD, which is undefeated at 20-0 and ranked #15 nationally by the USA Today at McDonough Arena at Georgetown University in the final regular season game for both teams on Thursday.  Assuming that Oxon Hill wins, they will be the heavy favorite to win in the 4-A Prince George's County Playoffs. 

Monday, February 19, 2001 - Like most companies who do business on the internet, the HOOP SCOOP has felt the effects of the downturn in the dot.com market.  However, this shortfall is not based on the number of subscriptions we've been getting to our web site (January was actually a suprisingly good month and February has been better than expected).    Instead, it is based on the fact that several of the internet sites, like HighWired.com, that I'd previously been writing for have gone out of business.  As a result, it is important for us to once again to balance the budget, which means we are raising the price of a subscription to the web site from $25 to $30 per month, $65 to $90 for three months, $125 to $180 for six months, and $250 to $360 per year.  This price increase is effective immediately, if you go to the subscription page on our web site and sign up on-line.  However, if you call me at 502-493-0043 anytime during the rest of the month, I will allow you to subscribe at the old prices.  Plus, I will even throw in some extra time onto your subscription, if you call within the next few days.  Also, within the next month I will be sending out invoices to college coaches for the 2001-2002 year, which begins on July 1, 2001 and ends on June 30, 2002, at the new $360 subscription price.  So, if you want to beat the price increase, I suggest you call now and renew for next year.   Any school not getting their renewel in by August 1, 2001 will be charged an additional $90 late fee and any school that hasn't paid for last year won't be allowed to renew their subscription in the future until last year's subscription is paid.  In other words, it's time to clean up our accounts receivable.  Hopefully this won't exclude you from subscribing to the Members Section, but I do not believe in charging a separate price to college coaches and fans for the same information.  Remember, you get what you pay for and the feedback I get is that our information is far superior and much more in-depth than anything else on the internet.  

Saturday, February 17, 2001, and Sunday, February 18, 2001 - Well, it looks like Andy Katz and espn.com were right on the money two days ago.  The HOOP SCOOP has now confirmed via a very reliable source that Denny Crum won't be back next year.  The HOOP SCOOP has also confirmed that the price of the buyout will be $2.4 million.  Our source also tells us that there are only two serious candidates for the job.  Obviously one is Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy and the other we suspect is former Boston Celtics and University of Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino.   However, we suspect that Pitino would be more likely to take the Indiana job, if Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich were to take over as athletic director for the Hoosiers.  Speaking of Jurich going to Indiana, our source also tells us that he thinks the chances are 75% that Jurich will remain as the athletic director at Louisville.  So now the question becomes how soon can Jurich name a replacement for Crum?  Obviously, he may want to wait until the end of the season, but based on the way Jurich hired John L. Smith four years ago as the football coach (he knew who he wanted and got it done immediately), our guess is that a new coach will be in place before the NCAA Final Four.  And that's important for recruiting purposes, because Louisville is still in the hunt for most of the top big men, like 6'9 Brandon Bender from Louisville (Ballard) KY, 6'11 David Harrison from Brentwood (H.S.) TN, 6'9 Terry Licorich from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, and 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, who are still available in the senior class nationally.  Also, it will be interesting to see if current Cardinal assistant coaches Vince Taylor, Pat Rafferty, or Scottie Davenport will be retained on the new staff.  Our guess is that the new coach will want to bring in his own guys.   But Taylor, who was almost hired by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski last spring, is the main reason why Louisville has been in such great shape on Cisse, and has all kinds of foreign contacts, is obviously the guy they should keep.  Rafferty, who brings his strong junior college ties to the table, might also get a look if the new coach is somebody other than Euctachy, who already has a strong history of getting junior college players.  However, Davenport probably won't be retained because he is almost synonymous with the old regime and has no on the road recruiting experience.   However, that doesn't mean he won't land on his feet, because his knowledge of the game, organizational skills, and ability to scout and break down an opponent are second to none.  As for Crum, hopefully he'll get a job in television, where he can continue to make the big bucks and pass along his knowledge of the game to us fans. 

Friday, February 16, 2001 - Just as interesting as the games at the Prime Time Shootout last Sunday in Trenton, NJ was the big battle that is being waged for teams between NIKE and Slam Dunk to the Beach.   Reliable sources tell us that NIKE has already invited Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, Louisville (Ballard) KY, Louisville (Male) KY, Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, Midwest City (H.S.) OK, New York (Rice) NY, and Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD to a new NIKE-sponsored tournament that will be held in Lexington, KY in conjunction with the Fifth-Third Bank Holiday Classic after Christmas. The problem is that Bobby Jacobs, who is the Executive Director of Slam Dunk to the Beach, already thought Westchester, St. Patrick, Midwest City, and Rice were all locked up for his tournament.   Apparently he doesn't have any signed contracts, but according to Jacobs, their word should be enough.   And he still may get Rice, because the principal of the school apparently feels like loyalty and keeping one's word are important.  However, one has to remember that NIKE pays each of these teams a lot of money in sponsorship and, as a result, when NIKE says jump, that is exactly what they expect their people to do.   But Jacobs also makes a good point when he says NIKE should make it apart of their contract if they're going expect teams they sponsor to play in their tournament.   Jacobs hasn't given up on getting the other three teams in question yet, but when you're going head-to-head against a multi-national company that is worth billions of dollars, he's probably fighting an uphill battle.  And our buddy John Rhodes, who runs the Beach Ball Classic, knows exactly how Jacobs feels.  As a matter of fact, Slam Dunk to the Beach replaced the Beach Ball Classic three years ago as the premier holiday tournament in the nation.  And the primary reason is that Jacobs had a bigger budget, plus Eddie Oliver, who was the former executive director of the Beach Ball Classic, was helping Jacobs get teams.   But Rhodes, who himself has lost Oak Hill and Male to the new NIKE event, was just taking it all in stride.  He also promised that 6'1 Jr Raymond Felton from Latta (H.S.) SC, who is #1-ranked pure point guard in the junior class nationally after he singlehandedly was responsible for his team's upset of Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD in this year's Beach Ball Classic, will be the cornerstone of his tournament again next year.  If you will recall, Felton has been rumored to be going to Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA.  

Thursday, February 15, 2001 - Andy Katz of espn.com is reporting that University of Louisville head coach Denny Crum will be force into a negotiated retirement settlement by athletic director Tom Jurich at the end of the season.  We find this extremely interesting for several reasons.   First, Katz doesn't have the contacts locally to beat everybody in town on a story about Louisville basketball.  As a matter of fact, he doesn't even know how many year's Crum has been the coach at Louisville (this is his 30th year, not his 29th).    Second, we've been talking to a lot of Louisville fans (many of whom are in the know) all week and nobody is confirming that a decision has been made.  As a result, Katz has to be getting this from somebody within the athletic department and our guess is that this is a trail balloon to find out which way the wind is blowing.  If an overwhelming number of people support Crum, which appeared to be what happened earlier tonight on several local call-in shows on WHAS-Radio, then Jurich will probably see the writing on the wall and take the athletic director job at Indiana University (assuming that it is offered).   If most people line up behind Jurich, then our guess is that he will stay at Louisville and fire Crum at the end of the season.  It is our editorial position that whether Crum stays or goes when the season is over is not all that important, as long as the University of Louisville has a strong athletic director, like Jurich.  If Jurich goes to Indiana, he likely will hire Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy, who has been Jurich's best friend since high school.  As a matter of fact, the newspaper in Ames, IA several days ago had a big story talking about this very possibility.  Also, Jurich has a history of hiring people he has had a prior relationship with during his tenure at Louisville.  And who better to hire than Eustachy, who has established himself as one of the best young head coaches in college basketball?  Jurich also will likely have to hire a football coach next fall, if he is at Indiana, and you can bet that University of Louisville football coach John L. Smith will be at the top of the list.  Interestingly, Eustachy and Smith were the head basketball and head football coaches together at Utah State.  This would be devastating to the University of Louisville, because a new athletic director won't be able to come in and fire Crum, who already has gone public to gather support and even went to far as to state earlier this week that he wants a four-year contract.   Currently the Cardinals are 10-15 on the season and the great recruiting class that Crum has been crying wolf about for several years has yet to materialize.  Sign two quality big guys and Crum should stay, because you won't be able to find a better X's and O's coach.  Also, loyalty and what Crum has done over the last 30 years is important.   But strike on the two big guys and any rational thinking person has to come to the conclusion that it is time for Crum to go.    Unfortunately Crum probably doesn't have until April or May for us to see who he signs.  In other words, Crum needs to have landed those two prize recruits by the last game of the the season, which likely will be in the first or second round of the Conference USA Tournament in early March.  Yes, time is running out.  But even more important, lose Jurich, who for several years now has been expected to hire Eustachy to replace Crum as the basketball coach at Louisville, this spring and Smith next November and it might be time to hold University of Louisville President John Shumaker accountable as well.  Either that or drop the basketball program down to a lower level, like the Sun Belt or the OVC, so that Crum's teams be able to remain competitive the next four years.  That's right!  Without two quality big guys next year who can make an immediate impact next year, it might be that bad!

Wednesday, February 14, 2001- It looks like University of Memphis head coach John Calipari has done it again!   First, last spring the Tigers landed the #1 high school player in the nation in 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ. Then, last fall he signed 6'8 Chris Massey from Oxnard (JC) CA, who is ranked as the #1 junior college player in the nation.  Now, Memphis has gotten a verbal commitment from 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudemire from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, who is the consensus #1 ranked junior in the nation.  Actually we've been waiting for this to happen ever since MidSouth-Hoops.com reported two weeks ago that Stoudemire was on the verge of making a verbal commitment.  However, the announcement kept getting postponed, because Travis King, who is his AAU coach, first wanted to find out about Stoudemire's high school eligibility status.  Stoudemire has been denied four different appeals for eligibility this season, but Donnie Wilkie, who is the tournament director for the City of Palms Classic, tells us that he expects Stoudemire to be eligible next season.  "He should be fine as long as he's enrolled when the school year begins next fall," says Wilkie. As a matter of fact, Wilkie is putting his money where his mouth is, because he's already invited West Orange to be in his tournament next December.   And that isn't the only team that Wilkie appears to have locked up.  Also expected to be back at what has turned into the premier pre-Christmas Tournament in the nation are Los Angeles (Westchester) CA Louisville (Male) KY, and Lakeland (Kathleen) FL.  Plus, it appears that Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ will be back after a two year absence and we understand that Falls Church (Bishop O'Connell) VA, which is the only team to knock off Westchester so far this year, also already a done deal.  We also know that Wilkie is going afer Jacksonville (Arlington Country Day) FL, New York (Rice) NY, and Raleigh (Broughton) NC.  Getting back to Stoudemire, the word is that if he's going to get drafted in the lottery a year from now, he likely will bypass college and go straight to the NBA.  However, this is still huge for Memphis, because it ensures that nobody else in college will get Stoudemire and it builds even more momentum for what promises to be a third consecutive great recruiting class.  If you will recall, last June the Tigers finished with the #16-ranked recruiting class nationally after they signed 6'7 John Grice from Shelby State (JC) TN, 6'9 Modibo Diarra from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, 6'3 Scooter McFadgon from Memphis (Raleigh-Egpyt) TN, 6'5 Lou Wright from Memphis (Raleigh-Egypt) TN, and 6'7 Arthur Barclay from Camden (H.S.) NJ.  They also currently have the #1-ranked class with Wagner, Massey, 6'4 Anthony Rice from North Clayton (College Park) GA, and 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL.  Stoudemire picks Memphis over Georgetown and South Florida, which is where he recently made an unofficial visit, along with 6'8 Jr Yusuf Baker from Orlando (Evans) FL, who is ranked #38 nationally among juniors by the HOOP SCOOP.   Speaking of Baker, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, we would surprised if South Florida doesn't get this one done sooner than later.  And if it happens, just remember where you heard it first!

Tuesday, February 13, 2001 - Several weeks ago when we heard that University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was a candidate for the same position at Indiana University, we didn't put a lot of stock into the rumor for several reasons.  First, Jurich, who currently is just beginning his second year of a 13-year multi-million dollar long-term contract, appeared to be locked in as athletic director at Louisville for a long time.  Second, Louisville is a great city in which to live, the people are friendly, and it's a great college sports town.  As a result, Jurich appeared to have a strong desire to continue to make the city of Louisville his home.  Third, he's accomplished big things during his four years as athletic director at Louisville, including hiring a football coach in John L. Smith, who has taken a program that was 1-10 the year before he arrived and turned it into a national power, and upgrading all the non-revenue and women's sports.  All that was left to do was get the basketball prorgram back on track, which brings us to the real point of this discussion.   Publicly it is obvious that there is no love lost between Jurich and head basketball coach Denny Crum.  As a matter of fact, they couldn't be much further apart.  Crum, who has won two NCAA Championships, been to six NCAA Final Fours, and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, is currently trying to hang on for dear life.  Right now Louisville is 9-15.  And that includes a loss at home on Sunday night to UNC-Charlotte, 106-72, which means the Cardinals have lost a record six times at home this year by over 20 points. They also have lost a total of eight games at home, which also is a record in a single season.  As a result, even many of Crum's most diehard supporters now believe the time has come for a change.   Jurich says he will evaluate the situation at the end of the year, but right now is making no promises.  However, privately there appears to be a major power struggle going on behind the scenes and the stakes are extremely high.  If Crum wins, the university will likely lose one of the best athletic directors in the nation.  And if that happens, Jurich probably will take both Smith and Iowa State head coach Larry Eustacy, who was expected to be Crum's replacement at Louisville (Eustacy and Jurich have been close friends since childhood) with him.  Remember, Indiana likely will have to hire both a football coach to replace Cam Cameron a year from now and a basketball coach to replace Mike Davis this spring.    If Jurich wins, he will likely stay, but you can almost bet this will be Crum's last year.  University of Louisville President John Shumaker met with Jurich on Monday and has made it clear that he backs the athletic director 100%.    However, several sources in the know tell us that the final say regarding Crum's future does not rest with Jurich or Shumaker.  Instead, the board of trustees will make the final decision and the word is they're split right down the middle.   Also, the Conference USA Tournament, which is less than a month away, promises to be a financial disaster.  Not only are all of the teams with strong fan-bases, like Cincinnati, Memphis, and Louisville, down this year, but Louisville has a half-million dollar guarantee to the conference that must be honored whether they sell any tickets or not  (at last report, Louisville was still 6,500 tickets away from the break even point).  Louisville does have a $30 million athletic surplus, but an alarming number of long time season ticket holders are talking about giving up their tickets next winter, if Crum returns as the coach.  Also, the Cardinals only have five home football games, instead of seven, like they've had the last two seasons.   And all this comes on the heels of the fact that the athletic department had a shortfall of $2.5 million last year due mainly to apathy towards the pathetic state of the basketball program.  Your guess is as good as mine as to how all this is going to play out.  However, one things is for sure, a strong athletic director, like Jurich, is a lot more important to the future of the University of Louisville, than a lame duck Hall of Fame basketball coach, like Crum, who now has a losing record during the last four seasons.

Monday, February 12, 2001 - No surprise, but it became official today when Jerry Degregorio resigned as the head coach at the University of Rhode Island.   Degregorio, whose main claim to fame was that he was the person most responsible for bringing stability into the equation former Rams star Lamar Odom.   Degregorio was Odom's high school coach at New Britain (St. Thomas Aquinas) CT during the later part of Odom's senior year and, as a result, became part of the package at Rhode Island after Odom was not accepted into school at UNLV.  Degregorio was named the head coach at Rhode Island when Jim Harrick left for the University of Georgia two years ago.  Hiring Degregorio at the time seemed like the right move, because it appeared that Odom would be more likely to stay another year at Rhode Island, if his mentor (Degregorio) became the head coach.   However, Odom declared hardship anyway and the Rams program has been falling apart ever sense   (last year Rhode Island was 5-25 overall and 2-14 conference record and this year hasn't been any better, as the Rams are currently 5-19 overall and 1-10   in the Atlantic-10).  Degregorio is a great guy, but it was obvious right away that he was in over his head and his resignation probably comes a year too late.  But don't feel too bad for Degregorio, because he is expected to do go back to doing what he does best - babysitting Odom.  Also don't worry about Rhode Island, which has a tradition of being one of the top overachievers among programs at their level, because the list of candidates for the job already is impressive.  We talking about George Washington head coach Tom Penders, who got it done big the first time he was at Rhode Island; UNLV head coach Max Good, who would love to return to New England; Boston College assistant coach Tim O'Shea, who played a major role building the program at Rhode Island during the Al Skinner days; and University of Maine head coach John Giannini.  We also have heard that Good would be in line for the Maine job, if Giannini goes to Rhode Island.   But we don't believe it, because Good always said that he had the best basketball job in the state of Maine when he was the head coach at Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME.   Also, although Giannini has done an excellent job in his current position, going to the University of Maine would be a major step down for Good, who has been a big time head coach at both MCI and UNLV. 

Saturday,  February 10, 2001, and Sunday, February 11, 2001 - One of our favorite events of the entire year is the 2001 National Prep School Invitational, which was held at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA this weekend, and, as usual, we've added a number of new names to our list.    However, the biggest story has to be the emergence of 6'11 Jr Sani Ibraham from Winchendon (School) MA into one of the top five juniors nationally.   Sure, we liked him a lot last summer at the adidas ABCD Camp, where he finished ranked as the #2 big man in camp and outshined all the overhyped big men in the senior class nationally, like 6'11 Eddy Curry from Thornwood (South Holland) IL and 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA.   But now he's taken his game to another level.  He's extremely long, agile, and athletic for somebody his size.  So it is no surprise that he's a great shot blocker and excellent rebounder, but it is somewhat of a surprise that he's so skilled and so fluid offensively.   Also setting Ibraham apart from Curry, Brown, 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA et al. is that he's both a warrior, which is evident by how hard he plays, and a winner (his team usually wins).  As a result, we are now convinced that there are at least three players - Ibraham, 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudemire from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, and 6'9 Jr Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC - in the junior class nationally who are better than any of the so-called "great" big guys in the senior class nationally.  Part of Ibraham's toughness comes naturally, but we also have to give Wallace Prather, who is his AAU coach for the Atlanta Celtics, and Mike Byrnes, who is the coach at Winchendon, some credit as well, because, in both cases he's been well coached and hasn't been spoiled and pampered like many of the players we see in this day and age.   As a matter of fact, all of Winchendon's players play hard.  And except for Ibraham, they all seem to be getting underrecruited.  The two best examples are 6'3 Dustin Hellenga and 6'6 Demario Eddins, both of whom project at the mid-to-high major level.  Hellenga, whose list currently includes Marquette, UNC-Charlotte, James Madison, George Mason, La Salle, and Delaware, is an aggressive athletic hardnosed white kid who loves to take it to the hole and play with reckless abandon.  Eddins is a multi-dimensional big-time athlete who does everything, except look for the outside shot.   But that will change once they correct his vision problems.  However, he still hit one three and scored 24 points in the semi-finals on Saturday night in Winchendon's 78-55 victory over New Hampton (Prep) NH.  Eddins rebounds extremely well for his size, is an excellent passer, and is almost unstoppable going to the hole, because he's so natural talented and athletic.   As a matter of fact, one scout was heard calling him a smaller version of Scottie Pippen.   La Salle, Nebraska, and Colorado are among those who have shown token interest, but right now the only serious contender appears to be Delaware and they may get this one done sooner than later (he's supposed to make an official visit to Newark, DE within the next week and, then, likely will verbally commit).  A much improved 6'11 Darius Manciel, who has re-signed with Texas Christian, complements Ibraham inside and 5'11 Morris Hall, who is a great defender and solid playmaker, filled the void created when 6'0 Jeremiah King, who is transferring to Philadelphia (Christian) PA, recently grew homestick and left school.   Other Winchendon players who have to be mentioned are 6'1 Tim Stevens, who is a solid combo guard for the mid-to-low majors, 5'11 Jr Andres Sandoval, who is a terrific athlete with lots of potential, and 6'7 Jr Emmanuel Messy, whose biggest problem is getting enough playing time.  Normally prep schools have a new cast of characters every year, but we expect Winchendon to be even better next year, because Ibraham, Sandoval, Messy, and 6'2 Jr Marshall Strickland should provide a great nucleus to build around.  That's right!  Word on the street is that Strickland,  who transferred to Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD last summer, but is now at a small school in central Maryland, will be back at Winchendon next year.    Strickland is an outstanding student, but he was held back at a younger age, so he will be a 5th year player next year.  He was a much better fit at Winchendon a year ago than he's been at either school he's attended this year.  The rest of our commentary about the 2001 National Prep School Invitational, which was held at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA, plus all of our coverage from the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, NJ can be found in the Members Section.    So we encourage you to subscribe.

Thursday, February 8, 2001, and Friday, February 9, 2001 - I am combining yesterday and today, because during the last 24 hours, I've done nothing but travel, sleep, and be in the gym at the 28th Annual Saint James Invitational Tournament in Saint James, MD.  Especially impressive was the 28-point second by 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD.  Apparently Hargett started off slow, as he only had five points in the first  But when we arrived late in the third quarter, it was bang, bang, bang from beyond the arc, as Hargett hit three of his five 3-pointers in a hurry.  And really that was the big difference in the game as National Christian opened up a 10 point-lead against Notre Dame and coasted to a 81-69 victory.  Also playing well was 6'0 Jr Todd Galloway, who led Notre Dame with 29 points and four 3-pointers.  He was complemented by 5'11 David Carter, 6'6 Soph Marcus Sikes, and 6'3 Jr Christian Siris, all of whom had 10 points apieice.  6'7 Glean Eddy chipped in with 14 points for National Christian, but what makes this team intriguing is the potential of its juniors - 6'4 Jr Charlie Bell had 13 points, 6'0 Jr Brandon Mormon had 12 points, and 6'11 Jr Jabbar Young and 6'8 Jr Emanuel Witherspoon both have enough size, athleticism, and mobility to make them worth keeping an eye on.  Georgetown-bound 6'0 Tony Bethel and N.C. State-signee 6'8 Levi Watkins combined for 41 points to lead Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD past Frederick (St. John's at Prospect Hall) MD, 59-45.  But really it was a lot closer than that as Prospect Hall made it an ugly game.  The leading scorer and quick ball-handling point guard who made his Prospect Hall teammates better was 5'11 Adam Diggs.   He also was their leading scorer with 16 points, while 6'4 Jr Dan Ryley battled in inside and 6'6 Carloz Martinez, who had 14 points, provided both an inside/outside presence.  The next game between Kensingon (Newport School) MD and Frederick (Governor Thomas Johnson) MD was also a lot closer than the final 73-60 scorer would indicate, as Newport just didn't have the killer instinct necessary to put this well coached team away.  Also having a lot to do with why Thomas Johnson stayed in the game was the outside shooting of 6'1 Jr Jermaine Thomas, who hit four 3-pointers en route to 18 points  Thomas also ran the show, but he needs to grow three or four more inches or develop more of a point guard mentality, if he wants to warrant all the current attention he's receiving from big-time schools, like Maryland.  The best player for the Newport School was 6'5 Steve Leven, who scored  28 points and impressed us with his versatility, athleticism, and ability to score both inside and outside.  No wonder schools like South Florida, Providence, Auburn, Richmond,and Northwestern are in the hunt.  We also have to mention Howard-bound 5'10 Gil Goodrich, who had 14 points, because he's so explosive going to the basket, plus he likes to drain those threes, 6'0 T.J. Thompson, who also finished with 14 points and signed with George Washington last fall, and 6'4 Jr Ulrich Kossekpa, who is a world-class athlete.    However, all of his seven points came around the basket, which leads us to question Kossekpa's position for the next level.  Two other juniors - 6'7 Jr Andrei Capusani and 6'2 Jr Landy Thompson - also show a lot of promise for Newport.   Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA jumped out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back as they coasted to a 79-42 victory over Saint James (H.S.) MD in the nightcap.   Leading Oak Hill with 22 points, much of which came off 3-pointers early, was 6'3 Rashaad Carruth, who finished 22 points.  6'7 Jr Mario Boggan added 17 points and 7'0 DeSagana Diop showed flashes with 10 points.    However, I don't think he convinced the four NBA scouts who were in attendance that he's ready for the league.  Instead, we hear the Virginia is now the leader over North Carolina, although it looks like Georgia Tech is the late entry.   And it already looks like Oak Hill is on the verge of reloading again for next year.  In addition to 6'1 Jr Chadd Moore from Huntsville (Lee) AL, who appears to be a near lock to enroll at this basketball factory next fall, we also have heard that 6'7 Jr Carmelo Anthony from Towson (Catholic) MD, 6'1 Jr Raymond Felton from Latta (H.S.) SC, 6'5 Jr Rashaad McCants from Asheville, NC, and 6'11 Soph Jermaine Bell from Rochester (Franklin) NY all have interest in playing for the legendary Steve Smith next year.    Getting back to the final game, the only player who impressed us for St. James was 6'1 Phillip Scott, as he scored 14 points and hit four 3-pointers.   Scott has excellent speed and quickness, plus the ability to get his shot off the dribble, but he lacks size physically and it appears he's still developing as point guard.   As a result, he has a nice mid-major future. 

Wednesday, February 7, 2001 - One of the fastest growing trends at the grass routes level in basketball is the proliferation of events during dead periods, which are times when college coaches aren't allowed to be in the gym for recruiting purposes.  Most of these events exist for one of two reasons.   First and foremost, the major shoe companies want to develop an early on-going relationship with the elite  players, plus it offers them a way to legitimately give something back to the game.  Second, the camp/tournament/event business is a lucrative money making venture and, as a result, everybody without big corporate sponsorship is trying to get their piece of the pie.   And that's fine, because the players get an opportunity for both exposure and recruitment to the next level.   However, in the process, everything just continues to get watered down.  In other words, there are too many events!  Even the prestigious NIKE All-American Camp and adidas ABCD Camp are diluted, because they invite too many players in their never ending quest to find the next Michael Jordan or even the Tracy McGrady.  And on top of that, adidas and NIKE insist upon going head-to-head, which makes it almost impossible to do a good job of evaluating the players and covering both camps.  What ever happened to the good old days in Princeton, NJ when Sonny Vaccaro and NIKE invited 120 of the top players in the nation and they went at it for five days?  Well, those days may not be as far gone as you think, because Dinos Trigonis, who is quickly becoming one of the top event promotors in the nation, and the HOOP SCOOP are joining forces to hold a camp-like event in Memphis on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 18th-20th.  All the details haven't been finalized yet, but the HOOP SCOOP All-American Premiere will be independent of sponsorship from either NIKE or adidas.   We feel this is very important, because we have a good working relationship with both shoe companies and we want to keep it that way.  However, we feel there is a major void right now, because nobody is providing a venue where only the elite players can go head-to-head.  That's right!  We're talking about capping the camp at 120 players and, as a player, unless you're ranked among the top 150 nationally in the junior class or sophomore class, are one of the top five or 10 freshmen in the nation, or are just flat out ridiculous as an 8th grader, like 5'10 Frosh Sebastian Telfair from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY was a year ago, you probably won't get invited.  There will be both a practice session and a full set of games on Friday evening.  Saturday will be a full day with three sets of games, stations, and several speakers.  Sunday will include a final set of games, as well as two all-star games.  The general public will be invited, but there may be a small admission charge per session.  The event will be media friendly, which means there won't be any strict limitations upon talking to players, except right before games.  College coaches aren't invited, but they are encouraged to buy all the information that will be available from both us and our competitors.  Among the players who are expected to participate are 6'9 Amare Stoudemire from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, 6'6 Jr Leonard Cooke from Old Tappan (H.S.) NJ, 6'7 Jr Evan Burns from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, 6'2 Jr Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, 6'9 Jr Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, 6'1 Jr Chadd Moore from Huntsville (Lee) AL, 6'5 Jr Antonio Lawrence from Jacksonville (Jackson) FL, 6'2 Jr Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL, 6'9 Jr Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK, 6'9 Jr Sani Ibrahim from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'3 Jr Bracy Wright from The Colony (H.S.) TX, 6'3 Jr Kevin Bookout from Stroud (H.S.) OK, 6'10 Jr Paul Davis from Rochester (H.S.) MI, 6'4 Jr Randy Foye from Newark (East Side) NJ, 6'6 Jr Lester Abrams from Pontiac (Northern) MI, 6'9 Jr DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Jr Jason Fraser from Amityville (H.S.) NY, 6'6 Jr Curtis Sumpter from Brooklyn (Bishop Loughlin) NY, 6'6 Jr Matt Walsh from Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA, 6'8 Jr Yusef Baker from Orlando (Evans) FL, 6'9 Soph LeBron James from Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, 6'8 Soph Harrison Schaen from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'9 Soph Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS, 6'7 Soph Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, 6'11 Soph Grant Billmeier from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ, and 5'10 Frosh Sebastian Telfair from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY.   Official invitations will be sent out later this month, but if you are worried about a player who is deserving not get invited, call Trigonis at (562) 223-0190 or the HOOP SCOOP at the number above.  Space is limited!

Tuesday, February 6, 2001 - One of the biggest basketball weekends of the year is just around the corner and we are eagerly anticipating attending the St. James Invitational in St. James, MD, on Thursday, February 8th; the National Prep School Invitational Tournament in Worcester, MA on Friday and Saturday, February 9th-10th; and the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, NJ on Sunday, February 11th.   Tip-off time on Thursday at the St. James Invitational will be at 4:00 PM and that first game between Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD and Middleburg (Notre Dame) VA is very important, because it offers us our first look since summer at 6'0 Jonathan Hargett, who is ranked as the #7 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.  The second game at 5:30 PM also has an interesting twist, because Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD meets Frederick (St. John's at Prospect Hall) MD.  If you will recall, current Montrose Christian head coach Stu Vetter, who is one of the legendary coaches in the business, won the national championship at St. John's at Prospect Hall just three years ago.  Now Vetter is laying the foundation at Montrose Christian to eventually win yet another national championship (he also won a national championship in the mid-80s at Flint Hill in Oakton, VA). Then, at 7:00 PM we will get to see Kensington (Newport School) MD for the first time this year against Frederick (Governor Thomas Johnson) MD and at 8:30 PM it will be St. James (H.S.) MD versus Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, which is currently the #1-ranked high school in the nation.  On Friday things will tip-off in Worcester, MA at 3:45 PM with New Bridgton (Bridgton Academy) ME versus Milford (Academy) CT.  That will followed by Creedmoor (Christian Faith Center) NC versus Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT at 5:30 PM, New Hampton (School) NH versus Worcester (Academy) MA at 7:15 PM, and Philadelphia (Lutheran) PA verus Winchendon (School) MA at 9:00 PM.  Then, there will be a full day of action on Saturday, as it will be the Loser of Game #1 versus the Loser of Game #2 at 8:30 AM, the Loser of Game #3 versus the Loser of Game #4 at 10:AM, Barrington (St. Andrews) RI versus Springfield (McDuffie) MA at 11:30 AM, Marion (Tabor Academy) MA versus Greenwich (Brunswick School) CT at 1:15 PM, Troy (Redemption Christian) NY versus Philadelphia (Lutheran Christian) PA 3:00 PM, Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME versus Salisbury (School) CT at 4:45 PM, North Andover (Proctor Academy) NH versus Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA at 6:30 PM, the Winner of Game #4 versus the Winner of Game #3 at 8:15 PM, and the Winner of Game #1 versus the Winner of Game #2 at 10:00 PM.  We won't be there on Sunday, but the schedule for the 2001 National Prep School Invitational Tournament on the final day will include the losers of games between Barrington (St. Andrews) RI versus Springfield (McDuffie) MA and Marion (Tabor Academy) MA versus Greenwich (Brunswick School) CT at 10:30 AM, the losers of the games between Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME versus Salisbury (School) CT and North Andover (Proctor Academy) NH versus Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA at 12:15 PM, the winners of games between Barrington (St. Andrews) RI versus Springfield (McDuffie) MA and Marion (Tabor Academy) MA versus Greenwich (Brunswick School) CT at 2:00 PM, the winners of the games between Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute) ME versus Salisbury (School) CT and North Andover (Proctor Academy) NH versus Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA at 3:45 PM, and the winners of the two semi-finals games from 8:15 PM and 10:00 PM on Saturday night. We won't be at the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, NJ until Sunday, but play actually begins on Thursday, February 8th, with Hamilton (Steinert) NJ versus Holmdel (H.S.) NJ at 2:30 PM, Levittown (Truman) PA versus Bridgewater-Raritian (H.S.) NJ at 3:55 PM, and Lawrenceville (H.S.) NJ versus North Bergen (H.S.) NJ at 5:15 PM.  On Friday, February 9th, it will be New Brunswick (St. Peter's) NJ versus Trenton (Central Prep) NJ at 3:00 PM and Union (H.S.) NJ versus Nottingham (H.S.) NJ at 4:30 PM.  Then, it really gets good with Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA versus Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) CA at 6:00 PM, Compton (Dominguez) CA versus Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ at 7:30 PM, and Jersey City (St. Anthony) NJ versus Hamden (Hyde) CT at 9:00 PM.  The schedule on Saturday, February 10th, begins at 10:30 AM with Colonia (H.S.) NJ versus Middle Township (Cape May Court House) NJ, followed by Metuchen (St. Joseph's) NJ versus Camden (Woodrow Wilson) NJ at Noon, Chester (H.S.) PA versus Newtown (Council Rock) PA at 1:30 PM, Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ versus Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY at 3:00 PM, Winston-Salem (R.J. Reynolds) NC versus New York (Rice) NY at 4:30 PM, Camden (H.S.) NJ versus Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY at 6:00 PM, Medford (Shawnee) NJ versus Neptune (H.S.) NJ at 7:30 PM, and Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA versus Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA at 9:00 PM.  Games also begin at 10:30 AM on Sunday, February 11th, with New York (La Salle) NY versus Burlington (City) NJ.  Next it will be New Castle (H.S.) PA versus Middle Village (Christ the King) NY at Noon, followed by Jersey City (St. Anthony) NY versus Oyster Bay (St. Dominic) NY at 1:30 PM, Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ versus Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY at 3:00 PM, New York (Rice) NY versus Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA at 4:30 PM, Camden (H.S.) NJ versus Chester (H.S.) PA at 6:00 PM, Richland (St. Augustine) NJ versus Ft. Washington (Germantown Academy) PA at 7:30 PM, and Philadelphia (Simon Gratz) PA versus Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA at 9:00 PM.

Monday, February 5, 2001 - The official announcement won't be made until mid-February, but the word on the street is that Dinos Trigonis is on the verge of not just taking the 5th Annual Coca-Cola All-American Classic (formerly the Eddie Jones and DaDa Classic) to another level, but making this one of the premier high school all-star events in the nation.  The game is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 10th, which is the day after the Sonny Vaccaro Roundball Classic in Chicago, IL, and it will be played in the 15,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena, which is the most luxurious and plush venue in the nation for an event of this size.  Tip-off for the preliminary game will be at 6:00 PM and it promises to be border war, as most the top players from Arizona and Nevada will be going head-to-head against their counterparts from California.   Then, the main event will feature most of the top players from the West Coast against the East All-Stars, which will be a team made up of players from the rest of the nation.  And the smart money should be on the West All-Stars due to the quality of talent and depth in the senior class in Southern California.  Trigonis wouldn't provide us with a list of who he expects be in the game, because, at this stage, recruiting for the various spring all-star games is in high gear.  However, sources close to Trigonis tell us that he expects to have 6'6 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, 6'7 Andre Patterson from Los Angeles (Washington) CA, 6'6 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, 6'3 Dommanic Ingerson from Santa Barbara (H.S.) CA, 6'4 Floyd North from San Diego (St. Augustine) CA, 6'8 Isaiah Fox from Santa Monica (Crossroads) CA, 6'6 Jamaal Williams from Corona (Centennial) CA, 6'1 Chris Hernandez from Fresno (Clovis West) CA, 6'2 Errick Craven from Torrance (Bishop Montgomery) CA, 6'2 Derrick Craven from Torrance (Bishop Montgomery) CA, and 6'11 Mike Fey from Capital (Olympic) WA.  He also will likely have 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA, because he won't be subject to the two all-star game limit that is imposed by the NCAA for college-bound student-athletes.  If you will recall, Chandler is expected to by-pass college and enter his name into the NBA draft this spring.  So Trigonis already appears to be in great shape on 12 of the top players from the West Coast, but he may run into real problem, if several of the other players, like 6'5 Cedric Bozeman from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'3 Jason Braxton from Moreno Valley (Canyon Springs) CA,and 6'5 Erroll Knight from Seattle (Chief Steath) WA, that they're attempting to get also fall into line.  One option might be to put several players from California on the East Squad.  However, that too might be out, because the Illinois-quartet of 6'11 Eddy Curry from South Holland (Thornwood) IL, 6'6 Najeeb Echols from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL, 6'5 Marcellus Sommerville from Peoria (Central) IL, and 5'10 Jason Straight from Chicago (Dunbar) IL, 6'7 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, and 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ appear to be near locks for the game, plus 6'2 Dajuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA, 6'6 Jackie Manual from West Palm Beach (Gardinal Newman) FL, 6'8 Wayne Simien from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS,6'6 Alan Anderson from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN, 6'9 Robert Little from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA, 6'8 Dennis Latimore from Halstead (H.S.) KS, 6'6 Duane John from Homestead (Berkshire) FL, 6'9 Robert Whaley from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI, 6'9 Jeff Ferguson from Benton Harbor (H.S.) MI, 6'7 Jason Maxiell from Carrollton (Newman Smith) TX, 6'1 Ben Gordon from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, and 6'8 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL are among those that should appear in the possible category.  In other words, the preliminary game could also end up being darn good, because, in addition to some of the players mentioned above, 6'4 Cody Pearson from Sherman Oaks (Notre Dame) CA, 6'6 Edwin Draughn from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA,6'11 Chad Bell from Los Angeles (Westchester) CA, 6'10 Rory O'Neil from Ridgecrest (Burroughs) CA, and 6'9 Matt Short from Yreka (Union) CA all will be more than worth the price of admission.

Saturday, February 3, 2001, and Sunday, February 4, 2001 - One of the things we'll be doing later this month is updating our Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana Report and it looks like our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson is already way ahead of us.  Although Mississippi doesn't have the population base necessary to be a traditional "basketball state," the senior class does boast at least seven players with high Division I talent and/or potential.   Heading the list are 6'1 Maurice Williams of Jackson (Murrah) MS, who has signed with Alabama; 6'4 Chey Christie of Biloxi, who has signed with Clemson, and 6'7 Jasper Johnson of Hollandale (Simmons) MS, who has signed with Southern Mississippi.  Right behind this threesome are four unsigned seniors - 6'3 Mario Jointer of Jackson (Jim Hill) MS, 6'8 Thomas Fairley of Long Beach (H.S.) MS, 6'4 Derrick Powe of Pascagoula (H.S.) MS, and 6'6 Kendrick Fox of Oxford (Lafayette County) MS - all of whom should play at the high Division I level, although several of them may have to take the junior college route first.  As a matter of fact, Johnson thinks Jointer is already a near lock to attend Ocaloosa-Walton (JC) FL.   Rounding out Johnson's list of the top 10 seniors are 6'5 Solomon Forbes of Jackson (Lanier) MS, 6'7 Byron Allen of Leland (H.S.) MS, who inked with Northwestern Lousiana early, and 6'3 Bennie Denton of Oxford (H.S.) MS.    The rest of the senior class is dominated by mid-major and low D-1 guards, as 16 of the next 25 five fall into this category.  The best of these are 6'2 Preston Dennis of Hernando (H.S.) MS, 6'0 Corey Moore of Jackson (Jim Hill) MS, 6'4 Josh Armstrong of Jackson (Christian Mission & Industrial College) MS, 6'4 Davian Dixon of Jackson (Provine) MS, 6'4 O'Brien Lowe of Nettleton (H.S.) MS, 6'2 Jonathan Patton of Picayune (H.S.) MS, and 6'0 Tremechie Evans of Starkville (H.S.) MS.  The best remaining inside players are 6'5 Ernest Hassell of Piney Woods (H.S.) MS, 6'4 Michael Archie of Greenwood (H.S.) MS, and 6'6 Tim Green of Canton (H.S.) MS.  The junior and sophomore classes are highlited by three big men who are already in the sights of many recruiters.  At the top of the list are 6'8 Jr Byron Sanders of Gulfport (Harrison Central) MS, who has taken his game to another level this winter and, as a result, is attracting heavy big-time interest, 6'7 Soph Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, and 6'9 Soph Jackie Butler from McComb (H.S.) MS.  Also of interest is the fact that 6'9 Kenny Boyd of Scooba (Kemper County) MS is only a junior in the class room, but will be too old to play in high school next year.  So he is planning to go to a prep school or work to graduate early this summer in attempt not to to lose a year of eligibility.  Johnson also is the Mississippi Editor for MidSouth-Hoops.com and he recently posted his complete list of the top seniors, juniors, and sophomores in the state on their web site. This not only provides you with a sneak preview of where these players will be ranked when our own list, which includes Mississippi, is published later this month, but also should be the perfect complement to our report, which will incorporate the top players from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana into a much larger list and, as a result, provide you with a unqiue perspective on these three states.  Also within the next month we plan to publish reports from Illinois, Georgia, Florida, Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia, New England, North and South Carolina, Iowa/Missouri/Kansas/Nebraska, and Oklahoma.  An area that we don't currently cover is the state of Nevada, but Greg Perry, who is the foremost authority on high school basketball in that state, has sent us a report that is so good that we may have to add it to our list, if that's something he's interested in doing in the future.   That too can be found exclusively in the Members Section on our Hot Recruiting Information page.  Plus, I plan to attend the tournament in St. James Invitational in St. James, MD, which includes Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, Middleburg (Notre Dame) VA, Kensington (Newport School) MD, and Ft. Washington (National Christian) MD, on Thursday, February 8th; the National Prep School Invitational Tournament in Worcester, MA on Friday and Saturday, February 9th-10th; and the Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, NJ on Sunday, February 11th.  So even though this is one of the slowest times of the year for many of our competitors, there is still a lot for us to write about.    As a result, this is the perfect time for you to subscribe to the Members Section. 

Friday, February 2, 2001 - We are getting reports that 6'5 Greg Tinch from Albany (Westover) GA, who is ranked #77 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, has verbally commmitted to Louisville to play football.  But Jon Reidel, who is our man in Albany, GA, has not confirmed it as official yet.   However, if this does hold up, as expected, it would be of major significance, because he would be a free player on the hardwood for the Cardinals.  If you will recall, last fall Louisville signed 6'2 Carlos Hurt from Alief (Alief-Elsik) TX, 6'5 Dennis Coutee from Jeffersonville (H.S.) IN, and 6'5 LeRoy Davis from Southern Union (JC) AL.  So obviously they don't need to tie up any more scholarships on perimeter players in this recruiting class.   But, at the same time, they do need all the talent they can get.   Tinch is big-time slasher/athlete, but his offensive skills are limited.   However, it may not matter at the next level, because nobody in the senior class nationally is any more explosive to the basket or better defensively.  Last fall Tinch committed to Seton Hall, which doesn't have a football program, but he later reneged after receiving pressure to play both sports.   Louisville got a major advantage in the Tinch-sweepstakes due to the strong ties that Wiley Brown, who is the strength coach for the basketball team, has in Southern Georgia.  And this could also prove to be value a year from now, as the Cardinals already are showing strong interest, along with Memphis, Alabama, Georgia, and Cincinnati, for 6'10 Jr Alexander Johnson from Albany (Dougherty) GA, who is ranked among the top big men nationally in the junior class.   Johnson is averaging 25 ppg and 15 rpg, but what makes Johnson so intriguing is the fact that he hasn't lost any of his perimeter skills, despite the fact that he continues to grow an inch or two a year every year,    "He can still shoot three and is very effective away from the basket," says Reidel, who knows a player when he sees one (Reidel used to publish Reidel's Roundball Review).  And like Tinch, Johnson is also a heck of an athlete and once was a terrific football player.  As a matter of fact, Reidel tell us that Johnson was the quarterback on the football team in junior high school, which means he could have had a big time future in the gridiron if he'd stuck with it. However, he grew dramaticlly and the rest is history.  The biggest question with Johnson might be his toughness and whether he can overcome the stigma that seems to plague players from Albany, GA.  In case you don't know what we're talking about, Albany is one of the best basketball towns per capita in America, but only two players in its history - Dontonio Wingfield and Lavar Postell - have made it to the NBA.  And the story becomes even more interesting when you read Reidel's recent article, Super Six at 10 Can't Miss Prep Stars found NBA to be an Allusive Dream, which appeared in the Albany Herald on Sunday, January 14th, and was picked up by the Associated Press.  The "super six" are the six great players - 6'9 Dontonio Wingfield from Albany (Westover) GA, 6'2 Michael Spruell from Albany (H.S.) GA, 6'5 Melvin Drake from Albany (H.S.) GA, 6'1 Pertha Robinson from Albany (Dougherty) GA, 6'4 Chris Cameron from Albany (Dougherty) GA, and 6'6 Antonio Smith from Albany (Westover) GA - who came out of Albany 10 years ago and the rest is obvious.  As we mentioned earlier, Wingfield did make it in the League.   But not for long, as he held on for a year with Seattle and two with Portland.   However, now it looks like injuries will prohibit him from attempting a comeback.   As a result, Wingfield, who has five kids and is broke financially, is back at the University of Cincinnati attempting to get his degree.  Spruell, who, as a senior in high school, was the MVP in the Roundball Classic in Pittsburgh, PA.    However, after signing with Providence College, he ran into legal difficulties and, as a result, is now in jail with 6-1/2 years left to go on a 10 year sentence.  Drake played professionally for several years in Switzerland and with the Atlanta Trojans of the USBL, but now he teaches social studies at Sylvester (Worth County) GA.  Robinson, who scored 1200 points on the SAT and 2600 points on the court in high school, got his degree in consumer economics from the University of Georgia and is now a counselor for troubled youth in Albany, GA.  Cameron played four years at Tulane and two years professionally in Iceland, where he averaged 25 ppg.  He also spent a year in the IBL and was home for a while.  But the dream is still alive for Cameron, because he recently signed a contract to play in Finland.  Smith played his college ball at Pensacola (JC) FL and Louisiana Tech and professionally for two years in Sweden, where he was MVP of the League.  But now he is back in Albany working as a paraprofessional in the school system. 

Thursday, February 1, 2001 - Rick Pitino just can't seem to lay low and stay out of the spotlight.  One day it appears that he's no longer interested in the UNLV job.   The next day he denies the report about taking his name out of contention.  A lot UCLA fans are also still on pins and needles hoping that current head coach Steve Lavin will have a tough next couple of weeks (games against California, Stanford, USC, DePaul, and Arizona are right around the corner) and, as a result, provide the momentum they need to get the Pitino steamroller going again in Westwood.  But right now the University of Kentucky appears to be the favor of the day.  No, the rumors about Pitino recently being in Lexington, KY on a business trip are not true.  As a matter of fact, our sources confirm that Pitino has been in vacationing in Florida the entire time since resigning from the Boston Celtics a month ago.  Nor are the reports true about Pitino building a house in Lexington.   However, he did purchase a Lexus dealership, along with Jamal Mashburn and a Lexington area businessman, five months ago and is still very good friends with University of Kentucky athletic director Larry Ivy.  In other words, his ties to the area are still very strong and, as a result, there should be no question that Pitino will get first right of refusal on the Kentucky job, if the job should come open this spring.   But right now that's a big if, because, as fate would have it, the decision is not up to Pitino.  Instead, it up to the coach who replaced Pitino, Tubby Smith, who once again has survived a tough December and appears to have the Wildcats on a role.   Sure, Smith's name has been mentioned recently with the Charlotte Hornets and we've also heard that Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown may help him get the 76ers job, if Brown decides to retire this spring.   However, we also understand that Smith was offered the Atlanta Hawks job a year ago and turned it down.   So it may all come down to whether Smith is happy at Kentucky or whether he feels like he's ready for a new challenge, as well as the financial security that the NBA can offer.  But that doesn't mean that the timing for a move might not be just about right. Did you know that Smith only has one year remaining on his existing contract?   Sure, contracts can easily be broken, but they are important tools in terms of public relations and recruiting.  Also, this will be the final year for Saul Smith, whose overabundance of playing time has been a major reason topic of criticism the last several years by Kentucky fans.  Also, Smith has not denied the fact that he'd be interested in the right NBA job, if the opportunity presents itself.    Does all this have anything to do with why Pitino, who is known for his impulsiveness, is suddenly sitting back and weighing all his options?  If it is not, Pitino surely is missing the boat.  Remember, Tubby Smith now has the best basketball job in the world and Rick Pitino does not.  Sure, Smith is an outstanding coach.    But Pitino and Kentucky basketball in the 90's were tailor made for each other and, if by some chance, Ivy can get Pitino to return, you can bet that there will be more fans at the airport to welcome Pitino home with open arms than there were at Kentucky's most recent home game last weekend against Vanderbilt.  No, that's not meant to be a knock against Tubby.  It's just that Pitino is still that big in the state of Kentucky.   And I should know, because I live there!

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