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SCOOP OF THE DAY
FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2000
Previous SCOOP'S OF THE DAY available by month - October 1997 November 1997 December 1997 January 1998 February 1998 March 1998 April 1998 May 1998 June 1998 July 1998 August 1998 September 1998 October 1998 November 1998 December 1998 January 1999 February 1999 March 1999 April 1999 May 1999 June 1999 July 1999 August 1999 September 1999 October 1999 November 1999 December 1999 January 2000 February 2000 March 2000 April 2000 May 2000 June 2000 July 2000 August 2000 September 2000 October 2000
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Scoop of the Day provides you with only part of the recruiting information that we have obtained on a daily basis. Everything else can be found in the Members Section of HOOP SCOOP Online, but it is available only via subscription. So get your Visa or MasterCard ready and click on Subscribe. The cost is $25 per month, $65 for three months, $125 for six months, or $250 per year.
Tuesday, October 31, 2000 - In addition to today's major commitments by 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL, who committed to Memphis this morning, 6'10 Kenny Brown from Western Iowa (JC) IA, who has made it official for Saint Louis, and 6'6 LeRoy Davis from Southern Union (JC) AL, who picked Louisville over UAB and Alabama, we also have confirmed that 6'0 Jonathan Hargett has finally made it official for West Virginia. Hargett, who is ranked #8 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, also has found a new home at Ft. Washington (American Christian) MD. If you will recall, Durham (Emmanuel Christian) NC ran into problems and was forced to close several weeks ago. Speaking of that debacle, the last time we talked with our Virginia Editor Tony Squire, he told us that the necessary funding had been found to keep the school open. However, it was too late, because all players had already scattered and found other schools. So let's run down the list: 6'8 Marco Killingsworth has transferred to Birmingham (Central Park Christian) AL, 6'6 Tyrone Sally has enrolled at Richmond (Meadowbrook) VA, 6'6 Soph Jelani Lawrence is at Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, 6'6 Donte Hammonds is at Richmond (John Marshall) VA, 6'6 Soph Marcus Sikes is at Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and 6'10 Deonic Smith has surfaced at Brandywine (Gwynn Park) MD. Speaking of Smith, we can add him to our list of recent commitments, because Squire tells us that Smith has picked George Washington. The only player who is still missing in action is 6'9 Tony Key, who is supposed to be back in Russellville, KY, but currently not in school. As for Emmanuel Christian, Squire tells us that the school may reopen again next year. "But that will probably depend upon decides Mike White decides to do," says Squire. If you will recall, White was the guy who replaced Joel Hopkins as head coach at Emmanuel Christian last spring when Hopkins got the Shaw University head coaching job.
Monday, October 30, 2000 - Well, a slow weekend in terms of recruiting information has allowed us to publish our Top 40 Pre-Season 2000-2001 College Basketball Rankings earlier than anticipated. The order of teams is as follows: 1) Michigan State, 2) Arizona, 3) Duke, 4) Illinois, 5) Utah, 6) Maryland, 7) Kansas, 8) Connecticut, 9) Florida, 10) Seton Hall, 11) Tennessee, 12) Cincinnati, 13) Xavier, 14) Oklahoma, 15) Stanford, 16) Kentucky, 17) North Carolina, 18) Arkansas, 19) DePaul, 20) Notre Dame, 21) UCLA, 22) Virginia, 23) UNC-Charlotte, 24) Wisconsin, 25) Southern California, 26) Alabama, 27) Texas, 28) UNLV, 29) Wake Forest, 30) Missouri, 31) South Florida, 32) Temple, 33) Marshall, 34) N.C. State, 35) Long Beach State, 36) Butler, 37) Georgetown, 38) Massachusetts, 39) Mississippi State, 40) College of Charleston, and 40) Auburn. In addition to the rankings, we have provided you with a chart that shows the number of returning starters for each team, last year's conference and overall records, and short commentary on each team. Our can get all this by clicking HOOP SCOOP's Pre-Season 2000-2001 College Basketball Rankings.
Saturday, October 28, 2000, and Sunday, October 29, 2000 - Last spring we said that if Bob Knight gets fired as the head coach at Indiana University, he could always become something he hates - a member of the media. Well, it looks like that's exactly what's going to happen! This is not confirmed, but a source, who we regard as very reliable, tells us that Knight will be doing the color commentary for CBS games this winter. Making the story even more intriguing are the reports that Knight will team with Dick Enberg, who was the best play-by-play man in the business, when he teamed with Billy Packer and Al McGuire, for NBC in the late '70s and early '80s. Enberg would be the perfect teacher for Knight, who has the charm, wit, and knowledge, but not the experience to be terrific in broadcast both. If you will recall, when McGuire retired as the head coach of Marquette after winning the NBC championship and went into the broadcast both, he had a tremendous knack for relating what was going on to the common fan. However, Enberg used to tap McGuire on the knee to let him know when he could talk on the air. This also makes perfect sense when one finds out that Enberg is an alumnus of Indiana University and got his start in broadcasting doing the play-by-play for IU basketball games. As a matter of fact, Enberg went straight from doing IU games to the big time. However, we suspect that Knight won't be asked to broadcast any Indiana games this season. That way, Knight won't have to worry about talking to Mike Davis, who Knight hasn't spoken to since Davis replacement him as the interim head coach. Also, it will be interesting to see if CBS uses a seven or 10 second delay in order to cover themselves. Remember, Knight has a history of swearing like a sailor. Again, this is not confirmed, but our sources are pretty good. So if and when it happens, remember where you heard it first!
Friday, October 27, 2000 - Courtney Goldwire, who formerly published Full Court Magazine and Full Court Mag.com, tells us that he is getting back into the web game. He's launching a new internet site by November 5th, which will be just in time for the beginning of the fall signing period on Wednesday, Novmeber 8th, and you will be able to find it at http://www.Elitehoops.com. Goldwire also wants to go on record, because "I have seen them all" - 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudamire from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, 6'9 Jr Shavlik Randolph from Raleigh (Broughton) NC, 6'8 Jr Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN, 6'9 Jr Michael Thompson from Chicago (Providence-St. Mel) IL, 6'9 Jr Sani Ibrahim from Winchendon (School) MA, 6'9 Jr DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, and 6'9 Jr Sheldon Williams from Midwest City (H.S.) OK - "and Alexander Johnson from Douherty in Albany, GA is the best power forward in the nation in his class," says Goldwire. "With the exception of Randolph, he's more fundamentally sound and he's just as athletic as any of them, he can run the floor, is a great shot-blocker, rebounder, and passes extremely well for a big man. He has been well schooled by his high school Coach Charlie Givens. Maybe just enough people haven't seen him, but I look at everyone's rankings and he's not even in there top five" Goldwire also tells points out Johnson held his own against 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA and outplayed 6'11 David Harrsion from Brentwood (Academy) GA twice this year. "Also don't forget that fact that Johnson is 6'10 and flat out shoots the ball for a big man. He will also qualify with no problem." I agree that Johnson, who is ranked #27 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, has lot of talent and tremendous potential, but those other players mentioned above have already earned it against the top competition in the nation. Johnson wasn't invited to the NIKE All-American Camp, because he didn't play very well at the Boo Williams Tournament in April, which is when NIKE's George Raveling and Don Crenshaw both saw him several times. Also, after the way the "great" senior class in the state of Georgia has busted, it might be a good idea to be a little conservative when it comes to ranking Georgia players nationally. As a matter of fact, our highest ranked senior in the state is 6'5 Greg Tinch from Albany (Westover) GA, who ranks #51 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and earns it the old-fashioned way by giving it 110% every time out. He's followed by 6'4 Anthony Rice from North Clayton (College Park) GA, who ranks #52, and 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA, who ranks #54 nationally. Speaking of Brown, there appears to be a heavy lobbying campaign being aimed at the HOOP SCOOP to get Brown moved back into our top five or 10 nationally. And I agree with that based on potential, but based on the way he's played the last several times I seen him, #52 nationally is what he deserves. Brown was sensational when we saw him at the Boo Williams Tournament in the spring and he was named the MVP at the Boo Gibbons Tournament of Champions during Memorial Day Weekend. However, the only time I saw Brown at the Gibbons's Tournament, which was on Saturday evening on Court #2 against DC Team Assault, he was a no-show, as was evident by the fact that he only scored two points in the entire game. He also managed to score 10 points or more only twice during the entire week and average only four rebounds per game at the adidas ABCD Camp. And after that he was missing in action every time I saw the Georgia Stars play the rest of the summer. As a result, I don't think players who are from Southern Georgia play very hard and, as a result, I am automatically suspicious, because we're part of the problem. We overhyped these guys way too early and they don't seem to be able to handle it. Don't believe it? Well, what ever happened to guys like Dontonio Wingfield, Melvin Drake, Michael Spruell, et al? Tinch is probably underrated nationally, because he can't shoot and he doesn't have true position, but his teammate - 7'0 Marcus Campbell from Albany (Westover) GA - is also overhyped due primarily based on his size, potential, and athleticism. In fairness to Campbell, his come a long way in the last year, but he's still not ready to be ranked in our top 100 nationally and he's definitely not reay to walk in and make an immediate impact as a college freshman.
Thursday, October 26, 2000 - Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried has yet to sign anybody in his backyard (the state Alabama) in this recruiting class, but he's still lived up to his reputation as one of the best recruiters in the college basketball today by beating out the local schools for the top player in two neighboring states. If you will recall, during the summer 6'1 Maurice Williams from Jackson (Murrah) MS, who ranks #13 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, committed to the Crimson Tide and last night 6'3 Earnest Shelton from Memphis (White Station) TN, who ranks #39 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, followed suit. Shelton, who is an excellent athlete, good outside shooter, and outstanding student, and Williams, who is an exceptional point guard with depth shooting range, are both good enough to make an immediate impact at just about any school in the nation. However, they will have to battle 6'2 Terrance Meade and 6'8 Rod Grizzard, both of whom started and averaged in double digits last year as freshmen for the Crimson Tide, 6'3 Demetrius Smith, who was a legitimate top 75 high school senior last year, and 5'11 Travis Stinnett, who has missed the last two years due to injuries, for playing time in the future. While having guard depth like that is a great problem for any coach to have, it's scary how good Alabama could be in another year (the Crimson Tide already appears to be the best team in the tough SEC Western Division). The big key would be keeping 6'7 Gerald Wallace, who was a legitimate top 10 senior nationally a year ago, as well as one of the premier athletes in the class, from going hardship to the NBA prematurely. Williams would run the show, while Shelton, Meade, and Smith battle it out at the 2-spot and Grizzard steps into the wing forward spot. Wallace would fit nicely into the power forward spot and 6'8 Erwin Dudley 6'10 Jeremy Hays, and 6'9 Kenny Walker would all get minutes at center.
Wednesday, October 25, 2000 - Another big question everybody seems to be asking right now is when will 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who ranks #12 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, make it official for the University of Arizona? We have sources who tell us that Rickert wants to go to Arizona, but he's been having trouble saying no to Minnesota. Apparently he wanted to wait to see what the NCAA did when they levied sanctions against the Gophers program yesterday. If Minnesota had gotten banned from post-season play, then it probably would have been easy for Rickert to make the case that he wants to play for the one of the premier head coaches in the history of game ( Lute Olson) at the program that is currently ranked as the consensus pre-season #1 team in the nation (Arizona). However, Minnesota didn't get banned from post-season play and, as a result, it looks like they've turned up the heat even more in an attempt to get Rickert to stay home. So it should come as no surprise that his press conference, which was scheduled for last night, had been cancelled. However, we still believe Rickert is going to Arizona. But one that will go off as scheduled at 3:30 PM EST will be the announcement by 6'4 Kelvin Torbert from Flint (Northwestern) MI, who will pick Michigan State over Cincinnati and Connecticut. This is huge for the Spartans, because Torbert ranks #3 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and provides the perfect complement to the two superstars the Spartans landed a year ago in 6'8 Zach Randolph from Marion (H.S.) IN and 6'3 Marcus Taylor from Lansing (Waverly) MI and the other two perimeter players they landed earlier this fall in 6'6 Alan Anderson from Minneapolis (DeLaSalle) MN and 6'2 Chris Hill from from Indianapolis (Lawrence North) IN. And that might be not be all. We're also hearing that University of California may be close to getting commitments from 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who ranks #23 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'8 Isaiah Fox from Santa Monica (Crossroads) CA and N.C. State may be on the verge of getting 6'8 Dominic Martin from Asheville (A.C. Reynolds) NC. We still haven't confirmed whether Rickert has made it official for Arizona, but now unless something strange happens, once again it appears to be only a question of when - like later tonight. Our Michigan Editor Steve Bell has confirmed that Torbert did make it official of Michigan State earlier this afternoon and our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson predicts that 6'2 Jr Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI, who is Torbert's best friend, won't be too far behind. We also have confirmed that Rickert has committed to Arizona, but do not have a confirmation regarding Sampson or Fox.
Tuesday, October 24, 2000 - We've been promising you Jim Kasberg's Indiana Prep Report for over a month now and finally it's done. However, it raises some very interesting questions, like who really is the best senior in the state - 6'0 Chris Thomas from Indianapolis (Pike) IN, 6'7 Vytas Danelius from Indianapolis (Park Tudor) IN, or 6'6 Ali Bierdiel from Gary (Andrean) IN? We've seen plenty of Thomas, who is ranked #38 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, dating all they way back to his freshman days, but Danelius, who was the best player on the Lithuanian 18-Under National Team that finished 7th in Croatia in July, and Bierdiel, who was the best player on the Puerto Rican 22-Under National Team, are both foreign imports with impressive international creditials. Both are also likely to have future NBA players. So right now your guess is as good as ours regarding who should be the #1 player in the state. So Kasberg has made it a tie for #1, which will get us off the hook, at least until the season starts and we can both see Danelius and Bierdiel for ourselves. Kasberg also raised some other intriguing questions, like how good is 7'2 Soph Rodney Norman from Marion (H.S.) IN, who has transferred from Georgia to Marion, IN this fall? And how good is 6'6 Frosh Lowell Levingston from Ft. Wayne (Snider) IN, who is ranked as the #2 ranked freshmen in the state by Kasberg sight unseen? Well, Kasberg's track over the years has always been second to none. As a matter of fact, last year at this time Kasberg was the first person to start touting 6'8 Jr Sean May from Bloomington (North) IN as the #1 player in his class in the state and few had ever even heard of 6'4 Frosh Robert "Darth" Vaden from Indianapolis (Cathedral) IN when Kasberg was touting him a year ago that this time as the best 8th grader he'd ever seen. Well, it looks like Kasberg is still right on top of his game. As a matter of fact, in his commentart on how "Mystery and International Intrigue Mark the 2000-2001 Indiana Prep Pre-Season," Kasberg raised the possibility that 6'5 Aaron Patterson may transfer from Indianapolis (Ben Davis) IN to Indianapolis (Warren Central) IN. Write it down! It actually became official this afternoon! Kasberg's Report, along with his list of the top 105 seniors, top 100 juniors, top 103 sophomores, top 67 freshmen, and top five 8th graders, can be found exclusively in the Members Section and you can get it by clicking on subscribe.
Monday, October 23, 2000 - Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that UNC-Greensboro has a commitment from 6'4 Danny Hargrove from Sellersville (Faith Christian) PA, Drexel has landed 6'8 Steve Showers from New Tripoli (Northwestern Lehigh) PA, and 6'9 Pat Czaplinski from Stratford (Bunnell) CT has announced for Boston University. Hargrove, who is following in the footsteps of another excellent player - 6'4 Jay Joseph from Landsdale (North Penn) PA - from this area who signed with UNC-Greensboro a year ago, has improved dramatically in the last six months. This is especially evident when one looks at Rubin's report, which was published about a week ago and can be gotten exclusively in the Members Section, because Hargrove is the #5 ranked Most Improved Player in the Area, plus he has risen from #40 in the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey last spring to #16 on Rubin's current senior list. Hargrove is an athletic wing player who knows how to get the basket, but he's developed a good outside shot. Showers, who is ranked #24 in the area by Rubin, is crafty inside, plus he has an excellent mid-range jumper. Czaplinksi is power player who scores and rebounds around the basket. However, his best days are still ahead of him. Rubin and our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson both are telling us that William & Mary is getting a tranfer in 6'7 Adam Hess, who was the leading 3-point shotoer on the team at Eastern Michigan last year. Obviously, this is just more example of the Tribe taking advantage of their Midwestern connections. If you will recall, new William & Mary head coach Rick Boyages was the associate head coach at Ohio State last three years with Jim O'Brien. So it makes perfect sense that he would go back into the Midwest to get 6'8 Steve Sorensen from Hudson (Western Reserve) OH, who committed to William and Mary several weeks ago, and Hess, who originally is from Grosse Pointe (South) MI. William & Mary also has gotten a good one out of the Southeast in 6'0 Nick D'Antoni from Myrtle Beach (Socastee) SC and is looking into the Northeast to fill their final scholarship, which will likely go to either 6'6 Mike Grinnon from Oyster Bay (St. Dominic) NY and 6'5 Tim Begley from Lincroft (Christian Brothers) NJ.
Sunday, October 22, 2000 - Our New York City Editor Ron Naclerio tells us that New York Riverside Church beat Youth Enpowerment in the championship game of the I.S.8 Fall High School League earlier today. Riverside Church was down, 40-38, at halftime, but they coasted to 88-74 victory, thanks to the inside play of 6'6 Wendall Gibson from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY, who finished with 27 points and took home Playoff MVP honors. Youth Empowerment was led by 6'2 Jr Curtis Stinson from Bronx (Morris) NY, who finished with 24 potins, and 6'9 Soph Charlie Villanueva from Blairstown (Blair Academy) NJ, who had 17 points. Riverside Church had an even easier time last night in the semi-finals, as they manhandled the Bronx Gauchos, 81-56, thanks largely to the efforts of Gibson with 25 points and 6'3 Jr Ricardo Soliver from Bronx (All Hallows) NY, who chipped in 17 points. The best player for the Gauchos was the rapidly improving 7'2 Sagari Allegne from New York (Rice) NY, but we also have to mention 6'3 Jr Don McCrath from Somers (John F. Kennedy) NY, because this white 3-point shooter who finished with had 12 points against Riverside Church is rapidly on the rise. The other semi-finals game last night between Youth Empowerment and the New York Wolfpack was a 96-88 thriller in overtime. Youth Empowerment was led by 6'1 Roscoe Biggers from Durham (Emmanuel) NC with 39 points, Stinson with 32 points and Villanueva with 21 points. However, the highlight of the day was 6'6 Jr Leonard Cooke from Old Tappan (H.S.) NY, who dominated the game in every way, as he finished with 38 points, 22 rebounds, eight assists and five blocks. Cooke also continues to play hard, which will be important as he continues to take his game to a higher level and challenges 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudamire from Winter Garden (West Orange) FL, 6'7 Jr Evan Burns from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, and 6'2 Jr Anthony Robeson from Saginaw (H.S.) MI. As a matter of fact, Naclerio doesn't think Cooke will see a day of college basketball. "By the time he's ready to go to college, he'll he 20 years old," says Naclerio. "And he already dominates when he plays against men." This was especially evident during the summer when he was one of the best players in the Rucker League in New York City. Needless to say, Cooke was the tournament MVP. He also was named to the first team all-tournament team, along with Gibson, 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, 6'6 Rashad Bell from Fresh Meadows (St. Francis Prep) NY, and 5'10 Darrel Hill from Bayside (Cardozo) NY. The second team consisted of Stinson, 6'2 Ryan Williams from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'8 Kenny Adeleke from Brooklyn (Paul Robeson) NY, 6'3 Luis Rodriguez from Bronx (John F. Kennedy) NY, and 5'10 Frosh Sebastian Telfair from Brooklyn (Lincoln) NY, who was also named the Rookie-of-the-Year in the league.
Saturday, October 21, 2000 - Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson tells us that 6'9 Hiram Fuller from Wabash Valley (JC) IL, who ranks as the #2 power forward in the junior college ranks, isn't the lock that some people think he is for Cincinnati. As it stands now Cincinnati, Fresno State, and Oregon are the top three schools on his list. However, the Fresno Bee is reporting that there is no way Fuller's mother will co-sign his National Letter-of-Intent for any school, except Fresno State, which, by the way, placed him at Wabash Valley in the first place. As a matter of fact, the newspaper quotes Fuller's mother saying that she doesn't like Cincinnati head coach Bobby Huggins. So it appears there is no way she will let her son go there. Fresno State also appears to have stolen one in 6'5 Dennis Nathan from Clark (JC) WA, who originally signed with the University of Oregon after attending prep school at Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT. Apparently he's already enrolled in school at Fresno State and, yes, he will be eligible to play this season. At 6'5, Nathan can play either guard spot and he's got the talent and potential to eventually play in the NBA. Which means head coach Jerry Tarkanian would have tremendous size in the backcourt if he plays Tito Maddox and Nathan some at the same time. Johnson also point out that this could be Tarkanian's best team yet at Fresno State, because he's not only loaded in the backcourt with Maddox, Nathan, Demetrius Porter, and Nick Irvin, but he also has the talent and athleticism inside with Melvin Ely, and several transfers like Chris Jeffries and Shannon Swillis. Plus, he's got five players - Ely, Jeffries, Swillis, Noel Felix, and Mustafa Al-Said - with a wing span of 7-feet or more.
Friday, October 20, 2000 - We're also hearing that 6'8 Isaiah Fox from Santa Monica (Crossroads) CA has cancelled making an official visit to a Pac-10 school for the second consecutive weekend. Last week he was supposed to have been at Arizona and this week he's supposed to be at Oregon. Instead, he plans to either commit to the University of California today or tomorrow or postpone making his college decision until spring. We also are hearing that 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA has postponed his official visit to UCLA, which was also scheduled for today. Apparently he couldn't afford to miss a test in school today, so he has re-scheduled his visit for next weekend. Another one that we're watching very closely, because it could break at any time is 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who is expected to make it official for Arizona. When that happens, the Wildcats recruiting class will move into the #4 position nationally right behind Florida and ahead of North Carolina on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date. We also are looking for 6'6 Chuck Hayes from Modesto (Christian) CA, who ranks #63 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, but who has gotten underrecruited by many of the West Coast schools, because he's really an undersized power forward, to make it official sometime in the near future for the University of Kentucky.
Thursday, October 19, 2000 - We also have confirmed that 6'6 Tyrone Sally from Richmond (Meadowbrook) VA, who was previously at Durham (Emmanuel) NC, has verbally committed to West Virginia and our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin tells us that 6'0 Jonathan Hargett may be right behind him. But haven't we heard that one before. As a matter of fact, we reported that we thought Hargett would end up at West Virginia soon two weeks ago. Well, we're still waiting, but we expect the Mountaineers beat Arizona, Tennessee, and LSU for Hargett's services and we won't be surprised if it happens before the end of the week. Speaking of Emmanuel Christian, every thinks the school is closed for good. We've heard that Hargett is heading to either Fairfax (Paul VI) VA or Branywine (Gwynn Park) MD, 6'10 Tony Key is heading to Ft. Washington (American Christian) MD, 6'7 Tyrone Sally is going to Richmond (Meadowbrook) VA, 6'6 Soph Jelani Lawrence has enrolled at Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, and 6'6 Soph Marcus Sikes and 6'10 Deonic Smith both will be visiting Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA this weekend. However, our Virginia Editor Tony Squire tells us that is never over until the fat lady sings and apparently that isn't going to happen. As we mentioned yesterday, head coach Mike White was still trying to savage the situation and apparently that has happened. "They have found an anonymous donor who plans to write a check to the school today for $50,000," says Squire. "And they have several other potential donors lined up as well. It's a storybook ending." As a result, the school will remain open and most of the players, including Hargett and Key, will probably be back in school at Emmanuel Christian by the end of the week. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, October 18, 2000 - The are several important commitments that are supposed to go down later today, including 5'10 Terrance Ford from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, who ranks #17 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'5 Marcellus Sommerville from Peoria (Central) IL, who ranks #119 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. We'd be shocked if Ford doesn't pick the University of Texas. No, it didn't happen on Monday, October 23rd, as we had originally anticipated, but that's a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, as five years from now nobody will remember anything, except that he went to Texas. So unless something totally unexpected happens, chalk up a big one up for Rick Barnes. Not only is Ford the great point guard that the Longhorns need to immediately come in and run the show next year, but he's also the best player Barnes has landed during this two year stint as the head coach at Texas. We also are anticipating that Sommerville will pick Iowa over Purdue and Kentucky at press conference, which will be held early this evening. Sommerville isn't a superstar, but Hawkeyes head coach Steve Alford doesn't need any more great players. As a matter of fact, he doesn't need many more players period. No program in college basketball has recruited better since Alford took the job at Iowa a year and a half ago. And really it isn't even close. If you recall, last spring Iowa finished with the #4 ranked recruiting class nationally with a consensus top five junior college player in 6'8 Reggie Evans from Coffeyville (JC) KS, 6'8 Glen Worley from Iowa City (West) IA, 6'11 Jared Reiner from Tripp (Tripp-Delmont) SD, 5'10 Brody Boyd from Dugger (Union) IN, 6'6 Courtney Scott from Lansing (Waverly) MI, and 6'9 Sean Sonderlieter from Des Moines (Christian) IA. And that weren't enough, Alford also had two excellent players waiting in the wings last winter in 6'3 Ryan Hogan, who transferred from Kentucky, and 6'5 Luke Recker, who transferred from Indiana via Arizona. That's eight new players that Alford will have to work with this year, but more are also on the way. If you will recall, the Hawkeyes also got a verbal commitment a year ago from 6'3 Jr Jeff Horner from Mason City (H.S.) IA, who is ranked #23 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP. They also got an early commitment from 6'4 Pierre Pierce from Westmont (H.S.) IL, who ranks #43 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and more recently landed 6'11 Eric Hansen from Euless (Trinity) TX, who is a project right now, but has a big upside. Assuming that Sommerville also falls as expected later today, the Hawkeyes would only have one more scholarship to left and our guess is that the guy who will get it is 6'5 JaQuan Hart from Flint (Northern) MI, who ranks #24 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP.
Tuesday, October 17, 2000 - Last week we published our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey list and one of the items that we thought was particularly interesting was the very little action we've seen in the area in terms of verbal commitments this fall. As a matter of fact, only four of the players ranked among our top 20 - 6'2 Dujuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, 6'5 John Allen from Coatesville (H.S.) PA, 6'7 Olu Babalua from Richland (St. Augustine) NJ, and 6'0 Mike Slattery from Ft. Washington (Germantown (Academy) PA - had verbally committed prior to this weekend. Well, now our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin is reporting that that number has doubled in the last 48 hours. Last night George Washington got 6'6 Tamal Forchion from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic) PA, who is ranked #12 in the area by Rubin. This morning La Salle landed 6'10 Marcus Gantt from Camden (Woodrow Wilson) NJ, who ranks #19 in the area by Rubin. And, as we reported yesterday, on Sunday 6'8 Brandon Brigman from Philadelphia (St. John Neumann) PA, who ranks #8 in the area by Rubin, picked South Florida, and 5'8 Cantrell Fletcher from Philadelphia (St. John Newmann) PA, who ranks #10 in the area by Rubin, announced for Siena. Which means that 12 players in the area remain unsigned. So let's go down the list. The highest ranked unsigned player is 6'2 Ernest Turner from Somerdale (Sterling) NJ, who ranks #3 in the area by Rubin. Right now his top three in order appear to be Villanova, UNLV, and Rutgers. He's followed by 6'8 Hakim Warrick from Wynnewood (Friends Central) PA, who checks in at #4. Syracuse, Virginia, Providence, San Diego State, and La Salle are the top schools on his list. The next available player is 6'6 Pat Carroll from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA, who ranks #6 in the area by Rubin. Carroll's top three appear to be Duquesne, St. Joseph's, and Richmond. The rest of the unsigned players who rank among our top 20 seniors in the area in order are 6'7 Jamal Nichols from Philadelphia (Ben Franklin) PA, 5'11 Walt Chavis from Steelton (Steelton-Highsphire) PA, 6'5 David Bell from Philadelphia (Olney) PA, 6'9 Dwayne Jones from Aston (American Christian) PA, 6'2 Dominic Jackson from Concordville (Glen Mills) PA, 6'7 Anthony Thompson from Harrisburg (H.S.) PA, 6'4 Danny Hargrove from Sellersville (Faith Christian) PA, 6'6 Danny Hinds from Allentown (Central Catholic) PA, and 5'11 Andre Henry from Harrisburg (H.S.) PA. Rubin's complete report, which includes his rankings of the top players in each class, can be found exclusively in the Members Section, but to get it you have to subscribe.
Monday, October 16, 2000 - The University of Kansas has gotten a commitment from 6'3 Michael Lee from Portland (Jefferson) OR, who ranks #139 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and who is one of the best 3-point shooters nationally in the senior class. By itself that wouldn't be enough to turn a lot of heads, but Lee is the high school teammate of 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, who ranks #15 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Lee also made an official visit to Kansas, along with Miles, 6'5 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, and 6'8 Wayne Simien from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS, who committed to the Jayhawks last spring. Everybody thinks this locks it up for Miles and they are probably correct. As a matter of fact, it already looks like Arizona is taking out a little insurance. Did you know that the Wildcats are making a strong push now for 6'0 Wil Bynum from Chicago (Crane) IL, who is ranked #95 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP? However, we don't look for an official announcement to be forthcoming with Miles until after he makes his official visit to Arizona on the weekend of October 28th. So the key to the puzzle may be Childress, who will likely pick either Kansas or Stanford within the next week. If he picks Kansas, then our guess is that the rest of the dominos will fall their way as well. And if they do, that would easily give the Jawhawks the #1 ranked recruiting class on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date. However, our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis still thinks it's going to be California or St. Louis for Sampson. But that could change if Bozeman convinces to take a visit to UCLA, which right now appears to be still in doubt, unless Bozeman accompanies Sampson on the visit.
Saturday, October 14, 2000, and Sunday, October 15, 2000 - It looks like John Calipari has done it again. For the third time since becoming the new head coach at Memphis last March, Calipari has beaten the University of Louisville for a recruit. First, it was 6'2 DaJuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ, who ranks as the #1 high school senior in America and had strong ties to the Louisville program, because his father (Milt Wagner) was an All-American for the Cardinals in the early '80s. Then, it was 6'4 Anthony Rice from College Park (North Clayton) GA, who made a surprising early commitment to Memphis while on an unofficial visit in early June. And now Midsouth-hoops.com is reporting that Calipari has landed 6'8 Chris Massey from Oxnard (JC) CA, who is ranked as the #1 junior college power forward in the nation by Rick Ball in Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook. So obviously the Louisville- Memphis rivalry is alive and well and, as a result, should once again become one of the more important matchups annually in college basketball. Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis tells us that Massey is comparable to Larry Johnson, because he's such an athlete, physical specimen, and bull inside. Trigonis also tells us that Massey is already 22 or 23-years-old and that he never played high school basketball. Apparently he was playing in a men's league in Texas when somebody saw him and stashed him junior college in California. Schools like Louisville, San Diego State, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, and Fresno State were all actively recruiting him, but apparently Calipari, who is widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in the game today, was able to slip into the backdoor and get this one done. This moves Memphis' recruiting class back into the #2 position nationally behind UCLA and ahead of Florida on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date, which can be found exclusively in the Members Section. To sign up today, click on subscribe. Memphis is also involved with a number of the top high school big men in the nation, including 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, 7'0 Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez) CA, 6'11 Eddy Curry from South Holland (Thornwood) IL, 6'9 Brandon Bender from Louisville (Ballard) KY, and 6'9 Duane Erwin from Huntsville (Lee) AL and, if they get one of these guys, their recruiting class would move into the #1 position nationally, and if they get more than one, their class would go off the Richter Scale.
Friday, October 13, 2000 - Our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Editor Allen Rubin has confirmed that Duquesne has gotten a commitment from 6'10 Bruce Brown from Richmond (Henrico) VA and it looks like several others commitments could be on the way, as 5'11 Walt Chavis from Steelton (Steelton-Highshire) PA and 6'6 Pat Carroll from Horsham (Hatboro-Horsham) PA both will be visiting the Dukes this weekend. And as long as we're talking about the top players from this part of the country, did you know that our Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania/South Jersey Report is finished and ready for publication? However, it likes Rubin is slipping a little bit, as he only is listing the top 498 seniors, top 416 juniors, 269 sophomores, 105 freshmen, 34 8th graders, and 11 7th graders. That's 1333 names ranked in order by class! He also provides a list of the top six all-area teams regardless of class and position, plus his ranking of the top players in specific categories like Most Improved, Best Rebounder, Best Shot Blocker, Best Shooter, Best Scorer, Best Playmaker, and Best Defender. You can get all this, but you have to subscribe to the Members Section. You can do so by clicking on subscribe.
Thursday, October 12, 2000 - We told you last week when Southern Miss landed 6'2 James Pattman from Lilburn (Berkmar) GA and 6'7 Jasper Johnson from Hollandale (Simmons) MS that several more commitments may be on the way. Well, we didn't have to wait long, because our Mississippi Editor Lavel Johnson tells us that Golden Eagles have landed 6'9 Ben Lambert from Okaloosa-Walton (JC) MS and once again it looks like they have beaten Ole Miss out for a recruit. If you will recall, the Rebels were also among the final two or three for both Pattman and Johnson. That's the bad news. The good news for Ole Miss is that 6'5 Keith Langford from Ft. Worth (North Crowley) TX continues to say that his commitment is firm. Speaking of recruiting wars in Mississippi, you can bet that the all the in-state schools are already in hot pursuit of 6'7 Soph Travis Outlaw from Starkville (H.S.) MS, who is widely regarded as the best sophomore in the deep south. However, Johnson confirms that there is one who might be better. We're talking about 6'9 Soph Jackie Butler form McComb (H.S.) MS, who promises to be one of the top 10 players nationally in his class. And they're not the only sophomores in the state who will have the potential to be ranked among our top 100 nationally. He's talking about 6'3 Soph Jeffrey Webb from Jackson (Forest Hill) MS, 6'5 Soph Kenneth Hooks from Moss Point (East Central) MS, and 6'4 Soph Joshua Washington from Diamond Head (Saint Stanislaus) MS and he thinks the freshman class might even better. More on the later. Getting back to Okaloosa-Walton (JC) FL, Johnson thinks that Auburn is the strong leader over LSU and Mississippi State for 6'7 Kendrick Brown, who is a consensus top five junior college player in the nation. We also are looking for Auburn to get 7'0 Marcus Campbell from Albany (Dougherty) GA and we think it will happen soon. If it does, that would move the Tigers up from #4 to #3 on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date, which can be found exclusively in the Members Section. If you will recall, Auburn already has landed 6'5 Dwayne Mitchell from New Orleans (John F. Kennedy) LA, 6'8 Brandon Robinson from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA, and Marco Killingsworth from Durham (Emmanuel Christian) NC. And they if get both Campbell and Brown, Auburn's recruiting class would move into the #1 spot nationally head of UCLA, unless they land 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA. But let's say that Sampson doesn't go to UCLA and, instead picks Kansas, along with 6'5 Josh Childress from Lakewood (Artesia) CA and 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, and 6'8 Wayne Simien from Leavenworth (H.S.) KS, who picked the Jayhawks last spring. That would give Kansas the #1 ranked recruiting class.
Wednesday, October 11, 2000 - It's now official for 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA. As predicted earlier today, he picked UCLA over Arizona and, as a result, UCLA's recruiting class moves into the #1 spot nationally on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date, which can be found exclusively in the Members Section. This also is the second time in the last three years that UCLA has had the #1 ranked recruiting class. If you will recall, in the spring of 1998 the Bruins edged out DePaul with the #1 ranked recruiting class, which included 6'11 Dan Gadzuric from Byfield (Governor Dummer Academy) MA, 6'11 Jerome Moiso from Milford (Academy) CT, 6'6 Jaron Rush from Kansas City (Pembroke Hill) MO, 6'5 Ray Young from Alameda (St. Joseph) CA, and 6'8 Matt Barnes from Del Campo (Fair Oaks) CA. Based on our 1-10 rating scale, whereby, a top five player nationally is worth 10 points, a top 10 player is worth nine points, a top 40 player is worth eight points, a top 70 player is worth six points, a top 100 is worth four points, a top 300 player is worth three points, a top 1000 player is worth two points, and anybody not ranked among the top 1000 is worth one point, that class had 45 points. Moiso and Gadzuric were both the equivalent of top five players nationally, so they were worth 10 points a piece. Rush was a top 10 player nationally, so he got nine points, while Young and Barnes were in the 11-40 range nationally. So they each got eight points apiece. While this class will fall far short of the Class of '98's 45 point total, it may turn out to be better, because none of UCLA's current recruits are close to being ready for prime time in the NBA. The highest ranked player in the current class is 6'5 Cedric Bozeman from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who ranks #10 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. And he will complement Thompson perfectly in the backcourt, because, while neither is a pure point guard, they both are tremendous passers, excellent ball handlers, and a matchup problem waiting to happen for smaller guards. As a matter of fact, they bring so many other things to the table that their decision making, which in both cases continues to get better and better, is not the liability that we once thought it might be, as they are interchangeable at both guard positions. UCLA is also set at the wing forward spot with 6'7 Andre Patterson from Los Angeles (Washington) CA, who ranks #16 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. However, 6'11 Michael Fey from Olympia (Capital) WA, who ranks #118 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, isn't ready to step in and make an immediate impact as a freshman. In other words, the one missing piece to UCLA's puzzle is a quality big guy. Our guess is that they'll get 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, who ranks #23 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Sampson is worth eight points, so if he picks the Bruins, their point total would move from 28 points to 36 points, which is well short of their class three years ago, but also far ahead of their closest competitor this year, which is the University of Florida. For the Gators, which currently have 24 points, to catch UCLA, head coach Billy Donovan would have to land 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and, as a result, is worth 10 points, plus they would have to sign another player who ranks at least among our top 300 nationally or get additional points for 6'11 Kwame Brown from Brunswick (Glynn Academy) GA, who ranks #54 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. While that ranking is extremely fair based on how hard he played this summer at the adidas ABCD Camp, it probably isn't fair based on his natural talent, size, and potential. However, we think he should earn, so we're looking forward to seeing him this winter at two of the nation's premier holiday tournaments - the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, FL before Christmas and the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC after Christmas. As a result, we suspect he will move back into our top 40 nationally this winter. So if Hodge picks Florida, this could become extremely important, because then the Gators could move into a numerical tie with the Bruins, if they get Sampson. However, Florida would have only four players, so they would be ranked #1, while UCLA would finish a close second. But don't feel too sorry for UCLA if this happens, because UCLA edged out DePaul, which had 45 points and six players, three years for the #1 ranked recruiting class based on the same principle. But let's say Florida doesn't get Hodge and Arizona gets both 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who ranks #12 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, who ranks #15 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. That would move Arizona's class up from #16 nationally with 14 points and three players into the #2 spot with 30 points behind UCLA with 36 points and ahead of Florida with 24 points. But let's say UCLA strikes out with Sampson and Arizona's class includes Rickert, Miles, Latimore, and Stoudamire, who rank #12, #15, #44, and #79, respectively, nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. In each case, if somebody drops or we simply move Rickert up two spots, Miles five spots, Latimore four spots, and/or Stoudamire nine spots, Arizona's class could move up as many as seven more points. That margin for error would give the Wildcats the #1 ranked class with 37 points, which would be one point ahead of UCLA, if they get Sampson, and/or Florida gets Hodge and Brown moves up.
Tuesday, October 10, 2000 - The player this fall who is playing it closest to the vest right down to the final hour appears to be 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, who ranks #42 nationally, but who will rank among our top 30 nationally next time we update our national rankings. Our West Coast Editor Dinos Trigonis got a phone call this morning from Thompson's father (Melvin Drane) and he told Trigonis that a decision would be forthcoming later today. However, nobody, including his AAU coach (Trigonis), his high school (Jim Neilsen), or his minister, has clue whether it will be UCLA or Arizona. As a matter of fact, sources close to both programs are unware of the fact that Thompson is making his decision today nor do they have any clue which school he'll be picking. Our guess is that it will be UCLA, because Thompson's mother wants him to stay home. However, Arizona has worked him hard and you should never count the Wildcats out, especially when they're one of the final two. If Thompson picks UCLA, it would move the Bruins recruiting class into the #1 spot nationally ahead of Florida. If Thompson picks Arizona, it would move the Wildcats recruiting class into the #3 spot right behind North Carolina and ahead of UCLA. Not only will Thompson's decision dramatically effect our race for the top recruiting class to date, but it also may have a major effect on 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, who can't seem to make up his mind. One day it's Kansas, the next it's Arizona, and the next it's UCLA. However, if Thompson picks UCLA, we don't think Miles will be heading to Westwood, because the Bruins need a big man who can step in and make an immediate impact, like 6'11 Jamal Sampson from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA or 6'11 David Harrison from Brentwood (Academy) TN. And if Thompson picks the Wildcats, there won't be a scholarship available for Miles in Tucson, AZ either, because we think 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who ranks #12 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, will also make it official for the Wildcats in the immediate future. We have now confirmed that Thompson will make it official at 3:30 PM PST today.
Monday, October 9, 2000 - We have not confirmed that it has officially happened yet, but it looks like 6'8 Dennis Latimore from Halstead (H.S.) KS, who ranks #44 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, finally will be making it official for Arizona either today or tomorrow . This comes as no surprise, because Arizona has been the heavy favorite over Kansas and UCLA since mid-July. This is a great catch for the Wildcats, because Latimore is strong and physical on the boards and, as a result, could develop into the perfect replacement for Michael Wright, who will likely declare hardship for the NBA draft after this season. Getting Latimore is also important, because he played all summer and, as a result, is extremely close friends with 6'11 Rick Rickert from Duluth (East) MN, who ranks #12 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP and reminds us in many ways of former Duke All-American Christian Laettner. With 6'2 Salim Stoudamire from Lake Oswego (H.S.) OR and 6'10 Channing Frye from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ already in the fold, a commitment by Latimore would move the Wildcats recruiting class into the #15 position nationally on our list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date. And if Rickert follows suit, which we think also is extremely likely, Arizona's recruiting class would move into the #3 spot behind Florida and North Carolina and just ahead of UCLA and Auburn. But let's not stop there! If 6'1 Aaron Miles from Portland (Jefferson) OR, who ranks #15 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, or 6'7 Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA, who will rank among our top 30 next time we update our nationally rankings, picks the Wildcats, their recruiting class would move into the #1 position well ahead of Florida. And if they get 6'0 Jonathan Hargett from Durham (Mt. Zion) NC, who ranks #8 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, suddenly the Wildcats recruiting class would be become tough to catch, unless the Gators land somebody like 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Or if 5'9 Jason Fontenet from Phoenix (St. Mary's) AZ, who ranks #74 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, commits to the Wildcats, Arizona's recruiting class would be a close second right behind Florida. Our guess is that Hargett will go to West Virginia, but actually we think it's too close to call among Arizona, UCLA, and Kansas for Miles and UCLA and Arizona for Thompson. With that in mind, if you're Arizona, do you take Fontenet if he wants to commit right now or do you hold him off in order to wait and see what Miles and Thompson are going to do?
Saturday, October 7, 2000, and Sunday, October 8, 2000 - One of the most interesting recruiting scenarios of the fall involves 6'9 Ousmane Cisse from Montgomery (St. Jude) AL, who ranks as the #2 senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP behind 6'2 DaJuan Wagner from Camden (H.S.) NJ. We all thought Cisse was done for Louisville prior the summer, but the word we get is that his legal guardian likes the attention he's getting from the recruiting process and/or he has a hard time saying no to schools during the recruiting process. Louisville, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Seton Hall, Memphis, Florida State, Purdue, and Arkansas all are reported to have made in-home visits, but only the first four are assured of getting an on-campus visit. As a result, Cisse's recruitment continues to drag on and, as a result, there appears to be no end in sight, as a spring signing doesn't appear to be out of the question. A lot of people think Louisville is still the school you have to beat, while others think he's totally wide open. Either way, he's is a top priority for the Cardinals, because head coach Denny Crum doesn't have a single player in the program with any experience. Currently the Cardinals have verbal commitments from 6'2 Carlos Hurt from Louisville (Moore) KY and 6'5 Dennis Coutee from Jeffersonville (H.S.) IN, but they need to land at least two quality inside players in order for the Cardinals to have a top ranked recruiting class and, even more important, to become one of the most improved teams in the college basketball after the current season. Right at the top of their list, along with Cisse, are 6'9 Chris Massey from Oxnard (JC) CA, who was ranked as the #1 power forward in the junior college ranks by Rick Ball in the Sporting News Pre-Season Yearbook, and 6'9 Terry Licorish from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC. Louisville appears to be the heavy favorite over Michigan State, USC, and N.C. State for Licorish, because they've been recruiting him the "longest and the hardest." They're also have done the best job of recruiting Licorish's mother. Louisville also is the co-favorite, along with San Diego State, for Massey and they are still one of the top four, along with Vanderbilt, UCLA, and Duke, for 6'11 David Harrision from Brentwood (Academy) TN. They also in the hunt with 6'10 Donald Pierre from Compton (Centennial) CA, which is where they went to steal 6'7 Ellie Myles last spring, and they are battling Cincinnati, Memphis, East Carolina, Iowa State, and Marquette for 6'9 Bakary Konate from Cincinnati State (JC) OH. The Cardinals also are involved with 6'5 Jr Aaron Hutchinson from Randallstown, who Ro Russell, publisher of Double Exposure Scouting Service and is the head coach of Team Toronto, thinks is one of the top juniors in Canada, as well as a top 40 junior nationally in the United States. "Louisville is leading UNC-Charlotte, West Virginia, Missouri, Villanova, etc.," says Russell. Russell also has high praise for Darryl Sharp, who is the Administrative assistant at Louisville. "He does a better job on the phone and via email than a lot of coaches do on the road. If Sharp is still at Louisville when Aaron makes his decision, which will probably be next spring, that will be one of the deciding factors."
Friday, October 6, 2000 - We've been waiting patiently for the last month for Jim Kasberg get us his Indiana Report and now it looks like he will have it in our hands by the beginning of next week. And apparently he has another major surprise for us. If you will recall, he told us that 6'6 Ali Bierdiel, who recently has moved from Puerto Rico to Gary (Adrian) IN, might be the best player in the state. Well, that's a pretty strong statement, because 6'1 Chris Thomas from Indianapolis (Pike) IN ranks #38 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Kasberg also tells us that 6'7 Vytautas Danielus, who is a foreign exchange student from Lithuania who is now attending Indianapolis (Park-Tudor) IN, is in that elite class. And Kasberg isn't the only person who knows about Danielus. Our International Editor Chris Johnson told us about Danielus when 6'9 Mantas Niparavicius committed to UNC-Charlotte early in the summer. Johnson compares Danielus to Utah's Britton Johnsen and it looks like he's just as good. As a matter of fact, one scouting service that ranks foreign players has Danielus ranked as a five on a 1-5 scale. "He's long, slim, and very athletic," says Johnson. He also has a tremendous wing span and he's very skilled, which is evident by the fact that he was the best player on the Lithuanian 18-Under National Team that finished 7th in Croatia in July. In addtion to Danielus and UNC-Charlotte's Niparavicius, that team also featured 6'11 Saulius Kuzminskas, who signed with the University of California in the spring. And now the story gets even more interesting, because a rumor out of Indianapolis, IN is that Danielus verbally committed to N.C. State several weeks ago when they made an in-home visit. Well, we checked and it hasn't happened yet, although N.C. State, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, New Mexico, and Iowa are all in the hunt. But let's assume that he does eventually sign with N.C. State. This would be a huge get for the Wolfpack for several reasons. First, Danielus is a legitimate top 50 player nationally. Second, Wake Forest head coach Dave Odom usually has first crack at the top players from Luthuania. However, after landing 6'9 Josh Powell from Riverdale (H.S.) GA, 6'8 Levi Watkins from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD, and 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD, N.C. State only has two scholarships left and they'd like to sign 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, and a big guy, like 7'0 Marcus Campbell from Albany (Dougherty) GA. So if Danielus does decide he wants to commit to N.C. State, it would be an interesting predicament for head coach Herb Sendek and his coaching staff.
Thursday, October 5, 2000 - We're not sure if it is official yet, but it should be either tonight or tomorrow. That's right! Duke has done it again! We're talking about landing one of the top players in the nation at his position and then recruiting somebody even better in the next class. If you will recall, that's what happened two years ago when the Blue Devils signed Jason Williams, who at the time was the consensus #1 ranked point guard in the nation. Then, a year ago they signed 6'1 Chris Duhon from Slidell (Salmen) LA, who is also was ranked as the #1 point guard in the nation, as well as the #2 senior nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Obviously, they were able to sell Duhon on the fact they'd both play a lot together and that Williams would soon follow in the footsteps of a number of other Duke players that have gone hardship early into the NBA draft in recent years. Well, now it looks like lightning has struck again. Just two months ago 6'3 Daniel Ewing from Sugar Land (Willowridge) TX, who ranks #26 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, made a verbal commitment to the Blue Devils. But now, already before Ewing has even had a chance to sign a National Letter-of-Intent, they've recruited over him. Write it down! 6'4 Jr J.J. Redick from Roanoke (Cave Spring) VA, who ranks #10 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP, is fulfilling his dream. Yes, he's always been a Duke fan, but when they got Ewing, we had to wonder whether they would be able to bring in Redick right on top of him. Well, the fact that they have done it this soon is amazing. It's also a testimonial to the Duke program, which obviously is in a class by itself, as well as the hard work by their two young assistants - Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins. Not only have they gone head-to-head with the big boys, but they have done something (recruit right over the top of great players) most top level programs haven't been able to do in recent years. Redick is a tremendous 3-point shooter, excellent ball handler, and great passer. However, he's really a 2-guard all the way. He's also a great kid and outstanding student, which are other reasons why he such a perfect fit for the Blue Devils program. He also has the drive and work ethic to continue to get better and better, which is why we think the sky is the limit. His only drawback might be that he's not a phenomenal athlete, but he does have deceptive footspeed and a surpringly quick first step. Obviously, we have to wonder how this will effect Ewing's commitment, but just think how much better both Ewing and Redick will get by pushing each other in practice every day. Besides, great players play, plus they tend to go hardship quickly in this day and age. Redick becomes the highest ranked player nationally in the Class of 2002 to have made a verbal commitment. He's also the only player ranked among the top 15 juniors nationally to have committed.
Wednesday, October 4, 2000 - It's now official! Virginia has landed 6'3 Jermaine Harper from Dyke (Blue Ridge School) VA, who is regarded as one of the top 5th year players in nation. This is especially important, because it allows the Cavaliers to concentrate on exclusively on big men, like 6'8 Jason Clark from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, 6'8 Elton Brown from Newport News (Warwick) VA, and 7'1 DeSagana Diop from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA. And let's assume for a minute that they get all three to go along with Harper and 6'2 Keith Jenifer from Chatham (Hargrave Military) VA, who committed to the Virginia in mid-July. That would give the Cavaliers the #1 ranked recruiting class in the nation to date, unless, of course, the Gators get 6'6 Julius Hodge from Bronx (St. Raymond's) NY, who ranks #4 nationally by the HOOP SCOOP. Or if Hodge goes to Syracuse, their class, which includes 6'3 Billy Edelin from Mouth of Wilson (Oak Hill) VA, 7'1 Craig Forth from East Greenbush (Columbia) NY, and 6'6 Josh Pace from Griffin (H.S.) GA, would move up from #4 to #1. And if Hodge goes to N.C. State, which landed 6'10 Jordan Collins from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD several days ago, 6'8 Levi Watkins from Rockville (Montrose Christian) MD last week, and 6'9 Josh Powell from Riverdale (H.S.) GA in mid-July, their recruiting class would move into the #3 position behind Florida and North Carolina and ahead of Auburn. If Hodge goes to Maryland, their recruiting class would be tied at #16, along with UCLA, among the Top 20 Recruiting Classes to Date, which can be found exclusivley in the Members Section, but that would make their year. Remember, the Terrapins are already loaded and they don't need to add much, because everybody, except Terrance Morris will be back after this season for at least another year.
Tuesday, October 3, 2000 - Our Ohio Editor Chris Johnson has the scoop on 6'3 Darren Tarver from Wabash Valley (JC) IL, who has made it official for George Mason, which appears to be well on its way toward becoming one of the premier mid-major programs in the nation. Tarver, who started his high school career at Akron (St. Vincent-St. Mary) OH, but graduated from Barberton (H.S.) OH, is one of the top five 2-guards in the junior college ranks and, as a result, is the equivalent of a top 100 senior nationally. This powerfully built explosive athlete, who reminds Johnson of a smaller version of former UNLV star J.R. Rider, joins 6'2 Lamar Butler from Oxon Hill (H.S.) MD, who verbally committed to the Patriots over a month ago, in George Mason's current recruiting class. If that weren't a powerful enough backcourt already, the word is that 6'4 Raoul Heinen from The Netherlands, who first committed to the Patriots two years ago, will finally enroll at George Mason in December. If that happens, George Mason would have landed five players - Tarver, Butler, Heinen, 6'9 Deon Cooper from Columbia (Central) TN, and 6'11 Jesse Young from Peterborough (Collegiate) ON - during the last two years who are good enough to make an impact in any conference in America. As a result, George Mason could be a potential giant killer in the NCAA Tournament during each of the next several seasons and, as a result, head coach Jim Larranaga will likely emerge as one of the hottest head coaches in the business.
Monday, October 2, 2000 - Our Mid-South Editor Jim Rothman is reporting that 6'3 Jonathan Loe from Bartlett (H.S.) TN, who ranks #14 in Tennessee, has made a verbal commitment to Mississippi. Actually, Loe may turn out to be one of the top players in the state, because he's a terrific athlete and is excellent in an uptempo setting. However, Loe, who previously has advanced academically via home school and, as a result, has never played on a high school team until this year, is still untested in a more structured setting. In other words, Rothman is going to let him earn it before he moves him up. We also have confirmed that Southern Mississippi has gotten a 6'2 James Pattman, who has transferred from Roswell (H.S.) GA to Lilburn (Berkmar) GA, which is ranked #16 nationally pre-season by Street & Smith Pre-Season Yearbook. This is important for both programs, because Berkmar returns four starters, including 6'6 Clark Williams and 6'4 Jr Wayne Arnold, who should explode this winter, and Southern Miss needs a quality point guard who can run the show, penetrate, and distribute. Pattman, who has a 3.2 gpa, 1100 SAT, and picked the Golden Eagles over Hampton University, which also did a great job recruiting him, because Southern Miss has an excellent in business school. Pattman wants to major in accounting and management information systems. Another factor is the families strong ties to the state, as Pattman's father graduated from Mississippi State, his mother graduated from the University of Mississippi, and his grandparents still live in Mississippi. Also on his list were Eastern Kentucky, Furman, and Radford, but Southern Miss is currently breathing easier, because Pattman is still a major sleeper.
Sunday, October 1, 2000 - This is still unconfirmed, but we've heard that DePaul has a verbal commitment from 6'4 Drake Diener from Fond du Lac (Goodrich) WI. According to Elgin Thompson, who is the brother of 6'9 Michael Thompson from New Lenox (Providence) IL, there is no truth to the rumors that Notre Dame is close to getting a verbal commitment from his brother. Currently, Thompson's list includes North Carolina, Duke, Michigan, Georgetown, and Stanford. However, he does confirm that Notre Dame is making strides. Pittsburgh, Maryland, Florida State, and Wisconsin appear to be the favorites for 7'0 Chris Charles from Milford (Academy) CT and Ohio State and just about everybody in the Big East are in the hunt for 6'1 Adrian Walton from Milford (Academy) CT. Seton Hall is the early favorite for 6'4 Jr Randy Foye from Newark (East Side) NJ, who currently ranks #49 nationally among juniors by the HOOP SCOOP, but who will move up dramatically after a terrific fall. Seton Hall also is the early favorite for Soph Jamar Nutter from West Orange (Seton Hall Prep) NJ and Duke is the school everybody is going to have to beat for 6'10 Soph Grant Billmeier from Elizabeth (St. Patrick) NJ. We all thought he would end up in prep school this year, but 6'6 Jr Leonard Cooke is now attending Old Tappan (H.S.) NJ. However, we doubt he'll be there next year, because he's already 18-years-old and, as a result, will be ineligible to play as a high school senior next year. Instead, we had heard he's already slated for Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT and yesterday St. Thomas More head coach Gere Quinn confirmed that he expects to get this incredible junior who reminds us so much of Cincinnati's Kenny Satterfield, although Cooke is four inches taller and better than Satterfield at the same stage. Cooke, who ranks as one of the top three juniors nationally by the HOOP SCOOP, along with 6'9 Jr Amare Stoudamire from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC and 6'7 Jr Evans Burns from Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA, was by far and away the best player at the adidas Hoop Challenge at Yale University in New Haven, CT this weekend. We'll have all the results and highlights exclusively in the Members Section tomorrow (after the tournament is over this afternoon, we have a 14-hour drive ahead of us).
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