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College Basketball "off-season" Thread (players leaving/coaching changes/recruiting)
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by wildkycat,
- Start date
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With this live feed....
Crean and Staff are wearing their candy cane pant warmups....to let the kids know "IU is in the building"
What a self promoting JOKE that guy is.
JT3 in the stands for the Brandon Knight/Kenny Boynton vs Gaddy/Avery Bradley matchup
Crean and Staff are wearing their candy cane pant warmups....to let the kids know "IU is in the building"
What a self promoting JOKE that guy is.
JT3 in the stands for the Brandon Knight/Kenny Boynton vs Gaddy/Avery Bradley matchup
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How do you think the combination of the three returning seniors along with the addition of center Beas Hamga and transfer Tre'Von Willis will affect UNLV this season? Can you see a returnto the Sweet 16 or even further?
- Gary from Las Vegas
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This could be the best team UNLV coach Lon Kruger has hadsince arriving in Las Vegas, even better than that 2006-07 squad with his son, Kevin, that reached the Sweet 16 and won 30 games.
Kruger has a player he can lean on in senior guard WinkAdams, who steadily has improved each season. Kruger also has an experienced and proven group of role players, unlike this past season when the Rebels wereextremely young.
The Rebels are going to the NCAA Tournament, but just how far they go largely depends on Hamga. Willis, who transferred from Memphis, is a solid additionand will create some backcourt depth, but the 7-foot Hamga, who redshirted last season, is a possible difference-maker. Hamga was the No. 26 prospect in a 2007class that has proven to be extraordinarily deep. If he can live up to the hype and expectations in his first season, winning 30-plus games and advancing tothe Elite Eight are realistic goals for UNLV.
- Gary from Las Vegas
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This could be the best team UNLV coach Lon Kruger has hadsince arriving in Las Vegas, even better than that 2006-07 squad with his son, Kevin, that reached the Sweet 16 and won 30 games.
Kruger has a player he can lean on in senior guard WinkAdams, who steadily has improved each season. Kruger also has an experienced and proven group of role players, unlike this past season when the Rebels wereextremely young.
The Rebels are going to the NCAA Tournament, but just how far they go largely depends on Hamga. Willis, who transferred from Memphis, is a solid additionand will create some backcourt depth, but the 7-foot Hamga, who redshirted last season, is a possible difference-maker. Hamga was the No. 26 prospect in a 2007class that has proven to be extraordinarily deep. If he can live up to the hype and expectations in his first season, winning 30-plus games and advancing tothe Elite Eight are realistic goals for UNLV.
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Jim Calhoun is supposedly in really rough shape.
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A 6-2 shooting guard from American Heritage High in Plantation, Fla., Boynton expects to sign in November with one of several schools he listed in this order:Memphis, Texas, Florida, Duke, Kansas State and Southern California.
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Would like to get some more info on Jimmy C, big fan of that guy, his drunken Boston accent still kills me. Malta......
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damn cancer not going away?
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i'm not a fan of Calhoun....but i'm not a fan of cancer either.
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No idea...just that he's 'very sick'. It could be misinformation. But from a reliable source,
Other Uconn news..
Conn coach Jim Calhoun said recently that incoming freshman forward Ater Majok, who is still in high school in Australia, willbe facing a "quick turnaround."
If Majok, originally from Sudan, is not cleared by the NCAA in time for the first semester, he would be expected to enroll and join the Huskies for the second semester.
Since it is winter in Australia, the potential problem lies in timing. Majok, who at first committed to Baylor, would have to finish classes, get cleared andtravel to UConn in a short period of time.
Majok, 6 feet 9, was among UConn's main recruiting targets for this year. He and point guard Kemba Walker highlight the five-player class, which includesScottie Haralson, a shooting guard from Jackson, Miss.; Nate Miles, a 6-7 guard from Toledo, Ohio; and Charles Okwandu, a 7-1 center from Nigeria.
A versatile player, Majok is considered capable of making an immediate impact.
"Obviously, he's very talented," Calhoun said. "He's done very well on his SATs. He just needs to pass his exams to get his diploma. It's a time element. ... We just need everything to work out."
Other Uconn news..
Conn coach Jim Calhoun said recently that incoming freshman forward Ater Majok, who is still in high school in Australia, willbe facing a "quick turnaround."
If Majok, originally from Sudan, is not cleared by the NCAA in time for the first semester, he would be expected to enroll and join the Huskies for the second semester.
Since it is winter in Australia, the potential problem lies in timing. Majok, who at first committed to Baylor, would have to finish classes, get cleared andtravel to UConn in a short period of time.
Majok, 6 feet 9, was among UConn's main recruiting targets for this year. He and point guard Kemba Walker highlight the five-player class, which includesScottie Haralson, a shooting guard from Jackson, Miss.; Nate Miles, a 6-7 guard from Toledo, Ohio; and Charles Okwandu, a 7-1 center from Nigeria.
A versatile player, Majok is considered capable of making an immediate impact.
"Obviously, he's very talented," Calhoun said. "He's done very well on his SATs. He just needs to pass his exams to get his diploma. It's a time element. ... We just need everything to work out."
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Who wants to bet $5 that Ater Majok is actually Ajou Deng.
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Damn...
Get Well Jimmy....
So, how was the reebok camp yesterday????
Get Well Jimmy....
So, how was the reebok camp yesterday????
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LAS VEGAS -- The talent at the adidas Super 64 was stacked higher than chips at the Rio poker tables on Wednesday at Rancho High School.Rivals.com was in the building all day for the action and saw a number of big time players and some big time games.
PUMP POWER
In a rematch of last year's championship game at the adidas Super 64, Pump 'N Run Elite and the Atlanta Celtics met once again in a pool play game onWednesday afternoon.
This year's outcome and bragging rights title swung back to the West Coast after the Pump prospects knocked out the Celtics 72-68. The win was hard earnedand it didn't come easily.
Thanks to a huge open three by ChaseTapley with less than a minute to play on a great pass from Kawhi Leonard.
"That was probably the most important shot of the game," a humble Tapley said shortly after nailing a go ahead three-pointer. "That was a bigplay. Kawhi dribble into the lane and sucked everybody in. They went for it and I was able to knock down the shot. You have to hit those kinds of shots whenyou are wide open."
Tapley did and that shot was the reason why the Pumps came away with the victory. Tapley finished with a dozen points. Leonard put in nine points.
Basketball mavens on the West Coast have raved about Tyler Honeycutt this year and seeing him give a little here and give alittle there, it is easy to see why so many like his upside and future productivity.
"Man, that was a big shot," said Honeycutt on Tapley's score. "If he didn't hit it, I was right there to get the rebound. That is howyou have to be in these types of big games. You have to be ready. We were ready."
UCLA bound guard Kendall Williams ledthe Pump attack with 20 points. He's a scrappy player with a high-level of confidence. He's not shy to take a big shot when a big shot isneeded.
Vander Joaquim, a former San Diegocommit and current Nebraska pledge, had some fine moments on the offensive end of the floor. The 6-foot-9 forward has the tools to be a major focal point forthe Huskers down the road.
The Celtics were paced by rive-star stud Derrick Favors, who scored a team high 21 points. The South Atlantaproduct showed off an array of post moves and scored in constant double teams.
However, it was his defense that was the most impressive. Favors protected the rim like a guard inside a cash room at a casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. He wastallied with eight blocks but probably had a dozen in the contest.
Rising junior Trae Golden went back tohis roots and scored at the basket. His confidence was high and that resulted in 19 points. Alabama add-on Christian Watford scored 14 points in the defeat, too.
SEATTLE STARS
The class of 2010 is in search of some separation at the top of the national rankings and Seattle Rotary big man Josh Smith did a fine job of making his case for the top spot.
The 6-foot-10, 270-pound center mixes fine hands, great footwork, a toughness in the paint and relentlessness in trying to establish position.
Smith, who wears socks with "Big Dawg" sewn in (appropriate for him), powered his way around the cup and scored with a soft touch at will against anequally big post player in the SoCal All-Star's Steven Adams. Smith finished with 18 points and roughly a dozen reboundsin a short time of work.
Teammates Anthony Wroten Jr. andPeyton Siva didn't disappointeither.
After seeing a handful of talented class of 2011 prospects on Tuesday, the trend of game-changing rookies continued on day two in Vegas with Wroten'seffort. The rising sophomore punched his ticket and recorded 18 points and roughly a half dozen assists and rebounds.
Siva, a 2009 Louisville pledge, added 17 points and shot the ball well in the easy victory. He's as steady as they come on the West and will be a welcomedaddition for Rick Pitino next winter.
WEDNESDAY'S NOTABLES
With less than two minutes to play, Team Philly guard Maalik Wayns decided it was time to close up shop he scored 12 of his 27points in the final three minutes and for all intents and purposes end the game with his play against the Raising Champions.
Wayns, a Villanova commitment, is like a running back that sees the faintest glimmer of light and explodes to the hole to get the extra yard. There are fewguys in the nation that know how to get to the iron with the power dribble like Wayns does. He's a master at that skill and scores well with both handswhen he gets there.
Recent Marquette commitment JuniorCadougan has been playing at an extremely high level and on Wednesday, he stayed on top of his personal basketball plateau. The sturdy point guard pumpedin 24 points in a big blowout win for his Grassroots Canada team.
Demetrius Walker was a high-volumeshooter in the morning match-up, scored 20 points in a tough loss. He mixed the good with the bad against Seattle Rotary. The good: a posterizing dunk on Siva.The bad: too many off-balance perimeter shots.
Walker said his recruitment is "pretty much down to three." Southern Cal, Cal and Arizona is the trio "as of right now. I'm sure my coachwill get more calls after this week and I'll look at everything at the end of the month."
Maybe it's a matter of playing in the bring lights on the big stage that brings out the best in enigmatic New Yorker Lance Stephenson. The five-star guard was on his best behavior andplaying like a leader. Even though his team lost, Stephenson played well. He scored 19 points and passed the ball very well.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
The SoCal All-Stars' AnthonyBrown's body and game is somewhat similar to 2008 Memphis signee Wesley Witherspoon. Brown is a better shooter at this stage of development but bothare long wings that can handle the ball and play multiple positions in the backcourt.
Brown's perimeter game was on full display for SCA as he hit for 15 points in a tough loss. The 6-foot-6 rising junior is quickly becoming one of the mostsought after players on the West Coast. Brown said "the entire Pac-10" is recruiting him while Texas, Indiana, UNLV, Oklahoma and Florida are also inthe picture. Arizona State, San Diego and TCU have offered. He said he'll be making an Arizona swing in August to see the Wildcats and Sun Devils.
A game later in the day against Houston Select, Brown was outstanding and looked every bit of one of elite level players in the class of 2010.
Kentucky commitment Dominique Fergusonplayed very strong against a very big French Hoops team. The class of 2010 five-star prospect certainly played the part very well of a top level player.
Ferguson scored from deep, drove to the lane, challenged the shot-blockers and finished with a hard earned 17 points. He worked the boards and looked awfullyfamiliar on the offensive end when challenged by a number of big, physical and tall defenders.
Already ranked at No. 13 overall in the class of 2010, Ferguson's upside mixed with production was enough to get the wheels in motion when thinking aboutjust how high of a prospect he can be in the rising junior class.
Ferguson's Indiana Elite LNO teammate Terone Johnson was also impressive in victory. The 6-foot-2 shootingguard from the class of 2010 scored a modest 16 points in the game. His recruitment is clearly booming at the moment as he gave a long and impressive list thatconsisted of Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Purdue, Marquette, Ohio State, Tennessee, Miami-FL, Butler (offer) and Cincinnati (offer).
Tristan Thompson, the nation'ssecond ranked player in the class of 2010, made it look all too easy against Gateway. The future Texas Longhorn uses every inch of his long frame to hisadvantage as an attacker from the high post and in. He does his best scoring when going towards the basket time and time again and played well as theteam's top rebounder.
Grassroots Canada combo guard MyckKabongo, a class of 2011 prospect, has been a hot name on the recruiting trail this month. The St. Benedict's (N.J.) product said he has heard fromTexas and Florida, the two hottest pursuers at the moment he said, as well as Wake Forest, Memphis, UConn and the rest of the Big East.
HI, MY NAME IS…
Here is a name for big men fanatics to chew on this week. Jordan Williams of the New England Playaz came off the bench andprovided a major shot in the arm at the four and five position in his team's hard fought win.
The 6-foot-8 big man has incredibly soft hands, catching every fastball thrown at him and grabbed tough rebounds on both sides of the floor. In fact, he wasthe best rebounder on his team.
"I was terrible in the spring. Just terrible," Williams said. "But when I started getting used to the competition and the type of players thatyou play at this level, I started playing better. I adjusted to it and things have been going pretty good."
Oh yes they have. Williams has been one of the hottest players this month for coaches. He said Georgetown, Maryland, Xavier, Providence, Rhode Island and UMasshave offered. John Thompson III, Gary Williams, Sean Miller and Keno Davis were all on hand to see the young 17-year-old score 14 points (12 in the secondhalf).
The New England Playaz versus K.C. Pump 'N Run game was a three-point shooting contest. In the first half, there were 12 triples made by both teams. TheK.C. kids had eight of them. Austin Carroll of the Playaz had the other four.
Carroll hit one more to close out the game in the second half and finished with 18 points. He was good when it mattered and didn't get into a shoot-off.Every triple he made was a money ball in this one.
Carroll, a class of 2009 prospect at the moment, said he is finally healthy and playing his best basketball of the year. Prior to the July period, Carroll saidhe has been offered by Holy Cross, Rhode Island, Fairfield, Xavier and Colorado. Since then, Carroll said Michigan, Penn State, Davidson and Providence haveinquired.
Houston Select forward Arsaland Kazami was a beat up man after his 19-point effort against the SoCal All-Stars. The 6-foot-8 had a busted up elbow, a punch tothe gut, a bruised up leg and countless little injuries. That's what happens when you play hard and play above the rim.
The Iranian has been a hot name this month because of his hustle and his athleticism. It's easy to see why Syracuse, Seton Hall, Memphis, Oklahoma State,Missouri and West Virginia are in the mix for him at the moment.
The entire roster of the French Hoops club is stacked with intriguing prospects. Each of the players are gifted athletes with college ready frames. There werefour players that caught our eye.
Six-foot-8 combo forward Bandja Sy was the most impressive of the bunch. He's a great shooter for his size and bouncy to boot.Amath Mbayne, a 6-foot-7 combo forward, was active and produced.
Blessed with a knack for scoring the basketball, Mohamed Koita led his team in scoring and did fine job of challenging defenders with constantpower moves to the basket. Seven-foot-2 center Youssoupha Mbao was the team's best high post passer.
Head coach Babacar Cy said most of his players will likely be in the United States for high school next year. If that is the case, Sy, Mbayne and Mbao are allsure fire high-major prospects while Koita is a good-looking mid-level guy.
Derek Johnson was a nice surprise forthe Houston Select team. The 6-foot-7 step out four man scored 16 points and hit three three-pointers in a row.
Johnson said he has heard from Colorado, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State, Stephen F. Austin, Mercer, Arkansas State and Wagner.
NOTES FROM THE NOTEPAD
ESPN2 will be showing the Orlando Showcase on Saturday featuring the Boo Williams squad
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| Tyler Honeycutt played a big role in his team's big win over the Atlanta Celtics. |
In a rematch of last year's championship game at the adidas Super 64, Pump 'N Run Elite and the Atlanta Celtics met once again in a pool play game onWednesday afternoon.
This year's outcome and bragging rights title swung back to the West Coast after the Pump prospects knocked out the Celtics 72-68. The win was hard earnedand it didn't come easily.
Thanks to a huge open three by ChaseTapley with less than a minute to play on a great pass from Kawhi Leonard.
"That was probably the most important shot of the game," a humble Tapley said shortly after nailing a go ahead three-pointer. "That was a bigplay. Kawhi dribble into the lane and sucked everybody in. They went for it and I was able to knock down the shot. You have to hit those kinds of shots whenyou are wide open."
Tapley did and that shot was the reason why the Pumps came away with the victory. Tapley finished with a dozen points. Leonard put in nine points.
Basketball mavens on the West Coast have raved about Tyler Honeycutt this year and seeing him give a little here and give alittle there, it is easy to see why so many like his upside and future productivity.
"Man, that was a big shot," said Honeycutt on Tapley's score. "If he didn't hit it, I was right there to get the rebound. That is howyou have to be in these types of big games. You have to be ready. We were ready."
UCLA bound guard Kendall Williams ledthe Pump attack with 20 points. He's a scrappy player with a high-level of confidence. He's not shy to take a big shot when a big shot isneeded.
Vander Joaquim, a former San Diegocommit and current Nebraska pledge, had some fine moments on the offensive end of the floor. The 6-foot-9 forward has the tools to be a major focal point forthe Huskers down the road.
The Celtics were paced by rive-star stud Derrick Favors, who scored a team high 21 points. The South Atlantaproduct showed off an array of post moves and scored in constant double teams.
However, it was his defense that was the most impressive. Favors protected the rim like a guard inside a cash room at a casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. He wastallied with eight blocks but probably had a dozen in the contest.
Rising junior Trae Golden went back tohis roots and scored at the basket. His confidence was high and that resulted in 19 points. Alabama add-on Christian Watford scored 14 points in the defeat, too.
SEATTLE STARS
The class of 2010 is in search of some separation at the top of the national rankings and Seattle Rotary big man Josh Smith did a fine job of making his case for the top spot.
The 6-foot-10, 270-pound center mixes fine hands, great footwork, a toughness in the paint and relentlessness in trying to establish position.
Smith, who wears socks with "Big Dawg" sewn in (appropriate for him), powered his way around the cup and scored with a soft touch at will against anequally big post player in the SoCal All-Star's Steven Adams. Smith finished with 18 points and roughly a dozen reboundsin a short time of work.
Teammates Anthony Wroten Jr. andPeyton Siva didn't disappointeither.
After seeing a handful of talented class of 2011 prospects on Tuesday, the trend of game-changing rookies continued on day two in Vegas with Wroten'seffort. The rising sophomore punched his ticket and recorded 18 points and roughly a half dozen assists and rebounds.
Siva, a 2009 Louisville pledge, added 17 points and shot the ball well in the easy victory. He's as steady as they come on the West and will be a welcomedaddition for Rick Pitino next winter.
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| Future Villanova guard Maalik Wayns put on a show against Lance Stephenson. |
With less than two minutes to play, Team Philly guard Maalik Wayns decided it was time to close up shop he scored 12 of his 27points in the final three minutes and for all intents and purposes end the game with his play against the Raising Champions.
Wayns, a Villanova commitment, is like a running back that sees the faintest glimmer of light and explodes to the hole to get the extra yard. There are fewguys in the nation that know how to get to the iron with the power dribble like Wayns does. He's a master at that skill and scores well with both handswhen he gets there.
Recent Marquette commitment JuniorCadougan has been playing at an extremely high level and on Wednesday, he stayed on top of his personal basketball plateau. The sturdy point guard pumpedin 24 points in a big blowout win for his Grassroots Canada team.
Demetrius Walker was a high-volumeshooter in the morning match-up, scored 20 points in a tough loss. He mixed the good with the bad against Seattle Rotary. The good: a posterizing dunk on Siva.The bad: too many off-balance perimeter shots.
Walker said his recruitment is "pretty much down to three." Southern Cal, Cal and Arizona is the trio "as of right now. I'm sure my coachwill get more calls after this week and I'll look at everything at the end of the month."
Maybe it's a matter of playing in the bring lights on the big stage that brings out the best in enigmatic New Yorker Lance Stephenson. The five-star guard was on his best behavior andplaying like a leader. Even though his team lost, Stephenson played well. He scored 19 points and passed the ball very well.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
The SoCal All-Stars' AnthonyBrown's body and game is somewhat similar to 2008 Memphis signee Wesley Witherspoon. Brown is a better shooter at this stage of development but bothare long wings that can handle the ball and play multiple positions in the backcourt.
Brown's perimeter game was on full display for SCA as he hit for 15 points in a tough loss. The 6-foot-6 rising junior is quickly becoming one of the mostsought after players on the West Coast. Brown said "the entire Pac-10" is recruiting him while Texas, Indiana, UNLV, Oklahoma and Florida are also inthe picture. Arizona State, San Diego and TCU have offered. He said he'll be making an Arizona swing in August to see the Wildcats and Sun Devils.
A game later in the day against Houston Select, Brown was outstanding and looked every bit of one of elite level players in the class of 2010.
Kentucky commitment Dominique Fergusonplayed very strong against a very big French Hoops team. The class of 2010 five-star prospect certainly played the part very well of a top level player.
Ferguson scored from deep, drove to the lane, challenged the shot-blockers and finished with a hard earned 17 points. He worked the boards and looked awfullyfamiliar on the offensive end when challenged by a number of big, physical and tall defenders.
Already ranked at No. 13 overall in the class of 2010, Ferguson's upside mixed with production was enough to get the wheels in motion when thinking aboutjust how high of a prospect he can be in the rising junior class.
Ferguson's Indiana Elite LNO teammate Terone Johnson was also impressive in victory. The 6-foot-2 shootingguard from the class of 2010 scored a modest 16 points in the game. His recruitment is clearly booming at the moment as he gave a long and impressive list thatconsisted of Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Purdue, Marquette, Ohio State, Tennessee, Miami-FL, Butler (offer) and Cincinnati (offer).
Tristan Thompson, the nation'ssecond ranked player in the class of 2010, made it look all too easy against Gateway. The future Texas Longhorn uses every inch of his long frame to hisadvantage as an attacker from the high post and in. He does his best scoring when going towards the basket time and time again and played well as theteam's top rebounder.
Grassroots Canada combo guard MyckKabongo, a class of 2011 prospect, has been a hot name on the recruiting trail this month. The St. Benedict's (N.J.) product said he has heard fromTexas and Florida, the two hottest pursuers at the moment he said, as well as Wake Forest, Memphis, UConn and the rest of the Big East.
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| Big man Jordan Williams has been a huge surprise for the high-majors this month. |
Here is a name for big men fanatics to chew on this week. Jordan Williams of the New England Playaz came off the bench andprovided a major shot in the arm at the four and five position in his team's hard fought win.
The 6-foot-8 big man has incredibly soft hands, catching every fastball thrown at him and grabbed tough rebounds on both sides of the floor. In fact, he wasthe best rebounder on his team.
"I was terrible in the spring. Just terrible," Williams said. "But when I started getting used to the competition and the type of players thatyou play at this level, I started playing better. I adjusted to it and things have been going pretty good."
Oh yes they have. Williams has been one of the hottest players this month for coaches. He said Georgetown, Maryland, Xavier, Providence, Rhode Island and UMasshave offered. John Thompson III, Gary Williams, Sean Miller and Keno Davis were all on hand to see the young 17-year-old score 14 points (12 in the secondhalf).
The New England Playaz versus K.C. Pump 'N Run game was a three-point shooting contest. In the first half, there were 12 triples made by both teams. TheK.C. kids had eight of them. Austin Carroll of the Playaz had the other four.
Carroll hit one more to close out the game in the second half and finished with 18 points. He was good when it mattered and didn't get into a shoot-off.Every triple he made was a money ball in this one.
Carroll, a class of 2009 prospect at the moment, said he is finally healthy and playing his best basketball of the year. Prior to the July period, Carroll saidhe has been offered by Holy Cross, Rhode Island, Fairfield, Xavier and Colorado. Since then, Carroll said Michigan, Penn State, Davidson and Providence haveinquired.
Houston Select forward Arsaland Kazami was a beat up man after his 19-point effort against the SoCal All-Stars. The 6-foot-8 had a busted up elbow, a punch tothe gut, a bruised up leg and countless little injuries. That's what happens when you play hard and play above the rim.
The Iranian has been a hot name this month because of his hustle and his athleticism. It's easy to see why Syracuse, Seton Hall, Memphis, Oklahoma State,Missouri and West Virginia are in the mix for him at the moment.
The entire roster of the French Hoops club is stacked with intriguing prospects. Each of the players are gifted athletes with college ready frames. There werefour players that caught our eye.
Six-foot-8 combo forward Bandja Sy was the most impressive of the bunch. He's a great shooter for his size and bouncy to boot.Amath Mbayne, a 6-foot-7 combo forward, was active and produced.
Blessed with a knack for scoring the basketball, Mohamed Koita led his team in scoring and did fine job of challenging defenders with constantpower moves to the basket. Seven-foot-2 center Youssoupha Mbao was the team's best high post passer.
Head coach Babacar Cy said most of his players will likely be in the United States for high school next year. If that is the case, Sy, Mbayne and Mbao are allsure fire high-major prospects while Koita is a good-looking mid-level guy.
Derek Johnson was a nice surprise forthe Houston Select team. The 6-foot-7 step out four man scored 16 points and hit three three-pointers in a row.
Johnson said he has heard from Colorado, Liberty, Middle Tennessee State, Stephen F. Austin, Mercer, Arkansas State and Wagner.
NOTES FROM THE NOTEPAD
- Honeycutt said Southern Cal, UCLA, Arizona State, Washington, San Diego, San Diego State and Santa Clara have offered while Texas and Arizona are also very interested, he said.
- Tapley, Pump 'N Run's star of the game against the Celtics said Stanford, Baylor and San Diego State are the current leaders while San Diego, Sacramento State, UC Davis and Wyoming have offered him to date.
- Tapley's teammate Leonard said San Diego State, San Diego and Southern Cal have offered while the majority of the Pac-10 is looking along with Indiana, Michigan and others are also interested, he said.
- Evan Gordon knows what it means to play well in Las Vegas. After all, he watched his older brother Eric set up shop in Sin City before moving on to Indiana.
The younger Gordon put in some big time work on Wednesday, scoring 26 points for his Indiana Elite LNO squad. The 6-foot-1 guard put on a scoring show (just like big bro) by driving to the hole and scoring at the rim.
Gordon, a class of 2009 prospect, said he'll likely visit Penn State in August. He also has offers from Kent State and Butler. Indiana and Miami-FL are also showing interest, he said.
- Since re-opening his recruitment from Florida Atlantic earlier in the summer Freddie Riley said he's picked up offers from UMass, South Florida, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth while Kansas State, Baylor, Florida, Central Florida, Clemson and Auburn.
Florida Rams teammate Ramon Galloway has also seen a spike in his recruitment. Galloway, a point guard that scored 24 points in a great come-from-behind win, said he has offers from Virginia, South Carolina, South Florida and Central Florida while UMass is in the mix.
- Future UCLA Brendan Lane 17 points and double digit rebounds in a tough loss.
- California power forward Andy Brown said he's down to five schools. Arizona (offer), San Diego (offer), Utah (offer), Stanford and Cal will be the schools under final consideration. He said he will unofficially visit Arizona, Stanford and perhaps Cal next month. Brown said he has already been to San Diego and Utah.
- Put Steve Adams on the watch list in the West for the class of 2010. The Rivals100 post from Pasadena (Calif.) High School is a work in progress and still getting into better shape. However, the finished product could be very good down the road.
- A fantasy match-up of Stephenson and Xavier Henry would be fun to watch. Both guards are physically gifted guys that can score points with the best of them. In a town where heavyweights have clashed horns, that match-up would be worth a good pay-per-view.
- Team Phily guard and LaSalle commitment Nurideen Lindsay scored 22 points against Raising Champions. He's one of the best scorers in Philly and brought his prowess to the desert. His play was instrumental in the win.
- Canadian center Kadeem Green said Louisiana Tech, Pittsburgh and Minnesota are currently the favorites in his recruitment.
- There is a value for guys like Dwight Powell of Grassroots Canada. He's a grinder inside and showed some love for defending the post against Gateway Basketball. The class of 2010 forward doesn't mind playing physical and did a fine job of keeping Illinois commitment Tyler Griffey in single digits for scoring.
ESPN2 will be showing the Orlando Showcase on Saturday featuring the Boo Williams squad
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BALTIMORE - Being out of town for your job can sometimes be very beneficial.
After getting off from work last week in Laurel, I made plans to drive up Interstate 95 about 20 miles to meetRoscoe Smith and his father, BrianThompson at their preferred outdoor facility -- Carroll Park -- which is so close to downtown Baltimore that the skyline is in easy sight from theactual outdoor courts.
Right off Washington Boulevard, in front of the large city park, I met Brian outside, in front of his full-sized SUV, and we walked together to the far courtwhere a lean and slender Smith took jumpers, knocking them down with ease from the eight to 12 to 16 foot range over and over and over again.
As Thompson and I exchanged pleasantries and spoke of all things Baltimore, basketball and being a father to a highly coveted recruit, I watched Smith closely,noticing the rangy frame, trying to size him up, in my head. Is he 6-7? Could he be 6-8? He's got the look of a kid who hasn't finished growing.
I figured the rising junior, who is 17 years old, couldn't have been more than 180 pounds, soaking wet. His size 15 feet slid quickly and with coordinationacross the asphalt court as he tracked down his misses.
It was a hot day, somewhere in the lower 90's, and the aforementioned asphalt court gave off some additional heat that you could feel in your bones.
I loosened my tie after a hard day's work in the office. As he went through his motions, shooting jumpers, slamming home his rebounds with authority -- Iwanted to see more. A lot more.
Here's a kid who isn't available to many and I'm getting to spend some one on one time with him. He's opted, with his father's advice,to shy away from the AAU circuit, and instead work on his SAT preparation. And he isn't attending many of the camps either, with theexception of LeBron James' Skill Camp in Ohio and Vince Carter's event in Florida --neither of which I attended.
So this was my chance to get the full look at Smith, even if it wasn't a game setting.
I asked his father what kind of workouts they did at this park, since it was only about four blocks from their home. I was shown a drill that they go throughtogether a lot.
Smith sprinted to mid-court and quickly changed directions, coming back towards his stocky father, who stood 6-5 himself, and probably close to 250 pounds.
Smith caught a pass from his dad at the 10 foot line and swished a soft jumper. He then sprinted back to mid-court and repeated the motion, this time catchinga pass from the 15 foot area and sinking a pretty shot from the free throw line. Again, he bolted back to mid-court in the hot sun and bolted back to launcheda three pointer, which rimmed out.
I politely interrupted the drill and asked if I could put him through some of my own drills, perhaps sensing that taking the initiative might get me a chanceto see some more ball skills and tendencies where he actually has to show some instincts.
They both obliged, and I proceeded to loosen my tie even more this time, to the point where there was no point in having it on anymore. A few drips of sweatfell off of the young prospect's brow.
I got him to come to the right elbow. I gave him the ball and lined up to give him some resistance. Not any sort of great resistance. But resistance in theform of a 33-year old who's best playing days were seven or eight years back.
I told him to ball fake, dribble left and navigate into the five to eight foot range and shoot his jumper while being guarded. He went through this drill aboutfour times before I made him switch sides.
Since I knew exactly where he was going and how he was going to get there -- it actually gave me a great advantage to defend him and give him an extended armto shoot over, even if I was four inches shorter.
As he switched sides, I noticed he was comfortable dribbling with either hand, and very natural doing it from either side of the key. Most of his shots fellthrough the net and even the ones he missed -- well -- they still had nice form and rotation.
His habit of talking to himself while in workout mode was evident. He did it frequently and it seemed to pump him up in the afternoon sun.
"Let's go Roscoe," he said with conviction, under his breath.
Then we moved to the lane, where I got him to turn his body, so that he was in a back-to-the-basket position. I instructed him to use a one-dribble skill moveto either shoulder before he shot the basketball. His immediate tendency was to shoot a high-release fade-away from his right shoulder.
He hit one of three before I made him go to the other shoulder and shoot a jump-hook or baby-hook from about seven to eight feet out. I planted a forearm onhis hip to provide some additional resistance in the physical form.
It was pretty obvious that while Smith had some back-to-the-basket experience, he was definitely more comfortable facing up and driving to the basket, orsimply shooting jumpers from the perimeter or off the bounce…..
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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| Clint Jackson (CB) | |
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| CB's Clint Jackson spent time working out recently with Baltimore (MD) forward Roscoe Smith. |
Right off Washington Boulevard, in front of the large city park, I met Brian outside, in front of his full-sized SUV, and we walked together to the far courtwhere a lean and slender Smith took jumpers, knocking them down with ease from the eight to 12 to 16 foot range over and over and over again.
As Thompson and I exchanged pleasantries and spoke of all things Baltimore, basketball and being a father to a highly coveted recruit, I watched Smith closely,noticing the rangy frame, trying to size him up, in my head. Is he 6-7? Could he be 6-8? He's got the look of a kid who hasn't finished growing.
I figured the rising junior, who is 17 years old, couldn't have been more than 180 pounds, soaking wet. His size 15 feet slid quickly and with coordinationacross the asphalt court as he tracked down his misses.
It was a hot day, somewhere in the lower 90's, and the aforementioned asphalt court gave off some additional heat that you could feel in your bones.
I loosened my tie after a hard day's work in the office. As he went through his motions, shooting jumpers, slamming home his rebounds with authority -- Iwanted to see more. A lot more.
Here's a kid who isn't available to many and I'm getting to spend some one on one time with him. He's opted, with his father's advice,to shy away from the AAU circuit, and instead work on his SAT preparation. And he isn't attending many of the camps either, with theexception of LeBron James' Skill Camp in Ohio and Vince Carter's event in Florida --neither of which I attended.
So this was my chance to get the full look at Smith, even if it wasn't a game setting.
I asked his father what kind of workouts they did at this park, since it was only about four blocks from their home. I was shown a drill that they go throughtogether a lot.
Smith sprinted to mid-court and quickly changed directions, coming back towards his stocky father, who stood 6-5 himself, and probably close to 250 pounds.
Smith caught a pass from his dad at the 10 foot line and swished a soft jumper. He then sprinted back to mid-court and repeated the motion, this time catchinga pass from the 15 foot area and sinking a pretty shot from the free throw line. Again, he bolted back to mid-court in the hot sun and bolted back to launcheda three pointer, which rimmed out.
I politely interrupted the drill and asked if I could put him through some of my own drills, perhaps sensing that taking the initiative might get me a chanceto see some more ball skills and tendencies where he actually has to show some instincts.
They both obliged, and I proceeded to loosen my tie even more this time, to the point where there was no point in having it on anymore. A few drips of sweatfell off of the young prospect's brow.
|
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| Clint Jackson (CB) | |
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| |
| Smith impressed with his soft shooting touch and his ball handling. |
I told him to ball fake, dribble left and navigate into the five to eight foot range and shoot his jumper while being guarded. He went through this drill aboutfour times before I made him switch sides.
Since I knew exactly where he was going and how he was going to get there -- it actually gave me a great advantage to defend him and give him an extended armto shoot over, even if I was four inches shorter.
As he switched sides, I noticed he was comfortable dribbling with either hand, and very natural doing it from either side of the key. Most of his shots fellthrough the net and even the ones he missed -- well -- they still had nice form and rotation.
His habit of talking to himself while in workout mode was evident. He did it frequently and it seemed to pump him up in the afternoon sun.
"Let's go Roscoe," he said with conviction, under his breath.
Then we moved to the lane, where I got him to turn his body, so that he was in a back-to-the-basket position. I instructed him to use a one-dribble skill moveto either shoulder before he shot the basketball. His immediate tendency was to shoot a high-release fade-away from his right shoulder.
He hit one of three before I made him go to the other shoulder and shoot a jump-hook or baby-hook from about seven to eight feet out. I planted a forearm onhis hip to provide some additional resistance in the physical form.
It was pretty obvious that while Smith had some back-to-the-basket experience, he was definitely more comfortable facing up and driving to the basket, orsimply shooting jumpers from the perimeter or off the bounce…..
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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This was posted up in that Carl Landry thread but figured I would put it in here as well:
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LAS VEGAS- On day two in Vegas a plethora of coaches traveled off the beaten path to watch Thomas Robinson, who came up with an impressive effort.
A high energy player with a load of athleticism, Robinson racked up a solid double/double of 22 points and 12 rebounds. He pursuedballs outside of his area and left little doubt who would come down with the ball when he got his hands on it. Offensively, Robinson wasn't utilized agreat deal more than as a rebounder, but he did finish with authority and scored on some powerful drives to the basket.
Head coaches from West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia, South Florida, Miami, Boston College, Xavier, Pittsburgh and Kansas along with assistants fromTexas, Oklahoma and Duke were all in the gym.
Robinson, who only emerged as a high major priority during this travel circuit, doesn't have a formal school list, but listed Kansas, Duke, Memphis,Pittsburgh, Virginia, Providence, South Florida, Maryland, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Kentucky, George Mason, Georgetown and George Washington. Allhave offered except for Duke.
After July Robinson plans to trim his list, and he said he is likely to wait till the spring to make a decision.
Mouphtaou Yarou had quite a following as well forhis morning game at the Main Event. Bruce Pearl, Jamie Dixon, Paul Hewitt, Jay Wright, Stan Heath and Marvin Menzies watched the athletic post player put up 23points.
Tarou is just getting a gauge on his recruitment but said that New Mexico State, Villanova, Georgetown, UCLA, DePaul and Virginia Tech are on him the hardest.
Roger Franklin had a big game for Team Texas in awin over Team Jones. The undersized, but high energy productive player scored 33 points in a variety of ways.
After the game Franklin revealed a top six of Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Arizona and Indiana.
Also playing a strong game for Team Texas was point guard Vertrail Vaughn. He scored 18 points while also distributing the ball off his slashing drives. Withan offer from Colorado, Vaughn also listed George Mason, Virginia, Michigan, San Diego, Colorado State, Oklahoma and Iowa. Vaughn considers George Mason andVirginia his top schools.
With Bruce Pearl, Andy Kennedy, Mark Gotfried, Rick Pitino, Tom Crean and Frank Haith in the crowd, the Memphis Magic had a strong showing against the HoustonLynx in a large part behind the effort of SampsonCarter, who is reclassifying with a prep year at Winchendon. Carter was all over the boards and scored the ball as well.
After the game Carter admitted that UMass is in a strong position to land him after hiring his brother as an assistant coach, but Carter also has Tennessee,Memphis, Kentucky and UAB on his list. Carter claims offers from all the schools.
Point guard Joe Jackson repeatedly got to thebasket for 19 points in the win. Jackson did say Memphis is his leader because of proximity but also has Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss on his list.
Although he takes a step back with Jackson controlling the ball for the Magic, 2010 prospect Mardracus Wade has the qualities of a high level point guard. He handles the ballwith composure, scores at opportune moments and most impressively defends extremely well.
Presently Wade has offers from Ole Miss, Memphis and Baylor with interest from Missouri and Tennessee. With the SEC being his favorite conference, Wadeconsiders Ole Miss as his favorite.
Tarik Black is a high energy player who defendsdown low and can also move his feet on the perimeter. He also can score the ball down low with quick dribble moves. His long arms and quick jumping abilityallow him to play a lot bigger than his 6-foot-7 height. Memphis, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UTEP, Baylor have all offered him
Rising sophomore Adonis Thomas didn't get a lot of run, but he looked good during his limited minutes. The 6-foot-5 small forward saidTennessee (offer), Georgetown, Florida and Wake Forest are high on his list.
California Supreme and Seattle Friends of Hoops battled through three overtimes until Aaron Bright of FOH sank a game winning three-pointer at the buzzer of the fourthovertime. Bright didn't have his best game shooting, only hitting 6-15 from the field, but he did hit four three-pointers and only had one turnover whilerunning the point.
On the recruiting front Bright has an offer from Eastern Washington and is getting interest from Oregon State, Stanford, California and Washington State.
Backcourt teammate Aaron Dotson was solidthroughout the game scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds. With his stock on the rise, Dotson has offers from LSU, Miami, Washington, USC and Indianawhile Louisville and UCLA are showing interest.
On the opposing end Jeremy Tyler came out of thegates strong but cooled off the rest of the way, finishing with a 15 point nine rebound effort.
..
The Yarou kid is one to watch...is improving rapidly.
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| Robinson impressed on Wednesday. |
Head coaches from West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Virginia, South Florida, Miami, Boston College, Xavier, Pittsburgh and Kansas along with assistants fromTexas, Oklahoma and Duke were all in the gym.
Robinson, who only emerged as a high major priority during this travel circuit, doesn't have a formal school list, but listed Kansas, Duke, Memphis,Pittsburgh, Virginia, Providence, South Florida, Maryland, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Kentucky, George Mason, Georgetown and George Washington. Allhave offered except for Duke.
After July Robinson plans to trim his list, and he said he is likely to wait till the spring to make a decision.
Mouphtaou Yarou had quite a following as well forhis morning game at the Main Event. Bruce Pearl, Jamie Dixon, Paul Hewitt, Jay Wright, Stan Heath and Marvin Menzies watched the athletic post player put up 23points.
Tarou is just getting a gauge on his recruitment but said that New Mexico State, Villanova, Georgetown, UCLA, DePaul and Virginia Tech are on him the hardest.
Roger Franklin had a big game for Team Texas in awin over Team Jones. The undersized, but high energy productive player scored 33 points in a variety of ways.
After the game Franklin revealed a top six of Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Arizona and Indiana.
Also playing a strong game for Team Texas was point guard Vertrail Vaughn. He scored 18 points while also distributing the ball off his slashing drives. Withan offer from Colorado, Vaughn also listed George Mason, Virginia, Michigan, San Diego, Colorado State, Oklahoma and Iowa. Vaughn considers George Mason andVirginia his top schools.
With Bruce Pearl, Andy Kennedy, Mark Gotfried, Rick Pitino, Tom Crean and Frank Haith in the crowd, the Memphis Magic had a strong showing against the HoustonLynx in a large part behind the effort of SampsonCarter, who is reclassifying with a prep year at Winchendon. Carter was all over the boards and scored the ball as well.
After the game Carter admitted that UMass is in a strong position to land him after hiring his brother as an assistant coach, but Carter also has Tennessee,Memphis, Kentucky and UAB on his list. Carter claims offers from all the schools.
Point guard Joe Jackson repeatedly got to thebasket for 19 points in the win. Jackson did say Memphis is his leader because of proximity but also has Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss on his list.
Although he takes a step back with Jackson controlling the ball for the Magic, 2010 prospect Mardracus Wade has the qualities of a high level point guard. He handles the ballwith composure, scores at opportune moments and most impressively defends extremely well.
Presently Wade has offers from Ole Miss, Memphis and Baylor with interest from Missouri and Tennessee. With the SEC being his favorite conference, Wadeconsiders Ole Miss as his favorite.
Tarik Black is a high energy player who defendsdown low and can also move his feet on the perimeter. He also can score the ball down low with quick dribble moves. His long arms and quick jumping abilityallow him to play a lot bigger than his 6-foot-7 height. Memphis, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UTEP, Baylor have all offered him
Rising sophomore Adonis Thomas didn't get a lot of run, but he looked good during his limited minutes. The 6-foot-5 small forward saidTennessee (offer), Georgetown, Florida and Wake Forest are high on his list.
California Supreme and Seattle Friends of Hoops battled through three overtimes until Aaron Bright of FOH sank a game winning three-pointer at the buzzer of the fourthovertime. Bright didn't have his best game shooting, only hitting 6-15 from the field, but he did hit four three-pointers and only had one turnover whilerunning the point.
On the recruiting front Bright has an offer from Eastern Washington and is getting interest from Oregon State, Stanford, California and Washington State.
Backcourt teammate Aaron Dotson was solidthroughout the game scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds. With his stock on the rise, Dotson has offers from LSU, Miami, Washington, USC and Indianawhile Louisville and UCLA are showing interest.
On the opposing end Jeremy Tyler came out of thegates strong but cooled off the rest of the way, finishing with a 15 point nine rebound effort.
..
The Yarou kid is one to watch...is improving rapidly.
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co-sign I had someone close to me just die from cancer it is not a good look. I hope he gets better for real.
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Glen Rice JR to Georgia Tech.
Hewitt gettin after it again on the recruiting trail..
Hewitt gettin after it again on the recruiting trail..
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Thats a damn good pick up
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Hewitt is one of the few coaches I wouldn't mind seeing success in the ACC...Or the nation for that matter...
I always like GT Teams....
As long as it isn't at the expense of Duke.
I always like GT Teams....
As long as it isn't at the expense of Duke.
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damn.
If GT gets Favors they got a nice little class.
If GT gets Favors they got a nice little class.
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GT 2009 class?
Looks Really good to me
Looks Really good to me
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Supposedly they might be in the lead for Favors...
Dre, I agree...like the guy a lot....but someday he's gona have to learn to have an inside scoring presence. His Siena teams were all guard orientated,too.
...
Dre, I agree...like the guy a lot....but someday he's gona have to learn to have an inside scoring presence. His Siena teams were all guard orientated,too.
...
"Hollis was excellent today. He played for Portland Legends at Nike Main Event tournament. Brought team back from behind to win in OT--in that game he had 25 pts and 10 rebounds. The second game his team lost by 6 pts, but he scored 20+ had numerours boards, assists and was best player on court".
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Class of 2010 and already 6-10 270? Kid's got be like 17. Jesus.
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Kid looks like the next Eddy Curry (before he got extra fat and lazy).
