Recruiting
Links, rankings and more on high school prospects
July’s for beaches, BBQs and fireworks. Unless you’re a college basketball coach or recruit.
Then you spend the month in a gym, watching or playing hoops. So what's the scoop?
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Chris Washburn was just before my time. N.C. State’s game weren’t broadcast much in our area, and his NBA career never amounted to much. Most of what I know relates to him being on assorted lists of the NBA draft’s biggest busts.
Still, it was a small shock to grasp the details in Rick Bozich’s Louisville Courier-Journal story. Trying to decide which nugget sticks out the most.
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The revamped SEC is hardly a secret anymore. Even if John Calipari wasn’t a Tweeting machine, the conference will assuredly be a far cry from its 2008-09 version that saw just three teams earn NCAA tourney berths.
Except, that is, for Arkansas.
It just doesn't seem possible given the turnover John Pelphrey has to deal with.
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Kansas fans can exhale. Xavier Henry is still coming to Lawrence.
One of the nation’s prize recruits – a 6-6 sweet-shooting guard is high on anyone’s list – gave the Jayhawk faithful a tense 12 hours or so on Tuesday when word surfaced that Henry was re-considering his commitment to Bill Self’s squad and possibly headed to Kentucky (if only to complete what was already a ridiculously good recruiting class).
But later that night, Henry texted a radio station he was sticking with KU.
“I’m going to Kansas and that’s final,” the text read.
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One of 2010’s prize recruits sounds too good to be true.
Harrison Barnes is a 6-foot-7 wing, blessed with a massive wingspan, a solid perimeter shot and excellent ball-handling skills. He’s also a dedicated baller, committed to the gym.
The nation’s No. 2 overall recruit (according to Rivals.com) even logged an impressive few days at the Pangos All-American camp recently.
Yes, that’s fairly routine for a star prospect. The spectacular stuff comes next.
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Despite an abundance of talent, Lance Stephenson’s college career is still on hold. And it could be that way for a while.
Maryland – fresh off the news that do-it-all point guard Grevis Vazquez will return to school – has stopped recruiting the high school star. Yes, Gary Williams’ program could use a boost. Doesn’t matter. Sounds like they’ll take their chances without one of 2009’s elite talents. (Much to some fans’ chagrin.)
Terps officials are worried about a possible fiasco with Stephenson’s eligibility. He also faces a court date later this month regarding a misdemeanor sexual assault charge.
Sure, he’s talented, but there’s enough baggage that teams are scared of taking him. And really, who wants to get burned?
Turns out there’s still one school that is recruiting Stephenson.
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Kentucky’s recruiting class for the ages is in place. Now the real challenge begins.
Kentucky added John Wall, the nation’s top recruit, to a class that already featured three other five-star recruits. Throw in a new coach who’s won 137 games in the last four seasons and it’s enough to make Big Blue Nation throw up their hands and shout Hallelujah!
That salivating is from hoops pundits around the country who are proclaiming Kentucky the team to beat in 2009-10. They may not be wrong.
The only thing scarier than the loaded roster? The sky-high expectations heaped upon the ‘Cats.
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It didn’t take long for John Calipari to follow through on his promise to recruit the “best of the best.”
Still, recruiting the best players is one thing. Getting commitments is another. And Calipari’s already exceeded any reasonable expectations in his first month on the job.
Wednesday was just the latest example.
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Could be a big week for new Arizona coach Sean Miller. He could use it.
Miller became the official replacement for longtime coach Lute Olson – after the school had nearly two seasons of interim coaches Kevin O’Neil and Russ Pennell – last month, and has spent that time adjusting to life in the desert and loss of the Wildcats’ three best players to the NBA draft.
But after securing a commitment from small forward Kevin Parron last week, Miller and Arizona are going one of the biggest recruits still available: New York shooting guard Lance Stephenson.
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Good news for those tired of the John Wall recruiting saga. One writer thinks it’s nearing an end.
Wall – the nation’s top recruit according to both rivals.com and scout.com – reportedly is considering Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Miami, North Carolina and N.C. State. Yeah, it’s quite a list. At one point, the NBA was floated as a possibility.
Thankfully, Tim Stevens of the News & Observer thinks Wall may settle on a school soon. Not that Wall ever explicitly says as much in the story…
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