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noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:36:32 PST

It Was Time To Call Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:25:26 PST

Andy Hill played for the UCLA Bruins from 1968-72.

It Was Time Call Coach

By Ken Wong

He never thought he would ever talk to him again.

For decades, a painful chapter in his life had been left buried beneath long forgotten newspaper clippings and uneasy memories of once playing for the greatest college basketball program and its legendary coach.

The shame and hurt Andy Hill had harbored from that time of his life stayed with him for most of his adulthood, and kept him away from the game he adored as a young boy growing up in West Los Angeles.

Naturally, growing up in the early 1960’s literally in the backyard of the Westwood campus, Hill became an avid UCLA fan at a time when the basketball team did not even have a home court.

Prior to Pauley Pavilion being built, the basketball team would play their games in any venue available to them.

"I started attending Bruin games as a youngster when the team played in places like the Beverly Hills High Swim Gym, Santa Monica College, and Los Angeles Sports Arena." Hill reminisced. "You paid a buck as a kid in those days and never had a problem getting into a game."

Hill later enrolled at nearby University High School where he spent countless hours in the gym honing his basketball skills. He averaged 27 points per game as a senior and was named to the first ever sanctioned All-City All-Star game in 1968.

Not surprisingly, Hill was ecstatic when he learned UCLA coaches were scouting him.

"As a kid growing up in the area I was blown away when UCLA assistant coaches Jerry Norman and Gary Cunningham started coming to my games and showed interest in me," he recalled.

Hill’s high school coach, Courtney Borio, had played under Wooden in the early 1950’s where he played sparingly - a role Hill would later become very familiar with during his own career at UCLA.

Yet at the time, Hill was a talented young prep star and had been recruited by numerous other schools, and to even be considered by UCLA - a team which was in the midst of sport’s most incredible string of title runs, was unfathomable to him.

Hill remarked, "I was probably the easiest recruit ever for UCLA because all they really had to do was convince me that they weren't kidding about offering me a scholarship."

“I remember during a recruiting trip to UCLA sitting on a training table and talking to Coach Wooden while Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was sitting on the other side of me - and all I could think to myself was this couldn’t really be happening.”

Hill’s playing career at UCLA started off remarkably enough.

Playing alongside Henry Bibby on the UCLA Freshman team, Hill had a phenomenal season averaging 19 points and 8 assists and shared the team’s award for most valuable freshman with Bibby.

The varsity had just won its sixth national title in seven years, and Hill was well on his way to becoming a major part of the UCLA winning tradition.

Although he had excelled on the Freshman team, Hill realized early on playing for the Varsity team was going to be a far greater challenge.

"I found out rather quickly the quality of play was different at this level. Everyone was bigger, stronger, faster, and better prepared.” Hill said. “It was a game played at a different pace."

Yet, Hill still believed he could compete at this level and longed for an opportunity to prove it.

After one intrasquad game before a paying crowd at Pauley Pavilion, local newspapers wrote Wooden had said Hill might be helpful to the team against certain pressing defenses. The Herald-Examiner even went as far as writing that the young sophomore might become a ‘right-handed Gail Goodrich’.

But opponents rarely ever pressed Wooden teams, and subsequently over the next three seasons, significant playing opportunities never materialized for Hill.

Moreover, for varying reasons, Hill had a tumultuous relationship with Wooden during his years at UCLA.

In one particular incident, Hill and his teammates drafted and signed a petition to protest the war in Vietnam and had sent it to the White House on behalf of the entire UCLA basketball team. When Wooden learned of their actions, he singled out Hill as the ring leader and called him into his office to express his deep displeasure over his actions.

"It was chaotic times, the Vietnam War was going on,” Hill explained. “Coach hadn't changed much since 1948, the year he came to UCLA, and I wasn't capable of putting myself in his shoes - it was really about my own immaturity at the time."

In three seasons with the Varsity team, Hill averaged 1.8 points in 79 games, and usually entered contests when the crowds were already heading for the exits at Pauley Pavilion after another Bruin blowout victory.

Despite playing on three consecutive national championship teams, it was not the type of basketball career Hill had anticipated when he signed to play at UCLA four years earlier.

“We were playing against teams in those days which I could have started on, but instead I was sitting on the bench unable to even get into the game.” Hill exclaimed. “It was embarrassing to me.”

For many years afterwards, it wasn’t a period of time he was very fond of sharing with others he met in his life.

“Not many people I worked with ever knew I played basketball at UCLA,” Hill said. ”I never talked about it at work because I had been ashamed of my own basketball career."

Upon graduating from UCLA, Hill began a long and successful career in television production. As President of CBS Productions, he supervised the development of numerous family-oriented programs such as Touched by an Angel and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

As a top television executive, Hill demonstrated the ability to assemble teams of creative talent and to motivate them to reach for competitive greatness.

Hill didn’t realize where he had learned this talent to manage and lead teams of people.

Then during a fateful day on the golf course with Hill struggling with his golf swing, his playing partner suggested to him, “You’re hurrying; slow down and get your balance.”

The advice rung eerily familiar to Hill and he soon realized he had heard such advice before. It turns out it was the same instruction he had received from Wooden while as a player at UCLA.

“At practices, Coach would repeatedly tell us to be quick - but don’t hurry,” Hill recalled.

Like an epiphany, Hill came to the realization that all he had learned to succeed in business, family, and life had been taught to him by Coach Wooden.

Hill knew what he needed to do next. He needed to call Coach.

"Never in my life did I think I'd be calling Coach again." Hill reflected.

Working up the courage to call Wooden, the uneasy feelings he had as a player at UCLA all returned. All those years of sitting on the bench until the game result was well in hand had been unbearable for him - especially after joining the team with higher aspirations.

He was about to call the man he blamed for turning a boyhood dream into a life experience he was ashamed to discuss with others.

But something inside Hill was urging him to reach out to Coach Wooden.

“Fortunately, Coach still had the same old telephone number," Hill said. "If he wasn't sitting by the phone when I called him, I'm not sure if we would have ever got together again - I consider it one of the luckiest breaks in my life.”

Most of all, it was a cathartic experience for Hill - all the pent up angst he had kept inside for Coach Wooden quickly dissipated after the two finally met and talked.

Hill no longer holds Wooden responsible for his troubles on the basketball hardwood, but instead credits his former coach for teaching him the essentials of how to be successful in life.

"I look back at my days at UCLA and now realize it was the greatest experience any young person could have had.” Hill recalls.

“I discovered learning can’t always be pleasant. Sometimes the people who help you the most when you're young aren't necessarily the ones telling you everything is great all the time.”

In 2001 Hill co-wrote a book with Wooden titled: Be Quick -- But Don’t Hurry! It chronicles Hill’s experiences as a basketball player and television executive, and provides a model for businesses to follow based upon the teaching principles of Wooden's Pyramid of Success.

Currently, Hill visits with his former coach often, and maintains a special and close relationship with Wooden, often accompanying him to special events.

He recalls a recent conversation he had with Wooden at the coach’s Encino home.

Hill mentioned that he had difficulty remembering details of the games he actually played at UCLA. Wooden offered to help refresh his former player’s memory.

“Coach said he still had the scorebooks from all those games and went to pull them out to look them over with me. As Coach read through the first scorebook, you could hear him say, ‘Oh my, that’s not a good one’. I looked at the scorebook and said to Coach, you mean you didn’t even play me at the end of that game?”

“We were laughing so hard that we were both beside ourselves."

When talking to Hill, one gets the sense how much he has become like his old mentor.

"In some ways I don't feel as if I’ve adopted his way of life, but instead, it is what I have become.” Hill explains. “The real power of his teaching is how it becomes integrated into your soul and it’s just who you are."

Ten yours ago while attending a student event at UCLA for television production, a reporter from an alumni magazine approached Hill and asked which class during his time at UCLA had he learned the most. He responded, “Well, from Coach Wooden’s classroom of course.” The puzzled reporter replied she hadn’t known Wooden taught a course at the school. “He sure did,” Hill confirmed. “Coach taught a 2 ½ hour class each day at Pauley Pavilion.”

In those classrooms on the basketball court, Wooden not only taught the fundamental art of playing basketball - he also imparted to players his wisdom on the importance of family, life balance, and spiritual belief.

"You talk to any of Coach’s ex-players or assistant coaches like Gary Cunnigham and Denny Crum, Hill said. “You’ll find they all possess certain elements of Coach within them."

Hill is currently a motivational speaker for large corporate firms and much of his work is based upon Wooden’s coaching principles. (http://AndyHillSpeaks.com)

“What I hope people will take from my experience is that things in life are only impossible if you think they are - and it’s amazing what can happen if you pick up the telephone and reconnect with people.” Hill said.

When asked what he would select as his greatest accomplishment in life, Hill answered without a moment of hesitation, “My marriage and my children.”

Evidently, Hill was attentive in Coach Wooden’s classroom.

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/24)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:39:36 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

The Hornets punctuated the Eastern League win with dunks from Norman Powell and Tyree Robinson in the final seconds. “They hit tough shots and they came to play today. Luckily we gutted it out at the end,” Bryant said. Powell led Lincoln with 18 points as one of three starters in double figures. San Diego Reader 1/18

Recruits

Bishop O'Dowd-Oakland (12-3), The Chronicle's top-ranked team, blew a 44-31 halftime lead, losing 86-85 in double-overtime to Sacramento (12-4). The game was a rematch of last year's Division III Northern California final, won by O'Dowd. Anders Haas led O'Dowd (12-3) with 21 points, but Brandon Ashley, one of the nation's top-ranked juniors, fouled out at the 3:05 mark in regulation with 10 points and six rebounds. SF Gate 1/17

The adjustment was too much for the visiting Cougars to handle. Sophomore wing, Michael Loomis harassed the Gervais guards into turning the ball over and dished the ball ahead to Junior Jordan Tebbutt who finished uncontested at the other end on successive trips down the floor to put the Hawks up 6-2. That ignited a 16-0 run for Horizon Christian the rest of the opening quarter, with the Hawks up 18-2....Tebbutt paced a balanced Hawks scoring effort with 14 points. Portland Examiner 1/18

I know you remember him...DeAndre Daniels?? The kid that was undecided the last time we left him...worse than Brett Favre undecided... He was down to Texas, Kentucky, Kansas, and Oregon. He was first committed to Texas..he then decommitted. Then he went to IMG Academy and played a half a year of Prep School. Next he said he was taking visits. He came to Kentucky, went to eat at Malone's and caught a game at Rupp Arena. He was then rumored to visit North Carolina State, but decided not to go.. He instead revisited Texas.. He has been in limbo ever since. Nation of Blue 1/20

Junior point guard Jordan Tebbutt and Sophomore Calvin Anderson added 13 and 11 points respectively. Tebbutt nearly recorded a triple double in the game collecting nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists to go along with his 13 points, in just over 16 minutes of playing time. Portland Examiner 1/21

In the Trinity League, Santa Ana Mater Dei defeated Santa Margarita, 66-46. Freshman Stanley Johnson had 17 points and junior Xavier Johnson had 14 points. LA Times 1/21

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/17)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Lincoln, the defending Division II state champions who entered the game with a 14-1 record, ranked first in the section, third in the state and 15th in the nation, showed its wares, posting a 61-42 victory over La Jolla High. Senior co-captain Norman Powell scored 20 points, while sophomore guard Javonte Byrd added 16 and sophomore co-caption Tyree Robinson 14 to lead Lincoln, which won its fifth straight and improved to 3-0 in the league. La Jolla Patch 1/11

Recruits

Bishop Gorman’s Shabazz Muhammad flew down the court on a fast break and went over a defender for a forceful dunk. Never one to be outdone, Sierra Vista’s Viko Noma’aea took the ensuing inbounds pass, rocketed down the floor and zigzagged his way through the Gorman defense for a how-did-he-do-that layup. This is what happens when two of the best players on two of the best teams in Las Vegas go up against each other. In what is certain to go down as one of the most entertaining high school basketball games of the year, Bishop Gorman rallied past host Sierra Vista for an 85-71 victory Monday night. Las Vegas Sun 1/11

In the Trinity League, Xavier Johnson scored 25 points and Katin Reinhardt added 17 points in Santa Ana Mater Dei's 79-45 win over Anaheim Servite. LA Times 1/12

High School Hoop diary-keeper Shabazz Muhammad (Las Vegas, Nev.) moved up a couple of spots in the top 10 thanks in part to his impressive early-season exploits, as well as the absence of former No. 2 prospect Quincy Miller (High Point, N.C.), whose season-ending knee injury dropped him out of the rankings. Fellow HSH diary-keeper L.J. Rose (Houston, Texas) checks in at No. 32. Dime 1/13

DeAndre Daniels, the one-time Texas Longhorn recruit, is reportedly looking to finalize paperwork in order to enroll before the start of the second semester... but where he'll attend school is still kind of a mystery. The top rated 2011 recruit not to have committed to a school is reportedly deciding between the Kansas Jayhawks and Kentucky Wildcats - after Texas fell off his radar - and is leaning towards moving to Lawrence, KS. If Daniels does decide where to go before the start of the next round of classes, his intention is to enroll, but not suit up, before joining the team as a full member next fall. Big 12 Hoops 1/13

The dribble-drive offense-- something all top recruits look to be apart of in college. But specifically, junior Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman HS, Nev.) wants to play in the dribble-drive, as he has continuously expressed his will to play in the offense. Nothing was different when I talked to him. "Coach Calipari has the dribble-drive and that's what I want to play in. My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA, and Cal can do that." This explains the recent "surging" of Kentucky to the top of list. That isn't all of it though. "They (the coaches) are just staying in contact with me and that goes a long way. I talk to the assistants a lot," he explained. "I could really see myself playing there."Muhammad think a lot of the program as well. "The basketball program is one of the most prestigious in the country. Right now, I compare my game to Kentucky's and see how I could fit in. I would love to play there." However, there are other teams that have the interest of Muhammad too, just like other recruits. "Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, North Carolina, Memphis, UNLV, and some other teams are on my list right now (in no specific order)," Muhammad said. He also went on to say "I have yet to drop anyone from my list." But right now, he does have favorites. Three in fact. "UCLA, Kentucky, and Duke" sit at the top of Muhammad's list right now. Nation of Blue 1/13

Franklin standout Anrio Adams was scheduled to leave Friday to enroll at South Kent School in Connecticut. South Kent is the school current University of Washington players Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning attended. "I'd like to think he's a high-level D-I player," said Darryl Hennings, who coaches Adams' AAU team, Seattle Rotary. "He can score really well. He's a phenomenal athlete, has the prototype two-guard body for higher-level basketball and he's pretty confident in himself. I think he can handle himself against any competition level. "He has his faults like most kids 16 years old, but he's not one of the top 60 in the country for nothing." The 6-foot-3 shooting guard, rated No. 60 on the ESPNU Super 60 list of the nation's top juniors, averaged 23 points in five games with the Quakers this season. Seattle Times 1/14

St. Anthony (N.J.) 75, Dematha Catholic (Md.) 25; Scouts and fans got less from St. Anthony (N.J.) studs Myles Mack and Kyle Anderson than expected Saturday. Not because the pair didn’t perform, but because they spent much of the second half on the bench as the Friars cruised to a 75-25 win against DeMatha Catholic (Md.). Rutgers-bound Mack finished with 28 points (11-14 FGs, 6-7 FTs) in just 21 minutes. Mack is undersized at 5-10, but he's an efficient scorer. Anderson didn't light up the box score, but he has a solid build and handled well for a 6-8 wing while grabbing five boards in 20 minutes. NBADraft.net 1/15

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/3)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

With 10 seniors returning from last year’s Division II state champion team, Lincoln has another state title in its sights. The Hornets opened the ESPN iScore Holiday Classic on Monday with a convincing 95-75 win over the Curtis (Wash.) Vikings in the National Division at Torrey Pines High....Norman Powell (19 points), Tyree Robinson (11 points) and Josh Smith (10 points) also finished in double figures for Lincoln. San Diego Reader 12/27

Both teams went scoreless over the next three minutes until Norman Powell drove to the hoop and converted a three-point play to make it 61-56. Powell punctuated Lincoln’s win by finishing an alley oop off the backboard from teammate Tyree Robinson in the game’s closing seconds. “I screamed as loud as I could to throw it off the backboard because I saw No. 24 trying to catch up to Tyree and foul him,” Powell said. “He threw it and I went up and got it.” Powell led all scorers with 19 points, and was one of three Lincoln players in double figures. The UCLA-bound senior shot 7-for-11 from the field and delivered a handful of clutch shots in the second half. “I’ve been going through a shooting slump, but I believed that my shot was going to come and I was going to get buckets and that’s what I did,” Powell said. Lincoln advances to the National Division semifinals Wednesday at 7 p.m. where they will meet Long Beach Poly (10-0). San Diego Reader 12/29

Norman Powell (San Diego, Calif./Lincoln), SG, 6-3, 190 pounds, Powell is a diamond in the rough on the offensive end. He gets most of his points in transition and shooting over the top of his defender in the midrange area. His ballhandling and 3-point touch (fades too much) need to tighten up, but he'll add much-needed athleticism to Ben Howland's lineup. ESPN 12/31

Recruits

Horizon Christian's Jordan Tebbutt produced the best individual performance of the tournament so far after scoring 41 points. The highly recruited junior swingman made 13 of 23 shots while displaying a dazzling variety of shots, sometimes against double- and triple-teams. "Jordan was amazing," Central Catholic coach Mike Petrino said. Oregon Live 12/28

The Gaels from Las Vegas were led by Shabazz Muhammad's 26 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-7 Muhammad made 12 of 16 shots and helped the Gaels (6-2) make 37 of 63 shots (58.7 percent). Oregon Live 12/28

Billed as one of the top prospects in the Class of 2012, L J Rose lived up to expectations in controlling every phase of the game, leading his team to a blowout win. Rose finished with a game high 14 points to go along with six assists and three rebounds. He finished as one of three team members in double figures along with Stephen Strachan and Remardo King who each finished with 10. The Tribune 12/28

Anrio Adams, Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) Almost every college in the Pac-10 has offered a scholarship to Adams even though he is still a junior. The 6-foot-3 point guard, who can shoot from three-point land, connected on 5-of-9 from beyond the arc in last week’s game against Cleveland (Seattle, Wash.) and led the Quakers with 40 points in a 76-50 triumph. He was one of the most talked about players in the West last summer. ESPN RISE 12/28

Brandon Ashley, 2012, PF, 6-8, 215, After subpar first half in terms of effort (struggled to finish with contact) and production, Ashley dominated the second half as he led his team to a semifinal battle against an outstanding Long Beach Poly squad. Ashley utilized his length and soft hands to convert numerous baskets in the paint area. Defensively, he had a number of high-level blocks where he was able to keep the ball in play to get spark his team's transition game. Overall, Ashley has an immense upside but his fundamentals (brings the ball down) and skill-set (limited post moves) need to improve immensely for him to maintain his lofty national ranking. ESPN 12/29

Seattle continues to pump out prospects and the next one in line is 6-3 junior Anrio Adams (Franklin). Adams needs to learn how to play (shot selection and overall decision making can be problematic), but he has a terrific body with great length and he's a natural scorer. ESPN 12/29

Another one of Oregon's most heralded basketball prospects is considering leaving the state. Horizon Christian standout Jordan Tebbutt said this week he is considering a move to Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, a renowned high school basketball power. "If I want to go, my parents are 100 percent OK with it," said Tebbutt Wednesday at the Les Schwab Invitational. "But I would say I'm about 80 percent sure I'm going. I'm planning on making a final decision in January." Tebbutt, the 2009-10 Class 3A Player of the Year in Oregon and a highliy-touted basketball prospect, has long drawn interest from the nation's top college programs. As a sophmore, Tebbutt had coaches from all over the country attending his games at Tualatin's Horizon Christian. With over twenty scholarship offers attached to his name already, Tebbutt isn't seeking the exposure Oak Hill Academy would most certainly offer, rather, the experience the school could provide him. "I just have a lot of friends that are going there. It's my senior year and it sounds like it would be fun. I also think it would be good preparation before going to college." Oregon Live 12/30

The Monarchs outscored Foothill by 15 points in the second quarter to take a big lead and cruised to a 69-48 victory in an Orange Holiday Classic semifinal game at Chapman University....Three Monarchs scored in double figures. Junior forward Xavier Johnson had a game-high 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and freshmen Shaqquan Aaron and Stanley Johnson scored 11 and 10, respectively. OC Register 12/30

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-9 senior forward from IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., is expected to choose a school either Monday or Tuesday. It’s believed either KU, Kentucky or Texas will land Rivals.com’s No. 9-rated player. Oregon also is on Daniels’ list. KU Sports 12/31

Brandon Ashley, 2012, PF, 6-8, 215 pounds, Ashley is still raw in many areas of the game (footwork and bringing the ball down) and his motor runs hot and cold, but his overall talent is undeniable. His length is extraordinary and he has some soft hands as well, while finishing in the paint. ESPN 12/31

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (12/27)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

“We’d like to see (and play against) more of those Top 10 teams before and after Christmas,” said Bryant. “It’s the only way to get better. Defensively, we’ve shown we can play with these teams but offensively we’re still a little rusty. “You know though, kids like (UCLA signee) Norman Powell, they really don’t care about numbers.” Union Tribune 12/23

Recruits

Kyle Anderson’s excellent interior performance yesterday is unlikely to send college coaches scrambling to rework their recruiting pitches. The 6-8 junior already was widely considered one of the top young shooting guards in the nation. But Anderson’s ability to excel in every phase in the low post just may force upcoming opponents into some last-minute tinkering with the scouting report. Anderson, the former standout at now-closed Paterson Catholic, scored 23 points, collected 10 rebounds and added two steals to guide St. Anthony to a 62-50 victory over young, stubborn and very talented Gill St. Bernard’s at the Hoop Group Tip Off Classic at Seton Hall University, South Orange. NJ.com 12/19

Some consider Shabazz Muhammad to be the best high school junior basketball player in the country, yet the Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman guard isn't even sure if he's the best athlete in the family. Muhammad's father, 6-foot-5 Ron Holmes, played basketball at USC. The genetics Muhammad inherited from his mom, Faye Muhammad, have come in handy as well. Faye Muhammad was a an elite high school basketball player and competed in that sport as well as in track and field in college at Long Beach State. Her brother, Stephone Paige, played wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs for 10 seasons in 1983-92. "My mom, she inspires me to play hard," Muhammad said. News Press 12/20

Gorman junior Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 1 shooting guard in the country according to ESPN, poured in a game-best 29 points. "I really wish we could have contained Shabazz a little better," Byrd said. "We tried, but that's just who he is." News Press 12/20

With Mater Dei up just 57-54 with 12.8 seconds, Cook scrapped and clawed to help the Monarchs retain possession. David Brown and Katin Reinhardt made five free throws in the final 1:10 to seal the win. Reinhardt led Mater Dei with 17 points while Brown added 13 and Xavier Johnson 11. News Press 12/21

Three major Division I college basketball coaches lined the first rows of the Berkeley High bleachers Tuesday, presumably to take a look at Bishop O'Dowd junior star Brandon Ashley. But with Ashley limited most of the first three quarters because of foul trouble, fellow junior standout Richard Longrus stole the show with an energetic 11-point, 12-rebound effort as the visiting Dragons cruised past previously unbeaten Berkeley 67-35....Cal's Mike Montgomery, Kansas' Bill Self and Washington's Lorenzo Romar were all in attendance, but Ashley picked up two fouls in the first minute and had just six points at halftime. But a strong night from the free-throw line -- he went 10 of 11 overall and 6 of 6 in the fourth quarter -- allowed Ashley to finish with a solid 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Contra Costa Times 12/21

What makes Shabazz Muhammad a player you can't miss? First, just watch the videos here. If that's not enough, know that scouts praise him as a terrific athlete who has the physical gifts to score both inside and outside. This is no undersized shooting guard, in fact, many reports indicate he will play small forward at the college level. Not only can he light up the scoreboard, but according to scouts, he's also a potential lockdown defender and excellent rebounder. Mass Live 12/22

Self has been not only coaching his team, but recruiting on this trip to California. Self on Tuesday attended a game of Brandon Ashley, a 6-8 junior power forward from Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland. Ashley, the No. 6-prospect in the Class of 2012, had 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks in a win over previously unbeaten Berkeley High. The Contra Costa Times reported that Cal coach Mike Montgomery and Washington’s Lorenzo Romar also attended. KU Sports 12/23

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei juniors Katin Reinhardt and Xavier Johnson spoiled Winter Park senior guard Austin Rivers' final appearance in the State Farm City of Palms Classic on Wednesday. Reinhardt and Johnson combined for 54 points as Mater Dei blew out Winter Park 84-66 in the third-place game at Bishop Verot. Reinhardt had 28 points and Johnson had 26, including a highlight dunk over Rivers in the third quarter. News Press 12/23

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (12/20)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Dinos Trigonis told Scout.com on Sunday that he believes Kentucky, Kansas and Texas are the co-favorites to land Deandre Daniels, a 6-7 forward Trigonis coached last summer. Daniels, arguably the nation's top uncommitted prospect, currently attends IMG Academy in Florida. He's expected to enroll in college somewhere next month, though Trigonis told Scout.com that Daniels will not play college basketball until the 2011-12 season even if he's eligible to play the second semester of this season. CBS Sports 12/14

North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams was treated to a show. Bishop Gorman High junior shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad poured in 28 points Monday night, leading the Gaels to an 86-56 victory against host Desert Oasis and putting on an offensive explosion with Williams sitting courtside at the southwest Las Vegas school. The 6-foot-5 Muhammad, who Rivals.com lists as the No. 3 overall prospect for the class of 2012, didn't flinch with having someone of Williams' status in the gym. After all, he has caught the eye of several of the nation's top coaches, receiving more than 20 scholarship offers. Gorman has three juniors who are being heavily recruited, with appearances from the likes of Williams becoming a common occurrence. Assistant coaches from Arizona, Kentucky and UCLA also were in attendance. Las Vegas Sun 12/14

It was the second game in three days Horizon Christian faced an opponent at that elite level, after taking care of Mountain View, WA on Saturday night in Vancouver, 59-46. These games have not only helped the Hawks prepare for the elite competition they will face later this month at the Les Schwab Invitational, it also makes them battle tested when West Valley league play begins, as Junior point guard Jordan Tebbutt attests. “I think it will make it easier in league (having) already played strong teams”, says Tebbutt. Tebbutt is settling into his new position as the Hawks floor general quite nicely, getting the Hawks into rhythm against Marist right out of the gate. The junior drove to the basket strong getting the first points with a little harm and knocking in his free throw for the three point play to put the Hawks in front to stay at 3-0. Portland Examiner 12/15

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (12/13)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

In the Santa Monica tournament, UCLA-bound Norman Powell put on a show for San Diego Lincoln, scoring 30 points in an 82-60 victory over previously unbeaten Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. "He's the best I've seen this year," Notre Dame Coach Bill Bedgood said. LA Times 12/8

Recruits

Sitting in the stands across from the student section on Sunday was standout recruit DeAndre Daniels. A 6'8" small forward from IMG Academy in Florida, Daniels earned the coveted five-star rating from Rivals.com. Members of the Pit Crew took notice of his presence, chanting his name and urging him to attend the University of Oregon. In response, Daniels put up the "O" sign with his hands. At halftime, he shook hands with Oregon assistant coaches before returning to his seat. Daniels was on an official visit to the University on Sunday. Daniels is also considering attending Florida, Kansas, Texas and UCLA. Daily Emerald 12/6

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., apparently had a good time on his official visit to Kansas University last weekend. “I think the coaching staff at Kansas made a very favorable impression on DeAndre during his visit, so I think he is strongly considering them,” Daniels’ AAU coach, Dinos Trigonis, told Rivals.com. Daniels headed to Oregon for an official visit at the conclusion of the Thursday-Saturday KU trip. He also is considering Texas, Florida, UCLA and Kentucky. At one point, he was orally committed to Texas. KU Sports 12/7

Gorman junior wing Shabazz Muhammad, the third overall recruiting prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, had a game-high 24 points to lead the charge. Las Vegas Sun 12/11

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-9, 197-pound senior small forward from IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., is considering enrolling at a college in January. Daniels, who is visiting Kentucky this weekend, made recent trips to KU and Oregon. He is also considering Texas, Alabama, North Carolina State, UCLA and Baylor. “He made a commitment to come to us for an entire year because he knew he needed to get bigger, stronger and more competitive to be the type of player he wants to be on the Division 1 level,” IMG Academy’s Andy Borman told Zagsblog.net. “Because of his hard work and success in the last three months, his dad and DeAndre and us are contemplating sending him somewhere at the semester. It’s not set in stone. We have sped up his recruiting process, so that if he does find a home at the semester, that he and his dad are very comfortable with, then he is going to go.” Daniels’ coach said he could opt to play right away in college or red-shirt and wait until the 2011-12 season to compete. KU Sports 12/11

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (12/6)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

After putting together the most impressive class in the Pac-10 during the early signing period, Arizona coach Sean Miller just received a great boost to his 2012 haul by landing junior PF Grant Jerrett, who is No. 12 in the ESPNU Super 60. Jerrett, from LaVerne (Calif.) Lutheran High School, chose the Wildcats over UCLA, Washington, Duke, North Carolina, USC, Texas and Kansas. Jerrett, 6-foot-8 and 200 poounds, is the West's most promising big man in a loaded 2012 class. ESPN 11/29

DeAndre Daniels, the top available prospect in the class of 2011, is currently tucked away at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and little recruiting information is coming out concerning the former Texas commitment. Sources close to Daniels' situation, however, have informed Rivals.com that four schools are currently pushing toward the top of his recruitment. Kansas, Florida, UCLA and Texas are emerging as the teams to beat. Cardinal Sports 11/30

Kyle Anderson is one of the players who breaks the static mold of basketball positions. Offensively, he has the skills of a point guard, but defensively he doesn't have the foot speed to defend a quick point guard. Basically Anderson is a player who can play any position offensively. Regardless at what position Anderson is labeled, he is a player who is best at facilitating the offense. Although Anderson is capable of putting up big numbers as a scorer what makes him special is his ability to create plays and distribute the ball. So I like him best playing more in the middle of the floor as either a point guard or a face up four-man. At 6-foot-8, Anderson continues to grow and could end up around 6-foot-10. More than likely, he does end up a four-man and not a point guard like Livingston. Nonetheless, there are strong similarities between the two as tall playmakers with exceptional basketball IQs. Jackets Online 12/2

DeAndre Daniels, a 6-foot-8, 180-pound senior forward from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., attended the game as part of his official visit to KU. Daniels, who decommitted from Texas in mid-August, also has UCLA on his list of schools that still includes Texas, Florida, Kentucky and Oregon. He’s Rivals.com’s No. 9-rated player nationally. His visit will last until Saturday. KU Sports 12/3

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (11/15)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Guard Norman Powell (San Diego, Calif./Lincoln) signed his national letter of intent Wednesday and will join the UCLA basketball program next season, the school announced on the first day of the early signing period. ESPNU ranks the 6-foot3 guard at No. 47 overall and No. 15 shooting guard in the class of 2011. Powell averaged 19.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals in guiding Lincoln to the CIF Division II state title last season. ”I’m really excited about Norman Powell joining our basketball program and family,” coach Ben Howland said in a statement released by the school. “He’s one of the most athletic kids that we will have had in this program in a while and one of the most athletic kids since I’ve been here. ESPN 11/10

Recruits

Why little drama Wednesday? Of the Sporting News top 25 players, 23 have chosen their schools. Unless a player suddenly changes his mind, it should be a quiet, business-as-expected day. The two SN25 players uncommitted are No. 19 DeAndre Daniels, a 6-8 power forward from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and No. 25 Cody Zeller, a 6-10 power forward from Washington, Ind. Daniels -- who backed out of a Texas commitment -- might opt to sign in the late period and has Kentucky, NC State, UCLA, UNLV and Southern Cal high on his list. Sporting News 11/9

The highest ranked player who remains uncommitted in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150 will not be signing this week in the early signing period. DeAndre Daniels, who checks in as the 15th ranked player in the class, is not too worried about the recruiting process at the moment. IMG Director Andy Borman fills in Jeff Borzello about the former Texas verbal commitment and his recruitment. “His decommitment had nothing to do with Texas, it had everything to do with DeAndre,” Borman said. “He’s not worried about schools right now, he’s worried about getting better.” Kansas has been to Florida to watch Daniels, while UCLA plans on coming next week.NBE Basketball 11/10

Steve Lavin's recruiting haul gets bigger by the day. One day after introducing a five-man recruiting class, St. John's received a verbal pledge from 6-foot-10, 200-pound Los Angeles Price center Norvel Pelle, the No. 2 center in the Class of 2011 according to Rivals. "It feels like a home away from home," Pelle told ESPNU Thursday. "Coach Lavin is a very smart guy. He's a very smart coach. I just loved the way he approached the situation. "He was calm and cool. He knew other schools wanted me, and he gave me space and also made sure I knew they wanted me." Pelle was to have visited Washington this weekend, but now that visit won't be necessary. SNY.TV 11/12

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (11/8)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

The highest-rated newcomer to the ESPNU 100 is DeAndre Daniels (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy), who debuts at No. 35. When we last put out the rankings, we didn't have enough information as to Daniels' whereabouts or current class. He was kind of in limbo, so we waited and wanted to learn a little more about where he'd end up and his grade status. Now that it's cleared up, his talents as an athlete, perimeter player and combo forward warrant ranking him among our top 50 talents. ESPN 11/3

Quinn Cook, the No. 12 player in MaxPreps' ranking of the nation's top 100 seniors, has made a commitment to Duke University, according to the Fayetteville Observer. His second choice was UCLA. The 6-foot-1 point guard averaged 20 points, 5.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds last year while leading DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) to a 32-4 record. MaxPreps 11/4

"I have Shabazz Muhammad at the top of my list," Hicks said. "He plays with the kind of aggressiveness that Jrue Holiday did a couple of years ago but he's bigger, stronger and a better shooter than Jrue was at the same time," he added, alluding to the former UCLA player and current starting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, who finished atop the balloting for the 29th (2007-08) BIW squad. Press Telegram 11/6

Six-foot-8 Brandon Ashley (Oakland Bishop O'Dowd) is their choice as the No. 1 junior in Northern California, 6-9 Grant Jarrett (La Verne Lutheran) is their pick as the best 11th grader in Southern California and 6-4 Shabazz Muhammad (Las Vegas Bishop Gorman) gets their nods as the best non-Californian among West region juniors. "Ashley and Jarrett are each `elite-level' recruits," Francisco said, the inference being that Ashley and Jarrett will, in essence, be able to choose a college from among any of the national powers, regardless of region. Press Telegram 11/6

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (11/1)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Norvel Pelle is an impact freshman because he is a phenomenal shot blocker and all-around athlete. Yes, he is limited offensively, but I don't know of a 2011 big man who can run the floor, rebound, block shots and play above the rim as a finisher like Pelle can. St. John's has been a prominent player in Pelle's recruitment if not the outright leader. The string of commitments by forwards and guards can only help Lavin's chances of landing this post player and what would be his first 2011 West Coast recruit. Gator Bait 10/22

The former DeMatha Catholic floor general is Oak Hill's safety net at the point but he's recovering from a knee injury suffered in late August at the Boost Mobile game. Quinn Cook indicated he was 80 percent healthy and didn't have his usual burst or swagger. "It's all mental for me," Cook said. "It's about confidence. My knee is physically fine it's just mental." The knee isn't the only thing on Cook's mind. His college decision weighs heavily on him. Duke and UCLA separated themselves from Villanova and Cook's timetable for a decision, combined with him taking the standardized test this weekend, are factors working against the Wildcats. Not to mention the competition they face to land him. "[UCLA] coach [Ben] Howland is a great coach," Cook said. "His past four point guards have been NBA players and he wins; he had three straight Final Fours." ESPN 10/22

Shabazz Muhammad, 2012, SG, 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Maybe the most accurate way to describe Muhammad is relentless. He can score in a variety of ways and his full arsenal was on display at this event. Whether it was posting up his defender and scoring over the top of him or slashing his way to the rim and finishing with an array of spectacular dunks, Muhammad was dominant. He plays with a warrior's mentality and he has a tremendous knack to score. He still needs to continue to improve his shot and handle, but he is definitely a menace to deal with each and every possession. ESPN 10/25

But that doesn't mean Cooper will be telling his son, 2013 target Eric Cooper Jr. and another of his players, Grant Jerrett, that they have to become Wildcats. "I try not to because I don't want this to be anything that has to do with me," the elder Cooper said. "I want this to be something they want because they're going to have to live there. I just want them to come see it, know it." Cooper, who transferred to Texas-San Antonio as a sophomore in 1986-87 but has since re-established a good relationship with Olson, said he spoke with Olson briefly at Sunday's games. The recruits also watched Saturday's UA-Washington football game.... They have seen UCLA, USC, UNLV, Cal, Stanford, Duke, North Carolina and others. Arizona Daily Star 10/25

Coach Josh Pastner and Memphis have done it again by keeping elite prospect Adonis Thomas (Memphis, Tenn./Melrose) at home to play his college ball. However, it took a little help from fellow local talent and Memphis alum Penny Hardaway, who put together a video directed at Thomas, during the Tigers' Midnight Madness. "It did impact my decision," said Thomas, who chose Memphis over Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas and UCLA. "It was a privilege to listen to Penny Hardaway talk about what the city of Memphis and the University of Memphis meant to him." Through sheer work ethic Thomas has taken his game from a well-regarded, undersized 4 man with an outstanding motor to the No. 9-ranked player in the country. He is one of the top students at his high school with a 4.0 GPA and embodies the attributes of a true student-athlete. ESPN 10/28

Shabazz Muhammad, SG- A top five prospect nationally in the class of 2012, there aren't many guys more explosive to the rim. He's a relentless competitor and has a polished mid-post game that compliments his transition finishing. There's not a better rebounding wing, he plays smart and the jumper continues to evolve. Muhammad is noticeably stronger and he's a violent slam dunker who attacks the rim whenever he can. Cardinal Sports 10/28

Duke still has a couple scholarships available for the class of 2011 and many believe there is a strong possibility they will try to get point guard Quinn Cook. Cook attended Duke's Countdown to Craziness, and by all accounts, came away impressed. Although there has been no official announcement, many believe he will decide during the early signing period and many believe he is a Duke lean. Of course nothing is set in stone and Duke could end the 2011 recruiting class with just three signees, which considering the talent level, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bleacher Report 10/29

On Saturday, class of 2011 No. 2 point guard Myck Kabongo made it public that he is no longer committed to the Texas Longhorns. He is considering Texas, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Syracuse....The Blue Devils have been recruiting 2011 point guard Quinn Cook pretty hard, and a lot of people expected Cook to commit to Duke two weeks ago. There has been talk, however, that Cook has been cooling on Duke lately. Could Kabongo's interest in Duke be part of the reason Cook has decided to wait on his decision? Bleacher Report 10/30

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (10/18)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Adonis Thomas is no stranger to Memphis Madness. The Melrose High senior forward was at FedExForum in 2007 when Derrick Rose made his University of Memphis debut. He was there again a year later when Tyreke Evans wowed a crowd of 14,000 in his public introduction as a Tiger. "It's always great," Thomas said. "But I think maybe this is going to be the biggest one because of the Memphis guys that are on the team this year. It's going to be great to see these guys finally at the college level." While fans will finally get their first peek Friday at Memphis' heralded 2010 recruiting class -- one that has the Tigers ranked among the nation's top teams this preseason -- it's Thomas that coach Josh Pastner and his staff are hoping will come away impressed from the Madness festivities at FedExForum. Commercial Appeal 10/11

There's rumors circulating that Quinn Cook, one of the top point guards in the 2011 class, is close to making a decision between UCLA, Villanova, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas. It looks like it's down to Duke and NC, but the Bruins have an outside chance. Seattle Times 10/11

The buzz in recruiting circles right now is that the Blue Devils have emerged as the favorite to land Quinn Cook, a crafty and sharpshooting point guard who's ranked No. 20 by Scout.com. Cook is close friends with Duke senior Nolan Smith and seemed impressed two weeks ago after a visit from Duke coaches Mike Krzyzewski, Steve Wojciechowski and Nate James. Cook has already taken an official visit to UCLA and is scheduled to see Villanova later this month. Kansas is also trying to get him on its campus. But there's a growing vibe that his commitment to Duke could come any day now. Fay Observer 10/14

But do you really want to know why Josh Pastner has gone to all this trouble to make Memphis Madness the city's must-attend event of the year? You'll find the answer sitting somewhere down in front tonight in the form of Melrose senior Adonis Thomas, whose college decision -- perhaps as soon as next week -- will essentially determine whether the Tigers get the recruiting class they want. Commercial Appeal 10/15

The Red Storm are the favorite to sign scoring guard Nurideen Lindsay of Philadelphia and are in the running for California small forward Amir Garrett, center Norvel Pelle of Compton, Calif., and North Carolina small forward Dominique Pointer, who has narrowed his list to Michigan and West Virginia. New York Post 10/15

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (10/11)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Arizona isn't alone in the Pac-10 in pushing the limit. UCLA, which is already at the scholarship maximum on paper for 2011-12, is hosting former UA target Quinn Cook of Washington, D.C., this weekend, knowing that underclassmen Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee could leave for pro basketball. "It's very difficult to compare today's climate in college basketball to anything in the past because every program, even the most elite, experience more unexpected turnover than they ever have before," Miller said. "That can come in the form of young people leaving early to make money, whether it be in Europe or in the NBA, or young people who just want a bigger opportunity and are at a place where they don't have the opportunity they once thought they did." Arizona Daily Star 10/4

Hello world! This is Quinn Cook! Starting point guard for Oak Hill Academy! This is my first entry for my SLAM blog. I just wanted to share with you guys my experiences this summer. The first event I went to was the Pangos All-American Camp! It was in Los Angeles, California. Some of the top players in the country were there like Quincy Miller, Brad Beal, LeBryan Nash, etc. A lot of great players in the NBA went to the same camp, so I was honored to be there. SLAM 10/4

It will be Georgia Tech vs. Georgia for one of the nation’s top 100 college basketball prospects. Milton High’s Julian Royal will announce between the two archrivals on Oct. 14 at his school. We’re going to say a few good things about Julian, and then allow him announce to the world if it’s going to be Georgia or Georgia Tech,” Milton coach David Boyd. The 6-foot-9 power forward has already taken recruiting trips to both Georgia Tech and Georgia. AJC 10/6

The Huskies are also in the running to land a pair of four-star forwards, San Diego's Angelo Chol and Norvel Pelle of Los Angeles. Chol has North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas and Alabama on his list, while Pelle is considering many schools including UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, Kansas, Syracuse, UTEP and St. John's, according to the major recruiting websites. Most recruiting analysts believe Chol and Pelle will wait until the spring before announcing their college choice and signing a national letter of intent. Seattle Times 10/7

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (10/4)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Norman Powell, the 6-foot-3 All-State guard on Lincoln High’s state championship basketball team, has given a verbal commitment to UCLA. Powell averaged 19 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3 steals a game last year and was recruited as a shooting guard. “I think UCLA will give me a chance to develop my skills to play at the next level,” said Powell, who has a 45-inch vertical leap. “Coach (Ben) Howland said he wants to go back to the running game and that fits my style.” San Diego Tribune 9/27

Running the floor isn't something usually associated with Howland, whose grind-it-out style has gotten him to three Final Fours but also garnered him criticism during times the Bruins have been less successful. Jay Bilas recently discussed how the perception UCLA runs a slowdown offense hasn't helped with recruiting, and also attacked the myth that the style holds back players. After all, Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison were among the first-round NBA draft picks to turn out just fine relying on their defense and letting their offensive talents shine as pros. Already, Howland has going for him his record of sending guards to the NBA. And if that's not enough, it appears he's selling the idea that he'll adjust his offense to complement the skills of his recruits. This worked well with Norman Powell, who chose UCLA over San Diego State and is a player ESPNU describes as "an ultra-athletic scoring guard" who "excels in the open court." ESPN 9/27

Recruits

Milton High’s Julian Royal, one of the nation’s top 100 college basketball prospects, heard a lot of things from Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt during his official visit this past weekend. One thing that really stuck out is that Hewitt considers Royal the “No. 1 recruiting priority” for Georgia Tech this year. The 6-foot-9 power forward is likely to decide between Georgia Tech and UGA, while also considering Wake Forest. AJC 9/27

Quinn Cook, a point guard ranked No. 28, is late to the party — the Jayhawks only jumped on his recruitment when Turner chose the Arizona variety of Wildcat — but is reportedly listening very hard to Self’s sales pitch. Wildeboor said assistant coach Kurtis Townsend visited Cook last week and was there either yesterday or would be again soon. Kansan 9/30

Brandon Ashley, the Number 6 overall player in the Class of 2012, is remaining open in his recruitment despite basically being able to choose what school he wants to go to. Kentucky is going hard after the 2012 forward, considered to be one of the best players in the country. According to Rivals.com, Ashley currently holds scholarship offers from Arizona, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington and Kentucky. Ashley received a scholarship offer from Coach Calipari after the coach watched him on the July AAU circuit. Brandon is a 6-8, 225lb Power Forward out of Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland, California. Ashley said Calipari's dribble-drive offense is similar to the up-tempo, penetrating style used by the Soldiers, a team that included high-major 2011 prospects Josiah Turner, Jabari Brown, Nick Johnson and UK commitment Kyle Wiltjer. Nation of Blue 9/30

Having already made official visits to Tennessee and Arkansas, Melrose senior forward Adonis Thomas (ready) says there still isn't a leader for his services as he heads to UCLA this weekend for his third of five visits. Thomas is also considering Florida and the University of Memphis. "Everybody's still the same," Thomas said. "I've been on two visits so far and I'm familiar with those two schools. I'm looking forward to going out to Florida again. I've only been to Florida's campus once. And UCLA, I've never been to that campus." Commercial Appeal 10/1

Duke is still pursuing Washington D.C. guard Quinn Cook. Cook, who recently had an in-home visit with a majority of the Blue Devils coaching staff, has said he feels Duke is very interested in his services. While the Blue Devils have not offered Cook yet, they still have at least one scholarship to give and may need another point guard if Irving leaves early. Cook is probably not the scorer Irving is, but he is a very good and athletic point guard who could run the offense and push the tempo which is something Krzyzewski likes. Bleacher Report 10/2

Two of the top prospects in the Class of 2011 visited UCLA this weekend when Oak Hill point guard Quinn Cook and Memphis Melrose wing Adonis Thomas hit Los Angeles. “It was a great visit,” the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Adonis Thomas, the No. 6 small forward in the class, said by phone. “I got a chance to just really enjoy L.A., see how people live in L.A. I got a tour of the city and saw the campus. It was a big campus. I got a chance to meet the trainers and academic people so that was great. Just seeing the history of UCLA was great.” Cook, the No. 7 point guard in the class, also said by text the visit “went well.” Thomas said the two of them spoke about potentially playing together and how they might fit in at UCLA. ZagsBlog 10/3

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (9/27)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Norman Powell, a guard at Lincoln High in San Diego has committed to UCLA. Powell plays for former Van Nuys coach Jason Bryant and helped lead the Hornets to a Div. II state championship last March. Daily News 9/26

Recruits

Quinn Cook isn't involved in quite the same kind of Devils vs. Heels tug-'o-war as Rivers. But with his list narrowed to seven schools, he still has both Duke and Carolina on his radar. A quick and energetic guard, Cook will play his senior season of high school ball at Oak Hill Academy but will first have to regroup after tearing cartilage in his right knee last month. A close friend of current Blue Devils star Nolan Smith, Cook was in Durham last weekend for an unofficial visit, taking in the Duke-Alabama football game. He is due back at Duke for his official visit the first weekend of October and it would seem likely that the Blue Devils would be a major factor in his final decision. At last check, UNC still hadn't offered Cook a scholarship. But part of that could be due to the Heels wanting to know more from Rivers first. As the official visit train keeps chugging, it will be interesting to keep track of Cook's whereabouts. He is also currently considering three Big East schools (St. John's, Rutgers and Georgetown) as well as two Pac-10 programs (UCLA and Arizona). Fay Observer 9/23

Adonis Thomas is a 6-foot-6 wing from Memphis, a consensus top 10 national prospect, and only a couple of months away from signing day remains a recruiting target of five programs: Arkansas, Florida, Memphis, Tennessee and UCLA. I've privately talked with at least one coach from each of those staffs about Thomas at one point or another, and they all agree he's a terrific prospect, an awesome kid and the type of player who helps you win. They also agree on this: He's probably not leaving home. Thomas won't announce anything for another month, of course. He'll visit Fayetteville and Gainesville and Los Angeles, this after visiting Knoxville two weekends ago. He'll consider his options, enjoy himself, be wined and dined and adored. But when pen eventually hits paper, everybody I've spoken with agrees, the smart money has this certain McDonald's All-American signing with Josh Pastner's Tigers, and all other schools are probably wasting their time. In fact, two coaches asked me this exact question recently: Why am I wasting my time? My answer: I have no idea. CBS Sports 9/23

Norvel Pelle, the No. 2 center in the Class of 2011, is close to determining which official visits he will take. In a phone interview Wednesday night, the 6-foot-10, 205-pound Pelle of Los Angeles Price said he was considering St. John’s, UTEP, UConn and “the whole PAC 10 except Arizona.” He specifically mentioned Oregon and Washington from the PAC 10. He said he wasn’t sure where he would take officials. “I don’t know,” he said. “I just finished my home visits. I’m planning my college visits soon.” Pelle compared himself to a “Kevin Garnett/Kevin Durant mix” and said he was a three/four combo. He said he would consider the two Big East schools on his list even though they are far from home. ZagsBlog 9/23

Quinn Cook, a 6-foot-1 senior point guard from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., plans to make an official recruiting visit to Kansas University. Cook, the No. 28-rated player in the Class of 2011, told Rivals.com on Wednesday that he may visit for the Oct. 15 Late Night in the Phog. “I know Ben (McLemore, 6-5 senior, Oak Hill) will be going to Kansas that weekend, so coach (Bill) Self would like me to visit,” Cook said. “I told coach Self that Kansas is definitely a great school, he's a great coach and one of my best friends, Josh Selby, goes there. I’m also good friends with Thomas Robinson, so Kansas would be a good fit.” Cook, who is from Washington, D.C., has already visited Duke. He’s also heard from UConn, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and others. KU Sports 9/23

If the Drew Gooden/Oakland Soldiers are any indication, Arizona is starting to re-establish some West Coast recruiting ties under Sean Miller. Not only did the Wildcats pull in Soldiers players Nick Johnson of Gilbert and Josiah Turner of Sacramento, but they appear to have an early lead on 2012 Soldiers forward Brandon Ashley of the East Bay (Dublin, Calif). Soldiers coach Derrick Artis said Thursday that Ashley appears to favor Arizona at this point, though he will not likely make any decision until at least next summer. That leaves programs such as Kentucky, North Carolina plenty of time to gain ground, while Ashley also has some other Pac-10 interest. "He likes Washington, they've been on him, and UCLA," Artis said. "But he said Arizona is his favorite right now." Arizona Daily Star 9/24

Quinn Cook’s recruitment is somewhat up in the air at the moment both because his knee injury limited his travel options — “The doctors don’t want me flying,” Cook said last week — and because there are very few elite point guards left on the board. “It kind of changes a lot because [schools] are missing on guys,” Smith said. “There’s not really many point guards left. Nobody left of his caliber. He’s th
e best point guard that I know of.” Cook appeared very interested in Arizona — and was planning a visit in October — but Oakland Soldiers point guard Josiah Turner shocked a lot of people by verballing last weekend to the Wildcats during a visit. Many observers thought Turner would land at Kansas. “I think he was interested,” Smith said of Cook and Arizona. “Turner visited before he did and pulled the trigger. I don’t know where they stood on his [Cook's] list. I know they were recruiting him hard. He was interested and he was gonna visit. “[Arizona-bound Oak Hill wing] Sidiki Johnson was working him. They had a shot at him.” Now Smith says Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Villanova and North Carolina are showing the most interest. ZagsBlog 9/24

Bruin Basketball Recruiting: Norman Powell

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

BBR Home > Bruin Basketball Recruiting: Norman Powell

Norman Powell

SG | 6'3 | 195

Status: Verbal commitment 9/26/10
Class: 2011
Hometown: San Diego, CA
School: Abraham Lincoln HS
Position Rank (aggregate): 20
Schools of Interest: UCLA, Arizona, San Diego State, Arizona State, Oregon

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Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (9/20)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Milton High’s Julian Royal, who is ranked among the country’s top 100 players, has narrowed down to Georgia Tech, UGA and Wake Forest. First up was Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, who met with the 6-foot-9 power forward over the weekend. Royal’s family is fond of Hewitt, and they wanted to know about the coach’s future at Tech. AJC 9/13

Shabazz Muhammad was the breakout high school star of the summer. The 6-6 wing from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) was already rising through the rankings before he averaged 32 points per game on the AAU circuit and really blew up. Now every school from North Carolina to Kentucky to Duke is in pursuit of Muhammad, a junior who is ranked 8th overall in the High School Hoop national Top 50, and 3rd in his class by Scout. Muhammad has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his high school season to his recruiting process. Dime Magazine 9/14

Over the weekend, Arizona head coach Sean Miller was in Las Vegas hoping to win big in a city where most people with the same ambitions walk away empty-handed. Miller’s potential earnings were far from the blackjack tables or slots on the Las Vegas strip — rather, 20 miles west of the bright lights at Bishop Gorman High School gymnasium, two of the nation’s top recruits in the 2012 class worked out as college basketball’s fall evaluation period started on Sept. 9. Shabazz Muhammad, ranked No. 3 in the 2012 class, and Rosco Allen, ranked No. 23, both worked out with their teammates in front of several top coaches in the nation from Thursday to Saturday. Arizona Daily 9/15

The Huskies are also hot on the trails of Norvel Pelle, who is rated the No. 2 center in the class of 2011 by Rivals.com. Coincidentally, he attended the same high school - Frederick K.C. Price High in Los Angeles - as Breshers. Zagsblog is reporting Pelle had in-home visits with UTEP, Washington, Kansas, Oregon, St. John's and Arizona. He has in-home visits scheduled with UConn and UCLA and then will decide on his official visits. Seattle Times 9/16

Josiah Turner, a 6-foot-3-inch point guard rated in the Top 25 nationally, will join Arizona commit Nic Johnson this weekend in time to watch the UA-Iowa football game. Turner visited UCLA last weekend and has hosted Miller and Kansas coach Bill Self recently at his home. After this weekend, Turner may visit Oregon in early October and is scheduled to visit Kansas officially for Late Night in the Phog. But he may also not last that long. "If he finds somewhere he likes, I'm sure he'll commit, as opposed to taking the five visits," said Turner's mother, Doris Ward. Arizona Daily Star 9/16

Quinn Cook, a top-30 guard at Oak Hill Academy, is scheduled to visit Arizona in the near future. He probably will not, however, visit along with Oak Hill teammate Sidiki Johnson, a UA commit. Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said via text message that Johnson would take his UA visit in October. Arizona Daily Star 9/16

"Anything that can hinder him from going on to the post-season and the NCAA Tournament, you know we don't want to make that choice," countered Thomas. Also "being there" on the same day for Adonis Thomas was a late-bloomer in the form of UCLA head hoops coach, Ben Howland, who might be devoid of Pearl's dynamic personality, but who brought the message of his school's rich history with him. "UCLA came in on a late run. But, UCLA is one of the schools that Adonis looked at," said Thomas. "It's like a legacy. You just don't pass over UCLA because of all the history that comes from there." But, in the 5-way "Being There" Adonis Sweepstakes, that also includes Arkansas and Florida, and Memphis Tiger head coach Josh Pastner, who'll play host to Adonis on his last official visit the high energy night of Midnight Madness, continues to make a steady case for an added bonus. Why be there, when you're already right here? Fox Memphis 9/16

ESPNU 100 PG Josiah Turner (Sacramento, Calif./Sacramento) has committed to coach Sean Miller and the Arizona Wildcats. The No. 3-ranked point guard in the 2011 class is the most physically gifted point guard prospect in the West, regardless of class. Turner "I wanted to be part of [Arizona's] outstanding tradition and compete for a national championship," said Turner, who chose the Wildcats over UCLA, Oregon, Louisville and Kansas. Turner is a scoring point guard who knows how to get his own shot as well as be a facilitator for his team, which is a lethal combination. He has a terrific frame for the position with ideal speed and quickness. Turner also understands how to change his speed and direction to blow by his opponent, which will make him a good fit in Arizona. "I really like their style of play," Turner said. "We will push the ball hard on the fast break and play high pick-and-roll in the half court." ESPN 9/19

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (9/13)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Quinn Cook, the All-Met Boys' Basketball Player of the Year this past season as a junior point guard at DeMatha High, partially tore ligaments in his right knee during an all-star game in Southern California this past weekend and will be unable to play for at least three months. Cook, who has enrolled at Oak Hill Academy in southwestern Virginia for his senior year of high school, said early Wednesday that he will have surgery on Friday. He was injured when he landed awkwardly in the closing seconds of the Elite 24 game in Venice Beach on Sunday. "I'm frustrated but I have to keep a positive attitude because God won't put you through something he doesn't think you will not overcome," Cook said. "I've been through worse." He said the recovery period is expected to take three to four months. Cook has yet to make his college decision, but it is believed he is strongly considering playing for Duke. Arizona, UCLA and Rutgers are among the other schools Cook is considering. Washington Post 9/1

Quinn Cook, one of the nation's top point guard recruits, got much better news than anticipated after surgery on his right knee Friday. Cook only partially tore the meniscus cartilage in his knee, rather than the ACL as originally feared, and will miss five weeks at the most, a source told FanHouse Friday. Cook was injured in the final minutes of last Sunday's Boost Mobile Elite 24 all-star game at Venice Beach in California. Results of an MRI done Monday, according to reports, indicated torn knee ligaments. Steve Smith, the head coach at Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, tweeted this Friday afternoon: "Good news (from) Quinn Cook. No ACL tear should be back in 4-5 weeks! AOL Fanhouse 9/3

Milton High's Julian Royal, who is ranked as one of the nation's top 100 basketball players, took his recruiting trip to Georgia this past weekend and has an in-home visit with Bulldogs coach Mark Fox on Friday. The 6-foot-9 power forward will welcome Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt into his home on Thursday and travel to the Yellow Jackets' campus on Oct. 1. "It was a great visit to Georgia, as Coach Fox and his staff were very cordial," said his father, Charles Royal. "We went to the football game, and anytime the Bulldogs kill somebody like that, it's a great day in the Bulldog Country." Royal is determined to make all three of his official visits, which will end with Wake Forest on Oct. 8. The family looks forward to face-to-face meetings with Hewitt and Fox later this week. AJC 9/6

Five names from the Class of 2011 appear certain to be visited by Arizona coaches after the contact period starts tomorrow: Nick Johnson and Sidiki Johnson (both of whom have already verbally committed), and Josiah Turner, Quinn Cook and Angelo Chol. Turner, a point guard from Sacramento, is scheduled to have an in-home visit tomorrow with UA coach Sean Miller in what will be a crucial development in Turner’s recruiting process. Nick Johnson, Turner’s summer AAU teammate with the Drew Gooden Soldiers, will also be visited in Henderson, Nev., where he plays for Findlay Prep. Cook and Sidiki Johnson, teammates with Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, should receive a visit from UA coaches, including assistant Book Richardson, by Friday. Tucson Citizen 9/8

How hard is the University of Memphis after Melrose High star forward Adonis Thomas? So hard that Tigers coach Josh Pastner got Thomas' mother, Sandra Anderson, and his father, Eric Thomas, to agree to a 12 a.m. in-home visit from Pastner and assistants Jack Murphy and Willis Wilson on Thursday at Anderson's house. The significance of 12 a.m.? Thursday was the first day of the contact period for NCAA college coaches, and Pastner wanted to be the first one through Thomas' door this morning. "He wanted to be the first one, you know, because Adonis is first priority," Eric Thomas said. ... Eric said Florida will make an in-home visit with Thomas on Monday. Arkansas will visit Tuesday and UCLA on Wednesday. "This won't be midnight stuff," he said. Thomas' other finalist is Tennessee, where he will make his first official visit on Friday. The 6-6, 205-pound standout ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2011 by Sporting News will also make an official visit this month to Arkansas (on Sept. 24). Thomas will also visit UCLA (on Oct. 2), Florida (on Oct. 9) and Memphis (on Oct. 15). Commercial Appeal 9/9

Bishop Gorman basketball star Shabazz Muhammad solidified his spot near the top of various recruiting rankings with a dominant showing at the adidas Nations Global Experience in Chicago in August. Muhammad, who will be a junior swingman this season, led USA 2012 with 18 points in an 82-68 loss to USA 2011 in the title game of the event. The 6-5 Muhammad is considering offers from, in no particular order, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina, Texas, UCLA, UNLV and others. He has risen to No. 3 overall in Rivals.com's rankings for the class of 2012 and holds the No. 1 spot among shooting guards. Las Vegas Journal 9/9

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (8/30)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

DeAndre Daniels, a top 20 national prospect, had been mentioned as a possible 11th-hour addition to Kentucky’s basketball team this coming season. But his trainer said Monday afternoon that Daniels will attend prep school in the 2010-11 year and enter college in the fall of 2011. Daniels, a 6-foot-7 wing from Woodland Hills, Calif., committed to Texas in the summer of 2009. However, he changed his mind this year and re-opened the recruiting process. Kentucky was one of several schools wanting Daniels to enter college in the fall semester of 2010 and play this coming season. UK Sports 8/23

Highly recruited basketball star Remi Barry told the Auburn Journal Tuesday he has committed to New Mexico State University. The 6-7, 200 pound forward from France graduated from Del Oro High last spring and was rated the 28th best high school prospect in the country by ESPN while playing at American Heritage high school in Florida in 2008-09. He was unable to play for the Golden Eagles after the California Interscholastic Federation would not grant him eligibility. CIF maintained that Barry transferred to Del Oro from Florida for athletic reasons. Barry’s decision to play for New Mexico State comes as a bit of shock. He was being recruited heavily by basketball powers such as St. John's, UCLA, Washington, Cal, and Colorado to name a few. Barry contends New Mexico State was just a better fit for him. Auburn Journal 8/24

Winter Park basketball standout Austin Rivers has moved to No. 1 in the Rivals.com listing of the nation's top senior prospects and has begun to map out his plan for official campus visits. Rivers, speaking Wednesday before boarding an Orlando flight to Los Angeles for Saturday's Boost Mobile Elite 24 game, said he will take separate weekend trips to Duke and North Carolina in October. He wasn't certain of the dates or the order of those visits. "I think Florida will be my last visit, and Kansas will be my third one," Rivers said. "Those are still my four top schools." Orlando Sentinel 8/25

Top-10 basketball prospect Josiah Turner has reshuffled his list of official campus visits, giving Kansas University a shot to make the all-important final sales pitch. Turner, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard from Sacramento (Calif.) High, who originally was to visit Arizona on Oct. 22-23 — a week after attending KU’s Oct. 15 Late Night in the Phog — will visit U of A on Sept. 17-18. Turner — he improved from No. 12 to 10 in the latest Rivals.com rankings — will visit Louisville on Sept 3-4, UConn Sept 10-11 and Oregon on Oct. 1-2. He still has UCLA and Oklahoma on his list. KU Sports 8/27

In what is probably a positive sign for the Arizona Wildcats, Sacramento guard Josiah Turner is planning to move up his official visit to the weekend of Sept. 17. Details are still being ironed out but Nick Johnson's mother, Michelle, confirmed via text message today that her son will be there with Turner that weekend. Johnson and Turner played together with the Drew Gooden/Oakland Soldiers. Turner was originally scheduled to visit in time for UA's Red-Blue game on Oct. 24, but that would have been a week after he is scheduled to take in Kansas' Late Night in the Phog. Now the Wildcats will get him on campus before he visits Kansas and before Quinn Cook may come to visit Arizona. Since UA probably couldn't take both guards, if they wanted to both play for Arizona, this could put Turner in a squeeze to commit quickly if he likes UA enough. Arizona Star 8/27

John Calipari’s next recruiting class just got a little bit stronger. The Kentucky coach locked up his fourth Top 20 prospect in the Class of 2011 Saturday when Scout.com’s No. 19 recruit Kyle Wiltjer announced that he was committing to the Wildcats during halftime of the Elite 24 All-Star game at Venice Beach. “I felt I was ready, and it was a good basketball fit,” Wiltjer told FOXSports.com after tallying 20 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals to help his East squad hold off the West team for a 127-126 victory. Fox Sports 8/29

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (8/23)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Armed with 10 scholarships for the 2011-12 season, Lavin is now reaching out to recruits far and wide, including many on the West Coast, trying to sell them on the appeal of playing at the Garden. "It's still as a strong a selling point for St. John's as any of the other key factors, like tradition and heritage and a great city and a great school," Lavin said. "I think coast-to-coast, Madison Square Garden still represents the grandest stage that there is to play basketball." St. John's is involved with numerous top prospects in the Class of 2011, including Rivals.com's No. 13 Jabari Brown of Oakland, Calif.,; No. 23 Quinn Cook of Prince George's County, Md.; No. 37 JaKarr Sampson of Akron, Ohio; No. 44 Norvel Pelle of Compton, Calif. SNY 8/17

Following a game at the Fab 48 tournament last month in Las Vegas, a local reporter asked Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep guard Nick Johnson about where UNLV factors into his recruitment. Johnson did his best impression of a politician dancing the line on a hot topic and went with, “Well, I wouldn’t say I’ve ruled them out. They’re still recruiting me. I still hear from them every now and again. …” Johnson then looked my way knowing that I covered UA athletics — it was only me and the Las Vegas Sun reporter talking to him — and he said, “I mean, I’m not sure right now. If I get one (program) that I feel like it will be best for me, I might commit right there. But who knows?” He then smiled. Turns out he got this urge and committed right there — to Arizona on Wednesday. Tucson Citizen 8/19

Jahii Carson may or may not fit in the same backcourt with Nick Johnson, but Josiah Turner already has. The two paired together on the Drew Gooden (Oakland) Soldiers over the summer, and it remains possible that Turner could join Johnson at Arizona. A 6-foot-3 point guard, Turner is scheduled to visit Louisville and Oregon next month, then go to Kansas for Late Night in the Phog and for the Red/Blue Game at Arizona the following weekend. Turner said Arizona's recruiting picked up considerably over the summer, and multiple UA coaches routinely attended the Soldiers' games. Turner said he has not decided what his last visit will be, though he is also considering Connecticut, Oklahoma and UCLA. He said last month he likes the weather and location of Arizona so the Wildcats could have an advantage there over the others. Arizona Daily Star 8/20

As the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2011, Austin Rivers' elusiveness on the hardwood is one of the skills big-time college coaches marvel at; they admire his quick first step, his confidence and control. But as his recruitment intensifies and heads into a climactic fall, Rivers' talent in dodging all the curiosity about his college plans has heightened the intrigue. Four elite college basketball programs remain in the running: Duke, North Carolina, Florida and Kansas. Which means message boards for all four sets of fans frequently buzz with informed chatter and wild speculation. Fay Observer 8/20

DeAndre Daniels, considered one of the top power forwards in the Class of 2011, recently backed off his commitment from the University of Texas. Now it appears Daniels might reclassify into the Class of 2010 and enroll at a college some time in the next week. Multiple scouting sites reported last week that Daniels is eligible to make the move into the Class of 2010 and play this season. “He qualified, and he's cleared by the NCAA,” Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft coach Derrick Taylor told Scout.com. “They want him now. The coaches want him in on Monday. He's been getting offers.” Daniels is expected to visit Southern California and UCLA this weekend and is also considering UK. Courier-Journal 8/21

Oak Hill Academy guard Quinn Cook has narrowed his list to seven schools: UCLA, Arizona, Duke, St.John's, Georgetown, Rutgers and North Carolina. Courier-Journal 8/21

Coach Herb Sendek provided more evidence that the Sun Devil basketball program will continue to be perennial conference contenders when he received a commitment from Mesa High School guard Jahii Carson on Saturday. Carson is an explosive 5’11” point guard who will be staying in-state after he de-committed from Oregon State after a junior season in which he set school records with 23.5 points and 7.2 assists per game. He was ranked in the top 12 nationally among all point guard recruits in the class of 2011 by numerous scouting services. He also attracted interest from Arizona, St. John’s, Washington and UCLA. Phoenix Examiner 8/22

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (8/16)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Branden Dawson was watching a classic matchup between Purdue and Michigan State on Wednesday on the Big Ten Network when the thought that had been crystallizing in his mind for weeks popped into his head. Shannon Brown and Jason Richardson were playing for the Spartans and Dawson likes their style. He could see himself playing for that team. It was around 3 p.m. on a balmy afternoon and he just made up his mind. He was going to East Lansing to play basketball at Michigan State for Tom Izzo. "It was just a feeling I had," he said. "It was like Michigan State, here I come." Post-Tribune 8/6

Josiah Turner, the No. 12-ranked player in the college basketball recruiting Class of 2011, will attend the Oct. 15 Late Night in the Phog as part of his official recruiting visit to Kansas University. Turner’s mom told Rivals.com on Sunday that her son’s Oakland Soldiers AAU teammate and good friend, No. 13-ranked Jabari Brown, also could visit the same weekend. Turner, a 6-foot-3 senior point guard out of Sacramento (Calif.) High, has a list of KU, Arizona, Connecticut, Louisville, Oklahoma, Oregon and UCLA. Turner — he averaged 27.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last year — will visit Louisville the weekend of Sept. 4. He also attended KU’s Late Night last year. LJ World 8/9

Potential Class of 2011 recruit Nick Johnson, a 6-2 guard from Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep by way of Gilbert, let Rivals.com know this weekend that he will unofficially ASU and Arizona this month and will officially visit Louisville and Kansas in September. Johnson has not decided if he will take his other three official visits. Kentucky, Oklahoma State and St. John’s are among others recruiting him. “I don’t want to play my hand yet,” Johnson told Rivals.com. “I want to see how these [recruiting visits] go first.” Tucson Citizen 8/9

Quinn Cook, 6-0 rising senior point guard, Oak Hill (VA), USA 2011: Transferring out of famed DeMatha (MD) for his final year of high school (following the path of fellow D.C.-area native and “big brother” Nolan Smith, who was also in attendance), Cook’s polish, ability to run the show, shooting range and heady demeanor all look ready for the rigors he’ll encounter in rural VA. SLAM 8/9

Much of the Bruins' improvement will hinge on whether Howland's recruiting class can figure these things out quickly enough to make a positive impact. The most talented of Howland's newcomers is 6-foot-9 power forward Josh Smith, a near-300-pounder with surprisingly soft hands, quick feet, and and intuitive knack for the game. Smith, the No. 20 overall player in ESPNU's class of 2010, is currently working out three times a day with UCLA training staff in an attempt to get him in the best shape of his life. If Smith can improve the Bruins' offensive rebounding even marginally, that'll be contribution enough. Likewise, shooting guard Tyler Lamb, the No. 28-ranked player in 2010 class, will be expected to contribute right away. At 6-foot-4, Lamb adds depth and polish to the Bruins backcourt. ESPN 8/9

Brea Olinda center K.C. Caudill has committed to Boston College, Wildcats coach Bob Terry confirmed on Tuesday. Caudill, who will be a senior in the fall, committed Monday. He had offers from Harvard, Northwestern, Oregon State and Penn. Caudill had committed to Arizona State as a sophomore but decommitted. Caudill averaged 17.5 points and 12 rebounds as a junior. OC Varsity 8/10

Sacramento High's Josiah Turner wound down a hectic summer by playing for the United States West team in last weekend's Nike Global Challenge in Hillsboro, Ore. The 6-foot-3 senior guard made all six of his free throws and finished fifth overall in the tournament in assists with 14 during the three days in which four U.S. regional teams competed in an eight-team field with teams from Asia, France, Canada and Brazil. SacBee 8/11

Josiah Turner, this area's biggest basketball recruit since the days of Elk Grove's Bill Cartwright, has narrowed his list of scholarship offers to seven schools and also has set his five official visits for the fall. Doris Ward, Turner's mother, says the Sacramento High senior guard, rated the No. 3 point guard prospect in the country by Rivals.com, will visit Louisville Sept. 4, UConn Sept. 11, Oregon, Oct. 2, Kansas Oct. 15 and Arizona Oct. 22. Ward also said that her son is still considering UCLA, in which he already has taken several unofficial visits, and Oklahoma, a school that he may visit unofficially the weekend that he attends the Late Night in the Phog ceremonies at Kansas. SacBee 8/12

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (8/2)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Josiah Turner (6-foot-3, Sacramento High), Jabari Brown (6-4, Oakland High) and Nick Johnson (6-2, Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev.) were nothing short of outstanding each time I watched the team play. Turner likely rates as a consensus choice as the top point guard prospect in the west and one of the top five or so at the position, nationally. Brown is the best pure jump shooter in the region and Johnson - a son of Joey Johnson and nephew of the late Dennis Johnson, a recent Hall of Fame inductee - is the most spectacular jumper in this class. Press Telegram 7/26

Despite reports that he’s leaning toward committing to Duke, Austin Rivers said following Tuesday night’s AAU Super Showcase that he’s still open to a number of schools, including Florida. Rivers committed to UF as a ninth-grader before re-opening his recruitment last April. Rivers has listed his top three schools as Duke, Florida and North Carolina in no particular order. Gainesville Sun 7/27

Julian Royal - He didn't get off to a fast start, but Royal really picked it up late. The power forward showed off his complete game. He scored from three off the catch, he hit from the mid-range, and then he played with his back to the basket and finished with spin moves in the paint. Royal put all of his natural talent on display and showed a fire to help his team win the game that doesn't always seem to be there. Jackets Online 7/27

Cezar Guerrero (Belmont Shores, 2011)- Once considered a right hand dominant gunner, Guerrero has significantly improved the weaker areas of his game. He is making plays going left, distributing the basketball to teammates and overall playing a much more mature floor game. Surprisingly only Colorado has offered this talented lead guard. UNLV, Auburn, St. John's, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, Long Beach State and UCLA are showing interest....Norvel Pelle might have as much upside as any post player in the country. The long, super athletic post player is poised to move up the rankings and will be hearing from a bunch of schools. Section Sports 7/28

In an interview with Andy Katz of ESPN.com, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers talked a little bit about his son, Austin Rivers, a prized hoops recruit in the Class of 2011. "At this point, Austin pretty much doesn't know where he's going," Rivers said. "There are three or four schools he likes but he wants to see how they play. He's gone the other way and wants to slow it down and wait. That's the new trend and I think it's pretty smart." Rumors have swirled all offseason about where the younger Rivers will end up playing college basketball. Earlier in July, Doc Rivers told Zagsblog.com that Duke, Florida and "probably a couple other schools" are on Austin's list. USA Today 7/28

The highest profile recruits abide by the rules. While waiting for his mother in the lobby of the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman gymnasium last weekend, Nick Johnson came face to face with Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. It was an obvious awkward moment, but Johnson was as cool as he was on the court. NCAA rules dictate that a coach can not communicate with prospective recruits at evaluation events such as the Fab 48 in which Johnson and the Oakland/Drew Gooden Soldiers competed. Ford walked by and the two exchanged only a smile. Minutes later, after media entered the lobby, Johnson, a high-profile Class of 2011 recruit from Henderson (Nev.) Findlay reportedly favoring Arizona, said in an interview that Oklahoma State was one of his suitors. Say this for Ford: He made himself seen. Did he time his walk-by with Johnson? Maybe so, but does it really matter? Tucson Citizen 7/29

Norvel Pelle (Compton Magic, 2011)- It looks like Pelle is finding his stride as a basketball player. That is a frightening thing for his future opponents. Pelle is a big time talent with top of the line athleticism for a prospect with his size. He effortlessly blocks shots with either hand, finishes with either hand and runs the floor like a gazelle. The primary task for Pelle in order to put together his talents as a productive and winning basketball player is to crystallize his mental focus. A number of schools are poised to make a big push for Pelle after witnessing his abilities in July. According to Pelle, the entire Pac-10 has offered along with St. John's, Texas, UNLV, UConn, Miami, Kansas and North Carolina. Scarlet Nation 7/29

Austin Rivers, 6-3 rising senior combo guard, Winter Park (FL): Rivers’ scoring ability–he has almost unlimited range, the ability to get past multiple defenders with his terrific handle and has excellent court vision, to boot–has been written about ad nauseum on this site and plenty of other places, but with added strength, a better understanding of how to involve his teammates and at least a partial commitment to playing D, he’s in the process of taking his game to another level. SLAM Online 7/30

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (7/12)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Looking for signs of life in Pac-10 basketball? Good luck. A few months away from its final season as the 10-team entity we've known for years, the conference is dormant... Just one McDonald's All-American was signed by a team in the conference in the last signing period (Josh Smith by UCLA). Sports Illustrated 7/7

New UCLA point guard Lazeric Jones, a junior college transfer from Illinois, is playing in the Say No summer league at The HAX in Hawthorne this summer, and early reviews indicate he's going to be a solid contributor and help the Bruins address a weakness at the position. On Sunday, Jones played in a game with Bruins teammates Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Jones handled the ball well, displayed court leadership and scored several baskets on drives down the key. He has big hands and a nice touch from the free-throw line. LA Times 7/11

Recruits

On a team made up mostly of guys heading into college basketball, Winter Park's younger Austin Rivers was the lights-out shooter for the USA Basketball team that won the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. The rising senior guard led unbeaten Team USA in scoring (20.2 points per game) and steals (2.0) while ranking second in minutes played (23.0) and third in field-goal percentage (.583) in San Antonio. That's the city where his dad, Doc Rivers, played the final two seasons of a 13-year NBA career. Orlando Sentinel 7/6

Austin Rivers is the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2011. He spent much of last week engaged in thorough global hoops destruction at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, including a 9-for-12 shooting night in a 35-point performance against Canada. And now, it's looking more and more like Rivers is going to take that prodigious talent to Duke. Why? Beyond the actual recruiting stuff -- Rivers has long been leaning toward Duke -- the guard walked out of the FIBA locker rooms in San Antonio wearing a particularly telling outfit. ESPN 7/8

Having drunk Germans spill beer on them was not the reception Quinn Cook and Justin Anderson expected at the FIBA Under-17 World Basketball Championship. But those Germans were just ecstatic soccer fans as Cook and Anderson were watching Germany's World Cup quarterfinal victory over Argentina -- a chance to see some local culture during the inaugural world basketball tournament. Washington Post 7/9

Kyle Caudill - Speed and agility aren't the name of his game, but Caudill is an absolutely massive human being. He has good touch around the rim with either hand, and knows how to use his body to create angles on the block. Still his lack of athleticism limits him from being a consistent finisher when going up against long and athletic players. He also needs to get into better shape, but his size, toughness, and reliable hands make him an interesting low block player out on the west coast. Section Sports 7/9

Branden Dawson- Dawson has always been on the cusp of the five-star/four-star borderline as a prospect. He has a college ready body, strong athleticism and is an exceptional defender, rebounder and finisher. At this event, however, Dawson has displayed an expanded skill set. He has shot the ball well from behind the arc and has looked good with the basketball in the open court. MO Sports 7/9

Josiah Turner- Outside of 2013 elite guard prospect Rodney Purvis, Turner has been the best point guard at the event. He has an impressive blend of strength and quickness which he uses to his advantage on both sides of the ball. His decision making has been solid, and he has finished plays in a variety of areas of the court. Steadily he is moving towards the top of the point guard rankings in 2011. MO Sports 7/9

Josiah Turner, having a monster summer on the Amateur Athletic Union travel circuit, has moved up to No. 12 nationally in www.rivals.com's latest top 150 boys basketball player rankings for 2011. The 6-foot-3 Turner, of Sacramento High School, is the No. 3-rated point guard behind Kentucky-bound Marquis Teague of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Myck Kabongo of Findley Prep in Henderson, Nev. Sacramento Bee 7/11

The guard drove downcourt with purpose, then flew toward the rim in a seemingly futile scoring attempt against more than one taller defender. The resounding dunk validated his judgment and made for one of the more memorable plays at the King City Classic. The player was Nick Johnson, a 6-foot-
2 guard for Findlay Prep in the Las Vegas area and the nephew of the late Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson. "I was still young and not serious about basketball when he was around," Johnson said. Kentucky Sports 7/11

Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (6/28)

noreply@blogger.com (Bruin Basketball Report) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:22:43 PST

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Recruits

Several prospects, including top-30 guard Josiah Turner and top-50 forward LaQuinton Ross, said they are no longer hearing from UK. Turner guessed that's because of "all the commitments they already have. They get all good players." Courier-Journal 6/21

Quinn Cook of Baltimore says Kentucky “definitely” remains on his list even though it has a commitment from Indianapolis point guard Marquis Teague. “I have developed a relationship with the (UK) coaches, and coach Cal (John Calipari) just wins,” Cook said. “He puts guys in the NBA, and he plays guards. He lets guards control the offense. Look at all the good guards he has had — John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose.” One reason Cook is not worried about Teague’s commitment to UK is because Calipari used Wall and Bledsoe together last season and both are projected as first-round NBA draft picks with Wall slated to go No. 1. AM News 6/23

I finally caught up to Julian Royal today. Royal is a 6′7 forward out of Alpharetta, Ga. who is ranked No. 52 nationally by Rivals.com. He just finished up working out at the NBA Top 100 camp over the weekend. Check out what he had to say....Q: What schools are showing the most interest right now? A: Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Ohio State TideSports 6/23

Quinn Cook is the fourth-ranked point guard for the Class of 2011 and is considering many of the nation's top college programs, including Villanova, UConn, North Carolina, St. John's and Kentucky just to name a few. Cook, who is currently taking part in the USA Under-17 training camp in San Antonio, is finding that college recruitment can come in many forms. USA Today 6/24