College Basketball "off-season" Thread (players leaving/coaching changes/recruiting)

[allen3xis]

I'm only surprised at it being Baylor and not OSU.


He'll get coached well and it only helps that program build more....but yeah..very shady.

And you would think this kinda attention would NOT be what Baylor wants with their basketball program after the Dennehy tragedy.

 

[tmay407]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I'm only surprised at it being Baylor and not OSU.


He'll get coached well and it only helps that program build more....but yeah..very shady.

And you would think this kinda attention would NOT be what Baylor wants with their basketball program after the Dennehy tragedy.

I was surprised to see it at first, but after I re-read it...I'm not surprised at all that a school like Baylor would be involved.

Stuff like this isn't illegal, though. It's just pretty shady like you said.

 

[seymore cake]

The fact that we are just coming on the scene in terms of Yarou is disgusting.... however we are quick draw mcgraw on someone who shows signs of timidness... Ido not understand this staffs vision these days

We better land Yarou Got Damnit!

 

[allen3xis]

Draft Express now ranks him in their Top 20 for 09 prospects.

His stock is gona continue to climb.

Some rumors that Ryan Kelly is down to UNC and Wake...but he hasn't made that public...so, just rumors.

 

[JND1]

According to a source close to the situation, Dwon Clifton was offered coaching positions by other Big 12 schools as well as schools in the Big East and SEC.

That's a damn shame.

I like Ryan Kelly and everything, but we already have 50 post players...save that 'ship for 2010.

 

[N41D]

Whatever Scott Drew is doing down in Waco, it's working damn well...

He's got that program lookin right. Anthony Jones, John Wall, Corey Jefferson, Quincy Acy... Added to LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter, and they shouldstill have a scholarship or two to toy around with for the 2009 class... Lookin good.

 

[allen3xis]

They might have the inside track on LaQuinton Ross for the future now, too.

 

[allen3xis]

While that is shady...this is just a joke.

LAS VEGAS -- It is courting season in college basketball. The time that coaches and high school players stare longingly at one another across the wideexpanse of a court. NCAA rules prohibit the two parties from speaking to one another and with come-hither stares presumably outlawed in the rulebook somewhereas well, the two are left to find other means to make sure they're noticed.

The kids have it easy. They're on the court, running and dunking. Hard to miss.

[+] Enlarge

Jody Demling/Louisville Courier-Journal

IU assistant coach Bennie Seltzer used a wardrobe change to get the attention of recruits at a summer camp.
The coaches? They're stuck in a sea of middle-aged men on the bleachers. Savvy haberdashery is their savior.
T-shirts and golf shirts with the schools logos, get more wear and tear in the month of July from well-paid college coaches than they do from well-oiledalums during football season. There is a hierarchy. Roy Williams might wear Carolina blue, but the shirt doesn't always include the UNC insignia. RickPitino's shirt says Louisville, but it's in the fine print. Lots of wins, Final Fours and national titles will earn you that right.

Low-major coaches, in the meantime, use everything this side of a bedazzler to make sure their players know they're in the building.

Bennie Seltzer just upped the ante.

There wasn't a person in or around the Las Vegas high schools who didn't notice the Indiana assistant this week. Seltzer reached right intoIndiana's history books to get his competitive advantage, pulling on a pair of the red and white candy striped warm-ups as he went to work.

"I laughed at myself a little bit as I got dressed," he said. "But then I sort of got into it."

Seltzer hatched this plan earlier in the recruiting season. After spending a day riding the pine to watch one of IU's prospects, he read in an onlinestory that the kid didn't think anyone from the Indiana staff was in the gym.

He didn't want that to happen again, so he jokingly told IU head coach, Tom Crean, that he was going to wear the warm-up pants. The more Seltzer thoughtabout it, the more he liked it and Crean, never one to ignore an offbeat hook, agreed.

Were it not for the 109-degree thermometer reading, Seltzer would have sported the warm-up jacket as well.

"Last time I wore the shirt with the little interlocking IU," Seltzer said. "I watched the same kid again this week. I'm pretty sure henoticed me."

But here's the thing. Seltzer just might have stumbled onto a great new gimmick. Coaches already have tinkered with ways to stand out. Seth Greenbergsported orange and red sneakers that perfectly matched his Virginia Tech golf shirt this week and the lettering on the Baylor's staff shirts was so largeit could have doubled as a marquee on the Strip.

Hell, Bruce Pearl wears Day-Glo orange every day of the week. Good luck not noticing him.

"Someone called it brand recognition. That's perfect," Seltzer said. "When you see those pants you think Indiana basketball."

Better yet, consider the endless possibilities that Seltzer's ingenuity could spawn. Phil Martelli could flap his arms like the Saint Joe's Hawk;Johnny Dawkins could pull a Pat Forde and prance around as the Stanford Tree; Pitino could bag the understated golf shirt and whip out the all white suit again(hopefully this time with properly colored boxers) and Bob Huggins could try to pull off the mustard suit and shoe combo one more time.

Imagine if John Calipari stamped his well-heeled shoes to get a recruit's attention or if Crean paced the bleacher sidelines like he does during agame?

Suddenly the drone of summer hoops, which sometimes appears as enjoyable as a colonoscopy, would gain some fun and brevity. Coaches rendered into marching,monotone Flat Stanleys, by NCAA rules that prohibit them from having contact with the kids they might actually coach for four years, would be able to show theyhave a personality. Gasp! The horror!

Along with plotting what game to watch next and which player to target, coaches would have to figure out what to pack so they stood out more than the guydressed like Colonel Sanders.

The whole thing already is a circus -- hundreds of high school "amateurs" wearing brand new warm-ups, sneakers and uniforms, living inwell-appointed hotels and walking the Strip in the wee hours of the night.

Why not send in the clowns?

 

[ricardo malta]

While that is shady...this is just a joke.
Meh, I don't think it's that bad. I know when I was getting recruited in high school I always wondered which schools were on thesidelines watching. I think it speaks volumes to kids when they clearly see which schools are there to watch him, especially if ole' boy showed up to yourgame in red and white striped pajamas lookin' like a damn foo'

 

[allen3xis]

I guess I can see that...it's just Crean is attention #+*$$ as is.


...
The NCAA is taking a look at a powerful Memphis booster's contact with Abdul Gaddy's mom. More to come...


Can Cal finally be got?

 

[allen3xis]

When Oseye Gaddy placed down the phone at her desk, she was unable able to contain her excitement. She had just gotten off the phone with the CEO of her company. Out of 190,000 employees throughout the world, FedEx Express president and CEO David Bronczek, one of the company's most influential executives, had chosen to reach out to an ordinary customer service representative, working across the country in Tacoma, Wash.
But Gaddy is hardly your average customer service rep these days. She's also the mother of one of the most highly-sought-after and uncommittedbasketball recruits in the country, Abdul Gaddy. And Bronczek is not merely a CEO. He is also a booster of the University of Memphis basketball program.[table][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]FedEx Express President and CEO David Bronczek is a member of the University of Memphis' 32-member Ambassador's Athletic Foundation. (Kevin Terrel / Getty Images)[/td] [/tr][/table]
And according to an NCAA source, their brief conversation has led to an NCAA investigation.

Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson told FOXSports.com on Thursday afternoon he was "unaware of the call" but acknowledged that Bronczek was abooster and said "we'll absolutely look into it."

They won't be the only ones.

"We're aware of the issue," said Stacey Osburn, NCAA associate director of public and media relations.

The call from Bronczek came earlier this month and lasted approximately 10 minutes. Oseye Gaddy also told FOXSports.com that she received the call just afew days after the family was contacted by Tigers coach John Calipari, who is actively recruiting Abdul Gaddy. Calipari was at a basketball camp Thursday andrepeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

Bronczek belongs to the exclusive 32-member Ambassador's Athletic Foundation, in which each member has donated at least $500,000 to the Memphis programand many have given in excess of $1 million.

He is a "representative of an institution's athletic interests" or a "booster" due to his involvement as a member of theAmbassador's Athletic Foundation - an agency that promotes an athletic program. Bronczek is also on the Tiger Athletic Advisory Board of Directors, whichassists the athletic department in all aspects of fund raising.

"He's absolutely a booster, there's no question about it," Johnson said of Bronczek.

NCAA rules state that "a representative of athletic interests" is someone who has participated in or is a member of an agency or organizationpromoting the institution's athletics program or who has made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organizationof that institution.

Rule 13.1.3.5.1 in the NCAA Division I Manual also states that "Representatives of an institution's athletics interests are prohibited from makingtelephonic communications with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians."

"I wasn't aware of it and of course I'm concerned," Johnson said. "We try very hard because our basketball program is so highprofile. The higher you go, the less wiggle room you have."

"Certainly I don't condone it," Johnson added. "But Dave's one of the real good ones. Oh yes, we'll absolutely look intoit."

FedEx director of communications Maury Lane said of Bronczek: "Certainly he regrets the fact he put himself, the company and the university in a badlight. But he had the right intentions. His conversation was congratulatory."

Lane said that Bronczek was unaware of the rules, adding that Bronczek also indicated that Calipari had not urged him to make the call.

"Now he wishes he'd have taken a different tack," Lane said.

Oseye Gaddy certainly wasn't expecting a call from Bronczek, with whom she hadn't spoken previously in her 11 years with the company.
[table][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Memphis head coach John Calipari attended several of Abdul Gaddy's games at the Reebok Big Time AAU tournament in Las Vegas. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)[/td] [/tr][/table]
"I was screaming and telling everyone about it," she said.

When the secretary notified Gaddy that Bronczek was on the phone, Gaddy said she "was a little nervous."

Recalling the conversation while watching her son play in a tournament in Las Vegas last week, Oseye Gaddy told FOXSports.com, "I was like, 'Whywould he want to talk to me?' But the whole time he talked to me, he talked about my son.

"He was just talking to me a little bit about (John) Calipari and the program and then he was telling me about The FedEx Forum and how he goes to a lotof games and sits on the floor," she added. "How Calipari is a really nice guy."

Regardless of Bronczek's intentions, the contact has brought the Memphis program under NCAA scrutiny.

Asked for a clarification of the rule, NCAA spokesperson Osburn said, "It is against NCAA rules for a representative of athletic interests or a boosterto make a telephone call to a prospective student-athlete or their family during the recruiting process."

According to NCAA rule 13.01.1, the communication between Bronczek and Oseye Gaddy could also result in Abdul Gaddy becoming ineligible to play forMemphis:

"The recruitment of a student-athlete by a member institution or any representative of its athletic interests in violation of the Association'slegislation, as acknowledged by the institution or established through the Association's enforcement procedures, shall result in the student-athletebecoming ineligible to represent that institution in intercollegiate athletics. The Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement may restore the eligibility of astudent involved in such a violation only when circumstances clearly warrant restoration."

Memphis plays its home games at the FedEx Forum. Bronczek isn't the only Memphis booster that holds a powerful position at FedEx. In fact, FedEx CEO andfounder Fred Smith is one of two original members of the Ambassador's Club.

Abdul Gaddy, a Bellarmine High (Tacoma, Wash.) standout, gave Arizona a verbal commitment nearly a year ago, but re-opened his recruitment this past Mayafter all three Wildcats assistant coaches left the program. While playing in a tournament in Las Vegas this week, Gaddy said that Memphis and Arizona areamong about a dozen schools he is currently considering.

Scout.com ranks Gaddy as the No. 2 point guard and ninth player overall in the country.

Calipari was at several of Gaddy's games earlier this week at the Reebok Big Time AAU tournament in Las Vegas. Memphis is also recruiting thenation's top-ranked point guard, John Wall, out of North Carolina. However, Wall's AAU coach, Dwon Clifton, is expected to take a position on theBaylor staff later this week and the Bears, according to sources, could receive a verbal commitment from Wall as early as next week.

 

[allen3xis]

[h1]Charlotte in good shape for Braswell.[/h1]
Jason Jordan
NinerReport.com

Talk about it in Hoya Premium Court
[table][tr][td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [/tr][/table]Chris Braswelll doesn't make guarantees.

Not when he's headed to a tournament, a game and, least of all, when he's visiting a school.

Still, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward has made Charlotte the lone exception to his "no promises" rule.

"Charlotte is definitely getting one of my five visits," he said. "I'm open on the rest of the visits, but Charlotte will be a school that Ivisit, most definitely."

An impressive feat for Charlotte with offers from Connecticut, Indiana, Syracuse, West Virginia, Xavier, Providence, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Oklahoma, OklahomaState, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.

Braswell, widely regarded as a gem in the 2008 class, made his name at Hargrave Military Academy this past season averaging 17.5 points and 10 rebounds andleading the Cadets to a 29-0 record.

Initially, Braswelll verbally committed to Georgetown in October of 2006, but reopened his recruitment this spring after also announcing that he planned to doa post-grad year at Hargrave.

"I just wanted to weigh my options again," Braswelll said. "I wanted to see what else was out there."

It helps the Niners that associate head coach Rob Moxley has been there with Braswell for years. The two forged a relationship since Moxley was an assistant atMaryland trying to get Braswelll to be a Terp.

"Coach Rob is real cool, and I know him pretty well," Braswelll said. "I've known him a long time. The coaches down there at Charlotte seemto really want me. I like that. I have to get down there and see what all Charlotte has to offer. If I get down there and like all of the surroundings and thecampus they could be in the top. I'm just not sure when I'm gonna be able to get down there."

Braswelll isn't sure on when he'll narrow his list down either.

"I'm playing it by ear," he said. "I've been talking it over with my mother and my coach and we'll get the list down at some point.Right now I'm just working on getting better."

Braswell's best trait is his versatility.

He's dominant with his back to the basket, but has the ability to step out and hit the mid-range jump shot.

"I can knock down the three sometime too," he said. "But my best move is my spin move. That's probably the go-to move right there."

And currently Charlotte is the only school that's sure to see it on an official visit.

 

[jamesonnt]

Damn.

That Memphis / Gaddy situation is serious.

My dude Cal going above and beyond.

 

[ricardo malta]

These guys are certified businessmen who've risen to the top yet they're still dumb enough to make a public call to a recruits mom, basically in broaddaylight?! More like certified morons. Not only that, he didn't even make sure the call was pertaining to her employment in any way, shape or form. Ifhe had maybe congratulated her on her tenure, all while throwing Abdul's name in here and there he could have at least spun it into being an "employeeappreciation" call.

I swear, Cool hand Cal thinks he's damn near untouchable down there in Memphis. He tippy toein' on that fine line.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Crean has a lot ofproblems to overcome in Indiana, I don't see a problem with it except he looks like a moron. A simple Indiana jumpsuit would havesufficed.

 

[allen3xis]

The amount of Uconn players I've ever liked are few and far between...Thabeet is one of em..


UConn's Hasheem Thabeet is not your average 7-3 guy



Posted: July 30, 2008

To explain how far Hasheem Thabeet has traveled as a basketball player, you could start in Tanzania, the place of his birth. That would be intriguing, butit only conveys his long journey to play the game in a circumstance where he can learn, improve and test himself against the best competition among players hisage.

You could go back to his first days as a freshman at Connecticut, when he'd run up and down the court like Asafa Powell but stumble around the lane likeWill Ferrell. That would be entertaining, but it only suggests he once was fearful -- not that one day he might become fearsome.
No, the best place to gofor an understanding of how profoundly Thabeet has improved is inside the mind of the point guard whose job it is to get him the basketball. A.J. Price ran theUConn offense last season, when the 7-3 Thabeet averaged 10.5 points and shot 60.3 percent from the floor as a sophomore center. Price says he frequentlyhesitated to throw an entry pass to Thabeet, even when he had perfect post-up position with a defender at his back and no double-team in sight.
"I had to think twice: time, game situation, score. Because you wouldn't always get the best result," Price says. "Hasheem's hungerto go get the ball is different than last year. I just see a total difference. He demands the ball. You almost have to throw it to him."

Price, recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL, hasn't been throwing those passes in UConn's summer pickup games. But he watches Huskies guardJerome Dyson toss lobs toward the rim, just like the Orlando Magic do for star center Dwight Howard. And he sees Thabeet grabbing the ball with hissnowshoe-size mitts and stuffing it in the basket.

It's a picture of the one player who might block what many perceive to be an inevitable, inexorable march by the North Carolina Tar Heelstoward the 2009 NCAA championship. Thabeet's ascent could make the Huskies the team best equipped to challenge Carolina.

"We're on a mission for a national championship, but we've got to win games first," Thabeet says, his deep voice tinted with a distinctiveaccent. "Right now, we're working hard to get to Detroit and play in the Final Four. We're not thinking about, 'Yeah, we're going to win anational championship.' How are we going to get there? That's what we're thinking about."

Though the story of how Thabeet came to play basketball in America isn't uncommon, it's still pretty amazing. He played soccer as a boy in Dar esSalaam and wasn't introduced to the sport that would change his life until he was 15. He quickly showed a talent for the game and embraced the suggestionit might help him come to the United States and advance his education. He began e-mailing coaches here and eventually wound up at Cypress Community Christian,a high school near Houston. He went from project to prospect to player in a blur.

Although home seems far away now, Thabeet has returned to Tanzania each of the past two offseasons. He was back in May for three weeks, even though thatmeant sacrificing some of the weight and strength gains he had made; he had gotten up to 278 but dropped 12 pounds and is working to get that back and addmore. But the trip gave him the opportunity to attend the Sullivan Summit, an annual gathering of world government and political leaders designed to examinehow Africa can improve and enrich itself and its people.

Thabeet's basketball success has earned him an appointment as a "sports ambassador" for Tanzania. "There were a lot of presidents fromEurope (at the summit); Jesse Jackson (was there)," he says. "I got to meet all of them. It was great."

Thabeet believes he eventually will return to live in Tanzania, but he can't even bring himself now to say he misses home.

"Because over here there's a lot of opportunity," Thabeet says. "There's a lot of things you can do more than in Tanzania. People Iwent to school with, they don't have jobs. They're just over there hanging out. I don't think it's a good place at all for somebody that'snot ... the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor."

After each of Thabeet's first two seasons at UConn, the mock draft types predicted he would enter the NBA draft so he could help out his familyfinancially. But Thabeet is serious about his game. He is trying not just to make money but to make it big.

Thabeet is rare among today's collegians in that he actually heeded the advice of his college coaches to spend another year in Division I. Now hisexpected advancement as a scorer and the obvious dearth of talent in the next draft are leading to his being projected as a top five pick.

Thabeet watched the June draft and admits to being "amazed at who got drafted." He figures his chances of getting selected early were quite good,"but at the end of the day, I thought I made a wise decision. Things are going to work out for me."

Huskies assistant coach Patrick Sellers once told the story that when Thabeet first arrived at UConn, he believed extra work after practice was reserved forpunishing slackers. Thabeet had to be convinced of the need to spend extra time improving, kind of like a first-semester student who must learn it helps topull the occasional all-nighter.

That's no longer an issue. For the second straight summer, Thabeet attended the LeBron James Skills Academy and showed evidence of an offseason spentattacking the weaknesses in his game. He admits to being nervous at the camp last summer because of "all this big exposure" in competing againsteventual first-round choices Brook Lopez, his twin brother, Robin, and Jason Thompson of Rider. "This year, I came out and played basketball,"Thabeet says. "I know I can do a lot of stuff that I worked on, and I came out and showed it."

ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who coached the college big men at the LeBron camp, is impressed by how well Thabeet accepts coaching. "He looks youin the eye," Bilas says. "And he's competitive. He never shied away from anything.

"I think he could be a better pro than a college player, and I rarely say this. They're all or mostly man-to-man in that league, so he's notgoing to get crowded like he does in a college game."

The biggest obstacle for Thabeet has been getting comfortable on offense when defenders are muscling him. Because he is so big, most opponents have littlechoice but to hope physical play will deter him. As his lower body grows stronger, as his confidence blooms, that tactic becomes less effective.

"A lot of people were saying he would go to the league, but knowing Hasheem, I never expected him to make the jump knowing he wasn't ready,"Price says. "He works so hard, wants to be so good. He didn't want to go to the NBA coming off somebody's bench playing a few minutes a game.

"He wants to be great. That's what really separates him from everybody else. He's not your average 7-3 guy."

...I honestly believe if he continues his improvement... he's your #1 pick in09..




...
And this kid has gone under the radar for McD AA...he'll end up better than Hendrix..


For Tide to rise again, Green must be golden



Posted: July 28, 2008

He knew exactly what was coming, and still it struck him with the force of an elbow to the sternum. JaMychal Green watched the NBA draft long enough to hearthe words, "Richard Hendrix, forward, University of Alabama," spoken from the podium, and with them, his role for his freshman season with theCrimson Tide changed profoundly.

"The coaches called me and they asked me, Was I ready?" Green says. "I told them I'm ready to step up." Alabama has not been to theNCAA Tournament since Ronald Steele was Ronald Steele -- before a series of knee injuries rendered him diminished (2006-07) and redshirted (2007-0. Alabamais not going back unless Steele again is a high-level point guard.
But without Green to stabilize the Tide frontcourt, even a resurgence by Steele toAll-American form probably would not return Alabama basketball to relevance and eliminate the premature (but, these days, inevitable) speculation regardingcoach Mark Gottfried's job security.
And thus Green will enter the season as the most important freshman in Division I. He probably won't be the best, and he certainly won't be theflashiest. Green is a 6-9, 225-pound power forward with a lot of energy, but he's no high flier. With Hendrix deciding three years of college hoops and anAlabama degree were enough, though, Green became the essential figure in the Tide frontcourt.

"He plays really hard, very active, has got quick feet," Gottfried says. "He's one of those guys when the ball is up on the backboard,he's going after it every time. He wants to win. He's been a part of a lot of winning, so he's used to that."

As a McDonald's All American at Montgomery's St. Jude, Green -- call him J-Mike -- was the star of two state championship teams. From the first dayof practice July 1 until the gold medal game of the U-18 FIBA Americas Championship nearly three weeks later, he was the best frontcourt player for the UnitedStates' junior national team.

On a team that went 4-1 and lost a road game to Argentina for the championship, Green tied for second in scoring and was first in rebounding and blocks.Given that he was limited to about 16 minutes a game because of foul trouble and the coaches' desire to keep players fresh, his averages in thosecategories were amazing: 11.0, 8.4, 2.2.

Even more astounding was his 72.4 percent shooting, which suggested he a) knows exactly what shots he can make and b) could have afforded to launch a fewmore.

He is more of a stick-back guy than a polished, back-to-the-basket low-post scorer, but he regularly finishes plays because of his tenacity. Alabama willneed him to rank among the SEC's top rebounders, and he probably will.

"I like the physical aspect of the game," Green says. "I like to bang. I'll bring energy. I'll set the tempo. And I'll make openshots when they need me to." Green chose Alabama because he wanted to attend college close to home. He'd rather be somewhere else, though, in March ofhis freshman year.
..
A shame Gottfried can't coach.

 

[krisp kicks]

I would love it if Cal got nabbed.

I don't think anything is wrong with the IU jumpsuit either. Most coaches are wearing school gear anyway at the camps, AAU tourney's, etc..., so ifthey wanna take it to the next level and wear the candy-stripe pants then it's alright. Definitely obnoxious, but the kids are aware of their presence,which is a good thing for IU.

 

[allen3xis]

Idk...just to me...it's Indiana.

But desperate times...

 

[ricardo malta]

Idk...just to me...it's Indiana.

This ain't your daddy's Indiana anymore. This is more like Bloomington Community College.

Hell, I'd give IU all of Duke's top recruits for the next 2 years just so that they'd return to the IU of old.

Oh wait.

Nevermind.

The amount of Uconn players I've ever liked are few and far between...Thabeet is one of em..
If you met Hash in person you'd like him even more. Because he's so new to the american sports culture he doesn't feed into the"cockiness" of being a big time athlete. It's like he doesn't even know it exists. One of the most humble D1 and professional athletesI've been around and I been around quite a bit.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by Ricardo Malta

Idk...just to me...it's Indiana.

This ain't your daddy's Indiana anymore. This is more like Bloomington Community College.

Hell, I'd give IU all of Duke's top recruits for the next 2 years just so that they'd return to the IU of old.

Oh wait.

Nevermind.

The amount of Uconn players I've ever liked are few and far between...Thabeet is one of em..
If you met Hash in person you'd like him even more. Because he's so new to the american sports culture he doesn't feed into the "cockiness" of being a big time athlete. It's like he doesn't even know it exists. One of the most humble D1 and professional athletes I've been around and I been around quite a bit.

Indiana??? Hell no. *$%$ INDIANA!

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

.

 

[the lowa]

I think that Elliot Williams is going to fit really well in with the Duke team. I just fell that he is going to surprise a lot of people this year.

 

[the lowa]

Late on this but I do see a couple of the dudes that allen pick to be drafted that are playing in the Old Spice Classic
1. I have to go with Jessie Sapp this is his team. He will be the man and if he puts it all together this year I think Hoyas will go far this season.
2. Kenny Hasbrouck played ball with my dude Junior Bernal at MCI and Kenny is a monster. He is my pick for MAAC Player of The Year.
3. Tyler Smith would have been a first round pick if he stayed in the draft. He is going to be the best player in the whole tournament. He will be a lotterypick in next years draft.

 

[the lowa]

Glad that Tamir is no longer going to UAB I think that Frank Haith should get on top this kid he could be a good recruit for the Hurricanes.

Rivals150 shooting guard Tamir Jackson is no longer committed to UAB, but elite 2009 prospect DeMarcus Cousins is steadfast in his commitment to the Blazers.

"I made the decision today to decommit," said Jackson, 6-foot-2, 165-pound out of Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict's High School. "I justhaven't had any communication with the head coach, and I feel that I rushed my decision."

UAB presently has commitments from three other shooting guards.

Jackson, who is the No. 137 ranked prospect in the Rivals150, is looking at Rice and Davidson along with schools who were recruiting him before his recruitmentwhich include Miami, Virginia Tech, Arizona, Rhode Island, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John's and Clemson.

With rumors from unnamed sources circulating that Cousins as well is also planning to decommit from UAB were shot down by both Cousins and his high schoolcoach Otis Hughley. Both maintain that Cousins is still 100 percent committed to Mike Davis and the Blazers.

 

[the lowa]

First player to commit to Louisville in 2010

Josh Langford, a 6-foot-6 combo forward from Huntsville, Ala., was quickly becoming a hot commodity on the summer basketball circuit.

With offers from Alabama, Mississippi State and many others in the SEC, Langford put a quick end to the recruiting process Tuesay morning when he called theschool of his choice.


AP: AP
Langford said Pitino was "really excited" to get his commitment Thursday morning.
"I committed to Louisville this morning," Langford said. "I called Coach Pitino and let him know."

And Pitino's response?

"He was really excited," Langford said.

Langford has had a family connection to the city of Louisville for years. He also said he's been a fan of Pitino and the Cardinals for a long time.

"I've liked Louisville since I was little," Langford said. "I believe Coach Pitino can make me a better player and I wanted to go ahead andmake my decision."

Langford is currently the No. 18 power forward in the class of 2010 according to Rivals.com. He's listed as the No. 86 player overall.

Langford is Louisville's first commitment for the class of 2010. The Cardinals have three commitments in the 2009 class - point guard Peyton Siva, powerforward Rakeem Buckles and shooting guard Mike Marra.