Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (10/23)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

Lake Oswego High basketball star Kevin Love was quoted in an Oct. 6 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about college recruiters and coaches who use text messaging to keep in touch with prospects, thus getting around NCAA restrictions on telephone calls. "The (recruiting) school wants to show you their presence and the love that they have for you," Love told the Chronicle. "But some coaches, and I won't say who, just don't know when to stop." According to the Chronicle, during the recruiting process Love changed his cell phone number and gave the new one to only a few coaches. The Oregonian 10/19

Rivals Elite First Team: Kevin Love 6-9, 240, Lake Oswego, Ore.; With a hard edged competitive spirit and fundamentally solid game, Love is a bruiser around the basket. He has advanced footwork and can finish with either hand. He is a strong position rebounder, and his outlet passing is off the charts. With a pure shooting stroke, Love also possesses three-point shooting range. His footspeed on defense, however, is limited as well as his overall athleticism. Rivals.com 10/20

Recruits

Jeff Withey, one of the biggest and best high school basketball prospects in the Class of 2008, has committed to the University of Louisville. The 7-foot, 220-pound Withey, a junior at Horizons High School in San Diego, said he called U of L coach Rick Pitino early Wednesday morning to inform him of the decision.  “He said it was a very happy start to the day for him,” Withey said. “It was not hard for me to wait. I made a visit there and just knew I wanted to go to Louisville. I had that feeling where you just know.” Courier Journal 10/18

Dwayne Polee Jr., a 14-year-old freshman at Westchester High, has verbally committed to the USC men's basketball team. Polee Jr., who has not yet played a game for the Comets, is the 6-foot-5 son of former NBA draft pick Dwayne Polee Sr. Although Polee Jr.'s early commitment is rare, it is not entirely unprecedented. In 2003, Taylor King made a verbal commitment to UCLA before he enrolled as a freshman at Mater Dei High of Santa Ana. King later rescinded his commitment, and verbally committed to Duke earlier this year.  L.A. Daily News 10/18

Sources indicate Simeon All-Stater Derrick Rose, the top-rated point guard in the nation, is leaning toward Indiana over Memphis as his final choice. He could wind up joining Indianapolis North Central's Eric Gordon as a Hoosier. Gordon, rated among the top three players in the nation, took back an oral commitment to Illinois last week and is headed to Indiana. Chicago Tribune 10/19

Although Renardo Sidney is the top-rated sophomore in the nation by some recruiting services, he actually didn't suit up as a freshman at Piney Woods School in Mississippi. Instead, he's built up his national reputation by starring on the AAU circuit with Pat Barrett's Southern California All-Stars, the nation's most impressive AAU team this past summer. Renardo Sidney Sr. told us at the ABCD Camp in New Jersey he was tired of the seemingly racist politics of the Mississippi High School Activities Association that kept Sidney from playing his freshman season at Piney Woods School. He also claimed that the Tornadoes were not going to be allowed to play in the post-season this year and told the Washington Post that basically he feels his son has outgrown the state of Mississippi. CalHiSports 10/21

A Medford sports writer who has monitored Singler’s recruitment closely wrote, “The feeling from here is that Kyle Singler will pick Duke. (Mike) Krzyzewski, considered by many to be the nation’s top college coach, has already formed a close relationship with Singler and has told him he has the potential to become an All-American.” Lawrence Journal-World 10/22

(photo credit: Courier Journal)