Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (10/30)

By Bruin Basketball Report

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.

Commits

The No. 1 high school basketball player in the West, if not the nation, 6-10 center Kevin Love from Lake Oswego, Ore., is going to make two appearances in Southern California, which is great news for UCLA fans because he is scheduled to sign a letter of intent with the Bruins on Nov. 8. Love will play at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 15 against Compton Centennial as part of the Los Angeles Verbum Dei Real Run Winter Classic. Then, on Feb. 3, he'll face Santa Ana Mater Dei at the Monarchs' new gymnasium as part of the Nike Extravaganza. L.A. Times 10/25

Kevin Love will have an immediate impact. He can cause problems for a defense with his shooting, his physical play underneath and his passing. It is possible that Love could have a Tyler Hansbrough-type freshman year, but he won't necessarily be the go-to guy for the Bruins like Hansbrough was for the Tar Heels. Whereas Hansbrough was always out in front of the play - beating his man down the court for early positioning - I expect Love to spend more time trailing the play. With Love being such a highly skilled passer, I see him inbounding the ball after makes and then filling the high post as the trailer. There, he is a threat to shoot the ball and also feed the post.  Love is skilled enough to run the offense through in the high post. Expect him to be involved in a lot of pick-and-roll/pop and two-man game from that position as well.  He might not put up the points that Hansbrough put up as a freshman, but Love will certainly have a lot more assists. Rivals 10/26

Recruits

The Bay Ball Classic will be back for another year, tournament organizations announced Tuesday. The second annual high school boys basketball tournament will be played Dec. 27-30 at Cape Henlopen High in Lewes...In addition to Jones, at least four other players committed to NCAA Division I schools are scheduled to attend, as well as some of the nation's best underclassmen. Jrue Holiday, a 6-3 guard at Campbell Hall (Calif.), is rated by Scout.com as the No. 2 junior prospect in the nation. Deleware News Journal 10/25

Need a sign that Archbishop Mitty's stature has risen to epic proportions? Consider that the Monarchs have accepted an invitation to an event that aspires to bring the best boys basketball teams in the country under one roof. Mitty will play in the four-day Basketball Hall of Fame High School Invitational in Springfield, Mass., on Jan. 21, 2008.... Mitty will probably be paired with Helen Cox, Procino said, which would create a match-up between Helen Cox's 6-foot-10 Greg Monroe, the No. 1 prospect in the country for the class of 2008, and 6-8 Drew Gordon, ranked No. 10 in that class by scout.com. Mercury News 10/26

If the Tornadoes somehow run the table (or, for that matter, come close), few can dispute their status as one of Mississippi's best teams - regardless of their ineligibility for the Big House or the C-L rankings due to last spring's much-debated ruling that banned the program from the postseason for a second straight year. The MHSAA sanctions stem from accusations of illegal recruiting practices by Brent, brought on by the enrollment of Renardo Sidney, a 6-foot-9 forward from Jackson regarded as the nation's best freshman. Sidney, who was declared ineligible to play for the Tornadoes last season, now attends Lakewood (Calif.) Artesia. The Clarion Ledger 10/27

Kyle Singler, a 6-foot-8 forward who's one of the most talented and versatile seniors in the nation, announced Friday he has committed to play basketball at Duke. Singler made the announcement at South Medford (Ore.) High, where he averaged 20.5 points and 5.4 rebounds as a junior last season. He comes from an athletic family; his father, Ed, was a football player at Oregon State, where Kyle's mother, Kris, played basketball. All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons ranks Singler No. 4 overall in his class behind center Kevin Love of Lake Oswego, Ore.; guard Eric Gordon of Indianapolis; and guard O.J. Mayo of Huntington, W.Va. "He's probably the best all-around player outside of Kevin Love," Gibbons said. Charlotte Observer 10/28

(photo credit: Fox Sports)