Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/7)
By Bruin Basketball Report
Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.
Commits
The top-ranked Mitty boys team won the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon on Saturday, but did so without playing Cox-New Orleans. It would have been a compelling matchup considering Mitty features Drew Gordon and Cox has 6-foot-11 Greg Monroe, the No. 1 senior according to numerous recruiting sources. But the tournament favorite lost in the second round after numerous players, including Monroe, flew home for a funeral. SF Chronicle 1/1
Frank Burlison: The 10 players that impressed me the most when I watched them last month were (alphabetically) Jerime Anderson (Anaheim Canyon), Keion Bell (Pasadena), Demar DeRozan (Compton), Jordan Hamilton (Dominguez), Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall), Lorne Jackson (Simi Valley), James Rahon (Torrey Pines), Renardo Sidney (Fairfax), Klay Thompson (Santa Margarita) and Casper Ware (Gahr). UCLA-bound Malcolm Lee (J.W. North) and future North Carolina Tar Heel Larry Drew (Taft) certainly rate among the "10-best" players in Southern California. Press Telegram 1/1
However, the victory was tempered by foot injuries to starters Drew Gordon and Chris Weber. The UCLA-bound Gordon limped through 21 minutes of action despite being slowed by a foot injury that has plagued him since Dec. 27, the second game of Mitty’s victorious four-game foray at the Les Schwab Invitational near Portland, Ore. The injury to his right foot may be a stress fracture, though an examination did not find any specific crack in the bone, Drew’s father Ed Gordon said. There also is the possibility of ligament or tendon damage. Mercury News 1/2
Drew Gordon stood in the hallway late Saturday night after his Archbishop Mitty Monarchs had just won the Les Schwab Invitational. He had already removed his shoes, his left foot was wrapped with ice and he walked with a noticeable limp. At that moment, teammate Jay Wey walked out of the Liberty High School gymnasium and handed Gordon the first-place trophy. "I don't want to hold it," said Gordon, who was named tournament MVP after helping guide the San Jose, Calif.-based squad to an 86-65 victory over Oregon City in the title match. "I have to hold the other thing (MVP trophy). I can't even walk. How am I supposed to hold this thing? I've still got to get dressed." After a few minutes, Wey returned, taking the hardware off Gordon's hands with a laugh. Oregonian 1/4
Jerime Anderson didn’t have one of his best shooting games for Canyon’s boys basketball team Friday night.But the UCLA-bound senior guard still found ways to lead the seventh-ranked Comanches past Villa Park in the schools’ anticipated Century League opener. Anderson led an aggressive man-defense with five steals and added a block and six assists to lead the Comanches to a 69-52 triumph in front of a sold-out gym at Canyon. OC Register 1/4
Serra caught a break. The Monarchs were without Drew Gordon, the 6-foot-9 UCLA recruit, who sprained an ankle in practice. But even without Gordon, Mitty was still able to play four players who are 6-6 or taller on the court at the same time.
The Padres brought their usual intensity and hung around for a while, gaining their last tie at 36-36 with 4:10 left in the third quarter. But then Mitty went on a run and won going away, 71-50. SF Chronicle 1/5
Campbell Hall dominates Minnesota's top-ranked team in Gatorade Shootout. Jrue Holiday led three Campbell Hall of North Hollywood players in double figures with 30 points and the Vikings limited Minnetonka to 32 percent shooting from the field in a 90-61 victory Saturday over Minnesota's top-ranked team in the Timberwolves/Gatorade Shootout at Target Center. The UCLA-bound Holiday scored 27 points in the second half, including a thunderous dunk that capped a 15-2 run, and added 13 rebounds and six assists for Campbell Hall (12-4), which won for the second year in a row in Minnesota. LA Daily News 1/6
Recruits
Pinewood Prep 70, Fort Dorchester 64: Milton Jennings led all scorers with 25 points, and his 3-point shooting was the difference in the game. He made 6 of 11 from 3-point land. Pinewood had 27 points on 3-point shots, while Fort Dorchester had nine points on three 3-point shots. Post and Courier 1/2
Ari Stewart 6-foot-6 (2009) WF Marietta Wheeler (Ga.) - (No.21 Junior) All-Tournament performer opened tourney with 24 points versus Hartsville and was solid in final against Duncanville. He has tools to score and board from wing from arc to the rim. He's one of 2009's best wing talents. CSTV 1/3
On Wednesday, Renaissance Academy overcame a sluggish third quarter and a Schurr team that refused to quit en route to a 69-54 victory....Hector Harold and Anthony Stover each had nine points. Stover had nine rebounds and 13 blocks and Harold grabbed five boards. Whittier Daily News 1/3
The decision came shortly after the Thunder posted its second- biggest victory in school history – a 63-59 win over Washington state power Seattle Prep in Friday's semifinals. With just nine players suited, Rocklin throttled Newport Beach 71-46 behind 6-foot-10 junior center Brendan Lane, the tournament MVP, and all-tournament selections Jackson Cummings, a sophomore point guard, and Pat Stover, a senior forward. Sacramento Bee 1/4
The University of North Carolina received commitments from two of the top high school junior basketball players in the country on Friday. Twins David Wear and Travis Wear, both 6-foot-9, 190-pound juniors at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, told recruiting analyst Frank Burlison of their decision Friday afternoon. Burlison, who works for Scout.com and the Long Beach (Calif.) Press Telegram, said the twins' father called to say his sons had decided they were sure they wanted to attend North Carolina. David Wear Sr. promptly notified UNC coach Roy Williams. Burlison said the boys' father told him, "The decision is a little abrupt and I thought they would wait until the end of this season [to make a college decision]. News and Observer 1/5
North Carolina assembled one of the top 2009 basketball recruiting classes in two days last week. On Thursday, UNC received a commitment from 6-foot-10 junior John Henson of Round Rock, Texas, which is 19 miles from Austin. On Friday, Travis and David Wear, 6-9 junior twins at famed Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, also announced for UNC. Boom, boom-boom. The Nos. 24 (Henson), 26 (David Wear) and 27 (Travis Wear) players on the scout.com top 100 list were in the Tar Heels camp. UNC coach Roy Williams pulled a similar coup in 2005 when No. 36 Deon Thompson (Oct. 5), No. 55 Alex Stepheson (Oct. 11) and No. 3 Brandan Wright (Oct. 16) committed in less than a two-week span. News and Observer 1/5
As this team tries to build on its successful start, Roy Williams has continued to prove yet again he is the preeminent recruiter in the country. The Tar Heels received oral commitments from three of the top players in the class of 2009 this week. John Henson, a 6-foot-10 forward from Round Rock, Texas, chose the Tar Heels instead of UCLA and Texas, among others. As it turned out, his commitment started a whirlwind of activity. Davis and Travis Wear, a pair of 6-9 twins from Santa Ana, Calif., then decided to get their college choice out of the way as well, and picked UNC instead of UCLA. Chapel Hill News 1/6
MODESTO CHR. 96, ESCALON 53, at Salida -- Forward Reeves Nelson (26 points) and Cal-bound guard D.J. Seeley (19) combined for 45 points to lead the top-ranked small-school Crusaders (7-3, 2-0) past the Cougars (2-11, 0-2). Modesto Bee 1/6
Before Friday's basketball game against Tulsa Union, Daniel Orton joked with teammates that he was going to bring down the rim. With 48.5 seconds left in the game, Orton, the Irish's junior center, was fouled on a dunk attempt. The ball bounced out of the rim, but the rim — and a shower of safety glass — came pouring down on Orton as the capacity crowd went wild. Oklahoman 1/5
Just a night after cutting up his hand on a missed dunk in the final minute against Tulsa Union, Bishop McGuinness' Daniel Orton was playing in the Irish's 65-61 win over Tulsa Bishop Kelley on Saturday night. Orton cut his hand on broken glass Friday night after the dunk attempt shattered the backboard. He was fouled on the missed dunk but never had the chance to attempt his free throws because of the broken backboard. The junior didn't show any ill-effects from the cuts Saturday, scoring 19 points and pulling down 15 rebounds. Oklahoman 1/6
(photo credit: Palo Alto Daily and SacBee)
Labels: Prep News Roundup
BBR :: Article Link :: 4:00 PM ::
40 comments
40 Comments:
UCLA keeps getting shafted by UNC.
When can we expect some 2009 commits BBR? What's the timeline?
Yeah... I know UNC is a great school, in a great B-Ball conference, and has a great coach. Basically, UCLA, but in a WORSE location. Why are so many California locals looking past UCLA, espeically with the recent success of the program? Also, why would the Wear twins go to UNC when another PF just gave them a verbal? UNC now has THREE PF's for the 2009 class? Sounds like us with our gaurd situation.
Good points Larry. Agree totally - but do think the Wear twins were a little overrated. Not that I know - haven't really seen them before, but they seem kinda soft AND they also seems to be controlled by their parents. In other words, these could prove to be high maintenance recruits. Time will tell.
BBR, how many scholarships UCLA will/could have available for the 2009 class?
Good points above, but not sure I agree with BigTimeBruin on the "controlled by their parents". As I read, seems the Wear Twins are the one's that pushed to make an annoucement at their parent's surprise. That being said, I kind of understand what you mean as the father seems to be heavily involved in the recruiting process. Something which can be distracting, changing the focus from what is right for the student/athlete into what is right for the parent.
Not sure-maybe the Wears were thinking that '08 commit Gordon would steal too much of their PT. UCLA should be tendering an offer to Renardo Sidney today!
Yeah I think we are all a little bewildered by the Wear twins decision. If their father was "that much" into their decision making process, I think we would have seen them walking around Westwood instead of Chapel Hill. From what I remember, Mr. Wear was/is involved with the Bruin program somehow!
Hey I have an idea. Let's nab a couple of Carolina boys, Milton Jennings and Mason Plumlee away from those states. And while we are at it, grab Stephan Van Treese from the state of Indiana. All three have been given scholorship offers by the Bruins (as well as many other schools) and are all very promising I hear. I say we stick it to those states and show them we can play the National recruitment game too!
We can sit here and guess/second guess decisions and why some recruits are made offers and others aren't.
While Jennings, Plumlee, and Van Treese all seem like good fits, I continue to think there must something "missing" if the number one prospect for 2009 Renardo Sidney is not getting an offer from the Bruins.
Maybe BBR (sorry to ask but your valuable reporting is putting you in precarious expectations for difficult tasks) but do you have any insight on which recruits have the edge of landing in Westwood?
I know "defense" is one of the main criteria, and there is that intangible of being a "fierce competitor", but I believe most of the readers here have similiar inquiries about the future recruitment possibilties for our beloved Bruins. I'm sure most of it is pure speculation on our part.
Would love anything you could add, cuz I think it drives a lot of us nuts...Thanks!
Some kids will want the process done with early, like the Wears, and verbal early in the while others will wait until the end of the HS basketball season or summer to complete their visits. Moreover, 2009 class can't sign NLIs until November. There is no rush (or panic) at this point.
As for the 2009 scholarship situation...its a pretty fluid situation as with any elite program that attracts NBA-potential recruits.
Let's look at the players who can "potentially" be on the team. We'll label those who will be gone by 2009 either by leaving (or left) early or graduation.
Collison - left early or grad
Love - leave early
Shipp - left early or grad
Roll - grad
Aboya - grad
Luc - left early or grad
Westbrook - leave early
Dragovic -??
Holiday
Malcolm Lee
Jerime Anderson
Drew Gordon
Stanback
Keefe
From this list, the Bruins have potentially 6 or 7 scholarships available for the 2009 class.
- BBR
i think the decision between NC and UCLA comes down to which coach can get the most out of his players. Roy Williams is one of the elite coaches of all time in college basketball and an experienced coach who has a ring in his resume. Ben Howland is in a third (maybe fourth) tier level, if you will, and is still developing his resume... he will someday win a championship (2008 could be the year), but until he gets the ring, he still has something to prove.
You can tell that coach Howland really brings out the best in his players. Look at Westbrook, Shipp, Collison, etc. These players will not be as good as they can be without coach Howland guiding them. My 2 cents.
Go Bruins!
6 or 7 scholarships? Excellent!!!
BBR, I can probably speak for the other posts here in saying thanks for this website and all your excellent input, stats, and professionalism! You are my "go-to" guy/site for Bruin B-Ball!
Thanks Again
Howland is not fourth tier coach, he has taken a team to two straight final fours and has taken three different programs to NCAA Tournament. He is an elite level coach that would have won two rings in the last two years if he had more talent on the team. He is a better coach then Roy Williams and time will prove that point.
I completely agree with the 11:23am post above me!!!
I agree with the above too, but why aren't we then landing the boys in our own backyard?
Because Howland's grind-it-out style of basketball is unattractive to these idiots who just wanna run and gun. Give it a year or two till people realize he can turn marginal players into NBA level talent, the story will be different then.
I'm a little sick to the stomach regarding the Wear twins' decision to pack it up and go East more because they're from Southern California than because their talent will be missed. They don't seem to fit the Howland mold of tough, gritty players and I wouldn't be surprised if they hit their peak before their time in Chapel Hill expires. The times have changed and the Pac-10 is becoming the premier conference in terms of physicality and defense, and I don't think the Wears have it in them to compete night-in/night-out with the rigors of playing in the Pac-10 paint. I have to disagree with a previous poster regarding the supposed imbalance of basketball pedigree between Roy Williams and Ben Howland. Roy Williams recruited some of the best college teams while at Kansas but infamously kept coming up short despite the significant talent advantage. He didn't win his championship until taking over Matt Doherty's recruits at UNC. Ben Howland has made a living bringing out the best of the talent he has. Ben Howland has only signed 2 5-star recruits in his career, Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday. We'll see in the next few years what a master tactician like Howland can do when he has the talent to match is coaching prowess. Frankly, I believe Howland would have won multiple championships with Roy Williams' talented teams while Williams would have had difficulty even earning an NCAA berth with Howland's previous teams.
Absolutely right on David
BBR, just wanted to congratulate you on a great, up-to-date blog with good discussions. I've been disappointed with Bruin Nation both in terms of moderators and personal attacks between users. This blog on the other hand runs like a well oiled machine. Big thumbs up.
I've been disappointed with the rhetoric and open threats from moderators to ban dissenting opinions from BruinsNation. Their "holier than thou" attitude really dissuades me from participating in their discussions.
"I've been disappointed with the rhetoric and open threats from moderators to ban dissenting opinions from BruinsNation. Their "holier than thou" attitude really dissuades me from participating in their discussions."
Absolutely. Every time I am there to check it out there so some sort of bickering between the moderators and posters. It's a shame because blogs are supposed to be places for discussion, not a way to crap opinions down reader's throats. I also have been particularly disappointed by the disrespectful treatment of certain coaches and Bruin officials on that blog.
i hear you guys about BN. don't think they are really bruin fans there with all that hateful rhetoric.
David G. -- i referred to Ben Howland as a third-tier coach mainly because he hasn't been coaching that long... Roy Williams is in the top 10 list of all time winningest coaches and has a ring. It will take time for Ben Howland to get there.
maybe my assestment is wrong and a bit harse... i agree that Ben Howland can do some great damages if he has the right talent in place... hopefully, this is the year he will the team all the way to the championship and "win just one for the Gipper". :)
i should not have said "top 10"... Roy has more than 500 wins in his resume, which to me means he's one of the elites.
Coach Howland seems to have the ability to take good players and make them great. Granted it's great to have a Love or two, But NC, Duke and Arizona have always got the cream.But coach How does it with 2nd tier players. They buy into his system and he gets them to play as a team, not as an individual. Like the old saying, "There is no "I" in team.
Westbrook's dunk reminds me of Jason Richardson of Golden State Warriors... awesome stuff!
I certainly was shocked to hear that the Wear Twins had opted for NC but it isn't the end of the world. There is a concern that we need to get some bigs in the pipeline. I would like to see Reeves Nelson commit here. He is a real banger and seems to fit the Howland player M.O. to a T in my opinion. That is perhaps the issue here - trying to match up kids to the type of program Howland runs. Although it is tough to see top recruits shun playing here at the same time some true gems have decided to ante up here (love,holiday) following in the heels of an earlier recruiting class (farmar, afflalo, shipp, mata). The program is looking much brighter here now and in years to come - let's be patient and see what shakes out.
I cant believe my eyes! We are just coming into the thick of an amazing season and 7 comments on the cal game, 30 on future recruits? Why do you care about rectruits, when they are here you will only be talking about the next incoming class!!! Lets focus on the hear and now, this season! Enjoy this season day by day or there is no point in caring about the future. Sports is supposed to be FUN, which is why college bball is the best, forget about the recruits - if anything, lets talk about Washington & Wash State!
David,
Farmar and Afflalo were both 5 star recruits. I am not sure where you got your info. To say that Roy Williams would have a hard time making the tournament with both those guys and Shipp and Mata (both 4 star recruits)is a bit foolish and a lot under appreciative of the talent in that special class.
Oh yeah, Malcom Lee is also a 5 star recruit.
I find talking about recruits fun.
To the poster a few above, I also enjoy talking about recurits. Besides, the original message to kick off this thread was all about recruits so the comments make sense here.
I don't think we Bruin fans need to get too testy here. Coach Howland is already receiving National accolades as one of the elite coaches at the college level. So anyone who may say he is not needs to listen to all those East Coast biased announcers who are FINALLY recognizing the PAC-10 for what it is worth...THE BEST CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY!
And, um, I think last I recall, a team located in Westwood, CA is the BEST team in the BEST conference two years running now!
Now with that said, I think I'll crack open a brewski at 8:00am because I am so stoked about how well we recruit, how great a coach Ben Howland is, AND how well our Bruins are doing this year!
Thw Wear twins were way to soft for Ben's program. As for Sydney, he'll never be offered no matter how talented he is. Kids who throw temper tantrums on the court, yell at refs, etc. will never be a part of Ben's program. We'll get the talent that will continue to make UCLA the TOP program in the nation.
I apologize for my egregious slight to Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo who were indeed 5-star prospects coming out of high school. I heard that Malcolm Lee was on the cusp of achieving 5-star status but I wasn't sure if it was official yet. I love our 2005-2006 teams, but comparing Farmar, Afflalo, Shipp, and Mata to the players that Williams brought to Lawrence -- Pierce, LaFrentz, Collison, Hinrich, Vaughn, Gooden, etc -- wouldn't be fair. Honestly, in my hasty rebuttal of a previous post I failed to stipulate that the past Howland teams I was using for comparison were his NAU and Pitt teams notsomuch his UCLA teams. I'll give credit to Roy Williams for turning Doherty's group of underachievers into national champions, but I don't think the gap between Williams and Howland is 2 or 3 tiers. However, I agree that a championship is necessary to enter the discussion of an elite level coach.
Good point Peter, especially about Sidney. But I've been sticking to my guns all along that if Coach Howland doesn't make an offer to a kid, there is something "missing" that wouldn't fit in the program. He DID though, make an offer to the Wear twins so apparently he must have liked something that they could bring to the table.
Also referring to Clyde's post, I agree that Reeves Nelson is an excellent fit. He has the tenacity of Kurt Rambis and Mark Madsen but also has the offensive ability of a Luke Walton (sorry for all the Laker references). Come 2009, we can use his shooting/power forward frame on the Bruin squad. He'd be a definite asset!
But we will also be needing a few good "Bigs" too. I don't expect KLove to return any longer than next year (if even that)!
Maybe UCLA wasn't willing to give up two scholarships to two players who collectively looked promising, but individually just marginal. I guess we didn't want another potential Ryan Wright or Matt McKinney on our hands.
But remember guys, to get playing time on a star-studded squad can be tough sometimes. High School All Stars that are used to playing a full game will find limited time on the elite NCAA teams. That is probably why I wouldn't blame Dragovic if he transferred to a team that enjoys a run-n-gun, defense-easy type squad. Plenty of those to go around.
Hey Gunner, good analogy of Reeves Nelson and the scrappy Lakers...I've seen the kid play and you're right on the money with that one! He is Bruin material all the way!
I think Ben asks two questions when evaluating any recruit - both equally important, both must be answered in a positive manner. First, what kind of emphasis/effort does the recruit put on defense, and second, how receptive will the recruit be to what Ben is trying to teach (attitude and effort more important than natural skill). Ben probably felt their was enought their to offer the Wear twins, but the twins themselves knew a long time ago that they would never fit into Ben's program. Offense is the name of their game, and they would never sacrifice what they wanted to do for the team. It makes complete sense that they would go to NC (they now have 3 PF's for that class, imagine the crap the coach is going to get from the parents if the twins don't get equal playing time, and they won't). I for one am very happy they committed to NC. Reeves Nelson will now and in the future be able to shut anyone of those twins down, anytime. Ben knows that, and it is the reason Reeves is Ben's #1 guy for that class. Don't worry, everything is going great recruiting wise. When UCLA gets its NC this year, all the spots will fill up with very talented atheletes very quickly.
Just a comment here on the Wear recruits. They were offered scholarships here and THEY decided to take a different offer. Howland did not pull the offers. It happens. I think they are quality kids and have a bright future - let's leave it at that. Lots of reasons for why kids want to stay at home or play far away from home - and I'm sure none of us are privy to those decisions. I realize I want ALL recruits to come to UCLA and the ones that don't pan out to transfer - but lets be realistic on our expectations especially involving 17 year olds. Those kids won't make or break the Bruin program. What we can do is fully support the kids Howland does get to commit here. I've enjoyed the effort that all of Howlands players exert ... and I don't see that changing in the near future.
Hear-hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!
Well said anonymous poster!
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