Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (6/23)
By Bruin Basketball Report
Turns out, quite a few of our guys will, in fact, have the opportunity to make the squad after the USA Basketball Men's Collegiate Committee -- chaired by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim -- announced the participants last week.
Malcolm Lee of Riverside North headlines the local contingent. Loyola's Hollis Thompson and brothers David and Travis Wear from Mater Dei will be in attendance as well. It should also be mentioned that UCLA-commits Drew Gordon of San Jose Mitty and Reeves Nelson of Modesto Christian received nods for the trials. LA Times 6/19
The Rocklin boys basketball coach is amazed at the opportunities facing Thunder senior forward Brendan Lane, perhaps the area's biggest college basketball recruit since Elk Grove's Bill Cartwright in the early 1970s.
Lane, who verbally committed to UCLA on Saturday, is in Africa this week training and competing with the United States' adidas Nations team. From Africa, Lane will go to France to play with another group of U.S. stars. It's Lane's second trip to France this year; he also has been to Germany and China. Sac Bee 6/21
Abraham Lincoln all-state basketball player Lance Stephenson has cut his list of potential colleges to three, The Daily News reported today. According to Dick "Hoops" Weiss, Stephenson's list consists of Kansas, UCLA and Southern Cal.
I don’t know when I’ll make a decision,” Stephenson told Weiss.
The player's father says St. John's remains in the picture. NY Sportswriters 6/17
According to these quotes, it appears as if Oregon St. is the front-runner at this stage of the game, and there's plans for a recruiting trip to Corvallis in the works. Boston College, Creighton and Marquette aren't far behind in the Stover sweepstakes. UCLA and USC are among the five schools with scholarship offers on the table. LA Times 6/17
BBR :: Article Link :: 5:15 PM ::
21 comments
21 Comments:
That is great news about Stephenson. I am highly impressed with his game. He has great court vision and can score at will. He is a Love, Holiday caliber player. If we can land him it will be HUGE!
It's funny that Rivals doesn't even list UCLA as one of his 7 school's that he is interested in.
good work BBR
Light news for the week. Yawn ... when does next year start - haha.
Landing Lance Stephenson might be a very risky proposition. Word on the street is that he and Fairfax' Renardo Sidney will go as a package. Sidney's stock is falling and over involved dads in both cases could cause problems. UCLA is looking good with Nelson and Lane already on their front line in the class of 2009. If Alex Stepheson becomes a Bruin too, I think Sidney and Stephenson are two that UCLA should probably pass on. Futhermore they are both one and done for sure. It ain't worth it.
willis you're completley right. the swingman target for ucla should not be stephenson. i think it has to be nolan dennis. nc has already got mcdonald and i am pretty sure xavier henry will be a jayhawk. it will be a battle between us, texas, and memphis for his services. a commitment from dennis would also expand the recruiting scope for bruin basketball.
although i think there could be other legitimate concerns raised about Lance Stephenson, especially if he and Sidney truly are packaged, i don't think he being a one and done should be a big factor
we pretty much knew Kevin Love was a one-and-done, but i think all would agree it was worth it to have him for the one year
sigh, another five months til college basketball season?
Watchu talkin' 'bout Willis?
Word on the street (heard it from Gary Coleman himself) is that Ben is still coaching the team and that he has a pretty good head on his shoulders when it comes to these types of decisions. I imagine if he recruits Stevie boy with or without the Sidster he does it with his eyes open.
Book 'm Dan-o
Re: Anthony Stover,
Has scholarship offers "on the table" from UCLA and $UC and Oregon State is the "frontrunner?" Has he seen that team play? Makes one kinda wonder about his judgment unless, of course, he figures he'll be guaranteed playing time (and obscurity in a winless season.)
Lance Stephenson is a very athletic SG/SF. He gets into the paint with ease and is very physical. I'd be very surprised if Big Ben passes on him. Sidney, on the other hand, is a head case IMO. Someone I would definitely consider uncoachable. Hence, not scholarship offers from us. And thoughts about a package deal almost never materialize. It's only guaranteed if they happen to be twins!! (See Wear and Lopez)
However, I do agree with George. Coach knows what he's doing. And if anybody can bring out the best in a person, it's Big Ben! So, if he wants Sidney, then I'm all for it. I just don't think he's UCLA material. Better suited across town at that football school.
To be honest, I'd much rather have Avery Bradley or Nolan Dennis anyways. And from what I've seen of Xavier Henry, I'd love to see him in a UCLA jersey even more!
Small forward is where we need a stud. Josh will be graduating after this year and there ain't nobody behind him! One of these tall SG's or SF's would be just what the doctor ordered!
On a last note...congrats to Richard Brehaut for making the final Elite 11 QB competition in Orange County! Make us proud!
Go Bruins!
OK, BBR... I'll bite. There's no mention of Sidney in your weekly recruiting post. Does this mean that UCLA is no longer pursuing him following the Lane commitment?
No, Sidney is still on the watch list. Even with both Lane and Nelson in the fold, the Bruins still have a need for an additional big body, although an athletic wing is probably a higher priority for this class at this point. But there is room for both and more players in 2009.
- BBR
For all those skeptics out there, Inside UCLA with Brian "duh" Dohn reports:
"Jill Painter has reported that J'Mison Morgan, who originally signed with LSU to play basketball, attended his first summer school class at UCLA today, making his commitment to UCLA official."
Also some draft projections indeed have Luc going in the second round. Best of luck to him!
I only wish some team that requires toughness (can you spell "Lakers") would see the value in a Mata-Real. Lo beating up on Pau day in and day out couldn't help but build his toughness a bit (so long as he didn't break his back.)
Go Bruins!
I agree with those who say we need a scoring 3 for 2009. I don't want us to fall into that "offensively-challenged" category that the uninformed like to put us in. Many of the players who would gravitate to UCLA and Howland are those that are either defense-minded or who want to learn. Although these are the more intelligent players, I hope those that are more interested in scoring realize there is no down-side to playing for Howland, and that at UCLA you will learn to become a complete player. I think we will be playing more in 5th-gear this coming season. I just hope recruits realize and appreciate that Defense Comes First.
Rob,
Maybe it is just me or I am not understanding you but your above post seems a bit schizophrenic. You start by opining that we need more offensively minded players then you conclude that you hope the players we have coming in remember that defense comes first. If they are both not offensively minded and also don't realize that defense comes first then how are they touted as the number one recruiting class in the country? I'm sure I'm missing your message somewhere. In any case, the increasing quality of BH's recruiting classes suggests that indeed high quality blue chip recruits are realizing who will teach them to be quality college and NBA players. Westbrook for one was overlooked as an incoming college player and look at his stock now.
george: Your right. I don't even understand my own post. I think it was the wine. What I was trying to say is that there may be a wing or two out there that might choose North Carolina or Kansas over UCLA in the mistaken belief that UCLA is only about defense. So instead of getting the high-scoring stud we need at the 3, we get Howland's 3rd or 4th choice instead. But maybe I worry too much.
You do worry too much, Rob. I know it's tough to wait until the season starts, but the goal remains for the team to win games - not just to recruit the best individuals from the top 100. I think we have a great coach who has already proven his ability to build teams.
Enjoy!
BBR - What's the latest on Alex Stepheson? We haven't heard anything for a while. 4 questions.......
1) What's it gonna be, UCLA, Cal, or USC?
2) What's the status of his talked about waiver to maybe not have to sit out a year after his transfer from UNC because of family health issues?
3) When do you think we might hear about all of this?
4) Does he have to decide on a school before a waiver request can be heard by the NCAA, or can he apply for a waiver as an individual, independent of a school filing on his behalf.
Alex Stepheson is in no rush to make his decision especially since the NCAA has not ruled whether to grant his waiver.
He'll likely wait until the NCAA's decision before deciding on a school. Its only wise. His decision will be influenced by how much playing time he'll expect to receive at the school and this may be influenced by whether he has to sit our a year or if he can contribute immediately.
He is still a possiblity for Westwood. We may not hear a decision from Stepheson until late summer/early fall.
- BBR
I salivate every time I look at the list of recruits on the right....
Good luck today Luc...we'll be pulling for you...
Thanks for your information about Alex Stepheson, BBR. Since I asked the question yesterday about whether or not he can get an answer from the NCAA about his waiver to not sit out a year I have learned from other sources that the answer is "no." He has to transfer to a school first before the NCAA will make a ruling. I am told the NCAA only addresses issues after an event happens, not in anticipation of one. Since Stepheson has not officially transferred yet, (although he has left UNC, he is not a student at another university yet), the issue is not germaine to the NCAA. When he officially transfers by signing with another school he will have actually completed the transfer process and then he will have the issue of whether or not he can play without sitting out a year. Since his waiver request will be based upon the need to be close to home for family health reasons, the NCAA would need to know where he will attend school. If he were to transfer to Texas, they'd probably say no. If to UCLA or USC, that's another story. If to Cal?! Other sources tell me he won't get the waiver and will have to sit out a year no matter where he lands.
LLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCC!!!!!!!!!!
That's great! I think I screamed even louder than RW at 4!!
Go Ben Bruins!!!!!!!!!
(Crossing my fingers for Lo.)
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