|
Tracking the College Basketball Stars of the Future
|
ECU &
C-USA Hoops
Recruiting Report
Monday, November 10, 2003
By Thad Mumau
Special Correspondent |
 |
Realignment impacts recruiting
dynamics
©2003 Bonesville.net
Conference USA
will undergo a huge facelift in the not-too-distant future, but for the time
being, there is plenty of basketball recruiting news involving schools that
will be leaving for the Big East.
It is obvious
that playing in a league with Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette and DePaul
has enhanced the recruiting efforts of other schools in the conference. And
it’s just as obvious that losing those schools will take away an edge when
C-USA coaches visit prospects’ living rooms.
"It makes a
difference," said Herman Johnson, the basketball coach at Burlington (NJ)
North Burlington, where Cedric Jackson is the star.
Jackson, a 6-2
1/2 guard, has been leaning toward East Carolina for two months. Although
there are reports to the contrary, he has not officially committed to the
Pirates.
"He still
likes East Carolina a whole lot," Johnson said, "and I think Cedric might
sign with them next week. But he might wait until spring and see what comes
available. A lot of schools don’t get what they want in the fall, so some
kids like Cedric move up or onto other schools’ priority lists.
"That’s
something he’s thinking about. The five schools leaving Conference USA is on
his mind, too. That was a great conference. You knew you were going to play
against Louisville, DePaul and those schools twice a year. It’s not the same
now."
Jackson is not
considering any school except ECU at this point, Johnson said. But he still
hasn’t pulled the trigger.
Louisville has
enjoyed the most recruiting success in Conference USA despite being turned
down recently by a couple of highly regarded big men. David Burgess of
Irvine (CA) Woodbridge picked Brigham Young over the Cardinals, while
Randolph Morris of Fairburn (GA) Landmark Christian, called off a scheduled
visit to Louisville and is believed favoring Georgia Tech.
Morris, ranked
No. 13 by Prepstars.com, and Burgess, No. 119, are both 6-11 centers.
Of course, Rick Pitino had already landed Brian Johnson, getting a
commitment from the Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy big man after
North Carolina decided not to pursue him. Ranked the No. 27 high school
senior in the country, Johnson didn’t waste much time making a promise to
the Cardinals once his dream of being a Tar Heel had ended.
Louisville
also landed the nation’s No. 7 prospect in Sebastian Telfair, a 5-11 point
guard from Brooklyn (NY) Abraham Lincoln. Lorenzo Wade, a 6-5 swing man from
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy, gives the Cards three top-50 prizes.
Memphis
matches Louisville with five commitments, four of whom are ranked in the top
100. Point guard Darius Washington of Orlando (FL) Edgewater heads the group
at No. 17, followed by No. 21 Shawne Williams.
But the Tigers
are in jeopardy of losing Williams, who reportedly has said he will not sign
in November. Dave Telep of TheInsidersHoops.com wrote that the 6-8 small
forward might like to visit Kansas, Houston, Cincinnati, Arkansas and
Tennessee.
East Carolina
has bolstered its front line with announcements from 6-10 center Charles
Bronson of Philadelphia (PA) Lutheran Christian Academy and 6-8 power
forward Mike Castro of Allegany Community College in Cumberland, MD.
Another player
on the Bucs’ wish list has committed to Texas A&M. Miguel Ayala, a 6-7 small
forward from Fullerton (CA) Junior College, had scholarship offers from
Oregon State, San Jose State and San Francisco in addition to East Carolina
and the Aggies.
Following are
C-USA commitments, with players’ Prepstars.com rankings in parentheses
beside their names:
-
CHARLOTTE (3) — E.J. Drayton,
6-9 power forward, Colby (KS) Community College; Leemire Goldwire (191),
6-1 point guard, Palm Beach Gardens (FL) Dwyer; Chris Nance, 6-7 power
forward, El Reno (OK) Redlands CC.
-
CINCINNATI (2) — Vincent
Banks (110), 6-3 wing guard, Laurinburg (NC) Prep; Roy Bright (15), 6-6
small forward, Durham (NC) Mount Zion Christian Academy.
-
DePAUL (2) — Aking Elting,
5-10 point guard, Southern Idaho Junior College; Dorell Wright (19), 6-5
1/2 wing guard, South Kent (CT) High School.
-
EAST CAROLINA (2) — Charles
Bronson (180), 6-11 center, Philadelphia (PA) Lutheran Christian
Academy; Mike Castro, 6-8 power forward, Cumberland (MD) Allegany
Community College.
-
HOUSTON (1) — Lamont
Arrington, 6-11 center, Livonia (MI) Schoolcraft JC.
-
LOUISVILLE (5) — Sebastian
Telfair (7), 5-11 point guard, Brooklyn (NY) Lincoln; Brian Johnson
(27), 6-9 center/power forward, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy;
Lorenzo Wade (50), 6-5 wing guard/small forward, Chatham (VA) Hargrave
Military Academy; Donta Smith, 6-7 small forward, Harrisburg (IL)
Southeast Illinois JC; Terrance Farley (162), 6-10 center, Louisville
(KY) Pleasure Ridge Park.
-
MARQUETTE (1) — Ryan Amoroso
(172), 6-8 power forward, Burnsville (MN) High School.
-
MEMPHIS (5) — Richard Dorsey
(79), 6-8 power forward, Laurinburg (NC) Prep; Kareem Cooper (174), 6-11
center, Laurinburg (NC) Charter; Darius Washington (17), 6-1 point
guard, Orlando (FL) Edgewater; Robert Dozier (87), 6-8 power forward,
Lithonia (GA) High School; Shawne Williams (21), 6-8 small forward,
Memphis (TN) Hamilton.
-
SOUTH FLORIDA (2) — Collin
Dennis, 6-2 wing guard, North Richland Hills (TX) High; Solomon Jones,
6-8 power forward, Daytona Beach (FL) JC.
-
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (2) —
Rudolph Mauricette, 6-11 center, Baytown (TX) Lee JC; Ronald Pittman,
6-6 small forward, Tyler (TX) JC.
-
SAINT LOUIS (3) — Tommie
Liddell (128), 6-4 wing guard, East St. Louis (IL) High; Luke Meyer, 6-5
small forward, Washington (MO) Borgia; Dwayne Polk, 5-9 point guard, St.
Louis (MO) Vashon.
-
TEXAS CHRISTIAN (2) — Brent
Hackett (158), 6-3 wing guard, Fort Worth (TX) Southwest; Neimann Owens,
6-3 wing guard, Channelview (TX) High.
-
TULANE (4) — Robinson Louisme
(184), 6-8 center, Fort Myers (FL) High; Donnie Stith, 6-7 power
forward, Virginia Beach (VA) Salem; Matt Wheaton, 6-6 small forward,
Houston (TX) Mayde Creek; David Gomez (NR), 6-7 power forward, Baton
Rouge (LA) Episcopal.
-
UAB (1) — Paul Delaney, 6-2
wing guard, Chamblee (GA) High.
 Send an e-mail message to
Thad Mumau.
Click here to dig into
Thad Mumau's Bonesville
archives.
02/23/2007 02:40:42 PM |
