Thad Mumau: Pitino, Calipari dominate Fall haul

Read Thad Mumau's feature article on Conference USA basketball recruiting in Bonesville Magazine.

Hoops Recruiting Report
Saturday, November 27, 2004

By Thad Mumau

Bonesville Magazine
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• PAT DYE: Short on Tenure, Long on Impact

• INSIDE PIRATE FOOTBALL
• Recruit Profiles
• Rookie Books
• Tracking the Classes
• Florida Pipeline
• NCHSAA & ECU: Smooth Sailing Again

• HIGH HOPES FOR HOOPS

• STEVE BALLARD: New Leader Takes Charge

• SCOTT COWEN: Busting Down the Door

• KEITH LECLAIR on ECU's Field of Dreams

• BETH GRANT: Actress Still a Pirate

Louisville didn’t just sign a starting lineup; the Cardinals brought in a complete rotation.

Rick Pitino and his staff have reaped the top crop in Conference USA's 2005 recruiting class by getting autographs from eight prospects during the Nov. 10-17 Fall signing period.

The Cards’ haul, earning Top-10 national acclaim, includes four of the top 100 high school seniors as ranked by Prepstars.com as well as three more from the second 100. Half of the newcomers stand 6-8 or taller.

Heading the class is Amir Johnson, a 6-9 power forward from Los Angeles Westchester and one of three players from California — and four from the West Coast — lured to Louisville.

Terrence Williams, a 6-5 wing guard from Washington, is another Top-50 prospect joining Pitino’s program, and he could team with Andre McGee, a point guard ranked just out of the first 50, to comprise the Cardinals’ backcourt of the future.

Shawne Williams, a hometown product who actually signed with Memphis for the second time, is the highest ranking prospect headed to C-USA next fall. He is the No. 2 player in the country behind only Georgia-bound combination guard Louis Williams.

Shawne, a 6-8 small forward, is a fifth-year senior at Laurinburg (NC) Prep School. A terrifically talented all-around performer who can score inside and out, he signed with the Tigers last year, but did not qualify academically — and he is not expected to wear a Tigers’ uniform next season, either. Williams appears a sure bet to enter the NBA draft and become another in a long line of high-profile prospects gained and lost by John Calipari before he ever reaps their benefits.

Like Louisville, Memphis has signatures from four members of the Prepstars.com Top 100 high school seniors. And, like the Cards, the Tigers have added a pair of Top-50 prospects, with 6-5 wing guard Chris Douglas-Roberts being the second.

And, like Louisville, Memphis has corralled one of the top 10 classes nationally. Actually, the Memphis six come very close to upstaging Louisville, with the Tigers’ top four recruits ranked higher overall than the Cardinals’ first four. Depth makes the difference on the side of Pitino’s group.

Marquette is a strong No. 3 in the league’s fall hoops recruiting after signing four prospects, three of whom are ranked in the top 50. Point guard Dominic James heads the list.

Forty prospects signed with C-USA schools, with only Southern Mississippi coming up empty. A sweet 16 are Top-100 prospects, with half of them in the top 50 and three of those in the top 25.

Here are our rankings of C-USA schools' signing classes for the early signing period:

1. LOUISVILLE (8):
— Amir Johnson (17), 6-9 power forward/center, Los Angeles (CA) Westchester;
— Terrence Williams (38), 6-5 wing guard, Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach;
— Andre McGee (52), 5-11 point guard, Moreno Valley (CA) Canyon Springs;
—Clarence Holloway (84), 6-11 center, Chicago (IL) Fenger;
— Bryan Harvey (112), 6-5 small forward/wing guard, Compton (CA) Dominguez;
— Chad Millard (144), 6-8 small forward, Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy;
— Jonathan Huffman (188), 6-11 power forward/center, Birmingham (AL) Central Park Christian;
— Lamar Roberson, 6-7 small forward, Durham (NC) Mount Zion Christian Academy.

2. MEMPHIS (6):
— Shawne Williams (2), 6-8 small forward, Laurinburg (NC) Prep School;
— Chris Douglas-Roberts (23), 6-5 wing guard, Detroit (MI) Northwestern;
— Ricky Sanchez (61), 6-10 power forward, Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy;
— Antonio Anderson (77), 6-4 wing guard, Laurinburg (NC) Prep;
— Robert Dozier (94), 6-8 power forward, Laurinburg (NC) Prep;
— Kareem Cooper (199), 6-11 center, Laurinburg (NC) Prep.

3. MARQUETTE (4):
— Dominic James (26), 5-11 point guard, Richmond (IN) High;
— Jerel McNeal (49), 6-2 wing guard, Country Club Hills (IL) Hillcrest;
— Wes Matthews Jr. (44), 6-3 point guard/wing guard, Madison (WI) Memorial;
— Matt Mortensen, 6-5 small forward, Provo (UT) Timpview.

4. DePAUL (3):
— Rashad Woods (93), 6-6 small forward, Cleveland (TX) Heritage Christian;
— Wilson Chandler (146), 6-6 small forward, Benton Harbor (MI) High;
— Jabari Currie (160), 6-4 point guard/wing guard, Detroit (MI) Pershing.

5. CINCINNATI (3):
— Tyree Evans (40), 6-3 wing guard, Winchendon (MA) School;
— Devan Downey (74), 5-10 point guard, Chester (SC) High;
— Abdul Herrera (83), 6-11 center, Miami (FL) South.

6. CHARLOTTE (3):
— Mitch Mullis, 6-7 power forward, Laurinburg (NC) Prep;
— Antwon Coleman, 6-8 power forward, Mount Carmel (IL) Wabash Valley College;
— Jerrell Jamison, 6-6 small forward, Mount Carmel (L) Wabash Valley College.

7. TEXAS CHRISTIAN (4):
— Dallas Hunter, 6-5 wing guard, Plano (TX) East;
— Clarence Masters, 6-5 wing guard, Cedar Hill (TX) High;
— Allen Taylor, 6-8 power forward, Columbia (SC) Irmo;
— Aliou Kane, 6-10 center, McKinney (TX) Collin County.

8. ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM (1):
— Lawrence Kinnard (102), 6-7 small forward, Memphis (TX) Raleigh Egypt.

9. SAINT LOUIS (2):
— Tommie Liddell (121), 6-4 wing guard, Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy;
— Kevin Lisch, 6-1 point guard, Belleville (IL) Althoff Catholic.

10. SOUTH FLORIDA (2):
— Zaronn Cann, 6-6 power forward, Brandon (FL) High;
— Chris Howard, 6-2 point guard, Fitchburg (MA) Notre Dame Prep.

12. HOUSTON (2):
— Emmanel Adeife, 6-9 ½ center, Fort Lauderdale (FL) Dillard;
— Carlton Spencer, 6-3 wing guard, Santa Clara (CA) College of the Canyons.

13. EAST CAROLINA (1):
— Dwight Burke, 6-8 power forward, Newark (NJ) St. Benedict's Prep.