Saturday, August 21, 2004

2005 Hoops Recruiting Board

First, this is a work-in-progress and is still being finished. I'm starting a recruiting board and will link the board permanently over in the link list on the left - under "Recruiting".

Here you will find the primary recruits on the GT hoops board for 2005, along with recruiting rankings, other interested schools, etc. You will also see at the bottom a ticker that just shows the recent changes I have made to the board.

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Here is a chronilogical update of changes to the board

10/7 - Austin Jackson commits to GT, added K.Barber, updated D'Andre Bell bio.
9/30 - Cyrus McGowan commits to Ark - move off the board
9/29 - Updated Prepstars new fall 1-200 rankings; D'Andre Bell commits
9/28 - Bynum/Jackson visit, Miles/McGowan/Bell/Bynum/Jackson bio's
9/27 - updated visit schedule
9/24 - Spann commits, Bell/Rogers bio update, Rogers off board
9/22 - updated in-home visit A.Jackson, Costner commit, Rogers bio
9/21 - updated visits, bio's Miles, CDR, moved some off board, add L.Mbahamoute
9/16 - A.Thomas / A.Jackson / CDR bio, Miles visit, Breeden dropped
9/14 - bio change Austin Jackson
9/13 - Updated Adrian Thomas visit and bio. Miles visit / bio
9/10 - new visit date for CJ Miles, updated Miles bio,
9/09 - Updated visits for De'Andre Bell, Andrew Bynum, bio B.Eaton
9/08 - Updated visits for Miles, CDR, AJ. Update bio's as well.
9/03 - Updated PrepStars rankings (thanks RR)
9/03 - Updated the Hoopmasters.com top 100 rankings
9/02 - Updated KR,CM, AT bio, added Vernon Goodridge, updated visits
9/01 - Added YouthPrepStars Rankings, updated Miles,Rogers, Jackson bio.
8/31 - Updated Austin Jackson bio., visit changes for CDR/AJ, C.Jackson update.
8/30 - Lewis Clinch commits to the Jackets!!
8/30 - added A.Jackson visit, Miles KU comments, Clinch visit comment and Clinch Duke visits set.
8/29 - added Prepstar rankings
8/27 - K.Rogers down to 3, R.Wright eliminates GT, Spann has GT in final 4, and added AAU info for Spann. Also corrected bio info for Jackson

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CURRENT VERBALS


Austin Jackson, PG/SG, 6'1", 170lb, Texas, R49/I65/P162, offered
10/7 - COMMITTED TO GEORGIA TECH. Had a great visit and really clicked with Coach Hewitt. 9/28 - Visit rescheduled to 10/1. He will go to the GT/Miami football game. Should make a decision soon after. 9/14 - Has eliminated Oklahoma and is down to GT and Ill. Had a good visit to Illinois last weekend, playing in team scrimmages and visits GT 9/24; 9/8; will visit GT 9/24. Still wants to play both minor league baseball and college hoops. A dual-sport star, also excelling in baseball. GT is currently in his top 3 with Illinois and Ohlahoma. Will visit Ill 9/3, GT 9/10 and OK 9/17. Averaged 27 pts as a junior. There is a good chance that he gets drafted in the the 1st few rounds of the next MLB draft. If that happens he actually wants to play college hoops AND minor league baseball. Don't ask me how feasible that is - it has been done a few times in the past. Sounds tough though.

De'Andre Bell, 6'5", Cali, P99, offered
COMMITTED TO GT 9/28/2004; He is 6'5" 185lb (although I have seen his height listed anywhere from 6'4 - 6'6" and weight from 180-200lb). He is a left-handed wing forward from Palisades Charter High School in California. He is a physical specimen with a solid frame and very muscular. In fact, in some ways he might be compared to Isma'il Muhammad. He is very defensive minded and has good overall skills in all the important areas. He prides himself on shutting down opponents so comparisons to Muhammad are inevitable. He has a wide wingspan and will probably play the 2/3 spots. He has range out to the 3pt line and a good mid-range game........ Interesting, Bell is only ranked by one of the recruiting services that I can find - Prepstars at 99. However, my guess is that will probably change after this coming high school season. We will see. Bottom line is that he seems to have flown under the national recruiting radar, much like Jeremis Smith early in his recruiting process. He was named LA City Section All-City - link here.......... Bell was considering GT, Georgetown, Michigan State and UCLA. Growing up, UNC was actually a dream school for him. It was believed that Mich.St was the leader but they stopped recruiting him when they said they were not going to sign 3 guards. UCLA was a distant choice, but not a strong one. It really came down to GT and GTown. When Octavious Spann committed to Georgetown last week, it probably gave GT a strong edge. It probably didn't help GTown either that they run a Princeton offense, very half-court oriented........ Academically he had a 2.6 GPA and scored 1070 on his SAT.......... Now for some statistics. As a high school junior he averaged 24.3 pts, 11.6 boards (4.2 offensive), 2.24 blocks, 2.44 steals, 4.9 assists. He hit 1.8 3-pt shots/game and made about 4.3 free throws per game (don't know the percentages). His team finished 15-10. Overall he led his team in scoring, 3pt shots, blocks, boards, steals, 2nd in assists. I'll post more if I can find it................. 9/28 - Had a great visit to GT. Looks like he has an official offer now and GT probably leads. He may take a visit to UCLA this weekend before making a decision. 9/24 - With the commit of O.Spann to Georgetown, GT could be in the lead. Mich has been eliminated and it is basically between GT and GTown, although don't count out UCLA. GT in good position. 9/9 - Now has a visit setup with GT for 9/24. A combo 2/3 spot guy from California. Evidently wants to leave SoCal. UCLA, Mich.St, Georgetown have offered. Arizona and GT are involved but have not offered. Per RamblinRed, AZ is the favorite. Scheduling a visit to GT.

Lewis Clinch, 6'3", 180lb, Georgia, R36/I27/P50/H41/Y34, offered
9/3 - Hoopmasters ranked him #41 after not having him in the top 100 in their latest list. 8/30 - reported by insiders that he has committed to the Jackets (info from his high school coach). Fanstastic pickup for Paul Hewitt. Will be interesting to see if he follows through with his official visits. 8/28 - Reportedly had a great visit to ATL with Aminu at GT. GT considered the leader for now. This is probably target #1 on the Tech board right now (probably - how would I know). Bottom line is he is a scoring machine, handles the rock, can defend, has good grades and is an in-state talent to boot. A real talent and being recruited heavily by the staff. He had narrowed his list to GT, WF and UGAg. However, Duke got involved with him late and Coach K has an in-home visit scheduled for 9/15 and now a campus visit 9/25. I have to believe GT has an edge, although playing with Chris Paul is a real draw. Having said that, will Paul be around by the time Clinch goes to college? As far as Duke, I just hope that Clinch is not star-struck. Early comments seem to indicate he'll listen to what K has to say, but not enthusiastic about it.

Alade Aminu, 6'9", 215lb, Georgia, R135/I50/P64/Y96
8/28 - Has a great visit w/Lewis Clinch. Chose GT over Tenn, Miami (offers), but also was being recruited by UGAg, Texas, Illinois, St.Johns, Cincy, Clemson, Bama and others. This is a guy who was not on the national radar when he committed to GT. Wants to major in architecture so liked GT's combination of academics / athletics. He is on the same AAU squad as L.Williams and M.Mercer and B.Humphrey, so needless to say he doesn't get the ball or recognition that much. However, he did play strong over the summer and moved up strong on the insiders.com ranking board. He has only been playing organized ball for 2 years and is only 16 years old. At Stephenson High School (Reggie Ball's hs) he averaged 18 pts, 14 boards, 4 blocks and 4 steals as a junior. He is also a track star, excelling at the triple jump, so you know he has hops.

Michael Johnson, SF/PF, 6'7", 215lb, Alabama,
9/21 - visited Auburn the past weekend. Still a solid GT commit. Has accepted an offer to GT on a FOOTBALL free ride. He is a talented tight end. He chose GT over Clemson and others. He is actually interested in walking on to the GT hoops team. So stay tuned. His verbal is fairly solid, but he may take another visit before it's all over. Not currently ranked by any of the recruiting services in hoops.

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SCHEDULED VISITS

Official visits are very important to watch. Once a recruit gets one, it means there is serious mutual interest by both parties. A universtiy can only offer 12 official visits per school year. The list of visits gives you a good feel for most likely group of players who REALLY could end up at GT.

08/28.....Lewis Clinch (committed 8/30)
08/28.....Alade Aminu (committed)
09/04.....Kevin Rogers
09/04.....Cyrus McGowan
09/12.....CJ Miles (in-home) WAS CANCELLED
09/18.....CJ Miles (in-home)
09/14.....Kevin Rogers (in-home)
09/20.....Austin Jackson (in-home)
09/24.....De'Andre Bell (committed 9/28)
10/01.....Austin Jackson (official)(committed 10/7)
10/03.....Andrew Bynum (two day visit after weekend at UGA)

UPCOMING
10/09.....CJ Miles
10/09.....Lewis Clinch (unofficial???)

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POINT GUARDS
It looks like Coach Hewitt has decided to focus on Scoring Guard for the 2005 class and wait for some of the guys in the 2006 class. There are many possible reasons for this. One is that it is uncertain if J.Jack will be here 1 more year or 2. The other probably has to do with the guys on the board remaining. Also, Buck Fredrick is considered a guy who could handle the point if needed for a season. Bottom-line, none of these guys are likely to get an offer from here on out. Here are some who have been involved with GT.
Jermonte Bush, 6'0", 165lb, Florida, no offer
Recruitment still wide open. Considering schools like NCST, FSU, UNC, AZ, GT, Stanford, Cincy, etc. He is a talented player but a lot of schools will wait to offer him 'ships until the recruiting picture is clearer in the fall. Not currently ranked by any of the recruiting services.

Jeremey Goode, 5'10", 165lb, North Carolina, no offer
Not a highly ranked PG, but puts up strong AAU numbers - 20pts, 10 assists, 8 steals avg. He likes GT and Charlotte at the top of his list. Has offers from Charlotte and Appalation State. Another guy that we probably will wait on until the recruiting picture is clear and the staff can evaluate him further in the fall. Not currently ranked by any of the services.

Walter Hodge, 6'0", 170lb, Florida, no offer
Ranked by Rivals as the 29th best PG, he has offers from Hofstra, Ark, Florida and Georgetown. Also being recruited by Kansas and Indiana but doesn't have offers from them. Not currently ranked by any of the services.

Sean McCurdy, 6'1", 170lb, New Jersey, R128/P181, no offer
Offers from MD, Clemson, Indiana, St.Josephs. Considering many schools including Miami, Memphis, Illinois, Stanford. GT probably not going to get this young man.


SMALL FORWARDS:
CJ Miles, 6'5" 205lb, Texas, R26/I10/H11/P18/Y8, offered
9/28 - It appears we might be fading with Miles. Looks like we are currently 3rd behind KU and TX. 9/18 - Hewitt had an in-home visit finally, traveling to Dallas. Went well and it appears he will make good on visiting GT before committing. The key is to keep him holding out. 9/16 - Had his in-home visit with Bill Self. Seemed to go well, but no commit. Planning on visiting GT this weekend, but flight cancelled due to Hurr.Ivan. Still possible he might visit but looking slim. Events seem to be conspriring against us. 9/13 - Bad news. The in-home visit with Coach Hewitt was cancelled due to personal issues. If it's any consolation, Kansas's in-home visit was cancelled also. This may take longer than we thought. Also found out that Miles's high school frosh coach is a grad assistant at GT. 9/10 - visit changed to 9/17, which could be his last visit b4 deciding. Still favoring KU. However, with today's commit to KU by J.Wright, there is only one spot open at KU. Miles / Rogers will NOT be a package deal at KU. 9/8 - will visit GT 9/10 wknd. Will make a decision soon. Texas visit scheduled in Oct, but may not get that far. KU is the leader, but at least we will get him to campus. Lewis Clinch will make an unofficial visit this weekend to help sway Miles. 9/1 - eliminated AZ & UNC as a choice. Down to Kansas, GT and Texas, with KU a clear leader. He will reschedule his visit to GT and make a decision by the end of Sept. Likely to visit 9/10. 8/29 - official visit to Kansas went extremely well. They are heavy favorites to land him. A very talented kid who can do a lot of things well. Can pass, dribble, shot, etc. He has become fast buddies with Kevin Rogers and the two would like to go to the same college. Right now, his leaders are Kansas and Arizona, with GT seemingly a distant 3rd. He will be visiting Kansas with Rogers the weekend of Aug 28. He is supposed to visit GT 10/1, but he may have made his decision before he ever steps on campus.

Luc Mbahamoute, 6'7", FL prep, no offer
From Cameroon, a name low on the radar. He has visits scheduled to VaTech and UCLA and offers from all those schools along with Georgetown, UGA, S.Carolina, Old Dominion. Luc is a athletic player with a long body. Good on the defensive side of the ball. Can play a number of spots and is a good student. GT is the only school on his list that has not offered.


POWER FORWARDS:


Korvotney Barber, 6'6", 212lb, Georgia, R34, offered
Well, this guy was supposed to be off the GT recruiting board a long time ago. There was some early interest, but nothing materialized. Now it appears that a relationship has been rekindled with the Jackets, as Barber has added GT back to his list, which includes Kentucky, Auburn and UGAg. Barber says he has always wanted to play in the SEC, and Kentucky has come on late to become the odds on favorite to land this talent, but don't count out GT. Why? Well, Barber is AAU teammates with GT commit Lewis Clinch, as well as Charles Jackson, who really likes GT, but has no offer to join the team. So will Barber join Clinch in ATL? Odds are probably slim, but don't count out Coach Hewitt..... Barber is a talented inside player, very physical, and a finisher. As a junior, he averaged 16 points, 15 boards and 8 blocks. Yes - 8 blocker PER GAME!!! One game he sent back 18 shots!! He has been called a "dunk-machine". Rivals ranks him as the #10 PF in the nation and the 3rd best player in the state of GA, even though he had an injury that kept him below the radar for awhile.

Charles Jackson, 6'7", 265lb, Georgia, H100/P127, offered fb
9/28 - GT is still in play, even though he does not have an offer yet. It will all depend on what happens with McGowan / Bynum. Evidently the GT staff still contacts him weekly and he is being patient waiting out the process. 9/1 - If he decides to play football, UGA is a leader. If he decides to play hoops, GT is a leader (if they want HIM). He seems very interested in hoops, but GT has yet to offer and has a couple of other big guys they are recruiting ahead of Jackson. 8/31- looks like he is a GT lean for hoops and is now more interested in hoops, but waiting for a hoops offer from GT (he has a football offer). The night Lewis Clinch committed, he called Jackson to let him know and convince him to come to GT. Interesting story here. This is a guy who is actually one of the top football prospects in the nation, considered a top offensive tackle and TE. However, he also happens to play on the same AAU team as Lewis Clinch and Korvotney Barber (Smyrna Stars) - all 3 are good friends, Jackson and Clinch in particular. Barber is looking at AU and KY, among others. In high school Jackson averaged 18pts, 14 boards, 6 assists, 4 blocks. Probably raw as a hoops star. He has been offered a football 'ship to GT. It is not clear the situation in hoops if that's what he wants to play. Ultimately he has a decision to make.

CENTERS:
Not many true centers left on the board. Most guys are "tweeners" at the 4/5 spot.
Andrew "Lee" Bynum, 6'11", 270lb, New Jersey, R28/I14/P24/H17, offered
10/6 - Word is that his visit went well, but not enough to sway him to GT. Nothing official. 9/28 - Will make a two-day visit to GT 10/3-4. GT still trails in his recruitment and is not in his top 3, but getting him to campus is a good sign. 9/9 - Now has a visit with GT setup for 10/3. Not clear if it is inhome or a weekend trip to campus. But great news. Ranked the 2nd best center by Rivals and #1 by Insiders, this guy is a player. Teams involved include GT, UGAg, UConn, UNC, Duke and Rutgers. However, with the recent commit of Eric Boateng to Duke, he has eliminated them from his list. Just turned 17 years old, so he is young. Main weakness is free throws. Supposedly setting up a visit to GT.

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OFF THE BOARDS
Eric Boateng, 6'10", 220lb, Del, R33/I19/H36/P20/Y12, offered
COMMITTED TO DUKE 8/24. Probably a tweener between PF and Center. Has narrowed his list down to GT, Georgetown, BC, Villanova, UCLA, Duke. Says he will take an official visit to GT and he still might even with the commit. Good moves in the post, probably needs to add finishing strength, still fairly raw. Seems that Duke could lead for him. He is actually from England.

Jamal Boykin, SF/PF, 6'6", 210lb, Cali, R78/I78/H44/P29/Y17, offered
COMMITTED TO DUKE. Everything you hear about this kid is about leadship, hustle, hard work and humility. Not physically gifted in his ability to run or jump. Just hustles. So why the heck is he going to Duke? Well, he also seems to be a bandwagon fan for winners. He knew from the start that's where he wanted to go, and was only waiting for an offer. It seemed that GT and Louisville were the other serious contenders. Boykin is probably one of those 4 year guys in college that provides some stability in order to bring in other top recruits who may leave.

Casaan Breeden, 6'7", 185lb, SC, R62/I39/H62/P117, offered
9/16 - Looks like GT has dropped him from consideration. A very good all-around player. Can pass, shoot, dribble. I saw him play in person in probably his best game of the year, where he took it right at Dwight Howard and drew some charges. Having said that, he is very lightweight and needs to put on some muscle. He has been Ra'Sean Dickey's teammate for years and always in his shadow. GT is in his top 5 with Miami, St.John's, UGAg and NCST. My guess is that he definitely ends up in the ACC, but I think GT is a longshot. He would be an incredible addition to the team, but I'm afraid he might want a fresh start without Dickey. But what do I know.

Mario Chalmers, PG, 6'1", 175lb, Alaska, R12/I20/H15/P16/Y24, offered
COMMITTED TO KANSAS, probably the #1 PG on the board. His final choice came down to Kansas and Arizona. GT was in his final four.

Brandon Costner, PF, 6'9", 220lb, NJ, R29/I26/H19/P34/Y32, offered
COMMITTED TO NC ST; 9/21 - Looks like he is down to Kansas and NCST, with NCST the favorite. Has eliminated GT from consideration. Down to NCST, Kansas, Seton Hall, and UCLA. He might be competing with Kevin Rogers for a single 'ship at Kansas, so if he commits to Kansas it could help GT with Rogers. Stronger on the offensive side of the ball than defensive, but improving. As a junior averaged 17.8 pts, 7.5 boards, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.5 steals.

Byron Eaton, PG, 5'11", 210lb, Texas.. R20/I25/H13/P21, offered
COMMITTED TO OKLAHOMA STATE; 9/9 - being reported that Eaton may be opening back up his recruitment in football. He had said he wanted to concentrate on hoops. 9/8 - It is looking more and more like GT passed on this guy and not the other way around. Could it be that the 2006 targets are the focus at PG?? 9/3 - Jumped from #53 to #13 in the hoopmasters rankings. Strong talented PG who is down to Oklahoma St and Cincinatti. GT is considered his 3rd choice but ultimately will NOTchose GT. He is also a talented football player, but is looking to play hoops full time.

Bobby Frasor, PG/SG, 6'3", 175lb, Illinois, R22/I35/H25/P19/Y19, offered
COMMITTED TO NORTH CAROLINA. A tough Chicago PG in the mold that Coach Hewitt likes. His final list came down to GT, UNC, Marquette, Stanford, Kansas, Wisc, Mich.St and NCST. So we finished in his final 8.

Vernon Goodridge, 6'9", 215lb, PA, R24/I21/P85/Y37, offered
9/28 - Down to Miss.St, Georgetown and Pitt. 9/2 - Rivals lists Goodridge as the #1 Power Forward in the nation. He had eliminated GT from consideration, but it seems that we have creeped back into his top 5, along with Miss.St, Pitt, and others.

Keaton Grant, 6'4", 190lb, Florida, R137/P92, no offer
Not currently being recruited by GT. We could get involved depending on the Clinch decision. Considering Clemson, Georgetown, Penn St, S.Fl, Tenn, VT.

Danny Green, 6'5", 180lb, NY, R89/I43/H35/P47, offered
COMMITTED TO NORTH CAROLINA; Had high interest in UNC, Uconn, Pitt, St.John's and some interest in GT, GTown. Averaged 18pts, 9 boards, 3.5 assists as a junior. Ranked the 26th best SG in the nation by Rivals, is a strong 3pt shooter, but not incredibly athletic. Smart player with a good skill set. Passes well and plays good D, and a good leader. Does everything well, but nothing great. So "potential" is a good word.

Harvey Hale, SG, 6'3", 180lb, NM, R148/H60/P123, offered
COMMITTED TO WAKE FOREST; Final four are Wake Forest, Ark, AZ St and DePaul. WF seems to lead. A strong finisher who can score off the dribble. Needs to get stronger. Averaged 19.8pts, 7 boards, 6 assists as a junior.

Billy Humphrey, 6'3", 175lb, Georgia, H87/P166, no offer
GT is not currently recruiting Humphrey. Rivals ranks him the 10th best guard in the state of Georgia. He really likes GT, is a hometown kid. His top 3 are GT, Tenn and Auburn. Problem is he doesn't have an offer yet and probably won't get one unless we strike out with the other guys. But it is early in the recruiting process so the offer could come later. Keep you eye out for his name. It is just not clear to us outsiders how the staff feels about him. Not highly regarded by the ranking services.

Marcus Johnson, SF, 6'6", 190lb, Cali, R52/I75/H27/P46/Y59, no offer
COMMITTED TO UCONN. Very strong hops - he can get up. Has eliminated GT from consideration and is down to UConn, Syracuse and Louisville. We were in his top 5 along with UNLV and Arizona as well.

Wes Matthews Jr, SG, 6'4", 200lb, Wisc, R86/I88/H32/P44/Y30, offered
COMMITTED TO MARQUETTE. We were in his final 3 with Mar, Wisc. Averaged 16pts, 8 boards, 4 assists as a junior. Strong-bodied guard with good potential. Both parents played at Wisc.

Cyrus McGowan, 6'9", 235lb, Miss, R98/I72/P88/D14/H92, offered
9/30 COMMITTED TO ARKANSAS; 9/28 - All his official visits are complete. No clear leaders at this time, but we may hear about a decision in the next 2 weeks. Vernon Goodridge has Miss.St in his final 3, so that could help us if VG choses Miss.St. 9/21 - Arkansas has suddenly come into the picture and could steal him away from both GT & Miss.St. 9/16 - looks like he is definitely down to GT and Miss.St. and has now visited both. 9/3 - made it into the Hoopmasters top 100. Another tweener at center who would probably play at the 4-spot also. Could be down to GT and Miss.St. Looks like he wants to play for Roy Williams and if they offer, he would accept. However, they don't have an offer for him yet. Obviously they are keeping him as a back-up plan. His other favorites includes GT, Miss.St and Miami. Wants to major in architecture and wants the school to have a strong engineering program - so GT is a great fit. Miss.St is a huge competitor because had at least 9 relatives attend that school.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, 6'5", 180lb, Mich, R51/I30/H45/P23/Y40, offered
COMMITTED TO MEMPHIS; 9/27 - Down to AZ, Miami, Memphis. He says in a Rivals article that Hewitt cancelled his in-home visit and that led him to eliminated GT. Probably not the whole truth. It appears academics played a major role. 9/24 - He is off the GT board as we have parted ways. It appears academics are the reason although nothing public. 9/21 - With AZ getting a recent commit, it could take AZ out of consideration, making GT a stronger case. Time will tell; A tall guard who can actually play the point. His final list includes GT, AZ, OK, Kansas, Miami, Memphis, Ohio ST. For the moment, GT is actually a slight leader. Will visit GT the weekend of Oct 2.

Kevin Rogers, 6'8", 220lb, Texas, R35/I44/P32/H100, offered
COMMITTED TO BAYLOR; 9/24 - Well, evidently GT has dropped out recruiting Rogers. No word why, but I am taking him off the board now. 9/24 - It appears he is down to GT and Baylor with GT a slight lead. Rogers really thinks he can be a one-and-done player (or two-and-done). Playing time could be a factor. 9/22 - AZ eliminated but SMU and Baylor are actually in the picture. Both are getting strong consideration. We will probably get an answer next week. 9/21 - Down to Arizona, GT and GT has a slight lead. 9/10 - With today's commit to KU by J.Wright, there is only one spot open at KU. Miles / Rogers will NOT be a package deal at KU. 9/3 - cracked the Hoopmasters top 100. 9/1 - Apparently AZ and TX have dropped out for Rogers, although he apparently did not drop them. Not clear the truth yet. Looks like Kansas is still the leader with GT in 2nd, now followed by SMU. 8/27-Has officially name top 3 of KU,AZ,GT - KU the leader. Talented post player. Has become buddies with CJ Miles and right now Kansas is his leader. Just like Miles, Arizona is close behind and GT is in the mix also. He will visit GT 9/4.

Octavious Spann, 6'7", 218lb, Georgia, R120/H100/P135, no offer
COMMITTED TO GEORGETOWN 9/24. This could help our chances with De'Andre Bell. RamblinRed reports his top 3 in order at Georgetown, GT and UGA. Auburn is also in the mix. GT is the only one not to offer yet. Has considered other schools including Louisville, Bama, Tenn, Indiana, Clemson. Was ranked by Rivals at #50 but dropped down to 120. Did play on the same AAU team as Aminu, L.Williams, M.Mercer, B.Humphrey (Georgia Stars) but switched to the World Wide Renegades.

Adrian Thomas, 6'6", 215lb, Florida, R119/H63/P62, offered
COMMITTED TO MIAMI. 9/15 - Thomas pulls a surprise and commits to Miami. Everyone thought GT was the place. Likes Coach Haith and said that he felt Miami "needed" him more than GT. Seems that GT backed off a little bit. Could it mean we are strong with another guy at his position? 9/13 - GT visit rescheduled for 9/24. Will have an inhome visit from Coach Hewitt 9/22. Still has Miami high on list also. Will have in-home visits from UCLA, Pitt, Cincy and Tenn-Chat. He really likes Coach Hewitt's ability to develop players. GT probably still favored. 9/2; GT visit cancelled due to the Hurricane. Trying to reschedule now, which could end up around 9/17. I have a feeling this guy is going to end up a YellowJacket. Stay tuned; Old - Will visit GT 9/22, and also UCLA and Pitt. Seems that GT is in the lead for landing him. Averaged 24 pts, 12 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks as a hs junior. Agressive strong-body, and learning to play outside. I would peg this guy as the highest chance for becoming a Jacket.

Louis Williams, SG, 6'1", 175lb, Georgia, R2/I1/H3/Y2, offered
COMMITTED TO UGAg. A scoring machine. Clearly one of the top scoring guards in his class. There are two things right now making his commitment to UGAg less than 100%. First, the chance he gets drafted in the 1st round by the NBA is high. Second, with the recent probation penalties handed down to UGAg, there is a small chance he could actually sign a LOI with another college. GT is one school that recruited him.

Ryan Wright, 6'9", 225lb, Canada, R54/I53/P36, offered
8/27-Eliminated GT from consideration and has named a top 3 of UCLA, Mich.St, Stanford. Strong body, good touch, averaged 19 pts, 11 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks as a junior. His top 5 are GT, Mich.St, Stanford, UCLA and Wisconsin.


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Legend for recruiting rankings - next to each name is a series of rankings. For example R54/I53/H33

R....Rivals
I....Insiders (Dave Telep)
H....Hoopmasters
P....Prepstars
Y....Youth Prepstars

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