March 2011 Basketball Wiretap

Duke Seeks Rule Interpretation Of Possible Violation

Jul 31, 2011 10:03 PM

Duke is seeking an interpretation of an NCAA rule as to whether a recruit can speak to a coach by phone if the recruit is still on the road, but not actively playing in a tournament.

According to a source, Alex Poythress called Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski Tuesday night after his Georgia Stars AAU team was eliminated from the AAU Super Showcase in Orlando.

ESPN ranks Poythress as the No. 17 overall recruit of the class of 2012.

Duke, according to the source, would likely accept any penalty associated with a secondary violation if it were deemed to be one.

ESPN

Tags: Alex Poythress, Duke Blue Devils, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Zak Irvin Picks Michigan Over Butler

Jul 31, 2011 9:54 PM

Zak Irvin picked Michigan over Butler on Sunday.

Irvin is 6-foot-6 and will be a junior at Hamilton Southeastern. He is ranked No. 97 by Rivals in the class of 2013.

“I’ve liked Michigan for a while,” said Irvin. “But it was a really tough decision because I felt like I had a good relationship with (Butler coach Brad Stevens).”

Irvin, who averaged 11.4 points and 2.7 rebounds as a sophomore, also had offers from Baylor, Illinois, Indiana, Miami (Fla.), Purdue, Tennessee and Xavier. 

Irvin sees himself being used in a similar way as Tim Hardaway Jr.

“They talked a lot about how they can use me coming off ball screens, either shooting or creating,” Irvin said. “I watched them a couple games in the NCAA Tournament last year and watched how Tim Hardaway Jr. played. I think I can play the same way.”

Indianapolis Star

Tags: Zak Irvin, Michigan Wolverines, Butler Bulldogs, Big Ten Conference, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Montverde Assembling Powerhouse Team In Kevin Boyle's First Season

Jul 31, 2011 11:43 AM

After more than two decades at St. Patrick's of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Kevin Boyle has replaced Kevin Sutton at Montverde of Central Florida.

Dakari Johnson, who was Boyle's star freshman at St. Patrick's, is coming with him to Montverde. Johnson was named ESPN's Rise National Freshman of the Year.

Another top national prospect, Michael Frazier, has also transferred to Montverde, leaving Tampa Plant.

Jeffrey Simmons, head coach for Florida Rams Black, is impressed with the assembly of talent.

"[With Montverde] you've got a coach who's a legend,'' he said. "You've got superior talent. Once they gel, I don't see too many teams that are going to be able to beat them."

Orlando Sentinel

Tags: Dakari Johnson, Michael Frazier, High School

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Indiana, Louisville Coaches In Fort Wayne Watching Gary Harris

Jul 31, 2011 11:37 AM

Gary Harris, a top-20 recruit of the 2012 class, is playing in his final AAU tournament this weekend in Fort Wayne.

Indiana's Tom Crean and assistant coaches Tim Buckley and Steve McClain have been in town watching, as has Louisville assistant coach Wyking Jones amongst others.

Harris is a 6-foot-4 guard and Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Purdue are recruiting him the hardest.

Courier-Journal

Tags: Gary Harris, Louisville Cardinals, Indiana Hoosiers, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Toronto Native Anthony Bennett Likely To Visit Kentucky

Jul 31, 2011 11:31 AM

Kentucky has been following Anthony Bennett 6-foot-7, 245-pound Toronto native who starred for CIA Bounce. Bennett, who attends Findlay Prep in Nevada, will be in the incoming class of 2012.

His long list of colleges includes Kentucky, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Oregon, Florida State, Washington, UNLV, Arizona and Oklahoma.

“I’m wide-open,” he said, noting that he might not pick one until April. “I’ll probably cut it down after AAU, and then I don’t know how many or when I will take my visits.”

Bennett was asked if he would visit Kentucky.

“Yes, probably. Kentucky is a power school and all of the top players want to go there, and they do great. I have heard the fans are crazy, so I want to see the environment.”

Courier-Journal

Tags: Anthony Bennett, Kentucky Wildcats, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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No. 34 Overall Recruit Ricardo Gathers Commits To St. John's

Jul 31, 2011 10:53 AM

Ricardo Gathers gave St. John's a verbal commitment on Saturday.

The AAU coach of Gathers compares him to a cross between Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.

"That's huge," Gathers told The Post. "Those are a couple of NBA Hall of Famers. I understand what he's saying. Those guys knew rebounding wins games just like defense. I go into every games trying to get at least 10 rebounds."

Gathers is the Red Storm's first 2012 recruit.

Steve Lavin and his staff still are going hard for St. Anthony point guard Kyle Anderson, Philadelphia power forward Amile Jefferson, D.C. shooting guard Darrick Wood and California shooting guard Katlin Reinhardt.

Gathers is rated by Rivals as the nation's No. 11 power forward and the No. 34 recruit overall. Jefferson is ranked as the No.10 power forward and No. 33 overall.

New York Post

Tags: Rico Gathers, St. John's Red Storm, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Bay Area's Historic Recruiting Crop Ignoring Stanford, Cal

Jul 30, 2011 7:39 PM

Brandon Ashley heads what many scouts and observers say is the strongest Bay Area recruiting crop in years.

Bay Area coaches “are putting the time in, but it’s almost like the game changes when the bigger programs come calling,” said Mark Olivier, director of the Oakland Soldiers, a powerhouse A.A.U. team that features several top recruits, including Ashley. 

Arizona head coach Sean Miller arrived in San Francisco after his team's elimination from the 2011 NCAA Tournament, where he predicted “an absolute war” over Bay Area talent. 

“If you gave me one area of the country to be successful recruiting the next two years, the area that I would pick is this one right here,” Miller told a group of Arizona fans during a May 19 speech at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Miller has already signed two Oakland Soldiers players: guards Josiah Turner and Nick Johnson, who committed to Arizona last year.

Ashley, ranked by ESPN as the No. 6 recruit in the country, has Arizona on his short list, along with U.C.L.A., Kentucky, Oregon, Texas, Syracuse and Georgia Tech.

“Let’s say Cal or Stanford finished last year like Arizona did,” Olivier said. “I guarantee that would probably make it easier to recruit.”

In 2003, when the region had its last big talent surge, Cal signed three highly rated Bay Area recruits, including the future N.B.A. player Leon Powe out of Oakland.

“It would be huge for a Bay player to come into a Bay college and lead them to success,” Ashley said. “But it comes down to players’ really wanting to come to the school where they can win and that’s going to help them the most.”

The class of 2013 includes Aaron Gordon, a 6-foot-7 forward at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose; Jabari Bird, a 6-foot-6 guard at Salesian High in Richmond; and Stephen Domingo, a 6-foot-6 forward at St. Ignatius High in San Francisco. Gordon, Bird and Domingo are currently ranked 9th, 11th and 57th among 2013 recruits by ESPN.

New York Times

Tags: Brandon Ashley, Aaron Gordon, Jabari Bird, California Golden Bears, Stanford Cardinal, Pacific-12 Conference, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Duke Investigating Possible Recruiting Violation By Krzyzewski

Jul 30, 2011 4:33 PM

Duke is investigating a possible recruiting violation committed by Mike Krzyzewski.

Alex Poythress told CBSSports.com that Krzyzewski spoke to him earlier this week while he was in Orlando, Fla., for a tournament with his AAU team, the Georgia Stars, and offered him a scholarship.

NCAA rules prevent coaches from contacting recruits before they are finished playing in tournaments.

Duke spokesman Jon Jackson said in a statement Saturday that the school is gathering facts and that "proper adherence to NCAA bylaws has always been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of Duke Athletics."

ESPN

Tags: Alex Poythress, Duke Blue Devils, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Andrew Wiggins To Play For Huntington Prep

Jul 30, 2011 11:14 AM

Andrew Wiggins, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward prospect from Canada, announced Friday night via Twitter that he will be playing for Huntington Prep Academy with his brother Xavier Rathan-Mayes.

"Adding a kid of his caliber not only helps locally with fan base to get people excited, it does so nationally," Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said. "He's the No. 1-rated player in the class, and he'll be that way for three years. He'll be a great player and huge recruiting tool. We'll be excited to see the preseason rankings, but obviously we are more interested in where we are at the end."

Wiggins is the No. 3 overall prospect on ESPNU's Terrific 25 list for the Class of 2014.

Wiggins already has offers and interest from major college programs such as Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Florida State .

Herald-Dispatch

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Baylor's Scott Drew Watches Every Julius Randle Game At Peach Jam

Jul 29, 2011 3:54 PM

Julius Randle, who will be a junior in high school, is considered one of the top two or three prospects (along with Jabari Parker) of his class in the country.

Baylor coach Scott Drew was at every one of Randle's games at the Peach Jam in mid-July.

"Randle has a bad habit sometimes of trying to show people he's a point guard, which usually only shows that he's not," wrote Davis. "But when he's focused and intense -- and angry -- he is a load on the block."

Seth Davis/Sports Illustrated

Tags: Julius Randle, Baylor Bears, High School, High School Recruiting, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Shabazz Muhammad's No. 1 Asset Could Be Intangibles

Seth Davis/Sports Illustrated

Virginia Recruit Justin Anderson Elicits Ron Artest Comparisons

Seth Davis/Sports Illustrated

Alex Poythress Receives Scholarship Offer From Duke

Courier-Journal

Top-10 2012 Recruit Rodney Purvis Considering Missouri, N.C. State

Courier-Journal

Marcus Smart Named MVP As Texas Assault Wins Super 64 Championship

ESPN

Semaj Christon Commits To Xavier

Cincinnati Enquirer

Top Prospect Jabari Parker Welcomes Comparison To Oscar Robertson

Jeff Borzello/CBSSports.com

William Wesley On Hand At LeBron James Skills Academy

Gary Parrish/CBSSports.com

Shabazz Muhammad Scores 29 Points Against No. 2 Ranked Andre Drummond

Jody Demling/Louisville Courier-Journal

Rivals No. 1 Shabazz Muhammad Set To Visit Kentucky

Brett Dawson/CatsIllustrated.com

Vacarro: Nike Has 'Complete Control' Over Summer Hoops Circuit

CBSSports.com