April 2012 Basketball Wiretap

Karl Towns Jr. Owns 4.3 Grade-Point Average

Oct 27, 2012 8:04 PM

Karl Towns Jr., a 7-foot center ranked as the No. 1 player for 2015, sports a 4.3 grade-point average and last year served as president of his high school class.

“The best part is he’s just a humble kid,” Karl Towns Sr. said.

Towns is expected to choose between Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky.

Zach Braziller/New York Post

Tags: Karl-Anthony Towns, High School, NCAA, NBA

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Texas Hosts Visit From Brandon Austin

Oct 26, 2012 8:46 PM

Texas is hosting a visit from Brandon Austin this weekend.

Austin, a 6-foot-6 wing, has interest from Temple, Georgetown and Syracuse.

Matt Breen/Philadelphia Inquirer

Tags: Texas Longhorns, Big 12 Conference, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Travis Jorgenson Decommits From Missouri

Oct 26, 2012 8:45 PM

Travis Jorgenson revoked his commitment to Missouri and is not expected to make a decision on his college destination until the spring.

A top-150 player in the class of 2013, Jorgenson is spending his senior year at the New Hampton School in New Hampshire.

Steve Walentik/Columbia Daily Tribune

Tags: Missouri Tigers, Big 12 Conference, High School, NCAA, NCAA Misc Rumor

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Darius Thompson To Visit Butler

Oct 26, 2012 8:43 PM

Darius Thompson will take an official visit to Butler this weekend, according to his coach at Blackman (TN) High School.

“Butler has done a good job of recruiting Darius,” coach Barry Wortman said. “There’s a good comfort level with them as well as Murray State and Middle Tennessee State.”

Thompson, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 12.8 points and 6.0 assists last season for Blackman.

“Darius has a high, high basketball IQ,” Wortman said. “A very good feel for the game. Sneaky athletic. He shoots the ball well from 3, can get out on the point, can play off the ball.”

David Woods/Indianapolis Star

Tags: Butler Bulldogs, Atlantic 10 Conference, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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UNLV Extends Scholarship Offer To Chase Jeter

Oct 26, 2012 12:08 PM

UNLV has offered a scholarship to Chase Jeter, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward who plays at Bishop Gorman (NV) High School.

Jeter attended Thursday’s UNLV practice with his father, former Rebel Chris Jeter.

Chris Jeter was in the same UNLV class as Rebels assistant coach Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson and Greg Anthony.

Taylor Bern/Las Vegas Sun

Tags: UNLV Runnin' Rebels, Mountain West Conference, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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SMU Offers Scholarship To Ja'Quan Newton

Oct 25, 2012 10:17 PM

Southern Methodist University offered a scholarship to Ja'Quan Newton, a 6-foot-3 guard who plays at Neumann-Goretti (PA) High School.

Larry Brown visited Newton on Monday.

"He just told me how he really is," Newton said. "He didn't lie to me or sugarcoat anything."

Newton has drawn interest from Arizona, Georgetown, Temple, Villanova, Wake Forest, Miami, Syracuse and Seton Hall.

Matt Breen/Philadelphia Inquirer

Tags: Southern Methodist Mustangs, Conference USA, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Andrew Wiggins Driven To Become World's Top Player

Oct 25, 2012 12:12 PM

Andrew Wiggins might be the world's best amateur, but he wants to be the best bar none.

“I just try to kill whoever is guarding me," Wiggins said. "I don't practice to play against people in high school like Julius Randle and Jabari Parker. I practice to play against guys in the NBA because I want to be better than them. I practice to beat the best player in the world because I want to be the best player in the world."

Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said Wiggins needs to improve his practice habits.

Wiggins gets complacent, and coaches urge him to practice with greater intensity. Fulford has told Wiggins two dozen times, "I don't think at any point ever that anyone had to go tell Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to pick it up."

"He doesn't grasp how good he is and how big of an impact he has on the game of basketball right now, not only high school but also college," Fulford said. "He doesn't get it right now that he has been tagged 'The Next One.' ”

Eric Prisbell/USA TODAY

Tags: Andrew Wiggins, High School, NCAA, NBA

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Eron Gordon To Attend Indiana Madness

Oct 20, 2012 2:06 PM

Eron Gordon, one of the nation's top-ranked prospects for the recruiting class of 2016, will visit Indiana for Midnight Madness this weekend.

The 6-foot-2 Gordon will be joined on the visit by Troy Williams, BeeJay Anya, James Blackmon Jr. and JaQuan Lyle.

Eron is the youngest brother of Eric Gordon, who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. 

Terry Hutchens/Indianapolis Star

Tags: Indiana Hoosiers, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting

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Chris McCullough Believes Brewster Academy Preparing Him For College Life

Oct 20, 2012 2:03 PM

Chris McCullough left home so he could work on his game and play against top competition at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

“It’s basically like I’m in college,” said McCullough, who last month transferred from Salisbury School in Connecticut. “It’s getting me ready.”

McCullough has adjusted to life away from home.

“I got to meet a lot of different people in my life that helped change me as a person and make me into someone I want to become,” he said. “It’s kept me away from the streets.”

A top-10 player in the class of 2014, McCullough has already made a positive impression on Brewster coach Jason Smith.

“We’ve had five guys go to the NBA in the last few years, but Chris is as talented,” Smith said.

Zach Braziller/New York Post

Tags: Chris McCullough, High School, NCAA

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Marcus Lee Commits To Kentucky

Oct 17, 2012 6:15 PM

Marcus Lee committed to Kentucky on Wednesday, picking John Calipari and the Wildcats over California.

Lee, the No. 28 overall prospect in the Class of 2013, becomes the fourth top-30 recruit to commit to Kentucky in the past 14 days, joining twins Andrew (No. 2 overall recruit in the ESPN 100) and Aaron Harrison (No. 4) and guard James Young (No. 5).

Lee attends Deer Valley High School, which is located a short drive away from the Cal campus in Berkeley.

"Everyone made me feel like I was part of their family," Lee said. "Being far away from home, that was important. The coaches treated me like I was their son."

Paul Biancardi/ESPN

Tags: Marcus Lee, California Golden Bears, Kentucky Wildcats, High School, NCAA, NCAA Recruiting, NCAA Commitment

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Jabari Parker Will Not Sign Early

Graham Couch/Lansing State Journal

Diamond Stone Set To Visit Michigan

Nick Baumgardner/Michigan Live

Sebastian Saiz Commits To Ole Miss

John Talty/Clarion-Ledger

SMU Lands Commitment From Sterling Brown

Joe Henricksen/Chicago Sun-Times

Wayne Selden Commits To Kansas

Rustin Dodd/Wichita Eagle

Old Miss Receives Commitment From Dwight Coleby

John Talty/Clarion-Ledger

Darin Johnson Commits To Washington

Percy Allen/Seattle Times

Joel Embiid Puts Kansas On Top Of List

Rivals (via Gary Bedore/Lawrence Journal World)

Marcus Lee 'Close' To Decision After Kentucky Visit

Chris Fisher/247Sports (via Jeff Faraudo/Bay Area News Group)

Virginia Tech Lands Commitment From Ben Emelogu

Norm Wood/Newport News Daily Press

Andrew Harrison Draws Comparison To Derrick Rose

Steve Jones/Louisville Courier-Journal

Minnesota Gets Commitment From Alex Foster

Minneapolis Star Tribune

San Diego State Receives Pledge From D’Erryl Williams II

Mark Zeigler/San Diego Union-Tribune

Rathan-Mayes Commits To Florida State

Dave Telep/ESPN

Dave Winfield Jr. Commits To Pennsylvania

Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times (via Matt Breen/Philadelphia Inquirer)

Tulane Gets Commitment From Greg White-Pittman

Andrew Lopez/Times-Picayune

Trey Lyles To Attend Kentucky Madness

Steve Jones/Louisville Courier-Journal

Martin Twins Commit To N.C. State

Mason Linker/Winston-Salem Journal

Virginia Tech Gets Commitment From Maurice Kirby

Mark Heller/East Valley Tribune

James Young Commits To Kentucky

Dan Fenner/Detroit Free Press