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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (4/25/2008)

Another busy AAU weekend on tap and the NBE Basketball Report will have eyes and ears on location in Akron (OH) for the King James Shooting Stars Classic as well as in Providence (RI) for this week’s Jam Fest. Next weekend we will branch out to the Midwest as we will have a reporter stationed at the Spiece Run’N Slam All-Star Classic in Ft. Wayne (IN) and then the weekend of May 9-11 we will be hitting the Mid-Atlantic for the DC Assault ‘Take Your Best Shot’ event at the beautiful Hoop Magic Sports Academy in Chantilly (VA) as well as a contributor heading to the University of Virginia for the Southern Jam Fest the same weekend.

In the meantime, we are also developing our 2009 (and 2010) Big East Recruit Database. You will see some recruit pages on the left-hand sidebar. These pages will contain summary information on Big East targets as well as links to the latest stories on the players from the NBE Basketball Report, the sites of our contributors or partners as well as local newspapers from around the country. You can also visit the team pages, either from the sidebar or from the icons above. Our team pages provide pertinent links to each University website of the Big East and up to date roster information. They also link to the recruit pages of each school’s targets. We will be populating this database aggressively the next few weeks as our writers see more and more players and get additional information. These pages also provide great sponsorship opportunities, so, if your interested, please contact us at nbeblog@hotmail.com for more information.

Elsewhere, in the Big East, Norm Roberts is waiting word from recruits and is waiting on the finalization of a contract extension with St. John’s. Georgetown gets a little jolt when one of their former McDonald’s All-Americans decides it is time to move on. UConn is awaiting the decision from their big man on the NBA draft. There are updated recruiting lists and stories on Jordan Hamilton, Stephan Van Treese, Dominic Cheek and Jamil Wilson, who is a top target of Buzz Williams and his newly appointed assistants at Marquette. Finally, a little more on South Florida’s first 2009 verbal commitment.

Much to the chagrin of many St. John’s fans, athletic director Chris Monasch announced in February that Norm Roberts would be returning as the coach of the Redstorm for the 2008-2009 season. Roberts, who was given a rolling 5-year contract upon his hiring, was also promised a new deal when the announcement was made he would be returning. As of today, there is No Extension yet for Roberts, But He Still is Backed by the AD (zagsblog) as he works on filling the roster that has been hit by more transfers.

With the recent announcement that three-point shooter Larry Wright and reserve guard Mike Cavataio would transfer, 10 of the 21 players signed during Roberts’ tenure have not made it to the end of their eligibility for whatever reason. All the members of his third recruiting class will not finish with the team.

The Redstorm did not sign anyone in the fall signing period and with the transfers and graduation of Eugene Lawrence, Roberts has four scholarships at his disposal. JUCO guard Bobby Maze and Harrisburg’s Quincy Roberts are expected to visit the Queens campus in the very near future. Maze played one season at Oklahoma and recently de-committed from Maryland. Roberts had once been committed to Miami, but never signed. St. John’s needs some productive size and additional ball-handling and perimeter shooting. Roberts and Maze would help on the perimeter, but the holes of this team will likely keep them in the bottom tier of the conference for another season.

After averaging 3.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds while playing just under 13 minutes a game backing up Roy Hibbert, former McDonald’s All-American Vernon Macklin Will Transfer from Georgetown according to Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com.

With the graduation of Hibbert and 6-man sub Patrick Ewing Jr, it seems like Strange Timing for Macklin’s Departure (Washington Times) as he could have doubled his playing time as a returning junior, even with the addition of highly touted freshmen Greg Monroe, Henry Sims and Chris Braswell.
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When forecasting the top teams in the Big East for 2008-2009 the NBA Draft process plays a major roll in expectations for each team. Take the case of Connecticut with Hasheem Thabeet as UConn is Still Waiting on Thabeet’s Decision (Hartford Courant) on if he will test the NBE draft process or return to school. He has until Sunday to put his name into the draft and until a week before the June draft to pull his name back out if he does not sign with an agent. Thabeet is projected to be a late-lottery or a late first round pick if he was to stay in the draft.

With Thabeet, UConn is likely projected as a top two or three team in the 2008-2009 Big East and top 10 nationally. Without, still a lot of talent, but some unproven depth and post play could push them down the standings towards the top 6 or 7 in the Big East and closer to the top 20-25 nationally.
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One of the biggest potential catches on the recruiting trail for 2009 on the West Coast is Compton (CA) Dominguez’s Jordan Hamilton. The Los Angeles Times is Just Checking in on Jordan Hamilton’s List of Suitors as the 6’7, 210 lb wing has Syracuse and Connecticut on his short list along with Kansas, Texas and USC.
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Gary Bedore’s KU Basketball Notebook at the Lawrence Journal-World has an update on Dominic Cheek as a published report has Cheek interested in Big East schools such as Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse. He also has Florida, who was very visible in watching him at the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last weekend, Kansas, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State and Tennessee on his long list.

Bedore’s notebook also mentions Lawrence (IN) North’s junior big man Stephan Van Treese as a player considering Kansas. Inside the Hall, a blog dedicated to Indiana University basketball, is reporting that Van Treese Trims List and the schools making it include Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State and Louisville, in addition to Kansas.
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Buzz Williams made his first staffing hires since being named head coach at Marquette yesterday by adding assistants Aki Collins and Tony Benford. Collins worked the last two seasons at Fairfield University and the Brooklyn (NY) native has also served on the staff at Marshall prior to his time with the Stags. Benford is a veteran college assistant, most recently working at Nebraska as well as stops with Arizona State and New Mexico.

Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel offers a Closer Look at Collins and Benford and what they hope to bring to the Golden Eagles program.
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The newly formed Marquette staff is going to have their hands full keeping Racine’s (WI) Jamil Wilson in state as schools such as Michigan, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan State are all in the Running for Elite Wisconsin Prep Star (Detroit News). The versatile 6’7 wing could be a star anywhere he goes.
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The Sarasota Herald-Tribune gives a closer look at 6’4 North Port (FL) junior guard Shaun Noriega after Noriega Snaps Up USF’s Offer and became Stan Heath’s first 2009 commitment for South Florida earlier this week.

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