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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/23/2008)

We anticipate another busy week of articles as we wrap up the NBA Top 100 camp and take a look at the Hoop Group Showcase from this past weekend. Also, more recruiting articles on players that have impressed us to this point on the AAU scene, but they might have been getting as much attention nationally as maybe they deserve.

For this Monday morning, we take a look at some recruiting articles from LA, South Carolina and Chicago that might be of interest to Marquette and Providence fans. The recruiting list for Lincoln’s (NYC) James Padgett is heavy on Big East schools. Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson looks to be working on a visit to at least one of the Big East schools on his list in the near future. Samardo Samuels and Greg Monroe are preparing for their highly anticipated college careers. Pittsburgh’s ‘big three’ are getting some additional counseling this summer on their games and helping work with some of the top players in the high school ranks as well.

Mick Cronin has been through much of the same that Tom Crean is facing at Indiana. Keno Davis’ situation is different in some ways, but could become similar once his large core of veterans move on from the program in the next few seasons.

There is a look at two different draft night scenarios with Roy Hibbert and Kentrell Gransberry. DePaul gains a transfer from the Big 10 and Paul Harris’ standing with the University of Syracuse has been cause for some internet rumor mongering this spring.

The LA Times’ Varsity Times Insider blog has an update on Anthony Stover, a 6’10, 210 lb big man. Scouts Agree that Stover is a Renaissance (Academy) Man and has several high-major schools interested in his services, including Marquette out of the Big East.
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The State, South Carolina’s Home Page (scroll way down) has a basketball recruiting update on the University of South Carolina that has a few notes of Big East interest:

Lakeem Jackson of Arden, N.C., visited USC earlier this month, his second trip to check out the Gamecocks. USC coach Darrin Horn offered Jackson while he was at Western Kentucky, and that offer stands for the Gamecocks. Jackson also has offers from Clemson, Marquette and Georgia Tech.

James Padgett of Brooklyn, N.Y., was offered by USC recently. He also has offers from Houston, Providence, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. Johns. He has no favorites.

Glenn Rice Jr. of Marietta, Ga., was to be at Clemson on Saturday for a team camp. He also has been to Georgia Tech and Florida State and will try to visit Miami. Rice has offers from Georgia Tech, Marquette and Alabama and is favoring Tech.

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In Mike DeCourcy’s latest Inside Dish at the SportingNews.com, he looks at the upcoming visits of former Iowa State player Wesley Johnson, who averaged 12.4 points as a sophomore in an injury-riddled season. As a freshman in the Big 12, the 6’7 forward averaged 7.9 rebounds and 12 points a game.

Johnson is expected to visit Pitt and Ohio State while Syracuse is also expected to be strongly considered.

As mentioned last week, Johnson seems like a very solid replacement, potentially, for Sam Young at Pittsburgh. DeCourcy reports on Young’s attendance at the Vince Carter Skills Academy this week in Orlando as more education for the Pitt senior to develop his wing skills. Young is one of three Panthers getting some quality instruction this summer as DeJuan Blair just completed time at the Amare Stoudemire big man camp in Phoenix and Levance Fields will be at Steve Nash’s point guard skills camp in New Jersey this week. With a highly anticipated season forthcoming, Pitt Basketball Stars are Drawing Attention (Pittsburgh Tribune Review) and preparing for the season.
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The Jamaican Observer has a local story on incoming Louisville stud recruit Samardo Samuels as he prepares to embark on his college career at the University of Louisville playing for Rick Pitino. Samuels says he intends to stay all four years in college to earn his degree, but the College Bound Samuels Keeps His Options Open.
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Georgetown’s big recruiting prize in the class of 2008 was Greg Monroe out of Helen Cox High School in Louisiana. The 6’10 big man is eager to prove his worth at Georgetown and is working on sharpening his perimeter skills before embarking on his college career. The improved outside game also fits well into Monroe’s Long-Range Goals (Times-Picayune) for a career past his time with the Hoyas in the NBA.
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While Tom Crean faces a long road ahead at Indiana, the former Marquette coach can rely on a former Big East rival for some advice as Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin Empathizes With Crean (Cincinnati Enquirer) and his situation.
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Another coach trying to point a program in the right direction is Keno Davis at Providence College. One advantage for Davis is a solid core of returning players, most of them of a veteran pedigree to try and get the ball rolling for the Friars. The long-term success under Davis is what most will be very interested in. As he moves into the busy summer months with a new job, Davis is Set to get Friars on Track and Write a Winning Chapter at PC (Providence Journal).
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A key component for Davis’ future success will be landing the point guard to run his system and program that he will implement at PC. With Chris Colvin Quietly Climbing Up the Ranks (Ill Prep Bulls Eye Blog) and challenging as the top guard in Illinois in the Class of 2009, Davis and his staff did a great job getting ahead of the game in his recruitment. The NBE Basketball Report’s Doug Ferguson wrote in an earlier story for the site that he believes Colvin would be an idea fit in the new PC scheme under Davis, and it looks like Colvin will definitely look hard at the Friars.

Colvin’s frontrunners include Florida State, Oklahoma, Iowa and Providence (all of whom have offered), and he is also receiving heavy interest from Marquette according to the blog entry.
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If you follow some of the internet message boards during the late spring, you can come across all sorts of rumors and stories, separating fact from fiction, in some cases, extreme fiction, can be a job in itself. One rumor circulating on some of the Syracuse boards was that Paul Harris would be forced to withdraw from school because of academics. Jim Boeheim universally disputed that rumor recently by informing the Buffalo Times that Harris is in Good Standing at Syracuse on and off the court.

Coach Boeheim also praised Jonny Flynn’s work both on and off the court and expects more from him as he develops into his sophomore season.
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We touched briefly on the news that Eric Wallace has decided to transfer into DePaul, here is a Chicago Sun-Times story that gives more details on the player this will be attending DePaul this year: Ohio State Frosh Headed to DePaul.
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It is a deep NBA Draft this year and many will look at it and believe Roy Hibbert made a big mistake not coming out last year with teammate Jeff Green. After a run to the Final Four, Hibbert was projected as a lottery pick. He turned down the opportunity to return to Georgetown and earn his degree and hope for another trip to the Final Four, but that dream was ended by Stephen Curry and Davidson in the 2nd round of the tournament. Now, Hibbert’s draft stock has slipped to the latter half of the 1st round, but Hibbert Could Be Draft Bargain (Hartford Courant) for the team that selects him.
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While Hibbert will be hearing his name during the 1st round of the NBE Draft, South Florida’s Kentrell Gransberry will be hoping that one team, any team, calls his name during the two-round draft. Projected as possibly a late second round pick, Gransberry is Hoping for Shot at the NBA (Tampa Tribune).

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