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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (7/22/2008)

The West Virginia freshmen have been impressing onlookers in the Pittsburgh Summer Pro-Am basketball league and their two most recent verbal commitments add more depth to Bob Huggins program. In Hartford, their Summer Pro-Am league sees some of the UConn Huskies get some good runs in, but it is also introducing basketball fans to a 14-year old man-child that is holding his own against the older competition. Also, AJ Price is coming along well, physically and mentally, through rehab and talking with a few other Big East players who are going through a similar process (Mike Cook, Eric Devendorf).

The AAU and recruiting action is ready to heat up, literally, when just about everyone heads for the desert in Las Vegas. Several recruiting-related articles are linked below to preview the action. Brian Crownover is in Vegas and will be sending some thoughts from time to time and then wrap-up what he sees in ‘Sin city’ on the court and in the stands.

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With the addition of Devin Ebanks to their 2008 recruiting class, West Virginia shot up the listings of recruiting rankings among incoming classes. The WVU Basketball Recruits are Ready (Charleston Gazette) for the challenge that awaits them. Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and, maybe, Roscoe Davis all come from accomplished prep, high school and AAU programs that have had them experiencing a little bit of everything in the game of basketball. The adjustment to the college game should come quickly for this group.

Jones and Bryant, along with Joe Mazzulla have really impressed John Giammarco, the organizer of the Pittsburgh Pro-Am Summer league. WVU’s KJ and ‘Truck’ (Charleston Gazette) have left a lasting impression on Giammarco for their ability to step right in and go toe-to-toe against some of the top players in the Big East.

It was an exciting weekend for WVU in terms of basketball recruiting as Dan Jennings and Dalton Pepper verbally committed to the program. The most recent Mountaineer Basketball Verbals Will Add Depth (Daily Mail) to the program.
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Introducing Andre Drummond as a name to remember. The 6-foot-9, 230 lbs 14 year-old has already popped up on the recruiting radar of Connecticut, West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Kansas and others. The native of the Bronx is now living in Middletown (CT) and attending Hartford’s Capital Prep. On lookers of a recent night of action at the Greater Hartford Pro-Am basketball league had to be reminded again and again he was just 14 years old after some jaw-dropping moves against players several years older, including players from UConn and other area colleges.

A spectator at the Grater Hartford Pro-Am that got a lot of attention was UConn point guard AJ Price, who is rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in the NCAA Tournament. Price has been in contact with Big East foes Mike Cook of Pittsburgh and Eric Devendorf of Syracuse to gain perspective on rehab and to compare notes. Price believes he could be playing pick-up ball by the end of August. For more On AJ and Andre Drummond, visit the New Haven Register’s emekanadavandcorny blog.
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It is the beginning of another evaluation period and High School Basketball Talent and College Staffs Swarm Vegas (LA Times) to compete in three tournaments featuring over 900 travel teams.

It may be a basketball smorgasboard for college coaches on the recruiting trail, but Team USA Coaches are Too Busy to Recruit (LA Times) even though Coach K and Jim Boeheim are in Las Vegas, their duties with Team USA will make their scouting and recruiting time a little more restricted than their rival coaches.

Connecticut assistants Patrick Sellers and Andre LaFleur are in Vegas and will be joined by Jim Calhoun as they will watch prospects at the Nike Main Event, Reebok Big Time and Adidas Super 64. it is a busy time with Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Vegas and Recruiting (Hartford Courant) for the UConn staff and the Courant lists the following players as those on the Huskies radar:
Dominic Cheek
Jordan Hamilton
Daniel Orton
Durand Scott
Aaric Murray
Anthony Stover

Speaking of Durand Scott, U of L is in With NYC Star (Louisville Courier-Journal) as Louisville is looking to make a push for the 6-foot-4 guard from Rice High School. Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Seton Hall are among the Big East schools also high on his list.

Adam Zagoria also makes the rounds this morning as the Vegas week gets set to tip off. Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez has a busy week ahead. Right now Gonzo is in Vegas and Seton Hall Notes courtesy of ZagsBlog.net includes the possibility that John Garcia moves on after this season because of past knee problems. Zags also takes a look at the SHU scholarship situation after the comings and goings within the program of late.

St. John’s is still in the running for Lance Stephenson, aka ‘Born Ready’, but the Lance to St. John’s Rumor (ZagsBlog.net) that includes a position on the staff for Stephenson’s high school coach Dwayne ‘Tiny’ Morton appears to not have firm legs. Head coach Norm Roberts’ insistence that the open position will likely be filled in August on his staff does fuel speculation that the candidate is wrapped up in AAU duties through July. NY Panther coach and former high school coach of Justin Burrell, Oswald Cross, is another much-talked about candidate for the position and would likely solidify the Redstorm status with Omari Lawrence and could greatly help with Kevin Parrom and others.

ZagsBlog.net also goes into more detail recently on Mo Mo Jones to St. Anthony’s, strengthening Bob Hurley’s team after they graduated Travon Woodall, Mike Rosario, Tyshawn Taylor and others.

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