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BIG EAST NEWS & NOTES (6/22/2009)

Were are back running at full speed following several days of travel and keeping up with the NBA Top 100 camp updates. So, we made a quick run through the Big East for a few News & Notes. Jody Demling has several updates on Fab Melo, Justin Coleman and the story on three impressive 2011 players stopping by a Big East school for a visit. Some news and notes from around the West Virginia program, a recruiting update on Sterling Gibbs, who like his older brother and Pitt sophomore Ashton, will be competing internationally this summer for a USA team.

Finally, Providence will be playing an exhibition game this fall on campus, all NBA Handicapper wannabes are filling out their NBA mock drafts ahead of Thursday’s draft and hope everyone got a chance to check out Ray Mernagh’s piece on Buzz Williams this morning…

Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal has plenty of basketball recruiting information at his blog at the C-J. Let’s take a look at some of the notes that are relevant to the Big East in general:

– While Indiana is in on Some Rising Prospects, it looks like Marquette is also ahead of the curve as they are expecting Justin Coleman to attend one of their elite camps coming up this summer. The 6-foot-4 athletic swingman from Richmond (VA) opened many eyes this weekend and took the title of slam dunk champ at this past week’s camp and ‘biggest surprise’ camper. Look for him to be a must-see player by college coaches once July hits.

– While the Louisivlle 2010 recruiting class is a bit unsettled with the de-commitment of Justin Martin, decision of Jeremy Tyler to turn professional and status of Josh Langford’s commitment unsettled, the Cards continue to move ahead in their efforts in the class of 2011 as U of L Had Three Visitors from that class this weekend. Already posessing two verbal commitments from 2011 in Michael Chandler (C) and Ryan Taylor (F), teammates at Lawrence North in Indianapolis (IN), the Cards welcomed in Mike Shaw, an elite 6-foot-8 PF, Wayne Blackshear, an elite 6-foot-5 wing prospect, and 6-foot-11 Ohio C Zach Price.
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Demling is also a fan of Brazilian Fabricia de Melo, otherwise known as ‘Fab’ Melo. The 7-foot, 270-lb center is a high priority of several elite programs as Brazil’s Melo is Getting Better and Better (Courier-Journal) as he gets more exposure against top competition. The list of prospective schools is Louisville, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Syracuse and Connecticut.
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The Charleston Gazette has some news and notes on the West Virginia basketball program. Expectations are high for next season with the return of Devin Ebanks, Da’Sean Butler and company. The hope is that JUCO shooting guard Casey Mitchell is able to replace the outside shooting that Alex Ruoff had provided. Mitchell is on campus for summer school. Dan Jennings is already on campus as well getting acclimated to the college life with Dalton Pepper due in this week and Deniz Kilicli joining his new teammates after competing with the Turkish national team this summer. On the recruiting trail, assistant coach Larry Harrison informed the Gazette that in the class of 2010 WVU will be following several big men when coaches are out recruiting from July 6-15 and then July 21-31. The Mountaineers already have commitments from Noah Cottrill and Bryon Allen. The early focus on 2011 will be a combo guard, a wing and a big according to Harrison.

Harrison would not comment on the status of point guard Joe Mazzulla, but indications are he is doing well in his bid to rejoin the team. Mazzulla is currently suspended indefinitely after being arrested this spring and charged with domestic violence charge. The school and team is awaiting resolution of the judicial process before a final decision is made.

Here is the link to the full notes: Casey on Deck, WVU Hoops Recruiting, Mazzulla (Charleston Gazette).
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Here is an excellent article by Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv on Sterling Gibbs, one of the Big East’s top targets in the class of 2011, and his older brother Ashton, who will be a sophomore at Pittsburgh next season. The Gibbs Brothers Shine for U.S. Teams as they will take their games to the international stage, Ashton with the U-19 squad, which is led by his college coach Jamie Dixon, and Sterling with the U-16 team.

The under-16 team is in the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mendoza, Argentina. The under-19 squad will participate in the upcoming U-19 Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

As far as his college plans, Zags reports that Sterling has garnered interest from Villanova, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Maryland, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh and Indiana and currently lists Villanova as his leader.
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Providence will host an exhibition game on campus at Alumni Hall against Merrimack College on October 31st. This will be the PC men’s team’s first game at Alumni Hall since a visit by the Russian National Team on Jan. 22, 1978. With the Friars to Play an Exhibition Game in Alumni Hall in October (Providence Journal), expects tickets to be very limited.
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