October 2011

2011-2012 BIG EAST PREVIEW – PART I – TWO THAT SHOULD WIN IT

By Ray Mernagh

I have a job separate from this one that, while not as fulfilling, happens to pay my mortgage every month.

At that job there’s a lady from West Virginia, Maggie who, aside from being a wonderful person and a dear friend, is a huge fan of Big East basketball. At least five times a day, like clockwork, Maggie will say “I love the Big East Ray, why do they have to do this?” over the cubicle wall that makes eye contact between us impossible unless we’re both standing.

“It’s dead Maggie,” I’ll say. “It ain’t right, but it’s dead.” And then I’ll hear the reservation sink in through her sigh that travels over the wall…until she says it again a few hours later. I feel like a cold hearted bastard telling a little kid there’s no Santa Claus. But as we all know, Big East basketball is, within the next few years, dead as we know it.

It’s a funny thing too, because Maggie isn’t talking about Big East football — although she and her husband Terry never miss a WVU football game. Nope, she’s talking about hoops, Huggs, and all the magical sh!t that goes with that combination when you place it within the Big East — New York City, Madison Square Garden at Big East Tournament time and the sea of Mountaineer fans that love the fact that they’re a part of such a fantastic league.
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JORDAN TAKES HARD LINE AS OWNER

As a player, Michael Jordan was a well-known Democrat and outspoken as a player’s union member in battles against the NBA owners a generation ago. My, how times have changed. While there is no NBA season so far and only limited NBA future betting action taking place, Jordan has become one of the toughest hard line owners in the current labor dispute that has wiped out the November slate of games in the NBA.

Jordan owns the Charlotte Bobcats and is now in the position of being a small market owner of an NBA team that loses money with little chance of turning a profit and even less of a chance at winning the NBA championship. This has changed Jordan’s perspective and rightly so since the greed of the player’s union is at the heart of this dispute.

The NBA players currently get 57percent of the NBA revenue which makes one wonder just what was going through the owner’s minds when they agreed to sign such a deal. The owners now understand what a colossal disaster the current deal is and how it is destroying competitive balance and making it near impossible for teams such as Charlotte to compete.

Jordan was a great leader as a championship Hall of Fame legend with the Chicago Bulls and now has emerged as a leader among a group of hard line owners that is considered to be between 10 to 14 strong. Jordan and the hard liners do not even want a 50/50 split; they want to jam a 47 percent split down the player’s throats and keep 53 percent for the owners. Talk about a slam dunk!

Jordan was already fined $100,000 for speaking out on behalf of the hard line owners this past summer and has been more quiet and in the background since that time. But make no mistake about it, Jordan understands the stakes involved in the current labor dispute and will fight to the end for the owners and for small market teams.

Jordan has been majority owner of the Bobcats for two years and involved in the Charlotte organization ownership group for five. Charlotte is estimated to be losing over $7 million per season as a .500 team that cannot afford any superstars and instead relies on a tough team defense to stay semi-competitive. Unless the owners win this fight that will remain the model for teams like the Bobcats.

SULLINGER, OHIO STATE EXPECTED TO RULE NEW LOOK BIG 10

A media poll of 24 writers who cover the Big 10 was released earlier this week and they all agreed that Ohio State is this season’s favorite in the conference. The Buckeyes received all 24 1st-place votes to easily out-distance the field. The rest of the league is a little less certain in the eyes of the writers, with four teams receiving second place votes as the voting varied greatly from one ballot to the next. Here is the media poll results, with range of selections in parenthesis:

1. Ohio State, 288 (1)
2. Wisconsin, 248 (2-5)
3. Michigan, 233 (2-6)
4. Michigan State, 219 (2-6)
5. Purdue, 194 (2-9)
6. Illinois, 150 (4-9)
7. Minnesota, 142 (3-10)
8. Northwestern, 115 (6-11)
9. Indiana, 111 (5-12)
10. Iowa, 86 (6-12)
11. Nebraska, 60 (8-11)
12. Penn State, 26 (11-12)

Of course this is a new-look Big 10 as Nebraska joins the conference as the 12th member. Why the name of the Big 10 still? Who really know anymore with college sports. Only in this day and age of conference re-shuffling can the Big 12 have 10 teams and the Big 12 have 12 teams. Makes sense…

At the official Big 10 (plus 2) media day, the league releases their official preseason polls. The conference chooses to release only the top-three in the team voting and, to nobody’s surprise, Ohio State was the preseason favorite in that poll as well, followed by Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Big Ten also announced that Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger has been tabbed as the conference’s preseason player of the year. Also on the preseason all-Big Ten team were Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, Minnesota’s Trevor Mbakwe, Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor and Michigan State’s Draymond Green.

SEC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL PUTS KENTUCKY ON TOP

With little surprise, the media members of the SEC put John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats as the preseason favorite as announced earlier in the week at the conference’s media day. The Wildcats received 282 total points (18 first-place votes), ahead of second-place Vanderbilt’s 265 points (four first-place votes). Florida (235 points) was the only other school to receive a first place vote.

The SEC will have a new look this season, scrapping the two-division East/West format for a one-division, 12-team set-up. It is the first time since 1992 that the SEC has not gone with a two-division set-up.

The media also voted on all-league teams with Kentucky sophomore Terrence Jones being the choice of the media for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year with 12 votes. Jones responded by scoring 52 points in the annual Blue-White Kentucky scrimmage this week. Vanderbilt junior John Jenkins finished second (nine votes) while Alabama senior JaMychal Green (one vote) and Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis (one vote) also received votes in the Player of the Year voting.

Here is the full results of the media voting (first place votes in parenthesis):

1) Kentucky (18), 282 points
2) Vanderbilt (4), 265 points
3) Florida (1), 235 points
4) Alabama, 219 points
5) Mississippi State, 191 points
6) Arkansas, 154 points
7) Mississippi, 119 points
8} Georgia, 108 points
9) LSU, 91 points
10) Auburn, 80 points
11) Tennessee, 71 points
12) South Carolina, 57 points

Preseason Player of the Year: Terrence Jones, Kentucky

1st Team All-SEC:

JaMychal Green, Alabama
Dee Bost, Mississippi State
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
Terrence Jones, Kentucky

2nd Team All-SEC:

Darius Miller, Kentucky
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Doron Lamb, Kentucky
Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt
Kenny Boynton, Florida
Erving Walker, Florida

Search By Artist or Event Name Our Suggestions Kentucky Wildcats Florida Gators Auburn Tigers College Basketball And Many More …

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BIG 12 WELCOMES WEST VIRGINIA TO THE CONFERENCE; CONFERENCE RELEASE PUTS WVU IN LEAGUE FOR 2012-2013 SEASON

Official Big 12 statement:

The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012. The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

West Virginia is the second new member to join the Conference since it began in 1996 after the addition of TCU earlier this month.

“The Big 12 Presidents and Chancellors are excited to welcome another outstanding institution to the Conference,” said Burns Hargis, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors and President of Oklahoma State University. “The addition of West Virginia, while expanding the reach of the Big 12, brings an impressive institution with esteemed academics and a proud athletic tradition into the Conference. This is another step in building a strong foundation for the future of the Big 12.”

“The Big 12 is a perfect fit for West Virginia University,” said WVU President Dr. James P. Clements. “It is a strong conference that, like WVU, values quality academic and athletic programs, and has a great tradition of success. This is a very exciting time for WVU and Mountaineer nation. I am confident that the future of WVU athletics has never been more promising.”

West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, sponsors 17 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming & diving and wrestling. Women’s sports are basketball, cross country, gymnastics, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball. The Mountaineers also boast a co-ed rifle squad. The Big 12 sponsors every sport the Mountaineers participate in except rifle and men’s soccer.

“We are excited to add West Virginia to our exceptional lineup of Conference members,” said Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas. “They bring an excellent overall athletic program to the Big 12 and allow the league to expand into an area that boasts a passionate group of fans and alumni throughout its region.”

Since its inception 15 years ago, the Big 12 has won 42 team national championships and 492 NCAA individual crowns. In addition, more than 3,700 student-athletes have earned All-America First Team accolades for their play on the field with more than 500 being recognized with Academic All-America honors.

Beginning with the 2012-13 season it is expected that the Big 12 Conference will be comprised of 10 Universities – Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Big 12’s footprint will encompass five states with over 36 million people. More than 4,100 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually in the 23 sports sponsored by the Conference.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES PLEASED WITH NCAA CHANGES

source: NABC official release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the 2011-12 men’s college basketball season set to begin in little more than a week, coaches in NCAA Division I found out a great deal about the future of the sport after action taken by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Thursday in Indianapolis.

Changes in academic standards and student-athlete support, along with a revamped recruiting model were adopted by the Board, continuing the quick-action precedent set earlier this year. The NCAA toughened academic standards while providing student-athletes with increased economic and academic support.

The new recruiting model allows coaches to make unlimited phone calls and send text messages to men’s basketball recruits. The deregulation extends to social media, and has a new starting date of June 15 following a prospect’s sophomore year.

“The model adopted Thursday and put forth by the NCAA Leadership Council is the result of a great deal of study and discussion, which included significant input from many groups, including basketball coaches,” said Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
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WEST VIRGINIA LATEST TO LEAVE BIG EAST; CONFERENCE INTENDS TO HOLD WVU TO 27-MONTH NOTIFICATION PERIOD

Statement from Commissioner John Marinatto on the departure of West Virginia:

“This move by West Virginia does not come as a surprise. League officials, members of our conference and the candidate schools to whom we have been talking were aware of this possibility. We have taken West Virginia’s possible departure into account as we have moved forward with our own realignment plans. West Virginia is fully aware that the Big East Conference is committed to enforcing the 27-month notification period for members who choose to leave the conference. We are confident that in the coming weeks we will complete our own realignment program, adding a number of high-quality members to remain among the top conferences in both football and basketball.”

What should the Big East do next? Well, here is my opinion on what the individual schools should decide to do: Enough is Enough!.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! SOMEONE NEEDS TO STEP UP AND STOP THE MADNESS!

With BIG EAST representatives visiting such places as Colorado Springs, Boise and Houston…can someone please stop the madness?

I feel like George Jetson….”Jane, stop this crazy thing!”

Here is a look at where we are…how we got here and where we should go next, if someone, would just face the music…

It is time for the BIG EAST to face facts. The run is over and any of the far-reaching expansion ideas being floated across the worldwide web offer very little in stabilizing the future programs of those involved. There are too many variables and schools with different interests and attributes coming together to form a ‘conference’ stretching from Boise to Houston to Tampa to Storrs and nearly every place in between does little good for anyone.

Rick Pitino can continue to publicly lobby for what schools need to be invited to the BIG EAST. Of course, while he does, politicians from his state of Kentucky are allegedly working back channels to get Louisville an invitation to the Big 12, possibly at the expense of fellow conference member West Virginia. This is the same Big 12 conference that looked to be on similarly shaky ground not too long ago. Now schools and their state representatives are fighting to join the conference to get out of the BIG EAST.
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AFTER A YEAR TO WATCH & LEARN, EPPS & WRIGHT READY TO HELP PITT

By Lauren Kirschman

When Isaiah Epps and Cameron Wright arrived at Pitt (Pitt Tickets) last season, Wright said that neither guard expected to redshirt.

But instead of playing college basketball as freshmen, the two sat out their first year of eligibility. They spent the year on Pitt’s bench—watching and waiting and learning—so that this season, they would be ready to make an impact.

“It was difficult for me,” Epps said. “It was a learning experience…I’m glad I sat out and learned before I got on the court to play.”

Wright said that they both used the redshirt season as a chance to develop.

“We had to know that we had great guards in front of us last year and we respected that, we paid our homage,” Wright said. “This year we are just trying to work hard so we can be out there together.”

Wright still keeps in contact with former guard Brad Wanamaker, a player he said he “learned everything” from.

“I watch film on Brad everyday,” he said. “The things he did for this University both on the basketball court and off the court were tremendous and I respect him a lot.”

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FALL IS8 CROWNS 2011 CHAMPIONS

By Brian Bosworth

The IS8 Fall Semifinals took place on Saturday afternoon and the gym was buzzing from the opening tip of game number one. A standing room only crowd was entertained by two terrific contests featuring some of the most talented 19 and under players in the greater New York City area as well as a few imports from around the country. An environment unlike any other IS8 features a small cramped court with fans right on top of the action, a courtside announcer giving play by play and color commentary, and two referees who swallow their whistles and allow the players to decide the games.

Saturday Semifinal Scores:
The Playaz 73, Mount Vernon 66
The Panthers 77, Our Savior New American 76

As a player at IS8, you know you’ve arrived once the announcer has branded you with a nickname and the first five players outlined below received that honor.

Chris “The Game Changer” Obekpa (Our Savior New American / 2012) – Standing 6’9” 200 pounds, Obekpa is the premier shot blocker in the 2012 class. He has long arms, explosive leaping ability, and outstanding natural instincts which allow him to have complete control of the paint on the defensive end of the floor. Easily eclipsing double figures in rejections for the game, Obekpa altered or blocked every shot taken within 10 feet. By the second half the opposition entered the paint solely looking to pass because challenging Obekpa at the rim was a completely fruitless effort. Offensively, Obekpa currently relies only on dunks and layups, can’t put the ball on the floor, and has little or no back to the basket game. He is a beast in transition because of his athleticism but in a half court set put backs are his only scoring chances. Even without an offensive game, I would still consider Obekpa a top 25 player nationally in the 2012 class because he is so dominant defensively. He should be able to step in and be a top class shot blocker and paint enforcer at the high major level immediately.
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CONRAD CHAMBERS IMPRESSED BY RUTGERS TRIP

With the Team Scan AAU program this summer much of the attention was centered around Class of 2014 forward Chris McCullough, who quickly cemented himself as one of the top players in the country in the sophomore class. When one thinks of Friends Central in Philadelphia currently, the name of one of the elite players in the Class of 2012, Amile Jefferson certainly comes to mind.

However, Chester (PA) native Conrad Chambers is a player that is quickly building his own reputation as well, even if he is in the shadows with both programs. So far this fall, after a successful run over the summer with Team Scan, Chambers is happy with how things are looking at Friends Central and looking forward to a fun season.

“Things have been going well at school [and] the team is looking good,” said Chambers. “What I feel is best about the program is our coaching staff, how hard our team plays and how we are all like a family.”
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JARED TERRELL ANOTHER WHO HAD AN ‘AMAZING’ TIME VISITING UCONN

It sounds like Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut men’s basketball team certainly know how to put on a party. The defending national champions hosted a wealth of young talent making unofficial visits last weekend for their Midnight Madness-like festivities kicking off the 2011-2012 basketball season. Like fellow 2014 prospect Xavier Rathan-Mayes (see story on his visit here) New Hampton Prep guard Jared Terrell had an amazing time visiting UConn last weekend.

“I would like to thank coach Ollie and [coach] Calhoun for having me attend the event, it was amazing,” said Terrell. “It was my second year in a row but it was all I expected: lights, camara and action. The best part was the fans; they love them some Huskies!”
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NORTH CAROLINA DOMINATES ACC PRESEASON POLLING

Roy Williams knows people have been talking about how good his team is going to be this season. Time is nearing for his Tar Heels to show it on the court.

Yesterday’s voting by media members at the ACC’s annual Operation Basketball on Wednesday in Charlotte only demonstrated how dominant many expect UNC to be this season as North Carolina was selected first in the poll, garnering 57 of the possible 59 first place votes and 706 total points.

North Carolina sophomore forward Harrison Barnes was selected as the preseason Player of the Year and joins teammates John Henson and Tyler Zeller on the preseason all-conference team.

Duke was selected second in the preseason media poll, with the other two first place votes and 649 points. Blue Devils’ freshman Austin RIvers was pegged as the preseason Rooke of the Year in the voting.

The rest of the voting rounded out in this order:

3) Florida State, 560 points
4) Virginia, 463 points
5) Miami, 455 points
6) Virginia Tech, 411 points
7) Clemson, 403 points
8} NC State, 316 points
9) Maryland, 264 points
10) Georgia Tech, 176 points
11) Wake Forest, 109 points
12) Boston College, 90 points

Miami’s Malcolm Grant, Seth Curry of Duke and Mike Scott of Virginia joined the trio of Tar Heels on the preseason all-conference team.

The word from media day yesterday was the ACC is beginning internal discussions over changes it will make to the conference tournament when Syracuse and Pittsburgh join the league. Like the BIG EAST which spreads their end of the season conference festival over five days to include all 16 teams, the ACC will likely follow a similar format to include all the programs.

ACC commissioner John Swofford also told media members it’s likely the ACC will go to an 18-game regular-season conference schedule when the league expands, which might not be until 2014-15 if Syracuse and Pitt are held to the 27-month exit notice by the BIG EAST.

RANDOM BIG EAST REALIGNMENT RAMBLINGS

By Raphielle Johnson

Wednesday was a big day for the Big East Conference with Men’s Basketball Media Day being held at the New York Athletic Club with Madison Square Garden still being renovated. Of course the topic du jour had little to do with the upcoming action on the courts around the league but rather what the next step will be for a conference hit hard by realignment. Tuesday’s teleconference with commissioner John Marinatto, which was supposed to clear up matters and leave this stage to the players and coaches, did little in that regard.

Media from around the country wanted to hear directly from the coaches how the lack of stability is affecting them from a recruiting standpoint as well as what options may be available to them in the near future. Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey essentially said that regardless of what may happen (Big East expansion to 12 football-playing members or a Big 12 expansion that includes current Big East members) the Irish will be alright, which is to be expected of a school with such a storied football program.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino minced no words on the subject, saying that while he couldn’t imagine the Big East without charter member Syracuse he could imagine the conference without Pittsburgh. And then came the unfortunate analogy that sparked numerous “pot meet kettle” reactions given the coach’s own issue a couple summers ago.
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2012 6’8″ Deep Threat Kellen McCormick Pops for Western Michigan

Kellen McCormick is a 6’8″ bomber out of Pontiac Notre Dame (Pontiac, MI).

McCormick has a high basketball IQ and has a rare ability for a kid with his length to really stretch a defense as he’s ready to catch and shoot from just about anywhere on the court 25-feet and in.

McCormick played his AAU ball with ACB/Bank Hoops, which was coached by his father, ex-UM star, NBA journeyman and current basketball broadcaster Tim McCormick.

He’s the fourth commit for Steve Hawkins and the Broncos in the 2012 class and brings big-time range as well as the potential to develop into a rare inside-out threat at the mid-major level. He has a nice frame on him and it should for a decent enough amount of muscle to be added once he gets working with Tim Hermann (the strength coach at WMU). He will be a handful on the pick and pop right out of the gate and also possesses a nice touch from the short corner and in the mid-range. He passes well and moves well while he needs to develop defensively and on the glass.

Look for the Broncos to add at least one more piece for 2012 (possibly two).

The other members of the 2012 class are Jared Klein (Otsego, MI), who was an AAU teamate of McCormick’s, Taylor Perry (Rochester, MI) and Connor Tava (6-6 Warren De La Salle, MI).

Graham Couch had the scoop on MLIVE.COM and here’s a video of McCormick Demonstrating his offensive skill.

BIG EAST COACHES’ POLL RESULTS

From the BIG EAST Basketball Men’s Media Day in NYC:

Big East preseason coaches’ poll (First place votes in parenthesis):

1. Connecticut (7) 209 points
(tie) Syracuse (5) 209 points
3. Louisville (3) 201 points
4. Pittsburgh (1) 188 points
5. Cincinnati 169 points
6. Marquette 155 points
7. West Virginia 132 points
8. Villanova 127 points
9. Notre Dame 114 points
10. Georgetown 104 points
11. Rutgers 75 points
12. St. John’s 71 points
13. Seton Hall 56 points
14. South Florida 43 points
15. Providence 40 points
16. DePaul 27 points

Preseason awards:

Big East Preseason Player of the Year: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh

Big East Preseason Rookie of the Year: Andre Drummond, Connecticut

Big East Preseason First Team: Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh; Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut; Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette; Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame; Kris Joseph, Syracuse; Kevin Jones, West Virginia.

Big East Preseason Second Team: Yancy Gates, Cincinnati; Alex Oriahki, Connecticut; Peyton Siva, Louisville; Scoop Jardine, Syracuse; Maalik Wayns, Villanova.

Big East Preseason Honorable Mention: Andre Drummond, Connecticut; Shabazz Napier, Connecticut; Cleveland Melvin, DePaul; Jae Crowder, Marquette; Augustus Gilchrist, USF

Today is only media day, but you can get your 2012 BIG EAST Tournament Tickets for yourself or that special fan this upcoming holiday season. The tournament is certain to sell-out to the general public, but all season great seats at great prices will be available through our 2012 BIG EAST Tournament Page. You can begin browsing below:

WELCOME TO THE EXPERIENCE: 2011-2012 MAC CONFERENCE PREVIEW

By RAY MERNAGH

Will this season signal the Return of the MAC?

MAC basketball is a subject that will always stay, at minimum, in my peripheral — like James Worthy stayed in Magic’s during the Showtime Era in LA (By the way, that NBA Video game commercial is really ticking me off. The three biggest gripes I have with it: 1) Drake shouldn’t be in it, if they wanted to publicize a myth that so many young fans believe up to this point, either about the Heat or about Lebron, they should’ve gone with this scene from an entirely forgettable movie last year; 2) The aforementioned Showtime Lakers were a fading memory when Detroit blitzed them, although that didn’t stop me from completely and utterly enjoying it ; and 3) Bird dunked quite a few times in his career).

Sorry for the rant, back to the MAC. The league has a storied history and was at the top of any best lists for years when it came to leagues that don’t reside in the big-money neighborhoods of college athletics. That’s changed over the last several years, with the MAC falling from a consistent #10-11-12-type spot to as low as the 20′s…having said that, the talent in the league this season seems pretty good. Kent State is the only sure-fire favorite, any other site that prognosticates otherwise should be laughed at and clicked off of immediately. Anybody arguing that someone other than the Golden Flashes are the on paper favorite needs their head examined.

Still, there’s at least 5 or 6 teams capable and possessing enough talent to, with the right breaks, actually win this league. The key to both in-conference success and attention gathering wins out of conference at the MAC level — IMHO — is to have strong returning players. And the league is full of vets coming back for their second, third and fourth years, as well as some transfers that could add to puzzles already seemingly primed for an upswing (keep your eyes on Chris Evans at Kent State and Walter Offutt at Ohio).

Part of the MAC’s trouble has been the divisional alignment of the league. It’s been a mistake since they did it and has hampered — really done away with– what was once a great regular season conference race and replaced it with one dominant division the East, and one lesser light in the West. Winning the West has been good for getting coaches contract extensions. Finishing third or lower in the West has been good for getting coaches fired.

The MAC has changed the conference tournament seeding system so that it will no longer automatically reward one division winner with the #2 seed (which is smart). The West is still not as strong as the East but it does have two teams, Ball State and Western Michigan, that have been proclaimed, based on last year’s results and returning players, ready to challenge for the league’s top spot. Both have talent, toughness and some decent size returning. They will no doubt battle for the West.

Toledo should be helped by an infusion of guys that are eligible to suit up following transfer years. Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois offer the hope that comes with new coaching hires (Rob Murphy and Mark Montgomery). The West division has also been riddled, in retrospect, with poor coaching hires in years past. Some just didn’t work out on the court in wins and losses (Eastern Michigan) while others were complete abominations that had people scratching their heads from day one (Ball State, NIU and Toledo). The current coaches at those three spots have a chance to right their collective ships.

Time will tell.

So let’s take a look at the East Division first followed by the West. The entire East is full of capable teams should Kent falter. The league breaks down into one clear favorite and a bunch of teams that are just a tier below that favorite.

And that’s how we’re going to preview it.

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NEW SCHOOLS ADDED TO LONG LIST OF R.J. CURINGTON

Class of 2013 wing prospect R.J. Curington continues to see his recruiting list get longer before it gets any shorter. The 6-foot-6, 195-pounder attends powerhouse Oak Hill Academy and his national profile is only expected to increase more this season.

With CIA Bounce on the AAU trail Curington has shown to be a dedicated player that understands what it takes to be great. A scoring guard that has some ability to handle the point spot, Curington can lead the break and tends to make good decisions on the fly. Curington has a steady jump shot from behind the three-point line. He rarely forces up shots and plays a unselfish game. He continues to work on his handle and eventually could end up playing a lot of the point position.

It is clear that he has received top notch instruction, which is to be expected coming out of the CIA Bounce program and playing for Coach Smith at Oak Hill. Curington is excited to get the season started at the prep powerhouse in Mouth of Wilson (VA).
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CHRIS WALKER IMPRESSED BY TEAM CHEMISTRY ON VISIT TO KANSAS

As one of the top players in the Class of 2013 in America, 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward Chris Walker of Holmes County (FL) High School had his choice of Midnight Madness events to choose from. Anually one of the most entertaining and well-attended by recruits drew Walker’s attention as he attended Friday’s Late Night in the Phog on the Kansas University campus. Recruits got a first-hand look at how the KU staff and players interact with each other, something that greatly impressed Walker.

“The chemisty of the team and the kind of relationship that coach Bill [Self] has with his players is phenomenal,” said Walker.

Walker has previously visited Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. He talked with NBE on what draws his attention to a school.

“Schools with good academics; schools that win school [and] that has a great fansbase,” he said. “[Also] a good relationship with [the] coach and a coach that will make you better on and off the court.”

With no leaders or favorites yet in the process, Walker mentioned Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio State, Texas, Baylor, Florida State and Memphis as the schools he is currently considering that are active in his recruitment.

While Walker continues to work hard on his game becoming a more versatile player, he has enjoyed the opportunity to showcase his talents this fall in front of college coaches who have come to see him work out.

“Things are going good [at Holmes County],” said Walker. “The best part is just being able to bring college coaches in the gym. “[This season I'm] looking forward to getting better and being more versatile and getting my team more exposure.”

With many eyes on Chris Walker as one of the elite prospects in the Class of 2013 you can be sure his team will be getting plenty of exposure this coming season. With some of the top programs across the country very active in his recruitment expect Holmes County to be playing in front of interested coaches and media throughout the season. NBE will hope to catch Walker and his teammates in action this season and keep readers up to date on his recruitment.

ROBERT UPSHAW CONCENTRATING ON FINAL FOUR SCHOOLS

The pool of quality big men available in the 2012 recruiting class continues to shrink, however Fresno (CA) Memorial High School product Robert Upshaw remains on the board and will take his time as he sees the recruiting process through.

“Fresno State, Georgetown, Kansas State [and] Louisville,” replied Upshaw to an inquiry from NBE Sports on which schools he is currently considering that are actively recruiting him.

Upshaw replied “No” when asked if any school would currently be considered a leader or favorite.

Over the weekend Upshaw was one of several impressive prospects to take a visit to Louisville for the festivities kicking off the Cardinals 2011-2012 season. This trip was just the beginning of the visit process for the 7-foot, 2700pound big man.

“First school so far is Louisville,” Upshaw said of official visits. “Three more to go.”

At Memorial this season Upshaw is looking to take on a leadership role and he is having fun this fall as his senior year is underway. On the court expect the big man to continue to show his improvement as he continues to develop into one of the top big men in the class. This summer at the Pangos All-American camp Upshaw showed he has developed by leaps and bounds over the last two or three years. Upshaw combined a solid skill set inside with his determination to give max effort when out on the floor. Those traits should help him accomplish the goals he hopes to achieve this season at Memorial.

“School is great, [I'm] really enjoying taking on leadership and having fun,” he said, adding that “winning a section championship and going on to state” are the goals he is looking forward the most to accomplishing this season.

On his visit tour of his four finalists Upshaw will take in the full environment of each program as he carefully navigates the recruiting process to find the right fit. As one of the top big men still available in the class, expect the recruitment of Robert Upshaw to be closely watched and contested by the four finalists right to the end, which might not even come until the spring, possibly.

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