College Recruiting

Kannapolis athlete picks Heels

2011-08-10T15:44:00.002-04:00

Kannapolis A.L. Brown athlete Damien Washington wasn't fazed by the turmoil surrounding the University of North Carolina football program and has given a commitment to the Tar Heels.

Washington plays slot receiver and running back for A.L. Brown and is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. First-year A.L. Brown coach Mike Newsome said Washington obviously is aware of the changes and uncertainty at North Carolina after coach Butch Davis' firing July 27, but was ready to commit quickly after receiving a scholarship offer.

Newsome said Washington has always wanted to play at North Carolina. He is the first player to known to have given a new commitment (as opposed to re-affirming an existing commitment) to the Tar Heels and interim coach Everett Withers since Davis was fired.

"Kids are resilient," Newsome said. "They don’t always look at the probation stuff and all that. That’s where the kid wanted to go."

Although Washington didn't have any other Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers, Newsome suspects that he would have received at least one more offer later in the recruiting calendar.

He said Washington's versatility is his strength; he's a natural receiver or running back who can play several positions.

"He’s a lot of different things," Newsome said. "He also can play defense. I think Carolina thinks he can come in and play corner or safety for them because he’s so athletic."

Ken Tysiac

Timing of Duke scholarship offer questioned

2011-07-29T19:52:00.000-04:00

Duke released a statement Friday after reports that basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski may have violated an NCAA recruiting rule by offering a scholarship to a recruit during a summer club tournament.

“In all rules matters brought to our attention, the Duke compliance department exercises due diligence in determining the relevant facts of a given situation,” Duke associate director of athletics for media relations and public affairs Jon Jackson said in the statement. “Proper adherence to NCAA bylaws has always been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of Duke Athletics.”

CBSSports.com reported that Krzyzewski offered a scholarship to Class of 2012 standout Alex Poythress, a 6-foot-7 forward from Clarksville, Tenn., on Tuesday. But the scholarship offer reportedly came before Poythress’ Georgia Stars team completed play in the Super Showcase tournament in Orlando, Fla.

NCAA Rule 13.1.6.2 prohibits coaches from contacting athletes until they are finished playing in a tournament.

Jackson declined further comment; NCAA rules that prevent staff members from talking about recruits that have not signed scholarship agreements.

Ken Tysiac

Wolfpack adds a tight end, too

2011-06-29T14:33:00.002-04:00

Newark (Del.) High football coach Butch Simpson said you don't hear the ball hit David Grinnage's hands when Grinnage catches a pass.

"He has incredibly soft hands," Simpson said. "Catching the ball is probably the best thing that he does."

The 6-foot-5, 243-pound senior committed to N.C. State on Tuesday.

"I think that N.C. State is looking at him as a tight end, but we run a spread and he was more of a slot back, an H-back for us," Simpson said. "We had four good receivers ahead of him at the start of last season, but he kept getting better and better and started catching passes and scoring touchdowns."

Newark finished 6-4 in 2010, but averaged 37 points per game.

Grinnage is a great athlete, Simpson said. Grinnage was a wrestler and hit clean up for the Newark baseball team.

-- Tim Stevens

N.C. State gets commitment from OG (with video)

2011-06-29T12:24:00.003-04:00

Eddie Gordon, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound offensive guard, announced Tuesday that he will accept a football scholarship to N.C. State.

Gordon made his commitment on his 17th birthday.

"I knew I wanted to go to N.C. State and I decided to announce on my birthday," he said.

Boiling Springs (S.C.) High coach Bruce Clark said Gordon had made himself into an outstanding prospect.

"He is an exceptional blocker," Clark said. "He has tremendous feet, changes direction well and is excellent blocking downfield. He has great movement as a pass blocker."

Clark said Gordon was a year younger than many of his classmates.

"Eddie is going to continue to get better," Clark said. "He is still growing and maturing. If he had two more years of high school instead of just one, he'd be a monster."

Gordon also had offers from East Carolina and Furman.

"N.C. State was the first school to show interest in me. It invited me to its camp after my freshman year," Gordon said. "And State was the first school to offer me a scholarship, too.

"After I visited there, I really liked Coach [Tom] O'Brien and his staff, the players and the players that are coming in. The facilities are fantastic and I really like the school. I knew it was the place for me."

-- Tim Stevens

Tar Heels land QB prospect

2011-06-15T11:30:00.001-04:00

North Carolina has received a commitment from quarterback Patton Robinette of Maryville (Tenn.) High School, according to Inside Carolina's website.

Tar Heels add football commitment

2011-06-01T17:22:00.002-04:00

Justin Meredith, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end at Anderson (S.C.) Hanna, turned down more than 30 other scholarship offers to commit to the University of North Carolina.

Meredith already has accepted a spot in the UnderArmour All-America football game next spring. Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Tennessee and LSU were among the offers he most seriously considered.

“He is your prototype tight end,” said Hanna coach Kenya Fouch. “He is a big kid with long arms who is quick and strong. He makes good grades and has good character. He is exactly what college coaches are looking for.”

Meredith was on the Hanna varsity as a freshman. The school has a strong football tradition and currently has graduated players on the rosters of Wake Forest, N.C. State, Kentucky and South Carolina.

Hanna was 7-6 in 2010 but lost three games to teams that advanced to the state championship game in their classification.

-- Tim Stevens

Gill beats buzzer for big TOC win

2011-05-29T13:40:00.003-04:00

RALEIGH – In his home gym Sunday, Ravenscroft junior-to-be Anton Gill provided a spectacular finish to the 16-and-under division of the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

Gill’s Garner Road team got the ball with a two-point deficit after the Long Island Lightning scored on a tip-in with four seconds remaining in the 16-and-under championship game.

Taking the ball in the backcourt, Gill crossed the halfcourt line, pulled up from 28 feet and rattled in a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded for a 58-57 win.

“I just wanted to get the best look possible,” Gill said. “I looked up, and I didn’t see anybody and I was open. So I got to a good spot and I just let it go and it went in.”

Gill scored 13 points to lead Garner Road in the championship game and was named 16-and-under most valuable player. The honor added to his reputation as a big-time recruit – he’s rated the No. 23 player in the nation in the Class of 2013 by scout.com.

He said that at this point, he is not overly concerned with the recruiting process. His ACC scholarship offers thus far have come from N.C. State and Wake Forest.

“I’ve got a lot of offers, a lot of Division I looks, but I don’t think I’m ready yet to make a decision where I want to go to college,” Gill said. “I just have to keep working hard and working on my game and I know when it comes time to make a decision I’ll make the right one.”

Gill’s game-winning buzzer beater was his second in the Ravenscroft gym. On Feb. 2, he made a 3-pointer from the corner to defeat Middle Creek 59-57.

Sunday’s winning basket had him waxing nostalgic about attending the Tournament of Champions in past years and watching players such as John Wall (now of the Washington Wizards) and C.J. Leslie (N.C. State).

“There’s been so many great players in this tournament,” Gill said, “and I was definitely one of the guys up in the stands jumping up and down when shots like this happened.”

Garner Road’s successful overall weekend also included a championship in the consolation bracket of the 17-and-under division.

T.J. Warren scored 39 points in the title game win over Belmont Shore. Garner Road failed to make the championship bracket after a Saturday loss to Team Loaded when N.C. State commitment Tyler Lewis scored 47 points to outduel Warren, who scored 41.

“It was a tough loss, but we got over it,” said Warren, the MVP of the consolation bracket.

In the 17-and-under championship bracket, the Southern Phenoms defeated the South Florida Panthers 59-53.

Ken Tysiac

Tokoto opens TOC with a slam

2011-05-27T21:14:00.002-04:00

RALEIGH - On one of the first possessions of tonight's game, future University of North Carolina wing J.P. Tokoto stole a pass on the wing and glided downcourt for a two-handed dunk.

Tokoto, who's committed to the Tar Heels for the Class of 2012, got off to a decent start tonight at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions at Ravenscroft School. Tokoto, who's 6-foot-6, scored a team-high 19 points as his Wisconsin Playground Warriors summer club team defeated the North Carolina Gaters 57-51 in their tournament opener.

Still, he didn't sound satisfied.

"Everybody was a little bit sluggish from the start," Tokoto said. "Everybody is coming back from two weeks ago we came back from a good tournament win in the adidas May Classic. Everybody was a little sluggish the first game, but we’ll look better by tomorrow."

Ken Tysiac

UNC gets two linebacker commitments for 2012

2011-05-23T14:24:00.003-04:00

Two players who committed to North Carolina in the past few days will help shore up the Tar Heels' linebacking corps beginning in 2012.

Durham Jordan's Phillip Williamson and Holy Spirit High (Absecon, N.J.) defender Dan Mastromatteo have decided to join the Tar Heels.

Williamson plays strong safety at Jordan but has grown to 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and is likely to help the Tar Heels at outside linebacker, according to Jordan coach Mike Briggs. Williamson had scholarship offers from North Carolina and Duke, and had several other schools showing interest.

Briggs said Williamson has natural size and strength, and displays an intense desire to improve.

"It's hard to outwork him," Briggs said. "He works hard in the weight room and works hard on the field."

Mastromatteo is about 6-2 and 215 pounds.

Ken Tysiac

Murphy formally signs with Duke

2011-05-05T11:12:00.000-04:00

Duke has received a national letter of intent from forward Alex Murphy, who recently decided to forgo his senior season at St. Mark's School in Southborough, Mass., and enroll in 2011 to play for the Blue Devils.

Murphy averaged 21.0 points per game as a junior while leading St. Mark's to a 27-3 record. He had started high school at the Prout School in Rhode Island before transferring to St. Mark's, where he repeated his freshman year and reclassified to the Class of 2012.

His family has strong ties to basketball. His father, Jay, played for Boston College and in the NBA in the 1980s, and his mother, Paivi played for the Finnish national team. Murphy's brother, Erik, plays at Florida.

ESPN.com ranks Murphy as the No. 40 player overall in the Class of 2011. Murphy joins guards Austin Rivers and Quinn Cook, forward Michael Gbinije and center Marshall Plumlee in a Duke Class of 2011 group that will be rated as one of the top classes in the nation.

Ken Tysiac

Shooting guard Raymond signs with N.C. State

2011-04-20T13:09:00.002-04:00

Statesboro (Ga.) shooting guard Jaqawn Raymond followed through Wednesday on a commitment he had made to N.C. State under its previous coaching staff when he signed with the Wolfpack and new coach Mark Gottfried.

Lee Hill, Raymond's coach at Statesboro High, confirmed the signing. Raymond had committed to former N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe, but Hill said Raymond felt comfortable with the new staff after they visited him.

Raymond, who's 6-foot-4, averaged 21.3 points per game and shot 79 percent from the free throw line last season. He also carries a 3.5 grade-point average, Hill said.

"They're getting a very high-IQ basketball player. . .a very good outside shooter, athletic-type kid that's going to be smart in the classroom also," Hill said.

Ken Tysiac

Recruit Murphy to enroll a year early at Duke

2011-04-19T21:21:00.002-04:00

Highly rated basketball recruit Alex Murphy will graduate from high school a year early and enroll at Duke in 2011 rather than 2012, his father confirmed Tuesday night.

Jay Murphy, who played four seasons in the NBA in the mid- to late 1980s, referred to a quote his son gave Fox Sports columnist Jeff Goodman, saying Alex considered this a difficult decision but one that’s best for him.

“We’re excited about the opportunity for Alex,” Jay Murphy said. “We know it’s a great program, and we know he’s going to have to work harder than he ever did before.”

Alex Murphy is a 6-foot-8, 180-pound forward at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., who was rated the No. 11 player overall in the Class of 2012 by scout.com. He should have an opportunity to contribute right away because Duke is losing a player with similar size and skills, forward Kyle Singler, who was a senior in 2010-11.

Murphy will be the fifth member of Duke’s 2011 recruiting class. He joins guards Quinn Cook and Austin Rivers, forward Michael Gbinije and center Marshall Plumlee in the class.

Duke has one more scholarship left to give for 2011.

Ken Tysiac

N.C. State releases recruit from scholarship

2011-04-15T18:31:00.000-04:00

N.C. State basketball recruit Joseph Uchebo, a 6-foot-9 forward at Raleigh Word of God, has requested a release from his scholarship offer.

Uchebo could not be reached for comment today, but N.C. State spokesperson Annabelle Myers confirmed that Uchebo had made the request of new coach Mark Gottfried and the Wolfpack program. N.C. State has granted Uchebo's request, Myers said.

"The staff wishes him the very best wherever he wishes to go," Gottfried said in a statement released by Myers.

-- Lorenzo Perez

N.C. State gets commitment from QB

2011-04-14T12:04:00.000-04:00

Greensboro Page quarterback James Summers has committed to N.C. State, according to Pack Pride website (full story requires a subscription).

Here is Summers' profile from scout.com.

No commitment for Duke yet from Daniels

2011-04-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

Kyrie Irving probably spoke a bit prematurely regarding IMG Academy Class of 2011 forward DeAndre Daniels and Duke.

IMG Academy director of basketball Andy Borman said this morning that Daniels is considering the Blue Devils and will visit for Duke’s banquet on April 15.

But Borman said Daniels hasn’t committed to Duke and hasn’t even been offered a scholarship, although that might change when Daniels visits Durham.

During a teleconference with reporters Thursday to discuss Irving’s decision to enter the NBA draft after one season as a Blue Devils guard, Irving said he thought Duke had five freshmen entering the program next season with the addition of Daniels.

Borman – who played for Duke from 1999 to 2004 - said he isn’t sure what Daniels said to Irving. Borman characterized Daniels as “extremely interested” in Duke, but not committed.

“As of now, DeAndre has not committed, nor has he offered,” Borman said.

Daniels, a 6-foot-8 forward rated the No. 35 player in the Class of 2011 by scout.com, has rescinded a commitment to Texas, but still is considering the Longhorns along with Duke, Kansas, Florida and other schools.

In the fall, Duke signed guards Austin Rivers and Quinn Cook, forward Michael Gbinije and center Marshall Plumlee in the Class of 2011. Irving’s departure opens up an extra scholarship for the Blue Devils; they have 11 of their 13 scholarship slots filled for 2011-12.

Ken Tysiac

If Irving is right, Daniels may soon be a Devil

2011-04-07T17:00:00.002-04:00

If Kyrie Irving’s comments during a telephone conference with reporters this afternoon are any indication, Class of 2011 forward DeAndre Daniels may soon be committed to the Blue Devils.

During a conference scheduled to discuss Irving’s decision to enter the NBA draft, Irving was asked if he had given thought to how good Duke might have been next season if he had decided to return.

“That’s something I’ve thought about considerably because of the talent that we’ll have next year,” Irving said. “I think this year’s team was really special and I think next year’s team would be really special if I were to return.

“I think we have about five recruits coming in with the addition of DeAndre Daniels. That’s five recruits. So it would be really special, so that would give me a chance to lead the team. . . .If I were to return, it would be a really special team.”

Daniels, a 6-foot-8 forward rated No. 35 in the nation by scout.com, has not announced a commitment. He has opened up his recruiting after rescinding an earlier commitment to Texas.

If Daniels does choose Duke, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Andy Borman, the basketball director at IMG in Bradenton, Fla., played for Duke from 1999 to 2004.

IMG basketball operations director Greg Spatola is the brother of Duke director of basketball operations Chris Spatola, who is married to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s daughter, Jamie.

Efforts to reach Borman for comment on whether Daniels has committed to Duke were not immediately successful.

Duke already has signed Austin Rivers, Marshall Plumlee, Michael Gbinije and Quinn Cook in the Class of 2011.

Ken Tysiac

VIDEO: Tar Heel commitment J.P. Tokoto

2011-03-04T06:27:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin high school player J.P. Tokoto committed to play college basketball at North Carolina late Thursday night. Here's a video with highlights of Tokoto from an AAU tournament last summer:

Wisconsin wing Tokoto picks Tar Heels

2011-03-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

North Carolina added a highly regarded wing player to its 2012 recruiting class late Thursday night when J.P. Tokoto of Menomonee Falls, Wisc., announced that he is committing to the Tar Heels.

Ritchie Davis, Tokoto’s club coach with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors, confirmed that Tokoto had spoken to North Carolina coach Roy Williams on the telephone and informed him that he had chosen the Tar Heels.

Tokoto is a 6-foot-6, 190-pound wing who’s rated the 32^nd-best player in the nation by ESPN.

He joins point guard Marcus Paige of Marion, Iowa, in the Class of 2012 for North Carolina.

Ken Tysiac

Juco LB Desir has signed with UNC

2011-03-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

Junior college linebacker Fabby Desir signed with North Carolina on Monday and has overnighted his scholarship papers to the school, his coach confirmed today in an e-mail.

Lackawanna (Pa.) College coach Mark Duda calls Desir a "high-motor kid" who is going with excellent speed as a converted running back and safety at 6-foot and 230 pounds.

Desir joins a class that was ranked No. 17 in the nation by scout.com by on signing day last month.

He visited North Carolina last week and also considered Cincinnati and Ball State, and was being recruited by Alabama as well, Duda said.

Ken Tysiac

Juco LB to sign with UNC today

2011-02-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

North Carolina will add junior college linebacker Fabby Desir to a 2011 class that was ranked No. 17 in the nation by scout.com on signing day.

Desir will sign with the Tar Heels at noon today, Lackawanna (Pa.) College coach Mark Duda said.

"He's a super strong kid, incredibly tenacious, goes after the ball very, very well," Duda said.

A converted running back and safety, Desir played outside linebacker for Lackawanna but could play any of the three linebacker positions for the Tar Heels, Duda said.

Desir is 6-foot and 230 pounds and also had considered Cincinnati and Ball State, and received late interest from Alabama, Duda said. Desir visited North Carolina last week and will sign this morning at Scranton High, where he played in high school.

Ken Tysiac

Q&A with Duke signee Austin Rivers

2011-02-16T07:49:00.000-05:00

Winter Park, Fla., senior guard Austin Rivers, a Duke signee who's ranked the No. 1 player in the Class of 2011, was selected Tuesday to play in the 2011 Jordan Brand Classic, scheduled for April 16 at Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena.
In an exclusive telephone interview, he talked about his goals for the Jordan Brand and McDonald's All-America games, his plans for improvement, and the effect his father, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, has had on him:

Q: You’ll be playing in some postseason all-star games here soon. What do you want to do in them?

A: Most importantly, win. Everything is more fun and enjoyable when you win. So just, go in there, play hard and win. I think to have fun. . .and strengthen relationships with my friends. A lot of guys [I know] are going to be there. It’s always nice to kick back and relax and hang out with players that are in similar situations that you are. It will be nice to go there, see some guys, compete and play basketball. Hopefully I can just do my thing and come away with a win.

Q: What are your goals between now and when you come to Duke? I guess you’re probably coming in the summer?

A: Just to continue to get better, improve on my skills and just keep developing and getting stronger. That’s my main focus right now, to strengthen my skills and my body.

Q: Any particular skills you feel you need to work on?

A: I’ll say my mid-range as far as, I have a really nice three-ball and a really nice handle where I can get into the paint and finish or dunk on someone or something like that. I think mid-range is always a lost art of the game, so it’s always nice to have everything. I really do have a strong mid-range, but it’s just to work on everything, really, and get ready to have a defensive mind set. With Duke, they pick up a lot of times fullcourt man and Coach K and those [coaches] emphasize defense. That’s one thing I want to get better on.

Q: How much of an influence has your father had on you? You seem to understand the game extremely well. How much is he a part of that?

A: He’s a big part of it. I’ve been around the game my whole life, so I’ve gotten to see and meet and talk to a lot of different NBA players and see how their lives are and how they live. And I grew up around my Dad, who knows the game as well as anybody. He’s always taught me right from wrong as far as basketball, what to say and what not to say, what to do and what not to do. I think just having him in my corner my whole life has been a benefit playing basketball.

Q: You scored 46 points in a game as a high school sophomore? Is that right? How did you do it?

A: I’ve always been a scorer. I’ve always been a great scorer. That’s one thing I’ve always had confidence in myself as far as me thinking I’m better than anybody. I’ve always had a mind set where I’ve always felt you need more than one person to guard me. Especially now that I’m a lot better than I was back then. They basically just played man, and it was just one on one. And that’s not going to work out too well. I got hot. And things got going and shots started falling.

Q: Is that the most you’ve ever scored?

A: Last year, I think I scored 47 against somebody. I’ve scored 40 a lot of times. I think I’ve scored 40 four times this year and five times last year. I think 47 is my high in a high school game.

Q: How did international play [on the USA under-18 select team] help you?

A: That was actually one of the best experiences I’ve had playing basketball, just getting a taste of what it’s like over there [in international basketball]. It’s really similar. The only difference is, you’ve got to be a lot more focused on the defensive end because they take their time to get shots up and they’re really smart basketball players. They’re not as athletic as us over here so what they rely on is their IQ. So you really have to be focused on is the defensive end, which is fun.

Ken Tysiac

Jordan Brand Classic has Duke-UNC appeal

2011-02-15T13:02:00.002-05:00

High-scoring guard Austin Rivers anticipates cheers and perhaps some boos when he plays in the Jordan Brand Classic at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena at 8 p.m. on April 16.

Rivers joins Michael Gbinije as one of two Duke signees on the roster announced this afternoon for the high-profile high school all-star game. The game will have a distinct Duke-Carolina flavor, as North Carolina signees James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston also are on the roster.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of Duke people there to support me and a lot of North Carolina people hating on me,” Rivers said. “At the end of the day, it’s all good. The Duke and North Carolina fans are the best fans in basketball, in my opinion.”

High Point’s Quincy Miller, who has signed with Baylor, and Winston-Salem’s Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s) will provide homegrown talent to the game, which is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

The game began as the Capital Classic and was played three years in Washington, D.C., before being held the last six years in New York. Moving the game to Charlotte takes it to an area with strong college basketball fan support.

“The people from North Carolina are definitely going to be excited about seeing the North Carolina and Duke players,” McAdoo said. “We’re looking forward to that, showing our talents to the UNC future fans.”

The game will be televised on ESPN2. The event also will include an international game at 3:30 p.m. and a regional game at 5:30 p.m. featuring top high school players from North Carolina in an East vs. West format.

Sixteen top 17-and-under players from around the world will compete in the international game. Rosters for the international and regional games will be announced at a later date.

The main event will feature the top five players in the Class of 2011 according to ESPNU’s rankings. Winter Park, Fla., standout Rivers is ranked No. 1, followed by two Kentucky-bound players, Anthony Davis of Chicago and Michael Gilchrist of Elizabeth, N.J. Miller is No. 4, and McAdoo, a forward from Norfolk Christian in Virginia, is No. 5.

The game’s sponsor, Jordan Brand, is a division of Nike, Inc.

McAdoo will be returning to familiar territory because his sister, Kelsey McAdoo, played basketball for the Charlotte 49ers. He said he has enjoyed visiting Charlotte because of its diverse selection of restaurants and is looking forward to coming back because of Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan’s history as a former Tar Heel guard.

“Charlotte being the team that Michael Jordan owns and of course, Michael Jordan’s connection with North Carolina basketball, and with P.J. in the game also, I’m really looking forward to it,” McAdoo said.

Ken Tysiac

Tickets for the Jordan Brand Classic are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, the Time Warner Cable box office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Jordan Brand Classic roster announced

2011-02-15T13:00:00.004-05:00

Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, announced today that the following players have been selected for the Jordan Brand Classic, a high school all-star game to be played at Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena on April 16:

ESPNU 100 Rank, Player, Name (Home/college choice)

No. 1 Austin Rivers (Winter Park, Fla./Duke)

No. 2 Anthony Davis (Chicago/Kentucky)

No. 3 Michael Gilchrist (Elizabeth, N.J./Kentucky)

No. 4 Quincy Miller (High Point/Baylor)

No. 5 James McAdoo (Norfolk, Va./North Carolina)

No. 7 Bradley Beal (St. Louis, Mo./Florida)

No. 8 Marquis Teague (Indianapolis/Kentucky)

No. 9 Myck Kabongo (Henderson, Nev./Texas)

No. 10 Adonis Thomas (Memphis/Memphis)

No. 11 Khem Birch (Fitchburg, Mass./Pittsburgh)

No. 13 P.J. Hairston (Chatham, Va./North Carolina)

No. 14 Tony Wroten Jr. (Seattle, Wash./Washington)

No. 15 Kyle Wiltjer (Portland, Ore./Kentucky)

No. 16 Rakeem Christmas (Bryn Athyn, Pa./Syracuse)

No. 18 Michael Carter-Williams (Providence, R.I./Syracuse)

No. 22 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Greenville, Ga./Georgia)

No. 24 Jabari Brown (Oakland, Calif./Oregon)

No. 28 Michael Gbinije (Richmond, Va./Duke)

No. 29 Shannon Scott (Alpharetta, Ga./Ohio State)

No. 30 Johnny O’Bryant (Cleveland, Miss./LSU)

No. 34 Sir’Dominic Pointer (Winston-Salem/St. John’s)

No. 42 Otto Porter (Sikeston, Mo./Undecided)

The game marks the event's 10th anniverary. It starts at 8 p.m. and be televised live on ESPN2.

Pack commitment is 6-10 with deep range

2011-02-15T10:46:00.002-05:00

North Broward (Fla.) Prep coach Scott Williams said 6-foot-10 Josip Mikulic reminds N.C. State assistant coach Monte Towe of Dwayne Schintzius, a 7-footer who played for Towe and Norm Sloan at Florida in the 1980s and later in the NBA.

Mikulic, a current high school junior who is originally from Croatia, has committed to N.C. State, Williams said.

"He's an extremely good shooter," Williams said. "He has NBA range and is very fundamentally sound for a big kid. He's a good, quality basketball player."

Williams said growing up overseas, where players are known for developing their perimeter skills, helped Mikulic hone a good 3-point stroke. Mikulic also had a late growth spurt.

"Up until two or three years ago he was a guard," Williams said. "He was 6-2, 6-3. He was a perimeter player, and he grew into that body."

Mikulic planned to commit to the first school that showed a commitment to him, and N.C. State was that school, Williams said.

"He's a very loyal kid, and I think he thought Coach [Sidney] Lowe could develop his game," Williams said.

Ken Tysiac

Duke reels in another big 2012 commitment

2011-02-11T09:52:00.000-05:00

Rasheed Sulaimon gave Duke its second top-20 commitment in a week in the Class of 2012 when he chose the Blue Devils after visiting campus for Wednesday's game against North Carolina.

Sulaimon, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound shooting guard from Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston, Texas, is rated No. 19 in the class by scout.com. Earlier in the week, 6-8 forward Alex Murphy of St. Mark's School in Southborough, Mass., committed to Duke. Murphy is ranked No. 11 in the class by scout.com.

Marland Lowe, who coaches Sulaimon for the Houston Hoops club team, said Sulaimon was impressed with the atmosphere at Cameron Indoor Stadium and the academics at Duke. Lowe said Sulaimon is an excellent student who also considered Texas, Baylor, Arizona, Stanford and Harvard.

Lowe said Duke's combination of academic prestige and college basketball tradition led him to select the Blue Devils. Although Sulaimon plays shooting guard, Lowe said he can create shots for teammates and defend well enough to play point guard.

"He's a stud," Lowe said. "He's a high-volume scorer, a great defender, a great teammate, a great kid from a great family."

Sulaimon's strengths, according to Lowe, are his ability to create shots for himself and score off screens. Sulaimon also prides himself on being able to guard the ball and defend the opposing team's best player.

Ken Tysiac

Slight edge in recruiting to Roy Williams over Coach K

2011-02-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Since Roy Williams began coaching at North Carolina at the beginning of the 2003-04 season, the Tar Heels and Duke have met seven times.

Duke won the first three and swept the last two in the 2010 NCAA title season. In between, North Carolina won seven of nine on its way to two NCAA championships.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who’s 34-35 in his career against North Carolina, has a chance to get to .500 if Duke wins tonight.

Those are the results that really matter – the on-court wins and losses. The long-term success of both programs shows that both coaches excel at team building and game planning.

They also both have done an excellent job recruiting. Duke and North Carolina wouldn’t be winning ACC and NCAA titles if they weren’t getting good players.

In this area, though, Williams has a slight edge over Krzyzewski, according to rivals.com’s team recruiting rankings. Neither class was ranked in the top 25 by rivals.com in 2004.

Since then, North Carolina signed more highly rated classes than Duke four times in six years (2005 to 2010). Here is the breakdown:

Class    UNC rank        Duke rank
2010    4          10
2009    5          8
2008    11        27
2007    NR       8
2006    1          5
2005    9          2

Year by year, here is how those classes shaped up. In 2005, Duke signed Josh McRoberts and Greg Paulus in what was expected to be one of the nation’s top classes. But North Carolina got Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green, who helped lead the team to two Final Fours and the 2009 NCAA title.

In 2006, Brandan Wright, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington gave the Tar Heels the top-rated players at three positions. Lawson and Ellington played pivotal roles in the team’s NCAA tournament success in 2008 and 2009. But Duke signed three players – Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek – who led the Blue Devils to the 2010 title as seniors.

In 2007, Williams had a deep roster and put all his focus on one player. If you were only going to recruit one guy in the class, Kevin Love was the right guy. But he went to UCLA, and North Carolina didn’t sign anybody. Duke’s signees included Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, who have made huge contributions the last two seasons.

In 2008, Ed Davis and Tyler Zeller led North Carolina’s class. Duke got Elliot Williams, an excellent guard who transferred after one season, and Miles Plumlee.

In 2009, Duke signed Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly and Andre Dawkins, who all have shown promise as sophomores. Similarly, John Henson and Dexter Strickland led a North Carolina class that’s solid as well.

In 2010, each school landed an outstanding player. Harrison Barnes was rated the No. 1 recruit in the nation by many, and chose North Carolina after also considering Duke. The Blue Devils signed Kyrie Irving, who might have been the best guard in the nation before a toe injury sidelined him after eight games. Reggie Bullock and Kendall Marshall gave the Tar Heels what appears to be a stronger overall class, as they have been more productive so far than Tyler Thornton and Josh Hairston for Duke.

All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons agrees that North Carolina may have had a slight edge in recruiting over Duke since Williams’ arrival, but it’s not much.

“It’s so close, it’s too close to call from my observations,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons also said that Duke’s class for 2011 appears better. The spring signing period isn’t over, so it’s possible that both teams could add more players. North Carolina may look to bring in a point guard after Larry Drew II’s sudden departure.

Only Kentucky and St. John’s have stronger classes for 2011 than Duke, according to Gibbons. Guard Austin Rivers, who’s committed to the Blue Devils, generally is considered one of the top three players overall in the nation. Gibbons said North Carolina (led by forward James McAdoo) has a top-10 class for 2011.

“The point is, here are two programs that literally are going head to head in many instances for the very elite players in the nation,” Gibbons said, “and to be able to accomplish that speaks volumes for the head coaches and the tradition of their programs.”

Ken Tysiac

Alex Murphy commits to Duke for 2012

2011-02-07T13:18:00.003-05:00

Alex Murphy, one of the most skilled forwards in the Class of 2012, has committed to Duke, St. Mark’s School (Southborough, Mass.) coach David Lubick confirmed by e-mail.

Murphy is 6-foot-8 with strong ball handling and perimeter shooting skills. He is rated the No. 9 player overall in his class by veteran All-Star Sports analyst Bob Gibbons.

"It’s really almost a seamless fit in terms of Duke’s style of play and his skill set," said ESPN recruiting analyst Dave Telep. "He is a small forward with really good size, solid ball skills, a better athlete than first glance. And I think this is a guy that can play in the lane and on the perimeter."

Telep and Gibbons both compare Murphy's skill set to that of current Duke senior forward Kyle Singler, who was the most outstanding player at the Final Four last year as the Blue Devils captured the NCAA title.

They said there is no guarantee that Murphy will develop the way Singler has, but can play small forward and power forward, just like Singler.

"He’s not as physically strong and advanced right now," Gibbons said, "but compare them at the same level as juniors in high school, I think Alex might get a little higher mark than Kyle."

Like Singler, whose father, mother and brother all have played Division I sports at Pac-10 schools, Murphy has strong family ties in basketball. His father, Jay Murphy, played for Boston College and in the NBA in the 1980s.

Alex's brother, Erik, is a sophomore forward at Florida. Their mother, Paivi, played for the Finnish national team.

Ken Tysiac

UNC gets linebacker commit for 2012

2011-02-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

On the morning after national signing day today, outside linebacker Shareef Rashad called coach Butch Davis to get North Carolina's 2012 recruiting class started.

Rashad, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound outside linebacker from Episcopal High in Jacksonville, Fla., committed to the Tar Heels during the phone call.

He had visited the school unofficially last summer.

He chose North Carolina over South Carolina, Duke and Central Florida, where his brother, Washington Redskins defensive back Sha'reff Rashad, played in college.

"He's got a little genetic thing going there," Espiscopal coach David Hess said of Shakeel's abilities. "He does well out in space and he covers a lot of ground."

Rashad is a high school teammate of Class of 2012 wide receiver Erich Schneider, who already is the lone commitment in Duke's next recruiting class. Hess said Rashad was happy to get the recruiting process behind him and plans to graduate from high school and enroll early in January of 2012 and go through spring practice.

Ken Tysiac

UNC signs 25 in highly-rated class

2011-02-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina coach Butch Davis stood in front of the podium this afternoon with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Today was a very good day," Davis said at his news conference to announce the Tar Heels' 2011 class on national signing day.

Rivals.com has ranked North Carolina's class No. 3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels signed 10 players on offense, 14 on defense and kicker/punter Miller Snyder of Charlotte.

The Tar Heels got a big signing day commitment from McKeesport (Pa.) defensive tackle Delvon Simmons, who's rated the No. 80 player in the class by rivals.com.

They accomplished the strong class despite an NCAA investigation into the program that caused 14 players to miss at least one game and seven to miss the entire season in 2010. North Carolina officials have said they don't know how or when the NCAA will rule on possible sanctions for the program.

But Davis said athletic director Dick Baddour researched similar cases in the past and what the sanctions might be and shared his findings with parents of prospects who were concerned.

"First and foremost, we were always honest with the kids we recruited," Davis said. ". . .We never tried to paint a picture of things that weren't realistic."

Ken Tysiac

UNC misses on LB Grant

2011-02-02T15:14:00.002-05:00

North Carolina, which earlier in the day picked up rivals.com's No. 80 prospect nationally in defensive tackle Delvon Simmons, missed out on another top linebacker target this afternoon.

Curtis Grant of Richmond, Va., who had been considering the Tar Heels, committed to Ohio State, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Despite losing Grant, the addition of Simmons earlier in the day should ensure that North Carolina signs a top-20 class.

Ken Tysiac

Q&A on UNC commit Delvon Simmons

2011-02-02T13:40:00.001-05:00

McKeesport (Pa.) defensive tackle Delvon Simmons, who's rated the No. 80 player overall in the nation by rivals.com, gave North Carolina's recruiting class a huge boost with his commitment Wednesday on national signing day.

Here's what McKeesport coach Jim Ward said about Simmons in a telephone interview:

Q: Why did he choose UNC?

A: He thought the capus was absolutely beautiful. It was far enough away from home but not too far away from home. Butch Davis’ ability to develop defensive linemen was very important. The graduation rate of their players, and being able to play in a pure 4-3.

Q: How important was playing in the 4-3?

A: It was really important. There’s a lot of schools that are starting to get into the 3-4. But it’s such a contrast to the 4-3. And to me, Delvon’s God-given ability is his athleticism and his ability to get off the ball and be disruptive. And that doesn’t lend itself to playing in that kind of scheme.

We really were limited in the end to just a couple schools that ran a real 4-3, and that was USC and North Carolina. And that’s something that was important to Delvon, to have that opportunity to be a three-technique defensive tackle and do what he feels most comfortable doing.

Q: What’s he like as a kid?

A: He’s a great kid. He’s very engaging. He’s got an incredible personality, a laugh and a smile that kind of lights up a room. He’s a very, very fierce competitor, and he’s a kid that’s very easy to like. I think he’ll be well liked by his teammates. I think he’ll be popular among his teammates. And just overall has an outstanding personality. I think North Carolina is going to be really excited to get him.

Q: Physically, what are his assets? You mentioned his athleticism.

A: He’s a little over 6-feet-5. He’s about 275 pounds. He’s got a frame in which he’s probably going to grow to about 300 pounds, or maybe a couple pounds more. Very long arms. Very explosive. And just is a kid that when you see him and you see him at 275, you think he’s probably 250 until you put him on the scale. That’s the kind of size that he has.

Ken Tysiac

Anson County's Anthony picks Clemson

2011-02-02T12:39:00.002-05:00

Stephone Anthony, who entered the day as the top uncommitted prospect in North Carolina, added to an outstanding Clemson recruiting class late this morning when he signed with the Tigers.

Anthony, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker from Anson County High in Wadesboro, N.C., also was considering North Carolina, Florida and Virginia Tech. He is rated the No. 2 player in North Carolina by The Charlotte Observer.

Clemson and coach Dabo Swinney entered the day with a top-25 class, and added five-star linebackers in Anthony and Tony Steward of Jacksonville, Fla., who had also been considering Florida State.

Anthony's signing, announced at a news conference at his school, means that the top six prospects in North Carolina all are leaving the state.

Ken Tysiac

DL commitment huge for UNC

2011-02-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

Scout.com recruiting analyst Miller Safrit said the signing of McKeesport (Pa.) High defensive lineman Delvon Simmons, announced minutes ago, is an impressive accomplishment for North Carolina's coaching staff.

Scout.com is among the outlets reporting Simmons' commitment.

"It definitely puts a big stamp of approval, a big cherry on top of the class for this North Carolina class that a lot of people were wondering about," Safrit said.

Safrit was impressed because Simmons never took an official visit to North Carolina and made only an unofficial visit in June. He also said the Tar Heels' 4-3 scheme might have played a role.

Ken Tysiac

Raines High has news for UNC, Pack

2011-02-02T10:50:00.001-05:00

According to the Florida Times-Union's live signing day blog, Raines High in Jacksonville, Fla., has news for North Carolina and N.C. State fans.

Sam Smiley, a 6-foot, 170-pound cornerback at Raines, has committed to North Carolina. He's rated a two-star prospect by scout.com. North Carolina's official web site reported that his letter of intent arrived at 11:01 a.m.

Chris Jones, a defensive tackle who committed to N.C. State last week, will not sign with the Wolfpack, according to the Times-Union. He will sign with Illinois.

Jones is a three-star prospect.

Ken Tysiac

Early look at UNC, Pack signees

2011-02-02T10:27:00.002-05:00

A flurry of early-morning letters of intent have hit the fax machines at North Carolina and N.C. State, and so far the only surprises are a pair of two-star linebackers.

North Carolina added Keeon Virgile of North Miami Beach, and N.C. State signed Michael Peek of Loganville, Ga.

There’s still more drama to come on signing day, but here’s an early look at the letters of intent received by North Carolina and N.C. State, as reported by the schools’ official websites:

NORTH CAROLINA SIGNEES
Travis Riley, RB, Kannapolis, N.C.
T.J. Thorpe, WR, Durham
Landon Turner, OL, Harrisonburg, Va.
Marquise Williams, QB, Charlotte
Sylvester Williams, DL, Jefferson City, Mo.
Miller Snyder, PK, Charlotte
Tyler Alberts, ATH, Clemmons, N.C.
Alex Dixon, DB, Clearwater, Fla.
Norkeithus Otis, LB, Gastonia
Jarrod James, OL, Goldsboro
Travis Hughes, LB, Virginia Beach
Kameron Jackson, DB, Madison, Ala.
Romar Morris, ATH, Salisbury
Darien Rankin, DB, Salisbury
Devonte Brown, DT, Fayetteville, N.C.
Eric Ebron, TE, Greensboro
Tim Scott, DB, Fredericksburg, Va.
Brandon Ellerbe, DB, Wadesboro, N.C.
Shawn Underwood, DT, Fuquay-Varina
Keeon Virgile, LB, North Miami Beach
Kiaro Holts, OL, Indianapolis

N.C. STATE SIGNEES
*McKay Frandsen, DE
Brian Taylor, QB - (7:22 a.m.)
Benson Browne, TE - (7:55 a.m.)
Tyrrell Burriss, DB - (8:08 a.m.)
Michael Peek, LB - (8:11 a.m.)
Alex Barr, OL - (8:24 a.m.)
Wil Baumann, P - (8:39 a.m.)
Brandon Pittman, LB - (8:39 a.m.)
Mike Rose, DE - (8:48 a.m.)
Hakim Jones, DB - (9:04 a.m.)
Hakeem Flowers, WR - (9:33 a.m.)
Dave Mann, DE - (9:44 a.m.)

*Enrolled at NC State for the 2011 spring semester

Ken Tysiac

Big-time Florida linebacker picks Clemson

2011-02-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

Jacksonville linebacker Tony Steward, long considered a lock for Florida State, will sign with Clemson, according to The Florida Times-Union.

You can also read Observer columnist Scott Fowler's blog from ESPNU on the Steward shocker here, including an Urban Meyer anecdote about a time he thought he had a Florida player locked up only to see that player sign with Clemson.

Ardrey Kell's Justus Pickett will wait, visit more schools

2011-02-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ardrey Kell running back Justus Pickett, the Observer's No. 19 recruit in North Carolina, will not sign today, Knights coach Adam Hastings said.

Pickett visited Arkansas last week and will visit Maryland this weekend.

"He's still trying to figure it out," Hastings said. "We have until April 2 but I think this time next week he'll have an idea of where he's at."

Hastings said Pickett will choose between Maryland, Arkansas, Ball State and West Virginia.

A first-team All Charlotte Observer pick, Pickett rushed for 2,429 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. That was the third-most yards ever in one season by a Mecklenburg County back and the ninth-most touchdowns. Pickett was his conference (Southwestern 4A) offensive player of the year and made several all-state teams.

-- Langston Wertz Jr.

Asheville's Pagan picks Alabama

2011-02-02T09:50:00.002-05:00

One of the more unusual Internet offerings on national signing day is the live camera trained on the fax machine where letters of intent are coming in at the Alabama football office.

As faxes come in, a plate showing the last name of the player who signed is affixed to the fax machine. The name "Pagan" has been placed on the machine.

That would be Jeoffrey Pagan of Asheville. The No. 4 player in North Carolina according to The Charlotte Observer's rankings, Pagan originally had committed to Clemson and also was on Georgia's radar.

He is a 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive end, and adds to the expected exodus from North Carolina as at least five of the top six prospects in the state are scheduled to leave.

Ken Tysiac

UNC adds linebacker to class

2011-02-02T09:16:00.002-05:00

Add linebacker Keeon Virgile to North Carolina's signing class.

The Tar Heels have received a signed letter of intent from Virgile, who's 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds and from North Miami Beach High in Florida, according to the school's official website.

Scout.com rates Virgile as a two-star recruit. An in-state linebacker, five-star prospect Stephone Anthony of Anson County High in Wadesboro, also is considering North Carolina (along with Clemson, Florida and Virginia Tech) on signing day.

Ken Tysiac

N.C. State lands two-star linebacker.

2011-02-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

A late push has helped N.C. State land linebacker Michael Peek on signing day.

Peek, who's 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds and is from Grayson High in Loganville, Ga., previously had committed to Navy.

N.C. State announced this morning on its web site that it has received a signed letter of intent from Peek, who's rated a two-star prospect by scout.com.

Ken Tysiac

College football signing day links

2011-02-02T07:59:00.002-05:00

-- Here's a link to a live blog covering N.C. State recruiting developments today. It's at the Pack Pride website.

-- Confirmed letters of intent for South Carolina, a free link from pay site gogamecocks.com.

-- Live chat covering national developments from the editors of Scout.com.

Virginia Tech loses QB recruit to Vanderbilt

2011-02-02T07:51:00.000-05:00

According to the Virginian Pilot in Norfolk, it appears Lafonte Thourogood, a Virginia Beach-area quarterback who had committed to Virginia Tech, will sign instead with Vanderbilt. Signing-day switches like this always create drama for fanbases and headaches for coaches.

Follow college football signing day LIVE

2011-02-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

Follow signing day live as college football stars of tomorrow make their commitments official today by signing their national letters of intent. Ken Tysiac and Langston Wertz Jr. will update you on developments locally and for schools in the Carolinas and nationally.

Ken will also be chatting live from noon to 1 p.m. Watch for the link at www.charlotteobserver.com, where Ken will be updating all of the day's action and answering your questions about recruiting.

We also have Scott Fowler at ESPNU's Charlotte headquarters, following along with their 10 hours of national coverage. He'll be blogging at his Scott Says blog.

Juco running back picks Heels

2011-02-01T16:45:00.002-05:00

North Carolina added a running back to its 2011 class today, one day before national signing day.

Stephen Houston, an honorable mention junior college All-American at Independence Community College in Kansas, has committed to the Tar Heels.

Houston is 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds and originally signed with Mississippi out of Lakota West High in West Chester, Ohio.

“He’s a big, strong runner and he’s got speed for a big guy,” said Independence coach Steve Carson.

Houston fills a positional need for North Carolina after running back Savon Huggins of Jersey City, N.J., committed to Rutgers on Friday.

Larry Cox, who coached Houston at Lakota West, measured him with a 33-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 3-inch standing long jump in high school. He said that after Houston did not qualify academically for his scholarship at Mississippi, he spent his first year of junior college redshirting and concentrating on his school work.

Houston played just one year of junior college football and has three years of eligibility remaining.

“They expect him to be able to have an impact,” Cox said, “and they expect him to be able to play for three years.”

Ken Tysiac

Cornerback picks N.C. State for 2012

2011-01-31T15:39:00.002-05:00

Two days before signing day in 2011, cornerback Niles Clark has reserved an early spot in N.C. State's 2012 recruiting class by committing to the Wolfpack.

Clark, who's 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, is a three-year starter who was a teammate of current N.C. State starting center Camden Wentz at Lassiter High in Marietta, Ga.

"Camden kind of did a little recruiting there because Camden has had a good experience at the school," said Lassiter coach Jep Irwin.

Irwin said Clark wasn't inclined to court attention and go through the recruiting process throughout his senior season. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest had shown interest in Clark, but Irwin said that what Clark really wanted was a scholarship offer from N.C. State.

When the offer came, he accepted it. Last season Clark intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown; made 53 tackles; and blocked six extra points or field goals.

"He's very athletic," Irwin said. "He has good size for a corner and tremendous technique."

Ken Tysiac

Pack adds DT commitment

2011-01-31T10:09:00.002-05:00

Ty McGill, a 6-foot-1, 275-pound defensive tackle from Jessup, Ga., has become the latest member of N.C. State's 2011 recruiting class as coach Tom O'Brien is making a strong finishing push with signing day approaching Wednesday.

McGill is the fourth three-star player to commit to N.C. State in the last eight days; the others are wide receiver Hakeem Flowers of Greenville, S.C.; defensive tackle Chris Jones of Jacksonville, Fla., and tight end Benson Browne of Cincinnati.

-- Ken Tysiac

Former Duke commit headed to S.C. State

2011-01-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

West Charlotte running back Jalen Simmons, who had been committed to Duke, said this afternoon that he will attend South Carolina State instead.

"I'd like to thank them [Duke] for giving me a chance to play for them," Simmons said. "Things just didn't work out."

Simmons is rated as a three-star prospect by scout.com. His teammate from West Charlotte, linebacker Britton Grier, remains committed to the Blue Devils.

At S.C. State, Simmons said, he hopes to have an opportunity for immediate playing time.

"It's a family down there, with great coaches," he said, "and I feel like I can do great things."

Ken Tysiac

Pack nudges forward in recruiting rankings

2011-01-25T14:02:00.000-05:00

With three commitments since Sunday, N.C. State has climbed out of last place in the ACC in one of the major recruiting rankings.

Tight end Benson Browne’s coach at Walnut Hills (Ohio) High, George Kontsis, confirmed this morning that Browne has committed to the Wolfpack. That moved N.C. State past Wake Forest into 11^th place in the ACC in scout.com’s rankings for the Class of 2011.

Scout.com has N.C. State at No. 63 overall, one spot ahead of Wake Forest.

The Wolfpack remains last in the ACC in the rivals.com rankings.

Since Sunday, N.C. State has received commitments from Browne, defensive tackle Chris Jones of Raines High in Jacksonville, Fla., and wide receiver Hakeem Flowers of Wade Hampton High in Greenville, S.C.

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien has often said he doesn’t pay much attention to recruiting rankings because he doesn’t believe analysts can predict how a given player will fit into a particular school’s system.

“One thing I’ve learned about Tom O’Brien in his decade at Boston College is, you can’t go based on recruiting rankings or stars next to a kid’s name with O’Brien and his staff,” rivals.com analyst Mike Farrell said last week.

N.C.State still is ranked far behind rival North Carolina, whose class is rated No. 18 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC by scout.com. Duke is rated 10^th in the ACC by scout.com.

Ken Tysiac

O'Brien uses Cincinnati ties to land tight end

2011-01-25T10:17:00.002-05:00

Coach Tom O’Brien’s background in Cincinnati has paid off in a commitment from Walnut Hills High tight end Benson Browne.

Walnut Hills coach George Kontsis said O’Brien, offensive coordinator Dana Bible, tight ends coach Jim Bridge and offensive line coach Don Horton all met with Browne at some point.

O’Brien, Bible and Horton all are from Cincinnati.

“That carried a lot of weight,” Kontsis said. “I think it does, and Benson thinks it does."

Browne is 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds and has been a basketball player his whole life. He has played football for just two seasons, but still received 10 scholarship offers, Kontsis said.

Although Browne didn’t catch many passes this season, Kontsis said he has excellent receiving skills.

“He’s about as athletic as you can be,” Kontsis said. “He’ll catch anything.”

Browne, who’s 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, also considered Louisville and Illinois. Kontsis said Browne was comfortable with N.C. State because of its pro-style offense that features the tight end and because Browne will be the only player at that position in this class.

N.C. State returns two-time All-ACC tight end George Bryan, who will be a senior in 2011, and Kontsis expects Browne to redshirt because he needs more time to learn the game after just two years of experience.

Ken Tysiac

Florida DT chooses N.C. State

2011-01-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

N.C. State’s early interest in Chris Jones has paid off with a commitment from the Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines High defensive tackle.

“They came in early and stayed on him through thick and thin,” said Raines coach Deran Wiley, who said Jones also considered North Carolina, Illinois and Iowa State.

That contrasts with the Wolfpack’s success gaining other recruits this month. N.C. State recruited well late in the process to gain commitments from kicker Niklas Sade of Wakefield High, safety Rodman Noel of Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y., and wide receiver Hakeem Flowers of Wade Hampton High in Greenville, S.C.

All three had previously committed – Sade to Nebraska, Noel to Maryland and Flowers to Michigan. Noel and Flowers changed their minds after the coaches at their initial chosen schools were fired.

Jones, the latest recruit, is 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds.

“He’s a big kid, a hard-working kid, a good student of the game,” Wiley said. “. . .He has all the tools.”

Jones is the first commitment in the current N.C. State class from Florida. The Wolfpack still ranks last in the ACC ratings for the Class of 2011 on recruiting sites scout.com and rivals.com.

Ken Tysiac

Late push lands Flowers for Pack

2011-01-24T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hakeem Flowers, a highly rated wide receiver from Wade Hampton High in Greenville, S.C., secretly made a commitment to Michigan that never came to fruition.

Flowers held off on his announcement because he wanted to do it in the presence of his teammates at Wade Hampton's banquet Sunday, according to Wade Hampton coach Kent Haltiwanger. But between the time of the pledge to Michigan and the banquet, the Wolverines fired coach Rich Rodriguez.

The new Michigan staff under Brady Hoke couldn't gain traction with Flowers, and N.C. State swooped in late and secured the commitment, which finally was announced at the appointed time, at the banquet Sunday night.

In a telephone interview Monday, Haltiwanger explained what happened. He said three of Rodriguez's assistants from Michigan were hired at Pittsburgh, which came after Flowers hard.

Notre Dame also pushed hard to get Flowers to visit over the weekend. But Flowers visited N.C. State on the weekend of Jan. 15 and developed a good rapport with the Wolfpack's coaches and players.

Last week, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien visited Flowers at Wade Hampton, meeting with him for an hour, Haltiwanger said.

"They really put the foot on the gas pedal as far as recruiting him," Haltiwanger said.

UCLA, Oregon, Michigan, LSU, N.C. State and Notre Dame were the finalists for Flowers' services. He is 6-foot-3 and about 195 pounds, and ranked the No. 24 player in South Carolina by rivals.com.

He made 41 catches for 986 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, with 31 rushes for 411 yards and four scores.

"He has huge hands, long arms," Haltiwanger said. "He's probably suited to be an outside receiver, but he can play inside as well."
Flowers will give N.C. State a boost as the team's first commitment at a position that lost senior standouts Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis from last season.

Ken Tysiac

Pack gets commitment at key position

2011-01-24T10:43:00.002-05:00

N.C. State has received a commitment at a position of vital need in the 2011 class.

Hakeem Flowers, a 6-foot-2, 173-pound wide receiver from Wade Hampton High in Greenville, S.C., has committed to the Wolfpack, Wade Hampton coach Kent Haltiwanger confirmed.
Flowers is No. 24 overall in the rivals.com rankings for South Carolina prospects. He joins a team that needs to replenish its talent at wide receiver.
The Wolfpack is losing seniors Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis off the 2010 team. They combined for 138 of N.C. State's 319 receptions and 1,952 of the team's 3,655 receiving yards last season.

Ken Tysiac

Former Maryland commit picks N.C. State

2011-01-20T12:32:00.002-05:00

Rodman Noel, a safety from Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y., who formerly was committed to Maryland, has committed to N.C. State.

Noel is 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds and intercepted four passes as a postgraduate player for Milford last season, according to the school's web site. Milford coach Bill Chaplick said Noel has great football sense and was one of the best defensive players on a team that finished 11-1.

At times, when Milford's smaller cornerbacks struggled against taller receivers, Noel would move to corner and shut down the big wideouts in pass coverage, Chaplick said.

"He's a physical specimen," Chaplick said. "He should be a great player for [N.C. State]."

Noel had committed to Maryland before the firing of coach Ralph Friedgen. Chaplick said Noel withdrew his commitment after Kevin Lempa, who had been coaching safeties for the Terrapins, was not retained by new head coach Randy Edsall.

Ken Tysiac

JUCO DE commits to N.C. State

2010-11-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

Continuing its pattern of turning to transfer students to help on the defensive line, N.C. State has received a commitment from junior college player McKay Frandsen of Snow College in Utah.

Frandsen is 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds and excels as a pass rushing defensive end, according to Snow defensive line coach Derek Campbell. Frandsen, who's from American Fork, Utah, originally signed with Brigham Young.

"He plays hard, plays aggressive and gives you everything he's got," Campbell said.

N.C. State's defensive line currently includes New Mexico Military Junior College transfer Natanu Mageo, Northeastern transfer David Akinniyi and Georgia transfer Michael Lemon. All three are seniors, as is defensive end Audi Augustin, so the Wolfpack will need immediate help at that position next season.

Another transfer from Snow College, Mikel Overgaard, plays offensive tackle for N.C. State, and Campbell said his guidance helped Frandsen.

"He definitely had good things to tell McKay, and I think it made him feel comfortable leaving Utah and going all the way across the country," Campbell said.

Ken Tysiac

N.J. wing Tyler Harris commits to N.C. State

2010-11-05T16:07:00.002-04:00

Tyler Harris, a 6-foot-8 wing forward known more for his perimeter scoring ability than his post-up game, has committed to N.C. State.

Roshown McLeod, the former Duke player who coaches Harris at St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey, confirmed the commitment today in an e-mail to The Charlotte Observer and News & Observer.

Harris is the younger brother of Tobias Harris, who was a McDonald's All-American last season who signed with Tennessee. All-Star Sports recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons said Tyler Harris has reclassified from the Class of 2012 to the Class of 2011, so he is a young player in the senior class.

That has resulted in Harris being under the radar in some analysts' recruiting rankings, Gibbons said. Gibbons has Harris ranked No. 87 in 2011.

"I've been impressed with him," Gibbons said. "Even though he lacks physicality and strength, he's tall. He's going to fill out. He has a great scoring knack."

Gibbons said Harris will begin his college career as a wing forward but could also play power forward after he matures and gains weight.

-- Ken Tysiac

Junior point guard Lewis commits to Pack

2010-10-29T16:45:00.000-04:00

Forsyth Country Day point guard Tyler Lewis, who's one of the top junior prospects in North Carolina has committed to N.C. State, according to a news release from his high school coach, Craig Dawson.

Lewis committed to coach Sidney Lowe on thursday night at N.C. State's football game with Florida State. Other offers that Lewis strongly considered came from Wake Forest, Miami, Charlotte and Davidson.

He averaged 20.0 points and 8.6 assists per game while shooting 57 percent from the field last season as a sophomore.

Ken Tysiac

Hillside's Lee picks Georgia Tech

2010-08-19T17:43:00.001-04:00

Durham Hillside senior Vad Lee will take his dual-threat quarterback skills to Georgia Tech with plans of putting them to use in the triple-option offense coached by Paul Johnson that helped the Yellow Jackets win the 2009 ACC title.

Lee passed for 1,416 yards and rushed for 675 more last season.

"The offense fits him good," said Hillside coach Antonio King. "He has a great relationship with the coaches. He enjoyed himself every time he went down there."

King said Lee saw Georgia Tech as the best fit for him as a person, too, in preparing him for life after football. King said Wake Forest and N.C. State also were close competitors for Lee before Georgia Tech earned his commitment.

Lee is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and is rated as the No. 26 prospect in North Carolina by rivals.com.

Ken Tysiac

UNC lands Simmons as preferred walk-on

2010-08-18T10:07:00.000-04:00

Cetera DeGraffenreid's experience as a women's basketball player at North Carolina helped the Tar Heels's men's team land Smoky Mountain High Class of 2011 power forward Jackson Simmons as a preferred walk-on.

Cindi Simmons, Jackson's mother, coached DeGraffenreid at Smoky Mountain.

"We know what Carolina has meant to the DeGraffenreids, and we followed that very closely," said Si Simmons, Jackson's father. "Cetera allowed us to be a part of her recruiting at Carolina and Jackson has grown up seeing that and being a part of that, and choosing Carolina has been sort of a natural choice."

Simmons is 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds and averaged 19.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game as a junior on a team that went 24-5 and reached the state semifinals. His father and his high school coach, Jimmy Cleaveland, said Simmons committed as a walk-on with the understanding that he could earn scholarship help eventually with time, effort and performance.

"He's a post player for us, but he has worked very hard on his perimeter game," Cleaveland said. "He has a nice shot and he is getting a whole lot better. He has always been a very solid player and his work ethic is tremendous."

Si Simmons said Charlotte, Davidson, Old Dominon, Western Carolina, Appalachian State and Southern Illinois were among the many schools that offered scholarships to Jackson.

"We're so excited about Carolina and appreciate the other opportunities," Simmons said. "I don't want to slight that at all. But when Carolina became a reality, that became a pretty clear choice for him."

Ken Tysiac and Tim Stevens

Salisbury's Morris commits to UNC

2010-08-16T20:28:00.001-04:00

Romar Morris, one of the top high school football prospects in the state and one of the fastest, committed to the University of North Carolina on Monday.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior ran for 1,330 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in 2009 at Salisbury High.

He has run 40 yards in 4.32 seconds and set NCHSAA 2-A records in the 100 (10.54) and the 200 (21.47) during the 2-A championship meet in the spring. He led Salisbury to the track title.

Morris and Salisbury senior safety Darian Rankin, who had already committed to UNC, helped the Hornets to a 10-5 record in 2009 and to the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2-AA Western Regional championship game.

Morris is the ninth player on the rivals.com top 30 seniors list in North Carolina to pick the Tar Heels this year. Rivals.com ranks Morris as the 10th-best all-purpose back in the country and the 18th-best prospect in North Carolina.

Salisbury assistant principal Christopher Wayne McNeil confirmed that Morris had made his commitment. Morris earlier had said he had narrowed his choice to UNC or Georgia Tech

North Lenoir athlete commits to N.C. State

2010-08-13T12:25:00.002-04:00

North Lenoir High coach Calvin Sutton raves about the athletic ability of Maurice Morgan, who committed to N.C. State earlier this week.

Morgan plays multiple positions, including running back and wide receiver, for the North Lenoir team in LaGrange, N.C. He also is a standout in basketball and football.

"His athletic ability seems to be far beyond the masses, so to speak," Sutton said. ". . .His ability is probably not matched by many across the state."

Morgan is 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, and although he has played mostly offense in high school, Sutton said safety might be the best fit for him in college. He also had a scholarship offer from East Carolina and had been recruited by North Carolina without receiving an offer, according to Sutton.

Ken Tysiac

Jurkin commits to Indiana

2010-08-10T10:31:00.003-04:00

Peter Jurkin, a 7-foot center with United Faith Christian in Charlotte, has committed to Indiana.

"He felt comfortable with them," United Faith coach Shaun Wiseman said this morning. "They've been recruiting him for a while."

Jurkin will be a high school junior in the fall.

Ken Tysiac

California WR chooses Duke

2010-08-04T14:19:00.003-04:00

Blair Holliday, a wide receiver from the storied Oaks Christian School program in California whose alumni include rookie Carolina Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen, has committed to Duke.

Holliday is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds and caught about 48 passes last season for approximately 1,000 yards.

"He's got really good speed, in the 4.5 area," said Oaks Christian coach Bill Redell. "He's a good student, and he's good good range and runs good routes. I think Duke's got a really great player."

Redell said Holliday's scholarship offers included Colorado State, Boise State and San Diego State. Duke's academic reputation played a significant role in Holliday's commitment, according to Redell.

Ken Tysiac

Punter Baumann commits to N.C. State

2010-07-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

Despite a background that has included coaching from two fathers of University of North Carolina players, Wilmington Hoggard High punter Wil Baumann has committed to N.C. State.

The most influential coach in Baumann's career has been Keith Wood, a former Southwestern Oklahoma State kicker recently hired as head coach at Fairmont High after serving as a Hoggard assistant.

But punting guru Bill Renner, the father of North Carolina redshirt freshman quarterback Bryn Renner, helped fine tune Baumann's punting. Baumann also has been helped by Tom Barth, the father of current Tar Heel kicker Casey Barth and former North Carolina player Connor Barth, who kicks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Casey and Connor Barth both played for Hoggard.

"I don't think they will care too much," Baumann said of committing to the Tar Heels' rival. "They've got a really good punter right now [Grant Schallock], and I don't think they've got a spot [for a punter] right now."

Baumann said he is a longtime fan of N.C. State and is eager to enter the school's engineering program. He is 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds and averaged 44 yards per kick as as a junior.

He also had a scholarship offer from Northwestern, but said he chose N.C. State because of its academics (he carries a 3.5 grade-point average) and proximity to home.

Ken Tysiac

Niles withdraws commitment from N.C. State

2010-07-14T16:32:00.001-04:00

Thomas Niles, who was the most highly rated player in the Class of 2011 to have committed to N.C. State, has withdrawn his commitment to the Wolfpack.

Niles, a defensive tackle from Gainesville High in Georgia, now also is considering a scholarship offer from Central Florida. Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said Niles plans to think more about his decision for a few days and perhaps longer, but said Central Florida now is the leading candidate if Niles is going to commit.

Miller said N.C. State didn't do anything wrong in its recruiting, and said Niles just has some things he wants to think about.

"N.C. State kind of came in there and saw him first," Miller said. "And then he started sitting back and saying, 'I'm just trying to make a good decision.' And he wanted to make a good, clean decision, and he kind of backed off things [with N.C. State] for a while."

Ken Tysiac

Plumlee gives Duke huge endorsement

2010-07-14T09:24:00.002-04:00

Marshall Plumlee probably knows just about all there is to know about the inner workings of the Duke basketball program.

His eldest brother, Miles, is a rising junior for the defending NCAA champions. Another brother, Mason, will be a sophomore with the Blue Devils next season.

So unlike many recruits, who are wooed and courted by college coaches highlighting mostly the positives about their programs, Marshall has an intimate family understanding about how coach Mike Krzyzewski runs his team.

And it’s telling for Duke and Krzyzewski that the third Plumlee brother still committed to the Blue Devils on Saturday. The commitment was as strong an endorsement as Krzyzewski could ever hope to get from any recruit.

The players’ father, Perky Plumlee, spoke frankly earlier this week about what Marshall’s commitment means for Duke.

“I think we do have a unique perspective,” he said, “and I think that any school, when you’re just being recruited by a school, if you haven’t had a personal experience with the program like we have with Duke I suppose it’s human nature that you imagine an environment that’s totally pain free. Actually playing in a program doesn’t mimic the recruiting process. The recruiting process is a courtship and it’s fun and it’s flattering. . . .You can’t actually simulate what it would be like to be there in practice, being pushed to your limits.”

Perky Plumlee said the family has confidence in the way Krzyzewski and his staff coach players. If that weren’t the case, Plumlee said, they wouldn’t send another son there.

He also said Marshall will go to Duke knowing fully well just how hard the Duke staff pushes its players. He said the staff is demanding, doesn’t take shortcuts and requires maximum effort from players, pushing them beyond what they thought their limits might have been.

“I do think that because Duke is such a prominent and successful program, unfortunately there probably is a lot of misinformation that perhaps their competitors like to generate,” Plumlee said. “They maybe try to perpetuate [negative] things, I don’t know, to gain a recruiting advantage. All I can say is that from my perspective Coach K, his program is honest and he has his methods and styles, I don’t suppose that they’ve changed that much over 30 years. Really the burden is on the kid to work hard and make the most of his opportunity.”

While Duke endured a five-year Final Four drought from 2005 to 2009, there was a perception that recruits were reacting negatively to how hard Krzyzewski pushes his players.

Duke lost out on highly rated recruits such as Patrick Patterson (Kentucky), Greg Monroe (Georgetown) and even Harrison Barnes, an incoming freshman at North Carolina, and some wondered if there was something wrong within the program.

By capturing the 2010 NCAA title, the Blue Devils emphatically refuted those doubts on the court. Now, Marshall Plumlee’s commitment reaffirms the direction of the program behind closed doors.

“The fact that we are enthused of Marshall’s choice, I guess, is a good endorsement of their program and the way they run it,” Perky Plumlee said.

Marshall Plumlee, rated No. 40 in the nation in the Class of 2011 by scout.com, isn’t the type of recruit with the ability to instantly carry Duke to a Final Four. But those kind of recruits come and go, often spending just one season at a school.

Plumlee’s commitment should have positive implications for the Blue Devils that last much longer.

Ken Tysiac

Duke lands Monroe's Crowder

2010-07-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

Jamison Crowder, a speedy rising senior playmaker for Monroe High School, has committed to Duke.

Monroe coach Johnny Sowell said the Blue Devils want to use Crowder as a return man on punts and kickoffs, but are undecided on a position for him. Crowder plays defensive back and wide receiver for Monroe, and might add some backfield duties this season.

"He can take a 5-yard pass and turn it into an 80-yard run," Sowell said. "He can take a punt return at any time and take it the distance, as well as a kickoff return."

Crowder is about 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds and is a good student, Sowell said. Crowder also seriously considered North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest.

Ken Tysiac

Underwood commits to UNC

2010-07-13T12:54:00.002-04:00

North Carolina's stellar in-state recruiting in the Class of 2011 continued Tuesday morning when lineman Shaun Underwood of Fuquay-Varina High committed to the Tar Heels.

Underwood, who's 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds, is rated the No. 29 prospect in the state by rivals.com. He gives North Carolina eight commitments from among the state's top 30 prospects.
He said the school's academic excellence over a broad range of curricula and the academic support for athletes were among the reasons he chose North Carolina. He also seriously considered Wake Forest and Penn State, but said he wanted to stay close to home.

"I don't like being away from my family," he said. "I want my mom and my grandparents to see me play as much as they can. That would mean a lot to me."

Underwood said that North Carolina's coaches initially were recruiting him as an offensive guard, but later found out that he also plays defensive tackle and asked him which position he prefers.

He told them he likes defense better, but is flexible.

"It’s amazing," said Fuquay-Varina coach Ryan Habich, "they like him on offense and defense, it’s hard to say which side he’s better on. He’s just very special. The thing that separates him from most big guys is that he has so much speed."

Ken Tysiac

Persistent Salisbury safety Rankin picks Heels

2010-07-13T11:05:00.001-04:00

The first time Salisbury High's Darien Rankin participated in a one-day camp at North Carolina, he came away without a scholarship offer.

So when Salisbury coach Joe Pinyan was making a trip to Chapel Hill for another one-day camp with running back Romar Morris, Rankin asked to ride along. When he arrived, he was asked if he wanted to participate again.

He paid the camp entry fee, worked out and was offered a scholarship, and he's now committed to the Tar Heels.

"One day wasn't enough for him," Pinyan said. "He wanted to go up there and show them the type of kid that he is."

Rankin is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound player who projects as a safety for North Carolina. He also had a scholarship offer from Utah and had interest in East Carolina and South Carolina, before deciding to play for the Tar Heels.

Pinyan said Rankin has excellent athletic ability, as illustrated by his 6-foot, 8-inch high jump, but still needs to work on his footwork and other safety-specific skills after playing a position that's a combination of safety, outside linebacker and defensive end for Salisbury.

"While he might not be the four-star quarterback like [Marquise Williams] or a top lineman [Landon Turner] that they've gotten out of Virginia, he's that piece that completes the whole puzzle," Pinyan said. "Maybe he doesn't have that glamourous 40 time, but he's a guy, when the lights come on, he plays."

Ken Tysiac

Gastonia LB Bigger commits to Duke

2010-07-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

Gastonia Ashbrook High linebacker Zeek Bigger has been exchanging texts with West Charlotte running back Jalen Simmons with big plans for Duke's football program.

"We want to go there and help change things," said Bigger, who said Monday that he has joined Simmons in committing to Duke.

Bigger is 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and made 101 tackles with seven sacks last season. He also considered Arkansas, Virginia and East Carolina.

The opportunity for possible early playing time was enticing to Bigger.

"I think I will get to play my freshman year," he said.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe also made a favorable impression on Bigger. Cutcliffe turned down an opportunity to coach Tennessee during the offseason, and that commitment may be helping him and Duke in recruiting.

"He's there for the long run and he's going to bring in a whole lot of talent so one of these days, one of these years, there will be a championship there," Bigger said.

Ken Tysiac

Virginia senior boosts UNC's offensive line recruiting

2010-07-12T14:00:00.001-04:00

North Carolina's stellar offensive line recruiting effort has received another boost with the commitment of Harrisonburg (Va.) High tackle Landon Turner.

Turner, who's 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, is rated the No. 3 prospect in Virginia by rivals.com.

"He's so tenacious," said Harrisonburg coach Tim Sarver. "He stays after his block and does what every coach dreams about, he goes until the whistle blows. He's got a mean streak in him."

Turner joins a Class of 2011 offensive line haul that also includes Kiaro Holts of Indianapolis (rated the No. 41 player in the nation by scout.com), Jamar Lewter of Washington, D.C., and Jarrod James of Aycock High in Pikeville. The 2010 class also included two prized offensive line prospects in James Hurst of Plainfield, Ind., and T.J. Leifheit of Wilmington's Hoggard High.

The two classes combined have a chance to solidify North Carolina's talent and depth at one of the team's shakiest positions during coach Butch Davis' tenure.

Turner was recruited by schools from coast to coast and settled on North Carolina, Virginia Tech and West Virginia as his finalists. Sarver said Turner's attractiveness to recruiters was enhanced by his high character and strong academic grades.

"He's one of the best to come out of this state," Sarver said. "He was going to be a catch for whoever picks him up."

Ken Tysiac

Charlotte Christian's Brown picks Duke

2010-07-12T12:53:00.003-04:00

The opportunity to play with his brother for coach David Cutcliffe has led Charlotte Christian linebacker Kyler Brown to commit to Duke.

Kyler Brown, who will be a senior at Charlotte Christian this season, said he will play outside linebacker and will have both rush and pass coverage drop responsibilities. His brother Kelby Brown will be a freshman on the 2010 Duke team.

"It's going to be sweet because my brother's already there," Kyler Brown said. "I'm going to get to play with him and win an ACC championship with him."

Kyler Brown is 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds and had narrowed his list to Duke and Oregon. After visiting Duke last week, he committed to Cutcliffe, who Brown said was critical in his decision.

"He's a great man," Brown said. "He sat down and talked to me a couple times at least for 30 minutes each. He's just a great person, and he's great with all the players and he's really relaxed when you're with him."

Ken Tysiac

Another Plumlee commits to Duke

2010-07-12T10:08:00.002-04:00

The Plumlee family has delivered a third highly-recruited big man to coach Mike Krzyzewski and Duke.

Marshall Plumlee, a 7-foot rising senior at Christ School in Arden, N.C., will follow brothers Miles and Mason to Duke. Christ School coach David Gaines said Marshall committed late Saturday night.

Miles, the eldest of Perky and Leslie Plumlee's three sons, will be a junior for the Blue Devils in 2010-11 as they attempt to defend their NCAA title. Mason Plumlee will be a sophomore at Duke. Both players were reserves last season, but there's a chance they both will be in the starting lineup in 2010-11.

All three brothers could play together when Marshall is a freshman in 2011-12 - if Mason Plumlee doesn't leave early for the NBA draft. Mason, who's the most highly skilled of the brothers, is considered a potential lottery pick in 2011.

Gaines said the pivotal time for Marshall in his decision to attend Duke was a week he spent with Miles in Durham in June. They worked out together and played pickup games. Marshall visited with Krzyzewski, and also drove to Chapel Hill for a visit with North Carolina coach Roy Williams.

According to Gaines, Williams said he liked Marshall and needs big men in the Tar Heel program, but didn't offer a scholarship and said he wanted to see Marshall play more in July.

Marshall visited with Virginia coach Tony Bennett after the NBA Players Association's top 100 camp in Charlottesville, Va. Then, before July 4, Marshall was at home in Warsaw, Ind., with his entire family - the first time they'd all been together for an extended period since Christmas.

That gave Marshall time to make his decision. Gaines said he expects Krzyzewski to set goals for Marshall for his senior season, and anticipates that becoming a dominating low-post scorer will be part of the plan.

Marshall is a different player from his brothers - about an inch taller than Miles and Mason - and what might be called a "true" center. While Miles and particularly Mason have demonstrated the ability to score on mid-range jump shots and sometimes drives to the basket, Marshall plays strictly with his back to the basket on offense.

He averaged 8.6 points, eight rebounds and almost three blocked shots per game last season while leading Christ School to a state title, and Gaines wants to see the scoring number increase.

"We need a 7-footer who is going to the ACC to be a legitimate 15-, 18-point-a-game guy," Gaines said. "And I think he will work to do that. That's just his natural progression. That's what needs to happen."

Gaines said Marshall plays with enthusiasm and energy and runs the floor quickly, like his brothers, even though he plays a different position on offense. Gaines said Marshall felt comfortable with the coaches, the tradition and the size of the school at Duke.

Marshall is rated the No. 40 player in his class by scout.com, and Gaines said his final three schools of top interest were Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.

"Really, Marshall is kind of his own man," Gaines said, "and I think the decision, it didn't hurt that his brothers are there and have had a great experience. But ultimately he made the call on his own."

Ken Tysiac

Hairston makes point at top 100 camp

2010-06-19T06:48:00.001-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - P.J. Hairston, the shooting guard from Greensboro who's committed to North Carolina, came to the NBA Players Association's top 100 camp to make a point.

He wanted to make a case for himself as a McDonald's All-American in 2011. Even though many of the top players in the class are absent while working out for the USA Basketball, Hairston has succeeded.

After two days of games, Hairston is the camp's scoring leader at 16.8 points per game.

"All my shots are basically coming from taking it to the rack," said Hairston, who's been working to improve his driving ability. "Basically all my points are coming from that. And then once I get that, that's when the 3-point shot comes, and it's really hard to stop me.

"It's basically the biggest camp of the summer and it really shows McDonald's All-American that I deserve to be there."

Hairston is one of many players of local interest among the top scorers at the camp. Michael Gbinije, the forward who's committed to Duke, is tied for fifth on the camp scoring list at 13.8 points per game.

Cody Zeller, the brother of North Carolina center Tyler Zeller who's being recruited by the Tar Heels and Wake Forest, is averaging 12.5 points. Deuce Bello of High Point's Westchester Academy (12.0), Raleigh Upper Room Class of 2013 standout Rodney Purvis (11.5), Charlotte Christian's Anthony Gill (10.5), Davidson Day's Bernard Sullivan (10.0) and N.C. State commitment Joseph Uchebo of Raleigh Word of God (10.0) all are in the top 25 on the camp scoring list.

Sullivan, a 6-foot-7 combo forward who said he's wide open in his consideration of possible colleges, has seen his stock improve in a productive summer. In the past, injuries have prevented him from making much of an impact in summer basketball.

"Being in the top 100, me playing well, that's going to raise my stock," Sullivan said. "People are finally getting to see me at the highest level. . . .being with all these NBA players and learning from them is just a remarkable experience."

Ken Tysiac

Q&A with Jerry Stackhouse

2010-06-18T09:37:00.000-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Former North Carolina and longtime NBA guard Jerry Stackhouse is participating in the coaching development program at the NBA Players Association camp:

Q: What are you doing here in terms of trying to get involved in coaching?
A: I'm looking into the next phase of my career, trying to see if coaching is maybe something I want to do. I've obviously been playing for the last 30 years. I feel like I have a real knowledge of basketball. I',m just trying to transition that from playing to trying to help kids improve and obviously try to win games at the same time. It's been a great experience. I've learned so much in two days from Brendan Suhr, a guy who has 40 years of basketball under his belt. He's teaching us here what it takes to be an assistant coach.
I think a head coach is more like a CEO that kind of runs everything. The assistant coach is the guy who takes some of the burden off of him, and we're learning to do that. At the same time it's an opportunity to rub elbows with some of these young kids who are going to be the future of college basketball as well as the future of our league. So this is exciting to be able to share with them. I think they're like sponges right now. They just want to soak up everything that they can and hopefully with the experiences and things I've done over the last 15 years as a pro, I can share that with them and help them.

Q: What do you try to tell them?
A: How hard it is. You don't want to discourage them, but it takes a work ethic. And everybody's talented. Everybody here can jump up and dunk a basketball and have an unbelievable body. And it's going to be even more so when you get to the next level in college. Everybody that you see is going to be at this camp. How are you going to separate yourself? The only way you can separate yourself is by coming in and working on your game, taking everything you can from here. You've got professional, NBA players that their least amount of years is eight years. You've got eight or more years of experience here. So use these guys, use us to try to learn as much as you can to get to the level that you're trying to attain, and I think they're doing that. Every time I turn around I have somebody trying to take me one on one or beat me one on one, but that's part of it. At the same stage I was doing the same thing, because that's the only way you can test yourself, by going against better players. And I'm glad they still consider me a better player.

Q: Did you go to a camp like this coming up through the ranks?
A: I went to Nike camp. Nike camp had the top players in the country. They used to do it up in Indiana, and it was a great experience. I came out of the camp the No. 1 or No. 2 player in a lot of publications, and it gave me a lot of confidence. I felt like you had the top talent in the country, and some of the top publications and basketball gurus were saying you were the top player out of that, you just ride that momentum and ride that confidence. You had to look at it, whether you were No. 1, I was fortunate to be considered in the top five in anybody's. You've got to use it as motivation. If you're 30th, you say, 'Hey, I'm top 30 in the country.' You use all of this stuff for confidence. Basketball is always about confidence. There’s nothing like seeing the ball go through the hoop, and when you can come to places like that and see kids from all across the country and show that you have the ability and skills to compete with them, then I really have a chance, and all I have to do is continue to stay on the right course and continue to get better. And you can have a chance to really put on an NBA uniform some day.

Q: What's it like for you to be able to give back to these kids who are hoping to be where you're at some day?
A: It feels good, but at the same time getting out of the player's shoe and jumping into the coach's shoe is totally different. We had a workshop today where we kind of went over the scouting report. I've taken the walk throughs and scouting reports for granted for 20 years. And now that I had to do one today, I realize how hard it is to remember the play and know where everybody has to be. But it was a great experience. Once I did it, I felt like I could do it again. Those are the things you just don't realize until you start doing it.

Q: You've got a future Carolina guy on your team, P.J. Hairston. What do you think of him as a player, and do y'all do some Carolina talk?
A: He's so talented. And things come a little easy for him. That's where he has to make sure that he still puts in that work ethic and keeps up that effort and desire. He’s at the point right now where even at a top 100 camp, he stands out. So you can't get complacent. You've got to think that there are probably 20 kids who aren't here who are at USA Basketball, so he has to have a mind set that even though I'm doing really well at this camp, 20 of the best in the country aren't here so I've got to still improve, and I've got to get better than them.
And hopefully he'll take on that. But I love the fact that he's a North Carolina kid. And the other kid, Deuce [Bello], from High Point, I'm excited that even some of the young kids, the rising sophomores, the kid from Upper Room, North Carolina's on the map, and we're going to try to stay there.

Q: What's it like for you being back in ACC country in Charlottesville? I know you never got a chance to play in this venue here.
A: It's really nice. We played at the other building. It's great. This is the only other place I visited was UVa, that I took an official visit to. And I almost came here. But I wnet down to visit North Carolina, and I couldn't tell Dean Smith no. So that's why I went to North Carolina.

Ken Tysiac

UNC target Stokes stands out

2010-06-17T15:59:00.002-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Jarnell Stokes stood out among the big men at the NBAPA Top 100 camp on Thursday morning for both his immense size and his skill set.

Of the 96 players in the camp, most are all arms and legs but Stokes, who's going into his junior year of high school, is built like an NFL tight end.

At 6-8, 240 pounds and with size 20 shoes, he's big for a 26-year-old, let alone a 16-year-old.

He was dominant for the Rockets in a 100-75 win over the Jazz on Thursday morning, scoring 11 points and just out-muscling his competition.

"I'm just trying to get my name out there," said Stokes, who's rated by ESPN as the sixth-best prospect in the class of 2012.

Stokes, who's from Memphis, said North Carolina, Maryland and Florida State called him Wednesday. He's also being pursued by Memphis, among other schools.

He made himself an instant message-board hero at UNC, and the opposite everywhere else, when he was asked if one school was his favorite.

"Everybody loves North Carolina, but the reality is they're all even," Stokes said.

J.P. Giglio

Bello impressed with Wolfpack's class

2010-06-17T15:56:00.002-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Deuce Bello, a combo guard from Greensboro, has N.C. State on his list of college choices with three other ACC teams, Cleveland State and Baylor.

Bello, who's attending the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, said the addition of freshmen Ryan Harrow, C.J. Leslie and Lorenzo Brown helps the Wolfpack's chances.

"That helps them a lot," said Bello, who's ranked No. 91 in the class of 2011. "Especially Ryan Harrow and C.J. Leslie, that's a great combo right there."

Bello scored 10 points for the Jazz in the first game on Thursday morning in a 100-75 loss to the Rockets.

Bello teamed with ACC targets Tyler Lewis (Wake Forest, N.C. State, Virginia), Cody Zeller (Wake Forest, UNC) and Adjehi Baru (Maryland, Virginia Tech) and showed a surprising ability to create shots for others.

At 6-3, Bello has a skinny frame and long arms. He's more of a scoring guard than a point guard but he's working on his passing, he said.

"I was trying to get everyone involved," Bello said.

Bello said he has already visited Clemson and plans to visit Maryland, Miami, Baylor, Cleveland State and N.C. State.

The Wolfpack, which has four scholarships available for the class of 2011, has offered him a scholarship, he said.

One potential factor in Bello's college choice, he calls Brian Clifton his "mentor." Clifton, a club team coach, also helped former Raleigh prep star John Wall in his recruiting process.

J.P. Giglio

Lewis unlikely to choose Hokies

2010-06-17T15:50:00.002-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia Tech offered Tyler Lewis a scholarship when the Statesville guard was in eighth grade. Lewis doesn't think he'll end playing college basketball for the Hokies, though.

"They picked up Marquis Rankin," said Lewis, who's one of the top point guards in the class of 2012. "He's a point guard in the class of 2011, so they really don't need one in the class of 2012."

Lewis didn't rule out playing his college ball in the ACC or Virginia.

"I like coach [Tony] Bennett a lot," Lewis said. "He's a good guy."

UVa is late-comer to the Lewis party. The 5-11 pass-first point guard lists Charlotte, N.C. State and Wake Forest as possible choices.

"It's too early," said Lewis, who finished his sophomore season at Forsyth Country Day.
Lewis said he plans on making a decision next June, after he sees which coaches have shown the most interest at AAU tournaments and his high school games.

"Whoever comes out to my games will be the one that's most interested," Lewis said.

Lewis scored 13 points for the Jazz in a 100-75 loss to the Rockets on Thursday morning at the NBAPA Top 100 camp.

Ken Tysiac

Heels' Williams first to call Tokoto

2010-06-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - North Carolina's Roy Williams didn't wait long to call J.P. Tokoto.
Just one minute after NCAA rules allowed coaches to call Class of 2012 prospects for the first time on Tuesday, Williams was on the phone with Tokoto, a 6-foot-6 wing from Monomonee Falls, Wis.

Williams offered Tokoto a scholarship. By the end of the day, coaches from Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Miami and Texas also had called to offer scholarships.

"It's definitely flattering to hear from all these coaches," Tokoto said Thursday at the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp at the University of Virginia.

Tokoto had spoken with Williams before Tuesday, but he said that was only during phone calls initiated by Tokoto, in accordance with NCAA rules. Tokoto said he has been impressed with how Williams inquires about his family and academics rather than just basketball.

"North Carolina itself, it's just a very historical school," Tokoto said. "Being shown interest even as a sophomore, it's just amazing. I didn't take it in until I got the actual offer, and I was just like, 'Wow.' "

Duke offered Tokoto a scholarship even earlier, after he attended the Blue Devils' elite camp last summer.

Tokoto hasn't narrowed his list of prospective schools, and said he doesn't want to show any favorites at this point. And despite all the interest he is getting, he said his parents are keeping him grounded.

"I can never get a big head," Tokoto said. "It's not that I would. I'm staying humble and hungry. Once you're not humble and hungry, you're not going to be a good basketball player."

Ken Tysiac

Big start for Sullivan at NBA top 100 camp

2010-06-17T11:44:00.004-04:00

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - It didn't take long for Huntersville's Bernard Sullivan to make a big impression at the NBA Players Association's top 100 camp Thursday morning.

A few minutes into his opening game at the camp, Sullivan swished a left-handed 3-pointer from a few feet left of the top of the key. Sullivan, who's 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, added a nifty up-and-under move for a basket from the lane.

"Nice move," somebody shouted from the bench.

Sullivan joins North Carolinians Dezmine Wells, Tyler Lewis, Dezmine Wells, Marquis Rankin, Anthony Gill, P.J. Hairston and Deuce Bello on the camp roster. Westchester Academy forward Quincy Miller is a late scratch because he is participating in a USA Basketball event, but Raleigh's Rodney Purvis and Bishop Daniels have been added to the camp to replace some of the players who can't make the camp because of that event.

N.C. State commitment Joseph Uchebo and Duke commitments Michael Gbinije and Tyler Adams also are competing. For more on the camp, stay tuned to this blog.

Ken Tysiac

N.C. State recruit enrolls at Word of God

2010-06-14T23:21:00.001-04:00

Raleigh's Word of God Christian Academy, which has produced two of the best high school basketball players in the country during the last two seasons, is expected to have N.C. State basketball recruit Joseph Uchebo on its roster next season.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center has enrolled at Word of God, the alma mater of John Wall, last year's top-ranked high school player in the country, and C.J. Leslie, a McDonald's all-American and an N.C. State recruit.

When Uchebo committed to State he was listed as a member of the Class of 2012, but he might be able to graduate next year.

"We have to assess his transcript and see which courses he has passed," said Dr. Frank Summerfield, the founder of the Word of God school and church in Raleigh. "We need to find out which courses he still needs. Just looking over his transcript, it would appear at first glance that he is at least a junior, perhaps a senior.

"We will examine his transcripts and together we will decide what is best for Joseph."

Uchebo played at Oak Ridge (N.C.) Military Academy last year and at Durham Mount Zion the year before. He is from Lagos, Nigeria and is playing for the CP3 All-Stars this summer.

Summerfield said he has not selected a coach to succeed Erasta Hatchett, who coached at the school one season after succeeding Levi Beckwith.

"We've not moved on that yet," Summerfield said. "We are taking our time.

"The decision is being spiritually driven. We would like to have someone who is a part of the church. We want someone who is going to be with us for years to come."

The church, which is 17 years old, currently has about 2,500 members.

-- Tim Stevens, (Raleigh) News & Observer

Rock Hill's Clowney ranked top recruit in country

2010-06-04T03:08:00.000-04:00

The phone in Bobby Carroll's office at South Pointe High has been ringing off the hook.

Nearly every coach at a major college has called to extend their congratulations of the latest news involving Carroll's football team.

Carroll coaches the No. 1 football player in the country, not just at his position and not just in South Carolina. Stallions defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been chosen by three football recruiting services as the nation's best player in all of the 50 states.

"I'm happy to know football people feel I'm the number one player in the nation," Clowney said. "It's a big thing... really big. But I'm about team first and these honors bring recognition to South Pointe.

"When college coaches come here, they see we have a lot of good players that deserve a chance. No matter what is said about my abilities, you can't win without a team attitude. It takes all of us to be successful."

Clowney is at the top of the lists released by Rivals.com, Scouts.com and ESPN. Renowned high school analyst Tom Lemming, who ranked the top 100 players for MAXPreps.com, has Clowney at No. 2 in the nation.

"You wouldn't believe all of the calls," Carroll said. "Nearly every big-time coach in the country in interested in signing him and he has a stack of offers unlike any I've seen. I've coached five players now in the NFL and none were recruited as heavily as Clowney."

Clowney, who is 6-feet-6, 245 pounds, has listed South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama as his top three schools, but that could change. South Carolina is most mentioned by observers not because of anything Clowney has said but because former South Pointe Stallions Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman play there.

According to Jim Baxter, who runs SCVarsity.com, South Carolina's branch of Rivals.com, no S.C. player has ever been ranked No. 1 nationally.

-- Barry Byers, Rock Hill Herald

McAdoo's decision 'not 100 percent' yet

2010-06-02T11:06:00.002-04:00

James McAdoo's coach at Norfolk (Va.) Christian Academy, Michael Allen, shed a bit more light Wednesday on the possibility of early enrollment for McAdoo at North Carolina.

McAdoo is a 6-foot-8 power forward scheduled to graduate in 2011 who has committed to North Carolina. On Tuesday, McAdoo's father, Ronnie, said James is considering graduating early and joining the Tar Heels for the 2010-11 season but declined further comment.

"It's not 100 percent that he is leaving, and it's not 100 percent he's staying," Allen said. "It's just something they're praying about and contemplating and trying to work things out and see where the Lord is leading them."

Allen said the McAdoos haven't told him much yet, other than saying they're considering an early graduation that would require passing summer school classes.

"I know he has two main credit courses he would have to take this summer in summer school," Allen said. "They're exploring some options on how he could possibly do that to get his degree early."

McAdoo won't turn 18 until Jan. 4. He has never "reclassified" in school, so graduating early would put him a year ahead of his class, Allen said.

Getting McAdoo early would improve North Carolina's depth at forward after twins David and Travis Wear unexpectedly transferred to UCLA last month. The Wears' departure had left the Tar Heels with only Tyler Zeller and John Henson on scholarship in the frontcourt.

But Alabama junior Justin Knox, who's 6-foot-9, has announced plans to graduate from the university after this summer and enroll at North Carolina to play his final season of college eligibility for the Tar Heels in 2010-11 under the NCAA's graduate student transfer waiver.

McAdoo would give North Carolina another big body and a highly regarded prospect who seems destined for a future in the NBA. He is rated as the No. 5 prospect overall in the Class of 2011 by scout.com.

Whether he will need to be ranked with a new class soon is a question the family hasn't answered yet.

"It is an option," Allen said. "They're praying about it. And that's really about all we know."

Ken Tysiac

McAdoo may enroll early at UNC

2010-06-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

James McAdoo, a 6-foot-8 power forward who's currently scheduled to graduate from high school in 2011, is considering enrolling a year early at North Carolina.

"It's something he's considering, and that's about as far as I'll go with it," said Ronnie McAdoo, the player's father. "It's something he's considering, but I don't want to get into any details about it."

McAdoo, who's considered one of the top five players in his class regardless of position, committed to North Carolina in September.

If he graduates from high school and enrolls early, he will be 17 years old when he enters North Carolina. He will turn 18 on Jan. 4 and could be the second player from Virginia in two years to take summer school classes in order to graduate a year early and attend a Triangle ACC school and play men's basketball.

A year ago, Andre Dawkins graduated early from Atlantic Shores Christian Academy in Chesapeake, Va., to enroll at Duke and help the Blue Devils win the NCAA title. He played a reserve role at shooting guard, helping decrease the impact of Duke's loss of Gerald Henderson after his junior season to the NBA draft and Elliot Williams to a transfer.

Like Duke last year, North Carolina is facing unexpected personnel losses. Tar Heel forwards David and Travis Wear surprised coach Roy Williams last month when they decided to transfer; they've since committed to UCLA.

That had left North Carolina with just two true post players on scholarship in Tyler Zeller and John Henson. But the Tar Heels added help in 6-foot-9 Justin Knox, who decided to graduate early from Alabama and enroll as a grad student at North Carolina for the one year of eligibility he has remaining.

Ken Tysiac

Where Duke, UNC, Pack stand in 2011 recruiting

2010-06-01T09:41:00.001-04:00

Duke and North Carolina don't have McDonald's All-America-caliber big men locked up, but do have commitments from some high-powered prospects.

N.C. State has a commitment from a big guy in Joseph Uchebo who may be better than any post player the Blue Devils or Tar Heels get in the Class of 2011. With the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions concluded, here's a look at how the 2011 basketball recruiting class is shaping up for the three Triangle ACC schools:

Duke: Michael Gbinije, a 6-foot-6 shooter from Richmond, gives the Blue Devils an excellent forward prospect who will reduce the impact of losing Kyle Singler after his senior season.

The Blue Devils also have a commitment from 6-8 Brandon Adams of Brandon, Miss., who has a big body at 250 pounds but isn't a top-50 prospect because he's not a highly skilled scorer - yet. If Duke doesn't get Quincy Miller, a 6-8 power forward from Westchester Academy in High Point, it might not end up with a big-time post scorer in this class.

Duke's most pressing issue at this point is to lock up 6-4 scoring guard Austin Rivers of Winter Park, Fla. He's rated as one of the top five players in the class, and the Blue Devils appear to be in excellent shape with him.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels are in good shape at a couple positions.

They have an excellent inside-outside forward prospect committed in 6-8 James McAdoo of Norfolk, Va. P.J. Hairston, a 6-5 wing from Greensboro, puts North Carolina in great shape at that position when you consider that Harrison Barnes (who may only stay one season) and Reggie Bullock are in the 2010 class.

With Kendall Marshall coming in to play point guard in 2010, point guard isn't a big need in 2011. But the low post is, especially because Alabama transfer Justin Knox has just one year of eligibility remaining.

Will the Tar Heels offer Cody Zeller or Marshall Plumlee? Is there another big target out there who hasn't materialized yet? Roy Williams always seems to find answers in recruiting, and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with.

N.C. State: It's impossible to overstate the value of 6-9 Joseph Uchebo, the Oak Ridge Military big man who's reclassifying from 2012 into 2011 and has committed to N.C. State.

At the Tournament of Champions, Uchebo demonstrated remarkable ball handling ability and a toughness that may make him one of the top big men in his class. Along with Richard Howell, he should make the Wolfpack strong up front in 2011-12 and 2012-13 even if C.J. Leslie does only stay one season.

Uchebo is all N.C. State has committed at the moment in 2011, but the Wolfpack's needs aren't as great because its 2010 class (Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Ryan Harrow) is so strong.

Getting Jerome Seagers or Quinn Cook out of the Washington, D.C., area would improve N.C. State's depth at point guard. The Wolfpack also could use a scoring forward like Gbinije or McAdoo, but doesn't appear likely to get one of that caliber.

Still, with Uchebo emerging as a high quality big man, N.C. State is in good shape at a key position.

Ken Tysiac

Charlotte team wins 15-and-under division

2010-05-30T17:42:00.000-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - Team United of Charlotte captured the 15-and-under championship Sunday at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions on Sunday at the Smith Center.

Kennedy Meeks of West Charlotte and Kristian Beasley of Concord each scored 15 points in the championship game.

"To be known as one of the best in the country, that's great," Meeks said.

The Atlanta Celtics won the 16-and-under division, and the Long Island Lightning won the 17-and-under bracket.

Ken Tysiac

Evaluating the talent at the Gibbons tournament

2010-05-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

With the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions about to wrap up, here are some thoughts on some of the top players of interest in North Carolina who played this weekend in Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh:

Bishop Daniels: Super-athletic Raleigh Word of God Academy player is trying to show he can play point guard at 6-3, but it won't be easy. Daniels can spin, get to the rim and finish with the best of them, but needs to make better decisions and demonstrate that he can run an offense.

He has scholarship offers from Wake Forest, Georgetown, Miami, South Carolina, Charlotte and East Carolina, and expects to pick a school by the end of the summer.

Andre Drummond: Big man (6-11) is ranked atop the Class of 2012, and seems certain to be a high NBA draft pick some day.

He has good hands, runs the floor well and handles the ball effectively for a player his size. He still needs to get better at dominating in the low post and readily admits that he must learn to score more with his back to the basket.

Chase Fischer: A 6-3 guard from Shipley, W.Va., he's a talented 3-point shooter who should be able to force people to guard him on the perimeter in new Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik's system.

But it's not clear whether the former Marshall commitment will be able to defend or be physical enough to make a big impact in the ACC.

P.J. Hairston: Wing from Greensboro didn't take over at this tournament in the way you would expect from a player committed to North Carolina.

He seems to have all the tools - size and a wide-shouldered, powerful body, but needs to learn to use his strength better to finish on the drive. Nonetheless, he can be extremely effective when he is hitting from the outside, and he rebounds extremely well for a wing player.

Tyler Lewis: Point guard in the Class of 2012 from Lewisville, N.C., is the most divisive figure among talent evaluators in the state.

He's listed at 5-11, but he's not even that tall. Although he works hard on defense, he can be overpowered by bigger, stronger guards, and some wonder whether he's an ACC-caliber player because he's small.

But he scores from every area on the floor and possesses extraordinary vision and passing ability. With scholarship offers from schools including N.C. State, Wake Forest, Charlotte, Virginia Tech and Miami, he clearly has impressed college coaches.

The guess here is that he will be a successful ACC player but won't get a scholarship offer from North Carolina or Duke.

Alex Murphy: A 6-foot-8 forward from Southborough, Mass., he's staying an extra day in the Triangle for an unofficial visit to Duke.

He is similar to Kyle Singler in that he's tall and has perimeter scoring skills, but isn't as strong or physical as Singler. He'll be one for fans of the Blue Devils (and perhaps North Carolina, too) to watch carefully.

Shabazz Muhammad: Left-handed Class of 2012 wing from Las Vegas can score in every way - on the break, on the drive and from 3-point range.

He had at least two 30-point games in the Tournament of Champions and seems particularly interested in Duke, but North Carolina could be a factor as well.

His stock definitely is rising.

Rodney Purvis: Raleigh Upper Room guard is so young (Class of 2013) that it's probably premature to evaluate him.

But he can score from the outside and has an uncanny ability to get to the basket and finish in the lane. If he's not the best player in his class, there can't be many who are better.

Marquis Rankin: Charlotte Vance point guard is a solid pickup for Virginia Tech and did a good job running the CP3 All-Stars team over the weekend.

He is not anywhere near the kind of scorer that current Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney is. In fact, if there's a negative to Rankin's game it's that he makes all the "safe" plays but rarely does anything spectacular.

J.P. Tokoto: Although this 6-6 wing from Menomonee Falls, Wis., can get to the basket and finish seemingly anytime he wants, he needs to develop a perimeter game.

He's been rated as a top-five player in the Class of 2012, but didn't play as well this weekend as Shabazz Muhammad, who's rated lower. Still, he's a guy coaches at Duke and North Carolina probably will keep an extremely close eye on.

Joseph Uchebo: At 6-foot-9, the Oak Ridge Military forward can bang inside and demonstrated remarkable ball-handling skills at the Tournament of Champions.

Uchebo held his own against the top player in the Class of 2011, 6-11 Andre Drummond, and gives N.C. State an outstanding addition as he is reclassifying to 2011 from 2012.

Dezmine Wells: At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Word of God Academy forward is built like an outside linebacker, and he plays like one, too. He doesn't have a jump shot to speak of, but lowers his shoulder and barrels his way to the basket with tremendous power.

His lack of perimeter shooting at first glance makes him a questionable fit for the Xavier team he's committed to because the Musketeers are known so much for 3-point shooting. But he will make them a better team because he will add a different dimension, and he's an excellent "get" for Xavier.

-- Ken Tysiac

Class of 2012 forward Murphy to visit Duke

2010-05-30T14:16:00.000-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - Alex Murphy, a 6-foot-8 forward from Southborough, Mass., in the Class of 2012, will remain in the Triangle for an extra day after the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions concludes so he can take an unofficial visit to Duke.

Murphy has an inside-outside game similar to that of current Duke forward Kyle Singler, although Singler was stronger and more physical at a comparable stage of development.

"One thing I want to work on this summer is getting stronger," Murphy said.

He mentioned Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Syracuse, Butler and Iowa among the schools that interest him, but said the list is too long to name every school. He said North Carolina also is recruiting him.

Another player in the Tournament of Champions, 6-2 wing Chasson Randle of Rock Island, Ill., postponed a Monday visit to Duke because of difficulty rearranging his flight schedule.

Randle, who's in the Class of 2011, led his team to the tournament semifinals. He plans to reschedule with Duke in June or July.

The highly regarded CP3 All-Stars team from North Carolina was eliminated by the Michigan Hurricanes in the 17-and-under tournament quarterfinals this morning. The Long Island Lightning will meet the Michigan Hurricanes in the 17-and-under finals.

Ken Tysiac

CP3 advances in matchup of giants

2010-05-30T00:38:00.000-04:00

DURHAM - The opening round of the playoffs Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium matched the CP3 All-Stars team that's favored to win the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions against the best big man in the event.

Andre Drummond, a 6-foot-11 Class of 2012 center modeling his game to be a combination of Dwight Howard and LeBron James, couldn't pull off the upset as Connecticut Basketball Club fell 73-69.

Drummond, who isn't revealing much about his college leanings, scored 19 points and nearly engineered a comeback after his team trailed by 13 with three minutes remaining. But 6-9 N.C. State commitment Joe Uchebo nearly matched Drummond's output with 17 points. Raleigh Word of God forward Dez Wells (committed to Xavier) scored 19 to lead CP3.

Although Drummond has a body that seems almost certain to make him an NBA lottery pick eventually, he has a lot to work on. He's comfortable away from the basket, which is a plus, but needs to learn to use his size (265 pounds) to overpower people in the lane.

"I feel like [I need to work on] stuff with my back to the basket and a little bit more on my ball handling and shooting ability," Drummond said.

He also said he has enjoyed being exposed to Duke and North Carolina this weekend and would be interested in coming back for a visit to learn more about the academics at those schools.

Ken Tysiac

Word of God's Daniels has key role on CP3

2010-05-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

DURHAM - Although North Carolina commitment P.J. Hairston's 25 points sparked the CP3 All-Stars' rally for a 62-55 win over the Mid-Atlantic Select on Saturday, Raleigh Word of God Academy guard Bishop Daniels is playing a significant role as well.

Daniels averaged 11 points in CP3's first two games and is an athletic finisher for the team in the backcourt at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds. He said he has scholarship offers from Wake Forest, Georgetown, East Carolina, Miami, South Carolina, Charlotte and East Carolina and hopes to make a decision by the end of the summer.

In the meantime, he is trying to polish his point guard skills so he will be regarded as one of the top backcourt players in the nation. He isn't currently in scout.com's top 100.

"The only thing I need to accomplish is making the right decisions, being in the right place at the right time as a point guard," Daniels said.

Ken Tysiac

Muhammad hearing from Duke, UNC

2010-05-29T15:25:00.000-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - A frustrated Shabazz Muhammad said Saturday afternoon that his Dream Vision team has to find a way to play through injuries after a loss to the Smyrna (Ga.) Stars.

"I have a sprained ankle but I'm going to keep playing," Muhammad said. "There's no excuse for this loss."

Muhammad is a 6-foot-5 wing from Las Vegas who is rated No. 7 in the Class of 2012 by scout.com. He has been offered scholarships by Texas, Kansas, UNLV, UCLA, Louisville, Georgetown, Arizona, Arizona State and Washington.

He's also being recruited by Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky, although those schools didn't offer scholarships. He had a sensational performance Friday night with 33 points in a win at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, but scored just 10 (none in the second half) in the loss Saturday.

He visited Duke unofficially for the Blue Devils' home win over North Carolina.

"I really liked the atmosphere of the game," he said. "The crowd was crazy, and I'm looking forward to coming down there again."

But Muhammad didn't tip his hand as to which school he might favor at this point.

Ken Tysiac

Thomas still wide open

2010-05-29T11:57:00.001-04:00

DURHAM - North Carolina assistant coach Steve Robinson checked in a few days ago with Memphis Class of 2011 wing Adonis Thomas, but the Tar Heels haven't offered him a scholarship.

Thomas said Duke's staff had been recruiting him, but he hasn't heard from the Blue Devils in a while. After scoring 13 points the Magic defeated the West Virginia Wildcats 72-66 on Saturday morning in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Thomas said he is still wide open in his recruiting.

At 6-foot-6, Thomas plays for a Melrose High team that plays a lot of full-court pressure, so he is a fairly advanced player defensively with an athletic frame that should allow him to guard multiple positions. He said he thinks he will play shooting guard in college, but he knows he has work to do.

"I've got to start working on my outside shot," said Thomas, who's rated the No. 12 player in his class by scout.com. "That's going to be a key thing for me, being a versatile inside-out player."

Ken Tysiac

New Deacons coach Bzdelik impresses Fischer

2010-05-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

DURHAM - Chase Fischer, who's Wake Forest's first commitment under new coach Jeff Bzdelik, perked up Saturday morning when asked about the Deacons.

A 6-foot-3 guard for the West Virginia Wildcats, he'd shot poorly (though he made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points) in a loss to the Memphis Magic at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

But he was happy to talk about Bzdelik and Wake Forest.

"He made a really good impression," Fischer said. "He was very professional, and he was honest with me. I went down there and we talked for about two or three hours and toured the campus, and he made a great impression. . . .He's been in the NBA and at numerous colleges, and I got a good feel for him. I really liked him."

Fischer had been committed to Marshall, but rescinded his commitment when coach Donnie Jones left for Central Florida. Although Fischer isn't particularly athletic, he's fundamentally sound and plays for a club team that runs an unusual amount of set plays.

He said he is looking forward to playing a role as Bzdelik restores Wake Forest as an ACC power.

"They've been great, but they've had a lot of kids leave early for the draft and stuff," Fischer said. "He's going to implement a new style of basketball, but he's going to keep running and stuff. He likes kids that can shoot the ball. And that's what I can do."

Ken Tysiac

Hairston slims down

2010-05-29T11:03:00.001-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - Serious followers of North Carolina Class of 2011 commitment P.J. Hairston might have noticed that he looks a bit sleeker at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.

Click through your channels through the infomercials late at night if you want to see why. Hairston said he is following a new workout regimen called P90X. Hairston, who's 6-foot-5, said he was about 230 pounds when he started and is down to 218.

"It's a 90-day workout, yoga, and a nightly workout you do to lose weight and stay in shape," said Hairston, who's from Greensboro and is transferring from Dudley High to Hargrave Military Academy for his senior season.

Hairston said slimming down has helped him feel more comfortable handling the ball and driving to the basket.

Ken Tysiac

Lewis' thriller caps Day One at Bob Gibbons TOC

2010-05-29T01:07:00.000-04:00

CHAPEL HILL - Bob Gibbons knows a good finish when he sees it in his Tournament of Champions club basketball event.

While reporters were interviewing guard Tyler Lewis of Team Loaded late Friday night, Gibbons flashed a thumbs-up sign. Lewis had just made the biggest shot of the night to give his team a one-point win over Raising Champions and advance his own legend at the Smith Center.

Lewis is a 5-foot-11 point guard in the Class of 2012 from Lewisville, N.C., who received his first scholarship offer from Virginia Tech when he was just a high school freshman.

His story is well known by now in recruiting circles. Lewis possesses uncommon court sense, vision and passing ability and scores over much, much bigger players in the lane even though he weighs just 157 pounds.

There has been much debate over whether he's big, strong or quick enough to thrive as a high-level Division I point guard. But the staffs at Virginia Tech, Charlotte, Auburn, N.C. State, Wake Forest and Miami all have offered him scholarships as his stature has grown.

Figuratively, at least, he grew a little taller Friday night. His team was supposed to be holding the ball for a last shot with the score tied when teammate Andrew White inexplicably tried an off-balance 15-footer with 25 seconds remaining.

Raising Champions grabbed the ball and raced to the other end for a layup to take the lead. Lewis took the inbounds pass and rushed up the court himself. He dribbled left and fired a fadeaway 3-pointer through the net with six seconds remaining.

His father, Rick Lewis, jumped to his feet.

"Yes," he shouted.

Yes, indeed.

Lewis finished with 24 points and a game-winning shot to his credit.

"It's the size of the heart [that matters]," Lewis said. "I don't think anybody comes out and plays with more heart than I do."

One of Lewis' teammates has the opposite problem. Adjehi Baru is 6-foot-10 with impressive athletic ability, but still is developing his skills.

Baru helped spark Team Loaded's second-half comeback, displaying a surprisingly soft jumper inside eight feet. He came to the United States from the Ivory Coast a little more than a year ago with one long-term goal in mind.

He wants to play professional basketball some day. He said colleges have contacted them, but he doesn't want to discuss which ones because he wants to focus all his attention on his school work and improving his basketball skills.

With his size and ability, this Richmond, Va., resident will be worth keeping tabs on.

Another player who emerged Friday night was Class of 2012 forward Montrezl Harrell of Tarboro. With the media gathered to watch highly recruited J.P. Tokoto of Wisconsin, Harrell stole the show in a 16-and-under game with 29 points (to Tokoto's 15), including a couple rim-rattling dunks and two 3-pointers.

He said Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech have offered scholarships. If he keeps playing this way, other schools will be offering, too.

Stay tuned for more updates from the Tournament of Champions throughout the weekend.

Ken Tysiac

N.C. State recruit to move up to class of 2011

2010-05-28T19:06:00.003-04:00

If everything goes according to plan, basketball recruit Joseph Uchebo will get to N.C. State one year sooner than expected.

Uchebo, a 6-9 power forward from Nigeria, is going to reclassify as a senior and graduate in 2011, his high school coach said Friday before Uchebo played in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in Chapel Hill.

Uchebo, who turns 18 in June, will need to take a summer school class in math to meet the NCAA Clearinghouse core requirements, Oak Military Academy coach Stan Kowalewski said. But Uchebo's committed to graduate after three years of high school in this country and enroll before the 2011-12 season.

"He's a good student and he works hard," Kowalewski said. "He should be able to handle the extra work."

N.C. State does not have any known commitments from the class of 2011 but has four scholarships available.

Uchebo, who played one season at Durham Mount Zion and this past season at Oak Ridge, had been classified in the class of 2012. He made a verbal commitment to the Wolfpack in Nov. 2009.

Uchebo averaged 10 points and 9.5 rebounds for Oak Ridge last season despite a series of injuries that limited him.

"There's no question basketball-wise, he's ready," Kowalewski said.

With senior forward Tracy Smith leaving the program after the 2010-11 season, State will need interior help. The Pack will also lose senior guard Javier Gonzalez and has two extra scholarships after Julius Mays and Josh Davis decided to transfer.

-- J.P. Giglio

Tournament of Champions is a treat

2010-05-26T17:09:00.001-04:00

Although some of the nation's top seniors are playing elsewhere over Memorial Day weekend, Bob Gibbons' Tournament of Champions club basketball event should be a treat for hard-core fans hoping to glimpse college and NBA prospects of the future.

North Carolina signee P.J. Hairston and UNC/Duke legacy big men Cody Zeller and Marshall Plumlee are some of the top seniors who will attend. Top juniors include scout.com's No. 1-rated player in the Class of 2012, Andre Drummond, as well as top-10 prospects J.P. Tokoto and Shabazz Muhammad.

N.C. State fans will get to see Class of 2012 low post signee Joseph Uchebo play alongside Hairston for the CP3 All-Stars team. The event takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Triangle venues that include arenas on campus at Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State. (The full schedule is available at bobgibbons.net).

This will be my seventh year covering the event. The players who've participated in that time have been outstanding:

- Greg Oden was a No. 1 NBA draft pick, and John Wall seems destined to be one, too.

- Michael Beasley (who was committed to Charlotte at one time) was national player of the year at Kansas State.

- O.J. Mayo was a No. 1-rated recruit whose recruitment got Southern California and Tim Floyd in a whole lot of trouble.

- Brandon Jennings began what could be a trend when he played a year overseas in order to make money while waiting to grow old enough to meet the NBA's age limit.

The most amazing team to play in the tournament during that time was the Spiece Indy Heat club in 2005 that included Oden, Michael Conley, Daequan Cook and Eric Gordon. The best moment was a no-look bullet pass from Wall to Ryan Kelly in 2008 for a dunk that brought the crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium to its feet. The worst moment might have been a Derrick Favors flagrant elbow that resulted in his ejection in a semifinal game in 2008.

Even though there's not an Oden, a Wall or a Favors in this year's event, the talent is good enough that it will provide more memorable moments for fans who want to see gifted players before they begin getting national attention.

Ken Tysiac

Transfers haven't fazed North Carolina, Duke

2010-05-25T08:39:00.001-04:00

For the second time now in two years, we have been reminded of how North Carolina and Duke are fortunate to be – well, North Carolina and Duke.

The Tar Heels seemed to be in rough shape in the low post for next season after twins David and Travis Wear surprised coach Roy Williams earlier this month with their decision to transfer. Williams himself said there weren’t a lot of options for replacements available to North Carolina at such a late date.

But when you’re North Carolina, you can usually find a solution, and the Tar Heels did. Justin Knox, a forward who’s transferring after playing three seasons at Alabama, committed Monday night to the Tar Heels. He’s 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds and averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds last season, and will add much-needed depth in the low post.

He is expected to graduate this summer and be eligible to play immediately under the NCAA’s graduate student waiver.

The Tar Heels’ successful scramble to acquire Knox is reminiscent of Duke’s fortunate personnel move last summer. Elliot Williams decided to transfer to Memphis, leaving the Blue Devils dangerously thin in the backcourt.

But Duke created some depth when Andre Dawkins graduated from high school early and enrolled as a freshman whose 3-point shooting prowess particularly helped the team early in the season, and the Blue Devils won the NCAA title.

In consecutive summers, Knox and Dawkins have demonstrated how elite programs can withstand personnel losses better than most of their competitors. As Williams said, at this time of year there aren’t many quality players available. But if there are just a few players available, Duke and North Carolina can rocket to the top of their lists in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Clemson for example never was able to find quality perimeter shooting lost last summer when 3-point ace Terrence Oglesby unexpectedly chose to turn pro overseas.
In college basketball, the rich find ways to stay rich even when they’re dealing with losses that weren’t anticipated.

Ken Tysiac

Alabama transfer Knox picks Tar Heels

2010-05-24T21:33:00.001-04:00

Losing David and Travis Wear to an unexpected transfer became less of a problem for North Carolina on Monday night when Alabama transfer Justin Knox committed to the Tar Heels.

Knox, who's played three seasons for the Crimson Tide, is a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward who plans to graduate from Alabama this summer and enroll at North Carolina as a graduate student. Under the NCAA's graduate student waiver program, he should be eligible to play for the Tar Heels immediately if he chooses a degree program that Alabama does not offer.

"Everyone in the family is excited," said Darien Knox, Justin's uncle, who announced the commitment. "Everyone in the family is looking forward to Justin becoming a Tar Heel."

Justin Knox plans to make a statement to the media Tuesday explaining his decision. Darien Knox said both finalists, North Carolina and Georgia Tech, made Justin feel like family on his visits, and said North Carolina assistant coach Steve Robinson did an outstanding job recruiting Justin.

Knox averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game last season for Alabama, but decided to transfer in part because he didn't feel like he was fitting into the system after coach Anthony Grant's first season.

By providing immediate, experienced help in the low post, Knox should give the Tar Heels' fortunes a huge boost next season. The Wear twins' departure had left North Carolina with just two scholarship players - John Henson and Tyler Zeller - as true low-post players.

Ken Tysiac

Wisconsin OT commits to Duke

2010-05-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

The same high school that produced three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns has an offensive tackle committed to play for Duke.

Marcus Aprahamian, an honor roll student at Brookfield (Wis.) Central High, had a scholarship offer from Minnesota and was getting interest from other Big Ten schools before he chose Duke.

He's 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, and throws shot put and discus for the track and field team in addition to playing football. His brother Mitch plays tight end for Darmouth.

"He's just a model student in all aspects," said Central coach Jamie Meulemans.

Ken Tysiac

Georgia DT commits to N.C. State

2010-05-18T11:40:00.001-04:00

Thomas Niles, a 6-foot-2, 265-pound defensive tackle from Gainesville High in Georgia, has committed to N.C. State.

Niles helped Gainesville to a 14-1 record and a state Class 7AAA runner-up finish last season. He also plays lacrosse for his high school team.

"He's a very physical, very strong kid, especially in the lower part of his body," said Gainesville coach Bruce Miller. ". . .He's not just a good lineman. He's a good athlete."

He's the second known commitment in N.C. State's class, along with safety Juston Burris of Raleigh's Broughton High. Scout.com ranks Niles as a three-star prospect on a five-star scale.

Ken Tysiac