Archive: January 2007
More Honors for Local G'town Recruits
All-Met guards and Georgetown recruits Austin Freeman of DeMatha and Chris Wright of St. John's today were named to play in the Jordan Brand All-American Classic on April 21 at Madison Square Garden. Former Riverdale Baptist All-Met Mike Beasley, now playing for Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., and signed...
By Josh Barr | January 31, 2007; 1:05 PM ET | Comments (1)
Once-Prized Recruit in Hot Water
It's looking like it could be a trip from the penthouse to the jailhouse for one-time top prospect Melvin Alaeze. Maryland rescinded a scholarship offer to Alaeze coming out of Randallstown High and he later enrolled at Illinois, which he left after only a few games. Now, he is charged...
By Josh Barr | January 31, 2007; 9:44 AM ET | Email a Comment
What's Up for Wednesday
Today's top five list: 1) Georgetown recruit Chris Wright continues to do it right for St. John's, scoring 36 points in a 65-59 victory over Carroll. That's nine 30+ games in a row and 12 of 13 for the two-time All-Met guard, who has scored more than half his team's...
By Josh Barr | January 31, 2007; 7:57 AM ET | Comments (1)
More Potential Trouble for O.J.?
I was just re-reading the O.J. Mayo Cleared to Play/Great Day in Huntington news when I noticed this passage: Mike Woelfel, Mayo's attorney and an assistant coach for the Highlanders, said Mayo was on his way to Durham, N.C., but it's unknown if he will play or not. And it...
By Josh Barr | January 30, 2007; 3:10 PM ET | Comments (1)
Big Woo is Back
I caught up with Morgan Wootten on Friday night at the St. John's-O'Connell game. On the road back from kidney transplant surgery in September, Wootten said his health is well and a recent checkup prompted doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to transfer care of Wootten back to his...
By Josh Barr | January 30, 2007; 2:23 PM ET | Email a Comment
O-Mazing! Mayo to Play Tonight
O.J. Mayo went to court yesterday afternoon (see the video here) and today a judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing him to play in Huntington High's game tonight against Artesia of Lakewood, Calif. The order allows Mayo to play until Feb. 9 - including Saturday's game against the top-ranked...
By Josh Barr | January 30, 2007; 12:22 PM ET | Email a Comment
Football News, Rutgers and Others
Seneca Valley LB Jourdan Brooks, once thought to be bound for Tennessee, has committed to play for Rutgers, Screaming Eagles Coach Fred Kim said. Brooks also considered Illinois, but in the end wanted to stay closer to home. He joined All-Met Defensive Player of the Year Joe Lefeged of Northwest,...
By Josh Barr | January 30, 2007; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (1)
Three For Tuesday
Three for Tuesday 1. One of the nation's top recruits, O.J. Mayo might not be seeing the floor anytime soon. Huntington (W.Va.) High, which earlier this season beat No. 4 DeMatha, plays Artesia of Lakewood, Calif., tonight at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, but it is unlikely the USC-bound (for...
By Josh Barr | January 30, 2007; 9:57 AM ET | Email a Comment
More For Monday
1) All-Met Defensive Player of the Year Marvin Austin, a lineman from Ballou, plans to reveal his college choice on Feb. 7, the first day of the college football signing period. Austin has kept things pretty quiet; his last official visit was to Florida State. 2) Maryland's Gary Williams, Georgetown's...
By Josh Barr | January 29, 2007; 6:29 AM ET | Comments (3)
Montrose-T.C. Williams Game Is Postponed
Saturday's game between No. 1 Montrose Christian and No. 3 T.C. Williams has been postponed after a Montrose eighth-grader collapsed and died during basketball practice on Thursday. School chaplain Chris Adams said the 13-year-old Carson Wise was a member of the school's eighth-grade basketball team. The team was practicing Thursday...
By Josh Barr | January 26, 2007; 12:45 PM ET | Comments (7)
Five for the Weekend
1) Not that it needs any more promotion, but the doubleheader on Saturday night at American's Bender Arena is near must-see for those wanting to see the area's elite players. The 7 p.m. game features No. 4 St. John's with All-Met guard Chris Wright (Georgetown) and forward Vlad Moldoveanu (George...
By Josh Barr | January 26, 2007; 6:49 AM ET | Email a Comment
Gone From Miami... Now Going to Louisiville
Remember Willie Williams, the former Miami prep star who enrolled at the U despite legal troubles? He leftr Miami, spent a year at junior college now he's headed for Louisville......
By Josh Barr | January 25, 2007; 5:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
More Nigerians on the Way???
The whispers about Carroll adding a pair of 7-foot Nigerians might be true. "It's a possibility," Carroll Coach Clinton Perrow said this morning. "A strong possibility." Perrow confirmed that two Nigerians - alleged to be very tall -- have applied for admission to the school but have yet to arrive...
By Josh Barr | January 25, 2007; 1:14 PM ET | Comments (2)
MEAC Schools Hit PW
Hampton picks up a wide receiver and lineman from Woodbridge. Norfolk State gets a lineman from Hylton....
By Josh Barr | January 25, 2007; 11:33 AM ET | Email a Comment
All-Met LB to Decide Next Week
Forestville All-Met LB Devonte Campbell plans to take an official visit to Tennessee this weekend and will announce his college choice next Thursday. Campbell also is considering Maryland, Illinois, Syracuse and Georgia Tech....
By Josh Barr | January 24, 2007; 5:17 PM ET | Email a Comment
Two (Three?) Big Games Coming Up...
Given the choice, which do you go to: No. 1 Montrose Christian at No. 3 T.C. Williams? Or the Battle of the Beltways, with No. 3 DeMatha vs. Towson Catholic (#1 in The Sun) and No. 4 St. John's vs. Mount St. Joseph (#2 in The Sun)? It's a tough...
By Josh Barr | January 24, 2007; 4:44 PM ET | Email a Comment
Remember Kent Hicks?
The former Culpeper High star couldn't get into Maryland and couldn't get on the field at Virginia Tech. After sitting out this past season, Hicks is transferring to Liberty, reports the Free-Lance Star. Let this serve as one more reminder that recruiting rankings and other hype often mean little....
By Josh Barr | January 24, 2007; 11:36 AM ET | Email a Comment
Quite A Night!
So the editors sent me to cover the Wootton-Damascus girls' basketball game on Tuesday night. And while I got to see something I hadn't seen at a boys' game in a while -- the victorious Patriots made 18 of 19 free throws, all in the fourth quarter, including 10 of...
By Josh Barr | January 23, 2007; 11:42 PM ET | Comments (2)
Lots of Stuff
It's been a busy couple days, so here's some catching up: Stone Bridge RB Devon Brown committed to play football at Wake Forest, reports Stephen A. Norris. Colleague Jeff Ermann passes along that Friendly All-Met WR Vinnie Hill has changed his commitment from Akron to Virginia. It's not much of...
By Josh Barr | January 23, 2007; 4:55 PM ET | Comments (1)
A Detour for Ballou Lineman
No, not Marvin Austin. The All-Met Defensive Player of the Year still plans to take his official visit to Florida State this weekend. He previously has visited Southern Cal, Illinois, Tennesse and North Carolina -- and could make a decision soon, perhaps next week. The other big Ballou lineman has...
By Josh Barr | January 18, 2007; 2:02 PM ET | Email a Comment
Was It Worth It?
Last week, colleague Eli Saslow wrote a story about Gonzaga OL A.J. Francis and how Francis thought it was worthwhile to spend $1,000 to travel to a combine in San Antonio. Francis, who already held some scholarship offers, returned and last week committed to Maryland -- one of the schools...
By Josh Barr | January 17, 2007; 12:59 PM ET | Comments (1)
Former All-Met DB Enrolls at UNC
LeCount Fantroy, a 2005 All-Met defensive back at Ballou, has enrolled at North Carolina for the spring semester. Fantroy signed with the Tar Heels as a high school senior, but attended Milford (Conn.) Academy this past fall....
By Josh Barr | January 16, 2007; 4:00 PM ET | Email a Comment
Garner Shoots and Scores
George Mason assistant coach Chris Caputo was in attendance this past Friday to watch Springbrook junior guard C.J. Garner score 31 points in a victory over Blake. Garner could be an interesting prospect to watch. He's excellent at getting to the basket, drawing fouls and finishing, but I'm sure college...
By Josh Barr | January 16, 2007; 3:03 PM ET | Comments (2)
High Scorer at Kennedy
One other player to watch in Montgomery County is Kennedy guard Jeremy Herring. The 6-foot-2 senior, a three-year starter, is being by several colleges. He does not yet hold any scholarship offers, Coach Diallo Nelson said, but that might be only a matter of time. "Loyola is probably recruiting...
By Josh Barr | January 12, 2007; 1:18 PM ET | Comments (2)
Springbrook Player Getting Looks
C.J. Garner worked his way into a role as Springbrook's sixth man last season and this season this lefthanded junior guard is developing as a college prospect. George Mason and Towson are recruiting the 6-foot Garner, who scored 38 and 31 points this week in victories over Walter Johnson...
By Josh Barr | January 11, 2007; 11:49 AM ET | Email a Comment
Tough Night for Big Frank
You had to feel for O'Connell center Frank Ben-Eze last night. The 6-foot-10 Nigerian has obviously made a quick impression in his few months in the U.S. Maryland, Georgetown and Virginia were the schools recruiting him the hardest, with Clemson also in the mix. So Maryland Coach Gary Williams and...
By Josh Barr | January 10, 2007; 12:23 PM ET | Email a Comment
A Championship Night
Eleanor Roosevelt football coach Rick Houchens was a little tired on the other end of the phone this morning, but he had no problem communicating his enthusiasm after watching former Raider All-Met Derrick Harvey help Florida beat Ohio State, 41-14, for the national championship on Monday night. (For a look...
By Josh Barr | January 9, 2007; 11:53 AM ET | Email a Comment
Montrose Trio Getting Plenty of Looks
I saw Maryland assistant Keith Booth on Friday night at Montrose Christian. Booth, who I covered during his final seasons as a Terrapin player, was pulling double duty: Maryland has signed two Montrose seniors, guard Adrian Bowie and center Shane Walker, leaving the main attraction for college recruiters a trip...
By Josh Barr | January 8, 2007; 10:49 AM ET | Comments (2)
Quite a Night
It was a see-and-be-seen kind of crowd last night for DeMatha-St. John's. Among those I saw: Georgetown Coach John Thompson III and assistant Kevin Broadus; George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga and assistant James Johnson; Paul VI Coach Levi Franklin, who watched from the upper concourse after arena officials allowed overflow...
By Josh Barr | January 5, 2007; 11:47 AM ET | Comments (1)
An Interesting Night...
In the gym last night at Bishop McNamara were William & Mary Coach Tony Shaver and assistant Antwon Jackson. The Tribe, which plays tonight at George Mason, had previously offered a scholarship to Gonzaga junior forward Max Kenyi. Good Counsel Coach Mike Hibbs and O'Connell Coach Joe Wootten also were...
By Josh Barr | January 3, 2007; 10:55 AM ET | Email a Comment
It's Hoops Season... (With a Little Football Too!)
The football signing period is one month away, beginning Feb. 7. And basketball season is heating up with conference play, including Thursday's showdown between No. 1 St. John's and No. 3 DeMatha at Trinity University at 6:30 p.m. (Anyone else think Georgetown Coach John Thompson III might be in attendance...
By Josh Barr | January 2, 2007; 12:17 PM ET | Comments (2)
