Archive: April 2007
Jordan's Son Staying In The Midwest
As I mentioned in a post earlier in the month, Michael Jordan's oldest son, Jeff, will play at Illinois. Jordan will be a walk-on, but I think his dad might be able to cover the cost of in-state tuition. Jordan had scholarship offers from Valparaiso and Loyola (Ill.) and also...
By Josh Barr | April 30, 2007; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (0)
Good Counsel DL Has Offers
Good Counsel FB-NG Cory Boatman has scholarship offers from Rutgers, Cincinnati, Temple and Miami of Ohio, reports Falcons Coach Bob Milloy. Boatman, who is 6-2 and 240 pounds, was a first-team all-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference defensive lineman in 2006. Milloy said that OL-DL Brian Murray has been contacted by Maryland...
By Josh Barr | April 30, 2007; 11:16 AM ET | Comments (0)
New Kentucky Coach Lands a Good One
New Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie picked up a high-profile recruit, signing Oak Hill guard Alex Legion, a one-time Michigan recruit. But when Michigan dismissed Tommy Amaker, it allowed Legion out of his letter-of-intent. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Legion averaged 19.5 points and shot 41 percent from three-point range this...
By Josh Barr | April 30, 2007; 8:22 AM ET | Comments (0)
McClain Is Big East Bound
Softball commish extraordinaire passes along this link: National Christian center Anthony McClain is headed to Cincinnati. No surprise there. Speculation had been that the 7-footer was bound for Cinci or U-Conn....
By Josh Barr | April 23, 2007; 11:04 AM ET | Comments (0)
Don't Believe the Hype?
This press release takes hype to a new level. Romeo Miller, a teenage rapper and junior guard at Beverly Hills High (no, not making any of this up) has committed to play basketball at USC. His PR group says the son of Master P already signed, which can't happen until...
By Josh Barr | April 23, 2007; 9:28 AM ET | Comments (0)
Joseph Heading to Syracuse
I missed posting this earlier in the week. Carroll guard Kris Joseph, who made quite a splash in his first year locally after moving from Montreal, committed to play for Syracuse. He also considered Georgetown and at one time Maryland also was thought to be very interested in Joseph....
By Josh Barr | April 20, 2007; 2:39 PM ET | Comments (0)
Logan-El Going I-AA?
Nothing is official yet, but when the wheels stop turning expect Antonio Logan-El to wind up at Towson, according to a well-placed source with inside information. An All-Met offensive lineman in 2005, Logan-El is waiting for Penn State to release him from his scholarship. That is considered a formality and...
By Josh Barr | April 20, 2007; 2:20 PM ET | Comments (13)
The Next Jordan?
The Washingtonian last month wondered whether Michael Jordan's son was going to play for Georgetown. Today, though, the Chicago Tribune - which perhaps has a better handle on the subject? - reports that Illinois might be Jeffrey Jordan's destination....
By Josh Barr | April 20, 2007; 1:27 PM ET | Comments (0)
Good Read on Texting
Here's a good read on the proposed text message ban. The next question on everyone's mind: How will coaches compensate for the loss of texting?...
By Josh Barr | April 20, 2007; 10:49 AM ET | Comments (1)
Recruits Say They're Still Going to Tech
Some Virginia Tech recruits say they are not reconsidering their college choice in the wake of this week's campus shootings....
By Josh Barr | April 20, 2007; 9:32 AM ET | Comments (1)
Tribe Loses Recruit
William & Mary assistant coach Antwon Jackson is as visible as anyone (save maybe Mason's Chris Caputo) when it comes to scouring the D.C. area for players. And now the Tribe is looking for one more recruit after losing a once-committed 6-5 forward to Mississippi State. Scroll to the fourth...
By Josh Barr | April 19, 2007; 2:33 PM ET | Comments (0)
Early Signees Beware
Got a phone call the other day from former Potomac (Md.) High and Bowie State basketball coach Taft Hickman, now the coach at Kempsville High in Virginia Beach. Hickman was calling to voice his displeasure with Wichita State University, which refused to release one of Hickman's players from a letter-of-intent...
By Josh Barr | April 19, 2007; 2:24 PM ET | Comments (0)
Fallout From LSU/Pokey?
Here's an interesting story on girls' basketball recruiting (sorry, NYT registration required) that looks at any possible backlash for coaches that are homosexual after LSU and Pokey Chatman went separate ways last month....
By Josh Barr | April 19, 2007; 12:38 PM ET | Comments (1)
More on Text Messaging
Leave it to the Ivy League to come up with the NCAA's best legislation in quite some time. Quite frankly, after scanning today's papers for articles, I'm surprised more is not being made of the possibility that the NCAA will ban the text messaging of recruits....
By Josh Barr | April 19, 2007; 11:18 AM ET | Comments (0)
Peterson Finally Makes a Call
No surprise here. After getting the okay from his parents, DeMatha guard Jeff Peterson accepted Iowa's scholarship offer....
By Josh Barr | April 18, 2007; 3:47 PM ET | Comments (1)
Rutgers Loses a Recruit
A highly-sought after football recruit had his scholarship yanked by Rutgers just before ESPN reported that the recruit had been sentenced to three years probation for sexual assault....
By Josh Barr | April 18, 2007; 3:34 PM ET | Comments (0)
No More Text Messaging????
This could me a huge change in recruiting. An NCAA committee has approved the change and it could be finalized next week by the NCAA Management Council. Some coaches no doubt will be pleased by the measure and some -- who used the loophole to their advantage -- will be...
By Josh Barr | April 18, 2007; 1:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Hokies In the Market?
Virginia Tech has another scholarship opening after backup center Robert Krabbendam decided to head to Europe to play professionally. He sat out this past season because of a knee injury....
By Josh Barr | April 18, 2007; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (0)
Peterson to Iowa?
The story that seemingly never ends looks like to wrap up, possibly as soon as tonight and all indications are that DeMatha point guard Jeff Peterson will sign with Iowa. He had been waiting to meet the Hawkeyes' new coach, Todd Lickliter, before making a final decision. That happened yesterday,...
By Josh Barr | April 17, 2007; 4:20 PM ET | Comments (7)
PW Point Guard Gets D-1 Ride
Freedom-Woodbridge point guard Jaren Haley has signed a letter-of-intent to play for Wagner....
By Josh Barr | April 17, 2007; 12:56 PM ET | Comments (0)
Top Football Prospect to Choose Soon?
Well, it appears there is at least one more player to add to my list of the area's top football prospects from the class of 2008. Brooke Point LB Donovan Miles holds scholarship offers from Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia and plans to make a decision in the...
By Josh Barr | April 17, 2007; 12:07 PM ET | Comments (0)
Peterson Decision This Week?
Been down this road before. The Des Moines Register reports that DeMatha guard Jeff Peterson is close to making a decision between Iowa, Princeton and St. Louis. Many ways to read this one. Does this mean Princeton, believed to be talking to Georgetown assistant Sidney Johnson, is close to making...
By Josh Barr | April 17, 2007; 10:53 AM ET | Comments (1)
All-Met Gives Huggins the A-OK
New West Virginia Coach Bob Huggins traveled to Southern Maryland last Friday to meet with Mountaineers recruit and St. Mary's Ryken All-Met forward John Flowers. With John Beilein moving on to Michigan, Huggins brings a completely different style to Morgantown. However, after meeting with Huggins, Flowers said he intends to...
By Josh Barr | April 17, 2007; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
More on Williams/Kentucky
Here's more on Ireton's Mike Williams and his impression of Kentucky's new coach, Billy Gillispie....
By Josh Barr | April 16, 2007; 6:02 PM ET | Comments (0)
G'town Adds a Good One
I had alluded to this possibility over the winter and now it appears to have happened. With Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert NBA-bound, Georgetown has scholarship openings and the Hoyas will use one on St. John's (Md.) forward Nikita Mescheriakov, according to a person close to the player. Mescheriakov, a...
By Josh Barr | April 16, 2007; 2:22 PM ET | Comments (2)
Big Man Gets a Kick Start
It didn't take long for Bishop Ireton center and Kentucky recruit Mike Williams to get acquainted with the ways of the Bluegrass State. When he took the court at Louisville's Freedom Hall during pregame introductions, Williams kicked a stuffed cardinal into press row....
By Josh Barr | April 16, 2007; 2:12 PM ET | Comments (0)
More On Terps' Latest Get
I had a small blurb in Saturday's paper on Maryland picking up a basketball commitment from guard Cliff Tucker of El Paso. Here's how the El Paso Times and Baltimore Sun saw it....
By Josh Barr | April 16, 2007; 1:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
Former All-Met Looking to Make Mark
Much has been made of Maryland's decision to pass on West Virginia standout Steve Slaton for Lackey All-Met Morgan Green, who hopes a good spring will lead to better things this fall....
By Josh Barr | April 12, 2007; 11:07 AM ET | Comments (0)
One-Time Sorta Local Hoopster Signs!
Big Boss Man Jon DeNunzio passes along this big tip, from his pal Rob Daniels in Greensboro: North Carolina A&T has signed guard Ed Jones of Butler County (Kan.) Community College. Jones once played at Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, Jon reports....
By Josh Barr | April 11, 2007; 5:36 PM ET | Comments (0)
Impact of the Internet?
I've had plenty of conversations with folks on this very topic: Whether too much is made of recruiting ratings etc. The story I always go back to comes from a local high school basketball coach, who compared these ratings to odds sheets at the horse track. Just because a horse...
By Josh Barr | April 11, 2007; 2:25 PM ET | Comments (0)
Basketball Time to Sign
Today is the start of the spring signing period for basketball players, but there isn't expected to be much news for local teams, who signed most of their recruits in the October early period. Maryland could land El Paso guard Cliff Tucker today, with guard Jai Lucas a longshot. Forward...
By Josh Barr | April 11, 2007; 11:54 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Few Football Commitments
Several Frederick-area football players have made their college choices....
By Josh Barr | April 11, 2007; 11:46 AM ET | Comments (0)
Logan-El On the Move
One-time prized recruit Antonio Logan-El plans to leave Penn State. He tells the Baltimore Sun that Maryland is a possible destination, but that would surprise his high school coach, Forestville's Charles Harley, who, like many, remembers how irate Maryland's coaches were when Logan-El picked Penn State in the first place,...
By Josh Barr | April 10, 2007; 1:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
More Cap Classic
Man About Charlottesville Jeff White writes about the Virginia and Virginia Tech recruits from last week's Capital Classic and talks to Jeff Jones about his cool reception from the Comcast Center crowd....
By Josh Barr | April 9, 2007; 9:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Beasley Going to K-State
Weekends aren't premium blogging hours, but here's a must-read item. Mike Beasley will go to K-State. The Wildcats named promoted assistant Frank Martin head coach and promoted key recruiter Dalonte Hill to associate head coach, which was the key to keeping Beasley bound for the little apple. KC Star columnist...
By Josh Barr | April 7, 2007; 1:23 PM ET | Comments (1)
Big Times for Twyman
It's been a big week for Sherwood's Deontay Twyman, the first basketball-football All-Met in nearly 20 years. Here's some video and here are the All-Met teams, which are in today's paper. Gazette columnist Brian Heard also weighs in. As for Twyman's future, while he says he prefers football, my bet...
By Josh Barr | April 6, 2007; 1:22 PM ET | Comments (0)
More Cap Classic...
All-star basketball games are about seeing who can score the most points. Witness the 48-point first quarter for the Capital All-Stars last night, a performance that had Man About Charlottesville Jeff White shaking his head about how bad the U.S. team defense was "even by all-star game standards." That said,...
By Josh Barr | April 6, 2007; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (1)
Cap Classic Reviews
Here are the links, I'll have my two cents up shortly: Virginia Tech recruits had a big night, led by MVP Augustus Gilchrist. A lesser-known player hopes a strong effort in the prelim game will get him some college looks. Here's how the DC Times saw things....
By Josh Barr | April 6, 2007; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (0)
No Love in Huggyville
It's Good Friday, but plenty of recruiting news to talk about today. Bob Huggins is headed to West Virginia, but it is uncertain what that means for Mike Beasley. As I wondered yesterday, a 27-year-old with ties to Beasley and other recruits could be K-State's choice. Huggins said he will...
By Josh Barr | April 6, 2007; 11:42 AM ET | Comments (0)
Can a Player Land a Job for a Coach?
Ok, it's 6 p.m. and things are really heating up here at Comcast Center for the Capital Classic. Gotta be at least 100 folks here for the prelim game that tips in two minutes. It's also way past premium blogging time. But... I wanted to post for all the loving...
By Josh Barr | April 5, 2007; 5:56 PM ET | Comments (0)
Hokie Recruit Getting Ready
Here's a story I wrote in today's paper about Prorgressive Christian center Augustus Gilchrist, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound senior who has signed with Virginia Tech....
By Josh Barr | April 5, 2007; 2:49 PM ET | Comments (0)
Interesting Coaching Method
DeMatha's Mike Jones will coach the local team in Thursday's Capital Classic. And he found a unique way to select his starting five: Best 2-of-3, 8-minute games at yesterday's practice, winners start. The White team won, as Pittsburgh recruit Darnell Dodson hit a game-winning three-pointer from the left wing. So...
By Josh Barr | April 4, 2007; 2:33 PM ET | Comments (1)
Nickelberry Keeps Hitting D.C.
Seems that I failed to follow up on this last week. Largo G Kwame Morgan, who averaged 27.5 points this past season, will play for Hampton. Lions Coach Lewis Howard said Morgan picked Hampton over Northeastern. Hampton Coach Kevin Nickelberry, who has plenty of D.C.-area ties, had five local players...
By Josh Barr | April 4, 2007; 11:41 AM ET | Comments (0)
Peterson In Limbo
Caught up with a few players, including DeMatha point guard Jeff Peterson, yesterday after the local team practiced for Thursday's Capital Classic. Peterson said he has narrowed his college choices to Iowa, St. Louis and Princeton, but is not near reaching a final decision. He has yet to meet new...
By Josh Barr | April 4, 2007; 9:48 AM ET | Comments (3)
Top Recruit Shot
Man About High Schools Preston Williams has an item up about Pittsburgh-area standout Herb Pope, who played for Montrose Christian as a freshman and had been a target for some local colleges. Pope was shot four times at a party and is in a hospital recovering....
By Josh Barr | April 3, 2007; 1:17 PM ET | Comments (2)
Football Clinic Wednesday
Elite Athlete Training Systems is running a Nike/Sparq training clinic at Wootton High on Wednesday from 11 to 1. Edit: Caught up with EATS guru Jason Hadeed, who says the event is open to anyone in grades 9 to 12 and it's free. There will be testing in the vertical...
By Josh Barr | April 3, 2007; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (0)
D.C.'s Top Football Recruits
I should preface this with a disclaimer, that I'm sure there are players who belong in this list but for some reason got left out, but here is my long-awaited list of the Washington area's top football prospects for the rising senior class....
By Josh Barr | April 2, 2007; 11:36 AM ET | Comments (6)
Terp Recruit Likely to Miss Cap Classic
Maryland recruit Braxton Dupree, on the national team roster for Thursday's Capital Classic all-star game at Comcast Center, likely will miss the game after spraining his ankle in the Charm City Challenge....
By Josh Barr | April 2, 2007; 10:58 AM ET | Comments (0)
Delaney Shines in All-Star Game
Virginia Tech recruit ">Malcolm Delaney scored 27 points as the Baltimore team won the Charm City Challenge all-star game, 116-113 over their national counterparts on Sunday....
By Josh Barr | April 2, 2007; 10:19 AM ET | Comments (0)
