Archive: May 2008
Background Checks for Recruits
Great, and scary, piece here. A private investigator is soliciting colleges to do background checks on their recruits. More and more players seem to be getting in trouble before they step foot on campus, such as this would-be Washington State quarterback, cited 18 times and now looking for a new...
By Josh Barr | May 30, 2008; 9:53 AM ET | Email a Comment
Spotlight on Arundel's Alec Lemon
The Post's B.J. Koubaroulis sits down with Arundel wide receiver Alec Lemon, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior who is aiming to show college recruiters that he is more than just a product of Arundel's pass-oriented offense. Lemon averaged 69.2 yards per game last season, with 969 yards and 13 touchdowns. Note:...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | May 28, 2008; 11:14 PM ET | Email a Comment
Recruits Feel Comfortable With Paterno's Status
I asked the obvious question of Gaithersburg All-Met lineman Sean Stanley and his coach, Kreg Kephart, yesterday. With so much made about a coach's job security these days, why would a recruit feel comfortable committing to Penn State given the circus surrounding not-quite-coach-for-life Joe Paterno. "Even if Coach Paterno does...
By Josh Barr | May 28, 2008; 12:33 PM ET | Email a Comment
Lions Get One More, This Time From Oxon Hill
I heard about this one last night, but didn't get a chance to post. Penn State has landed yet another local player, Oxon Hill wide receiver Brandon Felder. Does anyone else think this is looking more and more like the recruiting class of three years ago?...
By Josh Barr | May 28, 2008; 9:52 AM ET | Comments (3)
Penn State Lands Another All-Met
Chalk up one more for Penn State. Gaithersburg All-Met lineman Sean Stanley earlier this afternoon committed to play for the Nittany Lions. "He thought about Maryland," Gaithersburg Coach Kreg Kephart said. "I think he thought long and hard about Georgia, Stanford and Michigan. And Pitt. And Tennessee and Nebraska. Those...
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2008; 4:36 PM ET | Comments (2)
Penn State Plucks Another Local
This time it's Eleanor Roosevelt cornerback Stephon Morris. He also had offers from Louisville and Rutgers, among others, Raiders Coach Tom Green said, but decided to join teammate Derrick Thomas and others planning to head to State College....
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2008; 10:45 AM ET | Email a Comment
More on the Evans/Terps Saga
Where to start after the holiday weekend? Well, it broke on Friday afternoon, but the discussion about Tyree Evans and Maryland parting ways is still plenty hot. There had been rumors that all of Evans' criminal record had not surfaced; indeed, there was a plea to a handgun charge in...
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2008; 8:57 AM ET | Email a Comment
Terps Release Evans From Letter of Intent
Verbatim from a Maryland news release: MARYLAND GRANTS EVANS FULL RELEASE FROM NLI COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Tyree Evans has asked the University of Maryland for a full release from the National Letter of Intent (NLI) he signed in April. The University has agreed to grant Evans' request. Head Coach...
By Jon DeNunzio | May 23, 2008; 3:44 PM ET | Comments (6)
More on Sutton/Villanova
Here's more on Maurice Sutton's decision to go to Villanova. Nothing too ground-breaking. Yep, lots of locals on the Wildcats' roster played a part in his decision. And yes, he might redshirt next season, which seems a good bet considering Villanova brings back most of its team....
By Josh Barr | May 22, 2008; 11:43 AM ET | Email a Comment
Whitman Standout in the Spotlight
This week's Recruiting Spotlight features B.J. Koubaroulis sitting down with Whitman multi-positional standout Anthony Young-Wiseman. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior sacrificed his personal statistics at wide receiver, taking over at quarterback and solidifying the secondary as a defensive back, where he used his 4.6 speed to help the Vikings to a...
By Josh Barr | May 22, 2008; 10:21 AM ET | Comments (1)
Sutton Chooses Villanova
"You're a half hour early," Largo Coach Lewis Howard joked as we spoke just now, prior to the 3 p.m. promise he made yesterday. But I'm headed around the Beltway to watch baseball and Howard was in a good mood. All-Met center Maurice Sutton had finally made his college choice,...
By Josh Barr | May 21, 2008; 2:37 PM ET | Email a Comment
Auburn QB Recruit Coming to D.C. Area
This will go down as one of the more unusual stories I've seen in a while. The Annapolis Capital reports that Meade's yet-to-be-named football coach will inherit star quarterback Raymond Cotton, an Auburn recruit who played in Alabama last year but will move to the area because his father's Coast...
By Josh Barr | May 21, 2008; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (1)
One More Day For Sutton
Just got off the phone with Largo Coach Lew Howard and he says that it will be another day before All-Met center Maurice Sutton announces his college choice. He's considering Indiana, Villanova and Seton Hall. "Three p.m. tomorrow," Howard said....
By Josh Barr | May 20, 2008; 12:19 PM ET | Comments (2)
Hokie, Hokie, Hokie High? Recruit Busted
Guess it's not a good idea to sell drugs to an undercover cop. Shocker. Virginia Tech recruit Pete Rose is facing several charges after Amherst County police made arrests following a 10-month investigation. Hokies Coach Frank Beamer pulled Rose's scholarship offer. Instead of looking at opposing offensive schemes, Rose is...
By Josh Barr | May 20, 2008; 12:09 PM ET | Comments (1)
Sutton Set to Decide; Will He Be a Hoosier?
Largo All-Met center Maurice Sutton will announce his decision on Tuesday, Lions Coach Lewis Howard said, noting that Sutton had narrowed his choices to Indiana, Villanova and Seton Hall. Sutton has visited Indiana and Villanova in recent weeks and the guess here is that it's one of those two, probably...
By Josh Barr | May 19, 2008; 1:51 PM ET | Comments (1)
Georgetown Gets a Center
Have to say, I got a kick out of reading about Georgetown's latest recuit. Center DaShonte Riley of Detroit recently committed to the Hoyas. A quick Google search for the 6-11 junior turns up a fan Web site - though it isn't too terribly developed. Guess it's never too early...
By Josh Barr | May 19, 2008; 9:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Early Signing Period for Football? Believe It When It Happens
Been there, seen it, never had a chance ... until now? Creating an early signing period for football is a topic that seems to come up annually - and never materializes. There have been NCAA proposals to do this, but they've never passed. And while an American Football Coaches Association...
By Josh Barr | May 16, 2008; 11:02 AM ET | Email a Comment
Penn State Strikes for Third Time in a Week
Just got off the line with Edison Coach Vaughn Lewis, who reports that offensive lineman Frank Figueroa has committed to Penn State, the third local player in a week to say he will accept a scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions. Figueroa, a guard, had yet to receive any other...
By Josh Barr | May 15, 2008; 12:32 PM ET | Comments (1)
Spotlight on Gaithersburg's Sean Stanley
Post reporter B.J. Koubaroulis sits down with Gaithersburg All-Met defensive lineman Sean Stanley, a 6-foot-2, 245-pound junior who has been offered scholarships by many top programs, including Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj051408X20v";...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | May 14, 2008; 11:19 PM ET | Email a Comment
JMU Nets Local Pivot
Heard about this yesterday, and caught up with James Madison assistant Bino Ranson today, who confirms that Friendship Collegiate center Alvin Brown has signed a letter-of-intent to play for the Duke. The 6-10, 200-pound Brown was drawing considerable interest from teams looking to add a big man late in the...
By Josh Barr | May 14, 2008; 2:22 PM ET | Comments (1)
Vaughn Running Pickup At G'town
All-Met Insider Correspondent B.J. Koubaroulis found this interesting story, with soon-to-be-Hoya Julian Vaughn running pickup with his new teammates. Will things pan out for Vaughn at Georgetown? Tough to say. He's obviously talented. And obviously well-traveled....
By Josh Barr | May 14, 2008; 12:12 PM ET | Comments (1)
All-Met Lineman Packing His Bags
Quince Orchard All-Met lineman Terrence Stephens has committed to play for Stanford, Cougars Coach Dave Mencarini said. Stephens, who had plenty of other scholarship offers, visited the West Coast school last month and decided it was the place for him. While unusual, it's not unheard of for the Cardinal to...
By Josh Barr | May 13, 2008; 10:37 AM ET | Email a Comment
Big Weekend: Penn State +2, Ohio State -1
Busy weekend for the local juniors attending the Nike Combine up in State College. First, Lackey defensive back Darrell Givens decommitted from Ohio State in order to commit to Penn State. Then Eleanor Roosevelt wide receiver-cornerback Derrick Thomas committed to play for the Nittany Lions. First, a look at Thomas,...
By Josh Barr | May 12, 2008; 6:03 PM ET | Email a Comment
Syracuse Offers Whitman Standout
Colleague B.J. Koubaroulis passes along this tidbit: Syracuse offered Whitman junior Anthony Young-Wiseman on Friday. Young-Wiseman, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound defensive back and wide receiver, is a versatile do-it-all athlete who shined as a dual-threat quarterback for the Vikings (6-5) this past fall. However, Young-Wiseman most likely will be a wide...
By Josh Barr | May 12, 2008; 8:59 AM ET | Email a Comment
Rising HS Freshman Is Highly Touted
Meet 14-year-old Justin Anderson. The Spotsylvania resident might attend Courtland High as a freshman this fall. Or he could wind up at a private school in either Washington or Richmond - perhaps O'Connell or Montrose Christian -- drawn by their powerful basketball program. Whatever the case, the 6-foot-5 Anderson is...
By Josh Barr | May 9, 2008; 9:38 AM ET | Email a Comment
Maze Says Go Big Orange, Doesn't Talk U-Md.
It didn't take long for Bobby Maze to find a new home. The one-time Suitland High standout and recent Maryland recruit is bound for Tennessee. "Stevie Wonder could see this is where I needed to be," Maze told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "They've called me 'The Solution' here [at Hutchinson, Kan.,...
By Josh Barr | May 8, 2008; 4:27 PM ET | Comments (4)
Evans Not a Terp Yet
Maybe I'm reading too much into things. But reading between the lines of this story about Tyree Evans and Maryland and there are some pretty heady implications. With Evans still awaiting admission to the university, Maryland AD Debbie Yow tells The Sun she was unaware that Maryland was recruiting Evans...
By Josh Barr | May 8, 2008; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (1)
Spotlight on Dunbar's Tyree White
Post reporter B.J. Koubaroulis sits down with Dunbar's Tyree White -- a 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior quarterback. White, an honorable mention All-Met selection, received his first scholarship official offer Monday, from Howard. Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj050708X10v"; var so = new...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | May 7, 2008; 10:15 PM ET | Email a Comment
Cooley Signs With Niagara
Reader Tom passes along this item: B-CC All-Met guard Austin Cooley has signed with Niagara. Funny how things sometimes work. Niagara assistant Akbar Waheed was at the Maryland semifinals, ostensibly to check out Springbrook guard C.J. Garner. However, a scholarship offer apparently never materialized for Garner, but things started picking...
By Josh Barr | May 7, 2008; 11:27 AM ET | Email a Comment
G'Town Picking Up Big Transfer?
Is Julian Vaughn bound for Georgetown? That's what the rumor mill has going around. If so, it would be pretty unique to see an ACC-to-Big East transfer take place, and a serious upgrade in programs....
By Josh Barr | May 6, 2008; 3:10 PM ET | Comments (1)
VMI Gets Guard from WCAC
Paul VI Catholic Coach Glenn Farello reports that guard Ronald Burks has signed to play for VMI. Surprisingly, the Keydets' roster does not include any other Washington-area players. Burks averaged 6.8 points last season....
By Josh Barr | May 6, 2008; 2:09 PM ET | Email a Comment
Terps Offer Eleanor Roosevelt Standout
Colleague B.J. Koubaroulis passes along that Eleanor Roosevelt rising senior Isaiah Ross reports that he's received a full scholarship offer from Maryland. Ross, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound versatile threat, recorded 111 tackles, 13 sacks, eight forced fumbles and four fumble returns and was named the Raiders' most valuable player in 2007....
By Josh Barr | May 6, 2008; 1:37 PM ET | Email a Comment
Expectations Too High for Big Frank?
I think so. I empathize with Frank Ben-Eze. He was bound for Harvard, which would have been a good fit. Then he couldn't qualify academically for admission. So he picked Davidson, possibly another good fit for a player whom I think everyone would agree is still quite raw. Then comes...
By Josh Barr | May 6, 2008; 8:59 AM ET | Email a Comment
More On Hibbert/Texas A&M
Here's more on DeMatha's Naji Hibbert committing to Texas A&M. Hibbert bcame interested in the Aggies after associate head coach Scott Spinelli saw him at a summer league game last year. Then head coach Mark Turgeon started recruiting him. "They've been here as much as they were allowed to," DeMatha...
By Josh Barr | May 5, 2008; 4:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
Must-Reads On Terps/Evans
Sports Illustrated takes a look at Maryland's gamble on juco guard Tyree Evans. He can score, but he also has quite a checkered past. Personally, I think the key to the marriage between coach and school is buried at the end of this long (and good) story: Williams must hope...
By Josh Barr | May 5, 2008; 4:02 PM ET | Comments (2)
DeMatha Guard Commits to Texas A&M
Naji Hibbert, who transferred from St. Frances of Baltimore to DeMatha last summer, has committed to play for Texas A&M. The 6-5 junior swingman averaged a team-leading 13.8 points this past season with a high of 22 points. I hope to have more on this later today....
By Josh Barr | May 5, 2008; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (1)
Indiana Lands Local Player
Anyone else read about local product Maurice Creek committing to Indiana and just shake their head? The one-time Oxon Hill standout, now a junior at South Kent (Conn.) Prep, has never been to the Hoosier state, led alone on the Bloomington campus. No need, he tells the Indianapolis Star-News. New...
By Josh Barr | May 5, 2008; 10:22 AM ET | Comments (1)
Tuberville Says Saban Has "A Great Idea"
Here's more on Nick Saban's video conferencing. The funny thing about it? Within a few hours of rolling out the idea, Auburn's Tommy Tuberville knew what was his biggest rival was up to and says: "It sounds like a great idea."...
By Josh Barr | May 5, 2008; 8:52 AM ET | Email a Comment
Georgia On Tavon Austin's Mind?
The Baltimore Sun continues its series of Tavon Austin talking about his recruitment. Not much new to offer, though Austin says that Georgia is the second SEC school to offer the Dunbar-Baltimore standout a scholarship. As Austin says, "Right now, all the schools are kind of the same to me...
By Josh Barr | May 2, 2008; 12:35 PM ET | Email a Comment
Citadel Picks Up Local Hoopster
Big Boss Man Dan Uthman is hot on the trail of this nugget, passing along that Sherwood forward Bo Holston has signed with The Citadel. Here are some highlights on Holston in action:...
By Josh Barr | May 2, 2008; 11:25 AM ET | Email a Comment
Ben-Eze Bound for Davidson
I'd been hearing talk of this for a few days, and now it seems to be true that O'Connell center Frank Ben-Eze has signed with Davidson. Ben-Eze had committed to Harvard but that no longer was a viable option after a New York Times story late in the season in...
By Josh Barr | May 1, 2008; 4:04 PM ET | Comments (1)
