****Official**** Knitting Thread (2 Viewers)

[shut it down]

10 things I learned in Julyby Jeff GoodmanUsually, I put together a list of 10 Things I've Learned after my trips to four college games in five days. However, I figured that I'd come up with something after spending 14 days on the road watching kids, schmoozing with coaches and, yes, even hitting a few casinos in Las Vegas.1. There isn't a clear-cut No. 1 player in the country. You can certainly make a valid case for Harrison Barnes, but big man Jared Sullinger has to be in the discussion. The consensus top guard, Brandon Knight, barely played in the summer before suffering a foot injury.2. If I start a summer basketball program anytime soon, I can assure you that I won't be hiring Reggie Rose as my coach. The older brother of NBA point guard Derrick Rose pulled his team off the floor down 30 points with more than 10 minutes left in the game shortly after a profanity-laced tirade with a referee. Classless and not exactly the type of lesson you want to teach kids.3. In the Class of 2010, there aren't a ton of guys that blow you away with pro potential. The guy who will have NBA execs fawning all over him is Baylor commit Perry Jones — a 6-foot-10 long and versatile forward who has a ridiculous upside.4. Mel Gibson didn't look quite so religious one night, appearing as though he had a few too many drinks, with a cigarette in hand and his shirt basically unbuttoned in a casino in the wee hours of the morning in Vegas.5. Nike, and in particular senior director of basketball development Lynn Merritt, needs some public relations lessons. First, the guy confiscated a couple videotapes after a run-of-the-mill, ho-hum dunk by Jordan Crawford over LeBron James. Then, Merritt wouldn't allow the King to talk to reporters the following night — after LeBron had already agreed to do so.6. There's a reason why Ohio State coach Thad Matta had a smile on his face most of July. The Buckeyes locked up two of the nation's top big men in Sullinger and DeShaun Thomas and also have three other legitimate top 100 kids — guards Jordan Sibert, Lenzelle Smith and Aaron Craft.7. I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but no one really cares about the U.S. teams that go overseas in July except the coaches, players and families of the coaches and players.8. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl truly does have some self control. The Vols coach was sitting in the same gym as Kentucky coach John Calipari after a lengthy flight to Las Vegas from Israel and didn't say a word despite the fact that he and the Vols believe that Calipari and his friend, William Wesley (aka Worldwide Wes) had something to do with elite point guard Josh Selby de-committing from Tennessee.9. Isiah Thomas will make Florida International relevant. I was one of the few that wrote it when he took the job, but now I truly believe it after watching him sitting in gyms throughout the July period. He wasn't on the road every day, but he was plenty visible — and his connections over the years will help him land players such as point guard Phil Taylor, ones that FIU couldn't get involved with prior to his arrival.10. Remember the name Andre Drummond. I first laid eyes on him about a year ago at the New England Top 75 Showcase in Boston, and the 6-foot-9 Connecticut native has made major strides in the past 12 months. It's early, but he'll have three years under one of the best prep coaches in the country, St. Thomas More's Jere Quinn, so Drummond is a guy who could wind up being the No. 1 player in the Class of 2012. Think a cross between Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire.

Re: 8, Squid really is a scumbag.

 

[Frostillicus]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:1. Shut It Down2. Tar Heel Boy3. TLEF4. Jeter235. Balco6. Saintfool7. Notorious TREJethroBrit8. Tobias Funke9. Wu-Banger10.11.12.

What's this now?

Fantasy CBB. H2H points, $20, other details TBA.

Complicated? Keep in mind I stopped paying attention to the :e: fantasy baseball thing after like a month.

 

[shut it down]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:1. Shut It Down2. Tar Heel Boy3. TLEF4. Jeter235. Balco6. Saintfool7. Notorious TREJethroBrit8. Tobias Funke9. Wu-Banger10.11.12.

What's this now?

Fantasy CBB. H2H points, $20, other details TBA.

Complicated? Keep in mind I stopped paying attention to the :e: fantasy baseball thing after like a month.

We may have to keep stats by hand, but I think that'll make it more fun and I'm going to try and dummy-proof it as much as possible.

 

[Frostillicus]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:1. Shut It Down2. Tar Heel Boy3. TLEF4. Jeter235. Balco6. Saintfool7. Notorious TREJethroBrit8. Tobias Funke9. Wu-Banger10.11.12.

What's this now?

Fantasy CBB. H2H points, $20, other details TBA.

Complicated? Keep in mind I stopped paying attention to the :e: fantasy baseball thing after like a month.

We may have to keep stats by hand, but I think that'll make it more fun and I'm going to try and dummy-proof it as much as possible.

Sounds awful. Count me in.

 

[shut it down]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:

1. Shut It Down

2. Tar Heel Boy

3. TLEF

4. Jeter23

5. Balco

6. Saintfool

7. Notorious TREJethroBrit

8. Tobias Funke

9. Wu-Banger

10. Frostilicus

11.

12.

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

Apparently, the Heels had a very good meeting with Adonis Thomas from the 2010 class. He really liked everything Carolina had to offer and came away impressed with the staff, facilities, etc. The 2010 class overall isn't overwhelming from everything I've read and heard, but I wouldn't mind the Heels landing Thomas.

 

[TLEF316]

I believe Thomas is 2011.

The 2010 isn't weak IMO. Its short on big guys, but there are some terrific guards and wing players.

Plus, some bigs with high upside are really starting to establish themselves. Fab Melo, Tobias Harris, Perry Jones, Terrence Jones and Adrien Payne all have lottery potential if they can get good coaching at the college level. We've known about Sullinger, Thompson and Josh Smith for a while now.

Comparison Wise, I'd say that John Wall and Derrick Favors are better than anybody from this year's class. But guys like Cousins, Bradley and Henson are right around the same level as Barnes and Knight. (top 2 players in 2010 IMO)

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

You're right. He is in the 2011 class.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

To give some perspective on how much CBB has changed in the last 15-20 years, here are a few players that would be seniors in CBB this season if early entry wasn't an option:

Kansas: Darrell Arthur

UNC: Brandan Wright, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington

Georgia Tech: Thaddeus Young, Javaris Crittenton

Texas: Kevin Durant, DJ Augustin

Ohio State: Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr

Stanford: Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez

I understand that it's not quite right to just add those guys to existing rosters, because their early departures opened up roster spots for other big-name recruits. That said, I don't think KU would be the consensus preseason #1 if UNC, Ohio State, Texas, G-Tech had guy players listed above.

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

To give some perspective on how much CBB has changed in the last 15-20 years, here are a few players that would be seniors in CBB this season if early entry wasn't an option:Kansas: Darrell ArthurUNC: Brandan Wright, Ty Lawson, Wayne EllingtonGeorgia Tech: Thaddeus Young, Javaris CrittentonTexas: Kevin Durant, DJ AugustinOhio State: Greg Oden, Mike Conley JrStanford: Brook Lopez, Robin LopezI understand that it's not quite right to just add those guys to existing rosters, because their early departures opened up roster spots for other big-name recruits. That said, I don't think KU would be the consensus preseason #1 if UNC, Ohio State, Texas, G-Tech had guy players listed above.

The game has certainly changed and the days of seeing teams with guys that are seniors when they easily would have been lottery picks after their junior season is gone. For Lawson, Ellington, and Hansbrough to stick around another year was shocking in itself. Adding to your discussion earlier, if Felton, McCants, and May had stuck around for their senior seasons who knows who good that Carolina team could have been?

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

The Heels officially offered a scholly to P.J. Hairston tonight. He was quoted as being very excited. His short list is down to UNC, Florida, Memphis and Wake. He plans on making a decision soon.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

One more KU player I forgot to consider: Jeff Withey. Withey is a four-star big from the class of 2008 (T27 on RSCI, mid-30s with Rivals and Scout) that originally was an Arizona commit, but refused to play for them when Lute Olson left. Arizona refused to let Withey out of his LOI, and Withey wasted a year waiting to transfer out of Arizona. Withey will be eligible to play after the fall semester, and is classified as a redshirt freshman. If Withey can contribute 10-12 minutes as Aldrich's backup at C, then the Morris twins and Thomas Robinson can slug it out for the PF minutes.

On paper, this is Self's deepest KU team by far:

PG: Sherron Collins, Elijah Robinson

SG: Tyshawn Taylor, Tyrel Reed, CJ Henry, Travis Releford

3G: Xavier Henry, Brady Morningstar, Mario Little

PF: Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Thomas Robinson

C: Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey

Taylor will also see some time at PG, and might end up being the primary ball-handler.

Morningstar might start at 3G early in the season while Xavier Henry breaks in - Morningstar will play more than Reed, CJ Henry, or Little.

Marcus Morris might play some SF against really big teams, but I doubt it - Self was comfortable playing Collins, Mario Chalmers, and Russell Robinson together on the perimeter for stretches in 2008, and none of those guys were over 6'2".

The big question with the bigs is how well they can hang defensively when Aldrich isn't on the floor. Aldrich is a plus-defender and does a great job directing traffic in the post - the defense isn't as organized when he's not on the floor.

 

[shut it down]

I think "Markieff" is a really cool name.

 

[shut it down]

Increased expectations at Seton Hall: http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=200...d=2&vkey=21

 

[Kendall]

I love this thread.

 

[shut it down]

Agree that UK and KU both have the best shots at a #1 seed. I don't think there's a clear-cut favorite in any of the other four big conferences.

As much as I despise Calamari, I am really interested to see what they look like on the court next year.

 

[shut it down]

Saintfool dropping a line in the old CBB thread.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Saintfool dropping a line in the old CBB thread.

I think we should play B-I-N-G-O, using Chris's responses for game play. Make cards with all of his go-to phrases ("most wins in a decade", "Coach K beat Roy in a title game", "all the haters say the program is in trouble") randomly assigned, and see who can string together five in a row. saintfool might have filled up someone's entire card with that single response.

 

[shut it down]

Saintfool dropping a line in the old CBB thread.

I think we should play B-I-N-G-O, using Chris's responses for game play. Make cards with all of his go-to phrases ("most wins in a decade", "Coach K beat Roy in a title game", "all the haters say the program is in trouble") randomly assigned, and see who can string together five in a row. saintfool might have filled up someone's entire card with that single response.

I was thinking of a contest to see who can get the reply with the most words.

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

I ordered my tickets today for the UNC/Texas game on December 19 at the new Cowboys stadium. I got some pretty good seats for the game. The floor seats were baseline and were $200 each, so that was a little pricey for 3 of us. I got the first level off the floor at about the FT line 9 rows up for $75 each. They should be really good seats. CAn't wait for the game.

 

[shut it down]

I ordered my tickets today for the UNC/Texas game on December 19 at the new Cowboys stadium. I got some pretty good seats for the game. The floor seats were baseline and were $200 each, so that was a little pricey for 3 of us. I got the first level off the floor at about the FT line 9 rows up for $75 each. They should be really good seats. CAn't wait for the game.

I think Connecticut starts a 4-year HandH with them this year as well, I'm not excited about UConn going down there to start it off, UT looks pretty stout.

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

I ordered my tickets today for the UNC/Texas game on December 19 at the new Cowboys stadium. I got some pretty good seats for the game. The floor seats were baseline and were $200 each, so that was a little pricey for 3 of us. I got the first level off the floor at about the FT line 9 rows up for $75 each. They should be really good seats. CAn't wait for the game.

I think Connecticut starts a 4-year HandH with them this year as well, I'm not excited about UConn going down there to start it off, UT looks pretty stout.

Yeah, it's going to be a really tough game for the Heels. I could be walking away from that game disappointed much like I was back in 1996 when I went to Austin and watched the Horns beat a very young Carolina team with a couple of freshmen named Jamison and Carter. Could be the same this year.

 

[saintfool]

Saintfool dropping a line in the old CBB thread.

 

[Tar Heel Boy]

P.J. Hairston gave UNC a verbal commitment tonight just 24 hours after being offered a scholarship. I'm hoping McAdoo soon follows, but I have a feeling he's going to be taking his time.

 

[Tau837]

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Fluff piece about KU's offseason weight training program

My arms started hurting a little when I read that Tyrel Reed can do 40 pullups.

I suppose all teams have similar programs, but longtime KU fans say this is a big shift from the Roy Williams days. Williams would run the players so much, he would set up "puke buckets" behind the baselines, but he didn't emphasize the weight room anywhere near as much as he emphasized cardio and endurance.

The KU superfans need the season to start - they are talking about how the offseason training means the range on Reed's jumper will push out 3 feet. I'm more interested in guys that do real sports, not try to be the best at exercising.

 

[shut it down]

I'm more interested in guys that do real sports, not try to be the best at exercising.

This weekend a friend was relaying a story where he was talking with his boss, and he received a text from his buddy that said exactly that, and he almost lost his ####.Later on, a tennis ball was bouncing around for one of the dogs, and I picked it up and turned to my wife and buddy and said, without missing a beat, "I'm the man with the ball. I can throw it faster than ####. Kiss my ### and ___ my _____."Big laughs.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

I'm more interested in guys that do real sports, not try to be the best at exercising.

This weekend a friend was relaying a story where he was talking with his boss, and he received a text from his buddy that said exactly that, and he almost lost his ####.Later on, a tennis ball was bouncing around for one of the dogs, and I picked it up and turned to my wife and buddy and said, without missing a beat, "I'm the man with the ball. I can throw it faster than ####. Kiss my ### and ."Big laughs.

I've been blessed with many things in my life: an arm like a damn rocket, a #### like a Burmese python, and the mind of a ####### scientist.

 

[shut it down]

I'm more interested in guys that do real sports, not try to be the best at exercising.

This weekend a friend was relaying a story where he was talking with his boss, and he received a text from his buddy that said exactly that, and he almost lost his ####.Later on, a tennis ball was bouncing around for one of the dogs, and I picked it up and turned to my wife and buddy and said, without missing a beat, "I'm the man with the ball. I can throw it faster than ####. Kiss my ### and ."Big laughs.

I've been blessed with many things in my life: an arm like a damn rocket, a #### like a Burmese python, and the mind of a ####### scientist.

A certain phrase now turns into .

 

[shut it down]

Donovan gets Israeli PG: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co...for-gators.html

 

[shut it down]

I hope Fabricio Melo snaps an ankle.

 

[jeter23]

I hope Fabricio Melo snaps an ankle.

Cardinals fans are in full meltdown mode.

 

[shut it down]

I hope Fabricio Melo snaps an ankle.

Cardinals fans are in full meltdown mode.

I heard it's real bad over there. I guess Connecticut fell out of the running for him recently.Boggles my mind why any big wouldn't jump at the chance to go to Connecticut. The guy hates money, I guess.

 

[shut it down]

Hmm.

Calipari: ‘I’d Like to Play 3 Point Guards’; Tobias Harris Visiting Kentucky Posted on Aug 5, 2009 9:55 amThis interview with Kentucky Coach John Calipari at the “Summer in the City” event is the third in a series of interviews with Division 1 head coaches conducted at camps this summer.NEW YORK — John Calipari has yet to coach a single game at the University of Kentucky and already the expectations are sky high.After leaving Memphis in April, Calipari landed a recruiting class that many college basketball experts consider among the best ever assembled.Four of the top 23 players in the Rivals150 for the Class of 2009 are coming to Bluegrass country — including the No. 1-ranked player, point guard John Wall, and the No. 2, forward DeMarcus Cousins.And while shooting guard Jodie Meeks left for the NBA, big man Patrick Patterson returned to campus.Is it any wonder that Kentucky is ranked among the Top 5 in many preseason polls — as high as No. 2 in Jeff Goodman’s Fox poll — and is being touted as a challenger for the 2010 NCAA championship?“Final Four contenders,” Cousins told me in April. “We’ll beat Duke and North Carolina.”Calipari is a little more guarded than his loquacious recruit.“I’m glad people think that highly of our team but we’ve got six new players joining six returning players who went to the NIT, minus their leading scorer [Meeks],” Calipari said last Friday at St. John’s. “It’s a whole new style of play, a whole new attitude, changing the culture. [And] still throwing a tough schedule at them.“If we’re as good as everybody says it’s gonna be a helluva run because we got a lot that we’re facing.”Still, Calipari agrees that Kansas, which won the NCAA title in 2008 and returns a stacked team including point guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich, should be the preseason No. 1.“I think they deserve it for what they’ve done,” he said. “I think people are guessing about us, but I appreciate the respect they show for the program by doing that. They’re showing respect, and I hope they’re all right.”There have been concerns about the academic status of some of the freshmen, but Calipari said “John Wall is really doing well academically.”Kentucky has already held six practices for the returning players to learn Cal’s dribble-drive offense, but the “six new guys haven’t seen it at all.”The loss of Meeks, who averaged a team-high 23.7 points per game, detracts from Kentucky’s outside shooting prowess, and Calipari said 6-7 sophomore guard Darius Miller will see “more minutes” as a result.In Wall, who was the subject of a complicated and drawn out recruiting proess, and Eric Bledsoe, Calipari landed two of the top point guard prospects in the nation.He said he plans to play of them together at times.“Eric Bledose and John Wall play together now and give you a ridiculously fast team,” he said.In his offense, Calipari likes having multiple point guards on the floor and said you can really never have enough.“I’ve done it before,” he said. “When we got Chris Douglas-Roberts [at Memphis], we also got Antonio Anderson…We’ve gotten too specialized, where you can’t play two guards. You gotta play one guard. Why?“I’d like to play three point guards. This offense with three point guards, as long as they’re big enough to guard other positions. Eric Bledsoe is 6-foot in bare feet…but he jumps 40 inches or more. So wait a minute, how small does he play? He plays 6-5.“So now all of a sudden you got two point guards that play big. Well, let’s get another point guard and we’ll play real big. Now you’re playing against zones, you got more playmakers.“We’ll continue to do that,” he said. “Big guards mean they play big. They’re long, they jump, they’re athletic, they’re not afraid to go inside. They play around the rim.“Derrick Rose is 6-2, 6-3, but he played about 6-6. And I had a big guard in Tyreke [Evans] who learned the position as the year went on and he was fine. We could’ve played with three Tyrekes at one time.”If Wall jumps to the NBA after next season and Bledsoe returns, Calipari would still like to bring in multiple point guards for the 2010-11 season and beyond.That’s why the ‘Cats are involved with Joe Jackson, Doron Lamb, Josh Selby, Cory Joseph and Kyrie Irving (pictured below).“We’re recruiting point guards,” Calipari said. “If I thought we were losing both point guards, I’d bring in two. Even if we weren’t, maybe we’ll look at a guy and try to figure out where he can fit. We’re just finalizing all that, what we’re gonna do. But I do know this: If you want to win and you want to win big, and I’ve been on both sides of it, you have good point guard play and have as many of them as you can have and play them all.”Up front, the ‘Cats have the 6-9 Patterson, the 6-11 Cousins and the 6-10 Daniel Orton, who initially committed to Billy Gillespie and remained with UK after Gillispie was fired.“I think Daniel Orton and DeMarcus Cousins can play together, too,” Calipari said. “There’s all kinds of different combinations you can use. Two point guards, two big guys. I’m anxious to see Patrick and Daniel when they come back and see where they are in their training and conditioning and all that stuff. The freshmen that we have on the campus really have a great base now conditioning, weight-training, skill. They’ve played a lot of pickup, which means they’re learning to play with each other.“Kentucky is also set to play in a loaded SEC East that also features Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida and South Carolina. USC and UT both went 10-6 last year, while Florida was 9-7 and Vandy was 8-8.“It’s ridiculous,” Calipari said. “How about South Carolina beating us twice last year, they told me. And you still have Vanderbilt, who Kevin Stallings might be one of the best coaches in the country. And he had a young team and they’re all back. They could be an NCAA Sweet 16 team. That’s how good they could be.“Mississippi State [in the SEC West] has everybody back. [Jarvis] Varnado’s back so Mississippi State’s taken a step up. I think what you’re gonna find out is, the league could be a six-bid league. It’s based on the fact that veterans are coming back and teams are reloading more than regrouping.”Still, the expectations are sky high, as evidenced by the fact that Calipari currently has more than 530,000 followers on Twitter (compared to the 800 or so I have).“The fans the last four or five years, they’ve kind of been blah,” Calipari said. “I don’t know why. I wasn’t at Kentucky. Right now they’re so excited it’s ridiculous. At some point we’ll calm them down, but what people realize is [we have] returning players who were in the NIT, freshmen coming in who don’t understand and all of them together have never played this offense.“I hope we’re the best team in the country but I have not coached them. I haven’t been on the floor with them. “I haven’t watched them so I don’t know.”TOBIAS HARRIS VISITING KENTUCKYSpeaking of Kentucky, Long Island forward Tobias Harris is currently visiting the school on his way to the Nike Global Challenge in Portland, Ore.“Just landed plane was so small couldent sleep at all lol,” Harris said via his Twitter feed.Kentucky was not on Harris’ original list, but his father, Torrel, said Kentucky, Memphis, UCLA and Florida were trying to get in the mix.I guess they have.Harris plans to cut his long list at the end of the month.

 

[Kendall]

Yep. Goes back to my first post.

 

[shut it down]

Whoa:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08052009/sport...bowl_183066.htm

 

[saintfool]

Whoa:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08052009/sport...bowl_183066.htm

BC kind of makes sense. Maryland would be a shocker.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

Evan Daniels with 10 thoughts on July

July is the busiest month of the year when it comes to recruiting, and there were plenty of storylines this year, including Joe Jackson's big shots, Damontre Harris' improvement and Marquis Teague's dominance.

1. Ohio has some serious talent.

On Saturday, the All-Ohio Red 17's age group completed the sweep of AAU Nationals. The program run by Jerry Watson won the 15's, 16's and 17's group and by wide margins. Jared Sullinger, Juwan Staten and Adreian Payne anchor the older group and won nearly every event they participated in this year.

2. There's still a few guys flying below the radar.

In Las Vegas it was Chris Crawford that played his way into a few scholarship offers. In Orlando, it was Charles Hankerson and Michael Bradley that began building their reputations. Crawford, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, hit the game winning jumper to get the Memphis Magic an adidas Super 64 crown. Hankerson already had some looks and solidified his status as a player, while Bradley came out of nowhere and went toe-to-toe with Andre Drummond.

3. Andre Drummond is a serious talent.

Playing up at the AAU National's Drummond announced himself as a big time player, whether he's in the 2011 or 2012 class. The 6-foot-10 big man runs the floor, has soft hands and can already score around the rim. During the second day of AAU Nationals, Drummond put together a special effort and drew comparisons to Amare Stoudemire. His decision to reclassify to 2012 is still up in the air, but technically he's young enough to be in that class anyways.

4. Joe Jackson thrives in high-pressure situations.

It was incredible watching Jackson torture defenders late in games in Las Vegas. In the quarterfinals and semi-finals of the adidas Super 64 he helped force overtime, where the Magic squad would eventually win. His best shot came in the semi's when he drove 3/4 of the court and pulled up for a tying three as the buzzer sounded. For future reference, if you're the opposition get the ball out of his hands down the stretch.

5. Is Perry Jones the top NBA prospect in the 2010 class?

It was clear in Las Vegas that Jones, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound big man, has some serious long-term potential. Playing for a team that virtually refuses to pass the ball to him inside, and Jones still managed to put together a monster effort on the main court against the Arizona Magic. Jones has a number of positive attributes, but it’s his athleticism that sets him apart.

6. Marquis Teague may be the best lead guard in 2011.

After the King City Classic many were jumping on the Teague train. Marquis, whose brother is former Wake Forest standout Jeff Teague, is better than his older brother at the same stage in their careers. His speed and athleticism set him apart from his peers, but he’s also turned himself into a quality lead guard that rarely makes mistakes with the ball. He dominated one of the summer's biggest events, and made it look easy.

7. Damontre Harris is putting it together.

Over the course of the past year, Harris, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound big man, has made drastic strides in overall game. But in Orlando at the AAU Nationals he may have punched his player’s card, as he matched up with a handful of quality big men and more than held his own. Harris has extreme length, blocks shots, can step out and shoot jumpers and is becoming more aggressive on both ends of the floor. His progression has been impressive thus far, but his ceiling is much higher.

8. Terrence Jones is trying to become a McDonald’s All-American.

Not many prospects had the July that Jones, a standout at Portland (Ore.) Jefferson, was able to put together. The versatile power forward took on all competition and led his team to the championship at the Center Stage event held on UNLV’s campus. At 6-foot-8, possibly 6-foot-9, Jones is intriguing and has a unique game that has caught the eye of elite high major coaches. He’s more confident in his game and he’s certainly playing like it.

9. College coaches are fully aware of Shabazz Muhammad.

On the first day of the second evaluation period in Las Vegas, we snuck to a gym placed 25 miles or so off the strip. At least we thought we were sneaking away to catch Muhammad and his star-studded underclassmen team. Turns out it was a who’s who of college coaches set to watch the talented 2012 prospect. Among the head coaches there were Jeff Capel, Roy Williams, Kevin O’Neill, Bill Self, Rick Barnes, Ben Howland, Norm Roberts and Matt Painter.

10. Marshall Plumlee and Cody Zeller are high level bigs, just like their brothers

During July we laid eyes on both Plumlee and Zeller a number of times, and the two big men have very different games, but very effective in their own right. Plumlee, a brother of Mason and Miles, who are both at Duke, is a legit 6-foot-10, has an improving skill set on the block and is tough and aggressive inside. Zeller, who has a brother at UNC and a brother that played at Notre Dame, is a highly skilled 6-foot-9 power forward that runs the floor, can face up for jumpers and has a great set of hands. Both big men have talented siblings and both will be joining them as high major basketball players in a few years.

I just assumed Shabazz Muhammad was a UConn-bound PF/C, but it turns out he's only 6'3".After the huge class from 2009 and deep roster without many early entry possibilities, it doesn't look like KU will be a major player in 2010. I'd like to see them land a wing, as SF will be the biggest position of need if Xavier Henry is one-and-done. Harrison Barnes is supposedly down to Durham and Lawrence, and KU usually lands the national recruits from Iowa (Raef LaFrentz and Kirk Hinrich were Iowans), but if Barnes really is serious about staying three years and getting a business degree, KU will be a tough sell.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

**** Vitale's preseason Top 40

Here's his top 10:

1. Kansas

2. Kentucky

3. Michigan State

4. Texas

5. the school that shall not be named

6. Purdue

7. Villanova

8. UNC

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois

 

[Kendall]

**** Vitale's preseason Top 40

Here's his top 10:

1. Kansas

2. Kentucky

3. Michigan State

4. Texas

5. the school that shall not be named

6. Purdue

7. Villanova

8. UNC

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois

 

[Kendall]

**** Vitale's preseason Top 40

Here's his top 10:

1. Kansas

2. Kentucky

3. Michigan State

4. Texas

5. the school that shall not be named

6. Purdue

7. Villanova

8. UNC

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois

Duke

 

[Frostillicus]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:1. Shut It Down2. Tar Heel Boy3. TLEF4. Jeter235. Balco6. Saintfool7. Notorious TREJethroBrit8. Tobias Funke9. Wu-Banger10. Frostilicus11.12.

Curious. Are we planning on using all of college basketball, just major conferences, or some other kind of break down?

 

[TobiasFunke]

Running list of people for FFA CBB leag:1. Shut It Down2. Tar Heel Boy3. TLEF4. Jeter235. Balco6. Saintfool7. Notorious TREJethroBrit8. Tobias Funke9. Wu-Banger10. Frostilicus11.12.

Curious. Are we planning on using all of college basketball, just major conferences, or some other kind of break down?

For what it's worth, I'd like to see some sort of restriction on eligibility. 343 schools is just too much information. The reason NCAA fantasy football works is because of the limited number of schools in 1-A.

 

[saintfool]

For what it's worth, I'd like to see some sort of restriction on eligibility. 343 schools is just too much information. The reason NCAA fantasy football works is because of the limited number of schools in 1-A.

this was my implicit understanding. i don't think any of us have the willingness to go beyond that.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

**** Vitale's preseason Top 40

Here's his top 10:

1. Kansas

2. Kentucky

3. Michigan State

4. Texas

5. the school that shall not be named

6. Purdue

7. Villanova

8. UNC

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois

Just in case any d-bags search the forum for mentions of their favorite college basketball team.Haven't posted this pic in a while. Gotta love the effort by Hurley from Lost on that addendum.

 

[shut it down]

For what it's worth, I'd like to see some sort of restriction on eligibility. 343 schools is just too much information. The reason NCAA fantasy football works is because of the limited number of schools in 1-A.

this was my implicit understanding. i don't think any of us have the willingness to go beyond that.

Yeah, going 343 deep would be a nightmare. My initial thought is we do the big five conferences, the Pac-10, and a handful of reputed mid-major schools like Gonzaga, Memphis, etc.Believe me, I want to make this as easy as possible.

 

[shut it down]

Evan Daniels with 10 thoughts on July

July is the busiest month of the year when it comes to recruiting, and there were plenty of storylines this year, including Joe Jackson's big shots, Damontre Harris' improvement and Marquis Teague's dominance.

1. Ohio has some serious talent.

On Saturday, the All-Ohio Red 17's age group completed the sweep of AAU Nationals. The program run by Jerry Watson won the 15's, 16's and 17's group and by wide margins. Jared Sullinger, Juwan Staten and Adreian Payne anchor the older group and won nearly every event they participated in this year.

2. There's still a few guys flying below the radar.

In Las Vegas it was Chris Crawford that played his way into a few scholarship offers. In Orlando, it was Charles Hankerson and Michael Bradley that began building their reputations. Crawford, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, hit the game winning jumper to get the Memphis Magic an adidas Super 64 crown. Hankerson already had some looks and solidified his status as a player, while Bradley came out of nowhere and went toe-to-toe with Andre Drummond.

3. Andre Drummond is a serious talent.

Playing up at the AAU National's Drummond announced himself as a big time player, whether he's in the 2011 or 2012 class. The 6-foot-10 big man runs the floor, has soft hands and can already score around the rim. During the second day of AAU Nationals, Drummond put together a special effort and drew comparisons to Amare Stoudemire. His decision to reclassify to 2012 is still up in the air, but technically he's young enough to be in that class anyways.

4. Joe Jackson thrives in high-pressure situations.

It was incredible watching Jackson torture defenders late in games in Las Vegas. In the quarterfinals and semi-finals of the adidas Super 64 he helped force overtime, where the Magic squad would eventually win. His best shot came in the semi's when he drove 3/4 of the court and pulled up for a tying three as the buzzer sounded. For future reference, if you're the opposition get the ball out of his hands down the stretch.

5. Is Perry Jones the top NBA prospect in the 2010 class?

It was clear in Las Vegas that Jones, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound big man, has some serious long-term potential. Playing for a team that virtually refuses to pass the ball to him inside, and Jones still managed to put together a monster effort on the main court against the Arizona Magic. Jones has a number of positive attributes, but it’s his athleticism that sets him apart.

6. Marquis Teague may be the best lead guard in 2011.

After the King City Classic many were jumping on the Teague train. Marquis, whose brother is former Wake Forest standout Jeff Teague, is better than his older brother at the same stage in their careers. His speed and athleticism set him apart from his peers, but he’s also turned himself into a quality lead guard that rarely makes mistakes with the ball. He dominated one of the summer's biggest events, and made it look easy.

7. Damontre Harris is putting it together.

Over the course of the past year, Harris, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound big man, has made drastic strides in overall game. But in Orlando at the AAU Nationals he may have punched his player’s card, as he matched up with a handful of quality big men and more than held his own. Harris has extreme length, blocks shots, can step out and shoot jumpers and is becoming more aggressive on both ends of the floor. His progression has been impressive thus far, but his ceiling is much higher.

8. Terrence Jones is trying to become a McDonald’s All-American.

Not many prospects had the July that Jones, a standout at Portland (Ore.) Jefferson, was able to put together. The versatile power forward took on all competition and led his team to the championship at the Center Stage event held on UNLV’s campus. At 6-foot-8, possibly 6-foot-9, Jones is intriguing and has a unique game that has caught the eye of elite high major coaches. He’s more confident in his game and he’s certainly playing like it.

9. College coaches are fully aware of Shabazz Muhammad.

On the first day of the second evaluation period in Las Vegas, we snuck to a gym placed 25 miles or so off the strip. At least we thought we were sneaking away to catch Muhammad and his star-studded underclassmen team. Turns out it was a who’s who of college coaches set to watch the talented 2012 prospect. Among the head coaches there were Jeff Capel, Roy Williams, Kevin O’Neill, Bill Self, Rick Barnes, Ben Howland, Norm Roberts and Matt Painter.

10. Marshall Plumlee and Cody Zeller are high level bigs, just like their brothers

During July we laid eyes on both Plumlee and Zeller a number of times, and the two big men have very different games, but very effective in their own right. Plumlee, a brother of Mason and Miles, who are both at Duke, is a legit 6-foot-10, has an improving skill set on the block and is tough and aggressive inside. Zeller, who has a brother at UNC and a brother that played at Notre Dame, is a highly skilled 6-foot-9 power forward that runs the floor, can face up for jumpers and has a great set of hands. Both big men have talented siblings and both will be joining them as high major basketball players in a few years.

I just assumed Shabazz Muhammad was a UConn-bound PF/C, but it turns out he's only 6'3".After the huge class from 2009 and deep roster without many early entry possibilities, it doesn't look like KU will be a major player in 2010. I'd like to see them land a wing, as SF will be the biggest position of need if Xavier Henry is one-and-done. Harrison Barnes is supposedly down to Durham and Lawrence, and KU usually lands the national recruits from Iowa (Raef LaFrentz and Kirk Hinrich were Iowans), but if Barnes really is serious about staying three years and getting a business degree, KU will be a tough sell.

I think I read something about him having a more difficult time transferring his AP credits over to Duke than he would to a school like KU, but I can't remember where.No Shabazz Muhammad, but UConn does have Charles Okwandu, who will probably be starting at C this year. JuCo diamond in the rough who's been playing really well with Majok this summer. Probably won't give Connecticut much offense, that'll probably mostly come from the perimeter from Walker, Dyson (who's fully healed) and Stanley Robinson.

It's going to be a really interesting year. Very challenging OOC for this squad, I'd be over the moon if we could win 2 or 3 from UK, UT and TSTSNBN.

This will be Connecticut's 7th straight year without a white guy in the rotation. :antidook:

 

[shut it down]

I'm feeling all TLEF-y here:

Harris Meets With Kentucky President Posted on Aug 6, 2009 8:55 amKentucky pulled out all the stops for Tobias Harris on his unofficial visit Wednesday — including a meeting with University President Lee T. Todd Jr. – and the school is now in contention to land the 6-foot-8 forward from Long Island.“[The visit] was good,” Torrel Harris, Tobias’ father, said Thursday morning by phone. “They’re on the list, I can say that.”Harris stopped at Kentucky on his way to Portland, Ore. for the Nike Global Challenge. He has had a tremendous summer on the recruiting circuit, with one Big East assistant telling me he’s “the story of the summer.”Harris has more than a dozen schools on his list and his father admitted that trimming it down later this month, after the Boost Mobile Elite 24 event in New York, would be tough.“We’re working on it, but honestly it’s extremely tough to cut the list down,” Torrel said.At Kentucky, Torrel and Tobias met with UK coach John Calipari, who explained that Harris would fit perfectly into his dribble-drive offense.“He just said he would play him and he would feature him here,” Torrel said of Calipari. “He fits perfect in his offense with his versatility.“They have a videotape of his game that he played on ESPNU [with the Albany City Rocks]. They reviewed his game. They broke down his tape, how he plays. They showed how the offense that Tobias’ team played is the same offense as the Memphis offense. He was showing the things that he was doing in the offense and how it will work in the way [Calipari] utilized his offense. He showed him how he fit in and how he’d be effective.”Torrel said Calipari told them they have four scholarships for 2010 and are looking at bringing in at least one point guard, at least one wing like Harris and one big guy.That is consistent with what Calipari told me last week, that he’d like to land at least one guard from the group of Joe Jackson, Kyrie Irving, Doron Lamb and Josh Selby.“He’s looking for another point guard,” Torrel said of Calipari. “John Wall’s gonna go. He is not gonna be there after this year and then Eric Bledsoe may surprise a lot of people too, so he may be gone in two years.“If he can get one or two of those guys [point guard recruits], another big and then Tobias, he has four ships for 2010,” Torrel said.Tobias also met with President Todd Jr. It was his second visit with a University president, following his visit with the Tennessee president.“No. 1, he was just talking about when you get a degree from Kentucky, the degree is gonna help you throughout life,” Torrel said. “The network that Kentucky has can help their graduates in life. That’s one of the things he stressed. He also stressed that they’re putting in a good infrastructure. They encourage the players who go to the NBA to come back and get their degrees.“No. 2, he stressed that he wanted to get Kentucky back on the elite level where the tradition is known as Kentucky basketball and that’s why they brought in Coach Calipari.“And they wanted to bring in good, high-character kids and that’s why your son is here, Tobias.”(Photo courtesy Kelly Kline/NIKE)

 

[saintfool]

Cal is a helluva recruiter.

 

[Kendall]

**** Vitale's preseason Top 40

Here's his top 10:

1. Kansas

2. Kentucky

3. Michigan State

4. Texas

5. the school that shall not be named

6. Purdue

7. Villanova

8. UNC

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois

Just in case any d-bags search the forum for mentions of their favorite college basketball team.Haven't posted this pic in a while. Gotta love the effort by Hurley from Lost on that addendum.

I understand the sentiment, but Duke has been posted too many times by a lot of other people in this thread. I take preventitive measures when I type "Duke," but I noticed others have not.