I just spoke with Tamir Jackson and he has verbally committed to play for Rice University. He plans to sign in November. From one CUSA school to another, Jackson said that one of the reasons he chose Rice is because he "can play right away."

After an official visit this past weekend, three-star player Brandon Peterson from the class of 2009 has committed to Arkansas State. According to Ava Herndon, Peterson's AAU coach, "He has liked the coaches for a while and just wanted to visit to make sure he liked the campus."

* Edit- Just got through speaking to Ava and three-star prospect Ed Daniel, also of the Birmingham ICE, has committed to play at Murray State.

I'll update with more later.

For those of you interested in the inner-workings of AAU basketball and the shoe company scene, you should check out this article written by the Chicago Sun Times about long-time Nike associated AAU coach Larry Butler.

Apparently, Rashanti Harris (4* top 30 player for the class of 2009) has committed to Rod Barnes at Georgia State according to Dave Telep of Scout.com. This comes as a shock to me as I know that a member of the Memphis staff was at Patterson earlier this week to check up on Harris.

- Avery Bradley committed to Texas last night ... ummm ... BORING! This comes as news to no one. It wasn't a matter of if, just when.

OK, I am not sure why no one at Memphis will officially acknowledge the switch from Adidas to Nike yet, but it must be the worst-kept secret in all of sports. Players and coaches are wearing Nike gear everywhere they go. Players showed up at John Calipari’s house last night for the High Tops Party in Nike t-shirts (with a Memphis logo at the bottom). It’s not that hard to connect the dots.

This will not only increase visibility for the Memphis Tigers' 'brand', but it will also bring long awaited continuity to Memphis gear and merchandise.

- On a note somewhat related to the Nike deal, I am still hearing a rumor (that seems to have legs) that Memphis is in the final stages of nailing down a 2-year basketball series with both University of Florida and University of North Carolina that would start in the 2009-2010 season.

- Memphian Drew Barham from CBHS verballed to Southern Illinois today. Barham is a 6'7" sharpshooter who had drawn moderate interest from Paul Hewitt (Georgia Tech) and Belmont. Southern Illinois is also hot on the tails of Johnny Williams from Briarcrest in Memphis.

- Jeff Goodman reported in his Good 'N Plenty blog on Monday that Charis Prep in North Carolina has not been cleared by the NCAA.

The NCAA has not cleared Charis Prep down in North Carolina and as a result, core courses, grades and graduation records will NOT be used when determining initial eligibility. A review in the spring of 2008 turned up "several areas of concern", including a lack of quality control or organized curriculum structure. The school has appealed the decision. There are three high-profile players currently at Charis Prep - uncommitted big man Bawa Manuri, West Virginia commit Roscoe Davis and power forward and Missouri pledge Keith Dewitt.

For those fans who have concerns about recruits coming from Charis Prep, it appears as though that this report may turn out to be just a rumor according to a current player. In an interview from Northstar Basketball's Alex Scwartz, 2009 prospect Anali Okoloji said, "From my understanding, that's a rumor...I am I hearing it's cleared and those were rumors that were put in the paper."

* EDIT: With that said, (thanks to Jeff Goodman) I got to look over the NCAA's news release regarding the review of Charis Prep School. As Goodman accurately reported, Charis has not been cleared and that Charis has filed an appeal. According to the document, "The High School Review Committee will make the final decision regarding Charis Prep in the next several months." Stay tuned.

Tyler Honeycutt, the 29th rated prospect by Rivals.com in the 2009 class, has verballed to UCLA according to a source. According to my source, it had been reported in the L.A. Times this morning that Honeycutt was going to announce today and that it was a dead heat between UCLA and USC.

I just got word that Xavier Henry has decided to cancel his visit to Lawrence, Kansas this weekend. He was slated to join John Wall and Thomas Robinson during his unofficial visit to witness the private Jayhawks' National Championship ring ceremony scheduled to take place this weekend. According to Henry's father and a source I spoke with earlier today, Henry will only be visiting Kansas once for their Midnight Madness on October 17th.

Despite the fact that many people have said that Indiana is out of the running for 2009 blue-chipper Dominic Cheek, it is now being reported by Adam Zagoria that Tom Crean will have an in-home visit with Cheek tomorrow night. Also, Tennessee fans jumped out of their socks after finding out that Cheek was going to be visiting Knoxville this weekend for the UT versus Florida football game, but they may want to temper that excitement. According to his uncle, Cheek may not be going to Knoxville this weekend afterall.

As reported this past week, Kentucky took advantage of a 'loop-hole' in the NCAA rules and has moved forward their Big Blue Madness a week earlier than technically allowed. The NCAA rules state that a team can practice two hours a week from Sept. 15 to the official start of practice on Oct. 17 (which is the traditional date of "Midnight Madness"). According to Andy Katz, Gillispie said the Wildcats can use the time for a scrimmage since it's two hours to do whatever they want on the 10th.

This not only sets Kentucky apart, but it also allows for them to bring in other highly recruited players to their version of "Midnight Madness" that might otherwise already be visiting another school's event. Now that Kentucky has stepped outside of the box, will there be another school to follow?

Well, Dan Wolken posted in his blog yesterday afternoon with the following:

In a move that most should have seen coming from a mile away, the NCAA deemed that the "supposed" Memphis basketball recruiting violation involving FedEx president and CEO Dave Bronczek and Oseye Gaddy (Abdul Gaddy's mother) was a secondary violation. The University is not sure of the punishment but such violations do not result in lost scholarships, probation, or serious penalties.

With school back in session for most (if not all) high school athletes, many have begun to pack their bags and head to universities across the country. That football "chill" is soon to be in the air and recruiting for the 2009 class is about to really heat up.

Only fitting since football is in the forefront of everyone's mind on a day like today (with the over-hyped "Collision at the Coliseum" set to kickoff tonight), USC has a bonanza of visitors on campus to watch the game. Noel Johnson, Kenny Boynton, Jordan Hamilton, Shaunessy Smith, Tyler Honeycutt, Jeremy Tyler, Renardo Sidney, Terrence Boyd, Josh Smith, Gary Franklin, Derrick Williams, Anthony Brown and Kyle Caudill will all be sitting in the Coliseum tonight and touring the campus this weekend. Talk about casting out a wide net! Geez.

Other schools with big weekends include Arizona (Abdul Gaddy), Duke (Andre Dawkins, Tyler Thornton, Josh Hairston and the Plumlee brothers), Notre Dame (Ryan Kelly) and Xavier (Chris Braswell and Kevin Parrom).

Bill Self is one coach that is doing the opposite of the above. He, instead of making a player come to him, is heading to Thomas Robinson's home for an in-home visit today (Saturday, September 13th).

* Image of Robinson courtesy of i95ballerz

I would like to say sorry to those who come here to read my blog. I have had very little activity over the last few weeks due to travel and sickness. The sinus-bug has really jumped up and gotten me over the last week. Now that I'm starting to feel a little better, I'll be updating more.

John Wall's mom comes home

As of last night, John Wall's mother is home and doing much better. In a message from Wall, he said that he is "happy his mom is back home" and would like to say "thanks to everybody for praying for her."

A dose a reality came this morning when I found out that John Wall's mother had a stroke. These kids are herded around, every move is monitored, their phones ring off the hook, but in the end they are just kids. "I'm just praying that my mom gets better. She had a little stroke," says John.

So, while everyone is chomping at the bit to get word of John Wall's decision, John will be praying for his mother. I think I'll join him.

Class of 2009 guard Tamir Jackson visited Rice University this weekend. Speaking with him after he returned, Jackson told me, "Yeah, Rice is my number one choice, my leader, at this point. I loved it there."

Looks like Jackson could very well end up in Conference USA like everyone thought, just not at UAB.

Go check out the great interview done by Alex Schwartz with current University of Memphis verbal Nolan Dennis. Click here for interview!

Some of the highlights:

NB: How did you make your decision [to commit to Memphis]?
ND: I made my decision . . . after elite camp. We went out there, I worked out with all the [players], did the drills, saw the school, played at the FedEx Forum [in] a scrimmage and then I just knew right then and there exactly where I wanted to go.

NB: Was there anything . . . specific that stood out to you the most?
ND: The most? It was basically just the practice, they way he [Memphis Head Coach John Calipari] pushes his players to the next level. He got Derrick Rose [and] CDR [Chris Douglas-Roberts] to the next level. [It was] the way he pushes you, he wants the best potential out of you. I think he can . . . get the best out of me and I think he can get me to the next level.

Arizona picked up another commitment today (following Dowell's commitment on Monday), but this time it was from the 2008 class. Darnell Shumpert, 6-foot-7 195-pound small forward from Tuscon, AZ, committed to the Wildcats on Wednesday morning right after receiving a scholarship offer.

No, not that one (Xavier). According to reports, Xavier Henry's brother CJ Henry will play basketball for the University of Memphis starting this year.

The former Putnam City standout said Tuesday that he will enroll at Memphis and begin classes next Tuesday. Henry will play basketball for Memphis starting this fall and continue his career in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees after the season.

"The opportunity to win a national championship this year," said Henry regarding his choice. "Coach Cal has a great track record of getting guys to the next level." Xavier Henry, the No. 2 player in the nation, is C.J.'s younger brother. Xavier is uncommitted and is rumored to be down to Memphis and Kansas. Rumors of C.J. and Xavier being a package deal began surfacing as early as Xavier's sophomore year.

2009 PG Reger Dowell, who originally committed to Alabama, gave his verbal commitment to the University of Arizona on Monday.

According to several sources ( #1 , #2 and #3), Lamont Peterson and Bilal Batley are going to be hired onto the University of Memphis basketball staff, filling needs in administrative positions.

Peterson is a Philadelphia-based personal trainer who has coached Tyreke Evans over the past four years. It is also well known that Peterson holds connections to top tier recruit for 2011 Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick's in New Jersey.

Batley graduated from Oklahoma a year ago while acting as a volunteer graduate assistant for the men's basketball team. He was also a graduate manager at Indiana under Kelvin Sampson. Batley is well connected within the Houston hoops scene, holding connections with John Lucas, the Pastner's, a multitude of NBA players and a non-profit orgranization named Dynasty Basketball. Dynasty was actually started by Batley, who states the goal is to "uplift communities and elevate the game of basketball". Batley is stated to be close to current Tigers' commit Nolan Dennis.

So...I am going to continue with the Birmingham theme. Coming up soon, I will be doing a Birmingham, AL special feature. In doing this, I am trying to spotlight some of the local "under-the-radar" talent. Some guys I will highlight will include Nigel Jamar-Ramsey, Brandon Peterson, David Daniels, and AJ Holland (son of Alabama Assistant Coach, James Holland).

Another local guy uprooted by the closing of Hayes High School is 2009 prospect Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe, rated by Rivals.com as the number 67 rated prospect in his class, has slowly but surely climbed his way up the rankings by displaying his abilities as a pure point guard.

A year ago, Eric was not even in the Rivals Top 150, flying under the radar. After a strong junior season and a coming out party this summer, he has climbed the charts and has popped up on many teams' lists of priorities.

Bledsoe has the ability to control the game, involve his teammates, push the ball in transition and get to the rim when he wants. The last game I watched Eric play, I didn't see him take one shot outside of 15 feet. That's because he didn't have to. He was either setting up a teammate for the shot or getting into the teeth of the defense.

In terms of his performance this summer, Eric won MVP at the Battle at the Bluff and the Peach State Jam (both of which his team, Birmingham ICE, won). Double-digit assist games are more prevalent than not for him. He is the true definition of a point guard.

Eric will now be headed to play his senior season at Parker High School, coached by Maurice Ford. When I asked about the number one thing he wanted to accomplish for this season, he said "To win the state championship...beat LeFlore."

As far as a decision goes, Eric told me that he would make his decision "in the spring...in April." So teams like UAB, Minnesota, Kentucky, South Carolina and South Florida will have to wait a while.

Short Q&A with Eric Bledsoe

BH: What all have you been up to this summer?
EB: "Just playing ball. We were in the Kings of the Hill, the Real Deal, Battle at the Bluff, the Peach State Jam, and Nations."

BH: What was your favorite moment?
EB: "When we played in the Peach State and the Battle at the Bluff, cause we won both of them."

BH: Which player did you enjoy facing up against this summer the most?
EB: "Maalik Wayns"

BH: What aspect of your game do you need to work on the most?
EB: "My jump shot. "

BH: What is your role when you step on the floor?
EB: "Get the team involved in the game."

BH: Who is your favorite player?
EB: "College, I like Jerred Bayless and I like Chris Paul."

BH: What schools are recruiting you the hardest?
EB: "UAB, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Florida and South Carolina."

BH: You did an interview recently where you talked about the struggle of deciding on whether or not you want to stay close to home...are you still struggling with that?"
EB: "Yeah, it's a hard decision. Still not sure."

BH: What schools are YOU interested in the most?
EB: "All of them right now."

BH: You have a leader?
EB: "No, sir."

BH: If you could go to ANY school, what school would you go to? Your dream school?
EB: "Duke cause I like how they play….their style of play."

BH: Do you have a timeline on when you’re going to make a decision?
EB: "In the spring, in April."

BH: What’s your favorite part about being a high profile recruit?
EB: "Everybody knows you."

BH: What’s your least favorite part?
EB: "You gotta try to make a decision on what school you’re gonna go to."

BH: How often do you get bugged for interviews?
EB: "Not that often."

BH: What’s in your iPod?
EB: "Lil Wayne."

BH: What is one thing you are looking forward to the most about going to college?
EB: "Getting to graduate. Girls…partying."

BH: Tell the readers one thing about Eric Bledsoe that sets you apart
EB: "That I share a relationship with my teammates off the court."

After May of this year, Hayes High School in Birmingham, AL shut its doors for the final time. With the closing of Hayes, many of the top local talents in Birmingham have now been dispersed across the city. Ed Daniel, class of 2009, is one of those players.

For guys that are a part of the 2010 class, the recruiting heat is about to start getting turned up another notch. Travis McKie, the 2010 6-foot-6 guard/forward combo, has already seen things go to that next level.

I'm reluctant to post this (because of the insanity that will result afterwards - haha), but I just spoke with a very good source who has told me that it is only a matter of time before Angel Garcia, incoming freshman for the University of Memphis, is cleared by the NCAA eligibility center. He said that his core class GPA corresponded to his SAT score and that both were high enough per the standards.

Less than one month ago, on July 22nd to be exact, Tamir "Pop" Jackson officially decommitted from the University of Alabama at Birmingham after verbally committing in April.

Jackson, a native of Paterson, NJ, averaged 14 points and 3 assists last year for St. Benedicts. He was a big part of their 24-1 record and #2 national ranking.

Check out Alex Schwartz's lastest entry on Northstar Basketball's Blog. If you haven't bookmarked his blog by now, do it. It is always a good read loaded with tons of information.

Dominic Cheek's coaches for the Playaz Basketball Club recently told Adam Zagoria that it would be at least until September before he even came up with announcing his preliminary college list.

Cheek, standing at 6'5", is the No. 4 shooting guard in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals.com. He recently told reporters in Connecticut during his visit to elite camp that UConn, Villanova, Tennessee, Wake Forest and Kansas will make the list and that he’s planning an official visit to UConn.

According to Adam, Memphis is also very interested. Cheek recently told Indiana's primary Scout.com writer with regard to an official visit to Indiana that he's "going to make it happen".

“I’m really, really thinking about them now,” Cheek said. “They’re definitely going to be on my list when I make my list.”

Scout Marc Maggard of RoundballRecruiting.com recently said on Nashville's affiliate of ESPN radio, 106.7 The Fan, that he did not feel like Tennessee was a real contender in the race for Cheek's services. In speaking with UConn's staff after Cheek's visit to elite camp, Marc said that the staff did not seem to think Tennessee was one of the teams to fear.

*EDIT

Adam Zagoria caught up with Cheek today and he said he has plans to visit both Indiana and Memphis. He said he is considering, “Memphis, Kansas, UConn, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Villanova, Wake Forest and Tennessee...That’s probably the list I’m planning on cutting down soon,” Cheek said.

“I’m definitely going to visit those two schools (Indiana and Memphis),” he said. “I’ve been to Seton Hall, I’ve been to Wake Forest and Villanova (and Rutgers).”

* image courtesy of Scout.com

Jeremy Jacob, originally from the 2007 class, could be close to verballing to UAB. Let me look a little more into this one and I'll update a little later today.

Jacob originally signed with Georgia out of high school but announced in July that he planned to transfer. Jacob, a 6-8, 230 lb. small forward from Baton Rouge, La., played in the first six games of the 2008 season as a true freshman, averaging 5.2 points and 3.3 rebounds. However, he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot, missing the remainder of the season.

“Jeremy has expressed an interest in playing for a program where he can play a more prominent role than he believes he will play at Georgia,” Felton said. “We have thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We wish Jeremy the very best for his future.”

Since Jacob appeared in less than 20 percent of Georgia’s total of 34 games last season, he was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA and therefore, he will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Jacob attended Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds per game. He was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals (27th best small forward and 90th best prospect overall in the class of '07).

I'm not offering any commentary on this one besides this...drunk college kids do some funny and idiotic things sometimes. Just getting it out there. It's only fair:

Freshman Jayhawk basketball player gets court date after BB gun incident
By Jesse Fray (Contact)
Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Notice to Appear for Markieff Morris (PDF)

An incoming Kansas University basketball player is accused of shooting an Airsoft rifle BB gun out of his university dorm room, possibly hitting a woman in the courtyard below, the KU Public Safety office said.

Markieff Morris, 18, was issued a notice to appear in court after the incident, which the KU Public Safety office said occurred about 11:15p.m. Saturday at Jayhawk Towers. The suspect was intoxicated, according to a police report.

A 47-year-old woman from Mequon, Wis., was shot in the arm with a plastic BB in the courtyard of the building, police said. She received minor injuries.

Morris was found in a nearby building, where he admitted to shooting the BB from the window of his residence at Jayhawk Towers, police said.

Officers seized a 3-foot-long black Airsoft rifle, valued at $100, and a medium-sized plastic bag of BBs, a police report states.

The Kansas University Student Housing Department is conducting its own investigation into the incident, said Jim Marchiony, KU associate athletics director.

“We’re not going to have any comment until that process is complete,” he said. “The fact-finding is ongoing.”

Police charged Morris with battery, court records indicate, which is defined by city code as “intentionally or recklessly causing bodily harm to another person; or intentionally causing physical contact with another person when done in a rude, insulting or angry manner.”

He is scheduled to appear at 1 p.m. Sept. 10 in Lawrence Municipal Court. The case was not sent to the Douglas County district attorney for consideration of charges, a spokeswoman said.

Markieff Morris and his twin brother, Marcus Morris, known as “The Twins,” came to KU from Philadelphia in late June. The NCAA hasn’t determined if they are academically eligible to play basketball this season.

*image of Markieff Morris courtesy of Scout.com

According to Jeff Goodman, USC guard Angelo Johnson is transferring to Southern Mississippi. That is a nice pickup for Larry Eustachy. Johnson will have to sit out this year and will be eligible to play beginning the 2009 season.

On a side note related to USM recruiting, former UAB commit and Wingfield High School star Maurice Bolden has enrolled at Southern Miss and will join Johnson as eligible in 2009. Bolden, the 6'9 220lbs SF, was named to the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen in high school and attended Marion Military Institute last season. He will have to sit out for a year since he was not a full qualifier out of high school.

So here's the thing...I'm doing this in order to nip the all out chaos in the bud that will ensure if and when rumors begin to fly.

As of Monday, August 25th, 2008, the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year will begin for all students, including student athletes.

Angel Garcia and Matt Simpkins, two members of the University of Memphis' 2008 recruiting class, are still awaiting word from the newly established NCAA Eligibility Center on whether or not they are CLEARED to play. Now, you may ask yourself, why did I capitalize that word?

Speaking in NCAA jargon, there is a distinct difference between a student-athlete being ELIGIBLE and CLEARED. For example, if Matt Simpkins is eligible to enroll, that means that he has passed all necessary coursework and received scores for any necessary tests (exit exams, standardized tests, etc). So now you ask yourself, "Well, if he's passed everything then shouldn't he automatically be cleared?" The answer to that question, looking through the eyes of the NCAA, is no. In order to be cleared, Simpkins' transcripts, test scores and all paperwork must be submitted and reviewed by the Eligibility Center. The object of reviewing this documentation is to verify their authenticity. They go as far as calling former teachers, guidance counselors, classmates, etc.

So, now that we have our jargon defined, here's why I feel the need to explain. If and when the rumors begin to swirl that Matt Simpkins and Angel Garcia are on campus at the University of Memphis starting this weekend, please understand that you can enroll at a university and begin classes if you are eligible, whether or not you have been CLEARED.

The NCAA has a process in which a school (in this case, the U of M) can submit an application for a 'waiver' (of sorts) that allows for a player to enroll and begin classes, if eligible, while waiting on clearance to play. This allows for student-athletes to not miss classes due to delays of the NCAA; somewhat 'protecting' the athletes' grades.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the wait. It could be next week...it could be September.

*EDIT*

So, less than 24 hours after I posted this entry the rumors have started to fly. First, on a prominent Indiana basketball message board, a poster says:

For all those who were spreading rumors about Angel not going to Memphis well, I hate to dissapoint you, but he's on his way to Memphis today and will enroll tomorrow. He came through on his SAT and proved he is capable of getting it done in the classroom despite constant barage of insults regarding his academic standing that never had any merit whatsoever.

Apparently Garcia got into Memphis. Angel Garcia won't be having to go the Junior College route as we were informed that he miraculously made the grade at the last minute. Congratulations and good luck to Angel!

Rivals.com has released its 'post-summer' and evaluation period rankings for the class of 2009. John Wall remains at #1 overall, while UAB commitment Demarcus Cousins moves up 5 slots to #2 overall.

Memphis targets are ranked as follows:

• John Wall - #1
• Xavier Henry - #3
• Derrick Favors - #4
• Kenny Boynton - #7
• Avery Bradley - #8
• Renardo Sidney - #10
• Abdul Gaddy- #13
• Mouphtaou Yarou - #14
• Thomas Robinson - #18
• Rashanti Harris - #26
• Tyler Honeycutt - #29
• Christian Watford - #34
• Karron Johnson - #45
• Nolan Dennis (verbal) - #47

Yarou and Robinson are two of the three newcomers to the 5-star status. Robinson jumped from #82 to #18 overall while Yarou went from completely unknown to #14 nationally. Pretty big jump, huh?

Tyler Honeycutt also made a large jump, going from #121 to #29. Ole Miss verbal, and former Memphis target, Reggie Buckner went from #91 to #30.

Sources close to the UAB program have said that the Blazers will add 6-8 SF Cameron Moore as a walk-on. Moore also turned down other Division 1 offers (at least one Conference USA program's offer) to join the Blazers. Cameron Moore committed to South Alabama late in the spring signing period but chose the Blazers as his primary option.

Moore graduated from Roosevelt High in San Antonio, Texas and had received an offer from Tulsa (also, recruited by a number of other D1 schools including Tulane and Army). Moore averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks per game as a senior (to go along with 58% shooting from the field).

According to USA's coach, Ronnie Arrow:

I'm a little late getting to this one due to some travel, so many of you already know that Memphis picked up a verbal commitment from class of 2009 big-man Will Coleman. Coleman is a 6'9" 260lb beast in the mold of Joey Dorsey.

Tonight I had a chance to have a little chat with 2010 6'2" guard Kyrie Irving (#82 overall in Rivals 2010 Top 100 and #22 Shooting Guard) from Elizabeth, NJ.

Despite the #82 ranking, Irving has established himself as one of the top guards in his class with his play over the summer, especially in Las Vegas. Irving is described by ESPN.com as"silky smooth with a strong handle and is absolutely tremendous in transition".

B'Ham: What has been your most memorable moment so far in your high school and AAU career up to this point?
KI: "Probably last year in the Prep B Championship at Montclair. I hit the game winner... I hit a fadeaway three to win the game."

B'Ham: If you had to compare yourself to one college player and one NBA player, who would it be?
KI: "College...OJ Mayo. In the NBA...probably Chris Paul with a little Kobe mixed in because I can play both positions and score."

B'Ham: In describing your game, what is the best part of how you play at this point?
KI: "Probably my bball IQ and understanding of the game."

B'Ham: I know it's early, but what teams are recruiting you so far?
KI: "Basically every Big East team; in the ACC I have Duke, UNC, Maryland, and VTech, Memphis, Indiana, a whole bunch."

B'Ham: Got any favorites at this point?
KI: "I don't really have a favorite. I just wanna find a school that fits me, that I can make an impact at and has a family type of environment."

B'Ham: When you say you want to find a school that "fits", what are you looking for?
KI: "I like the up and down because that's where I am my best, in transition; but I can play the half court as well."

B'Ham: I know you are being recruited by both Kansas and Memphis...I know you watched that game, so who were you rooting for?
KI: "I wasn't really rooting for one team. I just wanted to see a good game, but my uncle Rod Strickland is an assistant at Memphis, so I was pulling for them...I was cheering for Kansas too.

B'Ham: What is the biggest thing you need to work on this next season?
KI: "Not taking off possessions (defense and offense)...and stamina.

B'Ham: Do you have that one dream school that you always dreamed about playing for?
KI: "No, I don't have that one dream school. In the area I grew up in, the only college I knew was my dad's, Boston U...so I don't really have that team."

Kyrie was a very humble kid for someone being courted by almost every major program in the country who scorched the summer AAU scene. Be looking for big things from this young man over the next few years. Irving, an upcoming sophomore, will be playing his first year at Saint Patrick's High School in New Jersey.

* Special thanks to Kyrie's dad who let the strange guy calling speak to his high school son.

• John Wall


• Levi Beckwith


• Cal and staff


• Memphis fans


• college coaches across the country

There are two sets of people I could see not being happy:

• Baylor's staff


• the Clifton brothers

*image from i95ballez.com

Within the next week, I will post interviews with:

Noel Johnson, c/o 2009 and
Nigel Jamar Ramsey, c/o 2009

The remainder of the previous entries will be updated as the weekend goes on. I will also add a blog on the new Memphis commit, Will Coleman.

Rob Petrone from Eyewitness News 24 in Memphis, TN has reported that the recent rumors of Angel Garcia to Wabash Valley College in Illinois are merely a backup plan for Garcia if he does not meet the NCAA eligibility requirements:

A Backup Plan For Angel Garcia?
Reported by: Rob Petrone Email: rpetrone@myeyewitnessnews.com

Memphis, TN - If Tigers' signee Angel Garcia fails to qualify academically, he already has another suitor. A staff member at Wabash Valley College, a junior college in Illinois, tells Eyewitness Sports Everywhere that Garcia has been in contact with the school as recently as last week.

The staff member said it looks like it's about "90 percent" that Garcia will get into Memphis. But if Garcia doesn't, the staff member added that Wabash would love to have him.

The rumors of Garcia heading to Wabash began with Reg Tisdale, a local Chicago guy who teaches at East Chicago High School and runs inbnews.com. According to a source, he passed his tests and some of his grades have been improved, so the likelihood of gaining eligibility is looking much greater for Garcia.

UAB's staff is still scrambling to try to find a big man to come in and play for 2008. Who cares though...because UAB has, by far, the most offensively talented big man in his class slated to enter into their program in 2009, resurrecting the Blazer's from the ashes. Demarcus Cousins (the hope of UAB basketball) is currently in Orlando, FL playing in the AAU Nationals.

Wednesday, Cousins matched up against UConn commit Alex Oriakhi, the #21 overall prospect and #3 rated center in the '09 class (per Rivals.com). Despite a loss for Cousins' Birmingham Storm team, Cousins dominated the battle of the big-men in this game. He finished with 26 points (including a couple threes) and some dazzling passes that wowed the crowd. In the words Justin Young from Rivals, "trying to defend Cousins is almost laughable at this level."

Eric Bledoe (center) at Chris Paul's Camp

Another UAB target for 2009, Eric Bledsoe, is playing in Orlando as well with the Birmingham ICE. Bledsoe suffered an ankle injury earlier in the event but still managed to score 8 points and make big plays down the stretch for his team. Bledsoe has shown throughout the summer that he is just a winner, plain and simple. Watching this kid a few times myself, I truly feel as though he's highly underrated and a potential top 50 prospect for 2009.

Mike Davis was in the stands watching all of this. Don't think he wasn't there checking up on Cousins (with all of the recent speculation about a possible decommitment). I think Davis liked what he saw.

* On a negative side note (relatively speaking) for UAB recruiting: Tamir Jackson '09 of St. Benedict's (NJ), who recently de-committed from UAB, is unsure of where he will be headed but he did recently say that UAB would still be considered along with a baker's dozen of other schools including Harvard, Miami, Davidson, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Arizona, Rice, Seton Hall, St. John's, Clemson, NC State, Providence and Rhode Island.

Many Memphis fans have been prodding for answers on whether or not incoming freshmen Angel Garcia and Matt Simpkins will clear the NCAA Clearinghouse for quite some time. With the deadline for submission of paperwork looming Friday, August 1st, many people expect the answers to begin leaking soon.

One such speculation was posted today on a blog called Northwest Indiana Basketball, which is the region in which Angel Garcia played his high school basketball at East Chicago.

Angel Garcia to Wabash Valley

That's the word out nowadays. Apparently he didn't meet the eligibilty requirements to get into Memphis so he has to take the juco route before he goes big time. I personally doubt he'll end up at Memphis but I don't doubt he'll make serious money playing ball one day. Whether that means NBA or overseas is all up to him.

On the other hand, the Memphis basketball beat-writer for The Commericial Appeal, Dan Wolken, wrote this morning:

- Angel Garcia’s high school coach was there (at the Finch). The rumblings on Garcia’s eligibility are more hopeful, but we’ll see. He’s in Puerto Rico right now.
Dan Wolken Blog

Also, Jerry Meyer of Rivals.com said he spoke with Angel Garcia's travel team coach and he said that they are still waiting to hear back from the Clearinghouse (all paperwork has been submitted).

Finally, Adam Zagoria recently contacted a source close to the Memphis program and they say that this report is "not true".

The opinions vary. It appears as though the speculation will go on.

First of all, for those of you who graciously come here to read my ramblings, I have to apologize for suddenly taking down the blog. I felt that it was important to take care of a few issues before I continued with what I was doing. Those issues have now been taken care of. I can now continue my blog and stay true to it's original intent.

Thanks for being patient with me. I will try to have all of the old posts back up and some new entries by the end of the weekend.

P.S. All comments were deleted when I took down the entries, so don't think I'm skirting the issue if you posted a comment challenging something I wrote. Just post your comment again. :)