2009 is PG Deep...

The class of 2009 is "Bill Gates" rich with talent, especially at the PG spot...

The last "Great", okay well "Full of Potential", class of PG's in my opinion was the 2004 class which currently has 8 guys on NBA Rosters, with more to come. Here's the top guys from that class in my opinion:

Shawn Livingston, LA Clippers
Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Kyle Lowry, Memphis Grizzlies
Jordan Farmar, LA Lakers
Sebastian Telfair, Minnesota Timberwolves
Gabe Pruitt, Boston Celtics
Darius Washington, San Antonio Spurs
Drew Nietzel, Michigan State
Ronald Steele, Alabama
Derrick Lowe, Washington State
AJ Price, Univ of Connecticut

As you can tell, 2004 had all kinds of star power, as well as blue collar PG's who flat out get the job done. The 2009 Class in my opinion has a chance to come close to comparing to the 2004 class, based on size, athleticism, skill, and potential.

The players at the top of 2009 class overall (1-5) may all play a different a position other than PG;

Derrick Favors, 6'9" PF (South Atlanta HS) Atlanta, GA
Renardo Sidney, 6'10" PF (Fairfax HS) Los Angeles, CA
Lance Stephenson, 6'5" SG (Lincoln HS) Brooklyn, NY
Kenny Boynton, 6'2" SG (American Heritage) Plantation, FL
Xavier Henry, 6'6" WF (Putnam City HS) Oklahoma City, OK

But the Point Guard position is easily the deepest from my point of view. All of the kids I will focus on have a chance to be immediate impact players as soon as they hit the hardwood collegiately, for whatever program they choose. And I expect to see a handful of them earning a good check some day. Check them out and be the judge for yourself. This coming spring/summer will be their last summer on the "Circuit" so be on the lookout for some Battles!

I asked a few of them a couple questions trying to see what they think of their competition at their position, and their responses are below...




Mfon Udofia, 6'3" PG (Miller Grove HS) Stone Mountain, GA

Mfon Udofia is the defensive stalwart of the bunch. He takes every game he plays as a personal battle, and has all the tools to develop into one of the best PG's to come out of the state of Georgia in a while. He's got the size, strength, athleticism, and tenacity on the court to make college coaches highlight his name immediately.

"Well the class of 09 has a lot of point guards from the east coast, west coast, and the south, but I feel like I'm the best PG in our class. That's why we have to go at eachother every time we step on the court, and that's why I'm going at the rest of these guys Hard. Me and Lorenzo Brown go at it all the time, that's why every time we step on the court we go at eachother, whether it's a practice game, real game, open gym, or 3 on 3. It don't matter"




Lorenzo Brown, 6'4" PG (Centennial HS) Alpharetta, GA

Lorenzo is that laid back kinda player who suprises you with his hesitation, midrange game, vision, and sneaky athleticism. He's tall, long, bouncy, and despite his traits he is a pure PG. Some say he's not aggressive enough, but one look at him and you see a future pro. He gets wherever he wants to on the floor, and also gets the best out of his teammates which is evident by him carrying his HS team to a 1 pt loss to Norcross (Gani Lawal, Al Farouq Aminu, Tony Neysmith, Jordan Demercy) in the state championship last year.

"I think we got some really good comp in our class 'Zo. I really wanna play against John Wall cause a lot of people think he's the top PG in our class, I wanna see if he really what everybody says he is. So far I'd have to say that Mfon Udofia has been my toughest competition. We play eachother all the time, and have been goin at it since we were young"




John Wall, 6'3" PG (Word of God) Raliegh, NC

J-Wall is the speedster of the bunch. He is the epitome of fast, and plays at only 1 speed... Fast Forward. He blew up last year at Rbk U and has carried that momentum with him from that week on. He is on every major college's watch list. His speed and athleticism to go along with his physical traits (Tall and Long) make him one of the best PG's in his class, and have many calling him the Best.

"They're a lot of good PG's in our class, but I feel like I'm the best in the class. We're all gonna put on a big show when we match up. Best of luck to all the PG's in 09, let's put on a show for our last summer!"




Peyton Siva, 5'11" PG (Franklin HS) Seattle, WA

Pey Pey is the jumping jack of the bunch. He hails from Franklin HS, the same program that developed Jason Terry and Aaron Brooks, and he appears to be the next in a long line of great PG's from the Seattle area. He's as quick as they come, has a very reliable jumper, to go along with excellent vision, and a lot of flash. He's a crowd favorite everywhere he plays, and that will without a doubt carry on into college, and beyond.

"Man this class is Hella deep... All the top PG's I've seen and played against all brought something different to the table. Elijah Johnson, Abdul Gaddy, and Maalik Wayns all brought their heart to the game, and that competitive spirit to the game when I played them. I see all players "Ranked" ahead of me as my competition, but I'm ahead for all of them them and keep goin at them every time I play them. As for my toughest comp, I'd say so far it has to be Elijah and Abdul. I played Maalik, but he didn't really get to play because he got hurt early. EJ is strong and has that go at you mentality on the court, and Abdul he's just so damn smooth and long."




Abdul Gaddy, 6'3" PG (Bellarmine Prep) Tacoma, WA

Gaddy is another one of the kids who used the last spring/summer on the circuit to make Everyone remember his name. Simply put, he BLEW UP! He's a True Pure PG, and is as smooth as they come. His jumper demands respect, and his handle and vision allow him the ability to create for himself and his team whenever he sees fit. He's already committed to "PG Univ" aka Arizona, and will immediately ready to take the reigns from Brandon Jennings when after he departs for "The League".

"The top PG's in our class are all very good. There is a lot of competition out there for that top spot. Everyone is hungry and wants to be the best, and I think that's what makes our class of PG's so Filthy. Every day you have to work hard and get better or someone will take your spot. I think my top comp at the PG spot right now is Peyton Siva, John Wall, and Dexter Strickland. They all have that quickness and athleticism that helps them a lot. They play hard and just go out there and compete. The toughest PG I've faced so far is Peyton Siva because everytime I play him it's a battle. We are competitors. He's very quick and athletic but I have the size and jumpshot, so it's always a great matchup"




Elijah Johnson, 6'2" PG (Cheyenne HS) Las Vegas, NV

EJ is probably the most explosive player of the bunch, and proves it every time he's on the floor. He can create for himself or for his teammates at will, and is combonation of quickness and athleticism make him a very tough match-up.

"Peyton is my only competition. These websites got me and my boy Peyton messed up! We the best PG's in 2009, the rest of them dudes are just cool"




Maalik Wayns, 6'1" PG (Roman Catholic) Philadelphia, PA

He's your typical PG from the "City of Brotherly Love", bruising, crafty, with excellent vision and enough flash to keep you watching. He's already committed to Villanova, and is the perfect type of guard to come in and take over when Corey Fisher bolts to "The League". He put on a show this summer at RBK U and followed that up with an excellent showing in Las Vegas.

"Right now I'd have to say that Dex is my main competition, but I feel I'm definitely the best PG in this class"




Dexter Strickland, 6'2" PG (St Patrick's) Elizabeth, NJ

He spent the past couple years learning the role of PG from one of 2007's Elite, Corey Fisher, and is ready to take the reigns at St. Pat's this year. He proved all summer long that he is among the elite at his position, and capped off his outstanding spring/summer on the circuit with his 2nd consecutive invitation to participate at the Elite 24 where he did his usual thing.




Darius Morris, 6'1" PG (Windward School) Los Angeles, CA

Darius has good size and athleticism for his position to go along with a solid handle, good jumper, and excellent vision. You can take one look at him with his long arms and baby face, and see that he's got all kinds of room to grow into his frame, and possibly add a few more inches. His potential to develop is great, and he'll be a fun one to watch play for years to come.

"The PG class in 09 is real deep. I want say best of luck to all of them, but I faced some of them before and they all are great competition. I feel I'm the best PG and this Summer I'm gonna show EVERYBODY the deal. With my class being deep just lets me know I can never take breaks and must always go hard."




Johnnie Lacy, 5'10" PG (Bay View HS) Milwaulkee, WI

Johnnie is simply put, a hardnosed PG. He has a crafty handle, range on his jumper, and very good athleticism. He helped his 16-U Wisconsin Playground Warriors team to one of the best records across the country last year. He is a menace on defense, and takes it right at the opposition on offense. He's definitely one of the best outta the Midwest, and one of the best in the nation as well. He didn't play much in July, so look for him to wake some of these "Sleepers" up this season and next Spring.


Some other guys who deserve mention as well are:

Junior Cadougan
Tommy Mason-Griffin
Taariq Muhammed
Michael Dixon
GJ Vilarino

The 15th Anniversary of the Fab Five...

"The Fab Five married hip-hop to college basketball, and the one thing the hip-hop crowd loves to do is buy things. As successful as the football team is, the Fab Five can at least be partly credited with Michigan's national appeal. So no matter how much the university tries to expunge the Fab Five's existence, their imprint can't really be erased."

"If you really don't like the Fab Five, don't wear baggy shorts," Rose said. "Don't call Ohio State's recruiting class the 'Thad Five' or 'the next Fab Five.'"

The above quotes are from a very interesting article that I read today written by Jemele Hill (ESPN.com's Page 2), regarding Jalen Rose putting up a billboard in homage to the 15 year anniversary of Michigan's Fab Five. Not only were they arguably one of the most talented and entertaining teams ever to step foot in College Basketball, but also the team that set trends still around today, and carried the swagger that you see on the court as well. They single handedly changed the culture of College Basketball...



The article goes deep into numerous topics such as college players getting paid, scandals at other colleges that went financially unpunished (No checks returned), and about the millions of dollars made by the NCAA and member schools on the backs of their players.

Think about it, even though Michigan Football has a long standing tradition of being both a Big Ten and National power, would the University have been as popular in the Urban Community if it weren't for the Fab Five? Would you have rocked a Michigan Starter Jacket if it weren't for the Fab Five? Would you have worn black socks and black shoes if it weren't for the Fab Five? How about the Bald head and Baggy shorts, or a Michigan Fitted hat? The answer is probably a loud NO... The crazy thing is, the school and the NCAA get paid for EVERY jersey, jacket, and hat sold. Not to mention the money they made and shoes they sold for Nike.

In the article, the writer and Jalen Rose have a very good discussion. Agreeing and disagreeing on numerous points. It made me think also. Why was Michigan punished so harshly when USC (Reggie Bush), Ohio State (Maurice Clarrett), UNLV (Jerry Tarkanian), etc. were all let go without a financial punishment or any affect to their record? UNLV's court at Thomas and Mack Center was renamed after Coach Tarkanian, and Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart are both just as welcome at USC as they were when in college (None of the accusations against them have been proven YET). I'm not saying anything bad about those Universities, or the players and coaches there either, I just find it weird that Michigan chose to disassociate itself with any and everything that had to do with the Fab Five. Michigan has basically wiped out the Fab Fives existence from virtually EVERYTHING.

Overall I was VERY impressed with the article, with the writers unbiased opinion, and with Jalen Rose's honesty and well thought quotes.

Below are a few very good excerpts from the article, quotes from Jalen Rose, as well as a direct link to the article itself...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/071019&sportCat=ncb

* For sure, Rose couldn't buy a billboard in Ann Arbor, where mention of the Fab Five still brings about frosty responses. The NCAA banned Webber from the Michigan program for 10 years. The university erased his name and the others involved with Martin from the media guides and programs.

* Still, it was a valid point. When college scandals happen, what the athletes received is always the focus, not the benefits the school gained. Who knows how much money Michigan made from selling the Fab Five's apparel, or how it translated into shoe sales for Nike, the Wolverines' sponsor at the time. If it's true Reggie Bush took more than $100,000 from marketing agents while at USC, who made more money while Bush was in college? USC or Bush?

* "What bothers me is that, at the end of the day, the checks that changed hands, from sponsors to everyone else, those were cashed," Rose said. "No checks were returned."

* "I'm not saying we were angels," Rose said. "We did a lot of things to ruffle feathers. But I felt Jimmy King and Ray Jackson deserved [to be acknowledged]. They didn't get a chance to play in the NBA and make millions of dollars, but millions of dollars were made off them."

* "If you came after the 1991-92 season," he said, "you have some of our DNA."

Time to update HS rankings already...

There have already been many changes among some of the country's top HS Hoop Programs, and the season hasn't even began yet. From Terrence Jennings leaving Mt Zion for Notre Dame Prep, to the recent transfer of Willie Warren from Oak Hill back home to TX...



Above pic is of Montrose Christians Terrell Vinson and Isaiah Armwood, two of the top forwards in the 2009 Class

Cross Country Hoop’s Top HS teams Nationally, pre-season...

1. St. Anthony's, Jersey City NJ (Mike Rosario, Dominique Cheek, Jio Fontan, Tyshawn Taylor, Travon Woodall)
St Anthony's returns virtually EVERYONE from last years 28-1 team, meaning they have the chemistry to have similar success this year. Mike Rosario, who is headed to Rutgers, is one of the premier shooters on the East Coast, and can get buckets with the best of them. His supporting cast rounding out their starting 5 will all play high major hoops as well...

2. St. Benedicts, Newark NJ (Samardo Samuels, Greg Enchinique, Tamir Jackson, Tristan Thompson)
St. Benedicts strength is in their frontcourt. Samardo Samuels is one of the most imposing figures on the low block on the High School level. He's headed to Louisville next year, and should see immediate minutes. 6'9" PF Tristan Thompson is easily among the top 10 players nationally in the class of 2010. He's the next in a long line of Canadian imports (Via Ro Russell's Grassroots Canada) to bring their game to the US.

3. American Christian, Aston PA (Tyreke Evans, Jerimiah Kelly, Lamont Jones)
Led by Tyreke Evans with the additions of Jerimiah Kelly and Lamont Jones, American Christian will definitely be one of the top teams playing on the High School level this season. They will be tough to beat, and entertaining to watch. As has been said over and over, Tyreke Evans may be the best SG in this class nationally.

4. Montrose Christian, Rockville MD (Tristan Spurlock, Isaiah Armwood, Terrell Vinson)
They boast 3 top 50 talents from the 2009 class in 6'9" Isaiah Armwood, 6'7" Terrell Vinson, and 6'6" Tristan Spurlock, as well as two near 7' Footers in Temadayo Odebayo and Brian O'Kam on the low block. When you can throw a group with that size and talent on the floor it could get scary for rival squads. They are talented enough to contend for the top spot.

5. South Kent Academy, South Kent CT (Isaiah Thomas, Maurice Creek, Christian Morris, Jin Soo Kim, Assane Sene, Dion Waiters)
With one of the nationss best scorers and most exciting playmakers in Washington bound Isaiah Thomas and one of the most intimidating inside presences in Rutgers bound Christian "Beast" Morris, look for South Kent to be among the nations top 10 teams all season long. They've added stud Jr Guard Maurice Creek, top notch 2010 guard Dion Waiters (Syracuse Commitment), and an athletic 7' Footer from Africa in Assane Sene.

6. St. Patricks, Elizabeth NJ (Quintrell Thomas, Dexter Strickland)
Dexter Strickland has waited patiently to get his time in the spotlight, and this is his team for the next 2 years. After playing Tito Jackson to All American Corey Fisher for the last 2 years, it's Dexter's turn to run the show for the always talented St. Patricks squad. He will have help down low from talented big man Quintrell Thomas.

7. American Heritage, Plantation FL (Eloy Vargas, Kenny Boynton)
Led by one of the nations best scorers regardless of class in Kenny Boynton and one of the most versatile bigs in the country in Eloy Vargas, American Heritage will be extremely fun to watch this season. They're 2 stars hail from not only one of the country's best Travel Teams (Team Breakdown), but they were also members of this year's Elite 24! Look for big things this season from thsi duo.

8. The Patterson School, Lenoir NC (Courtney Fortson, Nate Miles, Varez Ward, Will Brown, Isaiah Rusher, Freddy Aspirilla)
As usual the Patterson School is stocked heavy with D-1 talent. Courtney Fortson and Nate Miles will be the guys with the ball in their hands making things happen in the backcourt, with Rusher, Brown, and Aspirilla manning the low blocks. Their entire starting 5 will be playing D-1 ball next season.

9. Fairfax, Los Angeles CA (Renardo Sidney)
Fairfax was already a talented team, but with the addition of Renardo Sidney, the nations top Jr, they are even more talented. Renardo is the 6'10" do everything man child, whose ready to bring home his 2nd state title albeit with a new school/team. As many of you know he can shoot the rock like a Wing, dominate the block whenever he wants, and handle the rock on the break. There's not much he can't do.

10. St Edward, Lakewood OH (Delvon Roe, PeShon Howard)
With one of the countries top PF's in Michigan State bound Delvon Roe and one of the top SG's in the 2010 class nationally in Pe'Shon Howard, St Edwards should have one of the best inside out combo's around.

11. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson VA (Brandon Jennings, Keith Gallon, Malik Story)
Although they lost their starting SG Willie Warren, I still expect Oak Hill to be a scary team. Brandon Jennings can take things over and put this team on his back whenever he wants, and he will be called to do so this season, especially with the surprising loss/transfer of Willie Warren. Malik Story will need to step up his contribution and will be looked to score much more. The BIG question surrounding their success this season will be their frontcourt...

12. Wheeler, Marietta GA (Dequan Jones, Ari Stewart, Richard Howell, Phil Taylor)
They lost a McDonalds All American PF in 6'9" JJ Hickson to NC State, but Wheeler is still the avorite for the State Championship and it's possible they'll be even better than they were last year. They are athletic enough to play with anyone, and talented enough to beat anyone. With arguably the nations most athletic swing man in Miami bound Sr Dequan "DJ" Jones, and with two of the class of 2009's top forward prospects Ari Stewart, and Richard Howell, Wheeler will be extremely tough to beat and a highlight reel waiting to happen. Watch for the emergence of 2010 PG Phil Taylor into a National Name.

13. Mater Dei, Santa Ana CA (Travis Wear, David Wear)
With the 6'10" Wear twins (Travis & David Wear) patrolling the lane, Mater Dei will be one of the West Coast's best teams.

14. Montverde Academy, Montverde FL (Dashan Harris, Steve Tcheingang, Marcus Capers)
After an undefeated season in 06/07, Montverde returns a solid group of players looking to try to repeat their success in 07/08. Even though they lost Solomon Alibi, their anchor in the post, they still have Texas A&M pledge Dashan Harris one of the top 10 PG’s Nationally. They also bring in recent Vanderbilt commit Steve Tcheingang, and also have the services of recent Wash State commit Marcus Capers. Look for them to be very competitive.

15. Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham VA (Demarquis Bost, Eshaunte Jones, Chris Braswell, Roscoe Davis)

16. Lincoln, Brooklyn NY (Lance Stephenson, Darwin Ellis, James Padgett, Justin Green) Lance Stephenson!

17. Campbell Hall, North Hollywood CA (Jrue Holiday) Jrue Holiday!

18. Dunwoody, Dunwoody GA (Chris Singleton, Delwan Graham, Pierre Jordan)

19. Notre Dame Prep, Fitchburg MA (Terrence Jennings, Troy Guillenwater)

20. Rice, New York NY (Kemba Walker, Durand Scott)

21. Findlay Prep, Las Vegas NV (DeAndre Liggins, Clarence Trent)

22. Norcross, Norcross GA (Al Farouq Aminu, Taariq Muhammed)

23. Dominguez HS, Compton CA (Jordan Hamilton, Aaron Moore)

24. White Station HS, Memphis TN (Joe Jackson, Ferrokhan Hall)

25. Bishop O'Connell, Arlington VA (Kendall Marshall, Frank Ben-Eze)

How young is too young???

A close friend of mine e-mailed me an article today regarding College's courting/recruiting kids who haven't even hit High School yet... There are a lot of people who think this is a part of the current issue of decommitments, and that it assists in leading kids to decommit from schools in the future. I'm one of the people who think this whole decommiting issue is not a problem, and let me tell you why...

I'm one of the people who think a college coach should be able to recruit who he wants, when he wants, and where he wants. There are already too many restrictions on college recruiting as it is. Why should anyone even think about making it any harder on the whole situation in general? If a coach, who just so happens to be making around $500K - $3.5Mill annually, wants to recruit a kid and trusts that such kid will improve his skills enough to be ready to produce and impact his program when he enters college, than let him recruit that kid. And if a kid thinks at a certain time that such program is where he wants to be, then let him make that early commitment without any grief.

We shouldn't chastise the kids for making an early commitment, if anything it's the coaches who are in competition with eachother to get on kids earlier and earlier. It's created a culture, where there's now hardly any top notch Seniors who aren't already committed to a schools basketball program, and I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. But I also don't necessarily see it as a good thing. You can basically say I'm on the fence on that issue. There are many good reasons, as well as many bad reasons. And there are also situations as well as past and present stories to back up both.

It's obvious that backing out of commitments is now happening at a high rate, but if you look at the number of changes in the coaching carousel, how can you blame the kids?

Say you're a top 100 player right, and you commit to Big State, but the coach who recruited and built that relationship with you takes a job somewhere else before you step foot on campus. Would you stay knowing that the new coach may not see you in the same light as the old? Would you stay knowing that the new coach may have a different idea of how to use you, if he even wants you at all??? Or what if you commit early to a program, and then you start to realize that the school you've committed to is already recruiting over you and around you at your position???

I apologize for going on that tangent right there, now back to the issue of "How young is too young"...

There are some kids who are talented enough, skilled enough, and obviously have the potential to be top notch players, and it's obvious when they are at a very young age. A few kids from recent classes that I know of who fit that description to a "T" are kids like Jeremy Tyler and DeShaun Thomas of the current Sophomore class, and Renardo Sidney and Lance Stephenson of the current Junior class.

There are also a few kids from the current Freshman Class who have shown to be must get kids...



The pic above is of Tony Wroten, one of the 2 kids from Freshman (2011) class to attend Rbk U this past summer.

Anthony "Tone Tone" Wroten Jr., is a 6'4" Freshman PG from Garfield HS in Seattle, WA. He is long, rangy, athletic, can handle, dish, shoot the rock, and will mess around and Dunk on your entire team when given the opportunity. All this, and he is just entering his FR year in High School. He is the kind of kid, where to me it makes sense if a college coach is already recruiting him, and has even gone as far as to offer him a scholarship.

There are also some situations where college coaches jump the gun on a recruit, and he doesn't develop at the rate they expected. But to me that's a mistake a coach should have to live with. Fortunately for the player, he can either decommit or remain committed.

The link below is to the article I mentioned in the beginning of my blog... With excerpts below as well.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1666283,00.html

* Early recruiting is spreading to other sports. According to Scout.com the number of high school juniors committing early to big-college-football schools is up 430% (61 committed in 2003, 323 this year). Men's ice hockey coaches have recruited ninth-graders, and women's volleyball coaches are scouting younger and younger girls.

* But in no other sport are pubescent scholarship offers more prolific than in basketball. The University of Arizona offered a sharpshooter named Matt Carlino a scholarship when he was in the seventh grade. The high school freshman also has one from Arizona State. He has yet to commit. Dion Waiters, 15, a sophomore from Philadelphia, is attending his third high school, but he knows his first college: he'll suit up for Syracuse University. Scout.com has identified 13 players just starting 10th grade who have already committed. "It's just crazy to offer kids so early," says University of South Carolina coach Dave Odom. "It really is. They don't have time to grow up. They don't. It makes no sense to me." They do have time to back out, though, since their verbal pledges to attend a school are not official until, at the earliest, the fall of senior year, when a recruit signs a "National Letter of Intent" with a college. Both player and coach can break the bond before then--a move known as decommitting.

* But in no other sport are pubescent scholarship offers more prolific than in basketball. The University of Arizona offered a sharpshooter named Matt Carlino a scholarship when he was in the seventh grade. The high school freshman also has one from Arizona State. He has yet to commit. Dion Waiters, 15, a sophomore from Philadelphia, is attending his third high school, but he knows his first college: he'll suit up for Syracuse University. Scout.com has identified 13 players just starting 10th grade who have already committed. "It's just crazy to offer kids so early," says University of South Carolina coach Dave Odom. "It really is. They don't have time to grow up. They don't. It makes no sense to me." They do have time to back out, though, since their verbal pledges to attend a school are not official until, at the earliest, the fall of senior year, when a recruit signs a "National Letter of Intent" with a college. Both player and coach can break the bond before then--a move known as decommitting.


'Zo