Zo's Thoughts...

2010, New Year, Same Goals, New Approach!

2010-01-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a looooong while, but your boys back.

Be expecting regular monthly updates to the blog, with my thoughts and opinions on a wide range of topics going on within, around, and outside the hoop world.

It's good to be back!

'Zo

Pay attention lil' homies...

2008-02-15T10:14:00.004-05:00

"Cash Rules Everything Around Me..." *C.R.E.A.M.*

"Money Makes The World Go Round"

We've all heard the sad but true sayings above, and the funny thing is, some people actually live by them...

Alright ya'll time to get serious for a little bit...

Some of you may have got my e-mail with the same message I'm "Preaching" in this blog post, but I decided this should be for everyones eyes, not just those in my e-mail list.

Okay, we all know Latrell Sprewell right??? Former NBA All-Star, former Converse front man, he choaked out PJ Carlisimo, etc. He once turned down $21 Million for 3 years, basically $7 Million per year which pretty much works out to $4.5 Million after taxes because "He has a family to feed", meaning that wasn't enough. I don't know about you, but that sounds CRAZY AS HELL to me!

It would seem nearly impossible to go broke making that much per year, right???

Guess again...

This is yet anoither sad truth to the life of the Professional Basketball player. Which is why you not only have to make sure you've got the right people surrounding you and your family, but the right people representing you, managing your money, and helping you budget your money as well. You have to save... You can't make $1 Million a year and spend $1 Million a year. Otherwise you'd be living check to check... Crazy right? A millionaire living check to check... Sad thing is, I'm pretty sure it happens a lot more than we'd like to think it does.

In my mind, it should be damn near impossible to go broke if you are even making $1 mill per year. That's more than the average corporate CEO's annual salary. Think about it. If you're making around $500,000.00 per year, you can consider yourself having won the lottery and collecting payments on your winnings. With over $7.0 Million annually you should be in a situation to have your grandkids grandkids grandkids great grandkids college paid for and set up on a trustfund based off of interst from your savings account alone!

Some of you who read this will soon be in situations where your financial well being is at stake. Make sure you consult with those close to you such as your mother, father, brother, sister, coach, best friend, big homie, uncle, etc. The people you trust. Make sure the people you care most about and those who care most about YOU are involved in your important decisions such as where you choose to go to college, who you chose to represent you, who you choose to assist you financially, etc.

Read the article linked below and take heed...

Hit me back with your thoughts.

-----------------------------------------------

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3241444

'Zo

DeQuan "D.J." Jones!

2008-01-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

DeQuan "DJ" Jones

Check out the video's below, and become a fan (#23)...

For those of you who do not know, DeQuan Jones is easily one of the fastest rising players in the 2008 class. Based on his play in July, and with the way he's been having his way with any and everyone so far this HS season as the leader on a LOADED Wheeler HS team (Ari Stewart, Richard Howell, Phil Taylor), DJ has played his way into the possibility of being a McDonalds All American!

Here's a breif breakdown of DeQuans game from a few well known journalists/scouts...

NBADraft.net
"If you look in the Websters Dictionary under Athlete, you'll see a picture of Dequan Jones hanging from the rim at the Rbk Summer Championships. When his team got the defensive rebound and they took off in transition... you immediately became bright-eyed with the anticipation of what he might do next. An amazing athlete with power, and has a lot of game to go with his CRAZY athleticism. Solid handle, sweet stroke from downtown, and an excellent defender. Game and athleticism very similar to recent NBA first round pick Al Thornton"

John Carrol, ESPN.com
"Dequan Jones has NBA Talent, a prototype wing player who is long, athletic and one of the best finishers in high school basketball. Jones has a great first step, gets to the rim and punishes defenders with highlight dunks. Look for this kid to make an immediate impact at Miami with his athleticism and scoring"

Jerry Meyer, Rivalshoops.com
"Dequan Jones certainly had the crowd buzzing because of his top-shelf athleticism, but the basketball savvy crowd was also impressed with his no-nonsense, hard-working approach to the game. His ability to translate his athleticism into high-level basketball plays didn't go unnoticed. In other words, Jones athleticism had a major impact on the game - and wasn't just for the highlight reels."

"The dynamic wing athlete was tremendous at the Beach Ball Classic. He always has had NBA athleticism, and a solid understanding of his capabilities. Slowly but surely, he has become capable of making the much tougher skilled plays, and Jones looked like nothing short of a future NBA player at the Beach Ball Classic!"

Van Coleman, CSTV.com
"All Tournament performer can flat out fly to the hoop and create highlights that leave fans buzzing. He was a 20 and 10 guy until the final when he struggled a little hanging on the perimeter. Will be a good one for the Hurricanes from Day One, and has Brandon Roy-type potential"

And to you Miami and ACC fans, enjoy DJ while you can because there's no telling how long he'll be wearing Green and Orange!

'ZO

Born Ready the Reality Series...

2008-01-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Born Ready...

It's clearly obvious to anyone with any knowledge of the game of basketball that one glance at Lance Stephenson aka "Born Ready" aka "Sir Lancelot" on the court and you know that he was BORN to play the game... He's a solidly built 6'6" combo guard, with tons of SWAG who plays the game with saavy, flash, and skill, as well the fundamentals that a lot of people say the players today are missing.

The lil' homie, has the body of an NBA guard and with a couple more years of maturity both on and off the court, I can't imagine him not sitting in the Green Room after a sensational 1 and done season.

In case you haven't seen him on the court, check out the following links:

The only knock you'll hear on him is his attitude on the court, but that's the same knock people gave to many of the Great NBA guards of today and yesterday such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Isaiah Thomas, etc. Lances problem in my opinion is that he is so competitive and confident that at times it can be misunderstood. I do agree that at times he can go overboard, but what competitive athlete doesn't or hasn't? Especially at a young age where you're at the stage in your life where you're learning from your mistakes in order to avoid future mistakes. I think some of us are caught up in the hype, and are treating this kid as though he is a grown man already. We must remember that Lance is just 17 years old, and is a Jr in High School. He has at least 2 full years of maturity left before we can expect him to bounce the rock on an NBA court. And one of those years will be under the tutelage and guidance of some lucky College Coach.

Below are quotes from a recent article written by Dick Weiss questioning the motives of the "Born Ready" documentary as well as a link to the full article...

The title of his article is "Keeping it Real"...

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/7684316

"The reality series, which is spiced with rap and hip hop music, attempts to get up close and personal with Lance, his father Lance Sr., his mom Bernadette and little brother Lantz. We discover father and son are more like brothers, that Lance is a typical teenager who has a girlfriend, Jasmine, and drives his mother crazy with his driving ("I've been driving since I was 11,'' he says.) and the constant wailing of police sirens and references by friends to the fact this one-mile strip of land is a jungle."

"But the video has its critics, many who feel it was done to increase Stephenson's draft status and build a brand name for sponsorship opportunities. In many ways, it is a sequel to "Through the Fire,'' an ESPN production designed to promote former Lincoln star Sebastian Telfair when that network was getting into the grass roots market."

"The standard for all high school basketball documentaries was "Hoop Dreams," which followed two wannabe college athletes — Arthur Agee and William Gates — chasing those dreams in Chicago. It was a painfully honest look at the divergent path each took."

"Conversely, "Through the Fire" did not provide the same detail and answered fewer questions, showcasing Telfair instead of examining him the way Ian O'Connor's book The Jump did. There was never any mention of agents, sponsors or neighborhood influences, making us wonder if the producers showed only what they wanted us to see."

"The show has just begun, but the cynic in all of us remains skeptical of the intention or purpose of the series. Will it be an accurate documentary or nothing more than an entertaining reality series?"

In my personal opinion, Lance has everything it takes to be successful in life both on and off the court. He's not only got the talent and the drive, but he also has the support system that it takes to give you that extra boost of encouragement and motivation. This makes him different from the "Stereotypical" player of today. His mother and father are his number 1 fans, as well as his most vocal critics... If you don't believe me, sit near "Stretch" at a game or two. lol! He's also been learning the ins and outs of the game from one of NY's best coaches, Dwayne "Tiny" Morton, who has been a mentor of such both Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair.

It will be fun watching Lance's story unfold, and lucky for us it is being documented...

The Dirty South!

2008-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

The ATL is Where I Dwell, and down here we've got...

Throughout the past decade or so, the state of Georgia has been kicking out "Elite Level Talent" with Tiger Woods type consistency… And it's looking as if things aren't going to be slowing down anytime soon. With strong summer programs such as the Worldwide Renegades, Atlanta Celtics, Georgia Stars, etc., Atlanta has proven time and time again that they are one of the nations premier hoops hotbeds.

The 2007 class had 2 McDonalds All Americans in J.J. Hickson and Gani Lawal, and sent J.J. Hickson, Gani Lawal, and Chris Allen to the Roundball Classic. The 2008 class is looking pretty strong right now with players such as DeQuan Jones, Al Farouq Aminu, Chris Singleton, TeOndre Williams, Tony Woods, and Delwan Graham who all have a shot at a post season High School All American Game …

But the cream is starting to rise to the top in the 2009 Class, which is deeper than the Yankees! With close to around maybe 30 High Major Division 1 Propsects in the Atlanta area alone. This class has about 5-6 kids with a serious chance at the McDonalds All American game in:

Mfon Udofia* 6'3" PG (Miller Grove HS) Stone Mountain GA
Lorenzo Brown 6'5" PG (Centennial HS) Alpharetta GA
Ari Stewart* 6'7" WF (Wheeler HS) Marietta GA
Derrick Favors 6'9" PF/C (South Atlanta HS) Atlanta GA
Noel Johnson 6'7" G/F (Fayette County HS) Fayetteville GA
Richard Howell* 6'8" PF (Wheeler HS) Marietta GA

* = 2007 Rbk U Graduate

Along with a plethora of kids with games strong enough to battle each of these guys whenever the ball is bounced, the 2009 Class in the state of Georgia has got to be one of the deepest classes to come through not only Georgia, but the Country as a whole in a very long time.

In company with the aforementioned players, the following players will also be making a lot of noise throughout the coming years:

Collin Reddick, Brandon Reed, Jeremy Olsen, DeMario Mayfield, Kenny Hall, Kammeon Hosley, Taariq Muhammad, James Vincent, Torin Walker, Terrance Shannon, Cameron Baskerville, Shawn Kemp Jr, Glenn Rice Jr, Robert Chubb, Terrell Barnes, Adrian Coleman, Manny Atkins, Andre Malone, Tahj Tate, Michael Calhoun, Marcel Hawkins, Charlie Reddick, Brian Cole, and so on.

The thing is, it doesn't stop there. The 2010 class, although not as deep in numbers, may be just as talented at the top with top notch players like 6'5" G JeLan Kendrick, 6'2" PG Trae Golden, 5'10" PG Phil Taylor, and 6'4" SG Jordan McRae. And there is a Freshman Star in the making in 6'7" F Julian Royal…

Take notice ya'll… Do like I'm doing, and keep "Georgia on your mind".

The Great Northwest!

2008-01-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

As most of you may know, I was born and raised in Tacoma, WA a town just south of "The Emerald City" Seattle... This region of the Northwest has loooooong been rich with basketball talent, but didn't start getting it's just due on a National level until about 2 years ago when the 2005 class bolstered 5 future NBA players in:

Martell Webster (Portland Trailblazers)
Jon Brockman (Washington Huskies)
Micah Downs (Gonzaga)
Terrence Williams (Louisville)
Marcus Williams (Drafted by San Antonio Spurs)

But there has been guys before them who have had tremendous success on the High School, Collegiate, and National level. The list is long so I'll just list a few names...

Jamal Crawford, Jason Terry, Doug Wrenn, Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy, Adam Morrison, Aaron Brooks, Marvin Williams, Rodney Stuckey, Luke Ridnour, Michael Johnson, Dan Dickau, Michael Dickerson, Curtis Bortchardt, Rod & Lod Stewart, Derek Raivio, Carlton Weatherby, Marcellus Kemp, Will Conroy, Chester "Tre" Simmons, Brian Morrison, Sean Mallon, Mike Jensen, Erroll Knight, Aaron Fitzgerald, Michael Fey, Roberto Berguson, Scott Pollard, O'mma Givens, Tom Kelati, etc...
As well as guys with legendary reputations that just couldn't make it outta the hood such as Quincy Wilder, Justin Holt, Leonard White, Ed Roy, etc.

A majority of the above mentioned players grew up watching the dynamic play of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp on some of the Seattle Supersonics most talented and crowd pleasing teams. The belief is that the success of those two on the court has positively affected to area's hoopers in almost the same capacity that the success of Michael Jordan did in the Chicago area.

My guy Tommy Stephens from the Tac', has started his own website to follow the areas upcoming talent...

http://www.futurehoops.tv/

With players like:

Abdul Gaddy, Peyton Siva, Avery Bradley, Tony Wroten, Clarence Trent, Isaiah Thomas, Tony Wroten, Josh Smith, and many more... The Sea-Tac area is continuing to shoot out talent with consistency, and is on the rise as one of our nations talent hotbeds.

It will be fun watching these guys develop, and to see the guys who follow their lead and continue to bring light to the vast amount of talent that is still hidden up in the Great Northwest!

Back from Holiday Break...

2008-01-08T12:31:00.000-05:00

After taking a much needed and looooong holiday break, I'm back.

I'll be coming at you with more updates throughout the week, and will try to get more monthly posts going as well...

Enough with the small talk, let's get back to business!

'Zo

The next Euro-Basketball Star???

2007-11-29T10:40:00.000-05:00

For about a few years now, I've been hearing the name Ricky Rubio and NBA in the same sentence...

The first time I ever heard his name was in April of 2005 while reading DraftExpress... There was this young Spanish PG more than holding his own in one of the toughest leagues in Europe. The thing that caught everyones attention was that he was only 15 years old. He has been a big name in basketball circles over there since 2004, and was already being compared to the Greatest European guard of all time, Drazen Petrovic...

He became a very popular name amongst basketball fans early in 2004, when he amazed in a youth tournament organized by the ACB League, parallel to the King’s Cup. It became so out of control that even the President of the Spanish Basketball Federation irresponsibly compared him with the all-time greatest European guard, Drazen Petrovic, in an interview. That’s a huge load for a kid to carry, and it remains to be seen how everything turns out for him.

You'd think that with all that hype at the age of 14, it would be hard to keep it up, but Ricky Rubio did more than that the following year. His performance in the 16-U European Championships took the hype to another level. The numbers he put up as a 15 year old (Likely the youngest player in the tournament) in the U-16 European Championships were damn near Unbelievable... He finished the tournament averaging 23.3 ppg, 12.8 rebs, 7.1 asst, and 6.5 stls.

The thing is, after his outstanding play throughout the tournament he turned it up to another level in the semi-finals against Croatia and the championship game against Russia.

As much as the preliminary and quarterfinal stages completely met our most optimistic outlook, his final display exceeded any reasonable expectation. Croatia was a dangerous but affordable rival for Spain in the semifinals. They had a big size advantage in the frontcourt, but nothing that couldn’t be battled with a physical game, and their backcourt frequently worked based on individual inspiration. Spain got an early lead that they never lost, and Ricky only need 28 minutes of playing time to put up a quadruple double, finishing the game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and 11 steals in 33 minutes.
“As Babunashvili hit an incredible fade-away three-pointer with 1.4 seconds to go, the Russians exploded with joy while the Spanish shank in despair. Nobody had any hope left, even the Spanish coach had given up. Nobody seemed capable of reacting, even to inbound the ball for that final second. Nobody but Ricky Rubio, who was asking like crazy for the ball. Finally a teammate reacted and sent the ball to him; a couple of strides and, sneaking between three rivals, he threw that bomb from the mid court, hitting the board just before going down through the net.”
Russia in the final was a tougher match in advance despite the deceiving 15-point differential that Spain got in the preliminary round against them. It was so much tougher that Spain needed virtually a miracle to come up with the victory. But Rubio had an appointment with destiny, and had no intention to miss it. Russia had taken what looked like a definitive 3-point lead with under 2 seconds to go on the clock, and it had to be Ricky, a mediocre shooter, who nailed a mid-court bomb with the buzzer to send the game to the first overtime, which ultimately gave the victory to Spain and an unbelievable stat-line of 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals for Ricky.

All those feats were at the tender age of 15... Rubio is now 17 years old, and playing against the toughest competion in the toughest league in Europe. He plays for DKV Jovetnut alongside Rudy Fernandez' (a 6'6" SG who is predicted as a 1st rounder in 2008 Draft per multiple sources).

My question to all of you is, how would he rate playing against 2008's best PG's? I've seen him slotted as an early 1st Round Draft Pick in the 2009 draft on a few different sites such as NBADraft.net, DraftExpress, etc. But he has only been playing against the best Europe has to offer. Sure he's got the size (6'4" & 180lbs), but does he have the quickness and athleticism to compete with the best the US has to offer?

Below is a video of Rubio from this past season...
http://acbtv.acb.com/video/169

How do you think he'd fair against the likes of:

Brandon Jennings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJpqtynQOAM

Tyreke Evans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-DYsPXURt0

Jrue Holiday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybx_dhVBrBg

Malcolm Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cBJXVfI9gY

Isaiah Thomas
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid192878596?bctid=192880237

Kemba Walker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfJkQs1d0rI

Jerime Anderson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6NrW3kCiqw

Larry Drew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pbfy3nEcIs

I guess the future will tell???

'Zo

The Student Athlete...

2007-11-01T11:22:00.000-04:00

The above photo is of Carlton at Stanfords team banquet in 2007

Carlton William Weatherby aka "Dubb" is the Epitome of the term "Student Athlete. He is not only my lil' bro, he is my best friend. Even though there are about 2,500 miles between us (Stanford CA to Atlanta GA), we still manage to speak constantly and interact as if we live next door to eachother.

I could go on and on telling you about how I watched him grow and develop into the man he is today, but my point for writing this is to show all of you basketball players out there that you can use the sport of basketball to do all kinds of things, and to not let the Basketball use you. I hate it when you see a story that gives the sport a black eye, this one should brighten your day.

He was the typical player growing up, he attended many of the major events on the circuit that most young ballers play in today from Big Time, Nike's Hoop Jamboree, West Coast All-Stars, etc. He was always looking for ways to improve his skills against the best competition possible. Even though he was a late bloomer physically (5'10" 160 lbs as a HS Sr to a 6'1" 180 lbs College Sr) many schools took notice.

One thing you should know is that Carlton turned down numerous college scholarships to attend Stanford. Stanford was his dream school, and though they recruited him lightly he made it known that he would walk-on if need be. He wasn't the tallest, most athletic, or strongest guy out there, but he made the most of his god given ability and was always one of the most determined. He found a way to balance his academics with athletics, and succeeded greatly at both. He is the epitome of the term "Student Athlete"

Carlton went from being a Recruited Walk-On, to a Scholarship Player, to being the Team Captain his senior year at one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, Stanford University. He took full advantage of his athletic scholarship, and graduated with a Degree in Human Biology Pre-Med... He experienced the joy of winning a Pac-10 championship, the joy of playing in the NCAA Tournament, the joy of being on a team ranked #1 in the Nation, and even the low points of breaking his foot and sitting out a whole season, being upset in the NCAA tourney as a #1 seed, and the experience of playing under two different coaches.

Carlton is proof that with determination anything is possible. Not only is he one of the hardest workers I know, on the court, in the classroom, in the weight room, and at home with his family. But he is also one of the most determined, faithful, and loyal as well.

Last year after his college graduation, a story was written on him that was published in media outlets... I normally do not post articles in their entirety but this is a special case.

As you can tell, "Proud" is an understatement of the way I feel about my brother. His accomplishments make everyone who knows him proud to know him. I couldn't begin to explain to you how his successes make me smile, and act as though they are my own. He is the perfect role model for all young ballers out there. If you want to reach out to him for advice on anything, let me know and I will put you in touch.

Please read the article below, and respond with your comments...

Carlton Weatherby
By Eric Freeman

Carlton Weatherby has worn many hats during his career at Stanford. Aftercoming into the program as a walk-on five years ago, Carlton earned ascholarship, overcome a broken foot, and led his teammates as a team captainthis season. One of the most respected Stanford players in recent memory, heis a devoted husband, researcher in medicine, and someone who trulyexemplifies the term "student-athlete."

As a recruited walk-on out of Curtis High School in Tacoma, WA, "Dub" showedup on campus in the fall of 2002 with some reservations about what his rolewould be on the team. Expecting to find a division between walk-ons andscholarship players, he instead found himself embraced like the rest of hisincoming class. "That really set the tone for me with this program, becauseI was always the same as any other player," said Carlton. Being the team'sonly walk-on, though, meant that Carlton had to work extra hard in practicesto improve his game. Going up against players like Chris Hernandez andJulius Barnes, Carlton often found himself struggling to stick with histeammates. "My first year, there were times when I felt really undersizedand overpowered. I didn't know how long I'd be able to stay." With the helpof the coaching staff and an intense work ethic, Carlton improved his gamesteadily. "The coaches helped m! e get through it. I got better and strongerevery day by working extra before and after practices." He also tookadvantage of his summers at home, forgoing the opportunity to play pickupgames and choosing to head to the gym for some marathon drilling sessionswith friends. "I went to the gym and weight room all day, every day."

As a sophomore, Carlton saw just a bit more playing time on Stanford's 30-2Pac-10 Champion team, but in his third year with the Cardinal he picked hisgame up to new levels and impressed new coach Trent Johnson very quickly.With Chris Hernandez out with an ankle injury, Carlton saw more playing timein the preseason. "I wanted to impress the new coach so bad. He told methere would be the possibility to get on scholarship, and that made me work even harder."

Carlton eventually earned that spot in December of 2004, but that newscoincided with an unfortunate injury. While preparing for a road trip toDetroit to play Michigan State on national television, Carlton broke hisfoot, sidelining the point guard for the season. "It was a weirdcoincidence; the day I broke my foot was the same day he told me about myscholarship," he explained. "I was in the locker room with the trainer andhe came in and said the paperwork had gone through."

Ultimately, the scholarship made Carlton work even harder to rehab andreturn stronger than ever. "I felt more pressure to earn it. People outsideof the program look at scholarship and walk-on as a big difference, so withthat tag I felt I had to prove it to other people, too." Returning to thecourt as a now-redshirt junior in the fall of 2005, Carlton showed himselfto be a high-energy defensive player, impressing his coaches and teammateswith his tenacity.

Carlton played this past season with the same kind of energy, locking downsome high-end offensive point guards on several occasions. One of the morememorable moments of Carlton's senior season came in Maples Pavilion againstWashington State when he locked down the surging Derrick Low for a longstretch in the second half, forcing an excellent scorer into a distributingrole. "When I'm going against a faster player-which is most of the guards inthe Pac-10-I know I need to be more aggressive and tough-minded," said Carlton. "If I can be physical I can play with those guys. That's a role Iaccepted and embraced." As a team captain, that style of play helped set thetone for the Cardinal this entire season.

Offensively, Carlton ran the team well on several occasions this year, withsome of his most important contributions coming at the end of the first halfagainst UCLA in Maples. With the team down 17 heading into the last minuteof the half, Carlton acted as a sparkplug and hit a jumper off his ownoffensive rebound to bring the deficit down to a more manageable marginheading into the locker room. With renewed confidence, Stanford blitzed theBruins in the second half to pull off its highest-profile win of the year.

Off the court, Carlton took a step on September 5, 2005 that most of histeammates can only imagine: marriage. Carlton met his wife, Shayla, thesummer after his sophomore year at a large event in Seattle. "She feltperfect from the start," he said. The couple dated long-distance for a yearand a half, deciding to marry with great confidence at a young age. "She'sbeen a great supporter and motivator in everything I do." At the same time,Carlton has quickly learned why Coach Johnson refers to Shayla as Carlton'sboss. "She keeps me in my place." After the wedding, Shayla transferred toSan Jose State, where she is studying to be a teacher. The couple now livesin Sunnyvale approximately halfway between Stanford and San Jose. "We'realready compromising," Carlton joked.

Graduating with a degree in Human Biology, Carlton is on the fast track torealizing his lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. Carlton's parents Charlesand Shauna both work in the health care field as a family physician andnurse practitioner, respectively, so he has always been exposed to themedical field. Outside of the classroom, Carlton has done research with Dr.John Cooke, a leader in medical research dealing with the effects of nitricoxide on improving circulation, at Stanford Hospital for the last two and ahalf years. "We have patients come in, and we run tests on them like on atreadmill or with an EKG," he explained. "It's an especially greatexperience because I'm dealing with patients on the clinical side and alsodoing the lab work." Carlton plans to take the MCATs this spring and willwork in Dr. Cooke's lab again next year, allowing him the opportunity toroot on his teammates next season before heading off ! to medical school.Although Carlton is not sure where medical school will take him, theWeatherbys hope to end up in California or the Seattle area.

Carlton has been a part of some great Stanford teams in his five years withthe program, but he will most miss the behind-the-scenes, spontaneousmoments with his teammates. Carlton fondly remembers winning the "AmericanIdol" competition the team had last season in the hotel after beating OregonState in Corvallis, as he sang R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" to hold offrunner-up Taj Finger. That moment might not make it into any media guides,but it exemplifies the passion that Carlton brought to this program ineverything that he did. His time on the Cardinal roster might be over, butCarlton will continue to provide a great example for all student-athletes who come to Stanford looking to excel in all aspects of the university.

Official Pre-Season HS Rankings...

2007-11-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

Above pic is of #5 ranked South Kent Schools 5'9" Isaiah Thomas dunking on the break in a game against Top 25 ranked Notre Dame Prep...

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, Matt Simpkins)
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. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson VA (Brandon Jennings, Keith Gallon, Malik Story)
Although they lost their starting SG Willie Warren, they added one of the top Soph's in the country in 6'3" PeShon Howard. 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...

11. Wheeler HS, 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.

12. Mater Dei, Santa Ana CA (Travis Wear, David Wear, Gary Franklin)
With the 6'10" Wear twins (Travis & David Wear) patrolling the lane, Mater Dei will be one of the West Coast's best teams. They also have one of the top PG's in the 2010 class in Gary Franklin, making them one of the top teams Nationally. As you can see Mater Dei is looking like their usual self...

13. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

25. Helen Cox HS, Harvey LA (Greg Monroe)

2009 is PG Deep...

2007-10-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-10-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

"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...

2007-10-11T09:37:00.000-04:00

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???

2007-10-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

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

The WEST COAST is BACK!

2007-09-28T09:56:00.000-04:00

Yeah, you read that right...

The West Coast is BACK! No, Dre hasn't dropped the "Detox" yet, and Shaq hasn't rejoined the Lakers... I'm talkin' about the HS/College Hoop Scene...

The Pac-10 was already among the top conferences in the country, and this years FR Class did nothing but make it even stronger with the additions of numerous All Americans to rosters up and down the conference. From OJ Mayo & Davon Jefferson at USC, James Harden at Arizona State, Jerryd Bayless & Jamelle Horne at Arizona, Kevin Love at UCLA, and so on...

What I'm talking about is the Next Class of hoopers looking forward to gracing the courts up and down the Pac-10. Within the class of 2008 there is a group of 7 Guards, all hailing from the West Coast, who are skilled and talented enough to be ranked among the Nations Top 50 Players by many different publications... From Slam Magazine, Dime Magazine, Rise Magazine, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Scout.com, CSTV, Prep Stars, Rivals, Hoop Scoop Online, etc., the following "WestCoasters" are labeled as the Guards of the future.

I asked each of them their thoughts about the strength of the Pac-10, as well as what they think about the group of kids from the 08 class. The answers are below, along with a pic and a video of each player.

Brandon Jennings 6'2" PG, Oak Hill Academy (Compton, CA) *Committed to Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJpqtynQOAM

"There is a lot of strength in the Pac-10... I think with OJ Mayo and Kevin Love playin' in the Pac-10 helped it a lot. So their the ones that made it strong. Now the 08/09 class is going to be Crazy! You got me at AZ, you got Jrue and Malcolm at UCLA, then you got Zeke at Washington and Demar at USC! If the Pac-10 can't get any ESPN games after this year, than I don't know what else to do. You got 4 guys in the top 25 ranking from ESPN all going to the Pac-10 now... That's HEAT!"
"With the kids from the 08 class coming into the pac 10 next year, It's gonna be crazy... Everybody gonna wanna see me go at Jrue and Zeke and Malcolm, it's just a lot of good match-ups."

Jrue Holiday 6'4" SG, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, CA) *Committed to UCLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ucbjbx8Ro0

"We tryin' to make the West coast the strongest conference in college basketball... We're also tryin to prove that the West Coast baller is realer and better than the East Coast Baller."
"I think we got the top players comin' into the Pac-10, and almost any Pac-10 team has a chance to get to the championship... But you know UCLA is goin back!"

Isaiah Thomas 5'9" PG, South Kent Academy (Tacoma, WA) *Committed to Washington

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271552527/bctid192880237

"My thoughts are that the West Coast has always been there, it's just that we're getting better and better players every year. So the competition is coming through the West Coast (Pac-10) which means there's gonna be matchups every game, every night, and you're gonna have to bring that A game or you're gonna get embarrased... The strength of the Pac-10 is gonna be tough night in and night out. You're gonna have someone comin' after your heart, and I think that's good because it's gonna show which players really belong in that type of conference, and which players don't... I'm gonna be one of those players that's comin after everybody, so ya'll better look out for me next season"

Jerime Anderson 6'2" PG, Canyon HS (Anaheim, CA) *Committed to UCLA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybx_dhVBrBg

"I feel like our class in general is helping to bring the West Coast Back! Everyone who's coming in from our class sooo real! Definitely gonna be the best league/conference in the country for a long time..."
"I think that a lot more kids just want to stay closer to home and their families. Especially now with the Pac-10 having the most prestigious programs, there's no point in going across the country."

Demar Derozan 6'6" SG, Compton HS (Compton, CA) *Committed to USC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-ywLk3860

Malcolm Lee 6'4" PG, North HS (Riverside, CA) *Committed to UCLA

http://ucla.scout.com/2/646714.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teAtIaPr1qc

"I'm really excited. For the past few years the West has been slowly coming back to form. The EastCoast been runnin things for a while and now we gonna be up there with them. The Pac-10 is so strong rigth now, basically it's gonna be wars every night in our conference games, and that's what I'm about. I like to compete. I don't like to take the easy way out. The Pac-10 is to a point where it's like, Only the Strong Survive. The West Coast is back and we takin over... With Interest!"
"The West Coast is guard heavy in the 08 class, and now that the majority of us stayed in the Pac-10 is going to have one of the best Freshman Classes Nationally."

Larry Drew 6'0" PG, Taft HS (Woodland Hills, CA) *Committed to UNC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pbfy3nEcIs

As you can see, all but 1 of them are headed to Pac-10 programs.

Together these young men will help to keep the Pac-10 among the best conferences in the country for the next 3-4 years. Even though most of these guys are close with eachother, all of them are fiery competitors so expect som HEATED battles on the floor next season!

Oh, and here's some names to watch from the West out of the 2009 class... And ALL are considering Pac-10 programs...

Abdul Gaddy 6'3" PG, Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, WA) *Committed to Arizona

Michael Snaer 6'4" SG, Rancho Verde HS (Moreno Valley, CA)

Renardo Sidney 6'10" PF, Fairfax HS (Los Angeles, CA)

Avery Bradley 6'4" SG, Bellarmine Prep HS (Tacoma, WA)

Roberto Nelson 6'3" SG, Santa Barbara HS (Santa Barbara, CA)

Hollis Thompson 6'7" SG, Loyola HS (Los Angeles, CA)

Peyton Siva 6'0" PG, Franklin HS (Seattle, WA)

Jordan Hamilton 6'7" SF, Dominguez HS (Los Angeles, CA)

David Wear 6'10" PF, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, CA)

Travis Wear 6'10" PF, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, CA)

Yessir! It looks like the West is most definitely back, and from the looks of things it doesn't plan on going anywhere for awhile...

'Zo

The Herb Pope Story...

2007-09-26T16:35:00.001-04:00

Herb is a kid whom I've never met personally. I've seen him play once before, and had heard many stories of him and his game, so I was really looking forward to meeting him last Spring at the 2007 Sonny Vaccaro Roundball Classic. But he couldn't make it. He was shot 4 times outside of a party in his hometown of Aliquippa, PA just days before he was supposed to board his flight to Chicago to show the Country's best what he can do. Aliquippa PA??? You probably thought the same thing I did while reading that. By all accounts it's a pretty small town, but it has some serious big city problems.

Below are links to 2 articles written about Herb and his story... One boy Luke Winn of CNNSI and the other by Thayer Evans of the NYTimes...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/luke_winn/09/25/herbpope/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/sports/ncaabasketball/17pope.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Below are a few interesting excerpts from the articles:

*Abandoned by his parents as a youngster, he had a tortuous journey in becoming one of the nation’s top high school power forwards. He endured upheaval while living with relatives, friends and foster parents. He changed schools nearly every year. And he survived violence, including a shooting during a dispute in March.

*Pope endured a tumultuous childhood. “He comes from a dysfunctional family,” said his father, Herbert Pope Sr., a recovering crack addict. “He basically raised himself. It’s amazing. He’s got a hell of a story to tell.”

*“He’s an inner-city kid that is not going to take any stuff from anybody,” Theus, a former N.B.A. star, said in a telephone interview. “Unfortunately, a lot of times the inner-city kids, the first thing they think with a problem is knocking the guy out, which is not all bad, to a point.”

*At the 2005 ABCD Camp, the two biggest junior stars were O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love, who were as close to sure things as are found on the recruiting trail. Beyond that duo, the most intriguing player present from the Class of '07 may have been Herb Pope, a slippery, 6-foot-8 forward from Aliquippa, Pa., who had committed to Pittsburgh as a sophomore. But as one evaluator remarked at the time, Pope "was probably getting too good" for the Panthers. Not that Pitt wasn't a strong program then; it just seemed that Pope was blowing up on a national scale, and there were whispers that he was being pushed toward grander destinations."

*Two of the bullets remained in Pope's body when he was released after 11 days. Nearly two months went by before he returned to playing basketball. On Wednesday he'll be back in Aliquippa, at a court hearing, to face Longmire. Pope says there is no animosity toward his shooter.
"I can't be mad, because of where I live and the things that I've seen," he said. "I'm more disappointed in myself, because I had chances to go to private schools and get out of the area. That was a way to stop this from happening; otherwise, I don't think it was preventable. It happened a quarter of a mile away from my house."
When he spoke those words on a recent September morning, Pope was sitting in the basketball office at New Mexico State, where he's on scholarship as a freshman. Who would have thought while Mayo and Love went to Los Angeles, Pope would go to Las Cruces?

Herb Pope is currently at New Mexico State, readying for his Freshman season where they are looking for him to be a leader both on and off the floor.

At the young age of 19 Herbs both been through and seen more than most people twice his age. From being abandoned by his parents at a young age, being shot 4 times, committing and decommitting from Pittsburgh, and last but not least being left by the coach who recruited him to New Mexico State (Reggie Theus).

He's got one of those stories that sounds like it was something written for the silver screen, making him the kind of kid whom you really pull for to succeed. Here's to hoping he can leave his troubled past behind, and make the best of a new situation.

Herb, even though we haven't met personally, I'm pullin for you lil' homie...

'Zo

Top 20 HS teams pre-season...

2007-09-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

(Pictured above, Brandon Jennings of Oak Hill)

It may be seem a lil' early to be puting this list together, but with just over a month before the HS season tips off I figured I'd get things crackin' early...

Zo's Top HS teams Nationally, pre-season...

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson VA (Brandon Jennings, Willie Warren, Keith Gallon, Malik Storey)
Oak Hill will have the nations best backcourt with Brandon Jennings and Willie Warren, as well as one of the HS ranks premiere long range shooters in Malik Storey. The question surrounding them this season will be their frontcourt...

2. 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...

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. 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.

5. 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.

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. 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.

9. South Kent Academy, South Kent CT (Isaiah Thomas, Maurice Creek, Christian Morris, Jin Soo Kim, Assane Sene)
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, and a 7' Footer from Africa in Assane Sene.

10. Mount Zion Academy, Durham NC (Terrence Jennings, Karron Johnson)
Mount Zion will boast one of the nations top front courts in ultra-athletic 6'10" Sr Terrence Jennings and the versatile and also athletic 6'7" Jr Karron Johnson. They should be very entertaining to watch as usual.

11. 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.

12. Wheeler, Marietta GA (Dequan Jones, Ari Stewart, Richard Howell)
Even with the loss of McDonalds All American PF JJ Hickson to NC State, Wheeler should still contend for the State Championship and it;'s possible they'll be even better than they were last year. 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 tough to beat and a highlight reel waiting to happen.

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. Lincoln, Brooklyn NY (Lance Stephenson)
Lance Stephenson!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who else is excited about this years NCAA FR Class???

2007-09-24T12:40:00.000-04:00

The above 2 kids, DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M) and Anthony Randolph (LSU), are not only two of the Biggest McDonalds AA Snubs in recent years but they are also two of the most talented kids coming into this years NCAA season. Look for both of them to make an instant impact at their respective schools.

WOW! now that I think about it this should be a VERY entertaining season... Is it just me or does it look like this class of incoming Freshman could possibly one of the most talented classes to come through College Hoops in a looooong while??? (Obviously the NBA rule had a lot to do with it)

I was going to write this blog on DeAndre Jordan and Anthony Randolph, and talk about how they are both talented enough to be on NBA rosters right now but somehow they were left out of the McDonalds AA game last year, giving both of them even more motivation to do what they do in their 1st, and possibly last collegiate seasons. But the further I dug into this topic, I started to see how deep this incoming FR class truly is...

Check it out...

Bill Walker (Redshirt) 6'6" Wing, Kansas State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G33_XkeVS8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eISP-7c3aiE

Kevin Love 6'9" PF, UCLA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZpljX-jnFk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAyYfQl1MHc

Mike Beasley 6'9" F, Kansas State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hYfDCxUX9I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dGLwJaayL0

OJ Mayo 6'5" G, USC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ssZaWoWEs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdyefoownk

Eric Gordon 6'5" G, Indiana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNQRKsZYXZ8&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asXHPc0wnMQ

DeAndre Jordan 7'0" C, Texas A&M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSjNQjdb2kI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O31vY5StdX8

Anthony Randolph 6'10" PF, LSU
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1069
http://nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/anthonyrandolph.html

Derrick Rose 6'3" PG, Memphis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6G_RRGHzfA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk7QSoF02T0

James Harden 6'6" SG, Arizona State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivJl_-Wn650
http://www.presstelegram.com/preps/ci_4613504

Jerryd Bayless 6'4" G, Arizona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHYd40OFTXI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2QJQZ7F3gc

JJ Hickson 6'9" PF, NC State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW5oU8HbSqA
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1239

Gani Lawal 6'8" PF, Georgia Tech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVp6pxn-k8A
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1269

Donte Greene 6'9" PF, Syracuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Fh6BOw-uQ
http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/dontegreene.html

Kyle Singler 6'8" Wing, Duke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOrmXKJIbV0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etarE-rRNMg

Kosta Koufus 7'1" C, Ohio State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCWR1bzG3rI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWXuBbhrjU8

Patrick Patterson 6'8" PF, Kentucky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T65zYF6XF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd3d1tNVMwc

Jonny Flynn 5'11" PG, Syracuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2L_LGxyTys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZeEPNmAvFE

Chris Allen 6'4" SG, Michigan State
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2USASnAzbnk
http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/chris_allen_bio.html

Corey Fisher 6'0" PG, Villanova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCwc4j_uJxU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Fk_-SLza4

Corey Stokes 6'6" SG, Villanova
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ik_JmaYnpc
http://ssbasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1132&CID=636006

Austin Freeman 6'5" SG, Georgetown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwA5pWm5ah0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc_us9bmXhw

People will be saying the same things about this years FR class that they have said about last years, but I think this years FR class will prove to be even deeper and more talented from top to bottom. It also has much more star power, as many of these guys will be the leader and go to players on their teams. It may not produce the top 2 picks in the NBA draft like last years FR class did, but it will produce a majority of the lottery picks and you can take that to the bank... Cause if the season goes like I think it will, I know a lot of these guys will and deservedly so!

'Zo

This post is in Memory of Dante "DA" Anderson...

2007-09-21T13:27:00.001-04:00

DA was one of my lil' homies with whom I spoke with weekly... He was a very talented kid, with a personality and smile that could light up a room... He spoke with that Down South Florida drawl, that always made conversation with him memorable (Especially for those of us not originally from the South).

He's the perfect example of a kid who had literally came outta nowhere! He made it into our 2006 ABCD Camp through one of our Try-out camps that we had down in Florida. And once he came to camp it was obvious to everyone watching that he was a man on a mission! He played well enough throughout the week to earn a spot in the Underclassmen All-Star game, where he wowed EVERYONE in attendance and was named one of the Co-MVP's of the game (along with Brandon Jennings). Dante finished with a team high 22 points, and he shot 8-15 from the field & 5-10 from beyond the arc... He left the camp with his name on the top of every college coaches list, and with the reputation he came to camp looking to build...

This past spring, Dante was still out on the hunt as if he hadn't accomplished anything. He's the type of kid who was ALWAYS looking for respect out on the court. He had played well enough to earn a spot on Team Rbk USA, a group of 12 kids hand picked by Rbk's Global Director of Basketball Chris Rivers which included:

Isaiah Thomas, 5'9" PG *Committed to Washington
Malcolm Lee, 6'4" PG *Committed to UCLA
Will Buford, 6'5" SG *Committed to Ohio State
Darius Miller, 6'7" SF *Committed to Kentucky
J'Mison Morgan, 6'10" C *Being recruited by UCLA, Kansas, Alabama, Baylor, etc
Quincy Acy, 6'7" PF *Being recruited by Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, etc
Eric Frederick, 6'7" SF *Being recruited by Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, etc
Kenny Frease, 6'11" C *Committed to Xavier
Philip Jurick, 6'11" C *Committed to Tennessee
Bill Walker, 6'6" SF *Freshman @ Kansas State
Dante Anderson, 6'4" SG

Who were put together to tour Italy, and play against the U-20 teams over there.

On his way back to Florida after his 1st "Training Camp" with the team, he had an overnight layover here in Atlanta, so I picked him up from the airport and he spent the night at my home. We talked all night long about the things he had in mind for the circuit this spring/summer, and he was really looking forward to his trip to Italy, as well as his return trip to our Reebok All American Camp (RbkU) where he planned on putting on a show all over again...

Not too long after that evening Dante passed away as result of a tragic car accident. He is sadly missed, and we now have an award that we will give out annually at our camp (Rbk U) in honor of our fallen friend.

Below is a link to a video of Dante playing shortly before his passing...

RIP lil' homie... You will always be missed...

'Zo

http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w10/Bestof2009/?action=view&current=Dante.flv

Some advice for the lil' homies... (Myspace/Facebook)

2007-09-21T13:17:00.000-04:00

This post is for all the young hoopers out there with goals and dreams to play in college and beyond, to tell you to be careful on both of these websites (Myspace & Facebook).

There are actually people out there that will stalk HS/College Basketball players. Especially ones whose names are in the papers, on the websites, in Magazines, and on TV. When you get a chance, you should go through your friend list and delete all of the people that you don't know. Because you never know, they could be a fan from another college or high school, or just some hater who is looking for something to use against you.

There have been situations where stuff like this happens, and entire cheering sections are chanting a players cell phone number, or holding up signs with the players e-mail address or a BIG picture of the player and his girlfriend, etc. That's why it's important to know who you're talking to, or who you're letting into your personal life. Because the info that's on these pages such as: pictures of you with your fam, friends, details about your personal life, etc. Is all stuff that can and will be used against you if the wrong people have it. Especially if you're one of the best players on a rival team.

After you read this, get back on your pages and delete all the names of people that you have no clue who they are. But if you're going to let people you don't know on your page, at least delete your personal contact information like your phone number, e-mail address, or AIM screen name...

Sonny lecture's @ Harvard...

2007-09-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

As many of you know and should know, "The Godfather" Sonny Vaccaro, has taken a heiatus from Grassroots Basketball in the sense of running camps an tournaments. But he is currently on a speaking tour, going to many of the nations best law schools and speaking about his life and goals. Below is an article from the Washington Post about his most recent speach at Harvard University on September 19, 2007...

If you have ever met Sonny, he is the kind of guy who's mere presence demands respect. He's one of the friendliest people I've met since being involved with Basketball, period. He's as inviting as they come, and when you're around him it's easy to tell that his mind isn't on himself. he genuinely cares about the kids he helps.

Now onto the article...

'Zo

-------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091902506_pf.html

Marketing Pioneer Takes Message to Campus

By Eric Prisbell, Washington Post Staff WriterThursday, September 20, 2007

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 19 -- Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company executive who helped turn the youth basketball scene into a multimillion-dollar industry, has long been an outspoken critic of the NCAA. Now, he has a unique and unlikely audience. One of college basketball's most controversial and influential figures of the past 40 years has taken his fight to the halls of higher learning, starting with the Ivy League.
Nine months after leaving the shoe company business, Vaccaro began an East Coast university speaking tour Wednesday at Harvard Law School, where he criticized both the NBA and NCAA during a spirited, 90-minute lecture. Vaccaro, who said he hopes to "awaken America" with his message, will follow Wednesday's appearance with a lecture at Yale on Friday and another at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business on Sept. 26.

"I always prayed this would be my ending," Vaccaro, who will turn 68 on Sunday, said during an interview before Wednesday's lecture. "I have been working for this day for 68 years. This is the most significant thing I have done in my life, and it is payback for all the kids and parents who have been with me for 43 years. I'm fighting for kids I don't even know, who have no idea I'm fighting for them."

Vaccaro, who has worked for Nike, Adidas and, most recently, Reebok, is usually seen in public wearing a velour sweat suit and hobnobbing with college coaches, high school players and handlers at summer basketball camps. On Wednesday night, Vaccaro wore a button-down shirt and dress pants and hugged most of the few dozen law students in attendance.

Jihad Beauchman, a second-year law student, said: "Sonny and I don't necessary agree on the issues, but I like that he is so passionate about it. It's amazing that he has accomplished so much, but he still sees that his greatest goal is forthcoming."

Vaccaro criticized the NBA age restriction that stipulates a player must be 19 years old and one year out of high school before being drafted. International players must be 19 years old by the end of the calendar year in which they turn draft eligible, but they do not have a one-year waiting period after high school.
"We did not preclude these [foreign-born] kids from earning a living at the age of 18," Vaccaro said. "We forced our own people to do what -- go to college, because that's what we do in America. Why aren't all kids given the same chance to play in the league?"

Vaccaro also took aim at schools that profit from selling images from games starring their former athletes. He believes players should profit from such business transactions once their eligibility has ended.

"When did it become the right of NCAA to sell me into perpetuity?" Vaccaro said to the students. "They don't have the right to sell me forever. What the hell? You have to speak. You have the choice."

Vaccaro entertained the audience with stories of past and current battles with the NCAA. He said the NCAA requested Southern California freshman basketball player O.J. Mayo take a handwriting test to prove the validity of his standardized test scores.

Michael Menitove, a third-year law student, is the president of Harvard's Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law, which invited Vaccaro to speak. Menitove said: "We wanted someone who was controversial. We wanted someone who was opinionated. Agree or disagree, the NCAA is an issue that has certainly been at the forefront of conversation."

Vaccaro said Harvard only paid for his hotel room because he does not want to profit from the lecture.
"I am not Dick Vitale," Vaccaro said. "I'm not going to give pep talks to the football team. I wanted to go to these kind of universities, with these kind of students: journalists, business [people], lawyers. The new generation, I believe, are the ones who will carry the word. If there is going to be change, I want them to at least have the story correct."

Vaccaro left Reebok in January but remains active. He is writing a book about his career. He is meeting with officials in Los Angeles about his concept of a national basketball academy. He also is a consultant for the upcoming HBO film "ABCD Camp," the name of Vaccaro's New Jersey-based camp for high school players that ended in 2006. Vaccaro will be portrayed by James Gandolfini.

But he is not without critics. Brian McCormick, the author of "Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development," said in an interview earlier this week that while Vaccaro has had a positive impact on youth basketball, "in the grander scope, when he turned grass-roots basketball development into part of the shoe company marketing plan, development was ignored and a generation of players have been raised in a system that values exposure and player rankings more than learning the game and competing."

Many college coaches remain reluctant to praise Vaccaro publicly because he is a polarizing figure. Vaccaro said he recently has received the most attention from scholars at prestigious universities.

"They have paid attention to Sonny Vaccaro more than the people [coaches] I have done business with," Vaccaro said. "As I get toward the end of my quest, I find that my friends are people I had never met who were so opposite my quest. That is what makes what I am doing now so interesting."

First Blog Ever...

2007-09-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

What's up ya'll? This is my first time ever blogging, and I figured it'd be a good way to just type out my thoughts, etc. Some of ya'll know that I send out a lot of e-mails sharing either my advice or my thoughts, and information such as articles on Basketball from the Grassroots Level, high school level, college level, and professional level, so I figured I'd do something like this to put it all in one place.

As most of ya'll know I have been involved in the game of Basketball for most of my life, and have become deeply immersed in the Grassroots Basketball Circuit, High School Hoops, College Hoops, and on the professional over the past few years.

Here's a lil' bit about me... I'm 26, was born and raised in Tacoma WA, moved down to Atlanta for College after HS (Morehouse College), lived in B-More for a few years, and am now married and back living down here in the ATL aka Atlanta GA...

That's enough about me, now onto the bloggin'!