Jorge Zagales, the coach of Rutgers commit Terrance Taylor, says the Scarlet Knights are getting an “intangibles” guy in the 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety.

Taylor, out of Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll in Miami, chose Rutgers over Colorado State, Ohio University, Kent State, Central Michigan, Marshall, Central Florida, Florida International and Auburn, Zagales said.

“He’s a free safety for us,” the coach added. “He’s not a kid that you can measure or judge on his athletic times. He’s not gonna run a blazing 4-5 40. He’s pretty average when it comes to his numbers in the weight room. He’s an intangible guy. He’s been the captain of the defense since his sophomore year. (more…)

In the wake of some terrific reporting by Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com, the Memphis basketball program self-reported a possible NCAA violation on Thursday after learning that FedEx president and Tiger booster Dave Bronczek placed a phone call to the mother of a recruit who works for his company.

Goodman reported that Bronczek made an early July phone call to Oseye Gaddy, the mother of point guard Abdul Gaddy, who has been a FedEx employee based out of the Seattle area for more than a decade. (more…)

NEWPORT, R.I. — I had never spoken to Pat White before Tuesday afternoon, never interacted with the West Virginia quarterback and Heisman trophy candidate. I had never heard of West Virginia baseball coach Greg Van Zant, either.

Yet in the span of a few minutes at Big East media day, the quarterback made some startling comments to me that have since thrust White, who is African-American, and Van Zant, who is white, into the national spotlight.

Read the full story at SNY.tv here.

On Thursday, White apologized for his comments, though I hope they still provoke some discussion at West Virginia about what triggered them in the first place.

“I am sorry my comments have caused so many distractions. I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting on the practice field with my teammates on Saturday.”

We also thoroughly enjoyed this take from the Sporting News, entitled, “What Exactly Did Pat White Apologize For?”

James Bell, a 6-4, 210-pound shooting guard/small forward from Jacksonville (FL) Arlington Country Day, has committed to Villanova. Bell is the first member of the Class of 2010 to commit to the Wildcats.

“I spoke to Coach (Jay) Wright and coach (Pat) Chambers and I talked it over with my mother and my grandmother,” Bell said by phone.

“I like the coaching staff. I met the players. There’s a 100 percent graduation rate. I want to get my degree and be a part of the family that Coach Wright has created.”
(more…)

Dwon Clifton has been hired as Director of Player Development at Baylor. Can John Wall be far behind?

Clifton was the head coach for Wall’s D-One Sports Basketball 17 and under travel team. He spent two years at Clemson in the early 2000s when current Baylor assistant coach Matt Driscoll was a member of the Tigers’ staff

“We’re pleased that Dwon Clifton will be joining the Baylor family,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. “His professional playing experience and ability as a former player to relate to young student-athletes make him a great addition to our staff.

“Having coached Dwon and then following his career after Clemson it is nice to be able to mentor him in a profession that he really wants to pursue,” Driscoll said. “With his wife Lucinda and son Kingston joining our family it will make for an easy transition to begin his career.” (more…)

Our man Richard Hansen — whose new blog follows Memphis hoops –chimes in with this update on Memphis recruit Angel Garcia, whose eligibility has recently been questioned.

Rob Petrone from Eyewitness News 24 in Memphis, TN has reported that Garcia to Wabash Valley College in Illinois is merely a backup plan for Garcia if he does not meet the NCAA eligibility requirements. A staff member at Wabash
said it looks like it’s about “90 percent” that Garcia will get into Memphis. But if Garcia doesn’t, the staff member added that Wabash would love to have him.

A source close to the Memphis program told me it was “not true” that Garcia was headed to Wabash, so the Tigers expect him to be on campus.

Terrance Taylor, a 6-0, 175-pound safety from Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll in Miami, has verbally committed to Rutgers for 2009, according to the Miami Herald .

Taylor has other scholarship offers from the University of Central Florida, South Florida and Florida International, the newspaper said.

Taylor has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has a 31-inch vertical leap according to Scout.com. He helped the Bulldogs advance to the Class 2A state semifinals last season.

St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn is losing Devin Ebanks, but likely gaining Danny Jennings.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Jennings, a Staten Island native, told me he will “most likely” attend the Connecticut prep school next season before heading to West Virginia in the fall of 2009.

“I think he’s going to, yes,” Quinn said Thursday by phone. “It looks like he’s coming. I know he wants to come. He came up and visited last week and after the visit he said, ‘I’d really like to come,’ and I said, ‘We’ll try and work it out for you.’” (more…)

NEWPORT, R.I. — There were Saturday nights last year when Mike Teel’s right thumb throbbed so much, the pain was overwhelming.

“For a period of four weeks, it was a nine out of 10, 10 out of 10 [on a scale of 10],” Teel said at Big East media day on Tuesday. “That’s the way it goes. It’s football, it’s a physical game. You’re going to get beat up. You’re going to get hurt. There’s a difference between being injured and being hurt. If you’re injured you can’t play, if you’re hurt you play through the pain and do what you have to do.”

Read the full story here.

In other RU news, the AP is reporting that Rutgers is facing two investigations related to improprieties in the athletic department.

The latest revelation: Robert J. Mulcahy, the son of athletic director Robert E. Mulcahy, took a job at a sports marketing firm in 2000 just as the university was finishing negotiating a no-bid contract with the firm, Nelligan Sports Marketing Inc.

Several hoops big men are on the move…Enes Kanter, a 6-9 16-year-old from Turkey whom I profiled in May, will enroll at Winchendon (Mass.) Prep as a junior and play for Mike Byrnes. One of Kanter’s countrymen and best friends, Ozan Dilik, a high major 6-4 point guard, will be Kanter’s roommate.

“(Kanter) has been accepted to the Winchendon School,” Byrnes said. “We’re in the process of drawing up a student I-20 visa. We’re under the perception that he will be attending the Winchendon School in September, but until you see him on campus, you like to keep a cautious eye.” (more…)