Some news on a couple of highly recruited big men…
Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that DeMarcus Cousins, the 6-foot-11 center from Mobile, Ala. who verbally committed to UAB but never signed a Letter of Intent, now lists Memphis as his leader.
“Before I committed to UAB, Memphis was high on the list as well,” Cousins said. “We already had a relationship, me and Coach Cal [John Calipari]. When I opened [my recruitment] back up, he was the first one to call me, and he’s leading right now.”
“He’s always felt [strongly] about Memphis,” added Otis Hughley, Cousins’ coach at LeFlore High School. “The only thing that stood in between that is his love for Mike Davis and his respect for Mike. He loves Mike.”
After dropping 21 and 12 in a 78-66 win over Derrick Favors and South Atlanta Thursday night, Cousins also told reporters he was considering Kansas State, N.C. State, Washington and Wake Forest. He did not even mention UAB.
Cousins had verballed to UAB, but did not sign a National Letter of Intent, instead asking for a written assurance that Davis would remain.
“It was just a big misunderstanding with the whole scholarship situation,” Cousins said. “Me and [Davis] still have our relationship, and hopefully something comes up, and if it does I’ll be considering UAB again.
“When you pick a school to play for, you’re playing for that coach. The school doesn’t have a particular style. It’s the coach. You’re going to a school, but you’re going there for the coach.”
I hope to have more on this on Monday, when LeFlore plays Lance Stephenson and Lincoln in the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Meantime, Stephenson sounds like he’s strongly considering St. John’s.
Another big man, 6-11 Jarrid Famous of Westchester Community College, is “leaning” toward Seton Hall, according to WCC assistant Dave Vandiver.
“He said right now he’s leaning to Seton Hall,” Vandiver said Friday. “He likes them a lot, a great deal. It’s close to home.”
Yet Vandiver said the new wrinkle was that New Mexico has “started to show a great deal of interest” in Famous and that Famous was reciprocating because his cousin, freshman guard Curtis Dennis, was on the roster. Famous and Dennis teamed together at Blessed Sacrament in The Bronx.
“His cousin, Curt Dennis, is there now,” Vandiver said. “That’s where the connection is and they’re making a big push for him. Jarrid is saying he would like to play with his cousin again but he’ s keeping his options open.
“He could possibly visit [New Mexico]. He’s going to talk about that pretty soon.”
DePaul, UConn, Louisville, Missouri and West Virginia are among the other schools showing an interest in Famous.
