Here are a few quick notes from the world of college hoops and recruiting…
Duke coach
Mike Krzyzewski checked out
John Wall, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2009 according to Rivals,
on Friday night, according to Dave Telep of Scout. N.C. State coach
Sidney Lowe was also in attendance for every game of the Word of God Invitational at which Wall was named MVP. Word of God outscored its two opponents by 63 points in the event.
Wall is considering Duke, Memphis, N.C. State, Baylor, Miami, Oregon and Kansas. He previously told me he planned to visit Duke, but has not set a date.
**Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant reports that UConn coaches are optimistic
that 6-10 Sudanese native
Ater Majok (pictured)
will be cleared by the NCAA in time for the Dec. 15 tilt against Stony Brook at the XL Center. He’s currently in Australia.
“He’ll be back in the states sometime next week,” UConn assistant
Andre LaFleur.
Majok would give UConn 13 scholarship players, meaning big man
Stanley Robinson would play as a non-scholarship player.
Talk about an imposing frontline. UConn could have 7-foot-3
Hasheem Thabeet, 7-1
Charles Okwandu, 6-7
Jeff Adrien, Majok and the 6-9 Robinson
by second semester.
“It’s just going to be a matter of keeping the chemistry,” LaFleur said. “Definitely we’ll be adding two very, very high-level guys, it’s just a matter of keeping the chemistry.”
Anthony does the math on scholarships and says UConn will lose seniors Adrien
Craig Austrie and
A.J. Price and likely junior
Hasheem Thabeet. Alex Oriakhi and
Jamal Coombs-McDaniel are coming in. Add Robinson and that would put UConn at 11.
UConn is focusing on 2010 and 2011 recruits, including point guard
Brandin Knight out of Pinecrest (Fla.) whom assistant coach
Pat Sellers recently went to watch.
**Seton Hall still has gotten no word from the NCAA on 6-11 freshman
Melvyn “Big Mel” Oliver or junior guard
Keon Lawrence. Oliver is awaiting word from the Clearinghouse, and Lawrence is seeking a hardship waiver to play this season. Seton Hall recruit
Cliff Dixon, who earlier this year dropped 27 points in a game for Hutchinson (Ks.) Community College, remains suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
“Cliff is a very long and skilled power forward,” Hutchinson coach
Ryan Swanson said via email. “He has a tremendous upside as his biggest drawback right now is his strength level which can be improved by the time he plays for Seton Hall. He was being recruited by a lot of Big 12 and Big East schools.”
Seton Hall is 5-1 entering Tuesday’s tilt with Monmouth at the Prudential Center.
**Kansas and Memphis appear to be in a holding pattern regarding Lance Stephenson, who did not sign in the fall. Look for both programs to watch his progress this season and then go from there.
Both programs are also involved with St. Anthony wing Dominic Cheek, who will decide between Kansas, Memphis, Villanova, PItt and Rutgers.
Having lost out on Xavier Henry, Kansas desperately needs a wing from the Class of 2009. Memphis coach John Calipari told me his offense can utilize four wings and a big, so the fact that they got Henry doesn’t preclude picking up Cheek or other wings.
