8/5/09

Crishawn Hopkins and Cameron Wright close to verbals? Other updates...


* Mongrel favorite Crishawn Hopkins appears close to committing to Butler according to an Indy Star article. Hopkins is back playing for Manual (Indianapolis) and should have a huge senior year. He's about 6'0 and thin but has amazing hops (for you readers older than 35 that is a leaping reference not a brewing reference). Hopkins can shoot, handle the ball, distribute, he is explosive and should give Terone Johnson a run for his money as best player in Indianapolis in the 2010 class. I'm not sure he can defend like Johnson, but Hopkins is a talent and should have a big year. According to this Kyle Neddenriep article he has 15 offers and is still considering Wright State and Virginia. http://blogs.indystar.com/recruitingcentral/2009/08/another-butler.html I set the video bar at the side to search "U.S.S.S.A. Nationals Slam Dunk" and there is a lot of video from the slam dunk competition there which Hopkins won. Photo from right is from USSSA Nationals last week.

* In any game, the counter-punch is critical. Big serves get all the attention, but the guy who puts the ball back in play is the one who is consistent. Louisville was planning on landing Fab Mello but that ship sailed. According to Mike Hughes of Editor and Publisher Louisville has turned to Rod Odom as a big in the 2010 class and offered this week. It is a premium article so I won't go into more detail, but check it out if you are a Card fan. Lots of times the guys who are juniors and seniors leading teams to the elite 8 or final four were not the first kid on the recruiting list. http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=2&c=885079 Odom is a 6'8 forward from Middlesex (Mass) School.
* NBE Blog has an update on Cleveland star Cameron Wright who is visiting Pittsburgh on Saturday and might be close to verballing with them. Wright told NBE that he had a good feeling about Pittsburgh but wanted to see it for himself. Michigan State, Indiana, and Wisconsin watched Wright quite a bit in July. http://w3.nbebasketball.com/2009/08/06/big-east-visit-on-tap-for-cameron-wright/

* Redhawkinsider.com has an excellent free story on fast rising Ohio senior to be Jon Harris. Harris has grown six inches the last year and has found himself 6'7 with guard skills and several nice D1 scholarship offers. He plays for Twinsburg North High School and has starred for MBA Elite this summer. He says Miami is his leader right now but he also has offers from IUPUI, Loyola, Central Michigan, Kent State, Youngstown State, Wright State, Morehead State, and Northeastern. He is solid academically and very interested in Miami's business school. http://miamiohio.scout.com/2/885184.html

* Speaking of Miami, they also have offered Wisconsin forward Chip Rank. Rank visited Miami last weekend and plans on deciding before his first football game August 29th. He also has offers from Loyola, Northern Iowa, UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwuakee. http://www.wissports.net/sports/hoopsb/blog/blog.aspx?f=123

* Scroll down to the second entry on that last link to Mark Miller's Courtside blog if you are interested in Loyola (Chicago) recruiting. He lists four players in the class of 2011 with Loyola offers in his top ten Wisconsin player rankings. Milwuakee Hamilton's trio of Darnell Harris, Charles Lee, and Elgin Cook along with Merrill's Paul Jesperson have received scholarship offers from Loyola.

* Scroll down one more entry (I can't figure out the perma-links I'm limited) for some information on local schools involvement with Wisconsin 2010 players as well. St Catherine's 6'2 point guard Steve McWhorter has offers from Eastern Ky, Ball St, Eastern Ill, Indiana St, and others. Reid Koenen, a 6'7 wing forward from the Prarie School also has an Eastern Kentucky offer.

* Kenny Stevenson of Seton Academy (Illinois) committed to UI-Chicago today. Stevenson is a 6'2 shooting guard for First Step in the summers. http://ilprepbullseye.com/page22.html

* Jody Demling twittered that Mason County's Treg Setty has been offered by the University of Southern Illinois.

* Will Triggs of Edwardsville (Illinois) committed to Austin Peay today.
http://www.chicagohoops.com/articles1/willtriggs.html Triggs is a 6'6 senior to be who averaged 16 and 11 last year.

2 comments:

  1. Is Hopkins more of a PG or a SG?

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  2. He's a little more of a SG, but I think he can do everything you want a point guard to do. As a college prospect I think his best potential is at point guard but his gift is scoring. I have been very impressed with his handle and driving ability and he has great command of the court and can make some great passes.

    I do question a little if he has the mentality to be a point first because he isn't asked to play that role in school or aau being so much better than any of his teammates. But I think he has the physical skills and passing ability and court vision I'd want in a point so I would guess that is what he'll be recruited to play.

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