National High 5: A Drum Roll for Favors

By Mitch Stephens

MaxPreps.com

1. Do Us A Favors

Oh please. Arguably the nation’s top 2009 boys basketball recruit, South Atlanta center Derrick Favors, knows where he’s going to college. He’s just not telling. Not the public anyway. Not until 6:30 (EST) tonight before – of course – a live national television audience. Favors told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution it’s either Georgia, Georgia Tech or North Carolina State. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do something tricky with three caps. “I just feel a relief about it,” he told Todd Holcolmb. “I’m happy to get it over with so I don’t have nothing else to think about.” Judging from the quote, he won’t be majoring in English – wherever he decides. Favors talked to Holcomb Tuesday after scoring 30 points in three quarters of his team’s 87-53 win at Eagle’s Landing (McDonough) before a sparse crowd including Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt. Look for Favors and South Atlanta to be splashed all over national high school news this week. On Thursday, the Hornets travel to Birmingham for an ESPN2 game against Leflore (Mobile, Ala.) before heading to Springfield (Mass.) to take on Oak Hill Academy in the Hoophall Classic.

2. More Georgia News – Spurrier Spurned

The AJC was also first to report that Steve Spurrier is no longer welcome at one of Georgia’s top powerhouses and defending 4A state champion Tucker, after the South Carolina football coach withdrew an earlier offer to Tucker linebacker Jonathan Davis. Tucker coach Jonathan Stephens (no relation) said Davis, a MaxPreps Small School All-American, turned down several other scholarship offers after verbally committing to South Carolina. According to the report, the Gamecocks withdrew their offer on Friday leaving Davis, who will play defensive back in college, scrambling. “The bottom line is what South Carolina did was wrong,” Stephens told the AJC. “Coach Spurrier accepted the blame for the situation … (but he) is not going to do anything to fix the situation, therefore South Carolina will not be recruiting any more Tucker players.” Tucker went 14-1 last year, avenging its only loss (38-0!) to Marist 15-3 in the 4A state championship game. Davis, by the way, told the AJC, he doesn’t begrudge Spurrier. This is all residue from a growing trend of recruits committing way too early, which leads to player de-commitments and programs overbooking scholarships.

3. From Africa to Arizona to Street Clothes

The lengths high school kids will take these days to find the right situation is growing. But halfway across the globe? One of the country’s top prep scribes Richard Obert, of the Arizona Republic, reports that a Mesa High boys basketball player was held out of Tuesday’s showdown with Mountain View while a recruiting allegation is being investigated. The player, 6-9 junior Blondy Baruti, moved from the Congo in Central Africa in September. Without Baruti, Mesa (10-6) dropped an inspired 69-54 contest to Mountain View (15-1). As often is the case, there is much more, if anything, to this tale than recruiting. According to Obert, Baruti is a victim.

4. Another Illinois Leader in the News

Not quite as historic as President-elect Obama’s inauguration next week and certainly not as dastardly as Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment, but Gene Pingatore is now tied at the top of the Illinois boys basketball career coaching win list. The St. Joseph coach won his 826th game on Saturday – he’s lost just 273 – and needs a win Saturday at Carmel to stand alone.

5. Dominguez Down but not Done

One of the country’s top boys basketball teams Dominguez (Compton) is without their head coach Russell Otis (on paid leave while being investigated by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department) and top player and Texas-bound Jordan Hamilton (hardship waiver denied) but the Dons are still 12-4 and formidable. They’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the state, if not the country. See one of many interesting notes in this Los Angeles Times notebook by Eric Sondheimer and Ben Bolch.