By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
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Thursday, Nov. 8 marked the first day of the early signing day for college basketball, and National Letters of Intent began rolling across fax machines from schools coast-to-coast, changing the fortunes of some previously downtrodden programs, maintaining the strength of some perennial powers.
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One of the former, Kansas State, was considered the day's big winner. New Wildcat head coach Bob Huggins signed four high school seniors, and is expecting former North College Hill, Ohio, star Bill Walker to join the team on the court as early as January.
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Former Oak Hill Academy, Va., forward Michael Beasley, now at Notre Dame Prep, Mass., was the star signee for Huggins Wednesday. Beasley averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds at Oak Hill as a junior and enhanced his reputation on the summer circuit, which included a stint with Team USA at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
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"Obviously, Mike is a special player," Huggins said in a Wednesday press conference. "I think rarely does a player combine his athleticism and skill level. He is capable of playing four positions on the floor on both ends of the court. We look for Mike to be a tremendous difference-maker for us in games."
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Joining Beasley in Manhattan will be scoring guard Fred Brown of Dwyer High in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., point guard Jacob Pullen of Proviso East, Ill., and Domonique Sutton of The Patterson School in North Carolina.
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Huggins "Fab Five" could quickly reverse the fortunes of a program that hasn't made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1996, although they won't be on campus until August, 2007.
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Calipari Snags Rose
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John Calipari once again showed why he is one of the best recruiters in the country by luring star guard Derrick Rose out of Chicago and onto an already-talented roster at Memphis.
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Rose earned MaxPreps second team All-American honors as a junior after averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game while leading Simeon to its first AA title in Illinois since 1984.
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Calipari's 341-130 career coaching record at the college level is no accident. While at Massachusetts, and now at Memphis, he has been able to attract top-notch talent and produce consistent winners on the court.
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Rose will be complimented by fellow signees Jeff Robinson (6-5, 200/St. Patrick, N.J.) and Will Bogan (6-10, 290, Bell City, Mo.). Illinois, Indiana, and DePaul were also under consideration by Rose before casting his lot with Calipari and the Tigers.
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Cinderella No Longer
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Long gone are the days of Gonzaga being a cute, mid-major, trendy upset pick come NCAA Tournament time.
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The Zags are a proven national power on the floor, and after signing a trio of highly-regarded high schoolers Wednesday, Mark Few is clearly flexing his muscle off of it.
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"This is the first time we've ever had a class nationally ranked," Few said. "We got some offense and we got some athleticism. This is a talented group."
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Austin Daye of Woodbridge High in Irvine, Calif., Steven Gray of Bainbridge, Wash., and British Columbia's Robert Sacre each officially became Bulldogs this week.
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Daye, a 6-10, 190-pound small forward, is a versatile performer in the mold of former Kentucky Wildcat and current Detroit Piston Tayshaun Prince. Gray is a combo guard who was among the top scorers in Washington's Puget Sound region as a junior, while Sacre is a 7-0, 255-pound center that has dominated British Columbia's secondary scene at Handsworth.
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Few and the Zags could have used this group in 2006-2007 with a non-conference schedule that includes Texas, Washington, Duke, Nevada, Virginia, and Memphis, as well as a trip to New York for the NIT Tip-Off Classic later this month.
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Sunny Outlook for Sendek
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Arizona State isn't a team you typically see battling for the top basketball talent in the country. Apparently, that will change with Herb Sendek running things in Tempe.
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The Sun Devils landed swingman James Harden from Artesia High in California, guard Jamelle McMillan of Seattle, and 6-8 Kraidon Woods, originally a Villanova signee.
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"They will join a good group of young players next fall that our fans should be excited about watching," Sendek said. "To sign players from great prep basketball areas is a great step for our program."
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Harden was the catalyst for one of the nation's best teams as a junior, and is expected to play that role once again as a senior. The 6-4 guard/forward averaged over 18 points and seven rebounds for an Artesia team that captured California's Division III state title.
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McMillan, the son of Portland Trail Blazer head coach Nate McMillan, has helped O'Dea reach Washington's 3A title game each of the past two years, winning it in 2005. Woods is a versatile athlete who could play as many as three different positions. ÿ
Photo: Future Kansas State Wildcat Michael Beasley. (By Jim Owens)