National Recruiting Wrap: Class of 2010 Under Watch

The July evaluation period is underway with the first opportunity for college coaches to see high school players in action since their school seasons ended.

Coaching staffs crossed through Ohio and Philadelphia last week with much of the nation’s top talent dispersed between the two.

This week they spread out as the players compete at regional events with their club teams, and then it’s back together again in Las Vegas the following week as the Adidas Super 64, Reebok Summer Championships and The Main Event bring in teams from all over along with the coaches who are tracking them.

With a number of top performers still wide open in their recruiting, we drew some leads as to who may have the edge.

LEBRON JAMES SKILLS ACADEMY/KING CITY CLASSIC

A majority of the rising seniors that were in Ohio are already committed but 25 impact players and future college starters are still going through the process.

Lead Guards

Phil Pressey (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal) ran the show for the winners of the King City Classic tournament championship this past week and sounds like he has a pair of leaders. He’s been on visits to Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. He mentioned expecting all of them to watch him during the week as well as Kentucky and Louisiana State, but Connecticut and Florida were the first two that he rattled off quickly.

He visited UConn his freshman year when he attended Cushing Academy in Massachusetts and said he’s planning to see Jim Calhoun's program and UF as his next visits.

Gary Franklin (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei) recently opened back up after the coaching change at USC and says his offer still stands with the new staff. Arizona, Baylor, California, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia Tech have also offered. Relaying interest for the month ahead were Connecticut, Florida, Stanford and Washington.

Andre Stringer (Jackson, Miss./Forest Hill) has Miami jumping into the mix along with previous players Alabama, Louisiana State, Marquette, Mississippi State and Southern California. He’s planning on visiting Alabama and Mississippi State for sure.

Reggie Smith (Harvey, Ill./Thornton Township) said he has offers from Indiana, Marquette and Miami while Arizona, Florida, Oregon, South Florida and Wake Forest were watching.

Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day) is planning on waiting until September to make anymore visits but has already hit Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and UCLA. Others in close contact who were coming to watch him include Duke, Miami and USC.

Jelan Kendrick (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) continues to go with the number of offers he holds – 28 – instead of getting into specifics. He’s been to Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown for Midnight Madness, Marquette and Miami and says he’d like to do a road trip in August and see as many more as possible before hopefully signing in the fall.

Wings

Two of the very top rising senior swingmen Cameron Clark (Sherman, Texas) and Roscoe Smith (Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy) provided one of the best match-ups of the days spent in Ohio.

Clark has visited Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and hopes to hit Arizona and Arizona State in August. He knew all four along with Kentucky and Kansas have offered him and watched him during the week.

Smith has a current top five of Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Georgetown and Maryland and will look into visits once summer ends.

Doron Lamb (Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy) said Kansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma will get visits from him and that Arizona, Connecticut, Marquette and Pittsburgh would be watching him.

Jason Morris (Lakeville, Conn./Hotchkiss School) has Clemson, Georgia Tech and Stanford, whose elite camp he attended, out in front.

Keala King (Santa Ana, Calif/Mater Dei) saw USC and Stanford but is wide open and had California, Arizona, Arizona State, Kentucky and Oregon expected, with Washington coming to see him at upcoming events.

Trey Zeigler (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) has been to Michigan, Michigan State and UCLA and is thinking of visiting Arizona and Arizona State over a weekend in August.

Cameron Wright (Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine) has interest from hosts Akron and Cleveland State along with Dayton, Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. He’s heard from Georgia Tech and Michigan State recently and is considering visits to each.

Frank Williams (Raytown, Mo.) holds offers from Central Michigan, Murray State, Oral Roberts and Wichita State. He said he thought to have had Arkansas, Kansas State, Marquette, Michigan State, Minnesota and Missouri taking looks at him.

Jamail Jones (Stone Mountain, Ga./Greenforest) noted hearing from Boston College, Cincinnati, Marquette, South Florida and Xavier prior to the week.

Moses Morgan (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) drew Arizona, Indiana, Memphis, Oklahoma, UNLV and Utah.

Ralston Turner (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) has an offer from LSU and had Alabama and Georgia watching him.

Frontcourt

The uncommitted frontcourt players are a versatile group – active around the hoop with the ability to step out and shoot.

Harrison Barnes (Ames, Iowa) is a clear top three player in the class. Word around the gym is it’s a Duke-Kansas battle with Florida, Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Stanford and UCLA a step behind.

C.J. Leslie (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God) is a game-changer who’s as passionate and versatile as Barnes and is continually improving as he tightens up his focus. His crowd of coaches backs it up as he said Connecticut, Oregon, Wake Forest, North Carolina and Kentucky were definites along with Florida, who he wants to visit in August.

Dominique Ferguson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) showed to be more perimeter-oriented but has great length to contest shots of both inside and outside players. He’s been to DePaul, Indiana and Tennessee while Arizona, Connecticut, Florida and Kentucky said they would be tracking him.

Tobias Harris (Long Island, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West) got the better of his matchups many a time whether it be against wings or bigs. Kentucky and Memphis have made recent plays to get in with Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Terrence Jones (Portland, Ore./Jefferson) showed off going coast-to-coast in games and is about as wide open as it goes with programs also coast-to-coast feeling they can land him. He noted hearing recently from Arizona, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Oregon for schools looking to evaluate him during the week.

Dwight Powell (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy) continues to show his value of being able to open up the lanes for others thanks to his perimeter jumper. He said he has California, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt and UCLA all tracking him but that he’s still a ways from making a decision.

Tony Mitchell (Miami, Fla./Center of Life Academy) was a bright surprise and is likely to blow up. He was slowed some by an injured back during the spring but his explosiveness around the hoop and ability to step out was eye-opening. He never really went through the recruiting process having made an early verbal to Kansas State but recently opened back up. Arizona State was the only school he knew of that would be out to watch him but that is all changing after his week of play.

James Johnson (San Diego, Calif/Morse) picked up offers on visits to Maryland and Virginia and has also checked out UCLA, who hasn't offered as of yet. Oklahoma said it would be watching this past week.

REEBOK ALL-AMERICAN CAMP

The week in Philadelphia had a wider range of players from different levels of high school hoop and the 30 players in the All-Star game were a mix of returning seniors, juniors and sophomores.

As for the recruitable Class of 2010 players that were selected to the camp’s finale…

Lead Guards

Joe Jackson (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) was the top backcourt talent if not the top overall talent at the camp. Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, Ohio State and Tennessee are out in front of Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri and UCLA.

Pe’Shon Howard (Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy) has a wide range of interest being from California, having played on the summer circuit with a Florida team and then attending Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. He mentioned Arkansas, Harvard, Marquette, Rutgers, St. John’s, South Florida, Stanford and Virginia Tech.  

Wings

J.J. Moore (Brentwood, N.Y.) is seeing interest pick up after a solid spring and a nice first day of camp. He missed the All-Star game with a back spasm but said he’s got a who’s who of Big East schools in Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, and Syracuse all showing interest.

Stacey Poole Jr. (Jacksonville, Fla./Andrew Jackson) was steady on a loaded team that reached the championship game of camp. His offers still stand with Clemson, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Xavier. Georgia Tech and Louisville made contact after his big NBA Camp and Connecticut recently said they’d watch him in July.

Jesse Morgan (Philadelphia, Pa./Olney) will be a fifth-year player and is heading to prep school at South Kent in Connecticut but said he likes UConn and Florida.

Frontcourt

Tarik Black (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway) emerged this spring as more of a target and is wide open with a long list of ACC, Big Ten, Conference USA and SEC schools wanting to watch him this month. He’ll decide on where he’ll go for September visits once summer play ends.

Ryan Rhoomes (Flushing, N.Y./Cardozo) was the big winner with his breakout week. Coming in he had varied interest from George Mason, Georgia Tech, Long Island University, Providence, Rhode Island, St. John’s and Villanova. Leading his team to the camp championship, Memphis, Seton Hall, Tennessee and Virginia Tech were among the schools that stuck around and witnessed another big game.

Khyle Marshall (Davie, Fla./Flanagan) said he’s planning visit to Auburn and Butler but that he has 17 offers total and will need to trim his list after the month before setting any more.

Dominic Morris (Newark, Del./Friends Central) listed offers from Hartford, Howard, Maryland-Baltimore County, Rider, Robert Morris and Siena.

NOTE: Other top uncommitted rising seniors expected to attend but absent include Brandon Knight (Coral Springs, Fla./Pine Crest), Josh Smith (Kentwood, Wash.) and Cory Joseph (Henderson, Nev./Findlay Prep). All three are expected to be back in action this week.