The Jordan Brand Classic rosters are announced, a pair of standout juniors draw visits from college coaches of perennial powers and commitments by the Class of 2010 begin to pick up as the spring signing period nears. 
Harrison Barnes, Ames
File photo by Nicholas Koza
NEWS AT THE TOP
With the initial announcement of the Jordan Brand Classic rosters Thursday, we expect four more All-American-caliber players to be named to the game in the near future, and this would give the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac 10 a boost in its representation of recruits in the game.
Although a high number of six players are still undecided on their future schools, the ACC currently leads with four signed to conference members – Harrison Barnes (Ames, Iowa), Reggie Bullock (Kinston, N.C.) and Kendall Marshall (Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell) all to North Carolina and Kyrie Irving (Elizabeth, N.J./St. Patrick) to Duke.
The Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and Conference USA each have a pair, and the Pac 10 and SEC have one apiece.
The game traditionally invites the consensus Top 10 players from the senior class and fills the next 14 spots with the top players who competed on the Nike travel circuit in the spring and summer throughout their high school years.
Of the potential additions, leading the list would have to be Jereme Richmond (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan/ILLINOIS), Adreian Payne (Dayton, Ohio/Jefferson/OHIO STATE), Phil Pressey (Dallas, Tex./Episcopal/MISSOURI), Cameron Clark (Sherman, Tex./Sherman/OKLAHOMA), Gary Franklin (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei/CALIFORNIA) and Keala King (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei/ARIZONA STATE).
The above six fit the bill with Richmond, Payne and Pressey having been standouts on the circuit since their early underclassmen days, Franklin and King two of the leaders of Nike-outfitted national power Mater Dei, and Clark a late-bloomer who burst on the scene this past spring while teaming with Pressey. All six also attended Nike’s top summer events in July – the LeBron James Skills Academy and the Peach Jam.
McDonald’s All-Americans less likely to be among the additional selections for the Jordan game include Joe Jackson (Memphis, Tenn./White Station/MEMPHIS), Patric Young (Jacksonville, Fla./Providence/FLORIDA), Keith Appling (Detroit, Mich./Pershing/MICHIGAN STATE), Ray McCallum (Beverly Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day/UNDECIDED), Fabricio De Melo (Weston, Fla./Sagemont/SYRACUSE) and Jayvaughn Pinkston (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin/VILLANOVA) – all of whom played on the Adidas and Reebok circuits.
For the 2009 game, Marcus Jordan (Chicago/Whitney Young/CENTRAL FLORIDA), Ryan Kelly (Ravenscroft, N.C./Ravenscroft/DUKE), Jamil Wilson (Racine, Wi./Horlick/OREGON) and Mouphtaou Yarou (Rockville, Md./Montrose Christian/VILLANOVA) were added to the game following the initial announcement of 20.
Two of the Class of 2011’s top scorers played in front of head coaches from national powers this week.
Austin Rivers of Winter Park (Fla.) scored 41 points in an 83-60 win over Winter Springs while Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski looked on. Rivers committed to Florida but is also still considering Duke.
Wayne Blackshear of Morgan Park (Chicago) is expected to draw Louisville’s Rick Pitino at tonight’s Public League City Championship versus Marshall. Blackshear committed to Louisville on Christmas.
WEEKLY WRAP
Commitments are picking up in the Class of 2010 as the spring signing period (April 14) draws near.
Eugene McCrory, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Kamit Institute for Magnificent Achievers in Washington D.C., committed to Seton Hall this past weekend after attending the team’s game Sunday. McCrory transferred to KIMA for his senior year from Paul VI in Fairfax, Va. He’s the second member of Seton Hall’s 2010 class, joining 6-5 swingman Fuquan Edwin of Paterson Catholic (Paterson, N.J.).
The commitment by McCrory marks the sixth to a high-major conference in the last three weeks and the 11th since the Fall Signing Period back in November. The Big East (5) and Pac 10 (2) have accounted for multiple verbals:
Justin Coleman (6-4 SG/Richmond, Va./Huntington, W.V./Huntington Prep/LOUISVILLE)
Chanse Creekmur (6-6 WF/Des Moines, Iowa/Marshalltown/ARIZONA STATE)
Pe'shon Howard (6-2 CG/Los Angeles/Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy/MARYLAND)
Stargell Love (6-0 PG/Raleigh, N.C./Word of God/BAYLOR)
Jordin Mayes (6-1 PG/Los Angeles/Westchester/ARIZONA)
Cleveland Melvin (6-7 PF/Baltimore, Md./Fitchburg, Mass./Notre Dame Prep/CONNECTICUT)
K.C. Ross-Miller (6-0 PG/Dallas, Tex./God’s Academy/LOUISIANA STATE)
Devonte Newbill (6-3 CG/Philadelphia/Strawberry Mansion/MARQUETTE)
Roscoe Smith (6-7 WF/Baltimore, Md./Mouth of Wilson, Va./Oak Hill Academy/CONNECTICUT)
Jayvaughn Pinkston (6-6 CF/Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Loughlin/VILLANOVA)
Four players did not sign in the Fall Signing Period despite having made commitments to high-majors:
Luke Cothron (6-8 PF/Huntsville, Ala./Red Springs, N.C./Flora MacDonald/NORTH CAROLINA STATE)
Dwayne Polee (6-7 WF/Los Angeles/Westchester/SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)
Terrance Ross (6-7 WF/Portland, Ore./Jefferson/MARYLAND)
Cothron is a soft commit to NC State and is entertaining interest from other schools as well. Polee opened his recruitment up and has current interest from Georgia, Oregon, UNLV and Washington. Ross is back open after just recently transferring home mid-year from Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md. Teammate at Jefferson and All-American Terrence Jones has a final five of Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA and Washington and additionally all have inquired on Ross since the move.
Two programs from the big six conferences did not sign any players in the fall – Colorado and Oregon.
