By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
1. Florida No. 2 With Kasa
It wasn’t a perfect week for Florida football coach Urban Meyer. On Sunday, Legacy (Broomfield, Colo.) blue-chip recruit and defensive end Nick Kasa called Meyer and told him that he had changed his mind. Kasa will stay in state and sign Feb. 4 to the University of Colorado. Don’t shed a tear for Meyer or the Gators, who Thursday won the BCS national title game over Oklahoma 24-14. At least 11 blue chippers have already committed to Florida, including wide receiver Andre Debose (Seminole HS, Sanford, Fla.), who was a MaxPreps second-team All-American. Look for a complete MaxPreps football recruiting page, news, features and expertise from CBS College Sports recruiting guru Tom Lemming later this month.
2. The Game That Wouldn’t End
Jerome Jones scored 65 points in a single game yet he was only a sidelight. That’s how remarkable Miller Career Academy’s 115-111 victory over Gateway Tech was Friday night in St. Louis (Mo.). Consider this: there were five overtimes, 81 fouls, 131 free throws and 11 foul outs. The fifth overtime was forced by a JV kid just called up to varsity who played only 30 seconds but drilled a 20-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer. His name is Stephon King which was fitting. This one seemed as improbable as something written by Stephen King. Great write-up by Ron Clements.
3. Gunfire at Chicago Basketball Game
A seemingly sacred ground – a high school sporting event – was the scene of a drive-by shooting Friday in Chicago. Witnesses at the Hope College Prep at Dunbar boys basketball game said that gunmen in a sports utility vehicle fired into a crowd and sped off. Five teen males were wounded, none were students police officials said, but as of Monday morning only one remained hospitalized. The game was tied in double overtime and school officials immediately canceled the game. No arrests were made over the weekend but police say they have significant leads. Absolutely, positively senseless.
4. Traveling Duncanville Show
The boys basketball team at Duncanville traveled out of its home state of Texas three times – Florida, Indiana and Kentucky - in December and this month heads to Brunswick, N.J. for another showcase. Dallas Morning News columnist Matt Wixon looks at this latest trend in travel, at least for the Panthers. By the way, Duncanville, considered one of the best in the country, is 14-6 though five of the losses have come to out-of-state squads.
5. In Pursuit of Perfection
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is at the top of virtually every national boys basketball poll in the nation. But the Los Angeles Times recently looked at the possibility of the Monarchs going undefeated. Two huge hurdles await, including a Feb. 7 home date with No. 4 St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) as part of the Nike Extravaganza. As we’ve learned in all levels of sport, perfection is nearly impossible. But considering Gary McKnight is their coach, the starting five are all Division I players and, most importantly, their chemistry is so good, I think the Monarchs will finish the season unscathed.
What do you think? National High 5 is a regular feature highlighting the top high school sports news and features on the Net. Let us know if there’s some keen and interesting reads that we’ve missed. E-mail mstephens@maxpreps.com and/or sspiewak@maxpreps.com.
