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Brown, Lee pace power forwards

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Posted: Tuesday September 12, 2000 2:05 PM

  Inside Game - Brick Oettinger - Recruiting Watch

In our last major contribution two weeks ago, we provided the first of five positional looks on the best high school seniors (Class of 2001). We identified the top 30 centers, and now we'll do the same thing for the power forwards.

Note that while the senior centers are a truly deep and remarkably talented aggregation, the power forwards, while not bad, may not be quite as impressive as last year's class, which featured Eddie Griffin (Seton Hall), Jason Parker (Kentucky), Jared Jeffries (Indiana), Andre Brown (DePaul), Mario Austin (Mississippi State) and Alton Ford (Houston). It is true, however, that even at the bottom of our list of the top 30 senior power forwards (see below) are some individuals good enough to be pursued by big-time collegiate programs.

The power forwards are listed by current rank, with name, overall class rank, height, town/state/high school and college preferences (verbal commitments in all caps) specified for each. Interestingly, the top two players at this position have both committed to Florida. In case you're wondering, we consider 6-11 Kwame Brown as a power forward rather than a center, because he definitely is a natural face-the-basket player who spends little time in the low post.

Post-Summer Top 30 Power Forwards
Player  Height  School  Colleges 
1. Kwame Brown (No. 7 overall)  6-11  Brunswick (Ga.) Glynn Academy  FLORIDA 
2. David Lee (9)  6-9  St. Louis (Mo.) Chaminade  FLORIDA 
3. Julian Sensley (12)  6-8  Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More  CALIFORNIA 
4. Wayne Simien (17)  6-8  Leavenworth (Kan.) High  KANSAS 
5. Rick Rickert (20)  6-11  Duluth (Minn.) East  Duke, Ariz., Minn., Mich. St. 
6. Travon Bryant (21*)  6-8  Pittsfield (Me.) Maine Central Institute  Missouri, others? 
7. Harvey Thomas (28)  6-8  Durham (N.C.) Emanuel Academy  GEORGETOWN 
8. Ed Nelson (29)  6-8  Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas  Ga. Tech, Clemson, Bos. Coll., Miami-Fla., Ky., S. Fla. 
9. Elton Brown (33)  6-8  Newport News (Va.) Warwick  UVa., N.C. St., FSU, Temple, Villa. 
10. Taurance Johnson (39)  6-9  Collingswood (N.J.) Faith Christian  UMass, Duquense, Fla. Internat., others 
11. Dennis Latimore (43)  6-8  Halstead (Kan.) High  Ariz., Stan., Kansas, UCLA, USC, Tex. 
12. Jamal Levy (48)  6-9  Homestead (Fla.) Berkshire School  WAKE FOREST 
13. Marco Killingsworth (57)  6-8  Durham (N.C.) Emanuel Academy  AUBURN 
14. Brandon Bender (60)  6-10  Louisville (Ky.) Ballard  Ala., DePaul, Ky., Louis., W. Va., Memphis, So. Cal., Mich. 
15. Jason Maxiell (62)  6-7  Carrollton (Tex.) Newman Smith  Cincy, Kansas, Ky., Texas, Ole Miss, Okla., Mich. 
16. Levi Watkins (64)  6-7  Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian  Wake, N.C. St., FSU, Ga. Tech, UVa., maybe Md. 
17. Chuck Hayes (67)  6-7  Modesto (Calif.) Christian  Ky., Kansas, St. Louis, UTEP, Pepp., UCLA, So. Cal., S. Diego St. 
18. Josh Powell (69)  6-9  Riverdale (Ga.) High  N.C. STATE 
19. Omari Westley (74)  6-7  TBA (ex-York, Pa., Crispus Attucks)  Cincy., Xavier, UNC Char. 
20. Demarshay Johnson   (77)  6-9  Oakland (Calif.) Oakland Tech 
21. Elgrace Wilborn (83)  6-8  Springfield (Ohio) South  Mich. St., Tenn., ODU, Miami-Oh., maybe Md., others 
22. Lawrence Roberts (89)  6-8  Houston (Texas) Lamar  Houston, Texas A&M, Texas, others 
23. Kelly Whitney (93)  6-7  Chicago (Ill.) Marshall  DePaul, Ill.-Chicago, Loyola-Ill., others 
24. Patrick Simpson (106)  6-8  Denver (Colo.) George Washington  Stan., New Mex., Purdue, Gonz., Colo. St., Iowa St., FSU, others 
25. Duane Erwin (113)  6-9  Huntsville (Ala.) Lee  Ga. Tech, Auburn, Miami-Fla., Ole Miss, Ark., Memphis 
26. Jason Clark (115)  6-8  Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy  UVa., Tenn., Wake, FSU, Va. Tech, others 
27. Danny Horace (124)  6-7  Cincinnati (Oh.) Western Hills  Duquense, Xavier, N'western, Nebr., UAB, Auburn, Tenn., G. Mason, others 
28. Jeff Ferguson (126)  6-10  Benton Harbor (Mich.) High  MISSOURI 
29. Jaime Lloreda (276*)  6-9  Homestead (Fla.) Berkshire School  Colo., others? 
30. Mark Konecny (131)  6-10  Waterbury (Conn.) Holy Cross  Seton Hall, Syracuse, UConn, UNC 
* -- Class of 2000 final ranking
 

Bryant and Lloreda are surprise additions

There have been two recent additions to the list above. Missouri spring signee Travon Bryant, a 2000 McDonald's All-American following a stellar senior season at Long Beach (Calif.) Jordan, failed to qualify academically for freshman eligibility and therefore is a fifth-year prep at Maine Central Institute. The 6-8, 225-pound left-hander is recruitable all over again, as is 6-9 Panamanian Jaime Lloreda, who for the same reason is back at Homestead (Fla.) Berkshire School rather than at Colorado. Lloreda actually had a qualifying SAT score disallowed late this summer by the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse.

Regional notes

Once again, let's focus primarily upon verbal commitments, late signings, notable college transfers and a few of the visits that occurred during the two weeks since our last contribution.

EAST

  • 6-3 former Miami (Fla.) Northwest Christian PG/WG Eddie Starks (ranked No. 34 in the Class of 2000) has enrolled at Iona as a partial qualifier after being released by Rutgers for academic reasons. Starks will sit out the upcoming season and then have three seasons of collegiate eligibility.

  • Iona also has gained a verbal commitment from 6-2 Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More senior PG Solomon Brown (top 250), a native of Anaheim (Calif.).

  • 6-4 ex-Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll WG/SF David Hawkins (No. 145 in the Class of 2000) opted to matriculate this fall at Temple instead of finalist West Virginia after being released from his Tulane national letter of intent because Green Wave coach Perry Clark got the Miami job.

  • 6-2 Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian senior PG Tony Bethel (No. 107 for 2001) verbally committed to Georgetown on his in-home visit (as expected), over Pittsburgh, Villanova, Rhode Island, Boston College, Tennessee and West Virginia.

  • 6-8 Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep senior PF Maurecio Branwell (top 250), who averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds per game last season for Washington (D.C.) Dunbar, verbally committed to Massachusetts over Temple, Iowa State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and George Washington.

  • 6-8 Troy (N.Y.) Catholic Central senior BF Gary Holle (unranked in the top 300) verbally committed to Siena coach Louis Orr during a Sept. 10 in-home visit.

  • 6-3 Atlanta Metro (Ga.) Junior College sophomore WG Antoine Knighton has given Fordham an early verbal commitment.

  • 6-7 Braintree (Mass.) Thayer Academy senior SF/WG John Hurley (unranked in the top 300) verbally committed to Holy Cross over Boston University, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Bucknell and others.

  • 6-9 junior BF Marlon Miller has transferred to St. Bonaventure from the University of Nevada. He will sit out the 2000-01 season and then have two remaining years of collegiate eligibility.

    SOUTH

  • Georgia Tech gained verbal commitments from both left-handed 6-6 senior SF/PF Is'mail Muhammad (No. 44) of Atlanta and 6-5 senior WG/SF Barry Elder (No. 72) of Madison (Ga.) Morgan County. Each was a spring and summer standout for the powerful Atlanta Celtics club team. Muhammad picked the Yellow Jackets over Alabama and LSU, while Elder turned down finalist Auburn.

  • 6-9 St. Louis (Mo.) Chaminade lefty senior PF/SF David Lee announced a commitment to Florida at a Sept. 1 news conference. This blue-chipper disappointed Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.

  • 6-8 Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward's senior SF/PF Jawad Williams (No. 18) verbally committed to North Carolina over Maryland, Cincinnati and Southern California. The Tar Heels pursued him hard after missing 6-7 SF James White to Florida.

  • 6-11 Milledgeville (Ga.) Baldwin senior C Larry Turner (No. 54) verbally committed to Georgia (close to home) over Alabama and Clemson.

  • 6-7 Virginia Beach (Va.) Cape Henry Collegiate Prep senior SF/PF James Smith (No. 181) verbally committed to Old Dominion over interest from Clemson, Richmond, Virginia Tech, St. Bonaventure, Xavier and others.

  • 6-5 Jeffersonville (Ind.) High senior WG/SF Dennis Coutee (No. 200) verbally committed to Louisville over Iowa.

  • 6-0 Fayetteville (N.C.) senior PG Justin Johnson (top 300) committed to Mississippi over UNC-Greensboro, Pittsburgh, SMU, College of Charleston, North Carolina A&T and others.

  • 6-2 Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian senior WG/PG Jason Morton, who starred last season for Woodberry Forest (Va.) prep school, verbally committed to Richmond over interest from Princeton, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and others.

  • 6-1 Socastee (S.C.) High senior PG/WG Nick D'Antoni verbally committed to William & Mary. His father, Dan, is Socastee's coach.

  • 6-3 junior WG Emanuel Mathis, a backup at Florida State, has transferred to Virginia Tech. He'll sit out the upcoming season and then have two years of eligibility for the Hokies.

    MIDWEST

  • 6-5 Cincinnati (Oh.) Purcell Marian senior WG/SF Keith Jackson (No. 51) verbally committed to Xavier over Michigan, Michigan State, Dayton, Tennessee and others.

  • 6-3 Chicago (Ill.) Manley senior WG/PG Luther Head (No. 102) verbally committed to Illinois over interest from Xavier, Boston College, DePaul, Iowa State, Marquette, Siena, UTEP and others.

  • 6-11 Waterloo (Ill.) Gibault senior C Dan Heimos (top 300) verbally committed to Nebraska over St. Louis, Marquette, Evansville, Southwest Missouri State and others. The Cornhuskers also got a commitment from 6-5 St. Louis (Mo.) Normandy SF/WG Corey Simms, who was hearing from Illinois State, St. Louis, Minnesota, Tulane, Iowa, Villanova and others.

  • High-scoring 6-4 Reedsburg (Wis.) High senior WG/SF Clayton Hanson (top 250) verbally committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

  • 6-10 Mattawan (Ill.) Consolidated senior C Nathan Loehrke (top 300) verbally committed to Northwestern.

  • 6-5 Pickerington (Oh.) High senior SF Adam Sommer (unranked) verbally committed to Eastern Michigan.

  • 6-6 Pontiac (Mich.) Northern lefty junior SF/WG Lester Abrams, a national top 30 prospect in the Class of 2002, has given a very early verbal commitment to Michigan over strong interest from Michigan State, Duke, UCLA, Syracuse, Kentucky and Iowa State.

  • 6-6, 240-pound senior BF Rolan Roberts has transferred to Southern Illinois from Virginia Tech after being suspended for a year by the Hokies' student judiciary for assault and sexual misconduct. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a junior. Roberts will sit out the upcoming season and then have one year of eligibility for SIU.

    SOUTHWEST (no prominent recent commitments)

  • 6-0 Sugar Land (Tex.) Willowridge senior PG Terrance "T.J." Ford (No. 22) officially visited the Texas campus Sept. 8-10.

  • 6-8 Halstead (Kan.) High senior PF/SF Dennis Latimore (No. 43) was visited in-home by the Arizona coaches on Sept. 9.

  • 6-11 Los Angeles (Cal.) Westchester senior C Chad Bell (No. 161) had an in-home visit on Sept. 9 from the New Mexico coaching staff.

    WEST

  • 6-9 Seattle (Wash.) Seattle Prep senior PF Jeffrey Day (unranked) verbally committed to Washington over interest from San Diego State, Portland State, Washington State and Pepperdine.

  • San Diego State has gained a pair of fall transfers from big-time collegiate programs. Tony Bland, a 6-4 junior WG, has left Syracuse to join the Steve Fisher's Aztecs, while 6-7 senior SF Brandon Smith has transferred to San Diego State from Michigan. Both must sit out the 2000-2001 season.

    Brick Oettinger is talent evaluator for the Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook and recruiting columnist for the ACC Area Sports Journal. For more information on either publication, call 1-800-447-7667.


     
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