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Missouri, Kansas top Big 12 recruiting
Posted: Tuesday January 16, 2001 6:52 PM
Of the seven power conferences nationally, the one that finished seventh overall (i.e., behind the other six) in fall recruiting results is the Big 12.
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| FALL 2000 BIG 12 RECRUITS |
| 1. 6-1 Ore. PG Aaron Miles (Kansas) |
| 2. 6-8 1/2 Kan. PF/C Wayne Simien (Kansas) |
| 3. 5-11 1/2 Texas PG T.J. Ford (Texas) |
| 4. 6-10 Mich. C/PF Robert Whaley (Missouri) |
| 5. 6-6 Fla. SF/WG Duane John (Missouri) |
| 6. 6-6 Ill. SF Najeeb Echols (Missouri) |
| 7. 6-8 Texas PF/SF Lawrence Roberts (Baylor) |
| 8. 6-6 Fla. JC SF Janerio Spurlock (Kansas State) |
| 9. 6-9 Nev. C/PF Jason Carter (Colorado) |
| 10. 6-10 Mich. PF/C Jeff Ferguson (Missouri) |
| 11. 6-3 Texas WG Kenny Taylor (Baylor) |
| 12. 6-4 Texas WG/SF Keith Langford (Kansas) |
| 13. 6-11 Okla. JC C Jabahri Brown (Oklahoma) |
| 14. 6-4 Colo. JC WG Gilson DeJesus (Kansas State) |
| 15. 6-9 Ark. JC C Jamal Holden (Texas Tech) |
| 16. 6-10 Texas C Chris Wright (Texas) |
| 17. 6-0 Mich. PG Ricky Morgan (Iowa State) |
| 18. 6-7 Neb. JC SF Tommie King (Iowa State) |
| 19. 6-2 Ill. JC WG/PG Brennon Clemmons (Nebraska) |
| 20. 6-8 Ark. JC PF Billy Ferris (Texas Tech) |
| 21. 6-9 Texas PF/SF Matt Gipson (Oklahoma) |
| 22. 6-9 Ind. PF Adam Schaper (Iowa State) |
| 23. 6-3 Ore. WG Michael Lee (Kansas) |
| 24. 6-8 Iowa PF Jared Homan (Iowa State) |
| 25. 6-3 Texas PG/WG Dandrick Jones (Baylor) |
| 26. 6-5 Mo. WG/SF Corey Simms (Nebraska) |
| 27. 6-11 Ill. C Dan Heimos (Nebraska) |
| 28. 6-4 Texas WG Daryl Mason (Texas A&M) |
| 29. 6-4 Texas WG Nick Williams (Kansas State) |
| 30. 5-10 1/2 Kan. PG Jeff Hawkins (Kansas) |
| 31. 6-3 Neb. WG Jake Muhlheisen (Nebraska) |
| Only two Big 12 schools signed crops ranked among the nation's top 25. However, the pair actually fared very well, as Missouri wound up with a class which ranks No. 6 in the country, while Kansas' signees rank No. 9.
In all fairness, Baylor also recruited successfully, landing a trio that is ranked among the nation's top 35 aggregations, and both Iowa State and Texas wound up with top-50-caliber groups. The Longhorns, in fact, emerged with one (5-11 1/2 in-state PG T.J. Ford ) of the three Big 12 fall signees ranked individually among the nation's best 25 prep senior prospects. The others are the Kansas-bound duo of 6-1 PG Aaron Miles (ranked No. 15, seven notches above Ford) from Portland, Ore., and 6-8 1/2 PF/C Wayne Simien (No. 17) from Leavenworth, Kan. Both Ford and Miles are absolute jets who are better playmakers than scorers. Simien is a powerful insider with a smooth jump shot to the three-point arc.
Three other Big 12 recruits, all headed to Missouri, rank among the top 50 prospects in the Class of 2001. They are 6-10, 250-pound C/PF Robert Whaley (No. 27) from Benton Harbor, Mich.; 6-6 Canadian swingman Duane John (No. 37 and now prepping at loaded Berkshire School in Homestead, Fla.); and 6-6 Chicago SF Najeeb Echols (No. 49), who will miss the entire season following December knee surgery.
In total, 13 of our preseason national top 200 high school seniors signed in November with Big 12 members, as did seven top-100-caliber junior college players, led by 6-6 Kansas State SF recruit Janerio Spurlock, a Cincinnati native attending Chipola (Fla.) Junior College. This obviously isn't a bad showing, but it's still not good enough to rank higher than No. 7 as a league.
Below are listed the fall 2000 recruits of every Big 12 school, along with a brief assessment of the results for each program. The table above lists all 31 (counting Oklahoma 6-11 mid-year enrollee Jabahri Brown ) of the league's signees in order based on our current player rankings.
| FALL 2000 BIG 12 RECRUITING |
1. MISSOURI (No. 6 class nationally)
6-10 Benton Harbor (Mich.) High C/PF Robert Whaley (No. 27); 6-6 Homestead (Fla.) Berkshire School SF/WG Duane John (No. 37); 6-6 Chicago Morgan Park SF Najeeb Echols (No. 49); and 6-10 Benton Harbor (Mich.) High PF/C Jeff Ferguson (No. 127), who is currently ineligible. |
| Assuming that Whaley and Ferguson overcome academic difficulties and versatile Echols bounces back from a serious injury, this is a terrific quartet for coach Quin Snyder. The Tigers already welcomed 6-8 former California prep All-American PF Travon Bryant as a second-semester enrollee now qualified for immediate freshman eligibility, and they also have one more available scholarship for the spring. |
2. KANSAS (No. 9)
6-1 Portland (Ore.) Jefferson PG Aaron Miles (No. 15); 6-8 1/2 Leavenworth (Kan.) High PF/C Wayne Simien (No. 17); 6-4 Crowley (Texas) North Crowley WG/SF Keith Langford (No. 145); 6-3 Portland (Ore.) Jefferson WG Michael Lee (top 300); and 5-10 1/2 Kansas City (Kan.) Sumner PG Jeff Hawkins (top 400), who'll walk on and redshirt next season, and then receive a scholarship. |
| Miles (who'll add needed backcourt quickness) and Simien are true blue-chippers, hence Roy Williams' excellent program will remain an annual contender for the NCAA title. One more scholarship could be given in the spring, likely to a center or small forward. |
3. BAYLOR (top 35)
6-8 Houston Lamar PF/SF Lawrence Roberts (No. 89); 6-3 Sugar Land (Texas) Willowridge WG Kenny Taylor (No. 129); and 6-3 Dallas Kimball PG/WG Dandrick Jones (top 300). |
| Coach Dave Bliss has added significantly to the Bears' talent base, as Roberts is an agile and skilled frontcourtman, Taylor a three-point marksman, and Jones a solid ballhandler with good size and athleticism. |
4. IOWA STATE (top 45)
6-0 Pontiac (Mich.) Northern PG Ricky Morgan (No. 190); 6-7 Western Nebraska CC SF Tommie King (top-100 JC soph); 6-9 Wheatfield (Ind.) Kankakee Valley PF Adam Schaper (top 250); and 6-8 Remsen (Iowa) St. Mary's PF Jared Homan (top 300). |
| In recent years, the Cyclones have often gotten more than expected from relatively unheralded prospects, and it might happen again with this foursome, though Morgan needs more consistency and Schaper additional strength. A scholarship could be given to a center or another backcourtman in the spring. |
5. TEXAS (top 50)
5-11 1/2 Sugar Land (Texas) Willowridge PG T.J. Ford (No. 22); and 6-10 Redwater (Texas) High C Chris Wright (No. 157). |
| Rick Barnes' Longhorns already possess considerable young talent. Blue-chipper Ford and promising Wright admirably fill in the remaining gaps for this national Top 25-caliber program. |
6. KANSAS STATE (top 60)
6-6 Chipola (Fla.) JC SF Janerio Spurlock (top-50 JC soph); 6-4 Trinidad State (Colo.) JC WG Gilson DeJesus (top-75 JC soph); and 6-4 Mansfield (Texas) High WG Nick Williams (top 375). |
| New coach Jim Wooldridge has his work cut out in trying to improve this struggling program, but jucos Spurlock and DeJesus (who backed off an early commitment to Oklahoma) are a good start. Two scholarships remain available for use in the spring, preferably on big men. |
7. NEBRASKA (top 70)
6-2 Olney (Ill.) JC WG/PG Brennon Clemmons (top-100 JC soph); 6-5 St. Louis Normandy WG/SF Corey Simms (top 325); 6-11 Waterloo (Ill.) Gibault C Dan Heimos (top 350); and 6-3 Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast WG Jake Muhlheisen (top 400). |
| Coach Barry Collier, in his first year at Nebraska, has brought in some perimeter help, but is the quality enough to make the Cornhuskers a serious Big 12 contender? We doubt it, unless there's a real coup in the spring -- perhaps from the junior college ranks -- with the only remaining scholarship. |
8. OKLAHOMA (top 75)
6-11 Rose State (Okla.) JC C Jabahri Brown (top-50 JC freshman), a native of the Virgin Islands who reportedly already has enrolled at Oklahoma and will have three years of eligibility beginning in December 2001; and 6-9 Burkburnett (Texas) High PF/SF Matt Gipson (top 250). |
| Brown could turn out to be a real steal, and the strong Sooners still have a pair of available scholarships that could be used in the spring or held for the loaded in-state high school class of 2002. |
9. TEXAS TECH (top 75)
6-9 Westark (Ark.) JC PF/C Jamal Holden (top-75 JC soph); and 6-8 Westark (Ark.) JC PF Billy Ferris (top-100 JC soph). |
| Coach James Dickey has improved the frontcourt and still has two scholarships available for spring use, perhaps on a big man and a wing. Right now, however, a middle-of-the-league finish is as much as can be hoped for, based on the talent in the program. |
10. COLORADO
6-9 Las Vegas Bishop Gorman C/PF Jason Carter (No. 109). |
| Carter, a strong lefthander, is a good start, but coach Ricardo Patton needs to strike paydirt with crucial spring recruiting targets such as 7-0 Tennessee C David Harrison (No. 14), 6-5 Georgia SF Greg Tinch (No. 51), and/or 6-4 Florida swingman Joshua Chambers (top 250) in order for this program to develop into a Big 12 contender. |
11. TEXAS A&M
6-4 Bryan (Texas) High WG Daryl Mason (top 375). |
| Coach Melvin Watkins, who did an excellent job at Charlotte, is slowly rebuilding the talent level in this program, which needs to add a forward or two in the spring. Note that Watkins' 6-4 son Marcus is a big-time junior wing prospect. |
12. OKLAHOMA STATE
No recruits. |
| Coach Eddie Sutton has three available scholarships that could be doled out in the spring, but he may hold on to one or two, since he has a young and reasonably talented roster, and (as noted above) the in-state crop of prep juniors is truly remarkable. Next year the recruiting focus will be upon big men. |
Regional Notes
Listed for each geographic region are three players who either are seniors making recent verbal commitments, collegiate mid-year transfers of note, or (in most cases) on-the-rise prep juniors who look like top-100-caliber prospects (or better) in the class of 2002.
EAST
6-11 senior C Nate Doorenkamp (top 350) of Odessa (Ontario) Ernestown has verbally committed to Boston College over St. Bonaventure, Richmond and others.
6-10 PF/SF Ajou Deng transferred after the fall term from Connecticut to Fairfield. The junior averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in six games this season for the Huskies.
6-7 Brooklyn (N.Y.) Bishop Loughlin junior SF/PF Curtis Sumpter has emerged this season as a national top-50 prospect in the class of 2002.
SOUTH
6-5 Durham (N.C.) Mount Zion Christian Academy PG/WG Jarrett Jack (who racked up 44 points in a recent revenge victory over Christian Faith Center of Creedmoor, N.C.); 6-10 C Kevin Young of unbeaten Homestead (Fla.) Berkshire School; and Huntsville (Ala.) Robert E. Lee PG/WG Chadd Moore are all juniors who appear to be national top-50-caliber prospects. Jack is a native of Baltimore, while athletic but raw Young hails from Jamaica. Speedster Moore shares the limelight for Lee with 6-9 senior PF/C Duane Erwin (No. 113), a Memphis signee.
MIDWEST
6-8, 210-pound Indianapolis Park-Tudor senior PF/SF Vytautas Danelius (perhaps ranked too low at No. 130), a star for the Lithuanian Junior National Team, has verbally committed to Wake Forest over finalists Stanford, Notre Dame, Butler, Nebraska and New Mexico. After surviving a challenge to his eligibility this season, he's averaging 21.5 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots per game.
6-2 Mason City (Iowa) High PG Jeff Horner and 6-5 Pontiac (Mich.) Northern WG/SF Lester Abrams are juniors who will likely challenge for top-30 status within the class of 2002. Horner has given Iowa a very early verbal commitment, while southpaw Abrams has announced plans to sign next fall with Michigan.
SOUTHWEST
Among the juniors in the Longhorn State who have national top-100 (or better) ability are 6-3 WG Bracey Wright and 6-3 PG Deron Williams, teammates at The Colony (Texas) High; and rangy 6-8 1/2 lefthanded PF Chris Bosh, from Dallas Lincoln. Wright is a serious contender for the McDonald's All-America Team in 2002.
One of the big-time junior prospects in Oklahoma is husky 6-8 1/2, 255-pound C/PF Kevin Bookout of Stroud High. He posted big numbers at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas last summer.
WEST
Top-100-caliber juniors include 6-4 Los Angeles Westchester WG/SF Hassan Adams (MVP of the recent City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.); 6-7 Los Angeles Fairfax SF Evan Burns; and 6-3 Portland (Ore.) Jefferson WG/PG Chris Rodgers. Burns possesses top-20 ability but is inconsistent. Rodgers played formerly for Woodrow Wilson High in Portland.
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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