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Basketball/football stars abound
Being a multisport rather than a single-sport star in high school is almost the rule rather than the exception, but it has become more and more difficult to succeed in two sports in college, particularly if those sports are basketball and football. That hasn't always been the case. We're plenty old enough to remember when Jim Brown starred in four sports (including football and basketball) for Syracuse, and when Terry Baker of Oregon State won the Heisman Trophy and also was a roundball standout. More recently, Charlie Ward (another Heisman winner) was a point-guard starter for Florida State and now is playing for the New York Knicks, while outstanding NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez was also a fine power forward as a collegian at California. Currently, North Carolina's duo of Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers are prime examples of that same phenomenon, of which not many exist. Curry is the starting football quarterback and basketball point guard, while Peppers, an All-American defensive end on the gridiron, has been a major addition to the hoop squad the past two seasons. Note that Curry and Peppers, like Ward and Gonzalez, attended college on football (not basketball) scholarships. Interestingly, not a single member of our postseason national top 100 high school seniors last year (class of 2000) accepted a football rather than basketball grant-in-aid, but at least three and possibly as many as five of the top 100 hoops prospects in the class of 2001 will take football rather than basketball scholarships and try to play both sports in college. A dozen prominent football/basketball stars in the present senior class are identified below. This is certainly not intended to be anything resembling an all-inclusive list, but it does point out the most heralded prep athletes in the class of 2001 who excel in both of these two high-profile sports. These individuals are mentioned in order of our basketball rankings, and at least a couple of them appear unlikely to actually play both sports in college, although that remains a possibility. Have you ever heard of a football player who is seven feet tall? Well, that's what 7-0, 245-pound basketball center/football defensive end and tight end David Harrison of Nashville (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy is! You no doubt recognize Harrison, whom we currently rank as the No. 14 roundball prospect among the nation's seniors, as a premier low-post prospect who has Vanderbilt, Colorado and North Carolina (where he's tentatively scheduled to visit Feb. 10-11) at the top of his collegiate list. But he also has strong links to the gridiron, as his father, Dennis Harrison, is Vanderbilt's defensive-line coach. This past fall David played a key role on both sides of the ball as Brentwood Academy reached the state large-school championship game before losing 8-7. He plans to sign a basketball national letter-of-intent in April and to give up football in college. Several other blue-chip football/basketball payers, however, will sign football letters-of-intent during the Feb. 7-April 1 signing period but will also play basketball in college. In this category fall 6-0 Boca Raton (Fla.) Pope John Paul II point guard/wide receiver Charles Frederick (ranked No. 32 on the hardwood); 6-5, 280-pound Baton Rouge (La.) Southern Lab forward/tight end Marcus Spears (No. 74); 6-5 1/2 , 210-pound Commerce (Ga.) High small forward/receiver Michael Collins (No. 92); 6-4, 185 Bradenton (Fla.) Southeast wing guard/quarterback Adrian McPherson (No. 110); 6-3 1/2 Waycross (Ga.) Ware County wing guard/receiver Fred Gibson (top 250); 6-1 Chapel Hill (N.C.) High guard/wide receiver Dovonte Edwards (top 300); 6-7 1/2, 315-pound Yakima (Wash.) Davis hoop center/lineman Josh Williams (top 300); 6-5 Shreveport (La.) Christian Life swingman/receiver Michael Clayton (top 350); 6-8 1/2, 242-pound Asheboro (N.C.) High center/defensive end Jocques Dumas (top 400); and 6-2 1/2, 195-pound Williamsburg (Va.) Lafayette wing guard/quarterback Bryan Randall (top 400). Why do you suppose all of these two-sport big-timers (except for Williams) live in the Southeast? Frederick is jet-quick and definitely among the best eight or 10 point guards in the prep class of 2001, but he's even more sought after as a gridiron gamebreaker, especially since he dropped off the basketball team early this season because of a disagreement with the coach. He has given a verbal commitment to Washington that he calls "75 percent" binding, but he also has officially visited (in football) Tennessee and Florida State the past two weekends and is reportedly strongly reconsidering. He was often superb when we observed him in action last summer at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. Spears carries his bulk remarkably well, which (combined with excellent ball skills) enables him to play "small" forward on the hardwood. But as good as he is in basketball, he's even better in football, where he's an All-American who's widely considered among the premier tight end prospects in the nation. He has committed to LSU. Collins has already announced that he's signing a football national letter-of-intent with Tennessee. This mobile athlete with a good (not great) perimeter jump shot chose the Volunteers over finalist Clemson after previously eliminating Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Florida State. McPherson, a two-time all-stater in football who averaged 34.5 points per game in basketball as a junior and is averaging 33 thus far this season, announced his choice of Florida State over North Carolina at an afternoon press conference on Feb. 6. He didn't quite play up to his reputation in roundball events last spring. Nevertheless, his impressive scoring totals (including a high game of 59 points last month) have been compiled versus solid Class 4A competition. He also was pursued by Clemson, Miami (Fla.), Arkansas, Georgia Tech, South Florida and Louisville. Gibson, who combines quick hands and feet with a reliable downtown jump shot on the hardwood, played very well last May for the runner-up Georgia Stars at the Tournament of Champions in North Carolina. He'll sign a football letter with Florida, after also considering Auburn, Georgia and Florida State. Combo guard Edwards is a hoop scorer who emerged as a prime grid prospect via spectacular seasons in 1999 and 2000. He announced a very early verbal commitment to N.C. State, where he has been promised a spot on the basketball roster once football season is over. With his dangerous long-range shot combined with the ability to finish drives athletically, he could become a surprisingly effective roundballer down the road for the Wolfpack. Big Williams isn't the greatest leaper by any means, but he is a space-eater who knows how to utilize his bulk in the lane. Still, his future lies on the gridiron, where he was a consensus All-American. Some scouts believe he'll ultimately play in the NFL. Williams was very widely recruited before making a verbal commitment to Washington's Huskies. Versatile wing Clayton also has made his collegiate decision, joining Spears at LSU over Miami (Fla.), Florida State, Florida and Tennessee. Like everyone discussed above except for Harrison, Clayton intends to play both sports in college. While it's conceivable that mobile Dumas will have a slot on the basketball roster at North Carolina, where he has committed, but don't look for him to be another Peppers on the hardwood. However, a great deal is expected of him on the gridiron, where he made some All-American teams this season. Randall might also play both sports at Virginia Tech, his school of choice, but he's first and foremost a football quarterback. Still, he was a solid contributor in basketball for the Boo Williams Summer League All-Stars from Tidewater, Va., who captured the 2000 AAU Junior Boys (17-under) National Championship in Orlando, Fla. Besides the above-mentioned individuals, big-time 6-5, 210-pound Albany (Ga.) Westover small forward Greg Tinch (No. 51) reportedly is considering playing football (as a defensive back, wide receiver or tight end) as well as basketball in college, even though he didn't compete on the gridiron last fall. Tinch will almost certainly sign a basketball national letter in April rather than a football letter this month. This explosive leaper is mulling over scholarship offers from Louisville, Colorado, Florida State, Mississippi and Seton Hall. Finally, it should be noted that the nation's No. 1 sophomore prospect in basketball, 6-6 small forward LeBron James of Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary, was also an all-Ohio wide receiver last fall! James, who torched nationally top-ranked Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy for 33 points in a 79-78 loss three weeks ago, is currently averaging 24.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and six assists per contest for 14-1 St. Vincent-St. Mary, which is ranked No. 6 nationally by USA Today. While the risk of a serious knee or shoulder injury is greater in football than in basketball, that consideration obviously has not kept any of these players from pursuing their dreams on the gridiron as well as the hardwood. We'll keep you informed of the collegiate choices of those who still are in the process of making up their minds. Regional NotesOur focus this week is upon the very best senior and junior small forwards in the nation. In addition, recent verbal commitments, mid-year enrollments, and collegiate transfers of note are mentioned. EAST SOUTH MIDWEST SOUTHWEST WEST 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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