Okay, for this week's Chamber, we're going to start on the hoops front because that's the most timely stuff. The late signing period begins on Monday, April 13th. Here is what we're hearing right now:
*The big stuff is still on Jarrid Famous. My attempts to contact both Famous and his coach have been unsuccessful this week, though I do have another source who has an “in” at Westchester. He has told me the current plan is for Famous to visit Arizona on April 17 and make an announcement at a press conference at his junior college on April 22. Also during the press conference, the school will retire Famous' jersey number.
The race for Famous shapes up differently depending on who you talk to. Some still tell me they think the biggest battle for Missouri would be getting him away from East Coast schools like St. John's and Seton Hall. If that's the case, Missouri clearly is the better program, but will have to battle geography. However, more and more I'm starting to have doubts as to whether that is true.
I've also had sources tell me that a week ago, it was a Xavier vs Missouri battle. Obviously, Sean Miller moving to Arizona changed that. Xavier is completely out of the picture now, but Zona is in it. If Miller takes his coaching staff (and indications are that he will, though I'm not sure if announcements and hirings have been made at this point), one of Xavier's assistants has been recruiting Famous for quite some time and is a factor here. Some have said they're not sure Famous will make the Arizona trip and that they think it's just too far away. But the fact is, Arizona is still one of the top 10-15 programs of the last quarter century and if they get him on campus, they're a major player.
I took a look at the roster and scholarship situation. Arizona has plenty of room for Famous, even if Nic Wise and Chase Budinger both return to school. The Cats have only one commitment in 2009, a 6-foot-7 forward from LA named Tremayne Johnson. Jordan Hill declared for the NBA draft this week, which leaves Zona with Alex Jacobsen as the only player on the roster taller than 6-foot-7. The Cats clearly have a need for Famous, as do the Tigers.
From the Missouri side of things, this staff is going after Famous as hard as they've gone after any single recruit in the four years they've been at Missouri. They want him. Honestly, at I don't think there's much more we can find out before April 17th, when Famous is scheduled to be in Tucson.
*The other major storyline involves Keith DeWitt, the Charis Prep forward who signed with Missouri in the fall. As I understand it, the issues between the NCAA and Charis are not a major concern here. Individuals are allowed to appeal on a case-by-case basis to the NCAA and I understand that if he is academically qualified, it seems likely DeWitt would be able to move on to the Division One level.
As far as actually getting qualified, it's not something we discuss here all that often. You guys know it's a question mark, but I really don't have any answers. I understand that DeWitt is committed to doing everything he possibly can to get to Missouri. He has a wife and child and is already 21 years old and is doing everything he can to make it. Honestly, I can't even give you a percentage on the chances because I just don't know where he stands. I think probably DeWitt, his coaches and the Missouri coaches are the only ones who do.
Because he signed early and Famous is still out there, I think many of us have targeted Famous as the big “must get” in the class. But I've recently been told by some people that it is DeWitt would could be the true game-changer in this class. Plus, the Tigers would have him for four years.
The contact period opened yesterday at noon and as I understand it, a Tiger coach was out in North Carolina to visit with DeWitt last night.
Again, not much to do but wait and see.
*The recruiting blog Zagsblog.com reported that Hutchinson CC prospect Cliff Dixon will visit Missouri. Here is what was reported:
“Onetime Seton Hall commit Cliff Dixon, a 6-9 forward from Hutchinson (Ks.) Community College, says he will take visits to Seton Hall (April 18), Western Kentucky and Missouri and two others. “I will sign by the end of April,” he said.”
I've been told by a couple people that Dixon is a talented player, but has had some issues as far as how hard he plays and was suspended at Hutch for a bit this year. I contacted Steve Eck, who took over at Hutch this off-season when Ryan Swanson was let go, but Eck says he knows nothing about Dixon's recruitment. My attempts to reach Swanson, who likely knows a little more, have been unsuccessful.
My opinion here is that Dixon is a contingency plan if Famous goes elsewhere. I've long said if Missouri gets Famous, they are done. I still think that. If they don't get him, they may need a body in the frontcourt (especially because I just don't think we're going to have an answer on DeWitt by the end of the signing period) and may put the press on Dixon. But I don't think you see a visit from Dixon prior to Famous making a decision.
One final hoops note: Got a call this week from someone who knows the family of Kansas player Travis Releford. The person told me that Releford was interested in looking to transfer, possibly to Missouri. The thing is, he can't. There is a rule in the Big 12 against transferring in the league. Even if there wasn't, there's no way in Hades that Bill Self would release Releford to Mizzou. The fact is, I had people all over (both close to Releford and close to Mizzou) telling me that Travis needed to play in a system like MIssouri's. They said he would excel in Mike Anderson's system, but if he went to Kansas, he would struggle. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but that appears still to be true. One thing to think about is that Releford's lack of playing time could still end up benefitting Missouri in the recruitment of his younger brother, Trevor, who is a possible player in either football or basketball at the Division One level.
*A quick note on the football recruiting front. I was watching Marcus Lucas pretty closely during practice. I'm not going to start handicapping things on a body language basis, but everybody there definitely paid him some attention, including Gary Pinkel who took a couple of minutes to talk to Lucas after practice before he met with the media.
I talked to one current Tiger who played basketball in Kansas City as a high schooler. He recalled travelling for a game against Liberty and the freshman teams were playing beforehand. He said Lucas was on the floor doing windmill dunks as a freshman in high school and just really stood out as an elite athlete. The player told me Lucas was definitely talking with other players and expressing an interest in returning to Mizzou for multiple visits in the future.
That said, Oklahoma is a big part of this race. I'll be shocked if he doesn't sign with either the Tigers or the Sooners. Missouri has the pull of being the home-state school and Lucas' mom played basketball here. He has said before that his mom wants him to go to Missouri, so that can't hurt. Obviously, though, Oklahoma is one of the heavyweights in college football and in recruiting.
The Tigers haven't beaten the Sooners for a lot of players, but they have had two guys in the last four years who had Oklahoma offers, but chose Mizzou--Jeremy Maclin and Andrew Jones. So it happens, especially with in-state players.
I don't think this one ends early. I think Lucas takes his time and takes an official visit in the fall to both of those schools...and perhaps a couple others. If the rankings were up to me, I'd have Lucas as the No. 1 player in Missouri, but we'll have to see how things shake out.
On to what Pete has picked up on the recruiting trail this week:
Wait-and-see approach for Demien
Nothing really knew to announce on the Nick Demien front. He still says Missouri has an advantage right now because of his lifelong support of the Tigers. Recently, he's picked up offers from UCLA, Nebraska and Minnesota. Demien also said he planned to visit some of the Southern schools that offered him, but he couldn't make it down on his spring break.
Demien is planning on visiting Missouri either before or during the spring game.
All that being said, the four-star tackle isn't planning on making a decision anytime soon. Realistically, he said, the decision will come during his senior season.
I've said it before and I'll say it again ? Demien should be Missouri's top in-state priority. Marcus Lucas, Keeston Terry, Marquise Hill are all important, too. But the Tigers seem to have made the offensive line their priority for this recruiting class, and Demien is the top lineman they've offered. Luckily, Demien likes the Tigers, despite all the other offers he's getting.
Haynes names a top four
Safety Quentin Haynes named a top four to Rivals.com writer Barton Simmons, and Missouri was included on his list. Here's a link to the article:
Read the storyhttp://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=898&CID=928340
I haven't been able to get in touch with Haynes yet. Today, I realized the number I've been calling for the past three weeks was the wrong number. I'll try and talk to his coach tomorrow to get more information on him.
Terry not planning on going to camps
Keeston Terry said he doesn't feel a need to go to any camps, and with many of them being held far away, he decided he's not going to go to any at this point. Recently, he named a top three of Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas, but when I spoke with him on Thursday night, he said he's keeping more of an open mind to his recruiting.
"At first, I thought I was going to commit as soon as I can, but now I'm realizing I want to see how the process works out," Terry said. "I want to commit by my senior season, but I could wait till after as well."
Check the article about Terry for more informationhttp://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=934137.
This post was edited on 4/10 9:19 AM by GabeD
*The big stuff is still on Jarrid Famous. My attempts to contact both Famous and his coach have been unsuccessful this week, though I do have another source who has an “in” at Westchester. He has told me the current plan is for Famous to visit Arizona on April 17 and make an announcement at a press conference at his junior college on April 22. Also during the press conference, the school will retire Famous' jersey number.
The race for Famous shapes up differently depending on who you talk to. Some still tell me they think the biggest battle for Missouri would be getting him away from East Coast schools like St. John's and Seton Hall. If that's the case, Missouri clearly is the better program, but will have to battle geography. However, more and more I'm starting to have doubts as to whether that is true.
I've also had sources tell me that a week ago, it was a Xavier vs Missouri battle. Obviously, Sean Miller moving to Arizona changed that. Xavier is completely out of the picture now, but Zona is in it. If Miller takes his coaching staff (and indications are that he will, though I'm not sure if announcements and hirings have been made at this point), one of Xavier's assistants has been recruiting Famous for quite some time and is a factor here. Some have said they're not sure Famous will make the Arizona trip and that they think it's just too far away. But the fact is, Arizona is still one of the top 10-15 programs of the last quarter century and if they get him on campus, they're a major player.
I took a look at the roster and scholarship situation. Arizona has plenty of room for Famous, even if Nic Wise and Chase Budinger both return to school. The Cats have only one commitment in 2009, a 6-foot-7 forward from LA named Tremayne Johnson. Jordan Hill declared for the NBA draft this week, which leaves Zona with Alex Jacobsen as the only player on the roster taller than 6-foot-7. The Cats clearly have a need for Famous, as do the Tigers.
From the Missouri side of things, this staff is going after Famous as hard as they've gone after any single recruit in the four years they've been at Missouri. They want him. Honestly, at I don't think there's much more we can find out before April 17th, when Famous is scheduled to be in Tucson.
*The other major storyline involves Keith DeWitt, the Charis Prep forward who signed with Missouri in the fall. As I understand it, the issues between the NCAA and Charis are not a major concern here. Individuals are allowed to appeal on a case-by-case basis to the NCAA and I understand that if he is academically qualified, it seems likely DeWitt would be able to move on to the Division One level.
As far as actually getting qualified, it's not something we discuss here all that often. You guys know it's a question mark, but I really don't have any answers. I understand that DeWitt is committed to doing everything he possibly can to get to Missouri. He has a wife and child and is already 21 years old and is doing everything he can to make it. Honestly, I can't even give you a percentage on the chances because I just don't know where he stands. I think probably DeWitt, his coaches and the Missouri coaches are the only ones who do.
Because he signed early and Famous is still out there, I think many of us have targeted Famous as the big “must get” in the class. But I've recently been told by some people that it is DeWitt would could be the true game-changer in this class. Plus, the Tigers would have him for four years.
The contact period opened yesterday at noon and as I understand it, a Tiger coach was out in North Carolina to visit with DeWitt last night.
Again, not much to do but wait and see.
*The recruiting blog Zagsblog.com reported that Hutchinson CC prospect Cliff Dixon will visit Missouri. Here is what was reported:
“Onetime Seton Hall commit Cliff Dixon, a 6-9 forward from Hutchinson (Ks.) Community College, says he will take visits to Seton Hall (April 18), Western Kentucky and Missouri and two others. “I will sign by the end of April,” he said.”
I've been told by a couple people that Dixon is a talented player, but has had some issues as far as how hard he plays and was suspended at Hutch for a bit this year. I contacted Steve Eck, who took over at Hutch this off-season when Ryan Swanson was let go, but Eck says he knows nothing about Dixon's recruitment. My attempts to reach Swanson, who likely knows a little more, have been unsuccessful.
My opinion here is that Dixon is a contingency plan if Famous goes elsewhere. I've long said if Missouri gets Famous, they are done. I still think that. If they don't get him, they may need a body in the frontcourt (especially because I just don't think we're going to have an answer on DeWitt by the end of the signing period) and may put the press on Dixon. But I don't think you see a visit from Dixon prior to Famous making a decision.
One final hoops note: Got a call this week from someone who knows the family of Kansas player Travis Releford. The person told me that Releford was interested in looking to transfer, possibly to Missouri. The thing is, he can't. There is a rule in the Big 12 against transferring in the league. Even if there wasn't, there's no way in Hades that Bill Self would release Releford to Mizzou. The fact is, I had people all over (both close to Releford and close to Mizzou) telling me that Travis needed to play in a system like MIssouri's. They said he would excel in Mike Anderson's system, but if he went to Kansas, he would struggle. He has plenty of time to turn it around, but that appears still to be true. One thing to think about is that Releford's lack of playing time could still end up benefitting Missouri in the recruitment of his younger brother, Trevor, who is a possible player in either football or basketball at the Division One level.
*A quick note on the football recruiting front. I was watching Marcus Lucas pretty closely during practice. I'm not going to start handicapping things on a body language basis, but everybody there definitely paid him some attention, including Gary Pinkel who took a couple of minutes to talk to Lucas after practice before he met with the media.
I talked to one current Tiger who played basketball in Kansas City as a high schooler. He recalled travelling for a game against Liberty and the freshman teams were playing beforehand. He said Lucas was on the floor doing windmill dunks as a freshman in high school and just really stood out as an elite athlete. The player told me Lucas was definitely talking with other players and expressing an interest in returning to Mizzou for multiple visits in the future.
That said, Oklahoma is a big part of this race. I'll be shocked if he doesn't sign with either the Tigers or the Sooners. Missouri has the pull of being the home-state school and Lucas' mom played basketball here. He has said before that his mom wants him to go to Missouri, so that can't hurt. Obviously, though, Oklahoma is one of the heavyweights in college football and in recruiting.
The Tigers haven't beaten the Sooners for a lot of players, but they have had two guys in the last four years who had Oklahoma offers, but chose Mizzou--Jeremy Maclin and Andrew Jones. So it happens, especially with in-state players.
I don't think this one ends early. I think Lucas takes his time and takes an official visit in the fall to both of those schools...and perhaps a couple others. If the rankings were up to me, I'd have Lucas as the No. 1 player in Missouri, but we'll have to see how things shake out.
On to what Pete has picked up on the recruiting trail this week:
Wait-and-see approach for Demien
Nothing really knew to announce on the Nick Demien front. He still says Missouri has an advantage right now because of his lifelong support of the Tigers. Recently, he's picked up offers from UCLA, Nebraska and Minnesota. Demien also said he planned to visit some of the Southern schools that offered him, but he couldn't make it down on his spring break.
Demien is planning on visiting Missouri either before or during the spring game.
All that being said, the four-star tackle isn't planning on making a decision anytime soon. Realistically, he said, the decision will come during his senior season.
I've said it before and I'll say it again ? Demien should be Missouri's top in-state priority. Marcus Lucas, Keeston Terry, Marquise Hill are all important, too. But the Tigers seem to have made the offensive line their priority for this recruiting class, and Demien is the top lineman they've offered. Luckily, Demien likes the Tigers, despite all the other offers he's getting.
Haynes names a top four
Safety Quentin Haynes named a top four to Rivals.com writer Barton Simmons, and Missouri was included on his list. Here's a link to the article:
Read the storyhttp://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=898&CID=928340
I haven't been able to get in touch with Haynes yet. Today, I realized the number I've been calling for the past three weeks was the wrong number. I'll try and talk to his coach tomorrow to get more information on him.
Terry not planning on going to camps
Keeston Terry said he doesn't feel a need to go to any camps, and with many of them being held far away, he decided he's not going to go to any at this point. Recently, he named a top three of Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas, but when I spoke with him on Thursday night, he said he's keeping more of an open mind to his recruiting.
"At first, I thought I was going to commit as soon as I can, but now I'm realizing I want to see how the process works out," Terry said. "I want to commit by my senior season, but I could wait till after as well."
Check the article about Terry for more informationhttp://missouri.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=934137.
This post was edited on 4/10 9:19 AM by GabeD
