Full-Court Press, August 18-22

Although we had put the daily Full-Court Press updates on hiatus for several months, we had to break it back out for what was an unexpectedly eventful week in the world of college basketball.

Stepheson to USC: Former North Carolina forward Alex Stepheson has announced his decision to transfer to USC, choosing the Trojans over Arizona State and UCLA. Furthermore, Stepheson and his family are trying to obtain a waiver from the NCAA, which would allow Stepheson to play immediately for USC instead of sitting out the mandatory one-year penalty for transfers. Stepheson left the Tar Heels after last season to be closer to his father, who is suffering from undisclosed health issues. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season.

Cook Denied Sixth Year: Former Pittsburgh wing Mike Cook has been denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He had requested a medical redshirt after tearing his ACL on Dec. 20, but was turned down two times previously by the NCAA. A player cannot receive a medical redshirt if he played in more than 30 percent of his team's games. Pittsburgh played in 37 games -- but NCAA Tournament games don't count, while just one conference tournament games counts. Cook played in only 11 games, but the Panthers played in just 32 games in the eyes of the NCAA. Cook averaged 10.5 points per game two seasons ago.

Caracter Leaving Louisville For NAIA: Former Louisville forward Derrick Caracter and his saga with the Cardinals could soon be over. Multiple reports indicate that Caracter has decided to play in the NAIA, which would allow him to compete immediately instead of sitting out the one-year transfer penalty he would suffer should he go to another Division-I school. The top school on Caracter's list is Oklahoma City, although he has not made an official decision yet. "Are we recruiting him? Yes,” Oklahoma City coach Tommy Wade told Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com. “Is he at Oklahoma City? No. Has he decided to come to Oklahoma City? No. Not today." He is expected to decide in the next couple of days. Caracter was dismissed from the Cardinals, but he said he was going to try and become eligible in 2009-2010.

Virginia Loses One, Gets One Back: Virginia head coach Dave Leitao announced Monday that Laurynas Mikalauskas will not be returning to the Cavaliers for his final season, saying "Laurynas has not lived up to those standards" to be on the team. On the other hand, Leitao also announced that center Tunji Soroye will be back for a fifth year after the NCAA granted him another season of eligibility. Soroye played in just two games last season due to knee and back injuries.

Johnson to Southern Miss: As first reported by Sporting News Today, former USC point guard Angelo Johnson has decided to transfer to Southern Miss. Johnson left the Trojans in July after head coach Tim Floyd told him that he could not guarantee Johnson a starting spot. "I thought that being a freshman and playing behind the number three overall pick, I should have the spot handed to me," Johnson told Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com. "I felt like I earned it already." Johnson, who chose the Golden Eagles over Kentucky, Seton Hall and Cincinnati, averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 assists per game last season.

Texas Recruit Doesn't Qualify: Rick Barnes' seach for an heir apparent to the departed D.J. Augustin now has one fewer candidate, as J'Covan Brown did not meet required academic standards and will not be eligible to play this fall. Barnes and Brown hope that he will able to play in the spring. "We do expect J'Covan to earn admission to the University of Texas and join our basketball program at some point," Barnes said in a statement. Brown was expected to provide depth at the point guard position, backing up converted shooting guard A.J. Abrams and sophomore Dogus Balbay.

Lawrence Headed to St. John's

It looks like the attempt by St. John’s to keep the top New York City players at home for college is working – Omari Lawrence is headed to Queens.

“I chose St. John’s because it’s close to home,” Lawrence said Wednesday afternoon after a brief meeting with head coach Norm Roberts to announce his commitment. “It’s a great environment for me and my family. And I like Norm, he’s a good coach.”

Lawrence had planned to make a visit to Louisville soon, and said he was going to announce his college decision after checking out the campus. However, his brother made a couple of phone calls and told Lawrence that he did not want him visiting Louisville.

“We cancelled the trip to Louisville and I just wanted to get [my college decision] over with,” Lawrence said.

The 6-foot-4 Lawrence, who hails from Bronx, N.Y., cannot officially sign a letter-of-intent until November. He will play for South Kent Prep (Conn.) next season after leaving St. Raymond’s (N.Y.) following an altercation between teammate and close friend Kevin Parrom and head coach Oliver Antigua. Parrom will also play for South Kent next season.

Lawrence projects himself as a combo guard with the ability to play multiple perimeter positions.

“I think I’m going to do well,” Lawrence said. “I’m a hard-worker. I just want to do the best I can to help us win ball games.”

St. John’s has been in the news recently as a result of two new assistant coach hires – Kimani Young, who was the director of the New Heights AAU program, and Oswald Cross, who coached Lawrence with the New York Panthers. However, Lawrence said that the addition of Cross and Young did not have an affect on his recruitment.

“Not at all,” said Lawrence, who is close friends with Justin Burrell, currently a junior on the Red Storm. “Before they went to St. John’s, I had interest there. I’ve been visiting the campus since my sophomore year.”

Lawrence has not played in several weeks after he underwent surgery in July to repair a torn ligament in his shoulder. However, he is rehabbing three times per week and expects to return in early October.

With his recruitment and college decision out of the way, Lawrence is looking forward to enjoying his final year of high school.

“It definitely eases the pressure,” he said. “I can now focus on school and basketball. I want to win the National Prep Championship.”

Update

As things tend to be during the summer, posts have slowed down lately here at March Madness All Season. That will change very soon, though.

I recently finished my "Roster Project," which consists of dozens and dozens of pages of spreadsheets detailing every team from the "Big Six" conferences. I also took twenty of the top "non-BCS" teams and did the same for them. It really helps one get prepared for the upcoming season, as it lists every player coming into or leaving a program, as well as every returning player. It provides stats, height/weight, position -- everything I need to get ready for the season. It seems tedious and took a long time, but now that it's done, I can start looking ahead at 2008-2009.

As a result, expect a conference-by-conference glance at the upcoming season in the coming days. It will start tomorrow with the ACC. After that is done, I will also get back to posting recruiting stories that I will be writing for NBE Basketball Report. There's less than 90 days until the season starts...start the countdown.

Hoop Group Elite Camp Recap

As the “live” recruiting season for college coaches came to a close at the end of July, there was still one event to attend: the Hoop Group Elite Camp in Ewing, New Jersey.

Coaches from a variety of levels gathered at The College of New Jersey from July 28-31 to watch and scout upwards of 125 players, most of which came from Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. It was more of a camp environment, as the teams had stations and drills to participate in, as well as practices with the teams they were placed on. Furthermore, the players stayed in the dorms at TCNJ, and ate meals in the dining hall.

Although some of the top players who were expected to come were at tournaments in other locales across the country, there was still plenty of talent on-hand to watch.

CLASS OF 2009

Aaric Murray (6-foot-10): Murray is quickly developing into one of the best, and most-wanted, big men in the country. He is very athletic at both ends of the floor, crashing the offensive glass and finishing at one end, and blocking shots at the other. He goes up strong offensively and can finish aggressively. He also has a developing face-up and mid-range game to keep defenders honest. He is hungry for the ball and is very solid rebounding the ball. Murray has a strong body and can dominate the paint.

Coaches such as Fred Hill Jr, Bob Huggins and Jamie Dixon were all front and center watching Murray on Wednesday.

School List: Temple, LaSalle, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, West Virginia, St. John’s, Kentucky, Rutgers, Connecticut, Marquette, Indiana, Pittsburgh, among others

Devon Saddler (6-foot-2): The first thing one notices about Aberdeen (MD) product is his body: he is very strong and has broad shoulders. The 6′2 guard is a difficult match-up because of his strength and build. He has a good handle and can get into the lane against defenders. Furthermore, he can finish around the rim against shot-blockers. He is not afraid to shoot the ball from behind the arc, and has solid range. He runs the floor well, and made several nice passes in transition. A very strong July has new mid-majors entering his recruiting picture nearly every day.

School List: Central Florida, DePaul, TCU, Providence, Quinnipiac, Towson, and Drexel

Erique Gumbs (6-foot-8): Going up against Murray, one might assume that Gumbs was at a disadvantage – not so fast. Gumbs more than held his own against the more heralded Murray, blocking shots on the defensive end and finishing strong around the rim offensively. He is very long and is a very good defender and rebounder. Although he does not run the floor that well, he is athletic and can sky for loose balls and finishes. Gumbs doesn’t get great position offensively in the post, but he can get the ball and turn to the basket. Once he gets the ball down low, though, he is difficult to defend. However, his teammates had a very tough time entering the ball to Gumbs in position for him to score.

School List: George Mason, Providence and Towson are his current leaders and Pittsburgh, Penn State, George Washington, La Salle, Saint Joseph’s, Delaware, Delaware State, Temple and Penn are others showing various degrees of interest.

Calvin Newell (6-foot-1): A strong point guard from Pennsylvania, Newell constantly showed the ability to get to the basket and finish around the rim. He has a nice build and is more muscular and stronger than other point guards. He is also very quick, and is difficult to stay in front of. He is a physical defender and can push opponents off the ball just by bodying them up. He is a very good passer who has solid vision, both in the half court and on the break. However, he had a tendency to make lazy entry passes at times.

School List: Newell indicated that Siena and Seton Hall were his top two and others of interest included Robert Morris, Miami (Fl.), St. Francis (Pa.), Quinnipiac and Providence.

Raynor Moquete (6-foot-2): Heading into the game I saw Moquete in, I was informed by several people that he was somewhat inconsistent and rarely performed to his peak. Afterwards, it was obvious they were wrong – on this day, at least. Moquete absolutely put on a show. He was knocking down shots from everywhere on the court: three-pointers in a half court setting; deep pull-up jumpers in transition; fade aways from the corner; mid-range jump shots; tough shots in the lane; finishes around the basket. He also plays solid defense, and can handle and pass the ball.

School List: Davidson, Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh, NJIT, Princeton, Fordham, Florida International, Manhattan

Adam Johnson (6-foot-6): On the opening play of the game, Johnson was beat on a backdoor pass. However, after that, I’m not sure Johnson made another mistake. He is extremely athletic and can really finish around the rim. He takes it to the basket strong and can get shots off even with contact. He is a match-up problem due to his skill set, versatility and 6-6 size. He has a good pull-up jumper and is scrappy on the glass. He hustles and plays solid defense.

School List: Texas A&M, Florida State (favorite) North Carolina St., South Alabama

Isaiah Philmore (6-foot-7): Clearly one of the more talented players at the camp, Philmore does everything well but did not really dominate as much as he could have. Offensively, he has a versatile game, showing the ability to score in a variety of ways. He can post-up defenders, as well as take them off the dribble and finish around the rim. Philmore also had a nice mid-range game and has a decent stroke. In general, he is a major match-up problem for defenders. Defensively, he is a good shot-blocker that changes shots with his athleticism. He can rebound at both ends very well, and can also handle the ball and pass. He runs the floor well, is unselfish and hustles for loose balls.

School List: Virginia Tech, Virginia, South Florida, Providence, Massachusetts, George Washington, Michigan, Temple, Saint Joseph’s, Auburn, Kansas State, Central Florida

Brandon Romain (6-foot-2): The lefty guard is very impressive going to the basket, and is nearly impossible to keep out of the paint. He can finish in a variety of ways, including reverse lay-ups and leaners in the lane. He also can shoot the ball from the perimeter, not allowing defenders to sag off of him. Romain has a decent handle and can pass the ball well. On the other hand, he is not effective with his right hand and goes to his left most of the time. He over dribbles at times and forces shots when he gets into the lane. In fact, he was something of a ball-hog early in the game.

School List: Rhode Island, Central Florida, St. Bonaventure, Duquesne, South Florida (favorite)

CLASS OF 2010

Dave Coley (6-foot-2): After seeing Coley play several times with the Juice All-Stars, his AAU team, and then seeing him at the Elite Camp, one thing is clear: Coley might be one of the most versatile players in New York City. With Juice, he plays forward and can even bang inside. At the camp, however, he was strictly a point guard – and a very good one at that. He is very strong and quick, and is very difficult to stop going to the basket. He has decent range, but is clearly better when taking defenders off the dribble. He leads the break very well, and his athleticism allows him to corral rebounds at one end, go coast-to-coast quickly, and finish strong. He is also a good defender who picks up steals. One negative, though, is the fact he is always talking (i.e. complaining) to the referees.

School List: Hofstra, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Providence, Lehigh

Anthony Mayo (6-foot-7): Despite having only one school showing real interest right now (Mount St. Mary’s), Mayo should expect the offers to pile in sooner rather than later. He is an outstanding rebounder at both ends of the floor, and really controlled the glass. He is only 6-7, but plays like a player a few inches taller. He is athletic and long, and can grab boards over most opponents. Offensively, he is still developing but he showed the ability to finish around the rim. He runs the floor well, but needs to work on his hands.

CLASS OF 2011

Isaiah Morton (5-foot-8): Forget his height – Morton can flat-out play. He is extremely quick and has a very fast handle that is tough for defenders to keep up with. He has great vision to find the open man, and is a very good passer. He is shifty with his dribble and is difficult to contain on the perimeter and in the lane. He is not afraid to drive to the basket and can finish against bigger defenders. Morton is also a decent albeit inconsistent three-point shooter, and can pull-up for mid-range jumpers. He has a surprisingly strong-looking body and does not back down despite being undersized.

School List: Maryland, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Villanova, Saint Joseph’s

Kennedy Not Likely to Stay Local for College

Greg Oden. Kosta Koufos. B.J. Mullens.

The list of highly-touted big men that have passed through Ohio State recently is long and distinguished, but Buckeye fans might have to make room for another name on that list: Markus Kennedy.

Kennedy, a 6-9, 225 lb. prospect out of St. Patrick (N.J.), is quickly making a name for himself on the AAU circuit with Team NJ ABC after playing behind Kansas recruit Quintrell Thomas last season.

And, although his college days are still a couple of years away, the class of 2010 big man lists Ohio State as his current favorite.

“I like the way they use their big man,” said Kennedy, who also lists Louisville, Michigan State, Rutgers, Xavier, Georgetown and “most of the ACC and Big East” among his potential suitors.

“Academics are important,” he added when asked what he was looking for in a school. “And if the team is like a family, I like that.”

Unfortunately for Big East fans in the Northeast, Kennedy said he wants to go away for college, which could rule out several schools in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia area.

After watching Kennedy play several times over the past month, it is clear that he has the potential to be a dominant force at both ends of the floor – if he improves his conditioning and stamina. He gets tired very quickly and does not get up-and-down the floor very well after a few minutes on the court. He will need to play in a halfcourt setting in college.

However, he did say that conditioning is the main thing he is trying to work on over the summer.

“I’m just running a certain number of miles per day,” Kennedy said. “I need to get more stamina and improve my agility.”

On the positive side, Kennedy already has a variety of skills that are only likely to get better as he gets older and matures. First of all, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, he is supposed to be 7-foot-2 when he finishes growing. If that ends up being true, look out.

Offensively, Kennedy is an outstanding force inside. He can finish around the rim, and is a ferocious dunker with both hands. He moves without the ball extremely well, constantly making himself available. He gets great position inside, enabling him to get easy baskets once he gets the ball. Kennedy has a variety of back-to-the-basket post moves off which he can get points. Additionally, he has decent hands. If he does not have a shot, he looks to pass the ball and does not force shots. He has a tendency to miss a few open lay-ups at times down low, but he also has the ability to finish with contact.

Defensively, he is a very shot-blocker who also changes shots without even touching them. On the other hand, he falls victim to pump-fakes on occasion and is often out of position or fails to box out when he tries to help out in the lane.

Kennedy is a charismatic and somewhat goofy player off the court, but he is all business on the hardwood and could be one of the top centers in his class in a couple of years.

“I think I can hang with [the top players in my class],” he said. “Other players have a bigger name than me, but I can hang with them.”

With two more years of tutelage from St. Pat’s coach Kevin Boyle, Kennedy will refine his game – and potentially more importantly, his physique and conditioning. Luckily, he knows what he needs to improve and he seems determined to work hard.

Said Kennedy: “I just want to get better for my high school team.”

Confident Boynton Putting on Summer Show

Big-time scorers need confidence. They need confidence to be able to go against the best defenders and still be able to get points. They need confidence to make difficult shots over multiple defenders. And most importantly, they need confidence to be able to take – and make – shots in the closing seconds of games.

Luckily for Kenny Boynton and his teammates, he has plenty of confidence – and the talent to back it up.

“I think I’m the number one player in the country,” Boynton said. “Whenever I go up against someone, I do really well.”

At the Reebok U All-American Camp in Philadelphia, Boynton was arguably the best player the entire week. He was named to the All-Star Game and consistently showed the coaches and scouts in attendance why he might be the best pure scorer and shooter in his class. Going against the best perimeter defender in the country in Avery Bradley, Boynton was still able to get to the basket at will and get his shot off from deep. Furthermore, he was not afraid to take big shots, putting up potential game-winners in back-to-back games; he missed the first, but knocked down the second.

He has kept up his impressive summer, scoring 37 points on Tuesday against Bradley and the Northwest Panthers at the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas.

“[My biggest strengths are] definitely be scoring ability and my ability to shoot,” said Boynton, who is a member of Team Breakdown, along with 2010 star Brandon Knight.

The 6-3, 187-lb. shooting guard from American Heritage School (Fla.) has unbelievable shooting range. At the camp, he continuously pulled up from anywhere and knocked down shots. Boynton has the utmost confidence in his shot and demonstrated that on a regular basis. As we mentioned above, he loved to have the ball in his hands when the clock was winding down. He has an awkward shooting motion, but he hit shots with defenders in his face; his unblockable step-back jumper was outstanding. He utilizes a lot of pump fakes and body fakes to get defenders off-balance. Boynton can also blow past defenders and explode at the rim. He gets great lift on his jumper and is very athletic. He can handle the ball and run the break, and is also a solid passer.

On the other hand, though, Boynton seemed out-of-control at times and forced shots when there were better options available. Despite his outstanding overall camp, he did force things on occasion.

“I need to work on my shot selection,” said Boynton, who is ranked as the No. 8 player in the Class of 2009 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. “I just have to be smart, improve my basketball IQ.” He also mentioned defense as an area that he needs to work on before the school season starts.

Part of the reason Boynton may be thriving even more than usual this summer is the fact that he really enjoys playing AAU ball as opposed to high school.

“I love it,” he said. “The competition is so much better out here compared to playing in high school. You’re getting all the top players.”

As for his future, many recruiting experts think that Boynton will end up at Duke – if he ends up leaving his home state. Boynton mentioned the Blue Devils on his list, as well as Florida, Texas, Memphis and Georgia Tech. In a recent story by Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com, Kansas State and USC were added to the list while the Yellow Jackets were no longer an option.

“The most important thing is the coach,” Boynton said when asked what he is looking for in a school. “I want to play as a freshman, too.”

With the confidence and scoring ability he has demonstrated this summer, though, playing time will certainly not be a problem for him – no matter where he ends up.

Catching Up With...Aaric Murray

Aaric Murray continues to move up in the recruiting rankings and gather offers from schools across the country – but the rising senior is in no rush to make a decision.

“I’m not really sure of a time,” Murray told the NBE Basketball Report recently. “I want to make sure that I won’t be mad or regret my decision.”

However, the 6-10, 230 lb. center did add that he would like to choose before the start of his final high school season. When asked what schools were recruiting him, Murray gave a laundry list of Big East and Atlantic-10 teams.

“West Virginia, Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Marquette, Temple, La Salle,” he said. “Do you want me to keep going? Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Connecticut, Kentucky. . .”

While he says he does not have a current favorite, various recruiting outlets point to West Virginia as his likely destination. It will be interesting to see whether the new additions of Dalton Pepper and Dan Jennings to the Mountaineers’ recruiting class will affect his decision.

Murray said the most important thing he is looking for at a school is its coach and how well Murray gets along with him.

“The coach is really the only thing,” he said. “I need to have a good relationship with the coach and find a coach I can relate to. I want to see how the coach treats his players.

“I listen a lot, so what you say stays with me. I want a coach who will tell me something new.”

Murray added that academics will play a role when choosing a destination. “I also want to find a school where I fit in, can get my degree and keep up and graduate,” he said.

Murray was one of the most impressive players at the Reebok U All-American Camp at Philadelphia University in early July. He was named to the All-Star Game and was widely considered a top big man prospect at the camp.

The first thing you notice about Murray is his enormous size and length. Still, he is well-built and extremely athletic. He can finish effectively around the rim, and threw down multiple monster dunks. The lefty also has some nice post moves around the basket. He moves well without the ball and is solid at cutting to open spots on the court. Defensively, he gets in front of his man and denies the ball very well, but he is also a solid shot-blocker. Murray grabbed several offensive rebounds and also did well at the other end. According to Murray, his biggest strengths are defense and talking on the court.

Despite his outstanding performance in Philadelphia, Murray said he will continue to practice and train in the offseason, trying to improve his footwork and strength.

“I always say don’t ever be satisfied; I need to work hard at everything,” said Murray, who is ranked as the No. 41 recruit and No. 6 center in the Class of 2009 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

“I’m never satisfied.”