Durand Scott Picks Miami

Big win for Miami’s basketball recruiting efforts as Durand Scott (SG/SF, 6’4″,2009) has decided to play his college basketball in the sun of Coral Gables. Scott is a player who thrives in the pressure of big games and should get his chance to show off his skills in the ACC.

Scott fits in well with the chip-on-their-shoulder attitude that Miami basketball has adopted in order to survive in the ACC. He will need to work on his handle in order to become a true SG, right now he’s got more of a small forward’s game.

However, he is a skilled addition to the Miami roster next season and Frank Haith continues to bring up the level of Miami basketball.

Miami gets Garrius Adams

The Hurricanes gotten good news from Garrius Adams (SG/SF, 6’5″, 2009), a player who held several ACC offers, including Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and NC State. However, Miami wasn’t battling any ACC teams at the end for Adams, it was down to the Hurricanes and the South Carolina Gamecocks, with Miami getting the solid prospect.

Adams plays his high school ball in Apex, NC and is a solid perimeter shooter when he can get his looks. I expect him to be effective at the SF spot, but if he can improve on his guard skills, he could conceivably play SG at the college level. Miami likes quick slashing guards, so only time will tell if Adams will see much time at the guard spot.

Dominic Cheek; More ACC targets

Dominic Cheek (SG, 6’6″, 2009) is a known player who’s been playing basketball with the U-18 USA Basketball team, and is being recruited heavily by Wake Forest, among many other schools, including Villanova. At one time, it was thought that the sharp shooter would be playing for UNC, but that never materialized, and now Cheek’s recruitment is being watched by fans of several powerhouse schools.

The story of Cheek includes legendary Bob Hurley, coach of fabled St. Anthony High School in New Jersey, and that involved a level of discipline that will help Cheek make it to the next level:

In signing on to play for Bob Hurley’s basketball program four years ago, Dominic Cheek agreed to shave his braids and that no tattoos would appear on his skin. On weekends, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound swingman would have to phone the white-haired disciplinarian from his family’s landline phone by 9 p.m. Much would be sacrificed, but the shooting form — that lock-and-load release — would make him a star.

Cheek has the size of an NBA shooting guard, at 6’6″, and his deep range and scoring ability should give him a legitimate shot at playing pro ball in the future.

Meyers Leonard

Big man Meyers Leonard (PF/C, 6’11”, 2010) is a name that college recruiting fans will start hearing a lot about, as he’s started garnering interest from a lot of big schools. He already has offers from Indiana and Purdue, and he’s getting interest from Kentucky, UNC, Duke, UCLA, Illinois and Texas. We are adding him to our ACC targets list and will continue to track his recruitment.

Ari Stewart

Wake fans are well aware of Ari Stewart (SF, 6’7″, 2009), a player who they are recruiting and have an excellent shot of landing. Although Stewart has offers from Clemson and UNC, he does not seem to be considering those schools as highly as Wake.

Reco McCarter

Southeastern North Carolina has been a hotbed of ACC talent lately, and the latest is Goldsboro’s Reco McCarter (SF, 6’6″, 2010) has made it clear that Wake Forest is the team to beat right now. We’re adding Reco to our ACC targets list as well.

Nik Garcia

Dominic Cheek isn’t the only 6’6″ shooting guard considering Wake Forest. Nik Garcia (SG, 6’6″, 2009), is strongly considering the Deacons as well as the Miami Hurricanes.

Tyreek Duran, interested in Miami Hurricanes

Meet Tyreek Duran (G, 6’2″, 2010), a Pennsylvania player who plays for powerhouse Philly school Neumann-Goretti. Alex caught up with him and found out that one school he is considering is Miami:

NB: Have all three of those schools offered you a scholarship?
TD: Not yet, . . . so far I haven’t [received an offer]. I think Miami is supposed to offer me a scholarship.

NB: Miami-Florida or Miami-Ohio?
TD: Florida.

Duran later states that his ‘dream school is Georgetown, but of course dream schools often are not the final destination. Not sure if Frank Haith has come to see Duran play. Is it possible Duran could play some basketball in south Florida?

Michael Snaer’s List of Schools

Scout.com is reporting that Michael Snaer (6’4″, SG/SF, 2009) has several schools on his current list, including Stanford, Marquette, Florida State, Missouri, UNLV, USC, UCLA,Washington, Kansas, Arizona and Cal.

Snaer, a west coast kid, reportedly has offers from ACC schools Miami and Florida State.

Emmanuel Negedu’s visit to Indiana

Doug Wilson and Chris Korman have a fantastic update on Emmanuel Negedu (6’7″, PF, 2008 ) and his visit to Indiana:

So the Indiana visit, I’ve been told, is much more of a fact-finding visit for Negedu. You’ve heard kids talk about the “feeling” they get about a school, and that’s what so many of them are hoping to find when they step on campus. So coaches do whatever they can to create the feeling: they show off the banners, they drive through the campus on golf carts, they hang a jersey with the prospect’s number in the middle stall of the locker room.

More Bad News for Maryland Terrapins

Recently Gary Williams lost troubled recruit Tyree Evans, and now it appears he’s losing another. Gus Glichrist (6’9″, PF, 2008 ) has asked for a release from his LOI with the Terps.

Derrick Favors Recruiting

Recently it was reported that Derrick Favors (6’10”, PF, 2009) has a list of fifteen schools. The Fayetteville Observer reports that Favors probably won’t decide until April 2009, and that his current list includes ACC schools Georgia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Duke and Miami.

J.T. Terrell, John Wall at the Pangos

CSTV discusses the play of several ACC recruits at the Pangos All-American, including J.T. Terrell (6’3″, SG, 2010) who has a Wake Forest offer:

J.T. Terrell 6-foot-4 SG (2010) Burlington Cummings (N.C.) – This solid shooting wing guard can score from three or take it to the rim and finish with thunderous dunks. He is a long and rangy defender and rebounder who does little things to help squad win.

John Wall, who has solidified his status as the highlight PG to follow up Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings:

John Wall 6-foot-4 PG Raleigh Word of God (N.C.) – He has dominated everyone he’s faced off the dribble with his explosive quickness. He has left them shoeless with his crossover and spin move and confuses opponents when he sets it up with solid jumper from beyond the arc.

Kenny Boynton lists five

The Miami Herald is reporting that Kenny Boynton (6’2″, PG, 2009) is down to a list of five, which does not include Miami but does have some ACC schools: Florida, Memphis, Duke, Texas and Georgia Tech.

Most of the attention recently has been about Florida and Duke, so only time will tell if those schools emerge as the leaders. This list knocks out the Hurricanes, who are recruiting the PG position hard.

Lance Stephenson eliminates UNC; Kenny Boynton photos

It’s been thought for some time that Lance Stephenson [6’5″, SG, 2009] was no longer considering the Tar Heels, and now it’s been confirmed. His list is down to UCLA, USC and Kansas.

Kenny Boynton photos

Blue Devil Nation has some new photos of PG target Kenny Boynton [6’2″, PG, 2009].

Brandon Knight ACC interest

Brandon Knight [6’3″, PG, 2010] now has interest from Duke, Clemson and Miami.

J.T. Terrell ACC interest

J.T. Terrell [6’3″, SG, 2010] has offers from Wake Forest, Miami and Virginia.

Pangos All-American Camp

Meanwhile, several top players are in California for the Pangos All-American Camp.

Video: Michael Snaer

I haven’t mentioned Michael Snaer ( 6’4″, SG, 2009 ), even though he reportedly has an offer from the Miami Hurricanes, simply because he hasn’t seemed to be leaning toward the U. But that doesn’t mean the Hurricanes aren’t recruiting him. Snaer is a nice guard with good size and often uses it to get to the rim. Although I don’t think overproduced highlight reels are much value in evaluating a player, here are some of his nice moves:

Snaer currently says he has no favorite, but he’s a west coast kid so of course the schools in his region are pressing him.

Mason Plumlee

Mason Plumlee got a lot of exposure this past weekend all over the state of North Carolina for three reasons:

1. He plays high school basketball in North Carolina
2. He signed to play for Duke
3. He was playing in Camaron Indoor Stadium this weekend.

So, naturally, he has become one of the more talked about players with stories like this one.

One of the knocks on Plumlee is his strength, which he acknowledges:

“Playing post defense, I know that’s going to be expected no matter where I go, but especially at Duke,” Plumlee said. “All the other stuff will come. I just need to get in the weight room and get stronger.”

Nike Memorial Day Classic Recap

Grassroots has a recap on the Nike Memorial Day Classic, including players of interest to the ACC such as Doron Lamb and Kendall Marshall.

ACC Basketball Recruiting Roundup, 5/24/2008

Mason Plumlee excites Cameron

Future Duke big man Mason Plumlee (6’11”, PF, 2009) enticed fans at Cameron Indoor on Friday with a 14 point outing during his debut on Coach K Court.

Lorenzo Brown and NC State

Lorenzo Brown (6’5″, G, 2009) is an excellent guard and I’ve mentioned before that he seems to be leaning toward NC State, and a lot of Pack fans would like to see him commit while he’s playing in Raliegh this weekend.

Kenny Boynton scores 33

Duke and Miami target Kenny Boynton (6’2″, G) is one of the best guards in the class of 2009 and he put up 33 points in his TOC opener.