There are plenty of recruiting updates to give heading into Memorial Day Weekend. Let’s get started…
Basketball:
* At the Elite 8 in the Desert this past weekend, the best prospect in attendance may have been 6-foot-4, 175-pound Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft shooting guard Bryce Jones (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=961&tid=123229462&mid=123229462&sid=974&style=2 for video).
I haven’t seen enough of the 2010 class to have a feel for where Jones should be rated, but on first viewing, I have Jones as a guy who would be ranked somewhere in the 50-75 range, minimum, in a typical class.
He’s a very good athlete that is a consistent long range jumper away from being a guy who could make a very big impact on the next level, due to how many ways he can change the game on both sides of the court.
I would expect Arizona to get very involved with Jones before word gets out and the inevitable flurry of offers comes.
* Another 2010 prospect you can expect UA to pick up its recruitment of is 6-foot-10, 230-pound Los Alamos (N.M.) center Alex Kirk (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947646 to see a highlight reel of Kirk).
Like Jones, I also have Kirk in the 50-75 range (although Jones’ ultimate upside is better). He’s not a great athlete, but plays hard and is pretty skilled for a big man at his age.
Kirk has a good frame and should be able to significantly bulk up in college, making him more of a physical presence in the post.
With the lack of size out west, UA seriously recruiting Kirk may be a matter of when, not if. His grandmother lives in Green Valley (Ariz.) so he’s very familiar with the program. He’s taking his time, but UA should be right in it with an offer.
* Arizona’s other option when it comes to big men out west is 6-foot-8, 210-pound Torrance (Calif.) Bishop Montgomery power forward Richard Solomon (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=947225 for an interview with Solomon).
Solomon’s ultimate ceiling is higher than Kirk’s, especially if he keeps growing, but right now is more of a prospect, as he’s still growing into his body, which has increased 4-5 inches in height in the past year.
Talking to Solomon, it seems as if he will end his recruitment a little sooner than Kirk’s, so if UA is going to move on him it would probably come sooner than later. He said he’ll try to visit Arizona at some point this summer.
* Arizona has picked up its recruitment of 6-foot-8, 220-pound Portland Jefferson power forward Terrence Jones (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=947650 for an interview with Jones).
The 27th ranked prospect in the country, Jones projects as a face up four in college, although he plays point forward in AAU.
Sean Miller and Archie Miller have been recruiting Jones hard and their work has made an impact, as he says the Wildcats will be involved in his recruitment for the long haul.
* Arizona has begun to recruit 6-8, 190-pound Bellaire (Texas) power forward Tobi Oyedeji. It will be a difficult recruitment, as Texas A&M is in front and Texas is also strong in there.
Oyedeji plays for the Houston Hoops, so Josh Pastner and Memphis will be involved as well. Still, UA is going to recruit him and see what happens.
I caught up with Oydeji and should have the interview soon.
* Another new post prospect is 6-foot-9, 220-pound San Diego Morse power forward James Johnson.
Although most have only seen Johnson on video, he’s starting to get significant recruiting attention, including from Arizona, led by assistant James Whitford.
We caught up with James Johnson’s father, Ted, who said that the family is definitely interested in the Wildcats and they’ve enjoyed their conversations with the UA staff.
“We really like what coach Miller and James Whitford said and they seem like first class individuals,” Ted said. “I have read up on them and they had a good track record at Xavier I know James liked what he heard and definitely wants to get down to their camp in August.”
“He got to see the Arizona campus last year (at the Arizona Cactus Classic) and play at Bear Down Gym and McKale Center. He really liked it, so we are seriously looking at Arizona. Plus, we like it after hearing about coach Miller coming and talking to him and the great tradition of the program and Lute Olson.”
We’ll have the interview up soon.
* 6-foot-9, 210-pound Indianapolis Lawrence North power forward Dominique Ferguson is going to be several programs’ top target in 2010 and the Wildcats are definitely pushing for him.
Even though most of the nation’s best schools are on him, Ferguson will likely be taking an unofficial visit to UA in the next month or so, and it will be easier to get a feel for where the Wildcats are at in his recruitment afterwards.
* Arizona is making progress with 6-foot-5, 195-pound Mount Pleasant (Mich.) shooting guard Trey Zeigler.
The nation’s 47th ranked prospect will visit Arizona at some point this summer, but the Wildcats will be in a battle with many elite programs nationally.
Trey’s father, Ernie Ziegler, is the head coach of Central Michigan and was recently an assistant at UCLA. Trey will narrow down his school list at some point after his UA visit.
* Moving on to 2011, 5-foot-11, 170-pound Phoenix Mountain Pointe point guard Jahii Carson is definitely a name to remember. Carson was very impressive this weekend at the Elite 8 in the Desert and has been in contact with the new UA staff lately.
Carson’s athleticism and ability to create his own shot has led to early offers from California, Oregon and Oregon State, among others.
The new UA staff has to evaluate him still but once it does, it will be interesting to see if Arizona starts seriously pursuing him.
* One of two candidates for UA’s third assistant spot last season, Wyking Jones, has been hired as an assistant at New Mexico. He was a candidate for the Wildcats’ Director of Basketball Operations position. Sean Miller seems in no hurry to fill his DOB, although there are still some strong candidates in the running for the job.
* Arizona will hire Xavier’s strength and conditioning coach, Chris Rounds. Miller is extremely high on Rounds and is already selling his ability to UA recruits.
Football:
* If you didn’t read Jason Nimrichter’s interview with Trevor Erno, make sure to check it outhttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=948071, as the linebacker had some optimistic comments about his future in Tucson.
* Nimrichter also interviewed senior wide receiver Terrell Turner. Read that interview herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947648.
Jason Scheer’s weekly recruiting update:
* 6-foot-2, 275-pound Scottsdale Desert Mountain defensive lineman Tyeler Davison received his first offer from UNLV this past week and will be looking to add more during the summer. Arizona is recruiting him, but the general thought is that he is going to have to be impressive at the UA camp this summer and during his senior season as well. Arizona obviously has higher targets right now but with the way recruiting works, Davison is definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
* Another in state player that is in a similar position is 6-foot-0, 198-pound Peoria Centennial linebacker Austin Garday. Garday does not have an offer from Arizona, but is likely going to go to the UA camp in order to try and earn one. Arizona is not pursuing him very aggressively and the camp will likely gauge how much interest the Wildcats decide to show.
* 6-foot-2, 175-pound Channelview (Texas) wide receiver Chris Hawkins is not deep into his recruitment, but is still seeing a new offer every week. Arizona offered and seems to be just getting started with the receiver. Hawkins has no plans to decide any time soon, but is looking for a pass oriented offense that may make the Wildcats attractive. Still, we will likely not know much about this recruitment until he gets deeper into it.
* We exchanged text messages with 6-foot-4, 240-pound Moreno valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde defensive end Ronald Powell and he indicated that there is some interest in Arizona. If the UA can get him to visit, it would be huge not only because it would confirm that interest, but also because he is one of the better players in the country. There are strong rumblings that he is a silent commit to the USC Trojans and it is definitely believable, but the UA is going to continue to recruit him and get him on campus.
* 6-foot-1, 225-pound Culver City (Calif.) linebacker Victor Burnett continues to receive more offers. Burnett tells HuskersIllustrated.com, "I don't have any favorites at this point. It's really early. I want to do my research on the schools before I can put certain schools in certain categories." If a local school offers, there is a solid chance the recruitment ends, especially if it is USC. However, Arizona has been right in it from the beginning and the Wildcats are in very good shape right now.
* 6-foot-4, 260-pound Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure offensive tackle Giovanni Di Poalo seems destined to stay in the Pac-10 and Arizona would love it if it was his destination. There is a good chance that Di Poalo will check out the UA this summer, but it seems that Arizona is also a strong possibility for an official visit. He tells UDubSports.com, "I want to make a decision after the season. I'm going to take my five officials and then decide. After I get all of my offers, I'll decide where I'll take my official visits, but Washington, Arizona and Arizona State are strong possibilities."
* Arizona continues to recruit 6-foot-0, 184-pound Chandler Hamilton safety Devon Carrington, but it is not in a great position to land him right now. Notre Dame and Stanford are thought to be in fantastic position right now and there is little reason to believe it will change. Arizona may be able to make an impression on him, but it will have to be a strong one if the Wildcats are going to beat out those two schools and the many others that are getting involved each week.
* Arizona adding Seth Littrell seems to have made an impact already, as he is making quite an impression on the players he is recruiting and 6-foot-5, 325-pound Sugar Land (Texas) Kempner offensive lineman Carter Lees is no different. Lees will not name a favorite, but the UA chose to offer this past week and is in very good position right now. He has plans to come to camp this summer and has no strict timetable of when he would like to decide. We doubt it comes this summer, but the UA does have a chance to take a stronghold on the recruitment.
* 6-foot-7, 245-pound Gig Harbor (Wash.) tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins may be in the class of 2011, but it is obvious he will be highly regarded. He has offers listed from Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Washington State and Boise State and interest from USC, Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami and Michigan. In other words, Arizona is going to have its work cut out, but at least the UA recognized him this early and made an offer in order to get involved right away.
* 6-foot-4, 265-pound Encino (Calif.) Crespi defensive lineman Hroniss Grasu does not have an offer from Arizona, but the Wildcats definitely have an eye on him. Grasu visited Tucson for the spring game and tells Rivals.com, "I want to go to as many camps as I can. For sure I will attend camps at UCLA and USC. I hope to attend camps at Notre Dame, Arizona, Tennessee and Washington State. I hope to be a busy guy." He seems to be the type of player that stays in the Pac-10, but it would not surprise us if he wound up getting national attention. Should he do well at Arizona’s camp, he is a very good candidate to get an offer before he leaves Tucson.
* 6-foot-2, 182-pound Corona (Calif.) Eleanor Roosevelt wide receiver Tyler Slavin continues to get recruited by numerous schools in the west. He tells GoldandGreenNews.com, "I generally get about two or three-a-day and last week we had 12 come by in one day. They look at my grades to see if the transcripts are good. Sometimes they'll come talk to me. Most of them talk about keeping it up, hitting the books and ask me if I am interested in their school or not." Arizona is right up there with the other schools visiting, but Slavin says that he does not have any favorites. A decision will likely not come for a while, but we would be surprised if the UA is not right in there at the end.
* There may not be a hotter player in the country right now than 6-foot-0, 165-pound Palmdale (Calif.) cornerback Joshua Shaw. Arizona has offered, as has at least 10 other schools. Shaw is still waiting for a local offer and should he get one, other schools could have major difficulty landing him. Still, the Wildcats are going to recruit him as hard as anybody else and try to get a visit out of Shaw, something that will likely not be easy.
This post was edited on 5/22 8:47 AM by Josh Gershon
Basketball:
* At the Elite 8 in the Desert this past weekend, the best prospect in attendance may have been 6-foot-4, 175-pound Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft shooting guard Bryce Jones (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=961&tid=123229462&mid=123229462&sid=974&style=2 for video).
I haven’t seen enough of the 2010 class to have a feel for where Jones should be rated, but on first viewing, I have Jones as a guy who would be ranked somewhere in the 50-75 range, minimum, in a typical class.
He’s a very good athlete that is a consistent long range jumper away from being a guy who could make a very big impact on the next level, due to how many ways he can change the game on both sides of the court.
I would expect Arizona to get very involved with Jones before word gets out and the inevitable flurry of offers comes.
* Another 2010 prospect you can expect UA to pick up its recruitment of is 6-foot-10, 230-pound Los Alamos (N.M.) center Alex Kirk (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947646 to see a highlight reel of Kirk).
Like Jones, I also have Kirk in the 50-75 range (although Jones’ ultimate upside is better). He’s not a great athlete, but plays hard and is pretty skilled for a big man at his age.
Kirk has a good frame and should be able to significantly bulk up in college, making him more of a physical presence in the post.
With the lack of size out west, UA seriously recruiting Kirk may be a matter of when, not if. His grandmother lives in Green Valley (Ariz.) so he’s very familiar with the program. He’s taking his time, but UA should be right in it with an offer.
* Arizona’s other option when it comes to big men out west is 6-foot-8, 210-pound Torrance (Calif.) Bishop Montgomery power forward Richard Solomon (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=947225 for an interview with Solomon).
Solomon’s ultimate ceiling is higher than Kirk’s, especially if he keeps growing, but right now is more of a prospect, as he’s still growing into his body, which has increased 4-5 inches in height in the past year.
Talking to Solomon, it seems as if he will end his recruitment a little sooner than Kirk’s, so if UA is going to move on him it would probably come sooner than later. He said he’ll try to visit Arizona at some point this summer.
* Arizona has picked up its recruitment of 6-foot-8, 220-pound Portland Jefferson power forward Terrence Jones (click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=947650 for an interview with Jones).
The 27th ranked prospect in the country, Jones projects as a face up four in college, although he plays point forward in AAU.
Sean Miller and Archie Miller have been recruiting Jones hard and their work has made an impact, as he says the Wildcats will be involved in his recruitment for the long haul.
* Arizona has begun to recruit 6-8, 190-pound Bellaire (Texas) power forward Tobi Oyedeji. It will be a difficult recruitment, as Texas A&M is in front and Texas is also strong in there.
Oyedeji plays for the Houston Hoops, so Josh Pastner and Memphis will be involved as well. Still, UA is going to recruit him and see what happens.
I caught up with Oydeji and should have the interview soon.
* Another new post prospect is 6-foot-9, 220-pound San Diego Morse power forward James Johnson.
Although most have only seen Johnson on video, he’s starting to get significant recruiting attention, including from Arizona, led by assistant James Whitford.
We caught up with James Johnson’s father, Ted, who said that the family is definitely interested in the Wildcats and they’ve enjoyed their conversations with the UA staff.
“We really like what coach Miller and James Whitford said and they seem like first class individuals,” Ted said. “I have read up on them and they had a good track record at Xavier I know James liked what he heard and definitely wants to get down to their camp in August.”
“He got to see the Arizona campus last year (at the Arizona Cactus Classic) and play at Bear Down Gym and McKale Center. He really liked it, so we are seriously looking at Arizona. Plus, we like it after hearing about coach Miller coming and talking to him and the great tradition of the program and Lute Olson.”
We’ll have the interview up soon.
* 6-foot-9, 210-pound Indianapolis Lawrence North power forward Dominique Ferguson is going to be several programs’ top target in 2010 and the Wildcats are definitely pushing for him.
Even though most of the nation’s best schools are on him, Ferguson will likely be taking an unofficial visit to UA in the next month or so, and it will be easier to get a feel for where the Wildcats are at in his recruitment afterwards.
* Arizona is making progress with 6-foot-5, 195-pound Mount Pleasant (Mich.) shooting guard Trey Zeigler.
The nation’s 47th ranked prospect will visit Arizona at some point this summer, but the Wildcats will be in a battle with many elite programs nationally.
Trey’s father, Ernie Ziegler, is the head coach of Central Michigan and was recently an assistant at UCLA. Trey will narrow down his school list at some point after his UA visit.
* Moving on to 2011, 5-foot-11, 170-pound Phoenix Mountain Pointe point guard Jahii Carson is definitely a name to remember. Carson was very impressive this weekend at the Elite 8 in the Desert and has been in contact with the new UA staff lately.
Carson’s athleticism and ability to create his own shot has led to early offers from California, Oregon and Oregon State, among others.
The new UA staff has to evaluate him still but once it does, it will be interesting to see if Arizona starts seriously pursuing him.
* One of two candidates for UA’s third assistant spot last season, Wyking Jones, has been hired as an assistant at New Mexico. He was a candidate for the Wildcats’ Director of Basketball Operations position. Sean Miller seems in no hurry to fill his DOB, although there are still some strong candidates in the running for the job.
* Arizona will hire Xavier’s strength and conditioning coach, Chris Rounds. Miller is extremely high on Rounds and is already selling his ability to UA recruits.
Football:
* If you didn’t read Jason Nimrichter’s interview with Trevor Erno, make sure to check it outhttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=948071, as the linebacker had some optimistic comments about his future in Tucson.
* Nimrichter also interviewed senior wide receiver Terrell Turner. Read that interview herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=947648.
Jason Scheer’s weekly recruiting update:
* 6-foot-2, 275-pound Scottsdale Desert Mountain defensive lineman Tyeler Davison received his first offer from UNLV this past week and will be looking to add more during the summer. Arizona is recruiting him, but the general thought is that he is going to have to be impressive at the UA camp this summer and during his senior season as well. Arizona obviously has higher targets right now but with the way recruiting works, Davison is definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
* Another in state player that is in a similar position is 6-foot-0, 198-pound Peoria Centennial linebacker Austin Garday. Garday does not have an offer from Arizona, but is likely going to go to the UA camp in order to try and earn one. Arizona is not pursuing him very aggressively and the camp will likely gauge how much interest the Wildcats decide to show.
* 6-foot-2, 175-pound Channelview (Texas) wide receiver Chris Hawkins is not deep into his recruitment, but is still seeing a new offer every week. Arizona offered and seems to be just getting started with the receiver. Hawkins has no plans to decide any time soon, but is looking for a pass oriented offense that may make the Wildcats attractive. Still, we will likely not know much about this recruitment until he gets deeper into it.
* We exchanged text messages with 6-foot-4, 240-pound Moreno valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde defensive end Ronald Powell and he indicated that there is some interest in Arizona. If the UA can get him to visit, it would be huge not only because it would confirm that interest, but also because he is one of the better players in the country. There are strong rumblings that he is a silent commit to the USC Trojans and it is definitely believable, but the UA is going to continue to recruit him and get him on campus.
* 6-foot-1, 225-pound Culver City (Calif.) linebacker Victor Burnett continues to receive more offers. Burnett tells HuskersIllustrated.com, "I don't have any favorites at this point. It's really early. I want to do my research on the schools before I can put certain schools in certain categories." If a local school offers, there is a solid chance the recruitment ends, especially if it is USC. However, Arizona has been right in it from the beginning and the Wildcats are in very good shape right now.
* 6-foot-4, 260-pound Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure offensive tackle Giovanni Di Poalo seems destined to stay in the Pac-10 and Arizona would love it if it was his destination. There is a good chance that Di Poalo will check out the UA this summer, but it seems that Arizona is also a strong possibility for an official visit. He tells UDubSports.com, "I want to make a decision after the season. I'm going to take my five officials and then decide. After I get all of my offers, I'll decide where I'll take my official visits, but Washington, Arizona and Arizona State are strong possibilities."
* Arizona continues to recruit 6-foot-0, 184-pound Chandler Hamilton safety Devon Carrington, but it is not in a great position to land him right now. Notre Dame and Stanford are thought to be in fantastic position right now and there is little reason to believe it will change. Arizona may be able to make an impression on him, but it will have to be a strong one if the Wildcats are going to beat out those two schools and the many others that are getting involved each week.
* Arizona adding Seth Littrell seems to have made an impact already, as he is making quite an impression on the players he is recruiting and 6-foot-5, 325-pound Sugar Land (Texas) Kempner offensive lineman Carter Lees is no different. Lees will not name a favorite, but the UA chose to offer this past week and is in very good position right now. He has plans to come to camp this summer and has no strict timetable of when he would like to decide. We doubt it comes this summer, but the UA does have a chance to take a stronghold on the recruitment.
* 6-foot-7, 245-pound Gig Harbor (Wash.) tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins may be in the class of 2011, but it is obvious he will be highly regarded. He has offers listed from Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Washington State and Boise State and interest from USC, Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami and Michigan. In other words, Arizona is going to have its work cut out, but at least the UA recognized him this early and made an offer in order to get involved right away.
* 6-foot-4, 265-pound Encino (Calif.) Crespi defensive lineman Hroniss Grasu does not have an offer from Arizona, but the Wildcats definitely have an eye on him. Grasu visited Tucson for the spring game and tells Rivals.com, "I want to go to as many camps as I can. For sure I will attend camps at UCLA and USC. I hope to attend camps at Notre Dame, Arizona, Tennessee and Washington State. I hope to be a busy guy." He seems to be the type of player that stays in the Pac-10, but it would not surprise us if he wound up getting national attention. Should he do well at Arizona’s camp, he is a very good candidate to get an offer before he leaves Tucson.
* 6-foot-2, 182-pound Corona (Calif.) Eleanor Roosevelt wide receiver Tyler Slavin continues to get recruited by numerous schools in the west. He tells GoldandGreenNews.com, "I generally get about two or three-a-day and last week we had 12 come by in one day. They look at my grades to see if the transcripts are good. Sometimes they'll come talk to me. Most of them talk about keeping it up, hitting the books and ask me if I am interested in their school or not." Arizona is right up there with the other schools visiting, but Slavin says that he does not have any favorites. A decision will likely not come for a while, but we would be surprised if the UA is not right in there at the end.
* There may not be a hotter player in the country right now than 6-foot-0, 165-pound Palmdale (Calif.) cornerback Joshua Shaw. Arizona has offered, as has at least 10 other schools. Shaw is still waiting for a local offer and should he get one, other schools could have major difficulty landing him. Still, the Wildcats are going to recruit him as hard as anybody else and try to get a visit out of Shaw, something that will likely not be easy.
This post was edited on 5/22 8:47 AM by Josh Gershon
