As was the case two weeks ago, Jason Scheer will be covering me for next week’s War Room. Here's this week's version...
Basketball:
* With the commitment of Derrick Williams, Arizona’s 2009 class is now, finally, over. What started in August of 2007 and ended in June of 2009, the ’09 class has to be one of the most dramatic and eventful recruiting classes of all time.
It’s almost unbelievable how much happened, but check out the 2009 class timeline:
8/23/07: Abdul Gaddy commits
5/29/08: Abdul Gaddy decommits
6/23/08: Greg Smith commits
7/1/08: Mike Moser commits
7/28/08: Solomon Hill commits
7/29/08: Greg Smith decommits
8/25/08: Reger Dowell commits
9/15/08: Abdul Gaddy recommits
9/29/08: Reger Dowell decommits
10/23/08: Mike Moser decommits
10/24/08: Solomon Hill decommits
10/26/08: Abdul Gaddy re-decommits
2/12/09: Tremayne Johnson commits
4/11/09: Kyryl Natyazhko commits
4/14/09: Solomon Hill recommits
4/26/09: Treymayne Johnson decommits
5/3/09: Kevin Parrom commits
6/24/09: Momo Jones commits
6/28/09: Derrick Williams commits
Total Numbers:
12 Commitments
7 Decommitments
I find it very hard to believe that one school has ever had 12 commitments and 7 decommitments before in the same class, not to mention the fact that almost all of the players who committed - with the exception of Johnson and Dowell - were considered high level recruits.
Also of note in 2009 is that UA would have landed Anthony Stover but his parents wouldn’t let him choose Arizona due to Lute Olson’s age, the Wildcats almost had Jarrid Famous but he was pressured into staying close to his family in South Florida and UA could have landed Lance Stephenson but turned him down.
Some more fun facts for 2009:
* When Kevin O’Neill was UA’s interim head coach, the staff had a connection to Momo Jones, who was then committed to Louisville. Arizona told the contact that UA really wanted him and when he ended up decommitting on Feb. 20, 2008, the Wildcats were right there.
However, KO wasn’t on the Wildcats’ staff for much longer and as it became obvious that he was on the way out, Arizona and Jones fell out of touch. 16 months later, after Jones was released from USC, KO was hired by the Trojans and gave Momo a call to see if he could keep him. He didn’t answer and is going to Arizona instead.
* A source close to the UA program told me to watch St. Raymond’s vs. Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft live on ESPNU on Jan. 21, 2008, because the Wildcats were getting serious about shooting guard Omari Lawrence from St. Ray’s.
Lawrence was definitely impressive in the game, but not as much as Kevin Parrom, who scored 27 points and 16 boards. I asked the source why UA wasn’t recruiting Parrom on top of Lawrence and they said he was going to Pittsburgh so it wasn’t worth recruiting him and then I forgot the kid existed… until a year and a half later when he got out of his LOI from Xavier and chose Arizona over Pittsburgh.
* Arizona’s first offers in 2009? David and Travis Wear, who picked up scholarship offers from UA in 2005. At the time when UA offered the Wear twins, Marcus Williams had yet to score a point in college, Chase Budinger, Nic Wise and Jordan Hill were still in high school and hadn’t yet signed with UA, and Kyryl Natyazhko was 14 years old and a little less than three years away from arriving in America from Ukraine for the first time. Since the time the Wear twins were offered to now, Arizona has gone through four different head coaches and 11 different assistants.
* Arizona seriously recruited, at different times, 7 of the top 10 players in 2009. Top-ranked John Wall was recruited as a sophomore but didn’t show much interest in return. At one point UA led for Avery Bradley and in a different coaching situation, the Wildcats probably land both him and Gaddy. Arizona was one of the first schools to offer 5th ranked John Henson. 6th rated Jordan Hamilton had the Wildcats as one of his favorites for a while, as did 7th ranked Michael Snaer. 9th rated Keith Gallon wanted to commit to Arizona but Lute Olson didn’t want him.
* With the book closed on 2009, Arizona can now concentrate on 2010. I’d expect UA to offer between 2-4 rides, depending on who the Wildcats can land after the second one is given out. I’d be very surprised if only two rides were given out, and I think that the number will end up at most likely three but possibly four.
A point guard and a big man (either a 4 or 5) are musts, and then the Wildcats could probably go for best available talent after that.
* Arizona’s five newcomers have chosen their jersey numbers, and one returnee has changed his number:
#1 - Kyryl Natyazhko
#3 - Kevin Parrom
#12 - Momo Jones
#23 - Derrick Williams
#24 - Brendon Lavender (changed from #14)
#44 - Solomon Hill
Some background on the numbers:
#1 - Lute Olson didn’t like giving out the #1 jersey because he felt it was a selfish number. However, he made an exception for Jeff Withey upon request and when Withey transferred, Fendi Onobun scooped up the number.
#3 - Pound for pound one of the strongest jersey numbers in UA history - maybe the strongest. The last four Wildcats to wear #3? Marcus Williams, Will Bynum, Loren Woods and Khalid Reeves. Try to come up with another jersey number that four or more Wildcats who logged minutes in the NBA wore.
#12 - Jones has the opportunity to make a name for the #12 jersey, which hasn’t had a lot of success in the past 15+ years. The last three players to wear the #12 jersey were Daniel Dillon, Fil Torres and Josh Pastner.
#23 - After Michael Dickerson ended his UA career in 1998, this jersey number has almost completely gone to waste, as Dickerson was followed by Lamont Frazier and Jesus Verdejo.
#24 - Fendi Onobun wore #24 his first three seasons, following Andre Iguodala’s successful two-year stint with the jersey.
#44 - Richard Jefferson wore #44, which was followed by flunk out Chris Dunn and walk on Bret Brielmaier.
* Three recruits were in the state of Arizona this week, as James Johnson, Adreian Payne and Alex Kirk all participated in Amare Stoudemire Camp.
They measured height (with shoes), weight (without shoes) and wingspans at the camp, and here were the results:
James Johnson: 6-9 1/2, 212 pounds, 7-0 wingspan
Adreian Payne: 6-9, 215 pounds, 7-0 wingspan
Alex Kirk: 6-9 1/2, 226 pounds, 7-3 wingspan
* Speaking of Johnson, he was hoping to visit UA this week but didn’t get the opportunity to do so. He’s recently picked up offers from UCLA and Arizona State.
* Naadir Tharpe hoped to visit Arizona this past week but didn’t get the chance to. I spoke with him on Thursday and he said that UA is still the team to beat.
* While Johnson and Tharpe had hoped to visit Arizona at the end of the month, they’ll have to wait until August to get their chance because recruits aren’t allowed to take visits during the month of July. 2010 prospects can start taking official visits after their first day of class as a senior.
* One player that did get a visit in before the July deadline was 2010 wing Anthony Brown. It sounds like UA, ASU and Stanford (if he can get in) are the teams to beat. Click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=960320 to read Brown’s thoughts on the UA visit.
* Jayvaughn Pinkston will likely take a trip out to UA in August, and the Wildcats are in the mix for the combo forward, although hometown St. John’s is currently the favorite.
* From what I hear, Rivals.com will release its new 2010 rankings today. Based on the way they played in the spring, I’d expect Terrence Jones, Keala King, James Johnson, Richard Solomon and Alex Kirk to move up.
* The summer Evaluation Period begins July 6, so starting Monday the UA coaches will be on the road for a long month on the recruiting trail. We’ll be following where the coaches are and who they’re watching everyday this summer, beginning on Monday.
* NBA Summer League begins July 10-19 in Las Vegas. Here are the ex-Wildcats who will be participating:
Houston Rockets: Hassan Adams, Chase Budinger
Los Angeles Lakers: Mustafa Shakur
Milwaukee Bucks: Salim Stoudamire, Mohamed Tangara
New York Knicks: Jordan Hill
Phoenix Suns: Chris Rodgers
Portland Trailblazers: Jerryd Bayless
Football:
* Arizona released its tentative Fall Camp schedule on Thursday, which is:
Tuesday, Aug. 4 Newcomers’ report date
Wednesday, Aug. 5 Veterans’ report date
Thursday, Aug. 6 First day of practice 6:15 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 Practice 6:15 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8 Practice 8 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9 Practice 8 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 10 Practice 6:15 a.m. (1st day of pads)
Tuesday, Aug. 11 Practice 6:15 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 Depart for camp at Fort Huachuca
Thursday, Aug, 13 Practices 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 14 Practice 8:15 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 15 Practice 8 a.m., Scrimmage 6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 16 Leadership day
Monday, Aug. 17 Return from Fort Huachuca; Practice 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 Practices 8 a.m., 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19 Practice 9 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 20 Practices 8 a.m., 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21 Practice 9 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22 Fan Appreciation Night, Arizona Stadium, 5-6 p.m.; Practice 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 24 First day of Classes, regular-season practice schedule
(Tentative) Mike Stoops’ weekly news conference, 11 a.m., McKale 109-C
Saturday, Aug. 29 Phoenix Kickoff Party, Arizona Biltmore, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31 Mike Stoops’ weekly news conference, 11 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5 Season opener vs. Central Michigan, 7 p.m., Arizona Stadium
All practices are open to fans.
* Out of UA’s six 2010 commitments, the Wildcats have landed one player from Arizona, one from California, one from Nevada, one from Illinois and two from Texas. It’s a particularly weak year in-state, which means that the Wildcats are going to have to recruit nationally to bring in a successful class, and the UA is off to a good start.
UA is also doing well with kids from other states, such as Oklahoma, North Dakota and Hawaii, which means that Arizona could bring in players from at least eight different states in one recruiting class, something that probably hasn’t been done too many times in program history. (JG)
Scheer’s weekly recruiting update:
* The big news of the week is the commitment of 6-foot-5, 325-pound Sugar Land (Texas) Kempner offensive lineman Carter Lees. We actually talked to Lees early last week and he mentioned that Arizona had a large lead. There was a possibility that he would take other visits, but Lee admitted that when he thought about doing so, he wondered if there was any point to it. It is definitely no surprise that he is headed to the UA and Lees is another piece in what should be a fantastic offensive line class.
* In commitment news of another variety, 6-foot-0, 184-pound Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton safety Devon Carrington made the decision to go to Stanford. While it may have seemed on the outside that Arizona had a decent chance, this never was really the case. Carrington never hid the fact that the combination of football and academics at Stanford impressed him and in the end it proved to be too much. While Arizona would have loved to have Carrington, there are numerous prospects on the board and the UA tends to do well with landing players for the secondary.
* In similar fashion, 6-foot-3, 290-pound Chicago brother Rice offensive lineman Andy Gallik chose to go to Illinois. He attended Arizona’s camp, but was not high enough on the UA priority list to gain an offer. It is possible he would have gotten one down the road, but still unlikely. Although Gallik liked Arizona, it made sense for him to get his recruitment over with and it is not a big loss, especially when you consider he never had an offer.
* 6-foot-2, 192-pound Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra wide receiver George Farmer may be in the class of 2011, but he is already one of the top rated receivers in the country. Arizona has offered and USC offered this past week, bringing his offer total to eight. He is the type of player that will be able to pick his school and he tells Rivals.com, "I have two years left, so I haven't really looked at where I'm going to go. I've still got a lot of things to learn and I need to focus on my high school career right now. We're really not sitting down and choosing a school right now. We're keeping our options open, and in a year we'll sit down and think about it." There is a long way to go in this recruitment and the chances of landing him are slim, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on.
* Another player in the class that you can expect Arizona to recruit hard is 6-foot-1, 190-pound Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei receiver Victor Blackwell. Blackwell participated in the USC Rising Stars Camp and Rivals.com wrote that, “After dominating at the Air Strike Passing Tournament two weeks ago, Blackwell brought his A game to the Trojan camp. The 2011 prospect continues to make strides with his route running, but where he's truly off the charts is his athleticism and physical ability. Few defenders will be able to keep up with his speed, hardly anybody can out jump him, and he's also strong enough to create separation on defensive backs.” Blackwell is similar to Farmer in that he will be a tough get, but obviously one of Arizona’s higher priorities.
* 5-foot-11, 160-pound Tucson Sabino athlete Keanu Nelson is getting close to narrowing his list. While there is no sure thing when it comes to his top five, it seems likely that the Wildcats will be there, especially after he told HuskersIllustrated.com, "I think Arizona is great. I think the coaching staff is good. Most of all, at the camp, I really liked some of the things I learned as receiver and should be able to apply those as a senior. Also, I really liked seeing how hard their players work in the off-season. The weight room was full every time I passed by." Expect Arizona to be one of the top schools for Nelson up until the end.
* 6-foot-3, 185-pound Tucson Canyon del Oro athlete Josh Robbins is not cutting his list down any time soon, but is more open about how much he likes Arizona. The Wildcats are the favorite and although he will likely not decide any time soon, UA will likely be the favorite for a while. Robbins is the type that is finding it hard to leave Tucson and although his family is not pressuring him, his friends and other relatives are letting him know how much fun it would be to see him play at Arizona. Expect Robbins to try to take as many visits as possible and it will be interesting to see if those schools he does visit will affect his opinion of the Wildcats.
* It seems that 6-foot-1, 225-pound Culver City (Calif.) linebacker Victor Burnett gets a new offer every day. However, Arizona is still in there very strong and is likely going to get an unofficial visit from him at some point this season. Burnett has not given any indication of a favorite, but the Wildcats were the first to offer him and it could pay off. Arizona would like to get an official out of Burnett, but there is a good chance he chooses to use those on schools that are harder to get to, such as Oklahoma and Tennessee. Still, Mike Tuiasosopo and company are going to try hard to get him on campus officially in addition to his visit this summer.
* 6-foot-3, 230-pound Long Beach (Calif.) Poly linebacker Richard Smith is another player to keep an eye on. He is getting recruited attention from much of the Pac-10 and Rivals.com writes, “The scouting report on Smith is he's hard working and has outstanding leadership qualities. He has good practice habits and that usually will translate into good performances in the games. He is very explosive off the edge and is very physical. He 's one of those players who loves to hit. He reads blocks well and gets to the football. Smith is definitely another one of those Poly players that is flying under the radar because he had to wait his turn. Don't be surprised if you see Smith's stock rise during the fall once colleges get to see him in person and on tape.” Arizona will likely be one of the colleges to take a hard look at him, so it will be interesting to see what that leads to.
This post was edited on 7/3 10:58 AM by Josh Gershon
Basketball:
* With the commitment of Derrick Williams, Arizona’s 2009 class is now, finally, over. What started in August of 2007 and ended in June of 2009, the ’09 class has to be one of the most dramatic and eventful recruiting classes of all time.
It’s almost unbelievable how much happened, but check out the 2009 class timeline:
8/23/07: Abdul Gaddy commits
5/29/08: Abdul Gaddy decommits
6/23/08: Greg Smith commits
7/1/08: Mike Moser commits
7/28/08: Solomon Hill commits
7/29/08: Greg Smith decommits
8/25/08: Reger Dowell commits
9/15/08: Abdul Gaddy recommits
9/29/08: Reger Dowell decommits
10/23/08: Mike Moser decommits
10/24/08: Solomon Hill decommits
10/26/08: Abdul Gaddy re-decommits
2/12/09: Tremayne Johnson commits
4/11/09: Kyryl Natyazhko commits
4/14/09: Solomon Hill recommits
4/26/09: Treymayne Johnson decommits
5/3/09: Kevin Parrom commits
6/24/09: Momo Jones commits
6/28/09: Derrick Williams commits
Total Numbers:
12 Commitments
7 Decommitments
I find it very hard to believe that one school has ever had 12 commitments and 7 decommitments before in the same class, not to mention the fact that almost all of the players who committed - with the exception of Johnson and Dowell - were considered high level recruits.
Also of note in 2009 is that UA would have landed Anthony Stover but his parents wouldn’t let him choose Arizona due to Lute Olson’s age, the Wildcats almost had Jarrid Famous but he was pressured into staying close to his family in South Florida and UA could have landed Lance Stephenson but turned him down.
Some more fun facts for 2009:
* When Kevin O’Neill was UA’s interim head coach, the staff had a connection to Momo Jones, who was then committed to Louisville. Arizona told the contact that UA really wanted him and when he ended up decommitting on Feb. 20, 2008, the Wildcats were right there.
However, KO wasn’t on the Wildcats’ staff for much longer and as it became obvious that he was on the way out, Arizona and Jones fell out of touch. 16 months later, after Jones was released from USC, KO was hired by the Trojans and gave Momo a call to see if he could keep him. He didn’t answer and is going to Arizona instead.
* A source close to the UA program told me to watch St. Raymond’s vs. Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft live on ESPNU on Jan. 21, 2008, because the Wildcats were getting serious about shooting guard Omari Lawrence from St. Ray’s.
Lawrence was definitely impressive in the game, but not as much as Kevin Parrom, who scored 27 points and 16 boards. I asked the source why UA wasn’t recruiting Parrom on top of Lawrence and they said he was going to Pittsburgh so it wasn’t worth recruiting him and then I forgot the kid existed… until a year and a half later when he got out of his LOI from Xavier and chose Arizona over Pittsburgh.
* Arizona’s first offers in 2009? David and Travis Wear, who picked up scholarship offers from UA in 2005. At the time when UA offered the Wear twins, Marcus Williams had yet to score a point in college, Chase Budinger, Nic Wise and Jordan Hill were still in high school and hadn’t yet signed with UA, and Kyryl Natyazhko was 14 years old and a little less than three years away from arriving in America from Ukraine for the first time. Since the time the Wear twins were offered to now, Arizona has gone through four different head coaches and 11 different assistants.
* Arizona seriously recruited, at different times, 7 of the top 10 players in 2009. Top-ranked John Wall was recruited as a sophomore but didn’t show much interest in return. At one point UA led for Avery Bradley and in a different coaching situation, the Wildcats probably land both him and Gaddy. Arizona was one of the first schools to offer 5th ranked John Henson. 6th rated Jordan Hamilton had the Wildcats as one of his favorites for a while, as did 7th ranked Michael Snaer. 9th rated Keith Gallon wanted to commit to Arizona but Lute Olson didn’t want him.
* With the book closed on 2009, Arizona can now concentrate on 2010. I’d expect UA to offer between 2-4 rides, depending on who the Wildcats can land after the second one is given out. I’d be very surprised if only two rides were given out, and I think that the number will end up at most likely three but possibly four.
A point guard and a big man (either a 4 or 5) are musts, and then the Wildcats could probably go for best available talent after that.
* Arizona’s five newcomers have chosen their jersey numbers, and one returnee has changed his number:
#1 - Kyryl Natyazhko
#3 - Kevin Parrom
#12 - Momo Jones
#23 - Derrick Williams
#24 - Brendon Lavender (changed from #14)
#44 - Solomon Hill
Some background on the numbers:
#1 - Lute Olson didn’t like giving out the #1 jersey because he felt it was a selfish number. However, he made an exception for Jeff Withey upon request and when Withey transferred, Fendi Onobun scooped up the number.
#3 - Pound for pound one of the strongest jersey numbers in UA history - maybe the strongest. The last four Wildcats to wear #3? Marcus Williams, Will Bynum, Loren Woods and Khalid Reeves. Try to come up with another jersey number that four or more Wildcats who logged minutes in the NBA wore.
#12 - Jones has the opportunity to make a name for the #12 jersey, which hasn’t had a lot of success in the past 15+ years. The last three players to wear the #12 jersey were Daniel Dillon, Fil Torres and Josh Pastner.
#23 - After Michael Dickerson ended his UA career in 1998, this jersey number has almost completely gone to waste, as Dickerson was followed by Lamont Frazier and Jesus Verdejo.
#24 - Fendi Onobun wore #24 his first three seasons, following Andre Iguodala’s successful two-year stint with the jersey.
#44 - Richard Jefferson wore #44, which was followed by flunk out Chris Dunn and walk on Bret Brielmaier.
* Three recruits were in the state of Arizona this week, as James Johnson, Adreian Payne and Alex Kirk all participated in Amare Stoudemire Camp.
They measured height (with shoes), weight (without shoes) and wingspans at the camp, and here were the results:
James Johnson: 6-9 1/2, 212 pounds, 7-0 wingspan
Adreian Payne: 6-9, 215 pounds, 7-0 wingspan
Alex Kirk: 6-9 1/2, 226 pounds, 7-3 wingspan
* Speaking of Johnson, he was hoping to visit UA this week but didn’t get the opportunity to do so. He’s recently picked up offers from UCLA and Arizona State.
* Naadir Tharpe hoped to visit Arizona this past week but didn’t get the chance to. I spoke with him on Thursday and he said that UA is still the team to beat.
* While Johnson and Tharpe had hoped to visit Arizona at the end of the month, they’ll have to wait until August to get their chance because recruits aren’t allowed to take visits during the month of July. 2010 prospects can start taking official visits after their first day of class as a senior.
* One player that did get a visit in before the July deadline was 2010 wing Anthony Brown. It sounds like UA, ASU and Stanford (if he can get in) are the teams to beat. Click herehttp://arizona.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=960320 to read Brown’s thoughts on the UA visit.
* Jayvaughn Pinkston will likely take a trip out to UA in August, and the Wildcats are in the mix for the combo forward, although hometown St. John’s is currently the favorite.
* From what I hear, Rivals.com will release its new 2010 rankings today. Based on the way they played in the spring, I’d expect Terrence Jones, Keala King, James Johnson, Richard Solomon and Alex Kirk to move up.
* The summer Evaluation Period begins July 6, so starting Monday the UA coaches will be on the road for a long month on the recruiting trail. We’ll be following where the coaches are and who they’re watching everyday this summer, beginning on Monday.
* NBA Summer League begins July 10-19 in Las Vegas. Here are the ex-Wildcats who will be participating:
Houston Rockets: Hassan Adams, Chase Budinger
Los Angeles Lakers: Mustafa Shakur
Milwaukee Bucks: Salim Stoudamire, Mohamed Tangara
New York Knicks: Jordan Hill
Phoenix Suns: Chris Rodgers
Portland Trailblazers: Jerryd Bayless
Football:
* Arizona released its tentative Fall Camp schedule on Thursday, which is:
Tuesday, Aug. 4 Newcomers’ report date
Wednesday, Aug. 5 Veterans’ report date
Thursday, Aug. 6 First day of practice 6:15 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 Practice 6:15 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8 Practice 8 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9 Practice 8 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 10 Practice 6:15 a.m. (1st day of pads)
Tuesday, Aug. 11 Practice 6:15 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 Depart for camp at Fort Huachuca
Thursday, Aug, 13 Practices 7:30 a.m., 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 14 Practice 8:15 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 15 Practice 8 a.m., Scrimmage 6 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 16 Leadership day
Monday, Aug. 17 Return from Fort Huachuca; Practice 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 Practices 8 a.m., 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19 Practice 9 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 20 Practices 8 a.m., 6 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 21 Practice 9 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 22 Fan Appreciation Night, Arizona Stadium, 5-6 p.m.; Practice 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 24 First day of Classes, regular-season practice schedule
(Tentative) Mike Stoops’ weekly news conference, 11 a.m., McKale 109-C
Saturday, Aug. 29 Phoenix Kickoff Party, Arizona Biltmore, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 31 Mike Stoops’ weekly news conference, 11 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 5 Season opener vs. Central Michigan, 7 p.m., Arizona Stadium
All practices are open to fans.
* Out of UA’s six 2010 commitments, the Wildcats have landed one player from Arizona, one from California, one from Nevada, one from Illinois and two from Texas. It’s a particularly weak year in-state, which means that the Wildcats are going to have to recruit nationally to bring in a successful class, and the UA is off to a good start.
UA is also doing well with kids from other states, such as Oklahoma, North Dakota and Hawaii, which means that Arizona could bring in players from at least eight different states in one recruiting class, something that probably hasn’t been done too many times in program history. (JG)
Scheer’s weekly recruiting update:
* The big news of the week is the commitment of 6-foot-5, 325-pound Sugar Land (Texas) Kempner offensive lineman Carter Lees. We actually talked to Lees early last week and he mentioned that Arizona had a large lead. There was a possibility that he would take other visits, but Lee admitted that when he thought about doing so, he wondered if there was any point to it. It is definitely no surprise that he is headed to the UA and Lees is another piece in what should be a fantastic offensive line class.
* In commitment news of another variety, 6-foot-0, 184-pound Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton safety Devon Carrington made the decision to go to Stanford. While it may have seemed on the outside that Arizona had a decent chance, this never was really the case. Carrington never hid the fact that the combination of football and academics at Stanford impressed him and in the end it proved to be too much. While Arizona would have loved to have Carrington, there are numerous prospects on the board and the UA tends to do well with landing players for the secondary.
* In similar fashion, 6-foot-3, 290-pound Chicago brother Rice offensive lineman Andy Gallik chose to go to Illinois. He attended Arizona’s camp, but was not high enough on the UA priority list to gain an offer. It is possible he would have gotten one down the road, but still unlikely. Although Gallik liked Arizona, it made sense for him to get his recruitment over with and it is not a big loss, especially when you consider he never had an offer.
* 6-foot-2, 192-pound Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra wide receiver George Farmer may be in the class of 2011, but he is already one of the top rated receivers in the country. Arizona has offered and USC offered this past week, bringing his offer total to eight. He is the type of player that will be able to pick his school and he tells Rivals.com, "I have two years left, so I haven't really looked at where I'm going to go. I've still got a lot of things to learn and I need to focus on my high school career right now. We're really not sitting down and choosing a school right now. We're keeping our options open, and in a year we'll sit down and think about it." There is a long way to go in this recruitment and the chances of landing him are slim, but he is definitely one to keep an eye on.
* Another player in the class that you can expect Arizona to recruit hard is 6-foot-1, 190-pound Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei receiver Victor Blackwell. Blackwell participated in the USC Rising Stars Camp and Rivals.com wrote that, “After dominating at the Air Strike Passing Tournament two weeks ago, Blackwell brought his A game to the Trojan camp. The 2011 prospect continues to make strides with his route running, but where he's truly off the charts is his athleticism and physical ability. Few defenders will be able to keep up with his speed, hardly anybody can out jump him, and he's also strong enough to create separation on defensive backs.” Blackwell is similar to Farmer in that he will be a tough get, but obviously one of Arizona’s higher priorities.
* 5-foot-11, 160-pound Tucson Sabino athlete Keanu Nelson is getting close to narrowing his list. While there is no sure thing when it comes to his top five, it seems likely that the Wildcats will be there, especially after he told HuskersIllustrated.com, "I think Arizona is great. I think the coaching staff is good. Most of all, at the camp, I really liked some of the things I learned as receiver and should be able to apply those as a senior. Also, I really liked seeing how hard their players work in the off-season. The weight room was full every time I passed by." Expect Arizona to be one of the top schools for Nelson up until the end.
* 6-foot-3, 185-pound Tucson Canyon del Oro athlete Josh Robbins is not cutting his list down any time soon, but is more open about how much he likes Arizona. The Wildcats are the favorite and although he will likely not decide any time soon, UA will likely be the favorite for a while. Robbins is the type that is finding it hard to leave Tucson and although his family is not pressuring him, his friends and other relatives are letting him know how much fun it would be to see him play at Arizona. Expect Robbins to try to take as many visits as possible and it will be interesting to see if those schools he does visit will affect his opinion of the Wildcats.
* It seems that 6-foot-1, 225-pound Culver City (Calif.) linebacker Victor Burnett gets a new offer every day. However, Arizona is still in there very strong and is likely going to get an unofficial visit from him at some point this season. Burnett has not given any indication of a favorite, but the Wildcats were the first to offer him and it could pay off. Arizona would like to get an official out of Burnett, but there is a good chance he chooses to use those on schools that are harder to get to, such as Oklahoma and Tennessee. Still, Mike Tuiasosopo and company are going to try hard to get him on campus officially in addition to his visit this summer.
* 6-foot-3, 230-pound Long Beach (Calif.) Poly linebacker Richard Smith is another player to keep an eye on. He is getting recruited attention from much of the Pac-10 and Rivals.com writes, “The scouting report on Smith is he's hard working and has outstanding leadership qualities. He has good practice habits and that usually will translate into good performances in the games. He is very explosive off the edge and is very physical. He 's one of those players who loves to hit. He reads blocks well and gets to the football. Smith is definitely another one of those Poly players that is flying under the radar because he had to wait his turn. Don't be surprised if you see Smith's stock rise during the fall once colleges get to see him in person and on tape.” Arizona will likely be one of the colleges to take a hard look at him, so it will be interesting to see what that leads to.
This post was edited on 7/3 10:58 AM by Josh Gershon
