Big sleeper picks Memphis
At 6-foot-10, 290-pounds, it is hard to be hidden. But somehow Will Bogan was. Tucked away in tiny Bell City, Mo., the mammoth junior stayed under the radar long enough for the University of Memphis to find him and take a commitment from him.
Bogan was at Memphis's game on Tuesday and decided it was time to make it happen with the Tigers, says Bell City head coach Brian Brandtner.
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"He gave a verbal to them and liked what they had to offer," Brandtner said. "They have a lot of things that he liked. For one they have a great internship program with FedEx and if basketball doesn't work out for him, he'll have four years of college from a great school."
Bogan is one of the 300 students at Bell City (grades seven through 12) and is probably the biggest person is the county. He's certainly the biggest in the town of 450. But when it comes to the national recruiting scene, Bogan was a big fish in a small pond.
"He's never played organized basketball before," Brandtner said.
Now consider his numbers: 24 points and 15.5 rebounds per game for Bell City (18-3).
"His upside is unbelievable," Brandtner said. "He's still got some rawness to him…but when you see him grab a rebound, he just goes. I've told him to just get the able up the court. He can get across midcourt in three steps. Then you have a three on one and this big 'ole boy is coming right at you."
Bogan is the first player to commit to Memphis in the class of 2007. He also garnered interest from Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri and a number of mid-majors. The Tigers were the most aggressive high-major school to recruit Bogan, Brandtner said.
"When Coach Cal drives all the way to Bell City, Missouri, you know he is interested," Brandtner said.