Bynum Making Plans

With a lack of true centers in the class of 2005, every college is searching for a man to plug the paint and make a presence from block to block. That is why Andrew Bynum, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound prospect from New Jersey has quickly become one of the hottest recruits in the nation. Elite programs are scheduling visits and more are still trying to get into the picture.

Bynum, who recently turned 17-years-old, is still trying to get a handle on the attention he’s received. In the last week, he and his brother Corey Thomas have been busy setting up official and unofficial visits as well as preparing for in-home visits.

Thomas said Bynum North Carolina has set up an official visit date for the Tar Heels’ Midnight Madness festivities (Oct. 15) and has an in-home visit set up with Roy Williams (Sept. 23). Georgia, Georgia Tech, Rutgers and Connecticut are also involved. The two Peach State schools are making strong pushes for official visits and UConn will host Bynum for an unofficial trip on August 28.

“Things are getting pretty exciting but overwhelming, too,” Bynum said. “I’m just getting used to all of this. Getting scholarship offers for free college and the idea of winning a national championship is exciting.”

While Bynum says there is still not a leader at this point, he has done his homework on each of the programs he’s considering. With North Carolina, tradition seems to be the constant for every recruit. Bynum is no different.

“Michael Jordan went there,” Bynum said matter-of-factly. “They have a lot of history and they put players into the NBA, like 30-something guys. It’s a great place. Plus, Roy Williams is a great coach.”

The defending national champions, UConn, will be the first stop on a busy visit trail.

“With UConn, they have a lot going for them. Coach (Jim) Calhoun is a great coach who wins,” Bynum said. “There are guaranteed minutes there as a freshman and I’d have a chance to play with guys like Josh Boone, Rudy Gay and A.J. Price. They have a great team.”

Both Georgia and Georgia Tech are both trying to set up in-home visits, Thomas says, and both programs have made an impression on Bynum.

“Coach (Paul) Hewitt is a cool guy and he has proven that they know how to develop big men,” Bynum said. “They came in second in the country last year. I’d say that’s a good thing.”

“Louis (Williams) and Mike (Mercer) and I are good friends. They’ve been working me,” Bynum said of the future SEC players. “Coach (Dennis) Felton and I have had good conversations and he’s said I’d love the campus.”

Bynum played with the two Georgia stars at Nike’s skills development camp earlier in the summer. Two of his home state teammates are trying to lure the big man to Rutgers.

“They are definitely in the picture,” Bynum said of the Scarlet Knights. “My boys (Anthony Farmer and Jaron Griffin) are both there and we know how to play and win together. We won the AAU Nationals. Plus, coach (Gary) Waters is a good coach and a good guy.”

Duke assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski has expressed interest this week, Thomas says but the two parties have yet to talk about the interest on both sides. Bynum said he’d be interested in the ACC power.

“There would be an interest there,” Bynum said. “Coach K is a great coach and Duke is a great school. I’d listen to what they’d have to say.”

Thomas noted that the recruiting process is something new. Unlike the majority of the class of 2005, Bynum was not a heavily recruited player as an underclassmen. He came into his own over the summer. The offers have come by the dozens in just a month and a half. Sorting out the truth from fiction and learning more about each school is just the beginning of what could be a long, and very interesting, race for a signature.

Bynum is the No. 28 rated player in the class of 2005 by Rivals.com.