Calm Before the Storm For Bynum

Andrew Bynum, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound center from St. Joseph’s High School (N.J.), has become the main target for a number of major programs in the country. The No. 28 rated player in the class of 2005 by Rivals.com will kick off his national tour of visits this weekend and an elite high-major program has jumped into the picture late in the game. One SEC school has secured a date for an official visit with the big man as well.

The 6-foot-11, 270-pound Bynum will unofficially visit UConn this coming weekend, starting his busy schedule of seeing the several schools involved in his recruitment. Coach Jim Calhoun has been busy recruiting the center this past week, making Bynum the prime target for the Huskies since Jeff Adrien committed last week.

Georgia has become the second school to lock up an official visit with Bynum. The Bulldogs will host the New Jersey native on October 1. Louis Williams and Mike Mercer will both be in Athens the same weekend. The trio played together at the Nike Skills Camp in June and formed a strong relationship at the venue. LSU will also be in town that weekend to play the Bulldogs in one of the best football games of the season.

North Carolina will make an in-home visit on September 28 and will host Bynum for their version of Midnight Madness on October 15. Georgia Tech will make an in-home visit

Another ACC program has jumped into the picture, too. Coach K called the Bynum household this weekend and set up an in-home visit for September 20, according to Bynum’s brother Corey Thomas. The Blue Devils’ head man saw the center in action this summer and relied his thoughts to the family in the phone conversation.

“He spoke highly of my brother,” Thomas said. “He talked to my mom about him for 20 minutes and said he liked what kind of player Andrew is. Education was something else he talked about with my mom. And, of course, just setting up the in-home visit and things like that.”

Rutgers and Georgetown are also involved in the process but plans to visit the two schools have not been finalized. All of the programs, expect Duke, have tendered a scholarship offer.