Carsons college plan is coming together

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Jahii Carson de-committed from Oregon State earlier this month in part because he wanted to see which other schools would get involved and in only a few weeks things have taken off for the Mesa, Ariz., point guard.

It's going just as Carson planned.

California, UNLV, Arizona, Oklahoma and Butler are some of the new programs involved with Carson, who finished with 16 points and at least eight assists in Compton Magic's win against Organized Chaos Saturday at the Pangos Sweet 16.

Corona (Calif.) Centennial guard Mike Caffey had 18 points and Gabe York, a 2012 standout from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, added 12 points. Memphis, Marquette, Arizona State and Washington have reached out to Carson as well.

"After de-committing, I was hoping Pac-10 and Big East schools would start to come, up-tempo schools, and what I thought was going to happen is happening," said Carson, who plans to visit Arizona in early May.

"I started getting contact from schools that I wanted and the schools I was looking at but I still like Oregon State so I'm still trying to keep all the schools in the loop. I just want to keep my options open going into the spring and summer. I want to keep all my options open. I don't want to give any school an edge over any other school."

Despite backing away from his Oregon State pledge, Carson said the Beavers are still being considered especially since he has such a strong relationship with assistant coach David Grace.

"They're still really in it," Carson said. "They come see me whenever they can. Coach Grace still calls (Compton Magic coach) Etop (Udo-Ema) and I talk to him pretty much every day. I love him. He's kind of like an uncle. He wants me for more than just basketball. He wants to help me become a young man."

Other News & Notes: Compton Magic center Greg Sequele is blowing up this spring with interest from Illinois, Iowa, Utah, Washington State, SMU and Pepperdine.

The athletic 6-foot-9 big man from Los Angeles Ribet Academy runs the floor well, is fantastic in transition and finishes everything around the basket. The spring AAU season has gone well for him in back-to-back weekends at the Fullcourt Press Easter Classic and the Real Deal in the Rock and his recruitment is heating up in a big way.

** York said Georgetown, Stanford and Syracuse are some early favorites and that Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, USC and now Arkansas are involved after his performance last weekend at the Real Deal.

** Arizona Magic was led by Larry Lewis, a 2012 recruit from Phoenix (Ariz.) Arcadia who is committed to Southern Cal, and 6-foot-5 forward Danny Powell out of Phoenix Mesa.

Lewis is a smooth and crafty point guard who gets to the basket with ease and Powell is a strong, assertive prospect who said he's hearing from mainly all of the Pac-10 along with St. Joseph's, Wake Forest and Indiana.

** La Canada (Calif.) Flintridge Prep center Kenyatta Smith, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound prospect, said Penn, Harvard, Princeton, Cal, UCLA and Stanford are recruiting him the most and that Pepperdine has offered.

** Power forward Grant Verhoeven, a 2012 prospect from Visalia (Calif.) Central Valley Christian, said Stanford, Southern Cal and many others have already shown interest.

Verhoeven is a powerful and fundamentally-sound recruit who will be heavily recruited in years to come. He averaged about 20 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks last season and his dad, Pete, played at Fresno State and in the NBA.

** Oregon, UTEP, UCLA, Arizona and Florida were the schools mentioned by Sacramento (Calif.) Sheldon small forward Ramon Eaton, who scored on an alley-oop at the buzzer to lead Team Odom to its victory.

** Sacramento Sheldon teammate Darius Nelson surprisingly said UTEP is a favorite because of new coach Tim Floyd but that USC, Loyola Marymount, North Carolina, NC State, Washington, Washington State, Memphis and Kentucky are also involved.

** Team Odom forward Emmanuel Ochenje, from Carbondale (Ill.) Brehm Prep, said Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Illinois, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Missouri State are sending mail.

** Palisades, Calif., shooting guard Donovan Johnson, a 2012 prospect, said Pepperdine, San Diego and UC-Riverside are involved early.

** Seventh-grader Tyler Dorsey, playing with Belmont Shore, is a name to remember. He's expected to attend Los Angeles Ribet Academy for high school.

** Los Angeles Price guard Askia Booker (16 points), forward Skylar Spencer (14 points) and Stoneridge Prep's Maverick Ahanmisi, who scored 18, were the top players for Branch West Elite.

Other top players included San Diego Magic 2010 guard Devin Iglehart, who said he's hearing from Fresno State, Hampton and Penn; San Diego Warriors shooting guard/small forward Novian Cherry, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound prospect; 2010 recruit Chris Buchanan and Bryce Cotton from Arizona Magic.

Team Ariza's Keywhon Powns, an athletic 2012 small forward from Los Angeles Westchester; Inland's Andrew Robateau, a streak 3-point shooter from Riverside Martin Luther King; 2010 recruit Willie Legon from Corona Centennial who said he's considering junior college; Oakland Rebels' Dominique Taplin; and 2010 prospects Kirby Gardner, Alex Varner and Brian Bock played well for Team Holla.