Dont assume anything with Wallaces recruitment

A lot of people have already pinned down where Eric Wallace, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward from Glenn High School in Kernersville, N.C., will go to school. They shouldn't, says his AAU coach Brian Clifton. The five-star prospect from the class of 2007 has a number of high-major programs in hot pursuit for a commitment from the Tar Heel state product and the race isn't as one sided as it may seem.

Clifton, the head coach for the North Carolina-based D-One Sports AAU program, says the whispers about Wallace being a lean to North Carolina don't hold a lot of water.

"People assume he's a done deal for UNC. He likes them and he understands that they are one of the best programs in the country but he's not a done deal for them," Clifton said. "There are a lot of schools recruiting him right now. He's definitely not close to committing anywhere."

Wallace, a genuinely humble and quiet kid, is taking the recruiting process in stride. Even with offers from the Tar Heels, Clemson, Wake Forest and most recently Florida, Wallace echoes his AAU coach's statements.

"There really isn't a list right now," Wallace said. "We've been talking about making some visits and trimming the list down but nothing is set in stone. I still have a lot of time."

Wallace and Clifton both insist there isn't even a list of schools in the process. Clifton maintains it's conferences, not schools, that are looking.

"Stuff changes everyday with Eric," Clifton said. "There are schools from the ACC, Big East, SEC, Pac-10 and Big 12. Everyone is recruiting him. We want him to make a solid decision and think things through."

Wallace, the No. 18 ranked player in the class of 2007, recently camped at the University of Florida. Billy Donovan saw enough of the youngster to offer a full ride scholarship.

"It was fun. I'm glad I went. We went hard for two and a half days. I feel like I really got something out of it," Wallace said. "We had a chance to play against some of the players already committed to Florida and I got to know them all really good. We played against the (current) Florida guys, too. We didn't get blown out so that is a good sign.

"I've always thought Florida is a very good school. I wanted to get out there and see some campuses but I also wanted to work on getting better. This trip killed two birds with one stone."

With no immediate plans to visit any other schools this summer, Wallace has his sights set on the ABCD camp and a return trip to Las Vegas for the Big Time tournament.

"Every time I step onto the court, I'm trying to get better," Wallace said. "Every tournament I went to, I feel like I got better. That's all I want to do right now is get better."