Fastbreak Friday

For the first time in nearly a month, college campuses will be somewhat quiet this weekend with visitors.

Why?

One, it is a SAT weekend and several players will be taking the standardized test. Two, next weekend is huge with schools hosting prospects for their own version of Midnight Madness. Three, the names are dropping at a daily pace off the 2006 recruiting board.

All that being said, basketball's version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles is still in session. A handful of prospects are making key visits this weekend.

The top players are shrinking but still visiting

The uncommitted Rivals.com five-star prospects are becoming a dying breed each week out. So when a guy like Duke Crews makes a visit, you tend to notice a little more than usual. The pogo stick forward is headed to Georgetown and the Hoya nation knows it.

John Thompson, III is turning the Big East program back into a contender on the recruiting trail. He landed Vernon Macklin back in August. That's when the Georgetown faithful turned their sights to Crews. Guess who he has on his speed dial? Crews and Macklin are close friends. Will the be close roommates? Everyone on Georgetown's M Street hopes so.

Indiana is scheduled to host Texas big man Darrell Arthur. The five-star forward is peppering his visits over the fall. His decision could come down to the final hour this fall.

The dominos are falling around California forward Alex Stepheson. The rebounding machine is looking at UConn, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, UCLA and Washington.

He has actually already made his last visit, to UCLA in midweek.

Three of his finalists all took big men. UConn landed 7-footer Jon Mandeldove. Carolina just took a commitment from fellow West Coast stud Deon Thompson. And most recently, Spencer Hawes pledged to Washington.

Stepheson is close to popping. Who will it be?

Other visitors of note

New York power forward Jon Mitchell is in the homestretch of his recruitment. The 6-foot-7 power forward is visiting Florida. He's already been to Virginia and Marquette. He could decide on his future home in the near future.

After Mother Nature cancelled his visit to Miami, Jeremy Mayfield is finally headed down to Coral Gables. The fast-rising post grad senior is checking out the 'Canes for the first time. Watch his recruitment sky-rocket if he doesn't sign early.

Pitt missed out on Jamel McLean, who picked Tulsa over the Panthers last weekend, Jamie Dixon and his staff have their target now on New Yorker Austin Wallace. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward is down to the Big East school and Matt Doherty's Florida Atlantic program.

Adrion Graves is unofficially visiting Tennessee this weekend and Pittsburgh next weekend. Big man Chas McFarland is officially visiting USC.

Texans Derrick Roland and Brandon Webster are heading west for the weekend. Roland is looking at UNLV and Webster is at Wyoming.

Martavis Kee, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Florida, is making an unofficial trip to Wake Forest for the weekend. Martez Walker, a 2008 Louisville verbal commitment, is in Kentucky to see the Cards.

Visit Madness

Be sure to check out next week's version of Fastbreak Friday as we look at the Midnight Madness visitors from across the country.