Fastbreak Friday: Game of the week

Saturdays are fun again.

After a long, hot and quiet August, millions of sports fans are ready college football.

And then there are the basketball prospects. Weekends in the fall mean official visits for those recruits. With our research and the help of our network of experts across the country, Rivals.com breaks down the basketball recruiting scene in this week's edition of Fastbreak Friday.

Game of the week

The Rivals.com football game of the week is in Berkeley, Calif. The Tennessee Volunteers are coming to the Bay Area to take on the California Bears. Think the Cal basketball staff is capitalizing on the national spotlight? You betcha.

Why not start with the committed players? Cal-bound guard D.J. Seeley headlines the group. He'll be busy, too. Outside of taking in the action on the gridiron, he'll probably be making pitches to the handful of players on campus.

All eyes could be on local product Matt Simpkins, who is expected to be on campus. The four-star forward has been to Cal a number of times and has the Bears high on his list, along with Washington.

A trio of important class of 2009 prospects will also be on hand. Local products Jared Cunningham and Jerry Brown will make the short trip to Cal from their Bay Area homes. Sacramento big man Brendan Lane will make the short trip to Berkeley for the activities.

All three players are key targets for Ben Braun and his staff. It will be interesting to see how much this weekend pays off in the end.

ACC

Boston College continues to recruit under-the-radar players – the kind of prospects that have served the Eagles so well in the past. This year, the ACC club is looking to Colorado for prospects. Two Rocky Mountain area players are visiting Chestnut Hill for the weekend. Reggie Jackson, a Rivals150 combo guard, will jump on a plane with fellow Coloradoan Dallas Elmore.

Class of 2010 point guard Kendall Marshall will be a busy man this fall. The top-10 sophomore will be in Chapel Hill to visit North Carolina's campus and the surrounding area. Marshall is interested in several ACC schools.

Virginia finally gets a crack at New Yorker Sylven Landesberg. The top-60 prospect has long been a major target for the Cavaliers. Landesberg made a short stop in Charlottesville for the National Basketball Players' Association Top 100 camp in June.

Dequan Jones, one of the most athletic and explosive players in the nation, will make the trip from his Georgia home to see the Miami Hurricanes for an official visit.

Big East

When Notre Dame takes to the football field for the first time this season, California wing Klay Thompson will be there.

West Virginia is looking deep into the future and hopes to take advantage of its Ohio ties. Bob Huggins and his staff will play host to class of 2010 Ohio natives Allen Payne and Kenny Knight.

Canadian class of 2009 point guard Junior Cadougan is stopping by Louisville on his way to Houston, his home during the high school year.

Big Ten

For those in Columbus that want to get a glimpse at what Thad Matta will be working with at Ohio State, just take a look around campus. All four class of 2008 commitments - William Buford, B.J. Mullens, Anthony Crater and Walter Offutt – will be on hand for the football season opener.

Wisconsin will play host to a pair of class of 2009 prospects in Illinois natives Diamond Taylor and Kyle Rowley. Taylor, a slender combo guard, is picking up Big Ten interest quickly. Rowley, a 7-footer, might be one of the most intriguing big men nationally in the class.

Michigan State is also targeting some in-state prospects in the class of 2009. Rivals top 100 forward Donovan Kirk and Dion Sims are heading to East Lansing for the weekend.

Michigan is hosting Jordan Morgan, an in-state forward. Penn State is bringing in Florida big man Evan Ravenel for an official visit.

Big 12

Things appear to be quiet in America's heartland on the basketball visit front.

John Henson doesn't have to make a long drive from his Round Rock, Texas, home to visit the University of Texas. The five-star class of 2009 prospect will be visiting the Longhorns this weekend.

Iowa State is playing host to Nebraska guard Wes Eikmeier, a 6-foot-3 prospect who is flying a bit under the radar.

Pac-10

Outside of Cal's busy weekend of work, the visits in the Pac-10 are few and far between. Arizona State is hoping to score big with small-town star Austin Dufault of North Dakota. Oregon is playing host to commitment Drew Wiley.

SEC

As is always the case at Auburn on Saturdays, things will be hopping at the SEC school this weekend. Jeff Lebo and his staff are playing host to Georgians Tanner Smith and Toby Veal for official visits.

Florida is playing host to its biggest target in the class of 2008 this weekend. South Florida product Eloy Vargas is making an unofficial visit to The Swamp.

It is a big weekend at the University of Georgia. Class of 2008 commitments Dustin Ware and Howard Thompkins are on campus for their respective official visits. Dennis Felton and his staff are hoping the surroundings help lure in Drazen Zlovaric, who has transferred from Tennessee to Florida's Sagemont School.

Fayetteville native Fred Gulley doesn't have to go very far to see the University of Arkansas. The class of 2009 point guard is making an unofficial visit this weekend to see the Razorbacks.

Mid-majors and beyond

UTEP head coach Tony Barbee loves his Memphis roots. It appears he has found success there already in his stint as the Miners head man. Why stop now? Memphis native Jason Jones is headed to El Paso this weekend for a visit.

St. Mary's (Calif.) is wasting little time trying to lock up some of the better mid-major prospects in the West. Utah center Justin Hamilton is making it down to the West Coast Conference school. So is California guard Damian Lillard.

Towson is hosting local prospect Wyatt Smith of the John Carroll School. A short ways away, Delaware plays host to Florida big man Garvin Hunt.

Missouri State plays host to class of 2008 sleeper James Watson out of Oklahoma.

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