Lucas has become national recruit

It has been an incredibly busy time for Landen Lucas, a 2012 standout from Portland (Ore.) Sunset, and the 6-foot-9 center does not expect it to slow down anytime soon.

Coaches from almost every Pac-10 team and Gonzaga have stopped by his school recently as schools try to look favorable to one of the Pacific Northwest's top rising juniors.

Lucas said the only head coaches from the Pac-10 who haven't been to his school yet are UCLA's Ben Howland and Arizona State's Herb Sendek but he knows assistant coaches from those programs have stopped by at different times.

"It's been pretty crazy with the cut-off coming they've just been pouring in," said Lucas, who plays AAU with the Northwest Panthers. "I don't think I was even able to get to all of them because I was in class. It's been picking up. It's really nice."

Lucas' school list is so extensive that it might just be easier to write which schools haven't contacted him yet. It's safe to say the entire Pac-10 is recruiting him along with Gonzaga, which sent coach Mark Few and new assistant Donny Daniels to Sunset in recent days.

East Coast and Midwest programs are also getting involved with Lucas, who said Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Georgetown, Texas, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt are in the mix. He visited with the Hoyas and loved it.

"I feel really blessed to have all these opportunities right now," Lucas said. "We're just looking at it more like I'm able to make a better decision because I'm getting to know these schools instead of maybe junior year having to pick up and getting to know each coach. I'm really able to build a relationship so when it comes time I can make the right decision.

"That's the nice thing about it. As soon as schools can start calling hopefully we'll get involved with more East Coast teams and I'll be able to get to know those coaches as well."

It's still so early and Lucas, whose father Richard played at Oregon, said he's still open to all programs. There is a chance he can attend Kansas' camp this summer but nothing has been finalized. A busy AAU schedule will tighten his schedule even more.

The plan so far has been to take unofficial visits to local schools (Oregon, Oregon State and Washington were mentioned), try to squeeze in some campus visits when he's out of town at AAU tournaments and then find some time to make some trips when there is free time. Lucas said there's a good possibility he'll take official visits, too, mainly to schools not close to home.

With many national programs already recruiting him, Lucas is trying to slow things down as much as possible and figure out what's best. He has the options and the time since he's still in his sophomore year and now it's about making the right decision.

"I'm really open to anything right now," Lucas said. "I was on the East Coast and got to check out Georgetown and loved it. I like that East Coast feeling as well. The Pac-10, my dad played at Oregon, so the Pac-10 is what I'm familiar with and all the games are on TV out here but right now I'm open to anyone and I'm interested to see which East Coast teams jump in.

"Hopefully by next year I'm planning on doing some unofficial visits farther away checking out some other schools and then I'll take most of my official visits farther away. We're just trying to take advantage of the schools that are nearby and if I'm out of town at a tournament I'll always stop by a campus and get the feel for what it's like out there."