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Meyers News Notes

In this week’s installment of Meyer’s News and Notes, we will touch on the recruitment and the tournament play of these prospects.
2004 PROSPECT WATCH:
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Malik Hairston- This week the No. 12 player in the Rivals150 indicated that it is still up in the air between UCLA, Ohio State, Kansas, and Michigan. Also, there is still an outside chance that the 6-foot-5, 190-pound small forward might visit Oklahoma or North Carolina. There has been a lot of speculation recently that UCLA is in the driver’s seat.
Juan Diego “Tello” Palacios- The No. 23 player in the Rivals150 took an official visit to Florida State two weekends ago and was scheduled to visit Baylor this past weekend. Other possible destinations for the 6-foot-8, 255-pound power forward include Louisville and Indiana. Entry into the NBA draft has not been ruled out either.
Corey Brewer- Florida bound Brewer went for 46 points in a region semifinal game. The lanky small forward, who is ranked No. 25 in the Rivals150, is blessed with exceptional skill and will fit in well with Florida’s up and down three point oriented attack. Once he puts on the weight to play a more physical style of ball, he will be a top NBA prospect.
Ron Steele & DeMarre Carroll- These teammates shared Co-MVP honors as they led John Carroll High School to a second straight Alabama state championship. Steele, an Alabama signee and the No. 22 player in the Rivals150, scored 30 points in the championship game on 8 of 11 shooting from the field, including 3 three pointers, and 11 of 12 shooting from the free throw line. Steele also won MVP honors last year as well as being the first junior in Alabama history to be named Mr. Basketball. Vanderbilt signee DeMarre Carroll, the No. 148 player in the Rivals150, scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the championship game.
Walter Sharpe- Despite the fact that Sharpe hit a three pointer to tie the game with 11.8 seconds on the clock, his Parker High School team ended up on the losing end to John Carroll High School in the championship game with 17,000 fans in attendance. The uncommitted Sharpe, who is the No. 44 player in the Rivals150, is quite an intriguing prospect with his size, skill, and versatility. In fact, he is the best passing big man RivalsHoops.com has seen in his class. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound power forward has a 17 ACT score but still needs to bring up his GPA to be a full qualifier. Sharpe would like to play in the SEC, and it looks like Alabama is the team to beat.
2005 PROSPECT WATCH:
Magnum Rolle- Florida State secured an early commitment from this raw Bahamian big man. The 6-foot-11, 200-pound combo forward, who has only been playing basketball for a couple years under the tutelage of Coach Darrell Sears, has strong perimeter skills for a player his size. The No. 44 player in the Rivals100 also had offers from Arizona and Memphis.
Curtis Jerrells- The No. 66 player in the Rivals100 also made a commitment this week to Baylor. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound point guard will play a pivotal role in the rebuilding of the Baylor program.
Andre McGee- This dynamite 6-foot, 185-pound point guard is looking to the east at this point in his recruitment. The No. 32 player in the Rivals100 from Moreno Valley, California is considering offers from Kansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Purdue.
Ben McCauley- The 6-foot-8, 225 pound small forward took unofficial visits to both Cincinnati and N.C. State the past two weekends. The No. 42 player in the Rivals100 already had an offer from N.C. State and came away from his Cincinnati trip with an offer from the Bearcats. McCauley also has high major offers from Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Penn State.
Denis Clemente- This Puerto Rican native, ranked No. 95 in the Rivals100 and playing in the states for the first time this year, picked up his first scholarship offer from Arkansas. The lightening quick, 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard led the state of Florida in scoring with 34 points per game.
Jeremy Barr- The 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward began the Texas (TAPPS) state tournament by breaking the rim with a one handed dunk on his team’s first basket of the tournament. After a thirty minute delay to change rims, Westbury Christian High School went on to win the game and eventually the state championship for the second year in a row. Barr, the No. 97 player in the Rivals100, and his fellow prospects Obi Ikeakor and Sean Coleman will look to win a third straight championship next year.
2006 PROSPECT WATCH:
Brandon Wright- Although he is already the No. 2 player in the Rivals50, Wright's stock continues to rise. He is pushing hard to take over the No. 1 spot from Greg Oden. Wright's Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy team won a second state championship this past week, and Wright won MVP honors for the second straight year as well. Still a finesse player, Wright's versatility makes him standout as prospect. He has the tools to play every position on the court.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
This quote comes from a conversation with a pro scout about high school players entering the NBA draft.
“There are two adjustments players have to make when they move up a level in basketball. One is a physical adjustment. The other is a defensive adjustment. Lebron James was ready to make these adjustments in the NBA, but not many others are ready.... I don’t like it that they are coming out. It really puts us all in a tough position. But some of those guys are really good.”
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