Polks game maturing

The No. 37 ranked player in the class of 2006 Christian Polk is playing very well for powerhouse Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Ariz. Although his numbers are slightly down from last year because of a loaded lineup, including Indiana signee Joey Shaw and Stanford signee Lawrence Hill, Polk's game is maturing according to his AAU coach Earl Flaggs of the Arizona Magic. A number of schools are recruiting the 6-foot-3, 170-pound combo guard, but Coach Flaggs listed six schools in particular that are in hot pursuit of Polk.

"The schools that are really on Christian are Florida State, Miami, Arizona," said Coach Flaggs. "Arizona State is still in there, and UCLA has shown a lot of interest lately. Indiana is also a real player."

While his 17 points per game average is down a couple points from last year, it is Polk's floor game that has developed the most over this season.

"Christian's game has really grown up," said Flaggs. "He is distributing the ball and making great decisions with the ball. He has really shown a lot of floor leadership."

A very good athlete, with solid skills but a streaky shot, Polk has received mixed reviews as a point guard prospect in the past. He has not always shown the point guard mentality of a set up man but apparently is developing that aspect of his game.

"I think he can play the one and that is why he is such an intriguing prospect," said Flaggs. "He is a natural leader with a cool head under pressure. He also knows how to close out a game with a dwindling lead."