Sanchez looking at four schools

Power forward Michael Sanchez of Springdale (Ark.) Har-ber High School was slated to reclassify to 2008 and attend Las Vegas Findlay Prep, but four schools in particular have turned up the heat to get Sanchez to play for their program next fall. Sanchez, 6-foot-8, 235-pounds, is presently visiting one of those schools.

After spending Wednesday afternoon and evening with Coach John Pelphrey on the Arkansas campus, Sanchez flew to Wake Forest on Thursday for an official visit through Saturday.

Sanchez is also in the process of scheduling visits with the other two schools on his list Kentucky and Colorado.

"Coach Gillespie has been recruiting Michael for the past two years, and we're honored by his commitment to Michael," said Sanchez' mother Kim Sanchez. "Coach Pelphrey saw Michael in Pittsburgh and just loved his toughness. He was in our home last week and wanted Michael to come to campus before he left for Wake Forest.

"Coach Prosser brought two assistants with him for the in-home visit and it was very impressive. Coach Bzdelik from Colorado also impressed us a lot when he visited with us. He has a ton of NBA contacts and his strong player development program really got Michael's attention."

Despite going through this accelerated late recruiting process as a 2007 prospect, Sanchez is still verbally committed to play for Findlay Prep next year. If he decides to move onto college next year, it will not be an easy decision.

"Michael gave his word a month ago to Findlay Prep," said Mrs. Sanchez. "And we have always wanted Michael to be the type of person to keep his word, but he kind of shocked us by how well he played this spring after the knee problems. Now it looks like he doesn't need to prep. Going to Findlay, though, is not out of the picture yet."

Michael Sanchez scouting report:

With a physique ready for the rigors of high-major basketball, Sanchez is nothing short of being a bull in the paint. He relentlessly attacks the rim with all his moves and pursues the ball off the glass. Solid but not overly athletic, Sanchez's greatest strength is drawing contact and getting to the free throw line.