Vaughn keeping close eye on schools

When Julian Vaughn isn't playing or studying, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward from South Lakes High School in Reston, Va., is plopped in front of the television taking mental notes on all of the teams recruiting him.

Vaughn, 12th rated junior in the country by Rivals.com, is one of the most recruited players in the class of 2007 and he's doing his research on the top programs in the country. He's doing it from his couch, too.

"I've been watching a lot of games on television and watching what teams do and what they don't do," Vaughn said. "I'm looking for things that they say they do. Some teams say they pound it into the paint but then they'll shoot like 40 threes in one game. That's not for me."

"Seeing the games has helped me figure out some things," Vaughn said. "Just that overall style of play and the pace of the game. Seeing those things has helped me cut it down."

With over two dozen schools actively recruiting him, Vaughn knew he would have to make the difficult decision of cutting his big list down.

"Everyone is in the same boat. I'm not cutting anyone off yet," Vaughn said. "We're going to try and cut down the list. My mom and dad are going to find the right place that will be good for me. I'm still looking because people are coming in everyday."

He's not kidding. Go to any South Lakes game and you can expect to see a coach or two in the stands. Vaughn said North Carolina, NC State, Illinois, Ohio State, Tennessee, Miami, Duke, Georgia, Notre Dame, Kansas, Virginia Tech and Maryland have been out to see him this season. Vaughn said he does have timetable, too.

"I want to try and commit sometime after the season, but before school gets out," Vaughn said.

Vaughn has kept up his trek to ACC country for a couple of games this year, catching the North Carolina-NC State game as well as the Wake Forest-Duke game in Winston-Salem last week.

The five-star junior is getting it done where it matters. He is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks a game for South Lakes (10-4) all the while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average. Vaughn said he will take the SAT next week for the first time.