As mentioned here recently, Louisville coach Rick Pitino has made New York guards Durand Scott and Doron Lamb two of his top priorities.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Scott is a Top 50 player in the Class of 2009 and a rising senior at Rice High in Manhattan.
“Louisville is showing a lot of interest and is not too, too far from home,” Scott told Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal at the LeBron James US Skills Academy, where he sprained his ankle.
Scott’s list also includes Pittsburgh, Miami, Memphis, St. John’s and Seton Hall.
“Most schools show me love, but some schools go out of their way and try and show me more love,” Scott said. “I am not going to rush it. I am a humble guy and I will let my decision come to me. When I am ready, a decision will come to me.”
As for the 6-4, 175-pound Lamb, he is ranked No. 9 among shooting guards in the Class of 2010.
“Louisville, UConn, St. John’s and Georgia Tech are recruiting him the hardest,” Loughlin coach Khalid Green said.
The coach added that Lamb “can be a triple threat. He can play the 1, 2 and 3 and he can definitely lead the Catholic League in scoring and I think he’s an MVP-type. I think he can be MVP of the league.”
Several star players from the Catholic League have already departed for prep schools or St. Anthony in Jersey City, among them Kevin Parrom and Omari Lawrence, who both left St. Raymond’s for South Kent (Conn.), and Ashton Pankey and Devon Collier, who now play for Bob Hurley at St. Anthony.
“It’s definitley unfortunate,” Green said. “It represents more what’s going on in society. We’re dealing with a microwave generation and some of their parents are microwave parents. They make quick decisions based on basketball. Sometimes it works out, but for some it ends up hurting them in the long run.”
Various people around Lamb say he will end up at Oak Hill Academy this season, but he has yet to publicly announce that.
“l’m not 100 percent sure,” Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said. Smith did add that Georgia Tech commit Brian Oliver of the Playaz Basketball Club would not return to Oak Hill, and neither would Keith “Tiny” Gallon.