Predictions Bad for Locals
Our man Kevin McNamara of the Providence
Our man Kevin McNamara of the Providence
Dominic Cheek, the No. 4 shooting guard in the Class of 2009 out of St. Anthony in Jersey City, is attending Jim Calhoun’s elite basketball camp this weekend — and say he’s actively considering joining Kemba Walker in Storrs.
“I love playing with Kemba,” Cheek told the Connecticut Post. “He’s a cool dude, just like me. He’s humble and he works hard.”
Walker and Cheek played together last month on the U.S. U-18 National Team that won a silver medal in the FIBA Americas U-18 Championship in Argentina.
Teeng Akol, a 7-foot, 240-pound power forward who most recently played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., will visit Nebraska and Oklahoma State this week and could decide by next week.
His advisor, Fatah Muraisi, said he will “most likely (choose) Oklahoma State.”
“Teeng’s going to visit Nebraska and Oklahoma State; he’s looking at them heavily,” Muraisi said. “Next weekend he’s going to Oklahoma State and he may try to see Nebraska before then. He’s really loving Oklahoma State.
John Riek could be coming to a Big East arena near you.
The 7-foot-2, 240-pound native of the Sudan committed to Cincinnati after a visit Saturday night and the plan is for him to enroll for the 2008-09 season. If Riek becomes eligible and suits up for the Bearcats this fall — which is still undecided at this point — he could make an immediate impact as a shot-blocker and rebounder in the Big East.
“He gave a verbal commitment (Saturday) night,” said Fatah Muraisi, Riek’s advisor. “We went there on an unofficial visit to see how he liked it and see how their academic plan is for him, and their rehab since he had an ACL surgery (June 19). He didn’t want something too big or too small. (Assistant) coach Tony Stubblefield has been recruiting him patiently since March. We’ve had offers from other schools, Arizona, UCLA, Oklahoma, Kansas, all the big guys.”
Doron Lamb is headed to Oak Hill
Lance Stephenson has said he won’t announce his college decision until April 2009.
“Think Tyreke Evans,” is how one college assistant put it.
The 6-foot-5 Evans, MVP of this year’s McDonald’s All-American Game, waited until April to announce that he would attend Memphis over Villanova and Texas.
Now it appears that Stephenson, the No. 2 shooting guard in the Class of 2009, could be the next great player to wait until the NCAA late signing period.
Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from St. Patrick in Elizabeth (N.J.) who has had a monster summer, continues to draw offers from high-major schools.
Kennedy recently picked up offers from Miami, UMass and Penn State and lists Villanova, Rutgers, Syracuse, Miami, Penn State and UMass as his frontrunners, according to his summer coach, Matt Pauls of Team NJABC.
“He has loved Syracuse since he was young, but Villanova and Rutgers are the frontrunners and are recruiting him the hardest,” Pauls said.
