Quick hitters:
• In the spirit of equal time, Texas A&M deserves its due after Marquette got plenty of recruiting buzz earlier in the week. The Aggies' recruiting class is rated fourth, one spot ahead of the Golden Eagles, by ESPN's Scouts Inc.
The players who have committed so far -- 6-foot-5
Naji Hibbert (DeMatha Catholic HS, Md.), 6-7
Khris Middleton (Porter-Gaud School, S.C.) and 6-8
Kourtney Roberson (Arcadia HS, La.) -- show the wide reach that A&M coach Mark Turgeon has developed. Over the years, Texas proved it could essentially get a player anywhere in the country. Now the Aggies are going out of state to nab players in the East, too.
"We have realized, like the previous staff, that the Big 12 can go anywhere," Turgeon said. "We still will always go in Texas, but we feel we can [go anywhere]."
Turgeon is settling in at Texas A&M quite nicely after a bumpy start a year ago. The Aggies finished up well enough to get to the NCAAs and nearly took out Final Four-bound UCLA, losing by two in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies lost
Joseph Jones, the disappointing
DeAndre Jordan and more notably guard
Dominique Kirk off that team.
Turgeon said the Aggies lost size, but will be quicker this season. He said wing
Josh Carter, who declared for the NBA draft but withdrew after his individual workouts with teams, has become a more complete player following the experience. He's not just a catch-and-shoot player. Turgeon said Carter can get his shot off in a variety of ways, including off the dribble. The return of
Donald Sloan gives the Aggies a one-two punch in the backcourt.
But the surprise so far in early season workouts is 6-8 freshman forward
David Loubeau. Turgeon said he's comparing him to Kansas'
Darrell Arthur. That means he's long, agile and can score in a variety of ways. He apparently has a 7-2 wingspan and could be used as a shot blocker, too. Loubeau can score with his back to the basket, as well as face up.
Bryan Davis is back up front too, adding to the quicker forwards in the post. The Aggies are likely an NCAA team, falling in behind Oklahoma and Texas and in competition with Kansas for third in the Big 12.
• The Aggies are going to hold their midnight madness practice after the Midnight Yell on Oct. 17 at Kyle Field like they did two years ago. The hope is that the stadium will be packed like it was for Billy Gillispie's crew. A basketball court will be at midfield again. Illinois is trying this basketball-football stunt this weekend, using its two hours of practice time each week instead of waiting for the traditional start of practice.
• No one at Arkansas is disguising how much the Razorbacks will miss
Patrick Beverley. The All-SEC guard was dismissed from school over the summer. His 12.1 points a game are gone and so is his star status on a rebuilding team. He's apparently likely headed to the D-League and then probably the NBA draft. But in the spirit of preseason hype Arkansas assistant head coach Rob Evans has a player to promote. Freshman point guard
Courtney Fortson didn't get as much preseason buzz as freshmen guards
Rotnei Clarke and
Montrell McDonald. But Evans is convinced that Fortson is going to be something special. "He will be a pro, not a one-and-done, but maybe two or three years down the road," Evans said. Evans cited a strong performance that Fortson had against
Brandon Jennings, who is off playing in Rome instead of Arizona this season. Evans loves Fortson's quickness, handle and overall ability to play the position. Arkansas isn't likely going to the NCAAs this season and could finish last in the SEC West. But apparently Fortson is one to check on throughout the season.
• Seton Hall sent in the paperwork to the NCAA committee that handles immediate eligibility waivers for four-year transfers on behalf of former New Mexico State forward
Herb Pope. The Pirates are working on one case at a time and haven't put forth the appeal for
Keon Lawrence, formerly of Missouri. The reason is Lawrence wouldn't be eligible until mid-December or early January since he wasn't academically ready to transfer at the time of the move. Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez said there was no timetable given for Pope's case. But he did say that this process is hardly easy. He said the NCAA asks for explicit reasons why the player needs immediate eligibility, including documentation of illnesses that represent a hardship case. "They are definitely doing their due diligence," Gonzalez said. He added that New Mexico State is supporting Pope's case. Having the former school be supportive is usually necessary in the NCAA granting an appeal.
If Seton Hall gets Pope and/or Lawrence in the Big East then the Pirates have a real shot to crack the top 11 in the Big East. That might not sound like much but there are legitimately 11 teams that enter the season with a shot to make the NCAAs.
• USC sent in similar paperwork for Alex Stepheson, formerly of North Carolina. More information was needed in this case, as well. The Trojans would just need to know Stepheson's status before the first game in November.
If USC gets Stepheson, the Trojans are a legit competitor to challenge UCLA and Arizona State for the Pac-10 title.
• The National Association of Basketball Coaches' board of directors has come out strongly against the decisions lately to give any kind of waiver for players transferring from a four-year institution and said that the one-year in residence requirement for leaving a school is sufficient.
• The
Dwain Williams experiment at Oregon State is over before it began. Turns out the Providence guard wasn't eligible to transfer and is out in Corvallis. That's OK with new coach Craig Robinson. You won't hear him complaining. Robinson is recruiting more highly projected, talented players, with a commitment from 2009 guard
Roberto Nelson out of Santa Barbara, Calif.
Andy Katz
