ESPN Men's Basketball Recruiting

Greetings to all. As we approach the beginning of the July evaluation period, which opens for college coaches on July 6, and before we start our own tour of summer camps and tournaments, we wanted to respond to those readers who have sent questions to our mailbag. And it really is good to communicate with you again. Following are our answers to a selection of recent reader inquiries:

Jeff in Phoenix: Is Duke looking at any point guards for the Class of 2009 or 2010 to take over for Nolan Smith after he leaves?

Bob: Great question Jeff. The Blue Devils are definitely in hot pursuit of some top lead guards, including 6-2 combo guard Kenny Boynton (Plantation, Fla./American Heritage). ESPN's No. 3 rated overall 2009 prospect is a prolific scorer but has the skills to play the point guard at the next level. Think Allen Iverson (as a comparable player only).

Duke has had past success with scoring lead guards such as William Avery, Chris Duhon, and, actually, Nolan Smith. Boynton is one of the most consistent 3-point shooters we have seen. Reportedly Boynton is down to five schools: Florida, Duke, Georgia Tech, Memphis and Texas.

Duke has also shown interest in 6-4 Nick Russell (Arlington, Texas, Grace Prep Academy), another talented 2009 combo guard, and recently hosted on an unofficial visit for highly-ranked 2010 prospect Tyler Thornton (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga), a 6-2 combo guard.

Last week, Duke received a commitment from 6-5 Andre Dawkins (Virginia Beach, Va., Atlantic Shores Christian), a 2010 wing guard. ESPN Super 60 Class of 2010 prospect Josh Hairston (Spotsylvania, Va., Courtland), made an unofficial visit to Duke last week. The 6-8 power/wing forward was on campus at the same time as Boynton. Reportedly, Hairston will soon narrow his list of schools to three -- Duke, Virginia Tech, and Ohio State.

Duke is definitely in the hunt for No. 19-rated, 6-6 WF Terrell Vinson (Rockville, Md./ Montrose Christian). Vinson's final three are Villanova, Georgetown and Duke.

Versatile 6-7 P/WF Jamil Wilson (Racine, Wisc./Horlick) has long had Duke as one of his favorite schools, but the Blue Devils do not appear to be actively recruiting the 2009 ESPN 100 prospect. Watching him perform at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, Wilson reminded me somewhat of former Duke player Jamal Boykin, who transferred last year.

Duke also has a commitment from gifted big man Mason Plumlee (Arden, N.C./Christ School), the No. 20 rated, 6-10 power forward.

Sebastian in Austin, Texas: Which team is leading for the services of Jordan Hamilton, and what other prospects to you think Texas really has a good chance with for the Class of 2009?

Bob: Sebastian, according to my sources, Texas appears to be the current leader for gifted, high-scoring wing forward Jordan Hamilton (Compton, Calif./Dominguez). He has said that he wants to attend a program featuring wing players, and with Kevin Durant as a great example of how Rick Barnes can build his program around a wing forward, the Longhorns have a great selling point.

There are questions still to be resolved about Hamilton's high school eligibility in California, since this year at Dominguez would be his fifth year of high school. However, he did not play basketball as a freshman and is still only 17 years old. It looks as though the C.I.F. will allow him to play next year, but that is not yet official.

The Longhorns' strongest competition could come from Big 12 rival Kansas. Hamilton attended the Jayhawks' Elite Camp. He also lists Syracuse, Connecticut and Pac-10 programs Arizona and USC as possibilities and plans to announce his decision in October.

Texas must sign a point guard from the Class of 2009. Top prospects they have reportedly offered are 6-5 1/2G Nolan Dennis (North Richland Hills, Texas/Richland); 5-10 PG Tommy Mason-Griffin, a Houston resident who reportedly will attend Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) next year; gifted 6-3 PG Abdul Gaddy (Tacoma, Wash./Bellarmine Prep); and Kenny Boynton.

Other primary Longhorns' recruiting targets include: ESPN No. 2 rated, 6-6 G/F Xavier Henry (Oklahoma City, Okla./Putnam City); No. 5 rated, 6-6 G/F Dominic Cheek (Jersey City, N.J./St. Anthony); ESPN 100 prospects 6-7 WF Shawn Williams and 6-5 WF Roger Franklin, both from Duncanville, Texas; and 6-7 WF Ari Stewart (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler).

Dominic in Santa Fe, N.M: What do you think of the New Mexico Lobos' late addition of A.J. Hardeman? Does the addition of Hardeman move the Lobos up the 2008 recruiting rankings?

Bob: Dominic, getting a strong, physical power forward such as the 6-8, 225-pound Hardeman gives a big boost to Steve Alford's already impressive group of 2008 newcomers. With the six players they have signed, I would rank the Lobos recruiting class among the top 20 this year. Hardeman becomes the third big man in Alford's talented group. He attended high school in Del Valle, Texas, and signed at Texas Tech as a senior in 2007. However, he did not qualify academically and sat out this past year to work on his academics. Hardeman committed to the Lobos and signed during the spring period. He took summer school classes at New Mexico and has been cleared to play next fall.

Other top incoming Lobos freshmen are 6-5 2G Phillip McDonald (Cypress, Texas); 6-3 PG Nathen Garth (Memphis, Tenn.); 6-8 PF Will Brown (Pensacola, Fla./Patterson School); 6-4 2G Curtis Dennis (Henderson, Nev.); and 6-9 C/F Isaiah Rusher (Bellaire, Texas). At this time, Dennis and Rusher have not yet been cleared academically.

Bob in Nashville: What do you think of Vandy's 2008 recruiting class with the addition of Brad Tinsley and Jeff Taylor? All four of these guys are rated in the top 100 nationally.

Bob to Bob: The addition of two ESPN 100 2008 recruits in 6-3 G Tinsley (Oregon City, Ore.) and 6-7 Taylor (Hobbs, N.M.) most definitely upgrades the Commodores' national recruiting. I think Vanderbilt's four-member class ranks with the best in the SEC and will be among the top 12 for 2008. Tinsley is a terrific shooter and can play either guard position. He is a possible starter for Kevin Stallings next season.

Taylor is another deadly 3-point marksman and should help fill the void left by shooting star Shan Foster.

Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to your questions on our next Mailbag. Take care, and have a happy and safe July 4.

Bob Gibbons is a national recruiting director for ESPN.com. The editor and publisher of the All Star Sports Report, he is widely regarded as the recruiting guru of college basketball. Drop Bob a line in his mailbag.