Madness in Irving's future
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Now that the seemingly endless summer circuit has ended, Kyrie Irving is getting down to serious business.
It'll be a maddening weekend for the ESPNU 100's No. 6 prospect and second-ranked point guard, as Irving is headed to Lexington, Ky., on Friday for Big Blue Madness.
That means the University of Kentucky gets its official visit from the multitalented guard who already has traveled to Texas A&M and Duke in recent weeks.
Big Blue Madness, Kentucky's official tipoff to the season, sold out in minutes with rapid fans snapping up free tickets to the hoops extravaganza at the 24,000-seat Rupp Arena.
Irving, St. Patrick High School's star 6-foot-2 guard, is impressed with the keen interest but won't allow that to sway his decision.
"Maybe some guys are impressed with that, but I'm looking at other things," Irving said. "You have to consider the school's reputation on and off the court and what kind of rapport you have with the coaching staff."
Familiarity with the coaching staff has been the common thread with other schools recruiting Irving, including Duke, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Seton Hall and Georgia Tech.
Here is where the other schools stack up:
Duke: The Blue Devils might be the favorite, as Mike Krzyzewski and assistant Chris Collins made several appearances to open gyms. "The visit exceeded my expectations," Irving said. "I definitely had a good feeling about this place. The team is close-knit. It's as good as it gets."
Texas A&M: The Big 12 school sounds like a long shot, but not so fast. Irving's father, Drederick Irving, played college ball at Boston University with Aggies associate head coach Scott Spinelli. (Drederick, who rewrote BU's scoring book, was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1995 following a successful pro career overseas, notably Australia.) "It's a big campus; very friendly people, and the team plays like a unit," Irving said. "My dad and Coach Spinelli played together in college and are good friends."
Kentucky: Once John Calipari left Memphis for the Bluegrass State, the Wildcats became a serious player. It also doesn't hurt that Drederick and Kentucky assistant Rod Strickland are related, growing up together in Bronx, N.Y. Drederick said Tuesday he's also going to Kentucky for the official visit. "I know the whole coaching staff really well," Kyrie said.
Georgia Tech: Coach Paul Hewitt is a wild card for positive reasons. "He was straightforward; he told me what type of player I am, where I fit into Georgia Tech's plans and how he can make me better," Irving said. "He's very positive and is building a good thing."
Seton Hall: Another long shot, but the campus is located less than 15 minutes from his residence in West Orange, N.J., and the Pirates play at the Prudential Center in downtown Newark. "They're the only Big East school, and it's a stay-at-home choice if I go that way," he said.
Irving, an aspiring journalist, regularly posts comments on social-networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
"There's really no reason for the postings," he said. "I'm 17 years old, and that's what most teens are doing these days."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUMMIT: The collection of talent assembled this past weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo., was undeniable. And if you ask Don Showalter, the coach of the USA Men's Developmental National Team, the minicamp in preparation for next summer's FIBA U17 World Championship was a slam dunk.
The 21 players selected all ranked highly by ESPNU unleashed their talents for the coaching staff.
"We saw plenty of improvement from the last time [in June] we trained," said Showalter, who coaches Mid-Prairie High (Wellman, Iowa). "Their weaknesses were less pronounced, and their strengths were increased.
"Overall it was a good camp; we needed to emphasize that we mean business next in Germany. I'm sure the rest of the world took notice that we were practicing this time of the year. We're going for the gold. Teams like Spain, Greece and Germany must understand we're not taking this competition lightly, and that's something we needed to get across to the players."
Four players chose to make the trip to Colorado Springs despite having injuries: Six-foot-3 Brad Beal (ankle in walking boot), 6-10 Andre Drummond (ankle), 6-8 James McAdoo and 6-9 Norvel Pelle (knee) -- watched from the sideline. Junior guard Tony Wroten Jr. of Garfield (Seattle) did not travel to the camp after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament playing football but is expected to be ready for the training camp at University of Texas-San Antonio in June.
Michael Gilchrist of (Somerdale, N.J./St. Patrick) and 6-2 point guard Marquis Teague (Indianapolis/Pike) donned the USA jersey for the first time.
The pair left an impression.
"Michael is a very special player," Showalter said. "Teague is very quick. Both stood out; I'm looking forward to tryouts in June."
Added Teague, "No matter what you are ranked or who you are, it's all about what you do while you're wearing this USA jersey."
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Recruiting has taken a father-son flavor with super sophomore Kyle Anderson (Paterson, N.J./Paterson Catholic). His father, Kyle Sr., told ESPN that his son's choice will depend on a few factors.
"We're looking for a school whose style of play best suits Kyle," he said. "The program must be successful, and he must flourish within it. If you remember, Batman and Robin had a chauffeur in the movies, and for years Kyle has been playing Robin. He can play a supporting role or lead."
Anderson, a 6-7, 218-pound guard, is ranked No. 23 in the Terrific 25. He saw significant time as freshman when Paterson Catholic advanced to New Jersey's Non-Public B North final (losing to eventual champion St. Patrick of Elizabeth) and won league and Passaic County championships.
According to his ESPN Scouts Inc. evaluation: The best part of his game is neck up! Anderson is a skilled small forward that can play any position on the floor offensively except Center (and he could probably do that if needed). He is a great passer and decision maker and is probably best playing a point forward position.
So far the Andersons are considering only programs in which the offer was formally made by the head coach. That includes Georgetown, Virginia Tech, La Salle, Miami, St. John's, Kansas, Texas and Pittsburgh.
Schools such as North Carolina, Oklahoma State and USC have sent letters.
Kyle Jr. relishes the attention but is waiting for one offer in particular.
"North Carolina," he said, smiling. "I grew up following them. The first autograph I received as a kid was Vince Carter in 1997. That would be special."
TIGERS EYE RECRUITS: The FedExForum should be jumping Friday night when the Memphis Tigers tip off the season with Memphis Madness. School officials are anticipating 15,000; among those in attendance will be a handful of select recruiting targets.
Headlining the night will be four prospects: Will Barton (Baltimore/Brewster Academy), Antonio Barton (Baltimore/Notre Dame Prep), Chris Crawford (Memphis/Sheffield) and Joe Jackson (Memphis/White Station) who have verbally committed to first-year coach Josh Pastner's squad.
Also expected courtside is 6-5 Adonis Thomas (Memphis/Melrose), the No. 2 small forward in the ESPNU 60, who lists the Tigers, Florida, Tennessee and Kansas as his leaders. Last weekend, Thomas performed well at the USA Men's Developmental National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs, Colo., according to sources.
Thomas, though, has made one commitment clear.
"I was playing in a [fall] league [in Memphis], and we made it to the championship game, so I'm missed out on playing in that," he said. "This [USA under-17 team] is very serious. A lot of NBA guys take the time out of their workouts, and they are millionaires, to come play with USA Basketball, so I think it's just important for everybody."
Christopher Lawlor has covered high school sports for more than 20 years, most recently with USA Today, where he was the head preps writer responsible for national high school rankings in football, baseball, and boys' and girls' basketball. He also worked for Scholastic Coach magazine, for which he ran the Gatorade National Player of the Year program for nine years. Lawlor, a New Jersey resident, grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.
