Who Are These Guys?

BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — With only one scholarship to fill for the Class of 2009 (and that reserved for Centerville big man Matt Kavanaugh), BG’s focus has been on the Class of 2010 for a while now. There are 5 slots that will open up and one is already earmarked for local PG extraordinaire Juwan Staten, which is an excellent start. But what does BG do with the other 4 spots? “From the Swamp” is here to try and sort it all out for you as best we can, separating the contenders from the pretenders; the wheat from the chaff; tman from polite society.

Two guys we won’t be seeing in Red and Blue: JD Weatherspoon and Justin Martin:

Justin Martin

He was a long-shot at best and verballed to Slick Rick and Lullville on Monday.

J.D. Weatherspoon

The AAU teammate of Juwan Staten and Adreian Payne, ‘Spoon got a ‘take it or leave it’ offer from Sean Miller and took it on Election Day.

Here are the top prospects in no particular order except for the first dude:

Adreian Payne

No matter how you misspell the kid’s first name, there is no denying he is a phenomenal talent with tremendous upside potential and even better, he’s local. Payne has the chance to continue the stay-at-home chain that started with Chris Wright and has been extended with Josh Benson, Kavs and Juwan.

Trying to read AP makes “Heart of Darkness” appear like a breezy, can’t-put-it-down romp by comparison. He’s reported to be attending “Big Blue Madness” at UK –- nope, now he isn’t. He’s going to visit Maryland? Really? No. He’s not gonna make it to the Red & Blue game? And yet, there he is watching what we hope are his future teammates run in front of a crowd for the first time this season.

Do not underestimate the fact that he actually did show up for the R&B game, boys and girls.

I say the kid stays home.

Allen Payne

We’re probably in pretty good shape with him now that ‘Spoon is a Mouskie. Linkage:

http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/2010-beyond-basketball-recruiting/602226-10-oh-sf-allen-payne.html

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=54819&season=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d54819%26season%3d2010

Josh Sewell

The way I look at it, you can never have too many guys named ‘Josh’ on your basketball team:

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/2007/07/update-josh-sewell.html

http://trinityrocks.org/?q=node/422

http://www.miamihawktalk.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=512198&sid=85b22e1c8a27b147c0fa73a90878298a

http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/labels/Josh%20Sewell.html

Isaiah Sykes

I’ve already devoted the better part of an entire column to the guy:

https://www.udpride.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6383

Sounds like the 2nd coming of Chris Johnson, doesn’t he? You can’t have too many 6’5” guys with 7’ wingspans, either. We’re in his top 7 with 6 other major basketball powers…even if we don’t get the kid, I like that.

Aaron Cosby

Looking more and more like a lock for IU, but yet another example of how BG displays the uncanny knack for identifying talent early, before a lot of the BCS mofos do.

http://alleyoopscoop.blogspot.com/2008/07/aaron-cosby-at-hoopfest.html

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081005/SPORTS11/810050545/1030/rss0704

Jalen Steele

A talented player from the state that gave us Charles Little. Read up on him here:

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=44612&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d44612

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/Jan/26/shooting-stars-on-horizon/

http://fultonfalcons.blogspot.com/2008/07/recruiting-of-fulton-basketball.html

The one item I found of interest in that last link is that his teammate James Gallman says that he has an offer from UD. He’s in the Class of 2009; we don’t have any full rides available; how does that work?

Patric Young

From the same Jacksonville Bulls AAU program that gave us London Warren:

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=66600&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d66600

http://daugman.blogspot.com/2008/10/patric-young-is-impressive.html

http://www.gatorcountry.com/basketball_recruiting/article/franz_beards_basketball_confidential32/4618

Marcus Thornton

JC PF:

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=3419558

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruiting/tracker/player?recruitId=66937&season=2010&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracker%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d66937%26season%3d2010

Anthony Fields

He’s local to me up here in Michigan. Doesn’t have an offer from UD yet, as far as I can tell. Playing for Paul Williams’ old HS coach Mark White on a loaded Detroit Southeastern team with consensus Class of 2011 studs Brandon Kearney and Percy Gibson.

http://www.freewebs.com/michiganballers/anthonyfields.htm

Kevante Martin

Another Michigan kid, up the road from me at Brother Rice (where my nephew Ed played in the ‘80s.)

http://blog.mlive.com/highschoolbasketball/2008/10/perimeter_player_rankings_2010.html

http://nextgenerationsports.blogspot.com/2008/09/week-1-brother-rice-vs-oak-park.html

And of course, it’s never too early to scope out the recruits beyond 2010 that BG is already wooing:

Corey Petros

From InsidePrepSports.com:

“Corey Petros, 6’9, Utica Eisenhower- Petros is one of the best post players in Michigan’s 2010 class and Saturday he showed why. He’s sound with either hand around the hoop and a soft touch usually led to a bucket. Hitting the weights will add to his growing recruitment.”

Alex Gauna

http://insideprepsport.blogspot.com/2008/10/alex-gaunas-stops-in-ohio-twice.html

Travis Trice

He and Markus Crider are teammates at Dayton Wayne HS:

http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=4014930

Markus Crider

http://ohiostate.scout.com/a.z?s=145&p=8&c=1&nid=4014919

Trey Burke

Class of 2011 teammate of JD Weatherspoon. You Tube linky goodness right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCQVsxnJ3jU

As super-slick salesman Alec Baldwin said in “Glengarry Glen Ross”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-AXTx4PcKI