Recruiting- From Pitt blog
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Basketball Recruiting Update
Former Aliquippa HS star forward Herb Pope is now enrolled at Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonviille, FL. The powerful prep school welcomed Pope with open arms, though they may be the only place to do so for awhile.
The 6'8" 225 pound Pope has made some enemies in his short basketball career with his attitude and immaturity. Playing with the Pittsburgh J.O.T.S this summer, Pope was sent home in the last tournament of the year by J.O.T.S founder and coach, J.O. Stright, after Pope hit an opponent on the court during a game. Stright, often seen as a mentor for Pope, did not come to Pope's defense this time and it remains to be seen if he will ever do so in the same way again.
"He deserved to be thrown out of the tournament," says Stright, who never minces words. "He started it. He has become very disruptive." So disruptive in fact that one college coach told Stright that instead of sending Pope home he should have put him on the bench of the opposition because he would just be distruptive for them instead.
Stright says he still talks to Pope but that now things have changed. "I am not saying where he is playing," says Stright with frustration, "because he changes his mind every minute about everything. It drives me crazy. He went down to the same school in Florida last year, then came back in a few days. So you never know with him."
College coaches are getting so frustrated with Pope's ways that major programs Louisville, Connecticut, and Kansas State are no longer recruitng him. "They got sick of not getting a straight answer out of him," explains Stright. "He is the biggest flake I know."
It should be noted that when Stright says such things he laughs as much as he marvels. He still clearly has affection for Pope, even if his much-maligned star player is causing him headaches.
Pitt, once the hometown team, is one of the few that haven't abandoned Pope yet, but Stright sometimes wonders why. "I can't believe Pitt is still recruiting him," he says. "Can you imagine him with Jamie Dixon?"
Stright says Pope, along with Schenley High School teammates DeJuan Blair and D.J. Kennedy all have offers from Pitt, but may want to escape their current conditions. Pope's father was recently released from prison and his reappearance is not seen as a welcoming influence in Pope's life. Blair's twenty year old best friend was shot and killed just a month ago. Last week, Kennedy's brother survived being shot at least six times in his car near his house.
"I know DeJuan's grandmother has the most say and she wanted him to stay home," says Stright. "But now I don't know. They may want him to leave. I already told Pitt to forget about D.J. after what happened with his brother because his family wants him out of there."
Pitt has already filled Kennedy's spot last week by getting a verbal committment from Philadelpia guard Bradley Wannamaker. But his teammate Blair has become the Panthers top priority, even more than Pope. They will have to beat out Kansas State, Miami, Indiana, and Florida, his other finalists, if they want to keep the 6'6" 245 pound power forward at home.
"Florida coach Billy Donovan was at every game this summer," says Stright. Schenley head coach Fred Skrocki adds that "Indiana would kill to have him. And both DeJuan and D.J. are visiting Kansas State at the end of September."
One thing that both Blair and Pope need to work on is their grades, though Stright says if Pope stays at Arlington Country Day that shouldn't be a problem. And Skrocki says Blair is at school every day and is trying to have a big academic year to qualify.
Another local product that the Panthers are interested in is 6'4" wing Brian Walsh of Moon Area HS. Walsh, who is in the 2008 class, parlayed an impressive summer camp tour into some major offers, including Pittsburgh and Memphis.
Stright, though, is a little surprised about the recent buzz with Walsh. "He is not a difference maker yet," he says. I'm surprised by his offers. But he is solid." Walsh plays under Stright's umbrella of teams but not with the top unit.
Walsh is very interested in the Panthers, who have offered, but the competition for a 2008 wing spot at Pitt is fierce. Jeannette High School star Terrelle Pryor, who is a top twenty player in the 2008 class, will stay in the area now that the coach he wanted, Jim Nesser, is the new coach at his school. Keeping Pryor home helps the Panthers a lot and they are already considered the favorite to land him next year. The Panthers also just had an unoffical visit from 6'5" 215 pound bruiser Nasir Robinson of Chester, PA. Robinson is also one of the best small forward prospects in the country for the 2008 class.
Currently the Panthers have three more openings this season after already adding Wannamaker and 6'7" small forward Darnell Dodson. There is a very good chance that the amount of openings will drop by one with Anderson, IN center Gary McGhee visiting the Panthers this weekend. The 6'10" 260 pound McGhee is down to Pitt and Wisconsin as his two finalists, but after this weekend, it will likely be down to just the Panthers.
Pitt is still courting superstar Michael Beasley, a 6'9" forward from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA, and 6'1" guard Chris Wright of St. John's College Prep in Washington, DC. Beasley has already verbally committed to Kansas State after committing to Charlotte previously. He is visiting Kansas State at the same time as Blair and Kennedy, but he has told Pitt that he would visit the Panthers if he didn't like his visit to the Manhattan, KS campus. Wright has Georgetown as his current leader and is also heavily considering Wake Forest. He is visiting Pitt officially in two weeks.
While Beasley and Wright are wildcards, the three principal targets for the final spots are McGhee, Blair, and 6'10" 260 pound center Ayedole Coker of South Kent Prep in Connecticut. Coker is a muscular and tough quickly rising big man with good defense and rebounding skills.
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