Kadji leaving changes the dynamics for UF hoops recruiting class

With Kenny Kadji electing to transfer from the University of Florida, one more scholarship has been freed up, changing the dynamics of Florida's 2011 recruiting class. With Mike Rosario sitting out due to transfer rules and Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) solidly committed, the Gators now have room for three more in the class. Ideally, the Gators would take one big, one long wing and one combo guard, but the versatility of Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum) could change that equation.

Finney-Smith, who is playing with Boo Williams Summer League at the AAU Nationals in Lake Buena Vista, is the most versatile player in the country. He plays the point on offense for his high school team and when he does a turn with BWSL as the lead guard, the offense simply takes off. Defensively, he can play either the small or power forward and despite his skinny frame, he's a terrific rebounder and doesn't get pushed around.

Finney-Smith has seven or eight schools on his radar but insiders say it's a decision that will come down to Virginia Tech and Florida. In Virginia Tech's favor is that Finney-Smith is a Virginian. In Florida's favor is the fact that Finney-Smith and his older brother (who plays at Old Dominion) are long time pals of Gator center Vernon Macklin.

If Finney-Smith chose to be a Gator, UF could still elect to take a long wing such as Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) or Sam Thompson (6-7, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young). Thomas is a take it to the rack wing who can take the contact, finish and get the free throws. Thompson is the best wing defender in the country not to mention the best leaper (50 inch vertical). Thomas has Florida, Memphis, Arkansas and Mississippi State on his radar. Thompson has it down to Florida, Oregon State, Ohio State, Kansas and Georgetown.

The combo guard that the Gators have been following closely is Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County). He's got a streaky outside game but he handles, distributes and plays lights out on the defensive end. 

With Cody Zeller (6-10, 210, Warsaw, IN) more or less out of the Florida picture (he's pretty much down to Indiana, Butler and North Carolina), Florida's big man recruiting efforts center around these four: Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS), Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic) and Amir Williams (6-10, 225, Beverly Hills, MI Detroit Country Day).

O'Bryant and Adonis Thomas are determined to play together in college. The one school they seem to agree on is Florida so it is a distinct possibility the Gators could come up big with this dynamic duo.

Florida was the first to offer Christmas, who also has Texas, Oklahoma and FIU on his radar with Kentucky trying to elbow its way in. 

Florida trails Syracuse and Maryland for Hopkins and the Gators are having to make up an incredible amount of ground with Williams, who was once thought to be a lock for Michigan or Michigan State. 

Beal says he's solidly Gator; Rivers says he's still wide open

LAKE BUENA VISTA --- The shootout of superstars Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) and Austin Rivers (6-4, 198, Winter Park, FL) never materialized Tuesday night in the championship game of the AAU Super Showcase. Beal never could get into any kind of an offensive rhythm and Rivers was all to content to be a contributor and not the one carrying the weight of his team's expectations on his shoulders.

ESPN had the marquee matchup it wanted with Beal and Rivers, the top two shooting guards in the country, but it was clear almost from the beginning that Rivers' Each One Teach One team had energy to spare while Beal's St. Louis Eagles seemed to be playing on dead legs as they played their eighth game in four days. Rivers scored 24 points, 10 from the foul line, and actually played a secondary role in the second half as he spent most of his time handling the ball and distributing to teammates. The scoring load was taken up by Trevor Lacey (6-3, 215, Huntsville, AL Butler) who hit his first 10 shots en route to a 24-point performance as Each One Teach One routed the Eagles, 77-60.

Beal missed his first six shots before he got one to fall and finished the game 5-15 from the field for 12 points.

"This was the worst game I've ever played," Beal said. He admitted his legs were a bit dead after playing a non-stop schedule the past two months that included three weeks overseas while winning the MVP and leading the USA team to the FIBA 17-and-Under World Championship, but quickly added, "That's not a good excuse. I just didn't play very well and I needed to for us to win."

* * * 

Beal, who is committed to the University of Florida, has been the subject of one rumor after another in recent weeks, most of them claiming he is waffling on his Florida commitment and seriously thinking about switching to Kansas. Nothing could be further from the truth, Beal said following the loss to Each One Teach One.

"I'm a Gator, it's solid," he said, adding that he hears "a new rumor every week. I guess people don't have anything better to do than start a rumor about me I'm a Gator."

* * * 

Rivers, the one-time Florida commitment who has opened up things to include five schools --- Florida, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas --- seems to be at the center of attention for the Duke recruiting effort. In addition to two Duke assistants at the Tuesday night game, former Dookie Grant Hill was there in a Duke pullover shirt. He was seen chatting with Rivers post-game.

Yet for all the efforts by Duke, Rivers said he's not close to making a commitment to anyone and that he's going to give all five schools on his list careful consideration before he makes his final choice. 


"It's still the same five schools," he said. "I like all five of them and I'm going to take my time before I make up my mind. You only go through this one time in your life so you really should think it over pretty good before you make up your mind."


Rivers said he will take some official visits in the fall before he makes a commitment anywhere.


* * * 
Florida coach Billy Donovan and assistant Rob Lanier were at the Beal-Rivers matchup game. Prior to that, they were seen taking in Omar Calhoun (6-4, 185, Middle Village, NY Christ the King), a 2012 combo guard who is playing for the New York Gauchos, and Michael Frazier (6-3, 185, Tampa, FL Plant), a scoring guard with serious elevation, who is playing for Florida Elite, coached by Buchholz head coach Bob Horydoski.


* * *


Wednesday, the Florida coaches will be looking at Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum), who is playing for Boo Williams Summer League, and Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS), who plays for the Jackson Tigers. 


* * * 


With the transfer of Kenny Kadji, the Gators have one more scholarship to give for 2011. That could open the door for the Gators to sign one big, one tall athletic wing and perhaps a combo guard. The Florida class could perhaps look like this: O'Bryant or Amir Williams (6-10, 225, Beverly Hills, MI Detroit Country Day), Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) or Finney-Smith, and Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County).



 

Meyer and Saban agree: something must be done about agents

HOOVER, AL --- Urban Meyer and Nick Saban might be as different as night and day when it comes to football philosophy, but the two most powerful football coaches in the Southeastern Conference stand in total agreement when it comes to unscrupulous agents using cash, cars, gifts and promises to lure college football players into signing representation agreements before their eligibility has expired. Speaking at SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel Wednesday afternoon, both Meyer and Saban agreed that something has to be done to halt this gathering storm that threatens to shake college football by its collective lapels.


Meyer calls the problem "an epidemic" after a week in which allegations have been flying, first from Chapel Hill where North Carolina coach Butch Davis is dealing with a firestorm that involves the mainstays of his outstanding defense, to South Carolina, where Steve Spurrier has to deal with allegations that his all-star tight end might have gotten some illegal benefits and then to Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Then there is the aftermath of the Southern Cal NCAA probation brought on by 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush receiving illegal benefits from an agent while he was still playing football at USC. Just Tuesday, USC fired athletic director Mike Garrett and returned its copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy. The Heisman Foundation is contemplating the possibility of stripping Bush of his 2004 award. 


There is little question that these are not just isolated incidents but instead a foretaste of problems to come unless the NCAA and the NFL work hand-in-hand to bring about significant changes. Both Meyer and Saban believe there has to be some form of punishment for agents that cross the line although they disagreed on who should handle it.


Meyer, whose All-American center Maurkice Pouncey, was accused of accepting $100,000 in cash from an agent-runner back in December before the Sugar Bowl, believes uniform laws that are enforced in all 50 states would be a good place to begin.


"I understand there's 36 to 38 states in the country that have a significant penalty out there for a predator that's out there waiting to get involved," Meyer said. "Obviously, that has to happen. There's no plea bargaining or anything. If someone violates that law, they need to be punished to the extent of the law. Or the NFL --- like Coach Saban mentioned --- has to get involved and not allow them to be agents."


Saban, who has coached in the NFL, believes that the way to deal with the problem is to hit the agents who break the rules where it hurts the most --- in the wallet. 


"If you make these guys do what they're supposed to do or they can't get paid in that profession, it's going to change what he does," Saban said. "I'd change. I can't speak for what you'd do, but I certainly would."


Saban believes the NFL Players Association, which empowers agents and determines which ones can work, is the agency that has to take action immediately.


"They could fix it," Saban said. "It could get fixed. You have a standard of behavior and conduct that we have as coaches --- that you have as professionals in what you do --- and they should have as professionals in what they do. If they don't meet that conduct they can't make a living doing that. It would straighten it out now. The NFL can do that."


Whatever is done, Meyer says there has to be punishment for the rules breakers and that includes both agents and those who willingly break NCAA rules.


"If you're allowed to go do things that you're not supposed to do without punishment,  you're going to continue doing it," Meyer said. "As a matter of fact, you're rewarded for it. That's not just talking about agents. It's talking about violations of NCAA rules. If there's a law or rule in place, you punish it to the full extent if you can. That has to happen with the agents."


Not all agents are bad. Most, in fact, follow the rules and maintain a standard of ethics. As Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan has stated several times in the past, a good agent is worth his weight in gold because that agent is about educating his client and going about his business the right way. 


Saban praised the good agents Wednesday, saying that it's not fair to the ones that follow the rules when unethical types break the rules. And what drives agents to unethical behavior?


"I don't think it's anything but greed that is creating it right now on behalf of the agents," he said. "Agents that do this --- I hate to say this --- but how are they anything better than a pimp? I have no respect for people who do that to young people ... NONE. I really mean, none. How would you feel if they did that to your child?"


* * * 


Meyer said that redshirt sophomore wide receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. is no longer on scholarship. Hammond, who was arrested for DUI, will have a chance to come back to the Florida football team, but he will have to pay his way and earn a spot on the team as a walk-on.


"There will be playing time taken away from him," Meyer said. "He'll be on probation like other players that have made mistakes. If he does something again, it will be probable dismissal."


* * *


Meyer said that his chief lieutenants --- Steve Addazio and Chuck Heater --- will continue to assume a greater role in the day-to-day football operations. Addazio, in particular, will have a greater role as the associate head coach. 


* * * 


Meyer, who said he is "recharged and ready to go," said it was a little bit strange to take time away during the spring, something he's never done before. However, the time away from football was productive.


"You know, you get very humbled when you realize your oldest kid is in college --- she's not home any longer --- and you have another one getting ready to go [to college]," Meyer said. "You want to spend as much time with them as you can. I'm at that age when you want to spend as much time as you can with them and we did that. It was a great offseason."


* * *


Asked if he celebrated when Lane Kiffin and USC were hit with probation by the NCAA, Meyer just grinned and said, "I'll let the commissioner (Mike Slive) handle that one."

Dan Mullen zings Nick Saban

HOOVER, AL --- Dan Mullen bristled Wednesday afternoon at SEC Media Days when he was asked a question regarding an earlier comment by Alabama head coach Nick Saban that the spread offense has its drawbacks when preparing players --- quarterbacks in particular --- to play in the National Football League.

Here is the question and the transcript of Mullen's response:

You're one of the leading practitioners in the SEC of the spread offense. Coach Saban referred to it being both difficult to defend, but also it had drawbacks when it comes to preparing people for the NFL. How do you counter those when you were recruiting? How do you keep that offense evolving?

COACH DAN MULLEN: I'm not going to knock him. I don't know his personal record. I've coached the spread offense and I have a lot of more first-round quarterbacks drafted than he has in his career as a head coach. Develop them for the NFL, I don't know. In the last six years, I've had two of mine get drafted in the first round.

I think it does develop those players pretty well to get there. Amazing, one was a five star recruit and one was a one star recruit. When you develop players as a coach, you develop players. One came to me, I guess, somebody in here probably rated him a five star, a superstar player. Somebody rated him as a one star. When I got him, I must have done a great job of coaching him to be a first pick in the draft.

I think that's very overrated for that. I coached the NFL Rookie-of-the-Year, I think, last year, too, was in the spread offense, Percy Harvin. So I don't know. I guess statistically a lot of coaches like to say that. But factually, if you check the facts, I think the spread offense is developing the players for the NFL at a little higher rate than other offenses.

From a good source regarding Mike Pouncey

HOOVER, AL --- SEC Media Days are already buzzing with talk about players having illegal contact with agents in the offseason. Florida is currently investigating both Maurkice Pouncey, who left school a year early and was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and twin brother Mike, who remained at UF to finish his senior year. Both are alleged in an unsigned letter to the UF athletic department to have received a large amount of cash ($100,000 is the figure being thrown around) and other gifts from an agent runner in the period of time between the SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl. Florida self-reported to the NCAA and both the NCAA and Florida compliance have been investigating since early June. 

While it appears unlikely that Maurkice took cash, there is a possibility that he and Mike attended some parties thrown by agents. Attending the party while still eligible to play a sport is a minor NCAA violation for Mike but the NCAA is investigating to see if Mike took any gifts or presents from the agents. If he did, those are more serious allegations. 

The NCAA considers it suspicious that photos taken in Orlando at the College Football Awards Show and at some parties before the Sugar Bowl show the same person over and over again --- an "agent-runner" who works for the agent that Maurkice Pouncey eventually signed with. Apparently, the investigation so far has not turned up anything that would indicate that neither Maurkice or twin brother Mike took any cash but the NCAA is investigating to see if any gifts were received or improper favors given.

There have been plenty of rumors that in light of the allegations that Mike Pouncey would not be attending SEC Media Days Wednesday morning as scheduled, but an extremely good and well connected source told me Tuesday evening that Mike will be here. His appearance would seem to indicate that investigations have not turned up anything that would implicate Mike in any serious wrong doing.

Thoughts of the day: July 19, 2010

SEC Media Days begin Wednesday morning in Hoover, Alabama at the Wynfrey Hotel and that means two-a-days are about 10 days away. Here are a few thoughts to keep you occupied until I start blogging from Hoover when the first coach takes the podium Wednesday morning.

1. THE POUNCEY SITUATION: The NCAA and the University of Florida are cooperating in an investigation to determine if allegations that Maurkice Pouncey took a reported $100,000 from an "agent-runner" sometime between the SEC Championship Game and the Sugar Bowl. If Pouncey took the money, he would have been ineligible to play in the Sugar Bowl and it could force UF to vacate the win over Cincinnati. Considering the investigation has been ongoing since early June and UF self-reported the allegations as a possibility, there is no need to worry that the Florida football program is in any deep trouble. I'm quite confident that UF will investigate this thoroughly and my hope is that Maurkice didn't take the money. I've known Maurkice since his junior year at Lakeland High School and he's always been a straight up kid. I just can't see him jumping the gun on agent money by a couple of weeks and jeopardizing his own reputation and that of UF. 

2. THE POUNCEY SITUATION, PART II: With ongoing investigations into agent involvement at both North Carolina and South Carolina, isn't it time for the NCAA to take some action to give back some of the control they have taken away from coaches over the past few years. The NCAA and institutions hold their coaches accountable for the off-the-field actions of their players yet they continue to make it more and more difficult for the coaches to be involved in the lives of their players. They've taken away athletic dorms and training tables, limited coach-player contact and they make it increasingly more difficult for coaches to get a good measure of a kid's character in the recruiting process by more and more insanely petty rules. If the NCAA wants to get a grip on the situation, then it's time to re-visit some of these very stupid rules and let the coaches take charge once again.

3. AN INTERIM AD AT GEORGIA: I was really saddened when I saw Damon Evans step down as the athletic director at the University of Georgia. Damon was really one of the good guys in the business. He got to know writers by name and always made it a point to ask if there was anything he could do to make the stay in Athens more comfortable. I really thought he was on his way to a long, prosperous career as the athletic director when he was arrested for DUI and had a woman (not his wife) in the car with him. It just goes to show that it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only one stupid decision to ruin everything  that it took years to create. 

4. AND AN INTERIM COACH AT VANDY: I was quite shocked when Bobby Johnson stepped down as the head coach at Vanderbilt last week. He said he couldn't make the commitment to coach in the manner in which he's accustomed, but I do think that beating his head against a concrete wall finally got to him and that's what it's like to coach football at Vanderbilt. I don't know if anyone could do a better job than Bobby Johnson did. It's an impossible situation particularly with an administration that doesn't have a serious commitment to football. 

5. THE PRESSURE IS ON ... : Alabama and Nick Saban. Alabama is the national champion and the expectation is that the Crimson Tide will repeat in 2010. Of course, Florida was expected to repeat last year and lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The weight of expectations finally got the best of the Gators in Atlanta. This year, the 800-pound gorilla is squarely on Alabama's shoulders. Nick Saban has been there and done that with national championships. He won his first one at LSU in 2003. The next season, with a team that was more talented and expected to repeat, Saban went 9-3. Now, I don't expect Alabama to lose three games this year, but I do believe that the pressure is going to take a heavy toll at some point in the season.

6. THE COACHING HOT SEAT: It doesn't get any hotter than Baton Rouge where Les Miles has lost nine games in the two seasons since he won the 2007 national championship. In talking to some insiders at LSU, I'm told that Miles could be in big trouble even if he goes 10-2 this season if the two losses are to Florida and Alabama. I can't see LSU winning either of those two games and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the Tigers go 8-4 in the regular season. I can't see them winning big with Jordan Jefferson at quarterback. 

7. THE COACHING HOT SEAT, PART II: I think Mark Richt is a fine football coach, but tell that to the folks at Georgia. If the Poodles finish below Florida and South Carolina this year, Richt will have a whole lot of explaining to do to the Georgia faithful. I don't think anyone in the SEC East can touch Florida and if South Carolina gets any kind of decent play at quarterback the Gamecocks could easily go 9-3 or 10-2. Watch the second game of the season. If South Carolina beats Georgia, then there is every good chance the Poodles will struggle to finish 8-4.

8. THESE GUYS COULD ALSO FLOP: Everybody seems to think Arkansas could actually challenge Alabama to win the SEC West but we'll find out quickly what the Razorbacks are all about. They've got Georgia and Alabama on the SEC schedule right out of the chute and if they tank those two games, it's going to be very hard to win more than 7-8 games. A 7-5 or 8-4 regular season would be a major disappointment in Fayetteville.

9. THESE GUYS COULD SURPRISE: I think both Ole Miss is going to be dangerous. Last year, everyone expected the Rebels to contend with Alabama for the top spot in the West but as we've learned in following Houston Nutt-coached teams over the years, there is every chance for a flop when the expectations are high and every reason to fear when expectations are lowered and the talent seems just a notch above average. Nutt seems to always do his best coaching jobs when he has a bunch of over-achievers and somehow seems to have problems coaching a team to its potential when he's got the horses to do some damage. Ole Miss doesn't have great talent this year. I think they're going to sneak up on some folks.

10. SOME BASKETBALL RECRUITING TIDBITS: Why is Billy Donovan smiling? That's because Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade) has earned the right to be considered one of the top two or three players in the country. Beal is working Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) and Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS) really hard, too. Brad seems to think those two end up in Gainesville ... The Gators are already looking good for 2012 with Tony Parker (6-10, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove) and Rob Carter (6-7, 255, Thomasville, GA Central) ... Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County) is going to take an unofficial to Florida next week. Even though he's more of a combo guard, he's so skilled in every phase of the game that he's definitely getting a good solid look by the Florida staff ... If the Gators can't get the big man they want this year, they could redshirt one of the freshman bigs (Cody Larson or Will Yeguette) and save the scholarship for next year when they could very definitely land two outstanding bigs ... Georgia got a huge commitment Sunday night from Kentavious Caldwell (6-6, 190, Greenville, GA). He's one of the best long range shooters in the country and definitely a top 20 talent ... Everybody was turned off by Kentucky commit Marquis Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, IN Pike) at Nike Peach Jam. In the semi-finals, Teague was throwing one bad pass after another and then berating teammates. With four minutes left in the game against Team Takeover, Teague was lifted after he air-mailed a pass about 10 feet over the head of a teammate and then tore into the poor guy for not being 12 feet tall with Michael Jordan hops. That's what it would have taken to catch that pass. If this is the best point guard in the country, then we're all in trouble. 

I'll be blogging live from Hoover on Wednesday. Also look for a big announcement from the new 24/7 sports network coming very soon. 

Nike Peach Jam: Brad Beal wins the personal and team battle

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- This was the battle of the best --- Florida commitment Brad Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep), who was the MVP of the FIBA 17-and-Under World Championships last week in Germany, and Kentucky commitment Michael Gilchrist (6-7, 190, Somerdale, NJ St. Patrick's), billed as the best rising senior in the country by at least three recruiting services. If you go by end results, score it a TKO for Beal, who scored 28 points including a clutch layup with 34.5 seconds to go to lead the St. Louis Eagles past Gilchrist and Philadelphia-based Team Final, 73-70, Thursday morning in the semifinals of the Nike Peach Jam at the Riverview Center. 

While Beal was money down the stretch, Gilchrist came up short in the clutch, missing two of three free throws with 1.8 seconds left when he had a chance to tie the game at 72-72. Overall, Gilchrist had great numbers --- 26 points, 12 rebounds and four assists --- but he came up empty in the final three minutes when he was stripped of the ball twice, both times leading to layups by the Eagles, missed a chippie from five feet and then bricked at the foul line.

Beal got a layup with 1:44 when he tipped the ball away from Gilchrist into the hands of Roosevelt Jones (6-4, 210, O'Fallon, IL), who then flipped a nice lead pass that Beal tracked down for the score that put the Eagles ahead for good, 70-68.

Gilchrist was hot early the second half when he hit three shots in a row to take Team Final to a 45-38 lead but St. Louis battled back to tie the game at 47-47 on a three-ball by Beal with 10:10 to go. It was a three-ball by Beal with 5:53 to go that gave the Eagles their first lead since early in the first half at 59-58.

For St. Louis, it was a matter of quickness, great team defense and good passing that enabled the Eagles to overcome a serious height advantage by Team Final. Jones, a Butler commit who will be a wing guard in college, scored 17 points and hauled down nine rebounds while serving as the inside presence. He got help on the boards from Aaron Adeoye  (6-6, 210, Marion, IL), who didn't score but grabbed nine rebounds and did an extraordinary defensive job on Team Final's Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), the tournament's shot blocking leader who finished with eight points, six rebounds and four blocked shots before fouling out in the final seconds. 

Beal attributed the St. Louis win to teamwork and a never panic mentality.

"We've been playing together as a team for three years now so we all know each other and there aren't any surprises when we're out there," Beal said. "We know what we can and can't do and we don't panic when we're behind or playing taller teams. We've been there before so we know what to do. There wasn't any panic. We knew when we were down that we were coming back."

After his MVP performance for the gold medal-winning USA team in Germany, Beal said a championship Wednesday afternoon in the Peach Jam would be a fitting way to close out the week.

"Personal honors are great but nothing beats winning championships," he said. "That's what we came here to do. We made the semifinals last year. This year we came here to win it."

* * * 

There is a new big man on the Florida recruiting horizon. Surprisingly, the Gators are now a major player for Amir Williams (6-10, 220, Beverly Hills, MI Detroit Country Day), who plays on the Nike AAU circuit for Detroit-based The Family. 

Williams has been in regular contact with the Florida coaching staff recently and he's indicated that the Gators have a legitimate chance to land him. Other big men that the Gators are after include Christmas, Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 245, Cleveland, MS), Cody Zeller (6-10, 210 Washington, IN) and Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic).

Nike Peach Jam: The best players

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- If nothing else, the Nike Peach Jam has re-opened the debate about who is the number one rising senior basketball player in the nation. As the tournament winds down to the final day and the crowning of a Nike national championship travel team, five different players have used their time in North Augusta to state their case as the nation's best.

When June turned into July, Michael Gilchrist (6-7, 190, Somerdale, NJ St. Patrick's) was thought to be the best player but Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep), Austin Rivers (6-4, 192, Winter Park, FL), Marquise Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, IN Pike) and James McAdoo (6-8, 210, Norfolk, VA Norfolk Christian) have all made a case for the number one position.

Gilchrist, who has put together three exceptional games since returning from Germany, where he played on the gold medal USA team at the FIBA 17-and-Under World Championships, has helped Philadelphia-based Team Final make it to the semifinals. The Kentucky commitment scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds Wednesday night to lead Team Final past Boston-based BABC, 70-63. Team Final will face the St. Louis Eagles in Wednesday morning's first semifinal at 9. 

Beal, who was the MVP at the FIBA championships, has had a decisive role in four consecutive wins by the St. Louis Eagles, who made it to the semifinals Wednesday night with an 82-76 win over the Oakland Soldiers. Beal, who is committed to Florida, scored 24 points, hitting 4-9 on three-pointers. After his scintillating performance in Hamburg and his outstanding play at both ends of the floor in North Augusta, Beal has earned the right to be considered for the top spot in the individual player rankings.

Austin Rivers couldn't shoot Each One Teach One into the Peach Jam playoffs but he's certainly had a July to remember. Rivers shot lights out at the FIBA Americas 18-and-under tournament in San Antonio at the end of June. Playing with a less than able supporting cast at Peach Jam, Rivers was forced to carry the entire scoring load for his team, delivering 27 points in his final game of pool play Wednesday morning. Rivers has a list of five schools --- Duke, Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky.

Teague, like Gilchrist and Beal a member of the USA gold medal team in Germany, came up big with 30 points Wednesday night to lead Spiece Indy Heat to an 80-76 overtime win over Tidewater Virginia's Boo Williams Summer League. A Kentucky commitment, Teague is thought to be the top pure point guard in the country.


McAdoo, who is committed to North Carolina, was the best big man for the USA team in Germany. He showed tremendous ball skills and great timing as a shot blocker for BWSL in his four games at Peach Jam. McAdoo scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss to Spiece Indy Heat. 


So what's the answer? Which one of these guys is the best?


Maybe there is no answer.


"There are several kids who are all right there," said Paul Biancardi, the former Boston Celtics assistant who scouts high school kids for ESPN. "I'm not sure you could say that there is one player better than everyone else, but you can say there are four or five who are a cut above the rest."


So consider Beal, Gilchrist, McAdoo, Rivers and Teague the five elite players at Peach Jam. Are they the best five players in the country? You could make a case for each one that would be very difficult to argue.


THE NEXT FIVE: In no certain order, the next group of five players would include Dorian Finney Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum), Michael Gbinjie (6-6, 200, Chester, VA Benedictine), Ben McLemore (6-4, 180, St. Louis, MO Erskine), Kyle Wiltjer (6-9, 210, West Lake, OR Jesuit) and Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church). 


The Gators have a legitimate shot to land both Finney-Smith and Christmas. Finney-Smith is thought to be a Florida-Virginia Tech battle while Christmas seems evenly split between Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida International. 


McLemore, who scored 18 points for St. Louis Eagles against Drew Gooden Soldiers, has a long list of schools he's considering headed by Kansas. Missouri and Arkansas. 


Gbinjie is a Duke commitment while Wiltjer has a long list that includes Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas and Kentucky. Christmas lists Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida International on his short list.

Nike Peach Jam: Wednesday update with UF recruiting news

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- The quarter-finals are set for Wednesday evening at the Nike Peach Jam at Riverview Park and the big surprise is that Mac Irvin Fire didn't make the final eight teams that will compete for the Nike AAU travel team national championship. The talented Chicago-based team was thought to be one of the three best teams coming into the tournament, but following a narrow loss to the St. Louis Eagles Tuesday night, the Fire played with dead legs and no energy Wednesday morning, falling in shocking fashion to Louisiana Select, 78-68. That loss and a win by the Metro Hawks over All-Ohio Red ended Mac Irvin Fire's run at the Nike title and propelled the Metro Hawks into the quarter-finals where they will face DC-based Team Takeover, which went unbeaten (5-0) in pool play.


In other quarterfinal games, St. Louis Eagles will face Oakland-based Drew Gooden Soldiers; Boston-based BABC will face Philadelphia's Team Final and Spiece Indy Heat will square off with Tidewater Virginia's Boo Williams Summer League.


The St. Louis Eagles went 4-1 in pool play, 3-0 after Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) got back from the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships in Germany. Beal scored 12 points as part of a balanced Eagles attack that put away Oklahoma City's Athlete's First in the Wednesday morning games. Butler commitment Roosevelt Jones (6-4, 215, O'Fallon, IL) paced the Eagles with 23 points, his most productive game of the tournament.


BABC lost Wednesday to Albany City Rocks but advanced to the playoffs as the second place team in Pool B. Florida has a strong interest in BABC center Nerlens Noel (6-10, 205, Everett, MA Tilton School) who has been reclassified as a 2013 recruit. Noel has blocked 22 shots in the tournament and deflected or altered at least three times that number. In other Pool B action Wednesday, Florida-based Each One Teach One lost to Detroit-based The Family, 73-71, despite 27 points from former Florida commitment Austin Rivers (6-4, 190, Winter Park, FL). Rivers was 10-27 from the field and only 4-14 from the three-point line. 


Team Final went 3-0 once Kentucky commitment Michael Gilchrist returned to the US from Germany, where he was a teammate of Beal, James McAdoo (6-8, 210, Norfolk, VA Norfolk Christian), Marquise Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, In Pike) and Tony Parker (6-9, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove) on the gold medal winning USA team. Gilchrist scored 14 points in Wednesday morning's 87-71 win over California Supreme. Team Final got 14 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots from Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), who lists Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida International on his short list.


Kentucky commitment Teague scored 20 points in Spiece Indy Heat's 70-66 win over Chicago's Mean Streets. McAdoo had 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot as part of BWSL's balanced attack that did in Georgia Stars, 61-50. Tony Parker, one of the nation's top bigs for 2012, scored 12 points and had eight rebounds in a losing effort for Georgia Stars. Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County), who is a top prospect for the Gators, scored eight points to go with two assists and a steal in the losing effort. 


Team Takeover went through its pool unbeaten with a shockingly easy 82-57 win over the Drew Gooden Soldiers. Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic) had five points and four rebounds. Hopkins is a big man prospect who is high on the Gators' list.


* * * 


The Gators have every intention to sign two more to the recruiting class of 2011, but if they can't get the big man they want, they'll hold the scholarship for 2012 where they look extremely good for Parker and a couple other bigs. 


The Gators plan to sign one wing and one big. Here are the four wings the Gators have prioritized:


1. ADONIS THOMAS (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose): Great offensive player who has a 4.3 weighted GPA and a strong SAT score. Memphis and Arkansas are the others in the race although Mississippi State is trying to make a move.


2. DORIAN FINNEY-SMITH (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum): Plays the point on offense and power forward on defense. The most versatile wing in the country. He's a long time family friend of Gator Vern Macklin. Florida's top competition is Virginia Tech. Has a 3.0 in the classroom and an 860 on his SAT.


3. SAM THOMPSON (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young): The best perimeter defender in the country with great grades and a 29 on his ACT. Can play three positions well. Offensive game isn't quite there yet but he is a beast on the press and in transition.


4. KEDREN JOHNSON (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County): He is a combo guard who can play the point for extended minutes. Fills up the stat sheet. Doesn't do anything great but does a lot of things extremely well.


* * * 


The Gators have narrowed their search for bigs down to four for 2011. The priority list includes:


1. JOHNNY O'BRYANT (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS): He's got the highest energy level of any big man in the country. Marvelous physical prospect who only needs some coaching to become a true dominator. It's going to come down to Florida and Mississippi State.


2. CODY ZELLER (6-10, 210, Washington, IN): He runs the floor so well and can shoot the ball well on the pick and roll plays. He got an offer from North Carolina earlier in the week and we'll have to see how that plays out. Entering the week he had Butler and Florida as his top two.


3. RAKEEM CHRISTMAS (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church): When he plays hard he's something to watch. Doesn't always play hard, though. Florida was the first school to offer and the Gators have a legitimate chance to get him. He's slow playing everyone right now. Texas, Oklahoma and Florida International are on his short list.


4. MIKAEL HOPKINS (6-9, 225, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic): He's really leaning toward Syracuse right now but he's planning to attend Florida's elite camp in early August. If you want to press, there is no big man better in the country except for McAdoo, who is going to Carolina.


* * * 


BEST GUESS SCENARIO: A week ago, I would have had it another way, but based on the bond that has formed between Beal, O'Bryant and Thomas, I have to think the Gators finish strong by adding O'Bryant and Thomas to finish out their class.

Nike Peach Jam: Statement game for Brad Beal

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- The life returned to Bradley Beal's legs Tuesday evening. After a morning session in which he had trouble elevating after an all-day flight from Germany following the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships where he was the MVP for the gold medal-winning USA team, Beal scored 25 points while adding eight rebounds and five assists as the St. Louis Eagles held on for dear life to take a 75-69 over Mac Irvin Fire at the Nike Peach Jam.


The Eagles led by as many as 18 points in both the first and second halves and they held a 13-point lead with 4:44 to go in the game but the Mac Irvin press forced a barrage of turnovers to cut the margin to one, 70-69, with 28.9 seconds to go.

It was a must win for the Eagles, who suffered a Monday evening loss to the New York-based Metro Hawks while Beal was busy traveling to North Augusta. They go into the final game of pool play Wednesday morning with a 3-1 record, identical to Mac Irvin Fire, which suffered its first loss and the Metro Hawks. St. Louis plays Oklahoma City-based Athletes First Wednesday morning while Mac Irvin Fire will go against Louisiana Select. 

With Florida prospect Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young) taking the initial assignment to guard Beal, it looked like a classic matchup of the nation's best shooting guard (Beal) and the nation's top perimeter defender (Thompson). It took Beal five minutes to force the Mac Irvin Fire coaches to change their stragegy. The Eagles simply curled Beal off picks at the top of the key and once he turned the corner into the paint, he either scored or got fouled. Thompson picked up his second foul three minutes into the game. Two minutes later, Mac Irvin Fire switched to smaller, quicker point guards. At the eight minute mark, it was time to switch again, this time to a zone.

For the game, Beal hit 6-13 shots but was just 2-7 from the three-point line. He was 0-4 in the Tuesday morning session and missed his fifrst two threes Tuesday evening before he found the range again. Beal finished 11-12 from the foul line with all his free throws coming in the first half.

"I felt a lot better tonight than I did this morning," Beal said. "I was just too tired this morning and I didn't have any energy. I got some rest this afternoon and felt good again. We got the win and I helped so that was important to me."


Thompson finished the game with nine points. He had a chance to tie the game with two free throws with 28.9 seconds to go but made the first and missed the second.

* * * 

Beal's Tuesday night performance coupled with his MVP effort in the FIBA tournament in Germany makes another strong statement that the Florida commitment is the best player in the country regardless of position. Beal is a gifted offensive player and while he is a tremendously gifted shooter, he isn't limited to the offensive end of the court. He's a tenacious defender, a rebounder who relies on great position even though he's got serious springs in his legs, and a court-aware passer who sees the entire floor and gets the ball to open teammates.

Most recruiting services had Beal rated as one of the five or six best prospects for the class of 2011 but after his extraordinary July, you could call him the best player in the country and wouldn't get much argument from anyone who has seen him play.

Without question, Beal is the most important recruit for Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators since Mike Miller.

Nike Peach Jam: Morning session, day two

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- Now that the European adventure is over and done with for Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep), the St. Louis Eagles can get back to the business of trying to win what is the Nike national  travel team championship at the Nike Peach Jam. Beal, the sharpshooting guard and Florida commitment who was selected the Most Valuable Player at the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships while leading the USA team to the gold medal in Hamburg, Germany, spent all day Monday traveling to get to North Augusta and it was obvious that he didn't have his legs under him, but his presence was essential for the Eagles, who suffered a two-point loss to the New York-based Metro Hawks in the second session Monday.

With Florida coach Billy Donovan and assistants Rob Lanier and Richard Pitino looking on, Beal scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, handed out five assists and had three steals  to help the Eagles to a hard fought 63-54 win over Louisiana Select Tuesday morning. Although Beal couldn't get a three-pointer to drop --- he had three of his four attempts do everything but go down --- his presence on the court was a steadying factor when Louisiana Select came back from a 10-point deficit to take the lead with a little over four minutes remaining. 

"I couldn't get my shot going," Beal said after the Eagles improved to 2-1 in the pool play section of the tournament. "I never got into any rhythm at all. My legs were a little dead but they'll be okay later on. I'll get some rest this afternoon and I'll be all right tonight."

The top two teams in each of the four pools will advance to the quarter-finals, which will begin Wednesday evening. The Eagles and the Metro Hawks are both chasing the Chicago-based Mac Irvin Fire, which is 3-0 after a tough Tuesday morning win over the Metro Hawks. Mac Irvin Fire arrived late to the North Augusta Recreation Center venue Tuesday morning and played the Metro Hawks without the benefit of any warmups. Players were still arriving two minutes into the first half. 

While Beal struggled in the first game, Florida target Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young) couldn't get it going at least on the offensive end Chicago-based Mac Irvin Fire's 59-49 win over the Metro Hawks. Thompson arrived barely in time to lace up his shoes and take the floor. After hitting a short jumper off a spin move and nailing a three-ball among his first three shots, Thompson had problems getting the ball to go in the hole the rest of the way. He was 0-6 from the foul line including an 0-3 hat trick with no time left on the clock at the end of the first half, finishing the game with five points, three rebounds and three steals to go with five turnovers.

Thompson was closely watched by Donovan and Pitino while Lanier watched Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum), who scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds  in the Boo Williams Summer League's 71-48 loss to Boston-based BAB on another court. BWSL got 13 points and six rebounds from star center James McAdoo (6-8, 210, Norfolk, VA Norfolk, Christian) who arrived late Monday night from Gerrmany, where he was a member of the USA gold medal team in Germany along with Beal. In that game, 2012 Florida prospect Nerlens Noel (6-10, 205, Everett, MA The Tilton School) scored eight points, grabbed eight rebounds and was credited with three blocked shots although he altered or deflected at least five others.

Donovan also got a good look at Omar Calhoun (6-4, 180, Middle Village, NY Christ the King), who scored 24 points in the New York Gauchos' 53-52 loss to Milwaukee-based Playground Elite, which was led by 2012 stud Cinmeon Bowers (6-7, 240, Milwaukee, WS Rufus King), who scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Bowers, who reclassified from 2011 to 2012, showed impressive ball handling and passing skills along with a nice touch to about 18 feet.

A player of interest for the Gators is 2012 do-it-all Kyle Anderson Jr. (6-8, 200, Paterson, NJ Catholic), who turned in his third straight impressive game in New Jersey Playaz 92-60 rout of Spiece Indy Heat. Anderson's stat line read 13 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Marquise Teague, who traveled all day Monday to get back from Germany along with Beal and McAdoo, was ineffective for Spiece. The Kentucky commitment had just three points (1-8 from the field and 1-5 from the foul line) in 16 minutes although he did have seven assists.

* * *

With Beal a strong commitment and Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario already in the house, the Gators have room for two more in the recruiting class of 2011. One of the scholarships will go to a long, lean athletic type and the other to a big man. 

The long, lean types are Thompson, Finney-Smith, Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) and Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County), a combo guard who is playing with the Georgia Stars in North Augusta. Johnson was impressive Tuesday morning, scoring 14 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and handing out seven assists to lead the Georgia Stars to a 74-72 win over Each One Teach One, which got a 35-point effort from Austin Rivers (6-4, 190, Winter Park, FL). Rivers, who was once committed to Florida, was watched for the third consecutive game by Duke Coach Mike Kryzyzewski.

The Gators are focused in on four big men: Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), Cody Zeller (6-10, 210, Washington, IN), Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 245, Cleveland, TN) and Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic). Christmas, who had two points and no rebounds in 13 minutes Tuesday morning before fouling out after only 13 minutes of play in Team Final's 60-54 win over Mean Streets, has Florida, Texas and Oklahoma at the top of his short list. Zeller has had Butler and Florida at the top of his list but with North Carolina offering recently, the Tar Heels have come into play. Zeller's older brother will be a UNC junior this fall. O'Bryant has Florida on his short list but the team to beat will be Mississippi State. Hopkins, who scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots in Team Takeover's 74-61 win over Alabama Challenge Tuesday morning, says Syracuse is his leader but he plans to attend Florida's elite camp in August. 

Florida's coaching staff is also considering the option of signing just one long, lean type while redshirting either freshman Will Yeguette (6-8) or Cody Larson (6-9) and holding a scholarship until 2012. If the staff isn't confident it can land one of the four big man targets, consider the redshirt/hold the ship possibility as a likely scenario

Nike Peach Jam: Evening session, final wrapup day one

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- Just call Nerlens Noel (6-10, 205, Everett, MA The Tilton School) the Secretary of Defense. The long, lean big man, who burst onto the national basketball recruiting scene last year at the Nike Peach Jam, returned to the scene of his first nationally-recognized success Monday and turned in two dominating performances to lead BABC to a pair of wins including a stunning 63-51 shocker over Austin Rivers-led Each One Teach One in the evening session.

In a Monday morning win over the Georgia Stars, Noel delivered four points, 14 rebounds and nine blocked shots plus at least 13 deflections. Monday night, he made it impossible for Rivers (6-4, 190, Winter Park, FL) and Trevor Lacey (6-3, 215, Huntsville, AL) to get to the rack with seven more blocked shots and an equal number of deflections. Rivers, who scored 29 points Monday morning, and Lacey, who had 18, managed only 13 and 10 points respectively Monday night.

Noel's best block was a total rejection of an attempted dunk by Each One Teach One's Steve Mondu-Missi (6-6, 215, Montverde, Fl Montverde Academy). Mondu-Missi came flying in from the right wing with the ball held high behind his head for an attempted windmill jam but Noel met him in midair and got all ball.

Noel, a rising junior at The Tilton School in New Hampshire, has a four-school favorite's list headed by Florida. Also on the list are Georgetown, Syracuse and Providence. 

"I really like Florida a lot," Noel said. "Coach Donovan is a great coach and they have great academics."

Noel plans to major in communications wherever he lands. 

* * * 

Rivers was relegated to shooting jump shots when Noel took the paint away. He finished with 13 points but only 1-6 on three-pointers as Duke Coach Mike Kryzyzewski watched on along with Kansas coach Bill Self, North Carolina coach Roy Williams and Florida assistant Rob Lanier. Rivers also turned the ball over six times against the BABC press. 

Rivers, who has Florida on his list of five favorites along with Kansas, Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky, will stay for his senior year at Winter Park High School even though he could graduate early and start college.

"You're only a high school senior one time," Rivers said, adding that part of the motivation to stay in high school rather than do an early entry in college is because he is planning to make the jump to the NBA after his freshman year in college. 

* * * 

Both Lanier and UF assistant Richard Pitino were on hand for Team Final's stunning 85-82 double overtime win over New Jersey Playaz. The Florida assistants were there to watch Team Final big man Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), whose stat line read 11 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. Christmas has Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Florida International on his short list.

Lanier and Pitino were also on hand to watch New Jersey Playaz all-purpose stud Kyle Anderson Jr. (6-8, 205, Paterson, NJ Catholic), who followed up a 17-point, 11 rebound and six assist performance in the morning session with 20 points, 15 rebounds and three assists in the evening. Anderson is so versatile that he evokes memories of Florida's Chandler Parsons. Anderson plays the point and wing on offense and plays in the post on defense. 

* * * 

Sam "I Am" Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young) has a connection to Yannick Noah, famous tennis playing dad of former Gator All-American Joakim Noah. Per his mom, when Sam was much younger, he wore his hair in long braids just like Yannick and he got the chance to serve as Yannick's ball boy at a Chicago tournament.


* * * 


Lanier was on hand to watch Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum) score eight points and grab eight rebounds in Boo Williams Summer League's 58-53 loss to Albany City Rocks. Earlier in the day, Finney-Smith had 13 points and 14 rebounds in a BWSL win over Detroit-based The Family.


Finney-Smith, who plays power forward on defense and point on offense for his high school team, said after the loss to ACR that he has narrowed his choices to Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Florida and Wake Forest. Finney-Smith has a 3.0 in the classroom and a qualifying 826 score on the SAT.

Nike Peach Jam, Morning Update #2

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young) provided the highlight reel dunks for the Monday morning session at the Nike Peach Jam with two gravity-defying throwdowns to help spark Mac Irvin Fire to a relatively easy win over Oklahoma City-based Athletes First. Thompson, who continues to list Florida, Oregon State and Ohio State as his top three schools, had a two-handed dunk back in the first half when he flew down the lane to jam back a missed Wayne Blackshear (6-5, 215, Chicago, IL Morgan Park) that was the best dunk of the day until he topped himself with a one-hander on a breakaway in the final three minutes of the game. 

Thompson, who made a qualifying 29 on his ACT on the first try --- "I'm gonna take it again ... I know I can do better than that," he said --- says he is going to take his time before making his final decision.

"Last part of October, first part of November before the signing period," Thompson said. "I'm going to make sure I make the right choice."

* * * 

Former Florida commitment Austin Rivers (6-4, 190, Winter Park, FL) scored 29 points in Each One Teach One's 85-64 win over Albany City Rocks. Rivers was 5-11 on his three-pointers, 9-20 overall from the field. Post game, Rivers said Florida, Duke and North Carolina have been joined by Kansas and Kentucky.


"Those are the five ... I'll choose one of them," Rivers said, adding that he plans to wait until the college season is under way to make a choice. That means Rivers won't be signing in November but waiting until the spring. 


"I want to see how people do, how they play and how their players are doing," Rivers said. "I have to make sure I'm getting the right fit."

Rivers' teammate  Trevor Lacey (6-3, 215, Huntsville, AL) scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Each One Teach One. Lacey is thought to be an Alabama lean although Tennessee is making a very strong push. 


* * * 


A name to keep an eye on for 2012 is Kyle Anderson (6-8, 210, Paterson, NJ Paterson Catholic), whose game reminds everyone of Chandler Parsons. Anderson doesn't do a lot of things great, but he does everything very well. His numbers in New Jersey Playaz 80-49 win over California Supreme were 17 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and one steal.


All the SEC, ACC and Big East schools are on him.


* * *


Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep), the MVP of the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships for the gold medal-winning USA team, will be arriving in Augusta tonight and will be suiting up tomorrow for the St. Louis Eagles, who got a 79-65 win over All-Ohio Red behind 21 points from Ben McLemore (6-5, 200, St. Louis, MO Eskridge) and 20 from Butler commit Roosevelt Jones (6-3, 210, O'Fallon, IL).


* * * 


Earlier in the morning, Nerlens Noel (6-10, 210, Everett, MA Tilton School) scored only four points, but he hauled down 14 rebounds and blocked nine shots to lead Boston-based BABC to a 68-60 win over Georgia Stars. Noel has Florida high on his list along with several Big East schools.


Without Tony Parker (6-9, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove) in the middle, the Georgia Stars had no inside presence against Noel's dominating defense. Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County), who has Florida on his short list along with Vanderbilt and Alabama, scored 10 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out four assists in defeat. Johnson is expected to choose between Vanderbilt and Alabama in early August.


* * * 


Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), scored 12 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots in Team Final's loss to Spiece Indy Heat. 


Over on the winning side, Nic Moore (5-10, 170, Lake Winona, IN Warsaw) scored 26 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out five assists while taking over the point for Marquise Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, IN Pike) who is on his way to Augusta from Germany where he played on the USA team at the FIBA worlds.

Nike Peach Jam, Morning Update

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC --- Spiece Indy Heat made a real statement in the first session of the Nike Peach Jam Monday morning, scoring a decisive win over Philadephia-based Team Final. Spiece was playing without Marquise Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, IN Pike) while Team Final was without Michael Gilchrist (6-7, 190, Somerdale, NJ St. Patrick's), both of whom are en route from Hamburg, Germany, where they were starters on the USA team that won the gold medal at the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships.

Even without Teague, Spiece didn't miss a beat thanks to point guard Nic Moore (5-10, 170, Winona Lake, IN Warsaw), who constantly wore out the Team Final guards, beating them off the dribble and showing off as a spot up shooter. Moore, who scored 31 points in the Indiana state championship game back in March, has offers from Butler and a bunch of mid-majors, but his performance at camps in June has plenty of scouts from Big Ten and other high majors looking at him. 

Florida was taking another look at Rakeem Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church). Christmas had some outstanding moments such as a full sprint down the court to dunk-finish an alley-oop and a couple of nice looking turn arounds in the lane, but he doesn't seem to play hard except in spurts. There's no question he's got the talent but you have to question the desire. He has Florida, Oklahoma and Texas still at the top of his list but there is a strange fascination with Florida International and Isiah Thomas, which I'll never figure out. 

Christmas had way too many problems handling 2012 stud center Aaron Hammons (6-11, 260, Carmel, IN), whose offer list is off the charts. Hammons says he's hearing from everyone, particularly Big Ten schools and Xavier. Kentucky is a very visible presence.

Spiece has another 2012 stud in Austin Burgett (6-9, 210, Avon, IN), who plays power forward on defense and small forward on offense. Burgett hit three threes in a row in the second half when Spiece broke the game open. He's got a picture perfect jumper that's so fundamentally sound you know he'll never go into a prolonged shooting slump. He's got Butler and Xavier all over him, but his offer sheet will fill up soon.

* * * 

Florida assistant Richard Pitino was at an early game watching the Georgia Stars against Boston-based BABC. Florida is very interested in Nerlens Noel (6-10, 210, Everett, MA Tilton), who is perhaps the best shot blocker in this tournament. Noel has a developing offensive game and he's skinny as a rail, but there is no questioning his ability to alter shots and take away the paint. He's got Florida on a short list that includes all the Big East schools.

The Gators maintain an interest in Kedren Johnson (6-4, 215, Lewisburg, TN Marshall County) of the Georgia Stars but he's likely deciding between Vanderbilt and Alabama. The Gators have an increasing interest in Malcolm Brogdon (6-4, 190, Norcross, GA Greater Atlanta Christian), but he's a backup for top targets Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young), Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) and Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum).

When he gets back from Germany (played on the gold medal USA team), the Gators will be looking at Stars big man Tony Parker (6-9, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove). Parker, Gilchrist, Teague and Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep), the MVP of the world championships, will all be on hand Tuesday.

* * * 

Florida assistant Rob Lanier is taking a long look at 2012 combo guard Omar Calhoun (6-4, 180, Middle Village, NY Christ the King), who has shown terrific range from beyond the arc playing for the New York Gauchos against Minneapolis-based Howard Pulley All-Stars.

Is Brad Beal the best basketball prospect in the country?

While the experts are debating among themselves about Michael Gilchrist (6-7, 190, Somerdale, NJ St. Patrick's), Austin Rivers (6-4, 190, Winter Park, FL), Marquis Teague (6-2, 175, Indianapolis, IN Pike) and Quincy Miller (6-10, 200, High Point, NC Westchester Academy), Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) is making a subtle statement that he belongs in the conversation that answers the question who is the top high school senior in the country? Beal is averaging 18.3 points per game for the USA team that has moved into the semifinals of the FIBA World 17-and-Under Championships in Hamburg, Germany but it was his Friday performance against Australia that had everybody buzzing. Beal knocked down 7-9 on his three-point shots as the USA turned what was expected to be their toughest game to date into a 105-70 rout. For the tournament, Brad is hitting 48.9 percent (22-45) on his three-pointers.

Beal was always considered an elite shooter but this summer he's shown all the dimensions of his game. He's proven he is a good enough ball handler and distributor to play the point, can rebound with the big guys and play pit bull, shut down defense even when asked to go head to head with opponents who are 3-4 inches taller. The shooting has always drawn a crowd. The other aspects of his game are starting to convince folks that he might just have the best overall game of any prospect in the country.

What makes Brad so special is that he's never lost sight of the things that are important in life. He's a God first, family second kid who has never been full of himself, a straight A student in the classroom who is popular with teammates and friends because he has this habit of always putting them first. You wonder why he's the unparalleled leader on the USA team in Germany? That's it right there.

I think he's the most important recruit Billy Donovan has landed since Mike Miller.

* * * 

So Southern Cal athletic director Mike Garrett had to send a letter of apology to Florida AD Jeremy Foley this week because of those erroneous accusations by USC freshman Dillon Baxter, who claimed that Florida coaches contacted him within hours after the NCAA dropped the hammer on the Trojans. The apology letter raises two very serious questions in my mind: (1) Why isn't Lane Kiffin being questioned for his part in this; and (2) how is it that Mike Garrett still has a job?


Personally, I don't think Dillon Baxter is smart enough to accuse Florida, Alabama and several other schools of contacting him illegally. Having spent a year listening to the lies and pompous allegations of Lane Kiffin when he was at Tennessee, I have no doubt that the Baxter allegations were a plot conceived by Kiffin, who has convinced himself that he can say or do anything he wants without consequences. Remember, this is the same Lane Kiffin who made Al Davis seem sane and that takes some doing. Al Davis called Lane a pathological liar. After the year he spent at Tennessee, I'm convinced Al was onto something. 

The fact that the University of Southern California hasn't fired Mike Garrett tells me that the school thinks it operates under a separate set of rules from the rest of the schools that make up the NCAA. I find it amazing that USC is appealing the NCAA sanctions. The school administrators should be down on their knees thanking the good Lord that the NCAA didn't serve up the death penalty and eliminate both the football and basketball programs for two or three years as punishment for their involvement with Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo. 

I remain convinced that Bush and Mayo aren't the only ones who took money and ran the rules into the ground at USC. I believe they are simply the two most visible athletes and because of their high profile, they forced the NCAA to act. The fact that Mike Garrett, who was the overseer while all these shenanigans took place, is still employed tells me the NCAA should have offered up harsher penalties. 

* * * 

When I see what happened at Southern Cal, I'm really thankful that Jeremy Foley is Florida's athletic director. Since Foley became the AD in 1992, Florida is the only athletic program in the Southeastern Conference that hasn't had at least one team hit with NCAA sanctions. Just since Foley has been the AD, Alabama has taken an NCAA hit three times for football and once for basketball. Even Vanderbilt has had probation (women's basketball). 

I've been saying for years that Foley is the best in the country when it comes to bottom line and for insisting that every one of his coaches play within the framework of the rules. Florida's second place finish in the Director's Cup this year offers up the perfect example of how you can play by the rules and still win championships. 

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We're a couple of weeks away from Friday Night Lights, which means get ready for a rash of football commitments. I hear through a few well-placed sources that the Gators have as many as six kids who haven't gone public with their commitments to Urban Meyer and that they're saving them for the days that follow FNL.

When Urban Meyer conceived the Friday Night Lights concept in the summer of 2005, I remember how the fine folks at the Harvard of the Panhandle ridiculed him and said it was a rather dumb idea by a coach who was going to get his comeuppance in the Southeastern Conference. Well, in the five years since, Urban Meyer has turned Florida into the ultimate recruiting machine and the Gators have won two national championships and produced a Heisman Trophy winner. The Seminoles? They've been to the Emerald Nuts Bowl twice, have had 14 wins stripped from their football program, forcefully retired their icon of a head coach and they've gotten lack of institutional control slapped on their athletic program because of an academic cheating scandal that had its roots in the football program. 

Oh, and there is that little matter of imitation is the greatest form of flattery. The Seminoles have tried to copy Friday Night Lights with their own "Seminole Showcase" without a whole lot of success. Meanwhile, Friday Night Lights has become the nation's premier one-night camp that nearly every uncommitted player in the country wants to attend.

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I'm off to Augusta today for the Nike Peach Jam. It's a chance to watch the best basketball prospects in the country and an opportunity to hang around with the best coaches in college basketball. I'll be blogging daily, offering up observations of the players and comments from the coaches.

What makes great teams great?

A few days ago, an old friend and I were talking about the John Wooden legacy, which led us to rate the many great UCLA national championship teams from that incredible era from 1964-76 in which the Bruins won 10 NCAA titles in 12 years. As the conversation progressed and we dissected those great teams, we began discussing what separates the good teams from great teams? What is it that every great team has that the good teams lack?

On the surface it would seem that a requirement for a great team would be great coaching and great talent, but there are teams with so much talent that they win in spite of the coaching and there are coaches so great that they can win with even average talent. Bum Phillips once said that Bear Bryant could (I'm paraphrasing here) take his players and beat your players or take your players and beat his players. Bear re-invented himself as a coach at least four times, adapting his style of coaching to the talent level of his players.

Coach Wooden is another one who adapted his style of play to the level of talent. He won his first two national championships (1964 and 1965) with a team whose tallest starter was 6-5. In those years the Bruins were a helter-skelter, full court pressing team that won with superior quickness and the ability to force other teams to play their style. When he recruited Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor --- you know him as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar --- Coach Wooden went from the helter-skelter to a half court style designed to overpower opponents on the inside. When Alcindor graduated, he changed styles again.

I'm not saying that Roy Williams and Tubby Smith are bad coaches --- far from it --- but those 2009 North Carolina Tar Heels and those 1998 Kentucky Wildcats had so much talent that they probably would have won the national championship no matter who was coaching. There are indeed times when coaching is vastly overrated.

So what is it that makes a team great? If not coaching and if not talent, then what?

It is my belief that while talent and coaching are important, there is nothing more important than the combination of leadership and chemistry.

Flashback if you will to 2008 when the Poodles were the poster children of every preseason college football magazine. Georgia had Matt Stafford at quarterback and No Show (if you saw the Florida-Georgia game that year then you know why it's No Show) Moreno at tailback. They had Mark Richt coaching and the experts had proclaimed him the Einstein of the coaching profession for sending his team on the field en masse to celebrate a touchdown against Florida in 2007.

Georgia went 10-3 in 2008 and one of those losses was a 49-10 schoolyard beat down in Jacksonville at hands of the Florida Gators, a loss that officially stuck the hatpin in Georgia's championship hopes. Florida went on to win the national championship. So why did Georgia fail and why did Florida succeed?

Let's start with leadership. Florida had Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes working in tandem, driven and determined to make 2008 a special year and with the added motivation of payback for the Poodles to make them work that much harder. Everyone knows the names Matt Stafford and No Show Moreno but does anyone remember someone who was the maximum supreme leader on that Georgia team?

In the months leading up to the 2008 season, the Poodles went double digits in arrests and off the field incidents. At SEC Media Days in July, Richt was asked if his team was having trouble handling the high pressure of expectations. He didn't exactly dodge the question but his answers didn't exactly instill confidence that his was a team with outstanding chemistry.

Meanwhile down in Gainesville, the Gators used the Poodles as their inspiration and it turned good chemistry great. Urban Meyer constantly gushed about how he loved this team for its professional, motivated approach to practice, attention to detail and how the players had bonded together. Maybe the best examples of team chemistry were in the SEC and BCS National championship games when we saw how the Gators responded to Tim Tebow’s driving will to elevate the Gators to unknown heights. When the Gators needed it the most, they responded to leadership because of the chemistry developed in the offseason.

As we consider the tale of two seasons --- Florida’s national championship run and Georgia’s run to the Capital One Bowl --- it was a clear case of superior leadership and chemistry in Gainesville and a case of what happens when talent and coaching aren’t enough in Athens.
Mark Richt's record proves that he is a fine football coach and the Georgia roster was oozing with talent in 2008 just as it is every year. The Gators were a great team. Georgia was a good team that could have been great except for a severe lack of leadership and chemistry.

Another good example of chemistry and leadership is Florida's back-to-back national championship basketball teams in 2006 and 2007. The seeds for those titles were sown in the summer of 2004 when incoming freshmen Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green teamed with sophomore Lee Humphrey in pickup games against the veterans in the summer. The bond those five formed that summer carried over to the summer of 2005 when the combination of work ethic, teamwork and camaraderie forged them into the best starting five in the country. Those five guys started for two seasons and they won two national titles.

They had the chemistry. Billy Donovan swears he’s never been around a team that had more and the fact is we may not ever see a team that was more in touch and more connected than those two Florida championship teams.

Everybody still talks about the chemistry on that team but nobody talks all that much about the leadership, which is a shame because those two championships couldn’t have been won without extraordinary leadership contributions. In 2006, senior Adrian Moss never sulked as younger players ate up his minutes. Moss was glue in the locker room and patient enough to wait his turn on the floor. When the Gators needed him the most he came up big. Remember those nine points and six rebounds off the bench against UCLA in the national championship game?

In 2007, while Joakim Noah and Taurean Green provided the energy Al Horford and Chris Richard provided the leadership. Former Florida assistant Lewis Preston tells me that there were times in the huddle that Billy Donovan would offer adjustments only to have Horford say, “Coach, they’re playing me this way so get me the ball here (spot on the floor) and spot Hump (Lee Humphrey) up on the wing and Jo down low, we’ll get a great shot.” It takes a real leader with a great understanding of the game and the respect of both the coaches and teammates to do something like that. Lewis tells me Al was never afraid to speak up like that. As for Chris Richard, he’s another guy who never sulked. On any other team in the SEC, Chris Richard would have been the star attraction. At Florida, he was the sixth man but he was also the guy the players went to when there was a problem. They would talk and Chris would listen. If he recommended taking the problem to Donovan, that’s what they did. If he thought the problem could be handled without the benefit of a coach, he took charge or assigned someone to handle it.

In terms of talent from top to bottom of the roster, I can name 10 teams off the top of my head that had more than those Florida teams of 2006 and 2007 but I’ve never seen a team with the kind leadership and chemistry that the Gators had so abundantly. That’s the difference between good and great.

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These are the dog days of summer for Florida’s football and basketball teams. It’s a little less than two months before the football team opens its season with Miami of Ohio and approximately four before the basketball team opens its season. Expectations will be high for both. The Gators are expected to face Alabama for the SEC football championship in Atlanta and the basketball team will open the season as a top ten pick and a darkhorse to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Both the football and basketball rosters are loaded with talent and I wouldn’t trade Urban Meyer or Billy Donovan for any other coach in the country. These are going to be good teams but they could be great if the chemistry develops and leaders step up. The difference between the BCS National Championship Game and an at-large bid to a BCS bowl will be determined on the practice fields in the heat of the afternoon. The difference between one and done or two and through and a shot at the Final Four will be forged in those endless pickup games at the basketball practice facility.

This is the time when teams find chemistry and followers choose to become leaders. It’s when good teams take the first steps toward greatness. Talent and coaching will only take the Gators so far. The rest will be determined by chemistry and leadership.

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The Gators are very close to landing a monster basketball recruiting class for 2011 and setting the foundation for a 2012 class that will be off the charts. Billy Donovan, Richard Pitino and Larry Shyatt are in Indianapolis for the big Adidas tournament where they are taking a good long look at Cody Zeller (6-10, 210, Washington, IN), younger brother of UNC’s Tyler Zeller, for 2011 and 2012s Kaleb Tarczewski (7-0, 220, Southborough, MA St. Mark’s School), Alex Murphy (6-8, 190, Southborough, MA St. Mark’s School), Robert Carter (6-7, 250, Thomasville, GA Central), William Goodwin (6-7, 225, Decatur, GA Southwest DeKalb), Wannah Bail (6-8, 190, Houston, TX Jersey Village), Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (5-10, 175, Indianapolis, IN Park Tudor School) and Kenny Kaminski (6-7, 200, Medina, OH).

Next week Donovan and Pitino will be at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC where the main attraction will be Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep, who not only is the gem of the 2011 Florida recruiting class. The Gators will also give a good long look to Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young), Rakeen Christmas (6-9, 225, Philadelphia, PA Academy of the New Church), Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum), Johnny O’Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS), Ky Madden (6-5, 190, Lepanto, AR East Poinsett County), Austin Rivers (6-4, 192, Winter Park, FL), and Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic) as well as 2012 hotshots Omar Calhoun (6-2, 180, Middle Village, NY Christ the King), Nerlins Noel (6-10, 200, Everett, MA Tilton School) and Tony Parker (6-9, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove).

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Through five games at the FIBA World 17-and-under championships in Hamburg, Germany, Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) is averaging a team-high 17 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Florida target Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) is averaging 7.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while Johnny O’Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS) is averaging 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Florida 2012 target Tony Parker (6-9, 260, Lithonia, GA Miller Grove) is averaging 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

The USA team will take on Germany in the quarter-finals Friday.

Florida assistant Rob Lanier is in Germany to watch the tournament.

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With Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario already in school and Beal an unshakeable commitment, the Gators have two spots open for the recruiting class of 2011. My best guess scenario has the Gators landing Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Chicago, IL Whitney Young) and Cody Zeller (6-10, 210, Washington, IN). Florida leads for Thompson who also has Oregon State and Ohio State in his top three. Zeller looks like he will be a Florida-Butler (yes … you heard that right) battle although Indiana will make a very strong push to keep him close to home.

If Florida can’t land Zeller or Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 215, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic) I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Gators decide to go long and lean with Thompson and Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum).

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Despite rumors that had a lot of Gators in a panic mode, Duke has no clearcut advantage for Alex Murphy (6-8, 190, Southborough, MA St. Mark’s School), younger brother of rising Gator sophomore Erik Murphy. Florida will be there at the end, which is not a surprise. What may shock some folks is that Butler has emerged as Florida’s top competition.