Archive: May 2009
DeMatha Running Back Doesn't Really Commit
So you're DeMatha running back Marcus Coker and you wake up one morning and learn that you've committed to play for Minnesota. Small problem omitted from various reports - included the one I linked, which includes no attribution - Coker didn't really accept a scholarship offer to play for the...
By Josh Barr | May 28, 2009; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (1)
New Virginia Coach Looks Toward Recruiting
Virginia's new basketball coach had three priorities when he first took his new job. Nearly all tied into recruiting. Tony Bennett wanted to keep two recruits in the fold, including second-team All-Met Tristan Spurlock from Word of Life Academy in Springfield. He wanted to hire coaches who knew the region,...
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2009; 12:49 PM ET | Comments (3)
N.C. State Joins the Hunt for Broad Run Running Back
Paul Tenorio also reports that Broad Run running back T.J. Peeler was offered by North Carolina State. Peeler, who is 6-1 and 200 pounds, already held offers from Pittsburgh and West Virginia....
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2009; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (1)
Hokies Offer Loudoun Standout
Loudoun County linebacker Chase Williams had plenty of interest from schools across the country, now one of the schools in his backyard has offered a scholarship. Colleague Paul Tenorio reports that Virginia Tech is the 10th school to offer Williams, joining Miami (Fla.), West Virginia, New Mexico State, Southern Methodist,...
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2009; 12:11 PM ET | Comments (3)
Another Haden Ready for Action?
With Friendly strong safety Jordan Haden ready to join his brother, Joe, at Florida, is it too soon to start thinking about where 13-year-old Jonathan Haden will end up? The seventh-grader at Eugene Burroughs Middle School will be a running back in college, according to his father, Joe Sr. "He'll...
By Josh Barr | May 27, 2009; 10:12 AM ET | Comments (1)
Howard Player of the Year Heads for the Midwest
Dave Yanovitz reports: Hammond guard Chris Baker, Howard County's second-leading scorer this past season and the county coaches' Player of the Year, has signed with Division II Missouri Southern. Baker's 20.7 points per game as a senior helped the Golden Bears to a remarkable turnaround this winter: Hammond won 20...
By Josh Barr | May 22, 2009; 4:10 PM ET | Comments (1)
Former NFLer Settles Lawsuit With Supplement Company
Can't count the number of times I've preached this one to folks, but it always is pertinent, especially given how many basketball, football, baseball and other prospects take supplements, thinking they are helping their bodies grow. Not all supplements are what they claim to be. Former San Diego State and...
By Josh Barr | May 22, 2009; 12:11 PM ET | Comments (1)
Wake Forest Joins Pursuit of Gaithersburg DB-RB
Wake Forest was the latest school to come calling about Gaithersburg defensive back-running back Axel Ofori. The 5-10, 185-pound junior holds a scholarship offer from Louisville and has seen a steady stream of visitors during the spring recruiting period. Maryland, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Penn State, Connecticut, Rutgers, East Carolina,...
By Josh Barr | May 21, 2009; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (2)
Top Point Guard Picks Kentucky
So hotshot point guard prospect John Wall chose to play for Kentucky and new coach John Calipari. No surprise there. Here's the interesting part of the story -- interestingly, never mentioned in this story: Wall, who must still gain academic eligibility, faces one other minor hurdle. He is due in...
By Josh Barr | May 20, 2009; 10:56 AM ET | Comments (2)
Ferguson Has Options, Could Narrow List Soon?
Caught up with St. John's Catholic Prep Coach Jimmy Ward, whose star defensive end Ego "J.R." Ferguson will be the area's most heavily recruited rising senior football player. The 6-3 ½, 275-pound Ferguson has more than 40 scholarship offers and Ward said that Ferguson might thin his list soon. "Pretty...
By Josh Barr | May 18, 2009; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (2)
Another Local Player Bound for Division II Power
Colleague B.J. Koubaroulis is on top of things in Fairfax County and passes along that Lake Braddock guard Dominic Morra is bound for NCAA Division II power Augusta (Ga.) State, which is coached by W.T. Woodson grad Dip Metress, whose brother, Brian, is the coach at Lake Braddock. Augusta's roster...
By Josh Barr | May 15, 2009; 10:03 AM ET | Comments (0)
U-Md., VT, WVU Among Dozens Chasing Robinson LB
Robinson linebacker Brian Laiti "is getting a lot of love," according to Coach Mark Bendorf, but the 6-3, 210-pound junior has yet to narrow his college choices. "I've had 44 coaches in so far since the last week of April, it's been a pretty steady stream," Bendorf said. "It's not...
By Josh Barr | May 14, 2009; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (3)
UT, Kiffin About to Snag a Quarterback?
Could this be a recruiting coup for Lane Kiffin? The new Tennessee coach apparently has former Miami quarterback Robert Marve considering walking on in Knoxville instead of potentially accepting a scholarship to play for Purdue. Marve started 11 games for the Hurricanes this season before his rather ugly divorce from...
By Josh Barr | May 13, 2009; 3:50 PM ET | Comments (2)
This Will Come Up in Recruiting
The Washington area already is a hotbed for division I-AA coaches looking for lesser-known talented players or others who perhaps slipped through the cracks. With many top teams in the region -- James Madison, Richmond, William & Mary, Delaware, for starters -- I am certain this new item will be...
By Josh Barr | May 13, 2009; 2:15 PM ET | Comments (0)
Will Power Schools Recruit Gonzaga Guard?
Gonzaga guard Cedrick Lindsay enjoyed a breakout junior season, averaging 16.7 points and establishing himself as a significant scoring threat. While plenty of mid-major college programs have taken notice, but it remains to be seen whether schools from the power conference will get involved in his recruitment. His backcourt mate,...
By Josh Barr | May 12, 2009; 4:54 PM ET | Comments (4)
Former DeMatha Standout Transferring to Arkansas
Former DeMatha guard Jeff Peterson is transferring to Arkansas from Iowa. Peterson started 25 games as a sophomore this past season, averaging 10.4 points and 4.2 assists before missing the season's final seven games because of a hamstring injury. He said he wants to play for a team that plays...
By Josh Barr | May 11, 2009; 10:37 AM ET | Comments (1)
Williams, Others Rank Highly
Loudoun County expert colleague Paul Tenorio notes thatLoudoun County junior Chase Williams is ranked as the 10th-best prospect at middle linebacker in the class of 2010 by rivals.com. Paul scanned the lists and came up with these other Washington-area players ranked highly at their respective positions, including Linganore's Zach Zwinak,...
By Josh Barr | May 11, 2009; 9:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Notre Dame, Marquette Pushing for DeMatha Juniors
It's a basketball update kind of day. DeMatha Coach Mike Jones, en route to a speaking engagement/round of golf in the Shenandoah Valley, reports that Notre Dame and Marquette have made recent visits to Hyattsville to recruit the Stags' talented junior forwards, Jerian Grant and Victor Oladipo. "Notre Dame came...
By Josh Barr | May 8, 2009; 1:26 PM ET | Comments (3)
Good Counsel Center Detouts to Winthrop
Good Counsel center Julius Francis is no longer bound for Southern Methodist and instead is bound for Winthrop. It's unclear why Francis and SMU parted ways, with the school granting a release from his letter-of-intent; former Good Counsel coach Mike Hibbs was not immediately reachable. When that happened, Winthrop apparently...
By Josh Barr | May 8, 2009; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (0)
H.D. Woodson QB Picks Va. Tech
Man About Roanoke Doug Doughty has the news: H.D. Woodson quarterback Ricardo Young has committed to play for Virginia Tech. Young apparently is in New Jersey to participate in a combine tonight. He was a standout in last year's Turkey Bowl as the Warriors beat Dunbar, 24-6....
By Josh Barr | May 7, 2009; 3:34 PM ET | Comments (3)
All-American Nominees Announced
Granted with the UnderArmour All-American Bowl also getting many of the top players, these things are getting a bit convoluted, but the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has the nominees for its 10th annual game next January in San Antonio. Local players making the first cut: Robinson linebacker Brian Laiti, Battlefield...
By Josh Barr | May 7, 2009; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (2)
Top Player About to Commit to Hokies?
That's what I'm hearing from someone who usually is in the know. He says he expects one of the Washington area's top high school football juniors to accept a scholarship offer from Virginia Tech, possibly as soon as tomorrow. More to come, obviously......
By Josh Barr | May 6, 2009; 3:47 PM ET | Comments (2)
Star Player Left with Few Options
Insider special contributor B.J. Koubaroulis passed along this link that will leave you shaking your head. One-time Georgetown target Renardo Sidney was pursued by UCLA and USC and at one time even verbally committed to play for the Trojans. Now, though, he is bound for Mississippi State after both USC...
By Josh Barr | May 4, 2009; 3:56 PM ET | Comments (1)
Top Recruit Runs Afoul of Law, Will Colleges Care?
It will be interesting to see how colleges deal with their pursuit of hotshot guard John Wall after he was cited with breaking and entering last week. While breaking the law isn't necessarily what colleges want to see from potential students, the guess here is that some top 25 programs...
By Josh Barr | May 4, 2009; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (3)
Paulus Visits Nebraska, Decision Soon?
Might this be the one time to really believe that a recruit is serious about a school's academic facilities? Or is it just a bizarre recruiting tale? Either way, soon-to-be former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus plans on playing football in the fall and he took in Nebraska'a campus last...
By Josh Barr | May 4, 2009; 9:44 AM ET | Comments (5)
