Short list of weekend visitors

The Dunwoody duo of Delwan Graham and Pierre Jordan is on the road. The two will make a trip to LSU this weekend. Graham, a 6-5 forward, verbally committed to John Brady and the SEC school in mid-week. Jordan, a 6-1 combo guard, remains undecided on his college home.

Auburn is trying to make some in-roads in the Peach State in the class of 2009. After landing McIntosh forward Robert Chubb, a 6-8 forward, earlier in the week, Jeff Lebo and his staff are hoping to impress Miller Grove point guard Mfon Udofia and Wheeler forward Ari Stewart this weekend.

North Gwinnett guard Ebuka Anayora is making a visit to Fairfield this weekend. Fairfield raided Georgia last year for Winder-Barrow guard Lyndon Jordan.

Central Florida continues its attempt of building an Interstate 75 connection from Atlanta to Orlando as Westlake guard Gideon Gamble makes a visit. New high school teammate Ray Willis visited last week.

Marietta forward J.C. Ward is visiting Western Carolina this weekend. WCU landed a Georgia player last year in Druid Hills forward Richie Gordon.If you know of an omission, please let us know. Email us at ygsports@yahoo.com.

Top 5 prospects from SPSU camp

The Southern Poly Tech Camp provided us with a look at a number of prospects in and out of the state. Here are our Top five performers from the event.

Wendell Lewis, 6-8/200, PF, Selma (Ala.) High School, Class of 2009

Without question, he was the biggest surprise and the best looking prospect in the event. Lewis is bouncy, aggressive and athletic around the rim. He shined in the up and down style of the camp and had little problem when he get inside the paint. Lewis showed a nice ability on the boards and passed the ball well from the high post. The mid-major programs should take a good look at him now and it wouldn't come as a surprise if high-major schools locked on later in the process.

Marquise Glaze, 6-0/175, PG, Lanier (Ala.) High School, Class of 2009

This is the third time we've seen Glaze in action and each time he's been impressive. In short, Glaze is an outstanding athlete, has great speed, good but not great shooter and aggressive to the basket. There is a lot to like about him. He'll need to fine tune his overall point guard skills and show an ability to run a team. Camp settings are hard venues to do that. Overall, Glaze could very well catch on with a high-major in 2009.

Lucas Troutman, 6-7/200, PF, Belton-Honea Path (S.C.) High School, Class of 2009

Perhaps the best moment of the camp was when Troutman matched up with Lewis in the post. Troutman went to work on the blocks with an array of post moves and out played the Alabama big man. Troutman understands his position and is good with both hands around the basket. He's an average athlete that compensates with good energy and simplistic play on the block. He'll need to improve his quickness and lift in order to be an effective rebounder down low.

DeAndre Cannon, 6-5/195, SF, Marietta (Ga.) High School, Class of 2008

No one used the glass better than Cannon did. He was the best wing prospect in the event and showed off an array of moves in the midrange. Expect a big year from him this season for the Blue Devils. Offensively, he was hard to stop because of his natural strength and size. There is potential there to be a great defender as well. He's a sleeper for sure and could even be a nice mid-major player at the end of the day.

Terrence Turner, 6-5/205, PF, Fayette County (Ga.) High School, Class of 2008

Simplicity and aggressiveness were the staples of his game. Turner attacked the glass with ease, owned the boards and passed the ball out of the post. He embodied the junk yard dog mentality. There wasn't a lot of flash but there was plenty of production. You can tell that Turner is a well taught prospect.

Atlanta Prep Classic tips off this weekend

Atlanta Prep Classic

Saturday Sept. 22, 2007 & Sunday Sept. 23, 2007

At Morris Brown College John Lewis Gymnasium

643 Martin Luther King Drive Atlanta, GA 30314

Saturday Schedule

11:00 am World Changers Academy (GA) vs. Ware Prep Purple (GA)

12:15 pm Sound Doctrine (GA) vs. Carolina Prep (NC)

1:30 pm Progressive Academy HS (GA) vs. Patterson School Blue (NC)

2:45 pm Covenant Christian (GA) vs. New Creations Prep (IN)

4:00 pm Harmony School HS (OH) vs. Patterson School Blue (NC)

5:15 pm Harmony School PG (OH) vs. Laurinburg Prep (NC)

6:30 pm Summer Hill Prep (GA) vs. Progressive Academy PG (MD)

7:15 pm Stevens Prep (NC) vs. Ware Prep Gold (GA)

Sunday Schedule

9:00 am Progressive Academy PG (NC) vs. Laurinburg Prep (NC)

10:15 am New Creation Prep (IN) vs. Harmony School PG (OH)

11:30 am Progressive Academy HS (MD) vs. Harmony School HS (OH)

12:45 pm Patterson School Gold (NC) vs. Ware Prep Purple (GA)

2:00 pm Summer Hill Prep (GA) vs. Carolina Prep (NC)

3:15 pm Stevens Prep (NC) vs. Sound Doctrine (GA)

4:30 pm Patterson School Gold (NC) vs. Covenant Christian (GA)

5:45 pm World Changers Academy (GA) vs. Ware Prep Gold (GA)

Committed list continues to grow

Class of 2008 committed players

Chase Anderson, SG, Mill Creek (Air Force)

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)

Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)

James Fields, PG, Beach (Georgia State)

Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)

Yaw Gyawu, SF, Parkview (Colgate)

Delwan Graham, PF, Dunwoody (LSU)

Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)

Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)

P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)

Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)

Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)

Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)

Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)

Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)

Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)

Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)

Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)

Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)

Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Class of 2009 committed players

Robert Chubb, PF, McIntosh (Auburn)

Mondays suck...kind of

Okay, so this is a basketball blog. I get that. You want to read about hoops. But if you know me, and you probably do since you are reading this, you know that I'm also a big fan of laughing. And eating peanut butter and chocolate. I'm straying fast.

Back to the point. I hate Mondays. I really do. Until I surf the web. I love people. I love the stupid ones even more.

Hopefully your Monday can brighten up. Mine would be even better if Clinton Portis scores 51 points in tonight's game against the Eagles. My fantasy team needs him to step up in a bad way. Or if I can score some Reese's.

Game over

The cure for death? Try a social life. A 30-year-old man died in China after a three day binge of video games in an Internet café. Tell the Pac-Man in the sky hello for us all.

Father of the Year

An Atlanta area man has a warrant out for his arrest after he flew into a rage at his youth league football game two weeks ago.

"He basically was pointing his finger at the coach and screaming with the worst kind of vulgarities that his son was the best running back in the league and he should be starting," Kurt Brown, president of the Peachtree City Youth Football Association, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Thanks for being a role model for your son, dad. And thanks for your email asking why your 10-year-old wasn't nationally ranked on Rivals.com. These people do exist. I've interacted (translation: tried to inject them with knowledge of the recruiting process, explain that their child wasn't as good as they think, etc.) with them. I hope they find you.

Sure, I'll sign it

Ten-year-old Griffin Whitman hates the Yankees. And I love Shelley Duncan, a rookie for the New York Yankees. Duncan, a young budding prospect for the Yankees, signed an autograph for a 10-year-old with oversensitive parents and left an encouraging note for the superfan.

Blown save

Too bad Shelley Duncan didn't get in a cab in Boston and find Jonathan Papelbon's cell phone. Now that would be a great story. Unlike this one. What a gold mine you turned down Mr. Writer from the NY Daily News. You live for those moments. And what did you do? The right thing.

Give me free stuff

Josh Ritter is a great musician. I doubt he reads the Georgia Hoops blog. In fact, I doubt many do anyways. If he does, he'd love this. The best album I've heard all year (and I've heard plenty) is The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Those wishing to compensate me for the endorsement can reach me at jyoung@rivals.com.

The power is in your vote



Now onto Tuesday.

Back on the road

It is camp time. Georgia Hoops is hitting the road this weekend for a couple of exposure camps around Atlanta. We will split time at Oglethorpe University for the SEBA Shootout and Southern Poly Tech for the SPSU Profile Camp. Both camps have talented players in the field.

The SPSU camp will tip off games at 9:05 a.m. The SEBA event will tip off its games at 11 a.m. Click on the links above for directions to both venues.

Several people have asked about the Georgia Hoops Fall Showcase, which we have conducted for the last two years. We will not be holding that event this year. Our Georgia Hoops staff will attend a number of other events this fall but are associated with any events.

Another busy weekend of visitors

Another weekend, another long list of visitors. Georgia prospects are well represented across the country. Here is a quick rundown on who is going where.

• The state's top class of 2009 prospect Derrick Favors (South Atlanta) is making an unofficial visit to Georgia Tech.
  

• Dennis Harris (Mundy's Mill) is visiting LSU for the first time. He committed to the SEC school earlier in the week.

• Ray Willis (Westlake) and Pierre Jordan (Dunwoody) are visiting Central Florida as the Golden Knights host Texas on the gridiron.
  

• Colorado is hosting Toby Veal (Savannah Johnson) for his official visit. He visited Colorado State last weekend.

• Delwan Graham (Dunwoody) is making the quick trip over to South Carolina for an officail visit with the Gamecocks.
  

• James Fields (Beach) is coming to Atlanta to see Georgia State. He's already unofficially visited the CAA program this summer.
  

• Class of 2009 forward Jeremy Olsen (Collins Hill) is making a trip West to see Utah and BYU. Both programs have offered him a scholarship.
  

• Richmond will host forward Darrius Garrett (McEachern) for his second official visit of the fall.
  

Updated list of committed players

Class of 2008 committed players

Al-Farouq Aminu, PF/SF, Norcross (Wake Forest)

Justin Brownlee, SF, Covenant Christian (City College of San Francisco JC for 2007 class)

Steven Fowlkes, PF, Banneker (Tennessee – football)

Dennis Harris, PF/SF, Mundy’s Mill (LSU)

Dequan Jones, SF, Wheeler (Miami)

P.J. Meyers, PG, T.W. Josey (Campbell)

Reggie Middleton, PG, Glenn Hills (Winthrop)

Tony Mitchell, SF, Swainsboro (Alabama)

Chris Reynolds, SG, Glenn Hills (Campbell)

Tanner Smith, SG, Wesleyan (Clemson)

Jerel Stephenson, SG, Glenn Hills (UNC Wilmington)

Matt Sundberg, SG, Harrison (College of Charleston)

Howard Thompkins, PF, Wesleyan (Georgia)

Dustin Ware, PG, North Cobb Christian (Georgia)

Tony Woods, C, Rome (Wake Forest)

Cashmere Wright, PG, Urban Christian (Cincinnati)

Andre Young, PG, Deerfield-Windsor (Clemson)

Prime Time Shootout is coming back to Atlanta

Atlanta, Saturday 1/19/08 , Norcross High School

11:30 pm – East Hall (GA) vs. Whitefield (GA)
1:00 pm –Westlake(GA) vs. Dillard (FLA)
2:30 pm – Columbia (GA) vs. Arlington Country Day (FLA)

5:30 pm - Wheeler (GA) vs. Johnson (Savannah, GA)
7:00 pm - Dunwoody (GA) vs. American Christian (PA)
8:30 pm - Norcross (GA) vs. Our Savior (NY)

*All Games Subject to Change

Peach State well represented last weekend on the road

Here is a look at what prospects from Georgia made weekend visits:

Tanner Smith - Vanderbilt
Toby Veal - Colorado State
Ralph Sampson - Minnesota
Delwan Graham - Ole Miss
James Fields - Marshall
Darius Morrow - Fordham
Pierre Jordan, Chris Singleton - Florida State
Darrius Garrett - East Carolina
Al-Farouq Aminu, Tony Woods - Wake Forest
Wesley Witherspoon - LSU
Lorenzo Brown - Florida
Kammeon Hosley - Georgia

Coaching Clinic at Truett-McConnell

Mock Schedule for Saturday, October 6, 2007

9am - Jeff Pourchier (Head Coach of Reinhardt College) Speaking on 'Half Court Zone Defenses or Offenses'

9:45am - Tony Ingle (Head Coach of Kennesaw State University) Speaking on 'Kennesaw State Basketball'

10:30am - Mike Leeder (Head Coach of Georgia Southwestern State University) Speaking on 'Half Court Man-to-Man defense'

11:15-12:30pm - See Truett-McConnell College men go through Individual workouts / Offensive skill work with Cory Baldwin (Head Coach at Truett McConnell College) and eat your Lunch (which is provided by TMC)

12:45pm - Gordon Gibbons (Head Coach of Clayton State University) Speaking on 'Full Court Man-to-Man Defense'

1:30pm - T-shirt pick-up and dismissal

$40 if you mail in your payment / pre-register

$50 if you pay at the door

All checks should be made out to Truett-McConnell Basketball Booster Club

Directions to TMC Campus

From I-85

• Take I-85 north through Gwinnett County; merge left onto I-985 toward Gainesville
• Drive 24 miles and leave I-985 at Exit 24
• Turn left onto US 23/Jesse Jewell Parkway, and go to second traffic light
• Turn right onto Limestone Parkway, and continue until it dead-ends into US 129
• Turn right onto US 129, and travel approximately 20 miles to town of Cleveland
• At traffic light on the square in Cleveland, turn right onto GA 115 East (East Kytle Street)
• Continue one mile, and see the college on the left of the highway.

From GA 400

• Take GA 400 north to traffic light near Dahlonega
• GA 400 will become Long Branch Road/GA 115 at the traffic light
• Continue on Long Branch Road/GA 115 several miles to intersection at traffic light
• Turn right and continue on GA 115 East to the town of Cleveland
• At traffic light on the square in Cleveland, go straight ahead for one mile
• See the college on the left of the highway