Big 12 recruiting news

[bierce]

Let's start with OU, reeling from the loss of Warren, Gallon, and Mason-Griffin. Capel has picked up a trio of interesting recruits in the last two weeks to go with a couple of juco players and the three earlier signees.

They picked up Calvin Newell, a 6 foot point guard and prolific scorer from the Evelyn Mack Academy. He's a year past his hs graduating class. Apparently (or at least according to his hometown paper), he went the prep route to get a second chance at a major school, not because he had academic problems.

The Link

Then, there is Abdi Ahmed, a 6'10 1'/2" center from Canarias Basketball Academy. Say what? It's a basketball academy in the Canary Islands that is set up to transition European players to Div. 1 or the pros. Check out the video in the upper left hand corner of the website. They seem to be what Findlay Prep only dreams of, particularly because Findlay still doesn't have a school for next year. Maybe it should look to an island in the Atlantic for a home.

The Link

OU now has 8 players entering the program, with transfer Carl Blair being immediately eligible because UNO is dropping from Div. 1.

The Link

 

[bierce]

On to Baylor (not that I'm doing this in any particular order).

Of course we all know about Perry Jones, and Bakari Turner was in the early signees. Baylor has acquired J'Mison Morgan as a transfer, available in 2011-12. Drew also got the signature of Stargell Love, who had committed verbally, but didn't sign until last month. Love is a very, very athletic guard who, as seen here, has a bit of Globetrotter in him. First minute is mostly Love driving for layups and dunks before the focus goes to ball handling, but check out the dribble move about 24 seconds in.

The Link

 

[bierce]

As posted elsewhere on this board, Tobi Oyedeji died today after an early morning car accident.

The Link

Tragic loss. All condolences to his family and friends.

On a trivial note, he headed up A&M's recruiting class of 4 pf.

 

[bierce]

From Iowa State, we have reverse recruiting. Laron Dendy has decided to leave school.
The Link

With Brackins, Gilstrap, Hamilton, Dendy, and Vanderbeken leaving, Jordan Railey and Eric McKnight are going to have trial by fire as freshmen. ISU now returns 72 minutes of playing time on the front line. That's not 72 minutes a game. That's 72 total minutes played all last year.