Coaching News Online presents Brian Stinnette's News And Notes From High School Basketball And The College Basketball Recruiting Trail

Brian Stinnette
April 29, 2008

Head coach Greg Gorton and Loras College have scored a major recruiting coup, and have landed 6-8 Neuqua Valley star Dan Pawelski. Pawelski is coming off of a huge senior season which saw him tabbed as a 4th team All-State selection.

Darryl Royster's RBS All-Stars had a nice showing at the King James Shooting Stars Classic over the weekend, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 17-U Silver Division. They were led by Troy Snyder (Bolingbrook), Jelani Johnson (Waubonse Valley), Brian Johnson (Marian Catholic) and Grayson Mitchell (Marian Catholic) and Billy Molinari (Peoria Christian).

Head coach Bo Ryan, Howard Moore and the University of Wisconsin continue to flat out get it done on the recruiting trail. Last night, the Badgers picked up a verbal from Vander Blue, a 6-3 Class of 2010 shooting guard from Madison. Vander Blue can flat out play! He is yet another big time get for the Badgers. Blue and 6-3 David Brown of Rockton Hononegah combine to form a formidable duo on travel team circuit with the Madison Spartans.

Kareem Richardson of Missouri-Kansas City put in major work over the weekend eyeballing recruits at the King James Shooting Stars Classic. Former Thornwood star Reggie Hamilton played huge all year long this past season as a freshman at UMKC. Look for Richardson to entice more Chicago recruits to UMKC to line up alongside of Hamilton in the near future.

Class of 2010 Chicago Foreman star Lavonte Dority caught the eye of Indiana University with his strong play for Chicago Elite LNO at the King James Shooting Stars Classic.

Iowa, Wisconsin, Davidson and DePaul are all tracking the progress of Class of 2010 Mundelein star Ben Brust of the 16-U Rising Stars Gold team.

Chris Parrish of Riverside-Brookfield and the 17-U Illinois Wolves will miss the spring travel team circuit with an injury. Next year, Parrish, will suit up for Brewster Academy. Illinois-bound Joseph Bertrand (Sterling) and Wisconsin-bound Diamond Taylor (St. Joseph) are both nursing ankle injuries for the Wolves.

Chad O'Donnell of the University at Albany is a real good dude.

Davidson is expressing early interest in 6-10 Class of 2010 New Trier standout Fred Heldring of the 16-U Rising Stars Gold team.

The 16-U Illinois Warriors with Anthony Johnson (Chicago Whitney Young), Ahmad Starks (Chicago Whitney Young), Brandon Spearman (Chicago Hales Franciscan) and Dwayne Evans (Neuqua Valley) are very, very good. They went all the way to the Final Four at King James before running into Ohio State-bound J.J. Sullinger, and a 16-U All-Ohio Red team that won the title, and is as good as any 16-U team in the country.

Jerrance Howard...............Jerrance Howard..................Jerrance Howard............Jerrance Howard..........Jerrance Howard.

Former Chicago Lincoln Park star Julius Hearn has his release and will be transferring from Howard University. Hearn, a 6-0 point guard, received a medical redshirt this past season, and still has three years of eligibility remaining. He is wide open, and will consider a year of junior college.

6-6 Class of 2009 Niles West star Nik Garcia raised his recruiting stature nationally with his ability to shoot the basketball. Garcia now has a long list of schools taking a hard look including the likes of Iowa, Michigan, Alabama and Georgia Tech.

Illinois State University head coach Tim Jankovich is a real good dude..............Great 2008 recruiting class!

Kudos to 15-U Full Package Athletics. The team advanced all the way to the Elite 8 of the 15-U Silver Division.

Texas-Southern is actively eyeing 6-9 former Chicago Austin star Marquis Young of Mineral Area Community College.

Valparaiso has Class of 2010 Chicago Hales Franciscan star Brandon Spearman on their radar screen.

James Wilhelmi of Howard University is top notch.

Class of 2010 Springfield Lanphier star Karl Madison this weekend was once again very, very good for the 16-U St. Louis Eagles. Last weekend, Madison led the Eagles to the 16-U championship at the Old School AAU Tournament in Arkansas, and was named Tournament MVP.

Class of 2011 Chicago De La Salle star Mike Shaw of the 17-U Mac Irvin Fire put his versatility on full display during the Fire's pool play win over a loaded Team Stat. Shaw, a 6-8 wing, flashed his shooting skills from behind the three-point arc, and threw down some nasty dunks. His national reputation is growing with every tournament he plays in.

Associate head coach Gary DeCesare and assistant coach Ramone Williams of DePaul were both working overtime at King James this weekend.