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J'Mison "Bobo" Morgan, who at 6-foot-10, 275-pounds is one of the biggest and best true centers in the Recruiting Class of 2008, continues his college tour this weekend.
Morgan, Rivals.com's No. 23-rated player out of Dallas South Oak Cliff High, is making a campus visit to the University of Cincinnati. He already has visited LSU, Kansas University, UCLA and Alabama, meaning Cincy marks his fifth and final stop.
Morgan recently told the Baton Rouge Advocate he has a top three of KU, LSU and UCLA, though no school has been eliminated. Baylor also is on his short list of schools.
The Advocate dispelled the rumor that "Bobo" eliminated LSU after the Tigers failed to land 6-10 Greg Monroe, the country's No. 1 prospect out of Harvey, La., who is headed to Georgetown.
"That wasn't going to matter to me at all," Morgan told the Advocate. "We play two different positions, and we're totally different players. I want to play inside and that's why I'd be a good fit at LSU. They're going to need some big men next season, and I think I'd be a good fit."
Morgan plans to announce his college choice Nov. 2, his 18th birthday.
"Everyone still has a chance with me," Morgan said.
¢Canadian guard considers KU: World traveler Bill Self, who recently made a recruiting trip to Spain, apparently has trekked to Canada as well in the pursuit of top hoop talent.
Devoe Joseph, a 6-3, 175-pound senior combo guard from Ontario's Pickering High School, tells Rivals.com he has a final four of KU, Minnesota, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech.
Joseph, who averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for Canada at the FIBA Under 19 World Championships last August in Serbia, says he will travel to Vanderbilt on Oct. 26-27, KU Nov. 2-3, Minnesota Nov. 9-10 and Virginia Tech Nov. 16-17.
"I do plan on taking all four of my visits. I want to see what is out there and what each school is like," Joseph told Rivals.com. "They all have been recruiting me for some time. I'm going to look at the school, the overall program and how the players and coaches respond and interact with each other. I want to find out if it is a place that I want to be and like to be."
Rivals.com's No. 84-ranked player erupted for 33 points against Nigeria, 31 against Australia and 29 against both China and Lithuania at the FIBA tourney. He hit 27 of 69 threes in eight games, good for 39.1 percent. He was the second leading scorer overall at the prestigious international event.
Joseph, who also is an accomplished volleyball player, says Virginia Tech has recruited him the longest.
"They (Hokies coaches) have talked about my jump shot and how they want to look at me as a scorer, but I am willing to adapt to whatever role they need me to fill. I will do whatever it takes to win, and that's my first goal," said Joseph, who plays for Grassroots Canada AAU.
His team won the Pittsburgh Jam Fest last spring, an event that thrust Joseph onto the national scene.
¢Thomas visits Rutgers: Quintrell Thomas, a 6-8 forward from St. Patrick High in Newark, N.J., watched from the stands as hometown school Rutgers stunned South Florida, 30-27, in football Thursday night. Dwight Miller, a 6-8 forward from Houston, also was on hand for the game. Thomas' AAU coach said the player hoped to pick either KU, Rutgers or UNLV over the weekend and perhaps announce Monday.
¢Junior likes KU, others: De Shonte Riley, 6-10, 220 junior center from Detroit Country Day High, visited Georgetown last weekend. He told Rivals.com he also has Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida and UCLA on his early list.
¢Reid update: Jeff Reid, a 6-5 junior guard from Topeka Hayden, attended KU's Late Night in the Phog on an unofficial visit. The brother of former Kansas State guard Josh Reid also has made an unofficial stop in Manhattan.
"I am getting recruited by KU and by Gonzaga. They both are pretty high on my list. They haven't offered me yet, though. K-State is only offer," Reid told Rivals.com. "Right now, I'm looking at waiting until next year to decide, but if I decide it is the right place I'll go ahead."
More like this
- 'Bobo' picks LSU 12 comments / November 3, 2007
- Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook 21 comments / May 14, 2008
- Gary Bedore's KU basketball notebook 18 comments / May 7, 2008
- KU recruiting class ranked No. 2 in land 51 comments / May 24, 2008
- Morris twins 'really excited' 14 comments / November 2, 2007
Comments
jhawk7782 (anonymous) says...
Do we need another guard??
October 20, 2007 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
afilmer (anonymous) says...
i think so - we loose robinson, rush, and maybe chalmers.
October 20, 2007 at 1:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kamm754 (anonymous) says...
we must get morgan.
October 20, 2007 at 1:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawkdan42 (anonymous) says...
I thought "bobo" was a lock 2 months ago but now I'm not so sure. I think he is a key to this upcoming class and I'm keeping my fingers ( and everything else) crossed that he follows his buddy DA to the mecca of college bb, KANSAS!
October 20, 2007 at 4:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhawkdan42 (anonymous) says...
Kickoff time in 5 minutes,go hawks!!!!!
October 20, 2007 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dagger108 (anonymous) says...
Great post Dan. Never thought I'd see it at "BB school".
October 21, 2007 at 10:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jaybate (anonymous) says...
Contemplating potential one'n'doners like Bobo, I am reminded of Bob Knight's remarkably candid comment in an Athlon Preseason Basketball guide.
Knight said that one'n'doners don't have to go to school at all their second semester, and can take almost no legitimate courses their first semester.
I infer from Knight's remarks that he thinks the collusion between the NBA and NCAA requiring one year of college hoops has effectively turned certain college players into professionals, i.e., they are paid tuition, room and board to play basketball and not be students at all.
I am at odds with Coach Knight regarding his harrassment of players, and with his running of players off scholarship to achieve high graduation rates AND a steady flow of new talent to replace players he guessed wrong on, but...
He seems to have a point here.
The line between amateur and pro here, which has long been fuzzy in college sports, seems at last to be unquestionably crossed now.
So: why not pay all of these kids salaries now?
College basketball seems to be sliding down a slippery slope into an issue of equal pay for equal work here.
Why is it okay effectively to pay one player to play basketball and not go to school, but to require another to go to school and play basketball for free?
October 22, 2007 at 8:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JayCeph (anonymous) says...
These aren't the same or different or whatever... if a player is on a scholarship to go to a school, they are getting 'paid' to play. Their primary expenses are covered, they are on track to get a degree and they are being shuttled around the nation, playing a sport they love, getting tons of free press while attempting to raise awareness to their skills for when they attempt to turn pro.
The whole idea of 'paying' student athletes a 'real wage' is just absurd. They're paid on so many other levels that their 'benefits' package outshines anyone skipping college to play in the NBDL (or comparable) while trying to make it to the next level.
Just go to school, get famous, have fun, party and then turn pro. The suggestion of anything else is just silly.
October 22, 2007 at 11:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )