Kansas University appears to have a candidate in mind to replace shooting guard Dwight Lewis in the recruiting class of 2006.
KU and Oklahoma State are two of the top teams on the list of Obi Muonelo, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior from Edmond, Okla.
Muonelo, the No. 18-ranked player in the Class of ’06 – Lewis was rated 132 – tells rivals.com he will “definitely take an official visit to Kansas,” plus Oklahoma State, Texas and Illinois. He has visited Oklahoma unofficially.
“He had a heck of a summer,” said recruiting analyst Greg Swaim, who is based in Oklahoma. “I know UConn and Kansas started recruiting him hard this summer. He’s always mentioned Oklahoma State.”
Lewis, 6-5 from Archbishop Rummel High in Louisiana, withdrew his oral commitment to KU for a second and final time on Friday, his dad making it public on Monday. Sources have told the Journal-World that KU no longer will recruit Lewis.
It appears LSU, which once had interest, also will pass. The Baton Rouge Advocate indicated Tuesday LSU would seek a point guard for the Tigers’ final scholarship.
“I really don’t know how things are with LSU,” Dwight Lewis Sr. said. “Dwight has spoken to the LSU coaches and let them know he’s interested. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Rivals.com indicates Muonelo is “extremely strong and fast with the ball, can get into the lane and make plays with the best of them. He is also a tenacious and versatile defender with his blend of strength, quickness and size. Shoots the ball well enough to keep the defense honest.”
¢ No visit from Rush yet: Brandon Rush, a 6-6 guard from Kansas City, Mo., did not visit KU on Tuesday.
Rush, who is considering KU, Illinois, Indiana and maybe others, conceivably could make the short drive to Lawrence today or later in the week. His recruitment has been hard to gauge since the player pulled his name out of the NBA Draft.
Rush for a long time said he for sure would attend either Oklahoma or Illinois if he indeed went to college a year or two.
But he has eliminated OU and added Indiana, Southern Cal and KU to the list, with some who are close to the situation insisting Missouri could still get a visit if the Jayhawks get one.
Rush’s search for a college is attracting a lot of interest.
College basketball writer Mike DeCoursey of the Sporting News weighed in on the issue Tuesday on the Sporting News Web site.
“Rush is a significant talent. Coming out of high school, competing against such college stars as Luther Head, Travis Diener, Dijon Thompson and Keith Langford, Rush ranked with the best players at the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago earlier this summer. He dazzled with his athleticism, his head for the game and his jump shot. And his hustle. Having loafed his way through much of the ABCD Camp prior to his senior year of high school, Rush was stunningly energetic when competing in Chicago. …
“So what would a team get in return if Rush is only in place a year? As a freshman, he is capable of averaging in the neighborhood of 13-16 points and shooting probably 43 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range. He could do better if he gets high-quality shots from the system in which he plays or from creative teammates.
“There has been a lot of speculation in the media regarding whether Rush would be eligible to compete at the Div. I level. But remember, no player is eligible until the NCAA clearinghouse certifies that he is. As major schools continue to recruit him, there’s still a chance he could make a major impact on how the next season of college basketball develops.”
Recruiting analyst Swaim still sees a scenario in which Rush could wind up prepping for the NBA at the IMG Academy in Florida where he has in the past worked out.
¢ Illini coach way out of town: If Rush decides to attend Illinois, he will be committing to a coach who is out of the country. Bruce Weber and his Illini staff are coaching a Big Ten all-star team in Spain. Weber reportedly has a phone with the capability of making international calls.
¢ More Rush: Rush to the Champaign-Urbana NewsGazette. “I’m good academically. I finished up. Everything’s good. I can play next year if I want to go to college.”
¢ This, that: KU soph center Sasha Kaun is working out at the Pete Newell Big Man camp in Las Vegas. … KU’s Bill Self and North Carolina’s Roy Williams are two of 18 members of the NABC’s Ethics Committee.
