Two of the country’s top prep school power forwards are back on the market.
Twins Marcus and Markeiff Morris, Rivals.com’s No. 37- and 74-rated players in the Class of 2008, over the weekend withdrew their oral commitments to the University of Memphis and now will consider other schools, including Kansas University.
“My brother and I are going to sit down and decide what schools to consider, but Kansas is definitely a school we like,” Marcus, a 6-foot-7, 215-pounder, told Rivals.com on Monday, indicating KU’s coaches would be welcomed in for a visit.
The two Philadelphia natives, who signed letters of intent with Memphis as seniors in high school last November but delayed their college careers by enrolling at Apex Academy in Cherry Hill, N.J., apparently soured on Memphis when the Tigers received an oral commitment from 6-10 forward Angel Garcia.
It actually marked the brothers’ second decommitment from Memphis.
Last July, the two decided Memphis wasn’t the right place, but Tigers coach John Calipari was able to convince them to honor their original commitments. FOXsports.com speculates that the twins’ former high school coach did not want the them to play for Calipari and thus chose to attend prep school. Marcus told FOXsports his prep coach had no influence whatsoever.
“We have decided to look in a different direction,” Marcus told Rivals.com. He’s ranked a bit higher than Markeiff, a 6-8, 225-pounder. The duo helped Philly Prep Charter to back-to-back Pennsylvania Class B state titles.
Prior to committing to Memphis, the twins also had considered UConn, Kentucky, St. Joseph’s, Villanova, Georgetown, Pitt, West Virginia, Indiana, Miami and others.
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Little update: Mario Little, a 6-5 sophomore forward from Chipola Community College, who visited KU last weekend, said Monday he was not sure whether he’d make previously planned visits to Kansas State this weekend and Illinois on Sept. 28.
“I don’t know,” Little said. “I like Kansas a lot, but I may need to compare it to other schools.”
A native of Chicago, Little has made an unofficial trip to Illinois.
“It was real good, the whole trip. The players, the staff, the fans … everything,” he said of his trip to KU.
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McDonald to visit: KU this weekend will receive a campus visit from Phillip McDonald, a 6-5, 200-pound shooting guard from Cypress Springs (Texas) High. McDonald visited New Mexico last weekend. He will visit Oregon the first weekend in October and is also considering Oklahoma and UConn.
“I think he will set up some other visits after the first three, but he could surprise us all and make a decision early,” McDonald’s brother, Terrance Hatton, told the Albuquerque Tribune. “Right now, he’s still keeping the visits he has scheduled. He hasn’t made a decision yet, but he will make one by the early signing period in November, so he doesn’t have to worry about it during basketball season.”
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Jones visits Rutgers: Dick Weiss of New York’s Daily News writes that KU and Indiana are believed to be the leaders for Kevin Jones, a 6-7 forward from Mt. Vernon (N.Y.) High. He attended Friday’s Rutgers-Navy game in Piscataway, N.J., and has made an unofficial visit to Seton Hall. He also likes West Virginia, Georgetown, UMass, Memphis, Virginia, St. John’s and others.
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Witherspoon, Morgan updates: Wesley Witherspoon, a 6-8, 185-pound forward from Berkmar High in Lilburn, Ga., says he will not sign until the spring. He made a trip to LSU last weekend and also is considering KU, Memphis, Arizona, Auburn, Clemson and others. KU’s coaches are expected to have an in-home visit with Witherspoon this week.
J’Mison Morgan, 6-10 from Dallas, visited Baton Rouge, La., with Witherspoon. He welcomed coach Bill Self into his home Monday night and is expected to visit KU soon, perhaps this weekend.
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Family matters: Former KU forward Wayne Simien of the Miami Heat tells miamiheat.com he and wife Katie will soon have an addition to the family.
“We had our one-year anniversary in July, and now we’re expecting our first child on October 7 – a little girl,” Simien said. “Along with getting ready for the season, I’m getting ready for fatherhood. I’m putting together cribs, getting strollers and getting the house ready.”a
