Cooley

Richland's Nolan Dennis (younger brother of UNT's Collin Dennis) continues to solidify his ranking as the #1 junior (07-08) in the state of Texas. The kid is a clone of Utah Jazz & former The Colony star Deron Williams at 6-5. Unfortunately for the Mean Green, this kid can pick his college. Sure fire NBA prospect.

Unconfirmed reports that the state's #1 senior in 07-08 is taking his talents to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. The North Crowley product is already being projected in some mock drafts as a 1st rounder before his college career is over. If true, huge blow to North Crowley, DFW & Texas HS basketball. Warren follows a long line of talented North Crowley players to move on to the next level including Holy Family's Michael Sturns.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...-sum-60976.html Dallas Kimball, with junior post George Odufawa manning the middle, upset heavily favorite Crowley High School (featuring UNT early signee Harold Stewart) during the 2005 playoff season. Crowley came into the game looking to advance deep into the state playoffs boasting one of the area's best records. Odufawa was a man among boys by completely shutting down Stewart with sevaral blocks and dominating the boards for double digit rebounds. The loss to Odufawa and Dallas Kimball ended the state title aspirations of Crowley and the high school career of their senior star Harold Stewart.

"He did have an awful game Memphis" I stated the same thing!

Let's now get rid of Dirk Nowitzki, the Warriors' MVP. Forget about the 6th best regular season record of 67 wins. He's not strong enough at 7 ft to play center. Passes up shoots, plays no defense. Has no confidence. Can't receive the pass down low. Needs his buddy Steve Nash. etc etc etc. We don't care he was the league's MVP all season long, we blame him for not showing up against Memphis. What do we have coaches for? Can they not sit him down just like Stewart. Howerton, Mangrum, Jackson & Edwards? Holy Mean Green Family!

"Jones said he planned to have a press release written to acknowledge Sturns before he left town. Who knows, Sturns might have wanted to let Jones know where he was headed and didn't get a chance before the release hit the Web site at Holy Family." Heads Up JJ! George Odufawa is waiting on a phone call from you!

Thanks for the clarification Censored by Laurie! I hope that we all come to expect a top 75 team in hoops and a serious threat to win CUSA in football (if we were in that league) I'd also like to see a serious track & field program (men & women) with many members qualifying to the NCAA's meet each year. Add a very competitive baseball program and add women's basketball. Other than that, Go Mean Green!

With all due respect to my fellow posters, here's where I disagree. We've all tasted what's it like to be on the big stage. Can we try to build upon this? Should we be satisfied or happy with what we have? Can we aspire for a more talented roster; to defeat the Memphis' of the world or just be content competing in the Sun Belt? Can we strive to be a top 75 program as a realistic goal? If the answer is yes, are these top 75 kids on our roster? I'm happy that JJ has finally figured this out. Stewart & Howerton do not fit my profile for a top 75 program. Odufawa does & Thompson. I have never seen either McCoy or Josh White play. Just my expectation!

Wow! Sturns was still worthy of a scholarship as part of JJ's rotation. Blame JJ a little bit for some of the stats you mentioned as his coach. I can think of 4 other players I would have preferred to transfer before Sturns. (Not counting Harold Edwards) Imagine the number of turnovers if some of them ever got on the court. At least Sturns is a D1 talent that his teammates voted back on the team. I think it was well documented that he matured after being kicked off the team and when his grandmother passed. I recall Kendrick Davis and Calvin Watson speaking of him quite fondly UNT did not exactly play a killer schedule last year and probably wont in 07-08. I would not blame any losses on his play during the season. He did have an awful game Memphis. Doesn't matter if the game would have been a little closer; we lost. It might help if we can schedule more of these type games during the season to better prepare the team for the elite. Every team needs quality depth regardless of the sport. Lastly, I would also imagine that if he was such a bad character that he could have found any other DII school other than Holy Family

According to Texas Hoops: 6-5 Michael Sturns - North Crowley/North Texas to Holy Family (PA)

Saw this kid in a tournament early in the year at Ellis Davis Fieldhouse. Has some offers but would be a nice walk-on possibility at a need position. http://texashoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=674187 May 16, 2007 Nweke Still on the Board TexasHoops.com Recruiting Staff The spring signing period is going to end without a signature from Kem Nweke. But don't assume that the huge 6-foot-10, 295-pound post will be on the board for very long. Big men are always at a premium and the Fort Bend Marshall High School standout is currently considering four schools - and could be making a commitment in the very near future if all works out. "Right now I'm looking at South Alabama, New Orleans, Providence, and St. Bonaventure," Nweke said. "I had a visit out to South Florida and that went alright, but they didn't offer and they're going to sign some JUCO players instead." Nweke had also previously made visits to East Tennessee State and Iowa State, but neither situation appears to be a fit for him at this time. Of the four schools he's currently considering, there's one that stands out in front of the pack. "I'm leaning towards Providence," Nweke said. "I like the academic qualities of the school - they've got a good business school. I haven't visited there yet, but the coaches have been calling me." Nweke indicated that he could very well commit and sign with a school that he hasn't visited yet - and he'll have flexibility since scholarship agreements are only binding for the school and not the player. But all around, Nweke does want to find the right fit for himself and his college career. "I want to do what's best for me," Nweke said. "I'd like to go somewhere where I can play right away and get better." Texas Hoops Analysis: KEM is a beast in the lane who can put his backside on his man and get wherever he wants to in the paint. He has a very wide backside, really knows how to use his body to seal the defense and call for the ball and works his way close to the bucket for easy buckets. He has good hands and feet for a player his size, can finish well around the goal and will kick it back out to shooters from the low post. He will need to drop some weight and get in better basketball shape to reach his potential.

In hindsight, JJ may continue to be better off waiting until spring if he can't land 3-star kids in November. I've felt that he has reached too early by signing some past recruits in November. Granted he was not coming off an NCAA bid, however, every year there are many top kids that are rejected by bigger schools and/or become home sick. I honestly will be surprised to see a dramatic change by November of this year. Our program, unfortunately, has not arrived yet in the eyes of the top local kids, parents, HS and AAU coaches; where the kids want to sign with UNT initially as opposed to waiting on better offers. We need to do the tournament thing more and often. (including kicking butt during the regular season) As someone stated earlier, this team finished 5th in the conference. The attendance was worthy of a 5th place team. The team did jell during the tournament but after all home games had been played. While most of us will be in the PIT for most of the games, the casual student/fan will take up residence in Missouri. Question: How many current roster players (signed out of HS) would we want JJ to sign right now? (at this stage of the program) I think it makes good sense to wait and take our chances on Top 75 recruits than wasting scholarships. Fact: 10 Biggest Recruiting Hotbeds (the nation's top 150 ranked propects produced in the last five classes - 2003-2007) # of five-star recruits produced over this period City Rivals 150 Prospect 5-Star Prospects 1) Los Angeles 35 7 2) New York City 34 3 3) Atlanta 27 7 4) Dallas-Fort Worth 24 5 5) Chicago 23 4 6) Houston 23 5 7) New Jersey 23 6 8) Washington, DC 22 4 9) Philadelphia 19 5 10) Detroit 17 3 Go Mean Green

Harold Steward is a bench player. We need help at 4 & 5 in 08-09

It was an alternative message board for those who felt that their "objective" opinions could be heard without being viewed as negative and/or posts deleted. Many, however, felt that it went overboard with excessive and constant negativity. I believe that the board served its purpose well and that was holding the administration and athletic department accountable; with what some fans and alums expect of its teams in 2007. Having said that, I feel that Gomeangreen is more tolerant of critical post today than at any other time before. Anyway, thanks for the memories Scottie!

He will sit out the '07-'08 season and have 2 years of eligibility left at UTA. Haynes said that no one had ever recruited him as hard or as well as Scott Cross' UTA staff did.

Would be a very nice pickup for the Mean Green. A natural 4 to replace Q. Williams in 2008. 2nd best big man in Dallas behind Darrell Arthur of SOC/Kansas in 2006. Originally played at Cedar Hill HS, was recruited to Kimball and was a focus of attention as Kimball's HS coach actually picked him up from Cedar Hill to drive him to Kimball HS. Very athletic!

Past JJ HS Recruits Collin Mangrum - 2006 Harold Edwards - 2005 Justin Howerton - 2005 Harold Stewart - 2005 Michael Sturns - 2004 Quincy Williams - 2004 Calvin Watkins - 2003 Ron Harris - 2002 Scott Roniger - 2002 Ty Thomas - 2002 Sam Byrd - 2002 On paper, Josh White is clearly the best HS recruit todate. (state rankings)

As they say in the war room, this guy was the best guy on the board. Smells like Dale Brown may have helped with this one. Ryan McCoy now seems to be the odd man out at the point. JJ needs to give this kid the rock before he bolts back to LA!

What big man is he bringing with him?

Marquez Haynes Haynes is still in Boston taking finals but will transfer this summer. He is currently considering 4 schools: Rice, Tulsa, Northeastern, and UNT. Wants to get closer to home so Northeastern is probably out. TRB put him in touch with Ben Uzoh at Tulsa and Zo Williams at Rice yesterday, so he could talk to both of them and get their input on their situations. Haynes will sit out the 2007-8 season and have 3 years left at whichever school he chooses. A&M does not renew Bryan Beasley for 2007-2008 Beasley reshirted this year at A&M and was expected to play a significant role next year in the backcourt of A&M. He also is a very good student, who actually was one of the few Aggies with a bonafide major. Beasley was majoring in Engineering. So, it was a major surprise. Bryan will now open his recruiting back up at this late date when few schools have any openings left. He will have to sit out another year and will have 3 years left beginning in 2008-9. He is a 6-0 combo guard. The major problem is that he will now have 2 years without playing competitively in a game. Who could be interested? Stanford was one of Beasley's choices when he decided on A&M. Baylor could also have interest as could Rice and others. Former Bryan star Brandon Webster open again ________________________________________ 6-9, 250 pound prep school post Brandon Webster is on the market again. Webster did NOT sign with Wyoming as the Cowboys fell victim to the NCAA graduation requirements and will not have a scholarship to offer Webster. Webster, who signed with A&M but was later not honored, is strong and good as a defender and rebounder. His offensive game needs work. (Someone at UNT needs to pick up the phone)

That resume sure looks questionable!

S. Oak Cliff coach left two players in Austin They ignored his orders after game; he's disciplined 10:09 PM CDT on Friday, April 27, 2007 By DAMON L. SAYLES / The Dallas Morning News dsayles@dallasnews.com South Oak Cliff boys basketball coach James Mays II was disciplined recently after he left two of his players in Austin after the UIL state tournament in March, school and district administrators said. Seniors Michael Berry, 18, and Cornelius Dawson were told to arrange for their own transportation back to Dallas after disobeying an order from Mr. Mays to remain at the team's hotel after the Class 4A state title game on March 10. The rest of the team returned by bus on March 11. "About 5:30 or 6 [a.m.], we got a wake-up call, and Coach Mays knocked on everybody's doors to get everybody up," Michael said. "He came in the room and told us to call our mothers to pick us up. Then he walked out. The rest of the team left." Reba Berry, Michael's mother, attended the game in Austin but returned to Dallas on Saturday night. She said she didn't learn that her son wasn't on the team bus until her daughter, Tameika, called her Sunday. Michael said he called his sister about the situation early Sunday morning. One of Michael's former coaches, who was in Austin for the tournament, drove the players home. Mr. Mays, who's won three state titles in eight seasons at South Oak Cliff, said he considered the incident resolved and referred inquiries to Dallas ISD athletic director Jeff Johnson. Michael, who played at Lincoln as a freshman and at Seagoville as a sophomore and junior, scored 15 points in the championship game. Michael said he and Cornelius, instead of remaining at the hotel as Mr. Mays instructed on Saturday evening, ventured to Austin's Sixth Street district hours after South Oak Cliff won its third consecutive state title. Michael said he received a text message from Mr. Mays around midnight to return to the hotel in 10 minutes or face further consequences but said he and Cornelius stayed out until roughly 4:30 a.m. Mr. Johnson and SOC athletic director Barbara Brown-McCoy said Mr. Mays was disciplined for the incident. Mr. Mays, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Brown-McCoy and SOC Principal Regina Jones declined to elaborate. "This was a personnel issue," Mr. Johnson said. "Everything has been handled accordingly. "We had our concerns and did our investigations, and now it's done." In addition, Michael and Cornelius were given in-school suspensions. Cornelius didn't return repeated phone messages for comment. Reba Berry said she spoke with Ms. Jones on March 23 and met with Area 5 Superintendent Vickie Mitchell on March 27. Ms. Mitchell assured her that Mr. Mays had been disciplined. Mr. Mays said he doesn't have a problem with any of his players and is helping Michael and Cornelius obtain college scholarships. Both players are unsigned but were vital to SOC's state title run. "I love all my players, them included, and I'm happy that they were able to take part in everything we did this year," Mr. Mays said. "I want all of my players to look back one day and say that they were a part of something special."

He went to a prep school instead of A&M. He was scheduled to go back to A&M but like he did Justin Howerton, Gillespie backed away. The kid is a raw talent but would be a major pickup for some D1 program.

http://texashoops.rivals.com/content.asp?S...&CID=537955 #37 is looking for a home!

SOC survives, Dunbar rolls; D/FW set for classic final 02:41 AM CST on Friday, March 10, 2006 By KATE HAIROPOULOS / Staff Writer AUSTIN – Angleton made South Oak Cliff play to the final seconds for the chance to defend its state title. SOC won, 95-90, in a Class 4A state semifinal Thursday night at the Frank Erwin Center, but it had to survive a serious scare. Angleton's Jordan Alexander hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to close Angleton's gap to 91-90. But SOC's Marquis Jefflo went to the line on a one-and-one with 22.6 left. He missed, but a lane violation was called and he got another chance. He made the first and missed the second, but 6-7 senior Ronnie Morgan grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both shots, and SOC held on. "It was touch-and-go for a moment," SOC coach James Mays II said. "But we hung in there." SOC's 6-9 McDonald's All-American, Darrell Arthur, scored 33 points and had 13 rebounds. But he was almost outdone by Angleton's 6-4 Tristan Thompson, who scored 37 points in a gutsy performance that almost propelled his team to the upset. Still, SOC is one game away from winning back-to-back titles and meets Fort Worth Dunbar for the title at 4 p.m. Saturday in a matchup of powerhouses. The two schools have 23 state tournament appearances between them. Getting there was anything but easy. SOC (29-7) trailed by as many as 10 early in the second quarter but surged before halftime, closing out on a 12-0 run to take a 47-38 lead into the break. SOC, which outrebounded Angleton, 43-26, led by 21 with 4:20 to play in the third. Arthur, who shot 5-of-17 in the first half, scored 10 of his 33 in the final six minutes. He seemed ready to finish off Angleton when he stole the ball from Thompson at halfcourt and dunked to put SOC up by 10 with 2:20 left. But Thompson, who shot 10-of-17 from the field, hit a bucket, made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer and nailed a 3. Isaac Reid hit a free throw, then Alexander put in a rebound bucket. SOC turned the ball over and Alexander drained the 3 that got the Erwin Center buzzing. But SOC survived. SOC is playing for its fourth state title. The last 4A school to win consecutive titles was Port Arthur Lincoln in '88 and 1989. E-mail khairopoulos@dallasnews.com