I’ll try to keep this post brief (hah!) since I am visiting the inlaws and on dial-up — meaning just doing this was excrutiatingly slow.
Coaches, indeed entire athletic departments, are prohibited under NCAA regulations from talking about recruits and even verbal commitments until they sign their National Letter of Intent. So as the basketball camps continue through the weekend, the only thing reporters have to really talk about regarding the coaches in the stands is what coaches are where and (the most likely) reason why.
Pitt coach Jamie Dixon was on hand yesterday at Fairleigh Dickinson University to get a glimpse of a host of players, including Aliquippa’s Herb Pope, who already has given Dixon a verbal commitment, despite just entering his junior season of high school. On Thursday, Dixon was in Suwanee, Ga., at the adidas Superstar Camp to witness the play of swingman Gilbert Brown , from Harrisburg who plays at South Kent (Conn.) School, who recently gave Pitt a verbal commitment for the 2006-07 season.
The other reason Dixon was at the Reebok ABCD Camp at FDU was to see a couple other potential commits for the class of 2006.
As Pitt coach Jamie Dixon settled into the camp at Fairleigh Dickinson University on Friday, he followed Harris, a 6-foot-5 guard, and Davis, a 6-9 post player, and Dixon most assuredly came away satisfied, at least, that he and his staff are on the fast path to reloading.
It’s a difficult process for the Panthers, but it’s one that could be made much easier if Harris and Davis decide to cooperate.
The duo of New York state high school stars — the 225-pound Harris and the 234-pound Davis — is serving up impressive showings this week for observers of the camp.
“I call Paul Harris a mini-LeBron (James),” said Bob Gibbons, editor and publisher of All Star Sports Report, a leading print publication dedicated to high school basketball recruiting news. “He looks like he can go to Pittsburgn and play linebacker. I think he is one of the top six players in the class of 2006.”
Harris says in the story that he is getting a lot of pressure to choose Syracuse. The fact that Pitt is still a choice is encouraging, but not promising.
Mike Davis was supposed to be part of Pitt’s 2005 class but had academic issues. He says he still wants to go to Pitt, but isn’t sure the school still wants him. He hasn’t even chosen a prep school yet for the year. Wonder why Pitt might be stand-offish at this point?
