Roscoe Smith, a 6-7 small forward out of Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, will visit Duke unofficially Sept. 6, according to his father, Brian Thompson
Thompson said the following schools are recruiting his son and would have in-home visits: UConn, Duke, UCLA, Maryland, Georgetown, Florida and Kentucky.
“I’m going to pick out the school that I’m going to commit to going on the middle of my Oak Hill season,” Roscoe, the No. 31 player in the Rivals150 and the No. 6 SF in the Class of 2010, told me earlier this month at the Boost Mobile event in New York.
He said he transferred to Oak Hill to improve and prepare for college.
“I just wanted to be around great players,” he said. ”I think me going to Oak Hill will step my game up more and get me ready for college life.
“I just want to try and win a national championship for [head coach] Steve Smith and other Oak Hill alumni.”
GASTON ELIGIBLE AT FORDHAM
Fordham got some huge news this week when it learned that 6-7 recruit Chris Gaston had officially qualified. Gaston, who played for both Bob Hurley at St. Anthony and Dan Hurley at St. Benedict’s as well as at New Hampton (N.H.) Prep, could be a major factor for the Rams as they try to rebuild. Gaston had a monster summer on the AAU circuit in 2008 and joins an incoming class that also includes Lance Brown of Paterson Catholic.
Both players opted for Fordham in part because of their relationship with sophomore point guard Jio Fontan, a Paterson native who starred at St. Anthony. After initially saying he wouldn’t return to campus, Fontan is back at Fordham. Fordham will have three St. Anthony players in the fold this year with Gaston, Fontan and Alberto Estwick.
The Rams will also have unofficial visits from a slew of talented local products: Myles Mack, Myles Davis, Jarrod Davis, Jarelle Reischel and Sean Grennan.
COUGARS TRIP TO ‘CUSE
Speaking of Paterson Catholic, head coach Damon Wright took six players to the Syracuse Elite Camp: Mack, Kyle Anderson, Jermaine Peart, Jhamir White, Reggie Cameron and Kavon Stewart.
“They like Myles and will follow him this year,” Wright said of his talented 5-8 junior point guard. “Coach [Mike Hopkins] saw that he has potential for the Cuse.
“Anderson was a stud in the camp. He played all five positions and did it well. Coach [Jim] Boeheim liked him. The rising frosh Kavon Stewart also caught the eye of the coaching staff.”
VARNADO INJURED
Mississippi State star Jarvis Varnado was hospitalized Monday for tests after falling ill during a morning workout, according to the Clarion-Ledger of Miss.
“He’s fine,” MSU coach Rick Stansbury was quoted as saying in a news release from the school. “We expect him back at full speed very shortly. We’re just being very cautious.”
ST. BEN’S HOSTING CLINIC
St. Ben’s coach Dan Hurley has once again put together a tremendous roster of coaches for his Sept. 25 coaches clinic in Newark.
Arizona coach Sean Miller, Villanova coach Jay Wright, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, Temple coach Fran Dunphy and former NBA coaches Jeff Van Gundy and Hubie Brown will all be on hand.
ERIN ANDREWS TO TALK WITH OPRAH WINFREY
(AP) — ESPN reporter Erin Andrews said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that having secretly videotaped nude footage of her distributed on the Internet was a “nightmare.”
Winfrey’s interview with Andrews will air Friday, Sept. 11, as part of a “Summer Headlines” show that previews the 24th season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Andrews also tells Winfrey she “opened up the computer [and] could feel my heart pounding.”
Andrews’ attorney has said the blurry five-minute video was shot at a hotel without her knowledge and she plans to seek criminal charges and file lawsuits against whoever shot the video and anyone who publishes it.
The reporter also says she’s excited to get back to work this fall, adding “it’s really going to help me heal my wounds.”
Andrews will be working on air Thursday night for the first time since the video became widespread news. She’ll be the sideline reporter for ESPN’s broadcast of South Carolina at North Carolina State.
It was not clear when the video of Andrews in the hotel room first appeared on the Internet. The person who first posted the video didn’t identify the nude woman, and Andrews’ attorney later confirmed the video was of the 31-year-old reporter.
(The AP wrote the Erin Andrews story)
(Photos courtesy Rivals, Jay Gomes, NJHoops.com)
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