Austin Rivers will take an unofficial visit to UCLA on Monday, according to his AAU coach, Therion Joseph.
The 6-foot-3 Rivers will be out in Los Angeles with his AAU team, Each 1 Teach 1, competing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
“I’m taking him on Monday,” Joseph said. “We’re already going to be out there. We’re playing in the Nike Basketball League.”
Rivers is a rising senior at Winter Park (Fla.) High and ranks as the No. 2 shooting guard in the Class of 2011.
He verbally committed to Florida but Joseph recently said Duke “would be the leader” now.
Rivers also plans to visit North Carolina and Texas this summer. He will trip to Texas for two days after the USA U18 tryouts in San Antonio June 17-25.
The North Carolina visit has not been set.
The NBA Finals begin June 3 and Rivers could opt to stay in Los Angeles after the UCLA visit if the Celtics are playing the Lakers. His father, Doc Rivers, coaches the Celtics, who are up 3-1 in their series with Orlando.
“He might stay with his mother,” Joseph said. “It depends on how the Celtics do. But they’ve got to get there first.”
**In related news, 6-10 freshmen twins David and Travis Wear are headed to UCLA after announcing their transfer from North Carolina.
(Photo courtesy Rivals.com)
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Jayhawk_Jake / May 25, 2010
He also is to visit KU ZAGS, been reported on theshiver and jayhawkslant just a fyi
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Conman / May 25, 2010
Where are the sleazy and slimeball comments about Self and Howland? It’s disgusting to recruit a “committed” player. That’s what you all said right?
fyi- I don’t have a problem with it, just pointing out the inequalities of the comments.
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tsmooth / May 25, 2010
Well, he’s not committed. He was committed, but he then backed out of it.
In today’s times, a verbal means very little. I have no problem with recruiting a verballed player unless he states that he will sign during the signing period. Coaches will continue to talk to and recruit players regardless
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bigpapijugg / May 25, 2010
tsmooth- dido.
conman- they only have a problem with it if they are negatively effected by it, that’s why they are haters.
im wondering what the next rumor will be about though. Cal leaving UK to stay home with his sick mother?
question for Arizonians. What team is the most popular state wide?
Suns
Wildcat bball
Cardinals
Diamondbacks
Wildcat fball
or am i missing any?
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bigpapijugg / May 25, 2010
in other news. the Wear twins may be the most overrated 5 star prospects in recent history. they literally ranked on size and the school they committed to. Any others that should never have been a 5 star?
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UAWildcat / May 25, 2010
I would say it is a toss up between the Suns and UA basketball. I did find it funny that you left out the juco school in Tempe.
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bigpapijugg / May 25, 2010
well i knew that they werent as likely as either of the 5 i listed. its really like saying is Louisville more popular in Kentucky or is Auburn more popular in Alabama, Kansas St in Kansas. just didnt think they stood a chance really. (although has anyone noticed that if you play dynasty in the NCAA football in a matter of years Arizona State is always in the top 5 for some reason)
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tsmooth / May 25, 2010
Btw, the Wears weren’t 5 stars according to ESPN or Rivals.
Jon Creft.
Brian Zoubek.
Lance Stephenson
Gerald Green
Kendrick Perkins
Samardo Samuels
Bill Walker
Kosta Koufos
Mac Koshwal
Jamelle Horne
Ramar Smith
Josh McRoberts
Greg Paulus
JP Prince
and probably the biggest bust of all time: Sebastian Telfair
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blasphemy / May 25, 2010
What service were they 5 stars at? Rivals had them around the 40 mark and both as 4 stars. They weren’t top 25 in espn. The only one I don’t know for is Scout.
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blasphemy / May 25, 2010
The only one I’m going to disagree on is Lance Stephenson. He was 5 star good IMO, just not “born ready” for the NBA, as his name might suggest. He wasn’t as big as the hype, but good enough. I would say that Xavier was better, but only a little. John Jenkins, there’s a 5 star shooting guard who didn’t live up to ANY hype out of this 09 class. How about Abdul Gaddy, if you would have asked me to list the best recruited point guards in the 09 class, Wall would have been my first (and probably everybody else’s first point guard). Then, without hesitation, I would have said Abdul Gaddy as the second best, far away from the next best. I would actually say, that of rivals top 25, 15 probably didn’t play, (for whatever reason), like five star recruits should. Ryan Kelly was a bigger bust than Lance ever wished to be, how about THE ROYCE? This class appeared to have 3-4 “6 star” players and 6-7 “5 star” players and the rest you could mix and match, from the way the played (or didn’t). Last years class was the Class of Discrepancy.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
Jenkins got very little playing time. He’ll blossom this year. Saw him play a lot, he’s a player.
Lance is overrated, IMO. He’s only got one good asset, and that’s a crossover. He can’t shoot, handle, play D, or be a good teammate. Amounts to being overrated in my book.
Gaddy is relatively very young, as he just turned 18 not so long ago. He’s still maturing, and most of the time at UW Isaiah Thomas ran the point. Again, he’ll mature this year.
Ryan Kelly got NO playing time. He hasn’t had the time to be a bust yet.
Forgot about Royce White. He’s a HUGE bust, but only because he couldn’t handle the college game, and has since quit. He never played.
I went by players that were out of college. Those still in still have time to turn it around.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
weren’t 5 stars on Scout either
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bigpapijugg / May 26, 2010
sorry, i said 5 star because i assumed they were, since they were mcdonalds all-americans (per ESPN’s article on the transfer) Telfair and White were both HUGE busts.
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HallBall / May 26, 2010
Disagree for the simple fact that some ended up in the wrong situation, telfair drafted by portland who later drafted brandon roy (we all know how that turned out) just hasnt gone to the right organization yet. (so far I think its portland, minnesota, boston and now cleveland) Zoubek just won a national championship and Perkins has a NBA title so how are they busts, because these “souting experts” made comparisons that they havent lived up to? As long as they are contributing on championship caliber teams, i dont consider them busts.
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UAWildcat / May 26, 2010
Jamelle Horne still has one season left in Tucson.
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
Ts, my point was, if they are 5-stars, they should be able to compete and GET playing time, and a lot of it, during even their 1st year. I’m not saying they are “overall busts” but “freshman busts.” A good example, and one your probably familiar with, is Scotty Hopson. Did NOTHING his Freshman year and is semi-faceless among the other players this year. Not saying he’s a bust, just not a 5-star “ready to start at the college level” kind of guy, thus a “bust” as a 5-star. That’s what my argument is for all of them. I’m basing this off what I think that most people think that a 5-star recruit should be.
Also I, though I could have gone on, what happened to that Florida state Guard…… Michael Snaer, did he do anything? I’m telling you, the list out of the 09 class is large. Oriakhi…. Yarou… Jordan Hamilton?
Once again, I’m not saying they are bust players, but bust 5-stars.
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
If you don’t think Zoubek is a bust, God help you. He helped ONE season, and really only as a 3rd-4th option. Come-on….. just come-on……
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
UAWildcat, you’re right. Horne does have one left, but I was going on the fact that most Zona fans think Horne is a bust.
Blas, I see where you’re coming from, but you have to remember that most college head coaches will not trust freshmen unless they are uber-talented like DRose or JWall. Simply put, they are new to the college game. That’s why it’s hard to gauge who and who isn’t a bust based off of one year. You’ll see that a lot of the players you mentioned will have productive careers, IMO.
Snaer got a medium amount of playing time at FSU. He showed some promise though.
Oriakhi was a victim of Calhoun’s inability to go to his bench effectively.
Yarou was out for most of the year with Hepatitis B, but when he got back, he played really well in the NCAA tournament.
Hamilton played well at times, others he struggled like most freshmen do.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
Lower than that as an option Blas, lol.
Zoubek’s job was to clog the middle and grab rebounds. That is all. He’s got bust written all over him.
Telfair was overhyped, and could only do a couple things, such as crossover, dribble, and beat the heck out of high school kids. BUST. He’s had his time. He’s ineffective.
Perkins is a bust because he was a high 5 star player, and has done very little in the NBA. Again, his main job is to clog the paint, and grab rebounds. He won a championship due to being on a good team. He wasn’t a major factor in that championship run. Heck, Big Baby Davis is a better player than Perkins.
So I guess what I’m saying is……BUST.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
yea, they were Mickey D AA’s.
They should get some meaningful minutes on a slightly above average UCLA team next year.
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JonHuskyMS / May 26, 2010
Not much of a bench to rely on in the case of Calhoun/Oriakhi. He was a freshman thrust into a tough situation in a very competitive league. Let’s see how he fares next season before we completely write him off as a bust.
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Jayhawk_Jake / May 26, 2010
It was a long time ago hje would of been a 5 star but when I thought bust I thought Felipe Lopez. The savior for St Johns and all the hype the SI cover and all = biggest bust. Im 25 and remember the guy thats bad lol. How about Kwame Brown, Micheal Olawakandi ( if thats even close on spelling) , and Darko. I know Darko is international but really Detroit Darko and not Wade, Melo, Bosh, Kaman, HInrich but Darko lol.
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
I’ll say this one more time, not calling them busts. I’m just saying they don’t deserve the 5-star accolade is all. With that said, are you disagreeing with what I was saying a 5-star accolade should mean? Are you saying a 5-star should be given to those like…… idk Wayne Chism is a good example. He wasn’t an immediate starter or sig minute holder, but eventually became a, if not the, glue guy on his team. However, I disagree outright that most college coaches won’t let the freshman play unless they are “uber special.” My belief is that PT is earned in practice, and (start *1*) any 5 star should, unless he is play against senior veteran or another uber talent (think 5 star or (med to high) 4-star plus some experience), should get the 20+ PT minutes (end *1*). On that, I concede the possibility, that Gaddy deserves his accolades given he had some decent minutes, but not willingly. But poop-tooth (R. Kelly) is NOT a 5-star. I will never concede that, nor will I with Snaer who had virtually no REAL talent around him. (Btw, my whole argument is all based on what my definition and my understand of what the perceived definition of what a 5-star recruit means in College b-ball which is to say: reread *1*)
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
I wasn’t clear enough on “senior veteran” I will define that as so: A person who either a) knows his role(s) (role defined as good ability that one posseses) so well and DOES it so well that he is vital to the team or b) a 3-4 star recruit who has come into his own within his junior or senior year and looks the part of an NBA player.
In any case of any ambiguity, please tell me what it is, I may have missed something, and in any case of any doubt, I apologize for it.
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bigpapijugg / May 26, 2010
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=AsuSS3GuLFPlD4Z76hdbTzw5nYcB?slug=ys-kutickets052610
HAHA. i know its old but EVERY negative thing about UK’s program is posted here so why not get all the programs back
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AGinNYC / May 26, 2010
Perkins certainly wasn’t worthy of a top 5 pick but he can’t really be considered a total bust since he’s managed to get significant minutes on a top NBA team for quite a while now. Lots of 5 stars never even get drafted or are out of the league with the blink of an eye. Don’t forget that such NBA greats as Ndudi Ebi, Brian Butch, David Padgett and James Lang were ranked in the top 10 right next to him (according to Rivals). I’d take Perkins over 5 stars such as Eddy Curry, Randolph Morris, Robert Swift, Darryl Watkins, Zoubek, Derrick Caracter, Jason Bennett, etc… The list goes on and on.
Telfair is a definite bust though. He was supposed to be the next Lebron (albeit a PG) but ended up being the next Schea Cotton. Hallball, if Telfair hasn’t found a team that’s right for him by now, maybe he’s not playing in the right league.
As for HS kids, I wouldn’t really judge them until they’ve played at least 2 years. Every player’s situation is different. Some kids come in and fit right into the system and playing time is available. Other kids definitely have the talent but take some time to learn the system and to earn enough playing time to show what they can do. True, these days most 5 stars are expected to be one and done but I wouldn’t label a kid a bust until his body of work is almost complete. There are actually plenty of kids that don’t really blossom until late in their careers and then they become excellent NBA players.
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HallBall / May 26, 2010
Exactly, how can Perkins or Zoubeck be considered a bust when they are winning and contributing while doing it. No one Is asking either to score 30 and grab 10 rebounds a night because they dont have to, Glen Davis better than Perkins yeah right thats why one starts and the other sits.
Now back to Telfair, the next Lebron? How could you say he was considered the next Lebron when he wasnt even the first point guard taken in the 2004 draft. Telfair was a great NY high school point gaurd but look at that draft class he was in and tell me you expected him to be better than some of these names. (Dwight Howard,Emeka Okafor,Ben Gordon, Devin Harris, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala, Josh and J.R. Smith, Kevin Martin, and Jameer Nelson) Lebron James was a 6’8, 240 pound wingman who everyone knew was the consensus #1 overall pick the year before and a eventual star compared to a 5’11 175 pound undersized point gaurd with little hands and a spotty jumpshot in Telfair.
It Isnt that Telfair cant play In the leauge he just ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was drafted by portland was a starter for a while then breaks his finger, Steve Blake takes over thats It In Portland.
Then he gets traded to Boston In the “Brandon Roy” deal, of course he would play over Cassell or Rondo thats It In Boston. Then he gets traded to Minnesota In the Kevin Garnett deal, he played his best season there but the head coach went out the door and telfair wasnt far behind. Next stop, traded to the Clippers…..Then traded to his current team the Cavaliers In the ” Antwan Jamison” trade, we all know he wont crack the rotation there. So to me Its just this kid has had a string of bad luck, but if given the opprotunity he would take advantage of the situation.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
Seriously, just stop.
Telfair is a bust. Glen Davis contributes more than the Big Whiner, I mean Kendrick Perkins.
Zoubek FINALLY contributed in his last season of college basketball.
All ads up to a bust IN COLLEGE. Perkins never should have been a five star.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
Darko is a bust, but he was never rated on an American scale,, that’s why I didn’t include him on the list.
Olawakandi is a HUGE bust, as well as Kwame. Good calls!!
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
I guess your definition of 5 star player and mine differ.
Not all 5 star players are counted on to be immediate impact players, however.
It takes a while to get adjusted to the college game.
Trust me, Snaer, Jenkins, and Gaddy will improve.
Not so sure about Kelly, but he can shoot, and fits Duke’s offense to a T.
All 5 star players aren’t Greg Oden, Beasley, Rose, Wall, or Cousins. It does take time for some, and in most cases, they don’t get major minutes right away. Ex: Elliot Williams at Duke.
A five star player, in my definition, is a player with significant potential, and should be a star in college basketball. Start right away, no. Make an impact, yes.
I agree that is surrounded by talent, it is hard for a 5 star player to contribute.
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
Ok, glad we understand that our definition is different. I was starting to get frustrated trying to explain what I was saying lol.
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blasphemy / May 26, 2010
Sorry for not including this in my last post (read: double posting is BAAAAAD), but I forgot, oh well. Anyways, my point is that, by my definition, I think there should only be (usually anyways, 07 excluded) 5-15 5-stars per class and that sites like rivals and scout shouldn’t feel the need to give everybody and their mother a 5-star just because they are in the top 25. Zoubek, I’m looking at you. If I forgot to mention, I think their should be 6-star prospects only as needed, (wall, cousins, & favors are the examples from this past class, whilst X. Henry, K. Gallon, Bledsoe, Kenny Boynton are the PERFECT examples of what, I believe, exemplifies a 5-star but not a 6-star) I’m done rambling.
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tsmooth / May 26, 2010
Gallon and Boynton weren’t even 5 star caliber players last year.
I look for Boynton to play better with more experience though.
I see your premise, and I somewhat agree. Rivals has to have 25 five star players. ESPN doesn’t have a set system like that, at least from my knowledge.
I tend not to go with rankings anyway. Most scouts only go to the AAU events, and some talented players don’t play there.
For example(I’m not being a homer), Chris Crawford signed with Memphis. He BLEW UP at the Adidas 64 last year, yet is unranked in most rankings services. Mark my words, he’ll be a very good player by the time he leaves college, which should be 4 years.
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blasphemy / May 27, 2010
Ya, I guess me and you are going to have to disagree on Boynton and Gallon, because I think they did play like 5 stars. Me and you apparently disagree on how well players play too. I think it’s just best to agree to disagree.
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tsmooth / May 27, 2010
LOL. I guess so.
If you go back and look at the numbers, Boynton didn’t come on until the last part of the season.
Gallon did one noteable thing, and that was breaking a backboard.
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