Beas Hamga, the 7-footer from Cameroon who is transferring from UNLV, is expected to visit Rutgers this coming weekend for Saturday’s Syracuse game.
“I think he goes to Rutgers on Friday,” his advisor, Mark Adams, said by phone. “He’s coming out for the game.”
Hamga was supposed to attend last week’s Pitt-Rutgers game, but his flight was cancelled, Adams said.
Hamga would be eligible in the second semester of next year and could play one semester with Rutgers big man Hamady NDiaye, a junior.
“He still wants to play at a high level and the Big East Conference is a pretty good and he thinks he can play at that level, Adams said.
Adams said it will likely come down to South Carolina or Rutgers, but that Valparaiso was still an option as well.
“There’s a chance for Valparaiso if he wants to stay in Indiana and go to a mid-major,” he said.
Either way, Adams wants Hamga to decide by early next week.
“I hope he will have his mind made up by Sunday,” Adams said.
Hamga signed with UNLV out of Decatur (Il.) Christian and redshirted his first year. He played in just five games this season before deciding to transfer. He was ranked the No. 5 center in the Class of 2007 by Rivals.
He will have two and a half years of eligibility remaining, beginning in December 2009.
“He’s a very good defensive rebounder and shot blocker,” Adams said. “He’s a very good defensive player. Like most African kids he needs to work on his offense. He’s got a nice shot. He can definitely shoot it.”
***DeAndre Kane , a 6-4 wing out of Pittsburgh who plays at The Patterson (NC) School for Chris Chaney, has reopened his recruitment, according to his quotes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Kane verbally committed to Seton Hall before the New Year, but apparently told the paper he’ll decide between Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Marquette.
“I’ll probably wait until April to decide,” Kane said.
This whole story has been very hard to pin down, as Kane is not giving many interviews and even Chaney seems uncertain of what’s going on. Last I heard from Chaney, the kid had committed to the Pirates. I’ll try to follow up as best I can.
***Meantime, Seton Hall says it received no official word Monday from the NCAA on Keon Lawrence’s transfer waiver. Lawrence’s advisor, Alif Muhammad, previously told me Lawrence would sit out the remainder of this season even if gets the waiver because he has already missed two Big East games and will likely miss Tuesday’s against Villanova as well.
***
Xavier became the latest major school to offer a scholarship to 6-8 junior Rod Odom of the Middlesex (Ma.) School, according to Rod Odom Sr.
Odom, who projects as a 6-8 shooting guard, now holds offers from Boston College, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Xavier, West Virginia, William & Mary and Holy Cross, with Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Memphis, Georgia Tech, UConn, PItt, Virginia, Stanford, Princeton, Harvard and Columbia also interested.
***Louisville scored two sophomores from Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence North, 6-11 Michael Chandler and 6-6 Ryan Taylor, according to Scout. Both committed while visiting for the Kentucky game.
