Potpourri, May 17

News Bits

San Jose State University has signed Oregon State transfer center 7-foot-2, 235 Chol Mariol (who played for SJSU Assistant Coach Ed Gipson when both were at Arizona Compass Prep). Why so? Try 31 blocks in 31 games plus that 235 pounds. The Spartans are focusing on bigs generally with some beef after last season's matador defense in the middle. Also signed is 6-foot-10, 220 Sadraque NgaNga (from Seton Hall) who actually is listed as a forward while 6-foot-11, 250 community college talent Tuscan Onuoha has an offer.

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Rose City Ballers: "Congrats to D5 State Player of the Year Evan (The Athenian School) Lucas on his commitment to University of Redlands."

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Jake Lieberman: "2025 6'5 PG Isaiah Denis out of Davidson Day HS (NC) tells me that he's in contact with Ohio State, Kansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Dayton, High Point, UNCG, Santa Clara, Michigan, Boston College, VCU, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson & SLU."

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Jon Rothstein: "Colgate transfer Braeden Smith—the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year—tells me that he visited Davidson over the weekend and also plans to visit Washington, Gonzaga, and Cal in the next week. A return to Colgate is also an option."

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Joe Tipton: "San Diego transfer guard Kevin Patton Jr. has heard from the following schools (among others) since entering the portal, per source:

• Stanford
• California
• and a bevy of other suitors.

The 6-8 freshman averaged 9.8 points, 4.4. rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game this season.

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Jon Chepkevich: "Arizona’s Keshad Johnson recorded a 42” max vertical leap, tying him for the highest mark here at the NBA Draft Combine."

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6-foot-4 Shane O'Reilly of Campolindo High and Northfield Mount Hermon Prep (MA) is headed next to American University in Washington D.C. Congrats.

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Lakeshow: "CONGRATS Berkeley 2024 Samir O'Brien on his commitment to Pomona-Pitzer. ELITE Academic & basketball university in the SCIAC"!

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League Him "NEWS: Adama Bal will withdraw his name from the 2024 NBA Draft and return to Santa Clara for his senior year, per source. The 6'7 French guard earned First Team All-WCC honors in a breakout junior season where he averaged 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game."

Bronco Coach Herb Sendek's sleep quality just immeasurably improved. Bal and new recruit Elijah Mahi should be the top scorers.

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Jeff Borzello: "Twist in the Mike Sharavjamts recruitment: the San Francisco transfer is visiting Cal today (May 15), source told ESPN."

Borzello wrote earlier that the guard was choosing between St. Mary's, Illinois and Utah.

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Per Jake Lieberman, 6-foot-11, 250 JC prospect Tuscan Onouha has also heard from UC Davis.

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Verbal Commits: "2025 ABC Prep (NM) G Christian Gilliland has received an offer from UC Davis."

He's 6-foot-2 and out of Tennessee.

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"Stanford 4-star PG signee Elijah Crawford receives NLI release from Cardinal"

But he is still considering Stanford. Besides the Cardinal, his other final five were Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and UCF. Not exactly on a par with a Stanford degree.

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Brett Beherns: "Coleman Hawkins ruled out the #Illini if he doesn't go pro?

"I haven't but they got a whole new roster coming in. I don't think it would be fair for me to come back in that place with all those guys expecting me not to be there". I don't think it would be the right thing to do"

What a well thought out response. It sounds like it would be fascinating to chat with him.

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