| | DerMarr Johnson couldn't foresee this part of the recruiting process. He signed with Cincinnati out of Maine Central Institute last April, choosing the Bearcats over Connecticut or the NBA. He took a standardized test, received a qualifying score and thought he was eligible for this season.
But he was asked to retake the same exam by the testing service or throw out his score and take a new version in June. Johnson was one of several people at his testing site that day who had his test result questioned. He chose to take a different version of the test, reached a qualifying score again and is eligible to play this season.
|  | | Steve Logan should have plenty of opportunities to pass the ball to DerMarr Johnson this season. |
Small problem? In hindsight, yes. But at the time, Johnson felt that he was singled out when he was told that he may not play this season.
"It bothered me a lot," Johnson said of the questioning that his first score wasn't valid and the assumption that he wouldn't be eligible. "You take the test, study for it, and somebody says it's not valid? It's very upsetting. There's nothing you can do if their mind is made up."
It's a harsh reality for recruits at the end of their senior year. They are coddled throughout the previous summer and during their final year of high school. They are told they can do no wrong and that they will have an immediate impact in college. The same thing is happening to seniors today as they make their decisions before the November early-signing period. Yet, all the recruiting analysts and, even the schools, seem to forget that when they create a buzz about a commitment, that signed recruit still has to become eligible .
"It's hard to handle and a tough thing for anybody to go through," Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins said. "The hardest thing is the uncertainties. Most of us can deal with what we know. It's the unknown that bothers everybody. DerMarr went through a long time without knowing, and that's the hard thing."
Johnson said he never doubted his work. He said he could take the test again if he had to today. But the process has soured him a bit on his choice of college over the NBA.
"I'm happy here and I think we'll have a great season but I can't say I'm happy about the decision," Johnson said. "I'm not regretting it. I knew whatever decision I would have made I would have to make the best of it."
Johnson's angst over not being eligible was probably equal to Cincinnati's fear. Johnson is expected to start at shooting guard, giving the Bearcats the missing deep threat that shot them out of the NCAA Tournament's second round last March. Johnson's 6-foot-9 stature has earned him comparisons to former Rhode Island
wing Lamar Odom. But Johnson fancies himself more of a true shooting guard and less of a post-up forward.
"(Odom's) more of a rebounder and I'm more of a player who comes off screens and can get out on the fast break," Johnson said. "But we're both tall, can handle the ball, shoot and pass."
Cincinnati signed three freshmen -- Johnson, Kenny Satterfield and Leonard Stokes -- to help with their perimeter shooting. Satterfield will likely spell Steve Logan at the point, while Johnson and Stokes could share the
wing. When Pete Mickeal is out of the lineup, Huggins said he'll move Johnson or Stokes to small forward.
A week into school, Johnson is already seeing the Bearcats as a national contender despite having only nine eligible players. Huggins said Johnson and Satterfield have been early for the 6:30 a.m. weight session and have bought into the famed Cincinnati work ethic.
"This is a big step up with getting up early, lifting weights, going to class and working out," Johnson said. "There's a big wear and tear on your body. It's hard. But there's no doubt in my mind we will be national champions in 2000. We're strong at all five positions. Everybody here is a pro prospect."
They certainly looked it during the summer. Center Kenyon Martin and Mickeal led the World University Games team to a gold medal in Spain. Logan was a catalyst on the silver medal-winning 19-and-under team in Portugal. Forward Ryan Fletcher committed himself to the weights and developing his skills this summer. And forward Jermaine Tate is back on the floor after having double-knee surgery last spring.
"Everyone is committed," Huggins said. "Our guys have had really good summers -- and for Kenyon and Pete, the best summers they've had."
Eligibility watch
Arkansas freshmen forwards Larry Satchell and Joe Johnson took standardized tests last week. The pair are enrolled in 11 hours of classes at Arkansas and can add a 12th credit to become full-time students if they receive qualifying scores. Neither may know the outcome until practice starts on Oct. 15. The
Razorbacks are extremely thin inside with the departure of leading scorer Chris Jefferies, who transferred to Fresno State.
Wyoming is waiting to see if 6-11, 250-pound Uche Amadi (Indian Hills JC in Iowa) is eligible. Amadi is sitting out at Wyoming while he goes through the NCAA Clearinghouse. If Amadi is eligible, Wyoming coach Steve McClain believes he could be the newcomer of the year in the Mountain West. If not,
he'll earn that honor next year. Meanwhile, the Cowboys added 6-9 Faysell Ackeem (Netherlands) as insurance in case Amadi doesn't make it academically. McClain continues to recruit as if he has no team, setting an unofficial record of 24 home visits in 23 days in September.
Guard Ronald Blackshear (Mitchell-Baker H.S./Camilla, Ga.) didn't make it academically and can't sit out as a Prop 48 at Clemson where he signed last year. Instead, he's sitting out as a non-qualifier at Temple. Blackshear is an impact scorer who would help fill the Owls' shooting void.
Michigan State is waiting on its appeal for Jason Richardson's eligibility. A ninth-grade class, which the clearinghouse says wasn't a core curriculum course, is the sticking point in his eligibility. The Spartans don't expect to learn his fate for another two weeks. They'll likely appeal again or Richardson could seek legal action. Obviously, the odds aren't good that the 6-7 Richardson will be at the first practice on Oct. 15.
Syracuse recruit Mark McCarroll never made to the Orangemen, instead enrolling at Milford Prep in Connecticut. That's fine with the Orangemen, who have five starters returning. One freshman making an impact is forward Jeremy McNeil, who is already impressing the staff during conditioning.
Rhode Island is still waiting on Tony Cole's eligibility. The 6-4 Cole never went to Georgia as thought and stayed at URI where he signed last year.
Pittsburgh lost 6-3 guard Jaron Brown when he was declared ineligible. The Panthers, down to nine players, could make a play for former Fresno City (Calif.) College point guard Mike Garrett. Garrett signed with UNLV but wasn't eligible in August. He needs two courses to make it in December. Pitt assistant Jaime Dixon recruited Garrett when he was an assistant at Hawaii last year.
Georgetown lost 6-11 junior college transfer Lee Scruggs (Daytona Beach C.C./Fla.) for at least the semester. He didn't finish his associate of arts degree on time and will shoot for December enrollment at Georgetown. Scruggs was considered a top prospect after averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds. It's rare for the Hoyas to go the JC route and this may be why -- it's hard to get them eligible. Georgetown does return five starters and won't be too hurt by Scruggs' absence.
Derek Payne, a 6-5 guard originally from Coolidge High in Washington D.C., signed with Southern but didn't make it academically and is back at Maine Central Institute.
DePaul already knows forward John Oden isn't eligible but the Blue Demons are waiting to see if center Steven Hunter gets through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Regardless, the Blue Demons will probably start 6-9 sophomore Lance Williams again at center with 6-11 senior Lamar Butler and 6-7 senior Ayinde Avery as the backups.
Weekly chatter
DePaul's first-team all-America candidate Quentin Richardson spent his summer playing in the Chicago Pro-am while also working at the Board of Trade. He was a runner this past summer. Next year, he'll probably have his own seat if he declares for the draft.
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Duke sorts through roster
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All the talk about Duke's recruiting class during the offseason
was about Jason Williams, Casey Sanders, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. There wasn't chatter about Nick Horvath. There is now.
The 6-10 forward was originally billed as a potential redshirt but that was when Elton Brand, Chris Burgess, Corey Maggette and Boozer were all expected to be playing. Brand and Maggette are in the NBA, Burgess is sitting out at Utah and Boozer is out with an broken foot.
Duke assistant Steve Wojciechowski said Boozer's foot is 90 percent healed. He's out of a cast and is walking around but probably won't return to practice until the end of October or early November.
In the interim, Horvath will have to make an impact.
"He's a tremendous worker," Wojciechowski said of Horvath. "He's got a good basketball I.Q., too. He's got a chance to play a lot this season."
The coaching staff sees Horvath playing a similar role to Shane Battier. Horvath might have the size to play inside but he's more of a 'tweener between the three and four than a power forward-center. He can hit the 3-pointer and stretch the defense. He'll likely be used more at the high post than under the basket.
Horvath won't crack the starting lineup, however. Battier, Chris Carrawell and Nate James are expected to start along the frontline, while freshman Jason Williams will be at the point. The wing could go to Dunleavy. He has been slowed by a pulled groin but, like Horvath, his stock has risen with Boozer hurt. The Blue Devils need another scorer on the floor without Boozer, who would have started in the post. Dunleavy is a versatile wing who can play either inside or out.
Sanders has a chance to play valuable minutes off the bench, if not make occasional starts. But Wojciechowski said he needs to get stronger, because "it's when he gets pushed around that he could be trouble."
There doesn't seem to be a knock on Williams. "He's as talented a player as I've seen," said Wojciechowski, who was a former Duke point guard. "He just needs to learn the system. He'll have a super year."
Williams' play at the point actually helped Duke with the decision of consensus top-five player Chris Duhon. The 6-2 Duhon (Salmen H.S./Slidell, La.) committed to Duke after his visit last week.
"Everybody thought it would be a problem with Jason there," Duhon said. "But when we played together, I could see what Coach K was envisioning. It was like we played together forever. We knew each other's strengths and
weaknesses. We just took turns bringing up the ball."
Duhon turned down Kentucky's offer of visiting during Midnight Madness.
"They were shocked," Duhon said. "But Duke's where I wanted to go. This takes a big weight off my shoulders. Now I can concentrate on my senior year."
-- Andy Katz
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Clemson picked up commitments from 6-7 Chris Hobbs (East Chapel Hill, N.C.), 6-5 Dwon Clifton (Westchester Academy/Greensboro, N.C.), 6-8 Deon Dixon (71st HS/Fayatteville, N.C.).
Florida State got another commitment from 6-4 Tony Bobbitt. He signed with the Seminoles last year but didn't become eligible and is at Hargrave Military Academy (Va.). Bobbitt was the MVP of last weekend's Charlie Webber Tournament in Maryland.
Pitt landed a commitment from 6-3 Julius Page out of Buffalo, N.Y.
Connecticut landed a commitment from Scott Hazelton (Central Catholic HS/Lawrence, Mass.). Hazelton is probably a Jake Voskuhl-like project and isn't expected to make an impact as a freshman.
Delaware has Darryl Presley back on campus after a one-year hiatus. The 6-6, 220-pound Presley, who was the MVP of the America East conference tournament as a sophomore, was thrown out of school three days before the opener of the 1998-99 season against American University for what Delaware coach Mike Brey described as academic dishonesty.
But Presley didn't quit. He took a job last spring, went to a local community college and got the nine credits he
needed to get eligible. He was re-admitted to Delaware on June 1. His addition to a team that returns nearly intact makes the Blue Hens a legitimate top 40 team entering the season. Presley, who averaged 7.7 rebounds in 1997-98, will likely replace John Bennett in the lineup.
"He did something stupid but he didn't run and hide," Brey said. "He got a job, kept his apartment and got his priorities in order. Having him back is big-time for us. Darryl does the dirty work. He can rebound with anybody, especially in traffic. He's got the look of a Big East player."
Delaware is on the verge of landing three players this weekend and possibly five by November. The Blue Hens have three in for visits -- 6-4 Mike Ames (Phoenixville, Pa.), 6-4 David Lunn (McDonough H.S/Baltimore) and 6-7 Robin Wentt (DeMatha H.S., Md.).
Tamir Goodman has contacted Delaware to test its interest. Towson State is eager to get him, but the 6-3 former Maryland recruit might have a tough time finding a school that will offer him the best
of the secular and non-secular worlds.
Goodman, an Orthodox Jew, averaged 35 points per game at Baltimore's Talmudical Academy as a junior. Maryland offered him a scholarship last year, but a knee injury limited his effectiveness this summer and the Terps pulled back. He's not a high-level ACC player but he's also not going to give up resting on the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown).
That makes it tough for Goodman to go to an America East school, where the conference tournament is played on consecutive Saturdays (the semifinals at a neutral site). The final is always in the morning because of television. It would be tough for a team to take Goodman, knowing that he wouldn't be able to play during the most important games for the team. He's talented enough to play at that level but sacrifices -- most likely by the
school that takes him -- will need to be made in order for it to work.
Boston College has a visit this weekend from 7-6, 290-pound Neil Fingleton (Holy Name H.S./Worcester, Mass.). Fingleton has legitimate skills for his size (he's not Shawn Bradley-thin) with a soft touch. Landing Fingleton would be a coup for the Eagles, who could immediately renew interest in the program. B.C. is competing with North Carolina, Wake Forest and Notre Dame for Fingleton.
Vanderbilt gave Boston College no choice but to schedule a road game in Nashville on Sunday, Feb. 6. The problem? That's the day after B.C. is at St. John's. The back-to-back New York-to-Nashville trip is rare but the Eagles' coaching staff refuses to use it as an excuse if the team is tired.
At least Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has a sense of humor about the mass defections from his program. In his opening remarks at a press conference for the Big Ten/ACC challenge last week in Chicago, Krzyzewski
said, "the proceeds are going to the Duke stay-in-school fund." Krzyzewski said when Duke agreed to play Illinois in the game at the United Center in December, the Blue Devils did it with the assumption Elton Brand would be in a Duke uniform, not a Bulls jersey.
The Rainbow Classic is getting shunned by ESPN and Fox Sports Net for no apparent reason. Neither is picking up the tournament, and if the assumption is that the tournament is weak, then the executives need to grab a copy of Blue Ribbon's College Basketball Yearbook when it comes out next month. Wake Forest (No. 18), Oregon (28), Bradley (31) and Gonzaga (32) are all listed as top 40 programs projected in the NCAA Tournament. Villanova is a potential bubble team.
The rest of the field includes Colorado (Big 12), Ohio (Mid-American) and host Hawaii (WAC). The field may lack a Final Four contender like it has in past years, but it's still better than a number of exempted tournaments televised during November and December. The Rainbow Classic's option is to look for an independent television station to pick up telecasts and broadcast them back into the visiting schools' markets.
The Rainbow Classic is struggling to get the top 10 teams because of the competition for exempted tournaments and a new rule that forbids two teams from the same conference playing in an exempted event. The 2000 field includes: Iowa, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Manhattan, Saint Louis and Detroit, with one spot still open. Georgia, Nebraska, N.C. State and Portland are in 2001 and Stanford is the only team to commit for 2002.
Hawaii is finally taking advantage of its surroundings for conditioning work. The Rainbows have gone back to the beach for the first time in years. The team runs on the beach every Thursday at 6:30 a.m. When they're
done on the sand, they dive into the ocean for a stress-release game of touch football.
While Hawaii can't get two teams from the same conference in the Rainbow Classic, non-exempted weekend tournaments can have two from a league. But it causes matchup problems. Marquette invited the MAC's Toledo and Western Michigan to join Appalachian State in the Eagles' tourney Dec. 3-4. The only way the two MAC teams will play is if they both win or lose on the first day. Toledo plays Appalachian State while Marquette hosts Western Michigan.
Villanova is going back to the Great Alaska Shootout in 2002 for the first time since 1994. The Word learned through a source at the Great Alaska Shootout that the Wildcats were one of three teams that might have trouble getting another invite. Obviously, the Wildcats haven't been frozen out of Anchorage.
Conference USA will make a decision on Oct. 11 about whether to invite SMU and TCU. Plenty of backroom politics are going on with C-USA trying to drive the price of admission over $1 million to appease basketball members who don't want the league to grow beyond 12. If Conference USA goes to 14 in basketball, it will regret it and become an eastern version of the old 16-team WAC. That means the conference had better get used to crossover games and complaints from the coaches and fans. Regardless of what happens to the remaining WAC members, the WAC is discussing the possibility of adding Boise State (currently in the Big West).
Texas-Pan American went with a safe choice in hiring Oklahoma Baptist coach Bob Hoffman. Hoffman was 242-79 at the NAIA school and got to the '93 and '97 championship games. He inherits a program rocked by scandal after the coaching staff was fired amid allegations surrounding a misuse of funds.
"The main thing is building bridges and get them headed in the same direction," Hoffman said.
The Broncs coaching staff, headed by Delray Brooks, was fired before school started. The women's staff was working out the men's players, including the nation's top returning scorer Brian Merriweather.
"I'm very thankful that someone was doing something," Hoffman said.
Hoffman is a one-man show for now. "I'm running fast and I need longer days," Hoffman said. "I'm always a guy who loves challenges. (Texas-Pan Am AD) Bill Weidner pursued me. That's not how it usually works. Usually, you need to belong to some basketball family like the Suttons or the Smiths to get one of the 301 jobs."
Andy Katz of the Fresno Bee is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. The Weekly Word on college basketball will be updated on Thursdays throughout the offseason.
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