Lake Clifton's Josh Selby looking at six schools
The list of schools in the running for Lake Clifton point guard Josh Selby is now down to six.
The five-star prospect and his mother, Maeshon Witherspoon, pared the list on Sunday night. In no particular order, Syracuse, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Miami and Baylor made the cut.
Here’s what Witherspoon had to say about Selby’s six finalists:
Baylor: “We like the facilities and the coaching staff is a nice group of guys.”
Indiana: “Coach [Tom] Crean was very successful with players Josh has been compared to at Marquette. They have some great kids [in the program] and a great recruiting class coming in the 2010 class, one being Josh’s ex-teammate at DeMatha [Victor Oladipo]. We like the coaching staff as well.”
Kansas: “[We like] coach [Bill] Self at Kansas. We like the tradition, like the style of play and love the personality of the coaching staff. I love the fact that with Kansas, there’s not a lot of distractions out there. And Coach Self won a national championship, so he knows how to win.”
Kentucky: “Coach [John] Calipari is also the same thing [as Self] -- he knows how to win. He’s been very successful, especially the last two years with point guards. They’re in a great conference in the SEC.”
Miami: “They’re in another great conference and we like the coaching staff. Another plus for Miami is the year-round great weather.”
Syracuse: “It’s the same with Kansas. They won the national championship [recently]. I would say with Syracuse, Coach [Jim] Boeheim is very honest and very up-front. He’s had a lot of success with Baltimore players he has recruited. He’s been successful with guards who have styles similar to Josh.”
Witherspoon said she and Selby will try to make as many visits as possible before the start of basketball season. They may formulate their list of scheduled visits by the weekend.
“We’re definitely still thinking about a spring decision because even though we’ve cut the list, some of the schools we let go are trying to plead their case,” Witherspoon said. “This is getting to be real interesting and hard at the same time.”
Comments
I just don't understand why Gary can't land ONE top recruit in the MD/DC area?
Posted by: Josh | September 30, 2009 12:53 PM
Wow.....guess the schools' academic programs and reputations aren't being considered. But that weather in Miami is very important....
Good Grief!!
Posted by: Pete Zahutt | September 30, 2009 1:18 PM
Gary does not get these players because the go to the highest bidder.
Posted by: Kevin | September 30, 2009 1:20 PM
He has, almost every year. With the sheer numbers of great players every year that come out, we all feel like we should be getting more. We're still not getting the top 5 guys though, and that's tough to swallow.
Posted by: Anthony | September 30, 2009 1:20 PM
Academic reputation? miami is ranked the same as MD, as are the Cuse and IU. KU and UK less, but their bball programs are the attraction. Let's not be wrong with the criticism of him being interested in other schools.
Posted by: ML | September 30, 2009 1:40 PM
Another "Gary can't recruit rant"....
It is still a two way street. The player has to want to go to Maryland as much as Maryland wants the athlete.
How is it his fault if there is not even one suggestion that this kid would stay around?
Posted by: Don | September 30, 2009 1:55 PM
Quit trying to blame everything on Gary. Maryland is not interested in this guy, because we already have more than enough depth at the 1 and 2 positions. Maryland is in the market for low post recruits only. Last I checked, the basketball team made the tourney and won the national title a few years ago. Perhaps you haters should focus your vitriole on the MD Football program, because they are the ones that stink! And I don't want to hear about how many bowl games they've gone to because the entire bowl system is a joke. The only real bowl we've gone to recently is the Orange Bowl and the Gators embarassed the Terps. THe Tennessee victory came over the Vols when they had a down year - period. Friedgen needs to go - he is 0-2 against Middle Tennessee St. what a laugher.
Posted by: Tom | September 30, 2009 2:17 PM
Tom, do you really think MD is not interested in a 5 Star recruit? Of course they are, but Gary is not willing to do what is necessary to land these recruits (and I don't mean paying them, I mean putting in the time and schmoozing with the high school/AAU coaches.
Posted by: Josh | September 30, 2009 2:50 PM
Hey Josh, last I checked the Terps currently have a top 10 class for '10 and Gary followed 5 star Tobias Harris all over the AAU circuit this summer. It is also fairly obvious that he has a strong relationship with Stu Vetter at Montrose Christian. Gary is back working the scene and has his assistants firmly in place again. He will go out on top.
Posted by: Chad | September 30, 2009 3:34 PM
Josh...get your facts straight. Selby played 9th grade at John Carroll in Bel Air, 10th & part of 11th grade at DeMatha and will be a senior at Lake Clifton. He verbally committed to Tennessee until he reneged on that promise. Notice a pattern here?
Don't want him, don't need him. How key is a 6'2 tweener guard?
Posted by: Rob K. | September 30, 2009 4:15 PM
How key is a 6'2 tweener guard? Steve Francis was a 6'2 tweener and his jersey is retired. MD's class is ranked now within the top ten only because most of the high end recruits haven't commited yet. If they fail to land another high end prospect, that ranking will fall out of the top 25. Relative to their expectations, MD's bball program is in worst shape than the football team. And FYI, not every top 25 recruit is getting paid to attend a school
Posted by: pw | September 30, 2009 6:19 PM
Josh Selby couldn't carry Steve Francis' jock. He elicits more of a comparison to, say, Tayon McCoy than to Steve Francis.
Posted by: Rob K. | September 30, 2009 7:33 PM
lets not be too harsh on this kid-yes he's made very questionable decisions, and he's definitely cocky as all hell. but the kid is even better than advertised. I watch him play and think of a young D-Wade...he's ! and done, 2 at the most and Gary never recruits those guys! this kid will definitely surpass Stevie Francis's NBA tenure
Posted by: J | September 30, 2009 8:58 PM
The fact of the matter is Gary does not like to recruit, plain and simple. When Billy Hahn left (his main recruiter) the talent started going downhill. Gary can coach with the best of them, but when you don't have the talent it doesn't matter much. When you can't get the top kids in the state to stay and go to your school (and you are a supposed national power) then you are not going to be successful, it's that easy. When guys like Kevin Durant are in your backyard and they don't even sniff your campus, there are recruiting issues.
Posted by: DaveR | October 1, 2009 5:04 AM
not 1 mention of education. but then agian blame ncaa rules for making a kid go somewhere they don't wanna. even if it is just a year. GO HOOSIERS.
Posted by: westracer | October 1, 2009 7:34 AM
Rob K. ....Josh Shelby is not Steve Francis but he's definetely no Teyon McCoy I should no because I played pick-up ball with the guy, and he really seems like a nice kid with his head on straight. The point I'm trying to make is some of you guys be making way to harsh statements in your posts. Yes Gary did not go after him but that's because he didn't have us high on his list if at all. I tried to like get a couple of words in with him like when we would take a little break here and there and he told me that Tenn. was the offer that was better for his game style. Though I would have loved to see him in that red-white-yellow-black I know it takes two to tangle and we definetely could have used him. Oh yeah we won like 5 games in a row kid game is sick he's most likely one and done. I'm from the inner city and when kids like that have a chance to do something better with their lives than spending on a corner like a lot of people I know through the years we Congradulate them so salute Josh wish you luck and I see you when I see you. As always Go Terps...!
Posted by: No.1Terpsfan | October 1, 2009 11:19 AM
I would look into the IU academic programs before you compare them to UK & KU. When did Maryland become part of the Ivy League?
Posted by: Kevin R | October 1, 2009 1:48 PM
Going to SU with De Melo and Company
Posted by: Brandon M | October 8, 2009 8:57 PM
Trevor Cooney looks more interesting. Let the big hype players go their way. Meanwhile Lefty's son went out and got some real big time players out of other schools backyards. What goes around comes around. You only have so many picks. I'd like to see a back court star who can pick up the pace and a big center who can roam the inside.
Posted by: KraftPaper | October 11, 2009 8:24 AM
Why isn't UMD on the list?
Posted by: ML | October 13, 2009 8:06 AM