Looking Back: The 2000 Recruiting Class

By Raphielle JohnsonJul 1, 2013, 3:00 PM EDT

Next week, the first session of July’s live recruiting period will begin, and high school hoopers around the country will take their talents to tournaments across the country, looking to impress coaches enough to earn a spot on a team at some level.

Those that are good enough will be playing for a scholarship. The best of the best will have a spot in all of the top 100 recruiting rankings on the line.

Over the course of this week, we will be looking back at the RSCI — a composite index for top 100 lists — to reinforce a point: recruiting rankings are not a guarantee. Top ten recruits flame out and unranked players make the NBA. The only thing that is a given is that hard work will be talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

Keep that in mind while tracking where a kid is ranked and who is recruiting him.

We’ll be looking at the Class of 1999-2008, the last 10 classes that have finished the five years they are allowed to use their four seasons of eligibility.

To read through the rest of our Looking Back posts, click here.

The Top 20

1. Zach Randolph: The Marion, Ind. native played just one season at Michigan State, averaging 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest on a team that reached the Final Four. From there it was off to the NBA, where “Z-Bo” made stops in Portland, New York and Los Angeles (Clippers) before finding a home in Memphis. For his career, Randolph is averaging 17.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

2. Eddie Griffin: Like Randolph, the Philadelphia native spent just once season in college before moving to the next level. In his one season at Seton Hall Griffin averaged 17.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, winning Big East Rookie of the Year honors. Griffin was picked seventh overall by Minnesota in the 2001 NBA Draft, but sadly he struggled in regards to pairing his skills with the maturity needed to prosper. Griffin died in 2007 when his car collided with a freight train in Houston.

3. Darius Miles: Miles was the highest rated player in the 2000 class to go straight to the NBA, where he was picked by the Clippers in the first round. Miles’ pro career was (despite a few flashes) for the most part nondescript, as he averaged 10.1 points per game. Miles also held roles in two movies, “Perfect Score” and “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder.”

4. Gerald Wallace: Wallace averaged 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his lone season at Alabama, and he’s put together a solid NBA career that’s still ongoing (he was part of the deal that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn). Wallace is averaging 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 12 seasons as a pro, playing for five different franchises.

5. Marcus Taylor: The Lansing native arrived at Michigan State with a great amount of fanfare, and as a sophomore he averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 assists per game. Taylor would then leave school for the NBA (second round pick of the Timberwolves in 2002), and he spent seven seasons playing in various leagues around the world.

6. DeShawn Stevenson: Like Miles, Stevenson went straight from high school to the NBA. Unlike Miles, Stevenson is still in the NBA. Through 13 seasons the Fresno native has averaged 7.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, playing for six different teams (winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011).

7. Chris Duhon: As a freshman at Duke, Duhon proved to be a valuable player for a team that won the national title. Duhon is one of two members of the Class of 2000 Top 10 to spend four years in college, and he averaged 8.8 points and 5.7 assists per game as a Blue Devil. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2004 (second round), Duhon has played for four different franchises as a pro and was recently waived by the Lakers.

8. Mario Austin: Austin played three seasons at Mississippi State, averaging 13.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest for the Bulldogs. Like Duhon, Austin was a second round pick of the Bulls (in 2003) but he never played a minute in the NBA. He spent this past season playing for Al Kuwait SC in Kuwait.

9. Jared Jeffries: The Bloomington (Ind.) North product stayed home to play college basketball, playing two seasons at Indiana and helping to lead the Hoosiers to the 2002 national title game. Picked 11th overall by the Wizards in the 2002 NBA Draft, Jeffries has played 11 seasons in the NBA for four different teams (two stints with the Knicks).

10. Taliek Brown: Taliek joins Chris Duhon as the lone members of the Top 10 to spend four seasons in college, and like Duhon the point guard won a national title (2004). After running the show at UConn and becoming the school’s all-time leader in assists, Brown (7.8 ppg, 5.4 apg) went undrafted and most recently played for the Moncton Miracle of the National Basketball League (Canada). Brown took classes at UConn during the spring semester, as he’s working to complete his undergraduate studies.

11. Andre Brown: The Chicago native played four years at DePaul, averaging 10.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a Blue Demon. Brown’s professional career has featured many stops, with his most recent action coming with the Jeonju KCC Egis of the Korean Basketball League (10.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg).

12. Omar Cook: Along with Taliek Brown and Andre Barrett, Cook made up the triumvirate of NYC point guards who were expected to place their names alongside the likes of Kenny Anderson and Kenny Smith. Cook left school after just one season (15.3 ppg, 8.7 apg), and was selected in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft by Orlando. He has since played in multiple leagues across the world, most recently playing for Caja Laboral in the Spanish League.

13. Jerome Harper: Harper’s issues off the court proved to be problematic, as his scholarship offer to Cincinnati was rescinded when the 6-5 guard was arrested on the day he was named a McDonald’s All-American. After two years at Indian Hills CC, Harper signed with Iowa State but was ineligible to play. In 2008 Harper had to turn himself in to Columbia, S.C. law enforcement to face charges regarding a murder committed in 1999. Harper most recently ran afoul of the law in March, when he was charged with attempted murder.

14. Alton Ford: Ford played one season at Houston, where he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. Selected in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft by the Suns, Ford played three seasons in the NBA before playing overseas and most recently (2011) in the D-League.

15. Andre Barrett: Barrett (15.3 ppg, 5.4 apg) may not have been drafted after playing four seasons at Seton Hall, but he left the school as one of the greatest point guards in school history. Despite being undrafted Barrett fought his way into the NBA, ultimately playing for five different teams from 2004-07 and for the L.A. Clippers in 2008. Barrett most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League.

16. Darius Rice: The nephew of Jerry Rice put together a solid four-year career at Miami, where he averaged 16.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a Hurricane. His best performance: dropping 43 on UConn as a junior in a stunning comeback victory. Rice went undrafted in 2004, and has since played in a number of countries with the hope of one day landing in the NBA. He most recently played for the Texas Legends of the D-League.

17. Abdou Diame: Diame went from Oak Hill Academy to Auburn, where he played two seasons before finishing up at Jacksonville State (career averages: 5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg). Diame, a native of Senegal, is currently a member of Steve Smith’s coaching staff at Oak Hill.

18. Imari Sawyer: Sawyer joined fellow Chicago native Andre Brown at DePaul, with the 6-2 guard averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 assists per game in two seasons. Suspensions and off-court issues cut his college career short, and one of the best prep guards to come out of the Windy City never lived up to the praise he received in high school.

19. Cedrick Banks: The 6-3 guard from Chicago ended up playing four years at UIC, where he averaged 17.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Banks wasn’t drafted out of UIC, and he most recently played for Liège Basket in Belgium.

20. Rolando Howell: Howell played four seasons at South Carolina, averaging 9.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a Gamecock. Howell played for the Dacin Tigers in Taiwan this past season, posting averages of 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS

23. Chris Wilcox
32. Rickey Paulding
34. Mike Sweetney
47. Caron Butler
53. Romain Sato
56. A.J. Moye
63. Kyle Cuffe
69. Luke Ridnour
85. Scott Merritt
98. Marcus Melvin
UR: Gerald Fitch
UR: Jameer Nelson
UR: Dwyane Wade

Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.

Texas’ Arterio Morris plays amid misdemeanor domestic violence case

Associated PressMar 22, 2023, 12:56 PM EDT

Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports

AUSTIN, Texas — In a season when Texas fired coach Chris Beard after a felony domestic violence arrest, it has allowed a reserve guard to keep playing while he awaits trial on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

Second-seed Texas has advanced under interim coach Rodney Terry to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 2008, and the Longhorns play No. 3 Xavier in Kansas City, Missouri.

Arterio Morris, a freshman who was one of the top recruits in the country last year, was initially scheduled to stand trial March 29, three days before Final Four weekend. Denton County prosecutors were granted a delay to an unspecified date.

Beard was fired Jan. 5, about three weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of a felony charge of choking his fiancée in a fight during which she also told police he bit, and hit her. She later recanted the choking allegation and the Travis County district attorney dismissed the case, saying prosecutors were following her wishes not to got to trial and that the charge could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

Morris is charged with Class A misdemeanor assault causing bodily injury to a family member, which in Texas includes dating relationships. It stems from a June 2022 confrontation in the Dallas suburb of Frisco. The charge carries penalties ranging from probation and fines to up to a year in jail if convicted.

Morris’ attorney, Justin Moore, said the charges against Beard and the player are different.

“(Beard) was charged with a felony family assault,” Moore said. “That was far more serious as to what Arterio was alleged to have to committed. We maintain Arterio’s innocence.”

According to police, the ex-girlfriend said Morris grabbed her arm and pulled her off a bed, and later pulled the front of her sports bra, causing an injury to her neck and shoulder area. Police reported seeing a sizable bruise or scratch.

Texas officials declined comment. Beard said before the season that school officials he would not identify determined the freshman could play this season.

Moore defended Texas officials’ decision to not suspend Morris.

“I do believe Texas has taken this seriously. They’ve also allowed Arterio to enjoy his due process rights,” Moore said.

Morris has played in all 36 games this season, although his minutes and have been limited on a senior-dominated team. He averages nearly 12 minutes and 4.7 points per game. His biggest moment was a soaring alley-oop dunk against Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.

Attempts to reach Morris’ ex-girlfriend through family members were not successful. According to online records, prosecutors sought the trial delay to “procure witness availability.” Prosecutor Jamie Beck did not immediately return messages.

Wichita State hires ORU’s Paul Mills to lead program

Associated PressMar 22, 2023, 12:52 PM EDT

Russell Lansford-USA TODAY Sports

Wichita State hired Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts to turn around its languishing program, landing what has been one of the hottest names among mid-major coaches.

The 50-year-old Mills led the the Golden Eagles to two of the past three NCAA Tournaments, engineering upsets of Ohio State and Florida as a No. 15 seed in 2021 before going 30-5 this past season and losing to Duke as a No. 5 seed.

He replaces Isaac Brown, who was fired after three seasons as the Shockers slowly slipped toward mediocrity.

“My family and I are extremely excited about being a part of Wichita State,” said Mills, who will be introduced during a news conference at Charles Koch Arena. “The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable community support will keep us working on behalf of the greatest fans in all of college basketball.”

Mills got his break in coaching when he joined Scott Drew’s first staff at Baylor in 2003, working alongside future Kansas State coach Jerome Tang in helping to turn around a program that had been mired in controversy. Mills stayed for 14 years, helping to reach seven NCAA Tournaments, before replacing Scott Sutton at Oral Roberts before the 2017 season.

Mills went just 11-21 each of his first two seasons in Tulsa, but the seeds of a turnaround had been planted, and the Golden Eagles have not had a losing season since. The biggest step came two years ago, when Mills led Oral Roberts to the Sweet 16 of an NCAA Tournament played entirely within an Indianapolis “bubble environment” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Golden Eagles slipped to 19-12 the following year before winning 30 games and the Summit League title this past season, when they were led by high-scoring guard Max Abmas, an honorable mention All-American selection.

“Paul Mills’ heart for people, passion for life and approach to the development of young people and programs is energizing,” Wichita State athletic director Kevin Saal said in a statement. “He aligns with Shocker Athletics’ core values, facilitates a first-class student-athlete experience and fuels broad-based competitive excellence.”

The hiring of Mills comes as the Shockers try to position themselves at the forefront of a new-look American Athletic Conference. Perennial powerhouse Houston is joining Central Florida and Cincinnati in leaving for the Big 12 after this season, and six new schools are due to arrive from Conference USA for the start of next season.

Wichita State, a power under Ralph Miller and Gene Smithson in the 1960s, returned to prominence when Mark Turgeon took over in 2000. But it was under Gregg Marshall, who resigned in November 2020 amid allegations of verbal and physical abuse of players, that it began to soar. The Shockers advanced to the Final Four in 2013, finished the regular season unbeaten the following year and at one point went to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Brown, who was Marshall’s top recruiter, led them back to the NCAA Tournament in his first year. But the Shockers were just 15-13 last year and 17-15 this past season, leading Saal to decide that a coaching change was necessary.

Turns out the answer Saal was looking for was just a few hours south at Oral Roberts.

Arizona State extends Bobby Hurley through 2025-26 season

Associated PressMar 22, 2023, 12:02 AM EDT

Getty Images

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State agreed to a contract extension with head coach Bobby Hurley that runs through the 2025-26 season.

The deal announced on Tuesday is subject to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents. Hurley’s previous contract was set to expire after next season.

“Coach Hurley has made our program relevant nationally with many significant wins and an exciting style, along with a firm commitment to the academic success of our student-athletes,” Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said in a statement. “He has made it clear to us that he wants to be here and we have done likewise with him. We share a strong confidence in the present and future state of Sun Devil men’s basketball.”

Hurley led the Sun Devils to 23 wins this season and their third trip to the NCAA Tournament the last five times it has been played. Arizona State beat Nevada in the First Four before losing to Texas Christian on a last-second shot last Friday.

The Sun Devils have won at least 20 games four of the past six seasons. They are 141-113 in eight seasons under Hurley.

Mark Campbell new TCU women’s coach after taking Sacramento State to NCAA

Associated PressMar 22, 2023, 12:00 AM EDT

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

FORT WORTH, Texas – Mark Campbell was hired as TCU’s women’s basketball coach after the former Oregon assistant took Sacramento State to its first NCAA Tournament in an impressive and quick turnaround.

Sacramento State was coming off a 3-22 season when Campbell was hired two years ago. The Hornets won 14 games in Campbell’s first season, and then made another 11-win improvement this season while finishing 25-8 with Big Sky regular-season and tournament championships.

During his seven seasons on Oregon’s staff before that, the Ducks had some of the nation’s top recruiting classes. That included Campbell recruiting Sabrina Ionescu, who became the AP player of the year in 2020 before she was the first overall pick in the WNBA draft.

Campbell replaces Raegan Pebley, who stepped down after nine seasons as TCU’s coach with a 141-138 record. The Horned Frogs were 8-23 this season, including 1-17 in Big 12 play during the regular season.

TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati described Campbell as an elite recruiter and program builder.

“Similar to his success at Sacramento State, he was instrumental in Oregon quickly becoming one of the nation’s most successful programs, reaching their first NCAA Elite Eight and then Final Four,” Donati said.

The Frogs haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2010. That was their ninth NCAA appearance, all coming in a 10-season span without making it past the second round.

Boston College extends Earl Grant through 2028-29 season

Associated PressMar 21, 2023, 11:58 PM EDT

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON – Boston College coach Earl Grant has agreed to a two-year extension that will keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Grant took over as Eagles coach prior to the 2021-22 season and finished 13-20. Boston College went 16-17 this past season, but it had three wins over nationally ranked teams for the first time in 14 years.

“My family and I have enjoyed being a part of this amazing community,” Grant said in a statement. “Boston is a great city and we are glad to call it our home. I am thankful for the efforts of my staff to help move the program forward.”

The Eagles finished 9-11 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, their most wins in the league play since 2010-11. Quinten Post also became the first Boston College player to be named Most Improved Player.

In announcing the extension, athletic director Blake James expressed optimism about the direction of the program.

“Earl has done an outstanding job leading our men’s basketball program over the last two seasons and we are looking forward to him doing so for many years to come,” James said.