2008 Woodie Awards
"Real Deal" brings top talent to the Hill
Brandon Harris
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Sports
For one weekend, Fayetteville will be the focus of the college basketball world.
Granted, it's not because of the Arkansas Razorbacks. And it happens to be late April, weeks after the final college basketball game of the 2007-08 season. But with coaches across the country shifting their attention toward recruiting, the Real Deal on the Hill will make Fayetteville a prime part of the college basketball landscape.
The Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament brings in teams from literally across the country - from California to Florida - with some of the nation's best soon-to-be high-school seniors.
Derrick Favors, a 6-9 power forward, is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com. He was named to the All-Tournament First Team last year and will make his final appearance in the tournament this year. His college interests include Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida State, to name a few.
Scout's No. 3 player, Lance Stephenson, could draw a little more attention from Razorback fans. He's scheduled to arrive a few days early to visit the Arkansas campus with his father. The 6-6 guard is probably the most hyped player to come out of New York since Sebastian Telfair, who was drafted after his senior year of high school in 2004.
Shawn Williams, a 6-6 forward, is one of Arkansas' most targeted recruits from the Class of 2009. He's rated No. 40 by Scout, and his college interests include Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas and Kentucky.
There's even a little bit of starpower in 6-10 forward Shawn Kemp Jr., the son of six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp Sr. He's also a part of the Class of 2009.
Names like Favors, Stephenson and Williams aren't exactly household at this point, but the list of alumni speaks for itself and shows that the players that will be in Fayetteville this weekend will be well-known in the future.
Consider the 2005 All-Tournament First Team: Greg Oden, the former Ohio State Buckeye who was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft after his freshman season. He's now a Portland Trail Blazer. Memphis product Thaddeus Young spent one year at Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jon Scheyer went on to play at Duke where he's one of the Blue Devils' best players. Mike Conley played alongside Oden and also spent one year at Ohio State before being selected fourth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft.
And finally, there's Darrell Arthur, who is fresh off a national championship run with the Kansas Jayhawks and still could be an early entrant into the NBA Draft.
Other players like 2007-08 First Team All-American Michael Beasley from Kansas State, LSU standout Anthony Randolph and Indiana phenom Eric Gordon have passed through Fayetteville on their way to illustrious college and soon-to-be NBA careers. All three of the aforementioned players have declared for the NBA Draft this year after just one year in the college ranks.
Granted, it's not because of the Arkansas Razorbacks. And it happens to be late April, weeks after the final college basketball game of the 2007-08 season. But with coaches across the country shifting their attention toward recruiting, the Real Deal on the Hill will make Fayetteville a prime part of the college basketball landscape.
The Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament brings in teams from literally across the country - from California to Florida - with some of the nation's best soon-to-be high-school seniors.
Derrick Favors, a 6-9 power forward, is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2009 by Scout.com. He was named to the All-Tournament First Team last year and will make his final appearance in the tournament this year. His college interests include Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Florida State, to name a few.
Scout's No. 3 player, Lance Stephenson, could draw a little more attention from Razorback fans. He's scheduled to arrive a few days early to visit the Arkansas campus with his father. The 6-6 guard is probably the most hyped player to come out of New York since Sebastian Telfair, who was drafted after his senior year of high school in 2004.
Shawn Williams, a 6-6 forward, is one of Arkansas' most targeted recruits from the Class of 2009. He's rated No. 40 by Scout, and his college interests include Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas and Kentucky.
There's even a little bit of starpower in 6-10 forward Shawn Kemp Jr., the son of six-time NBA All-Star Shawn Kemp Sr. He's also a part of the Class of 2009.
Names like Favors, Stephenson and Williams aren't exactly household at this point, but the list of alumni speaks for itself and shows that the players that will be in Fayetteville this weekend will be well-known in the future.
Consider the 2005 All-Tournament First Team: Greg Oden, the former Ohio State Buckeye who was the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft after his freshman season. He's now a Portland Trail Blazer. Memphis product Thaddeus Young spent one year at Georgia Tech before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jon Scheyer went on to play at Duke where he's one of the Blue Devils' best players. Mike Conley played alongside Oden and also spent one year at Ohio State before being selected fourth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft.
And finally, there's Darrell Arthur, who is fresh off a national championship run with the Kansas Jayhawks and still could be an early entrant into the NBA Draft.
Other players like 2007-08 First Team All-American Michael Beasley from Kansas State, LSU standout Anthony Randolph and Indiana phenom Eric Gordon have passed through Fayetteville on their way to illustrious college and soon-to-be NBA careers. All three of the aforementioned players have declared for the NBA Draft this year after just one year in the college ranks.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Rob
posted 4/16/08 @ 6:38 PM CST
Did I just over look it, but when is this event?
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