by Alex Schwartz

Over the past three days I have caught up with a number of gifted ballers to get their school lists. I'll do two separate posts, one of the class of 2009 players and one for the 2010 and 2011 kids. Here is what I picked up from the current seniors:

Akeem Richmond ’09: Western Kentucky and Tennessee (final two)
                                Offers: Both, Western Kentucky and Tennessee
                                Favorites: “Not really, just trying to see where I fit in best.”
                               Note- “I’m going on an official [visit] on the 20^th to Tennessee,” said Richmond, who added that he will decide “by the new year.”

Ferrakohn Hall ’09: “At the time the schools that are showing me the most interest are Oklahoma State, Memphis, UAB, and Arkansas. Tennessee and Syracuse just began to show interest                        
                           Offers: Oklahoma State, Memphis, UAB, and Arkansas
                           Favorites: “I don’t really have any favorites. I think all of those schools that I mentioned are great schools.”
                           Note- “I might be visiting UAB unofficially on the 20^th, but nothing’s final.” Also, as for his offer from defending the NCAA Tournament runner-up, Hall said, “Memphis offered me way back in my tenth grade summer.” In addition, Hall told me, “I’m still completely open to all colleges. I’m nowhere near making a decision on where I want to go.”

Jason West ’09, Florida Air Academy (FL): Stony Brook, Quinnipiac, Youngstown State, South Florida, North Florida, Northeastern, and Sam Houston State, “but I’m probably going to prep school next year.”
                             Offers: “During the season I’m supposed to get a lot.”
                             Favorites: “I don’t have any favorites. I’m really leaning on prep school right now.”

Ferguson Myrick ’09, Prep Charter (PA): La Salle, New Hampshire, Boston University, Drexel, St. John’s, “and a few more”
                                       Offers: La Salle, New Hampshire, Boston University, St. John’s, Howard, LIU, “and others I can’t remember”
                                       Favorites: “Well not really because most likely I’m going to prep because I’m transitioning to a SF/SG position.”

Antoine Brown ’09, Bishop Loughlin (NY): Quinnipiac, Albany, Farleigh Dickinson, Stony Brook, Binghamton, and Marist
                                    Offers: “No offers as of yet.”
                                    Favorites: “No favorites. [I am] just kind of weighing my options [and] seeing where this season is going to take me.”

Austin Alecxih ’09, Oak Hill Academy (VA): Bucknell, Quinnipiac, St. John’s, UNC-Ashville, Davidson, Notre Dame, and La Salle
                                  Offers: Bucknell, Quinnipiac, St. John’s, UNC-Asheville, and La Salle
                                  Favorites: “Probably Quinnipiac and UNC-Asheville and La Salle right now. I don’t [know] though. I’ll know more after I can start taking official [visits].”
                                  Note- “My GPA is like a 95 out of 100. That [out of 100, not 4.0] is how they do it down here,” said Alecxih, who “was at Penn Mannor High School in Pennsylvania” before heading to Oak Hill this year.”Maybe I’ll do one [official visit] over Christmas [break], but for sure in the spring,” said Austin.

Eli Gore ’09, The Bullis School (MD): Florida Atlantic, Seton Hall, Boston College, UTEP, Stanford, “and some low mid majors and D2’s like Mount Olive.”
                        Offers: “No offers. My coach tells me those are the schools that are interested in me.”
                        Favorites: “Personally, I like FAU, BC, Seton Hall, and Stanford.”

Anali Okoloji ’09, Charis Prep (NC): Oregon State, North Carolina State, Michigan, Binghamton, St. Bonaventure, La Salle, Albany, Central Connecticut State, Penn State, North Carolina State, UMass, Fordham, Providence, Syracuse, Virginia, Michigan, UPenn, Oregon State, UMKC, UConn, and Siena
                                Offers: St. Bonaventure, La Salle, Albany, and Central Connecticut State    
                                Favorites: “My favorite right now is Michigan. I am feeling [good about] Oregon State, Binghamton, and St. Bonaventure.”
                                Notes- Okoloji, who said his school “list is growing,” informed me that Oregon State, North Carolina State, Michigan, and Binghamton are the most recent schools starting to recruit him, and he added, “When I take my SAT and ACT, offers will start to flow.” Anali added that “Michigan is going to offer. They are just waiting on my SAT.” As well, he told me that there are more schools on his list, but he could not think of them all.”

Kellen Jones ’09, Hotchkiss School (NJ): “I actually just opened back up to my recruitment, so I can’t really say what schools are looking [at me].”
                               Offers: n/a
                               Favorites: n/a

Steve Samuels ’09, Windsor (CT): Fordham, Toledo, Tulsa, Rider, and Indiana State
                                   Offers: Rider
                                   Favorites: “Not really.”

Ian Chiles ’09, Edison Academy (NJ): “Right now I don’t really have [a school list], but the University of Detroit and St. Bonaventure [are] looking at me.”
                          Offers: None
                          Favorites: “The University of Detroit sounds good, but I hope to get more interest.”

Adam Johnson ’09, City College HS (MD): Oregon State, UMBC, St. Francis (PA), Mount St. Mary’s, USC, American, St. Bonaventure, St. John’s, Lberty, Hampden-Sydney, Campbell, Rider, Loyola (MD), and Quinnipiac
                                    Offers: Oregon State, UMBC, and St. Francis (PA)
                                    Favorites: n/a

Keith Brown ’09, Malboro (MA): Oregon State, Navy, Quinnipiac, Bucknell, Army
                               Offers: None
                               Favorites: n/a  
                               Note- Brown said that he is considering going to “Tilton Prep or Suffeild Academy . . . I think prep is my number one option right now if I don’t get any offers during the season or after.”

Tywon Clarke ’09, Hyde (CT): “Well, I have slimmed my interest down to a few schools. . . . Norfolk State Binghamton, . . . Adelphi (DII) and CW Post (DII), . . . [and also], Arizona State and Southern Illinois.”
                                Offers: “No, no offers as of now.”
                                Favorites: “My favorite would be Adelphi University.”
                                Note- Clarke said he has “been e-mailing and talking to [Arizona State and Illinois] and they’re just waiting on film.”

Boris Jeremic ’09, Masters School (NY): “I applied early to Connecticut College, and I find out on the 15^th, so that’s the only one.”
                                 Offers: n/a
                                 Favorites: n/a

Jordan Robinson ’09, Rutgers Prep (NJ): “TCNJ and Brandeis, but that’s really it.”
                                      Offers: n/a
                                      Favorites: none
                                      Note- Robinson said that they way his recruitment is going right now is “not that good. Nobody is really looking at me because of my summer, I didn’t play anywhere.” He added, “I just got to show people I can play this year.”

Cameron Badger ’09, APEX Academies (NJ): Manhattan, Farleigh Dickinson, Old Dominion, Chestnut Hill (DII), and Philadelphia U (DII)
                                       Offers: n/a
                                       Favorites: n/a
                                       Notes- “I went on an official to Manhattan two weeks ago and FDU is coming to my game Wednesday at APEX.”

Tristan Benjamin ’09, Piscataway (NJ): “All the schools are really talking to my coach, so I don’t know all [of them]. . . . But there is one that I talk to on a regular [basis]. That’s Felician College.”
                                        Offers: None
                                        Favorites: None

Collin Johnson ’09, Timber Creek (NJ): “Temple and St. Joseph’s are talking to my coaches.”
                                   Offers: “No not yet, after the season I should have a couple [more schools interested].”
                                   Favorites: n/a