by Alex Schwartz

The college commitment predictions continue right here at Northstar Basketball. I have already projected where 27 of the 34 uncommitted players ranked amongst the top 100 of Northstar Basketball's Class of 2010 Terrific 125 will go. This includes all 10 uncommitted players in the top 20, the seven ranked between 21 and 30, and 10 more between 31 and 100. Now I will be making more projections, with three of the six uncommitted players ranked between 101 and 125 included (#109 Shaq Thomas does not count, as he is now in the class of 2011) along with several other quality players that I consider amongst the top 250 nationally. There will still be at least one or two more installments of this after this one. Have a look at part four:

Alex Kirk, C, 6'11, Los Alamos (NM), #110
Favorite: New Mexico
2nd in Line: Texas Tech
3rd in Line: Oregon State
Watch Out for: UCLA, Arizona State
The Land of Enchantment—yes, that is New Mexico's state nickname—star really boosted his stock over the spring and summer, and now has a plethora of high-major programs involved in his recruitment. Nonetheless, the big man seems to have a connection with in-state New Mexico, and will likely end up there. The program has been recruiting Kirk from the get-go and is only two hours from his house. Steve Alford was the first head coach to host Kirk on an official visit, and the player would certainly have the biggest impact early on if he opted for UNM over a high-major. Should Kirk decide to leave the state and go to a program with a bigger name, watch out for Texas Tech. Alex ran with Houston Hoops during the summer and the Lone Star state is just one state over. Texas Tech may have the best shot to land Kirk, outside of UNM. Oregon State Head Coach Craig Robinson could use a bruising big man, and he is an excellent recruiter, so if Kirk decides he wants to get away from home a bit, he may end up as a Beaver. Do not count out UCLA and Arizona State just yet. If the two schools do not land their number one priority bigs—Josh Smith for UCLA and Carson Desrosiers for ASU—then Alex might become the main option. ASU would probably be in better shape, as it is closer to home, but the prestige of UCLA is certainly a selling point that Ben Howland could use. When it boils down to it though, look for Kirk to wind up as a Lobo and stay close to home.

Devon Collier, PF, 6'7, St. Anthony's (NJ), #117
Favorite: Rutgers
2nd in Line: St. John's
3rd in Line: Seton Hall
Watch Out for: Maryland
The New York City native is beginning to narrow down his college list, and Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall, and Maryland all seem to be in good shape. It is tough to tell which program is at the top of his list, but as of now it appears that the big man will wind up in the Big East. If Collier does decide to head to another conference, expect it to be the ACC to go to Maryland. Gary Williams is searching for a class of 2010 big man and has targeted both Collier and his high school/AAU teammate Ashton Pankey. The Terrapins are very much in position to land Collier, but look to be a bit behind the local Big East schools. Devon seems to be a kid who wants to stay close to home, which puts St. John's in good position. New Heights coach Kimani Young was recently employed by the Red Storm, befoer having to step down for family reasons. Collier would be a major get for Norm Roberts, who has done a very good job recruiting players from the Big Apple. If Collier opts to stay in New Jersey, where he will be for his final two years of high school, Rutgers may have the upper hand on Seton Hall. In fact, RU might be a slim leader for Collier at this point. Bob Hurley has a good relationship with the program, and Collier would also be a huge coup for the Scarlet Knights. SHU is certainly in contention too, and the big man enjoyed his unofficial visit to the school recently. When all is said and done, expect Collier to be playing at a Big East school in either NY or NJ, and right now I would say Rutgers is the favorite to land him.

Rod Odom, SF, 6'8, Middlesex School (MA), #121
Favorite: Boston College
2nd in Line: Georgia Tech
3rd in Line: Arizona
Watch Out for: Harvard, Vanderbilt
As of now, it seems as though there are seven programs seriously in the race to land Odom. They are Boston College, Georgia Tech, Arizona, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Louisville, and West Virginia. From what I have heard, BC is making a strong push to land the long wing, who is a New York native. Odom would be a great get for Al Skinner, who has struggled recently in the ACC and also in the recruiting department. The Eagles seem to be the favorite to land Odom, but that is not a done deal at all. Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Hewitt is trying to land a top-notch wing and is the hunt for a number of them, including Jelan Kendrick, Jason Morris, and Odom. Hewitt has a strong shot at getting Odom, as does Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller. The Wildcats were the first program to host Rod on an official visit, which is a good sign. Assistant Coach Book Richardson has strong ties to New York, which, again, is where Odom is from. If Odom wants to go far away, he will likely end up in Tuscon. Harvard should not be ruled out just yet, despite being the only school not in a high-major conference on the list. Academics are very important to the Odoms, and Tommy Amaker obviously can use that as a major selling point for the Ivy League program. When it comes down to it though, I do not expect to see Odom go away from a high-major, as he has progressively cut the mid-major and low-major big-time academic schools off his list as his stock has grown. Vanderbilt is in play here as well, as SEC school is yet another one with a superb academic reputation. Louisville and West Virginia also should not be discounted just yet. BC may well be in the lead for Odom, but the Eagles still have a lot of work to do to get him.

Ashton Pankey, PF, 6'8, St. Anthony's (NJ), n/a
Favorite: Rice
2nd in Line: Maryland
3rd in Line: Providence
Watch Out for: Pitt, St. John's
Pankey's recruitment is a tough one to read. In addition to Rice, Maryland, Providence, Pitt, and St. John's, there are several other schools heavily involved, such as Manhattan, Western Kentucky, Houston, Siena, and Miami. As of now, it does not seem that the big man has locked in on wanting to attend a high-major school and there are certainly a handful of mid-major schools still in play. Rice looks like it could be the leader at this point. The Owls recently had an in-home visit with Pankey and have also done a great job of recruiting New Jersey schools. The C-USA program has not wrapped of Pankey yet, but Ben Braun and Co. seem to be in good shape. Maryland is probably more likely to get Pankey than it is Collier. The ACC school needs a big man, and Pankey might be on who would want to go to College Park. A trio of Big East schools are also solidly in play. Of the trio—Providence, Pitt, and St. John's—PC might be in the best shape. Keno Davis is a fantastic recruiter and is a major player here. Pitt has been working the NYC area—Ashton is from the Big Apple—and Pankey would be a good get for Jamie Dixon. St. John's is looking to land one of the New Heights trio of Pankey, Collier, and Jayvaughn Pinkston and would likely be happy with any of them. Norm Roberts is working hard to get Pankey and the Red Storm should not be ruled out.

Josh Huestis, PF, 6'7, CM Russell (MT), n/a
Favorite: USC
2nd in Line: Oregon State
3rd in Line: Gonzaga
Watch Out for: Harvard
Huestis is considering eight programs, in USC, Oregon State, Gonzaga, Harvard, Colorado, Stanford, Rice, and Yale. Josh has already stated that his leaders are USC, Oregon State, Gonzaga, and Stanford. It will be tough for Rice, Yale, and Colorado to the top of that list, but Harvard could be moving in that direction. Huestis has Ivy League grades and Tommy Amaker is doing a great job of working to get top-notch prospects on campus. If Huestis opts to go the pure academic route, look for him to end up as a Crimson. The more likely scenario is that Huestis goes to a big-time/high-major program in the West. As of now, USC appears to be the leader. Josh was recently at Southern Cal and has said the OJ Mayo scandal will not impact. The Pac-10 school combines fantastic academics with high-major hoops. Also, he lived in Los Angeles over the summer while running with Belmont Shore. Oregon State is another school that could end up with Huestis. The school is closer to his home that USC is, but is in the same conference, so if he wants to stay local and still play in the Pac-10, Oregon State could be the pick. Gonzaga should not be ruled out either. Mark Few has turned Bulldogs into a major contender year in and year out, and add in the fact that Washington borders Montana, and the West Coast Conference school has a real shot and landing Huestis, in what would be a major coup. Although Josh listed Stanford as a leader, the Cardinal may not, at the of the day, have a scholarship available, especially if Dwight Powell picks the school as expected. It does seem that Huestis will end up playing for Kevin O'Neill as a Trojan, but that is by no means final.

Melsahn Basabe, PF, 6'7, St. Mark's (MA), n/a
Favorite: Siena
2nd in Line: Drexel
3rd in Line: Virginia Commonwealth
Watch Out for: Rhode Island, Pitt
Basabe has already stated that his top three are Siena, Drexel, and Virginia Commonwealth, meaning that he will almost certainly go the mid-major route. The big man has also said he would like to play in the Big East at a top-notch academic school, and Pitt is one of the schools showing interest that fits the bill. If the Panthers' other options fall through and Jamie Dixon decides to offer Melsahn, who is from New York and played with the NY Gauchos, he may wind up there, but that is a long shot. Rhode Island is another school that is still trying to make a play for Basabe. It will probably be very tough for URI to overtake Siena, Drexel, and VCU though. Speaking of those three , it would definitely be a surprise if the St. Mark's standout opted to go to a school outside that trio. It is hard to tell which program has the lead, but right now I would handicap Siena as the favorite. Fran McCaffery is a quality recruiter and Basabe seems interested in the program. Bruiser Flint of Drexel is another superb recruiter, and if Melsahn wants a city school, the CAA program would likely be his choice, as it is right in Philadelphia. Although I have VCU at number three, new head coach Shaka Smart is about as likely to land Basabe as the two McCaffery and Flint. Smart is searching for a quality big man in his class of 2010, but unlike the other two, Basabe does not seem to be priority number one, which is part of the reason why the school might be just a bit behind. It is hard to tell which of the three Melsahn will end up at, and although I would say Siena is the favorite, it is too close to truly tell with any certainty.

Ron Roberts, PF, 6'7, St. Peter's Prep (NJ), n/a

Favorite: Indiana
2nd in Line: Providence
3rd in Line: Maryland
Watch Out for: Rutgers, George Mason
If Indiana Head Coach Tom Crean decides that he definitely wants Roberts, then the big man will likely end up in Bloomington. Roberts seems to really like IU and has admitted that the Hoosiers are his leader. The question is really whether or not Crean and Co. are ready to pull the trigger, but if they are, Roberts would probably end up at the Big Ten school. Providence is still looking for a big man in the class of 2010 and is involved with a number of them, including Roberts. The athletic forward likes the Big East school, and if PC puts on a strong push, there is a definitely a chance that he would opt to go there. Maryland is another program that is still trying to find a big man in this year's crop of seniors. Gary Williams is going after a trio of NJ bigs in Roberts, Collier, and Pankey. Although Roberts is the least highly-touted of the bunch, he is a quality prospect and might be a good fit for Gary Williams' system. Rutgers was one of the first schools to offer Ron, and if he wants to stay in-state he will end up playing for Fred Hill. If it turns out that Roberts does not wind up at a high-major school, then George Mason, which just landed an NJ prospect in Paris Bennett '09, might be the destination. All said, Indiana is the school to beat for Roberts.

Jelani Hewitt, SG, 6'3, Northeast (FL), n/a
Favorite: Georgia Southern
2nd in Line: Nebraska
3rd in Line: Auburn
Watch Out for: Jacksonville, Tulsa
A talented shooting guard from the Sunshine State, Hewitt lists Georgia Southern, Nebraska, and Jacksonville as his top three, in that order. Besides Nebraska, Auburn is Hewitt's other high-major offer and after a quality summer, the Tigers may be thinking harder about Hewitt, who did not seem as interested in Jacksonville as he was by GA Southern and Nebraska. New Georgia Southern Head Coach Charlton Young is considered a very good recruiter, and he may be able to get a great player in Jelani. While the Eagles seem to be in the best shape to get Hewitt, the Cornhuskers are not out of the picture. Hewitt showed this summer that he may well be able to play at the high-major level, so a lower level program in a BCS conference might want to take a chance on him. Nebraska and Auburn both fit that mold. Tulsa is another school still in the picture for Hewitt, but definitely has some ground to make up.

Tyreek Duren, PG, 6'1, Neumann-Goretti (PA), n/a
Favorite: Temple
2nd in Line: UMass
3rd in Line: La Salle
Watch Out for: Miami
This seems to be a three-horse race between a trio of A-10 schools for Duren. Miami is maybe the lone school outside of those three that has a shot at Duren. The Hurricanes have been involved with Tyreek for quite some time, and if Frank Haith is unable to land a guard who is considered a higher priority then he may make a push for Duren. This scenario is definitely a long shot though. It is going to come down to Temple, UMass, and La Salle. From what I have heard, Temple seems to have overtaken UMass as Duren's favorite. For a long time it looked as though the Philadelphia guard would wind up playing for Derek Kellogg, but the Owls have come on strong in recent weeks. Do not count out La Salle either, a program that Duren is also quite interested in. Temple does seem to be the most likely program to get Duren, with UMass right behind, but the baller is taking official visits to all three, and many times those have a way of swaying prospects. Expect to see Duren go with a school in the A-10, and quite possibly one in the Big Five.

Note- all photos of Kirk, Collier, Odom, Pankey, Huestis, and Roberts are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/; photo of Basabe is from http://www.masslive.com/; photo of Hewitt is from http://ouinsider.com/; photo of Duren is from http://phillyhoops.wordpress.com/