I was on vacation last week (it was awesome, if you must know), so I was unable to stay on top of UConn recruiting news. Here’s a brief look at what’s happened recently, followed by an updated chart of 2013 targets.
*New Jersey small forward Reggie Cameron, regarded as one of the nation’s elite 3-point shooters, visited Storrs on Aug. 14. He told UConnBall.com that the visit went “great.”
*The Romulus, Mich. backcourt duo of Wes Clark and E.C. Matthews dropped by campus on Aug. 17.
*Boston product Wayne Selden Jr., considered one of the top shooting guards in the country, narrowed his list to Ohio State, UCLA, Kansas, Florida, Missouri and Syracuse.
*New Jersey shooting guard Davon Reed tentatively cut his list to Miami (Fla.), Xavier and Wake Forest. He told Hearst Connecticut Monday morning that he’ll “make a decision within the next week” about visiting UConn or completely removing the Huskies from the picture.
*Dominic Woodson, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center who transferred to Huntington School (W. Va.) for his senior season, listed UConn as one of is top 10 choices.
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2013 COMMITS: Kentan Facey, 6-9 F/C, Long Island Lutheran
POINT GUARD
Terrence Samuel, 6-3, Brooklyn: UConn has a good chance with Samuel, a solid, all-around guard with a big frame. He has cut his list to six (see below) and plans to visit each school before making a decision on Nov. 1, according to The New York Post. Samuel will be in Storrs on Aug. 24.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Rhode Island, Pitt, Dayton, Tennessee, Temple (per New York Post)
Tahj Shamsid-Deen, 5-9, Decatur, Ga.: One of the smaller guards in the class, Shamsid-Deen is a scoring guard with a nice lefty stroke. Needless to say, he’s extremely quick and can be a pesky defender.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Auburn, Butler, Richmond, Harvard (per Dan McDonald of GA Varsity)
Wes Clark, 6-0, Romulus, Mich.: Gritty floor general exploded at the LeBron James Skills Academy and picked up several high major offers. He also had one of the best quotes of the summer: “If you’re trying to go somewhere to get to the next level, what’s better than Connecticut?”
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Michigan State, Syracuse, Pitt, Illinois, USC, Dayton, Xavier and Creighton (per SNY)
Stevie Clark, 5-10, Oklahoma City: Scoring point guard will sort through “25-30 offers,” his mother said. It’s looking less likely that Clark will land in Storrs.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Missouri, Memphis, Oklahoma, Marquette, UCLA
Kendall Smith, 6-3 PG, Antioch, Calif.: A pass-first guard who averaged 9.1 assists per game as a junior, Smith is extremely high on UConn. My hunch is that he’d commit on the spot if offered by the Huskies.
Offer: No
Also considering: USC, Washington, San Jose State, Long Beach State, UNLV, Colorado, Portland
SHOOTING GUARD
Isaac Hamilton, 6-4, Los Angeles: Widely regarded as one of the elite scorers in the class, Hamilton ranks in the top 15 by Rivals and Scout. He can score in a variety of ways. His younger brother, Daniel Hamilton, is a top shooting guard in the class of 2014.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: UNLV, San Diego State, Arizona, St. John’s, UCLA, USC, Washington (per Mountain West Connection)
Xavier Rathan Mayes, 6-4 , Ontario: A prolific scorer who once put up 63 points in a high school game, Rathan Mayes hopes to make a stop to campus while he’s visiting his father, a New Haven resident. He said it would be “special” if Kevin Ollie became the school’s next head coach.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Baylor, Alabama, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Memphis, Texas, UCLA
Davon Reed, 6-5, Princeton, N.J.: UConn is not in Reeds’ tentative top three, but he didn’t rule out a visit to Storrs in the near future.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Miami, Xavier, Wake Forest
E.C. Matthews, 6-3, Romulus, Mich.: A high school and AAU teammate of Wes Clark, Matthews visited campus last week. He’s a smooth lefty with a knack for making acrobatic shots in the lane.
Offer: Yes
Jordan Mathews, 6-3, Santa Monica, Calif.: In an interview with SB Nation’s Gonzaga blog, Mathews said UConn was one of the schools “coming at him hard.” He’s set up visits with Wake Forest, Gonzaga and Marquette, but didn’t mention anything with UConn.
SMALL FORWARD
Kuran Iverson, 6-8, Hartford, Conn.: Worlds of ability, but questions about intangibles. In an odd twist, Iverson said he “wasn’t sure” if UConn had offered him a scholarship. The Huskies definitely are keeping him on the radar, though, and there’s still a chance he lands in Storrs. His recruitment is definitely the most mysterious I’ve come across.
Offer: ??
Also considering: Florida, Syracuse and Memphis (per SNY)
Reggie Cameron, 6-7, Jersey City, N.J.: Tremendous spot-up 3-point shooter would be a great fit. He visited UConn last week and recently told SNY he plans to cut his list “soon.”
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Seton Hall, Michigan, NC State, Georgetown, Miami, others (per SNY)
Vince Hunter, 6-8, Detroit: An athletic wing who excels in the open court, Hunter cracked Scout.com’s top 100 this summer and picked up a pair of high major offers — Memphis and UConn — to go along with a host of mid-majors.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Memphis, Iowa State, Loyola-Marymount, UTEP, Long Beach State, others (Memphis Commerical-Appeal)
Jarvis Williams, 6-8, Macon, Ga.: One of the country’s top JuCo prospects, Williams de-committed from UAB last week. He’s rumored to have high interest in UConn.
POWER FORWARD/CENTER
Dominic Woodson, 6-10, Round Rock, Tex.: At 6-10, 270 pounds, Woodson is perhaps the most physically-imposing big man in the 2013 class. He’d fit well alongside Kentan Facey, a skinny, face-up forward capable of playing the high post. Woodson recently transferred to Huntington School (W. Va.), where he’ll team with fellow UConn target Xavier Rathan Mayes.
Offer: Yes
Also considering: NC State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Rhode Island, Oklahoma
Akoy Agau, 6-9 PF, Omaha, Neb.: Physical big man who has won three straight state titles at Omaha Central. Had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 14 blocks in last year’s state championship game. He told Hearst Connecticut that UConn is “sitting 2nd” behind Georgetown because he “hadn’t heard from them in a month.”
Offer: Yes
Also considering: Georgetown, West Virginia, Louisville, Xavier, Marquette, Nebraska, Creighton
Jordan Bell, 6-7 PF, Long Beach, Calif.: One of the nation’s top shotblockers, Bell posted 16 points, 14 boards and 16 rejections in a high school game last season. He calls UConn his dream school.
Offer: No
Also considering: The entire Pac 12 except for Utah and Stanford; also Virginia Tech, Wyoming, Hawaii, St. John’s, Texas, Alabama and Oklahoma.
Tosin Mehinti, 6-9, Decatur, Ga.: An AAU teammate of Shamsid-Deen and 2014 target Ahmed Hill, Mehinti has interest from quite a few high majors.
Offer: No
Also considering: UCLA, Stanford, Murray State, Duquesne, Wake Forest, Butler, Auburn (per On The Radar Hoops)
