UCLA RECRUITING - CLASS OF 2010

So far, the only member of the Class of 2010 is 6-5 190 shooting guard Tyler Lamb (Mater Dei, Santa Ana,CA). However, UCLA is furiously pursuing/considering several players for this class. Notables are the #1 player in the nation Harrison Barnes (6-8 209 sf, Ames, Iowa) and the #10 player in the nation Josh Smith (6-10 270 c, Kentwood HS, Washington).

Here is the complete list of UCLA targets for 2010 as of Sept 4, 2009 c/o Scouts, Inc.-ESPN (2010 ranking at their position included):

Point Guards
Ray McCallum (#9pg, 6-1 179, Detroit Country Day, MI)
Phil Pressey (#7pg, 5-10 162, Episcopal School of Dallas, TX)
Trevord Releford (#11pg, 5-10 175, Bishop Miege, KS)
Gary Franklin, Jr. (#14pg, 6-2 183, Mater Dei, CA)

Shooting Guards
Vander Blue (#9sg, 6-3 185, James Madison Memorial, WI)
Trey Zeigler (#5sg, 6-5 190, Mount Pleasant, MI)

Small Forwards
Harrison Barnes (#1sf, 6-8 209, Ames, Iowa)
Anthony Brown (#16sf, 6-6 180, Ocean View, CA)
Terrence Jones (#3sf, 6-8 219, Jefferson, OR)

Power Forwards
Julian Washburn (#33pf, 6-8 205, St. Patrick, NJ)

Centers
Dwight Powell (#3c, 6-10 212, IMG Academy, FL)
Josh Smith (#1c, 6-10 270, Kentwood, WA)
Jeremy Tyler (post-hs, 6-11 255, San Diego HS, CA)

A couple of years ago, Kendall Williams (2010 #31pg, 6-2 170, Los Osos HS, CA) had committed to UCLA. However, he pulled out of his commitment, a mutually-agreed upon decision between him and UCLA. Williams mentioned that around the time of his commitment, UCLA had told him that he was the only point guard they would be pursuing for 2010. However, recently, UCLA has started recruiting several point guards in Williams' class, namely, Ray McCallum (#9pg, 6-1 179, Detroit Country Day, MI), Phil Pressey (#7pg, 5-10 162, Episcopal School of Dallas, TX), Trevord Releford (#11pg, 5-10 175, Bishop Miege, KS) and Gary Franklin, Jr. (#14pg, 6-2 183, Mater Dei, CA). Because of this, Williams has chosen to back out of his commitment to UCLA:

UCLA loses another early verbal
Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos point guard Kendall Williams committed to the Bruins as a sophomore two years ago, but now he's playing the field again.

By Eric Sondheimer
Los Angeles Times
July 29, 2009 | 2:59 p.m.

Two years ago, on the day that then-sophomore guard Kendall Williams from Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos announced he had committed to UCLA, he told me, "I've talked to Coach [Ben] Howland and on both ends it's as strong as signing."

Yeah, right. And marriages last forever.

Williams, now a senior, confirmed Wednesday that he is no longer considering UCLA after he and Howland mutually agreed to part ways.

This is the second time a young high school basketball player offered by Howland had a change of plans. In 2003, freshman Taylor King of Santa Ana Mater Dei committed to the Bruins but never made it to Westwood. That was another "mutual agreement."

It has been clear for weeks that the 6-foot-3 Williams was no longer the point guard the Bruins wanted even though he remains a top player and shouldn't have any trouble getting another scholarship. The evidence was demonstrated by UCLA recruiting point guards Ray McCallum from Detroit Country Day and Gary Franklin Jr. of Mater Dei.

Williams got the message.

"When I committed two years ago, I sat in the UCLA office and they told me that I would be the only point guard in the class that they'd offer," Williams said. "In the past year, they've gone back on that. I felt the loyalty wasn't there and confidence was lost in the head coach."

There are certain risks and rewards for coaches and players who agree to early commitments. The risk for a coach centers around an athlete who doesn't develop to a level projected. The risk for a player is when somebody else is recruited for the same position. The reward for a coach is to get a top player early. The reward for a player is to have a guaranteed scholarship waiting for him.

Luckily, there doesn't appear to be much harm done in this commitment gone awry.

Asked about Howland, Williams said, "We ended on a good note. There's no hard feelings."

Williams said he has learned to "weigh his options."

Howland is not permitted to comment under NCAA rules.


Update Sept 8 2009
OK. You can scratch Jeremy Tyler off that list.

Turns out Tyler had one-up Brandon Jennings and skipped his senior year in high school to play pro ball in Israel. This is what happens when you do not track high school recruiting professionally, you never have the time to read EVERYTHING.

Jeremy Tyler Leaves High School Early for Basketball in Israel
By Mason Levinson
Bloomberg.com
Last Updated: August 13, 2009 12:25 EDT

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Jeremy Tyler became the first U.S.- born basketball player to leave high school early to play professionally overseas, joining Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League.

Tyler, who averaged 28.7 points a game as a junior at San Diego High School in California last season, is expected to return to the U.S. when he becomes eligible for the National Basketball Association draft in 2011, Haifa said in a news release posted on its Web site.

The one-year contract is worth $140,000, and includes an apartment, car, business-class plane tickets and satellite television, Sonny Vaccaro, an adviser to Tyler’s family, said in a telephone interview.

“He just wants to get better,” Vaccaro said in a telephone interview. “There is no immediate plan to go to the NBA. This is a very solid, good experience for him to be playing on a pro team and getting better.”

Tyler, a 6-foot-11, 260-pound (2.1-meter, 118-kilogram) center, will begin training with Haifa at the end of the month. The 18-year-old led his high-school team to the CIF-San Diego Section Division I quarterfinals last season.

“Tyler’s size and natural talent will present matchup problems in our favor against other teams in Israel,” Haifa coach Avi Ashkenazi said in a statement. “We know Tyler is hungry to prove himself on the court.”

On-Line Courses

Tyler announced his decision to forego his senior year of high school in April, rescinding a commitment to play at the University of Louisville. He intends on taking online courses toward his high-school diploma, Vaccaro said.

The international signing follows last year’s by American Brandon Jennings, who skipped his freshman year of college in favor of playing in Italy. Jennings was drafted 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks in the June NBA draft. Vaccaro, who also advised Jennings, said he learned from Jennings’s experience that it was best to surround Tyler with people who speak English.

“That poses a lot of problems for Americans going to Europe, and Brandon experienced that,” Vaccaro said.

Tyler turned down richer offers from other European teams in favor of Haifa, which has other American players, an English- speaking coach and American owner, Jeffrey Rosen, who lives in Miami.

“There was more money involved with two of the countries, but it wouldn’t have served his purpose,” Vaccaro said.

Haifa returned to the Premier League last season after a 10-year absence, reaching the championship game. The team has re-signed former USC forward Davon Jefferson and added former Florida State guard Jason Rich.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.