Hereâs the latest recruiting article from Thad âthe Mummyâ Mumau. Thadâs column runs over at www.smartnewsnc.com , and he graciously allows us to reprint it here. Thanks Thad!
Iman Shumpert, one of the hottest wing players in the country, committed to Georgia Tech Thursday night, choosing the Yellow Jackets over North Carolina and Marquette.
The No. 15 high school senior in the nation according to prepstars.com, 6-foot-4 Shumpert is the first member of Techâs 2008 class.
Although he is considered a swing man who can play big guard or small forward, some believe he could see action at point guard on the college level. His strength is going to the basket and pulling up to hit mid-range jump shots.
Marquette seemed to be in good position to get Shumpert as he was on hand for the Golden Eaglesâ Midnight Madness last weekend. He visited Chapel Hill on Sept. 15 and was in Atlanta on Sept. 29.
He zoomed up recruiting charts during the summer with consistently outstanding performances at camps and in AAU competition. Those showings made him a very hot item. And a very big catch for Paul Hewitt.
Duke misses on Monroe
The nationâs No. 1 prospect, Greg Monroe, committed to Georgetown over the weekend. The 6-10 power forward from Harvey (La.) Cox attended the Hoyasâ version of Midnight Madness and was so impressed that he called off planned trips to Duke, Connecticut and Texas.
His fifth finalist, LSU, did get a visit.
Monroe joins a tall and talented Georgetown recruiting class that includes No. 75 Chris Braswell, a 6-8 power forward from Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy; No. 79 Jason Clark, a 6-2 wing guard from Arlington (Va.) Bishop OâConnell; and No. 88 Henry Sims, a 6-10 center from Baltimore (Md.) Mount St. Joseph.
Upcoming decisions
Another Duke target, Elliot Williams, will announce his decision Nov. 2. The 6-4 southpaw, a wing guard from Collierville (Tenn.) St. Georgeâs, is also considering Virginia, Tennessee and Memphis. Williams, the No. 16 prospect, was at the Memphis Midnight Madness.
UNC is awaiting word from No. 10 Tyler Zeller, a 6-11 center from Washington (Ind.) High. His other three finalists are from his home state: Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue.
Ralph Sampson III has trimmed his list to Georgia Tech and Minnesota. Ranked No. 61, the 6-10 center from Duluth (Ga.) Northview eliminated Maryland, Clemson and Kentucky.
Acc Additions
Virginia landed a big man as John Brandenburg chose the Cavaliers over Stanford. The 6-10, 230-pound center is from St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet Jesuit. Brandenburg is the second player to give Virginia a promise. The other is No. 32 Sylven Landesberg, a 6-6 wing guard from Flushing (N.Y.) Holy Cross.
Jin Soo Kim, a 6-7 Korean small forward from South Kent (Conn.) School, picked Maryland. The Terps also have a commitment from No. 51 Sean Mosley, a 6-4 wing guard from Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances.
They once had a promise from 6-10 Terrence Jennings, but the No. 49 prospect backed out. He then wasted little time in announcing for Louisville. Jennings has also changed high schools, moving from Durham Mount Zion to Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep.
Boston College has received a promise from Evan Ravenel, a 6-7, 245-pound power forward from Brandon (Fla.) High School.
Miami coach Frank Haith continues to cash in on his North Carolina connections. His latest catch from this state is Reggie Johnson, a 6-8, 290-pound center from Winston-Salem Prep.
There are three North Carolinians on the Hurricanesâ roster, and all of them are big men: 6-9 senior Anthony King and 6-9 freshman Julian Gamble are both from Durham. Jimmy Graham, a 6-8 junior, is from Goldsboro. Haith was born in New York, but grew up in Burlington (N.C.) and graduated from Elon College.
He was a UNC Wilmington assistant in the early 1990s and was on Dave Odomâs Wake Forest staff in the late â90s.