UConn

Steve Lavin’s first 4-star recruit at St. John’s

Words. High School Hoop

Rule #1 in rebuilding a once-proud college basketball tradition: You have to get talent.

For new St. John’s coach Steve Lavin, that wouldn’t seem like a huge hurdle, since he’s right in the heart of the always-deep talent pool that is New York City. But for a program that has fallen on hard times, convincing high school stars who want to win to sign a Letter of Intent is challenging, no matter the location. MORE >

C.J. Leslie Diary: Decision Time

Words. C.J. Leslie

Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) forward C.J. Leslie is one of the 10 best prep players in the country, period. Originally committed to N.C. State, Leslie re-opened his recruiting last year, making his one of the most intriguing stories in the 2010 class. The All-American also happens to be one of its most exciting players. C.J. agreed to give High School Hoop exclusive access in a regular diary about his season and the recruiting process as he inched closer to a decision. In his latest entry, C.J. talks about finally picking a college: MORE >

C.J. Leslie Diary: Interview with a Point Guard

Words. C.J. Leslie

Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) star forward C.J. Leslie is the #10-rated prospect in the HSH Top 50. Previously committed to N.C. State, Leslie recently re-opened his recruiting and has opted to wait until the spring to decide on a college. That alone makes his one of the most intriguing stories in the 2010 senior class, and Leslie also happens to be one of its most exciting players.

C.J. has agreed to give HSH exclusive access and chronicle his thoughts in this bi-monthly diary where he’ll talk about everything from his season with Word of God to the recruiting process as he inches closer and closer to a decision. For this entry, he’s brought in Walton H.S. (Marietta, Ga.) star point guard Ryan Harrow, an N.C. State signee and the nation’s biggest McDonald’s/Jordan Brand All-American snub: MORE >

Josh Selby sets date to announce decision

Words. Jason Jordan

Lake Clifton-Eastern (Baltimore) point guard Josh Selby, ranked No. 7 in the HSH national top 50, will announce his college decision at the Jordan Brand Classic in New York on April 17, according to his mother, Maeshon Witherspoon.

She went on to say that the timing of Josh’s decision had nothing to do with him waiting to see what Pine Crest (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) point guard Brandon Knight is planning to do, a popular rumor on message boards across the country. MORE >

Syracuse still leads for Wroten

Words. Jason Jordan

Garfield High School (Seattle) guard Tony Wroten Jr. said his interest from colleges hasn’t fallen off as a result of the knee injury that could cost him his entire junior season.

Wroten tore his ACL in September, in his first game with Garfield’s football team. (He also caught a touchdown and intercepted two passes in that game.) He’s been sidelined ever since, and the reigning Class 4A state runner-up Bulldogs has struggled to stay in Washington’s Top-10 ranking without him. MORE >

Top Five Unsigned Seniors

Words. Jason Jordan

Will they sign during the Early Signing Period (which runs through Nov. 18) or keep us in suspense another five months and sign in the spring? Here’s a look at the top five unsigned seniors and what they will likely do.

1. Harrison Barnes (Ames High, Iowa), 6-6, SF We can all recite the schools on Barnes’ list by now — North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Iowa State, UCLA and Oklahoma — but come Friday we won’t have to. Barnes, HighSchoolHoop’s top prospect, will announce his decision live on ESPNU at 4 p.m. EST. “Everybody’s making a big deal about me announcing on Friday the 13th,” said Barnes. “It’s crazy to me… I don’t get into all of that spooky stuff.” MORE >