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RICH PICKS SEMINOLES

By Rob Harrington
robharrington@prepstars.com
October 9, 2003

Leonard Hamilton proved earlier this fall he could go toe to toe with a heavyweight program, beating out UConn and others for Isaiah Swann, and on Thursday Hamilton's Seminoles chopped big lumber again, besting Kentucky for top guard Jason Rich.

Rich, a 6-3 WG at Orlando (FL) Phillips, previously considered Southern Cal, UConn and many other high-majors who'd pursued the strong, athletic guard. In addition to excellent raw athleticism, Rich is a smooth (but streaky) perimeter shooter. He also has a nice mid-range game and can even take weaker opponents in the post.

Florida State now has pledges from Rich and combo guard Isaiah Swann, two of the nation's top 40 players.

JOHNSON TO CARDINALS

It's been expected for awhile now, but Brian Johnson made it official: He's a Cardinal.

The 6-9 BF/C at Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill chose the Cardinals over serious interest Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Arizona and others.

Johnson didn't finish the summer as strongly has he'd have liked, but at Nike he was superb, using good strength, excellent mobility and soft hands to score inside and on short jump shots. He also plays hard and is capable of becoming a big-time rebounder in college.

ARKANSAS GETS TOWNES

Stan Heath landed yet another frontcourt stud, getting former Georgetown commitment Darian Townes, a 6-9 BF/C from Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military. Townes signed with the Hoyas out of high school as a member of the Class of 2003, but he came up short of qualifying and is now prepping at Hargrave.

Townes' greatest attribute is his speed; he sprints the floor using long strides and can outrun many shorter players. While his offense isn't terribly proficient yet, Townes does has developing scoring tools and is well-coordinated.

Arkansas now has frontcourt commitments from elite MS C Al Jefferson, MO C Steven Hill and Townes, but some expect Jefferson to bypass college for the NBA draft next spring.

LEUNEN HEADED TO OREGON

Oregon is loading up with shooters. The Ducks, known for their perimeter firepower under coach Ernie Kent, have added Maarty Leunen to a class that already includes CA WG/WF Bryce Taylor and TX WG Chamberlain Oguchi, two terrific long-range bombers.

And Leunen is regarded by some as the best prospect of the three, although there certainly is room for argument. The 6-9 WF/BF at Redmond (OR) High is a face-up forward who has good handling and passing skills, allowing him to create matchup problems on the perimeter.

But Leunen also is a pretty good rebounder who plays tougher than most big guys with his skill set. He does, however, need to get stronger and become more consistent.