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MAJOR PLEDGES KICK OFF WEEK

By PrepStars.com staff
readermail@prepstars.com
August 25, 2008

A handful of commitments have come through in recent days, as the official visit draws near. Not surprisingly, some players simply opted not to deal with the time demands and stress of visit season, while some underclassmen decided to end their recruitments very early.

Here's a look at the latest:

Mouphtaou Yarou, 6-9 C/BF, Rockville (MD) Montrose Christian: Committed to Villanova.

Comment: After a so-so start to the travel season, Yarou emerged as a major player by the end of summer, and now he likely will crack many top-100 lists heading into fall. Yarou is a strong and physical big man who will give the Wildcats a dose of power to accompany the skill they've also added of late.

TX PG/WG Reger Dowell: Committed to Arizona.

Comment: Dowell's pledge to the Wildcats offset the disappointment of missing out on Matt Carlino (see below), and Dowell himself is a fine perimeter scorer. More of a wing than a natural point but essentially forced into the point guard slot because of his 6-0 height, Dowell will need to improve as a floor general in the long-term, although his three-point shot and solid frame should enable him to compete for playing time as an underclassman.

AZ PG/WG Matt Carlino (2011): Committed to Indiana.

Comment: Carlino is one of the most accomplished floor leaders in the sophomore class. The slender guard is highly intelligent and highly skilled, and he has competed effectively at the 17-under level at certain events. Mostly a scorer at the time being, Carlino likes to look for his offense and will need to become more balanced in time. Certainly, though, he can work at a measured pace, given that he has three years of high school remaining.

Keith Dewitt, 6-9 BF, Goldsboro (NC) Charis Prep: Committed to Missouri.

Comment: Dewitt is one of the nation's truly sleeper recruits, not gaining much exposure nationally yet drawing a scholarship offer from West Virginia, to which he committed and then backed off, in addition to gaining one from the Tigers. Dewitt has been on a redemption mission since hitting some rough off-court patches earlier in his career, and he should become a key piece for Mike Anderson's Mizzou program.