News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Wolfpack on Favors' list

Published: Aug 17, 2008 12:30 AM
Modified: Aug 17, 2008 01:25 AM

Wolfpack on Favors' list

 

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Derrick Favors, the splendidly talented 6-foot-9 basketball standout in Atlanta, has trimmed his list of potential schools to 10, including N.C. State.

South Atlanta High coach Michael Reddick said Favors asked that his list not be made public until the list was cut to six, but Reddick confirmed State was one of the 10.

Reddick said he couldn't break Favors' confidence by listing the other schools, but Scout.com lists eight of the nine as Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Memphis, UCLA, Kentucky, Florida and Kansas.

Favors is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the country by scout.com.

He jumps well, can shoot from the perimeter, works inside with either hand, has outstanding footwork and is fast.

Reddick said he hesitates to compare Favors to other players, but said Favors reminds him of a young Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett.

"I'm talking about them when they were at this point in their careers, not now as NBA players," Reddick said. "Derrick can be a great player."

Favors first started doing drills with the South Atlanta High program when he was a 6-6 eighth-grader.

"He came over and worked out with us," Reddick recalled. "I was working with the seniors, guys going to college, and Derrick was able to pick up on things quicker than they did.

"He works very hard on his skills. He works drills with his left hand and with his right hand and he works on his perimeter game."

State coach Sidney Lowe has recruited very well in Georgia.

The Wolfpack has 2009 commitments from power forward Richard Howell of Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler and shooting guard Lorenzo Brown from Roswell (Ga.) Centennial and a 2010 commitment from Ryan Harrow of Marietta Walton.

BAYLOR GETS GUARD: Baylor received a commitment from a basketball point guard this week, but it wasn't highly acclaimed John Wall of Raleigh Word of God.

A.J. Walton of Little Rock (Ark.) Hill announced for Baylor. He was Mr. Basketball in Arkansas as a junior.

Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons ranked Walton as his "sleeper of the summer" after watching him play this summer in Orlando, Fla.

"A.J. is an exceptional point guard," Gibbons said. "But he is a point. I am sure that Baylor envisions him playing alongside John Wall, but both are point guards."

Baylor is on the list of favorites of Wall, who is the top-ranked player in the country by rivals.com.

Baylor recently hired Wall's club team coach, Dwon Clifton, as the director of player development.

SOCCER RECRUITS: Broughton boys soccer standouts forward Kevin Stam and keeper Scott Goodwin helped lead the Caps to back-to-back state 4-A titles and both have made their college commitments.

They are headed in different directions.

Stam, who had 10 goals and 10 assists in 2007, has committed to South Carolina.

Goodwin committed to North Carolina after recording 15 shutouts for the 28-1 Caps last year.

Stam and Goodwin were N.C. Soccer Coaches Association all-state selections.

STATE BASEBALL: Daniel Tuttle of Randleman High has committed to N.C. State for baseball, said his mother, Lisa Tuttle.

He expects to play as a right-handed pitcher and infielder for the Wolfpack and recently played in the AFLAC All-American game at Dodger Stadium. Tuttle is 6-2, 185 pounds and batted .373 last season as a junior.

CAVS GET FORWARD: The University of Virginia received a commitment Wednesday night from 6-7, 215-pound basketball forward Tristan Spurlock of Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian.

"He's a national top 25 player," Gibbons said.

Scout.com has Spurlock No. 60 in its national rankings.

tim.stevens@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8910

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