Larry Harris Hits The Road To Visit Hood, Ross

Larry Harris is on the road again, this time to Mississippi to visit 2011 prospects Rodney Hood and LaQuinton Ross. Hood and Ross have been targets for sometime now, but with the focus on 2010 we haven't heard much about them. That's about to change, as the staff begins to step up their efforts with the '11 class, a class which has some serious talent.

Hood is a 6'6, 175lbs projected small forward who possesses ball handling skills, a jump shot and good quickness for his size. We had the chance to see Hood on two separate occasions, once at the Boo Williams in Virginia and again at the Bob Gibbons here in the triangle. Rodney averaged 18 points per game as a sophomore at Meridian High School in Meridian, Mississippi. He's a polished and unselfish player that has great skills for his size and a soft lefty jumper. In the AAU circuit, Hood plays on a very stacked squad, MBA Elite, with the likes of LaQuinton Ross, Deville Smith and DeMarco Cox (all three of whom are, or where, NC State targets) Playing with so much talent has somewhat hindered Hood's ability to excel in the summers. Hood is a quiet, well mannered kid that has a very good head on his shoulders. The Pack's interest has been serious every step of the way. The staff had an in-home with him and his family earlier this year that apparently went well. The intangibles are certainly all there and everyone is just waiting for Hood to show the nation what he can really do. Coming into his junior season he looks to do that and you can be sure that Sidney Lowe and company will be watching.

Ross (Jackson, Mississippi) is a stud. He's 6'7, 185lbs and has a dead eye stroke. Some project him to be a small forward because of his size, but watching Ross move, he could surely play the two at an elite level. He's quick, has a great handle and is a prime time scorer that can fill up a stat sheet. We got to see Ross at the Bob Gibbons Tournament this past summer, but an injury hampered his play and he never really got it going. Ross is definitely one to watch this season. He is the #5 ranked small forward according to Scout, and that ranking is probably spot on. Ross has mentioned the Pack on and off when asked about his list of potential schools, but there is certainly some ground to be made up. Early word is that Ross is very high on Syracuse who has recruited him from the start, but you should never count Larry Harris out. We'll keep you updated on the situation as we start taking a closer look at the 2011 targets.

TOC: Friday Night Update

Game 1: MBA Elite vs. Carolina Cobras
Although Mychal Parker played at the same time (8pm) we just could not pass up the chance to see CJ Leslie (a top 10 player in 2010) vs. Laquinton Ross (#1 player in 2011). MBA features Ross (2011), Rodney Hood (2011), Demarco Cox (2010) and Deville Smith (2011). All of whom apparently have been offered by the Pack. They took on CJ Leslie and Tayshawn Mabry (2010). This game was full are stars and they did not dissapoint.

Now, we've seen a lot of CJ Leslie over the past year but tonight he was in rare form. He was extremely aggressive, vocal and as always, athletic beyond belief. The kid is scary good. He does things that kids at this level just should not be able to do, hitting 3's, beating guards off the dribble, and blocking shots he has not business coming close to. However, as good as Leslie was, Tayshawn Mabry was better. Many believed that the signing of Josh Davis meant Mabry was on the outs. Folks, it's hard to believe that could be the case with the way he performed tonight. He is athletic, strong, smart and relentless. He has a nose for the ball and is quicker than anyone else on the floor, off the bounce. Oh and lets not forget the lefty jumper that was falling all night. We couldn't stop talking about how impressive this kid was tonight.
On the MBA side it was Demarco Cox who was a very pleasant surprise. Standing at 6'8 and 288lbs, Cox is a monster on the football field, but his love lies on the hardwood. This kid is as impressive a true big as I've seen lately as far as pure size, use of his body and touch around the hoop go. I doubt there is anyone in the nation that could move this kid out of the way. He's a solid as a rock 288 and knows how to score the basketball and clog the lane.

Laquinton Ross is a monster. We know. He recently dropped 50 in an AAU game so we know what he's capable of. However, tonight he wasn't himself. We weren't sure if it was the presence of CJ Leslie or the fact that he just stepped off a bus from Mississippi, but Ross just couldn't get it going. He played softer than we've seen in the past, but still put up pretty good numbers. When the Cobras went to a zone Ross got complacent and was settling for 3's that just weren't falling. Remember though, Laquinton is only a rising Junior and surely has "star" written all over him.

We've seen Rodney Hood (2011) twice and both times we felt as if he was way too passive. Tonight was not different as he passed up shot after shot. He is definitely not a selfish player and loves to get his teammates involved, but he's a shooting guard or Small Forward so he'll be looked to for scoring, something he's just not comfortable doing right now, even though he has a silky jumper. He is a good prospect but until he shows us something else, we feel like he has a lot to work on.

Deville Smith is a newer name on the scene but one you should know. He is a 2011 PG with uber-quickness and lots of athleticism. He plays the game smart and is a vicious defender, staying in the passing lane and absolutely hounding the opposing guards.

We left with about 1 minute to go so we could go catch Ryan Harrow over at Duke, but when we left the Cobras had a commanding lead. Here is how the stats broke down:

COBRAS
Tayshawn Mabry 27 pts 4 rebs 1 assist 4 blks 1 steal
CJ Leslie 18 pts 4 rebs 1 assist 6 blks 2 steals

MBA
Rodney Hood 5 pts 3rebs 2 assists
Demarco Cox 15 pts 8 rebs 2 blks
Laquinton Ross 18 pts 3 rebs 2 assists
Deville Smith 11 pts 2 rebs 3 assists

Video on the way!!

Tuesday Night Recap...Cousins and Wall Make USA Prep Squad

Last night #7 Marion (Class 4A) faced off against #8 Monroe Central (Class 1A). The game was a battle for three quarters and then the Giants awoke. Marion outscored their opponent 30-7 in the 4th. Scott Wood had a hot hand last night and finished with 30 points. Marion, who is sitting in first place in their conference, will go head-to-head with Muncie Central, who happens to be knocking on the door in second place. This matchup will be Marion's last home game of the regular season. Marion is 16-2 on the year and Scott Wood is averaging 26.2ppg.

Last night LeFlore thrashed Wilcox-Central 94-59 to advance to play in this Friday's Regional Championship game against Eufaula. DeMarcus Cousins was right on par with his season average last night scoring 23 points and ripping down 13 boards. The 94 point output by LeFlore put a stamp in the Alabama record books. It was the most points ever scored in a 5A Regional game. LeFlore is 28-2 on the year and Cousins is averaging 22.9ppg.

LaQuinton Ross' Murrah crew had a disappointing end to their season. They fell short in the Conference Tournament last week and they lost last night to Olive Branch 68-55 in the State Playoffs. Ross scored 21 points in the loss but by no means was LaQuinton's season a bust. While Murrah had a shaky season, Ross was nearly unstoppable in his Sophomore campaign as he averaged 24.5ppg.

On another note, DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall were named to the USA Basketball Prep Squad that will compete in the 12th annual Nike Hoops Summit on April 11th. They will be joined by Leslie McDonald, Mason Plumlee, Derrick Favors, Avery Bradley, Abdul Gaddy, Xavier Henry, John Henson, and Mike Moser. These high school studs will be playing in the Rose Garden against some of the finest athletes (under 19) from around the world.

Friday Night Recap

Last night was one of those nights that I hated the fact that I lived in North Carolina. Don't get me wrong, I love my home state, but I would have given anything to be at the Walton vs. Wheeler game last night. The two powerhouses didn't disappoint any of the people in the stands. The home crowd that sat inside Walton's gymnasium felt an emotion last night that they haven't felt in a very long time: the feeling of beating archrival Wheeler high school. This is Coach Goydish's 10th year coaching at Walton and this is his first time ever defeating the Wildcats. Ryan Harrow finished the regular season in his typical dominating fashion. His 26 points led the Raiders to a 82-81 upset. The Wildcats were not going to go down without a fight as they rode the wagon pulled by Sir Richard Howell with his 24 points. Both teams finished the regular season 17-7 though Wheeler will boast the higher seed in next weeks Regional Tourney. Wheeler finished the season 11-2 in Regional play and Walton finished 9-4. The Regional Tourney gets under way on Monday.

Murrah and Meridian both lost last night in post-season play. Both LaQuinton Ross and Rodney Hood did all that they could to help their teams grind out a win but it wasn't enough. LaQuinton Ross had 21 points in the 50-48 loss to Grenada and Rodney Hood had 23 points in the 59-56 loss to Brandon. These Sophomores are studs and they carried their varsity teams on their backs all year long. It's exciting to see Sydney and the boys going after kids with this type of talent when they are young.

LeFlore lived to play another day by beating Spanish Fort 87-42 in the first round of the 5A Alabama State Playoffs last night. When we find out what type of dirty numbers D-Marc put up we will let you know. They will now play Wilcox Central in the second round.

LaQuinton Ross, Rodney Hood and DeMarcus Cousins Update

DeMarcus Cousins' All-American Senior season transformed LeFlore into a National powerhouse. They finished the season ranked 9th in the Nation according to MaxPreps and 13th according to USAToday. The Rattlers finished the regular season with a 24-2 record and they weren't about to let their 11 game winning streak snap as they entered the Regional tourney this past Friday. LeFlore went on to win the Regional tournament by defeating Citronelle (2/6/09 -- 84-32) and Faith Academy (2/9/09 -- 114-59) by an average of 48.5ppg. LeFlore earned themselves a home game in the first round of the 5A Alabama State Tournament tomorrow night against Spanish Fort.

Meridian has had a heck of a season. They finished the regular season 24-4 and they just took down Oak Grove on Tuesday night in the first round of the Regional Tourney. Super Soph Rodney Hood scored 15 points in the 72-42 triumph.

Murrah finished the regular season off with a win over Warren Central last Friday night. LaQuinton continued to be the rock of this team by leading his team to a 89-74 victory with his 24 points. Murrah has had their ups and downs this season and have even persevered through the tragedy of losing one of their fellow teammates in a car accident. Murrah's other Dandy Dozen was involved in the wreck and was lost for the remainder of the season. Murrah finished the regular season on a 3 game winning streak and this helped propel them to a first round victory over Madison Central in their Regional Tourney this past Tuesday night. LaQuinton Ross had 26 points in the 73-52 victory. Murrah seems to be hitting their stride at the perfect time as they enter post season play.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Scott Wood has led his Marion Giants squad to an impressive 12-1 record this season. Their only loss of the season so far came at the hands of Lawrence North, who happens to be a National Top-10 powerhouse. The Giants had a busy and successful weekend as they beat Richmond 70-43 on Friday night and Northrop 48-39 last night. Scott Wood led Marion in scoring in both games as usual, scoring 28 against Richmond and 18 against Northrop. We realized something this weekend: Scott Wood is human after all. His streak of scoring 20+ points in a game was snapped last night. He had scored 20+ points in 12 straight games. But let's be real, Scott Wood might be human, but he might also be Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana. Keep it up Scott!

John Wall also continues to make his opponents weep. He scored 38 points against Victory Christian on Friday night and led Word of God to a 76-64 victory. Word of God seems to be on a roll as they have now won 8 straight games. During this streak John Wall has averaged 27.4ppg. Also, C.J. Leslie eased his way back into playing on Friday. He played limited minutes due to his bum ankle but still scored 6 points. Bishop Daniels scored 4 points. Word of God is now 15-7 on the season.

The Centennial Knights are establishing themselves as a powerhouse in the state of Georgia. After beating Kell on Tuesday night to the tune of 79-48 they also took care of business on Friday night by beating Alpharetta 81-60. Lorenzo Brown scored 16 points against Kell and 11 points against Alpharetta. You might be puzzled by Brown's 11 points but don't be. Zo didn't play the fourth quarter and he splattered the box score in every category. He is a true teammate and true basketball player and his stats are a testimony to this. He had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks to go along with his 11 points.

Murrah's emotions continued to ride high on Friday night as they beat Madison Central 73-70. LaQuinton Ross' offensive production accounted for 60% of Murrah's total offense. Yes folks, if you did the math you realized that Ross had a career night, scoring 44 points. This marks the highest point total on the season for any of NC State's recruits, topping Ryan Harrow's 43 points earlier this season. Murrah is now 12-10 on the season and might be streaking at the right time.

LeFlore lived up to their ranking on Friday night. They are the #1 team in the state of Alabama and they beat Lee-Huntsiville who is #10 in the state, 85-74. The 24-2 Rattlers were led as usual by DeMarcus Cousins who put up 25 points and 10 rebounds. At Wolfpack Hoops we try to be the voice of optimism, but on Friday night things got ugly. With around 5 minutes to play Cousins got tangled up with another player and threw him to the ground. He received a technical foul and his coach pulled him out for the remainder of the game. Cousins and a fan from the opposing team exchanged some words and later he was physically restrained by his teammates and coach from going to the parking lot. DeMarcus plays a selfless and passionate brand of basketball, but he has to learn how to control that passion.

Reco McCarter also had a big night on Friday as Wayne Country Day pounced on Faith of Rocky Mount. His 21 points and 11 boards led them to a 76-47 victory.

Murrah's Emotions Riding High...Walton Falls in Top-10 Battle

Murrah's emotions were riding high last night as they played in their first game since a tragic car accident took the life of one of their teammates and injured 3 others. After taking a moment of silence for the passing of friend and teammate Chris Ulmer, Murrah got off to a slow start, trailing 33-19 at halftime. But this was not going to be a night of losing for the Mustangs, because they had lost enough in the past week. Even without Dandy Dozen guard Dundrecous Nelson, who suffered a skull fracture in the car accident, the Mustangs found a way to win, defeating Jim Hill 77-75 in overtime last night. Murrah was propelled by LaQuinton Ross' 33 points. This young man is arguably the best player in the 2011 class.

Murrah is now 11-10 and LaQuinton Ross is averaging 23.7ppg.

Last night was a battle between giants. It was a faceoff between #5 Walton and #7 Lassiter. A couple unexpected things took place in the game: Walton was defeated 61-58 and Ryan Harrow was held to a season-low: 13 points. I talked to Ryan after the game and he was in the hospital. Apparently during the game he caught a vicious elbow to the temple that caused his eye to swell up. I told him I would be praying for him and he assured me he was ok. I'll give Ryan a buzz later today to make sure he is doing alright.

Walton is now 13-7 (5-4) on the year and Harrow is averaging 29.2ppg.

LeFlore Makes it 10 in a Row...Word of God Isn't Far Behind With 7 Straight...Murrah Takes a Slide

DeMarcus Cousins and the LeFlore Rattlers seem to be unstoppable. They have won 10 straight and boast a gaudy 23-2 record. They are ranked #9 in the nation according to MaxPreps and #13 according to USAToday. Last week Cousins and crew cleaned up 3 more wins against St. Paul's Episcopal, Duncanville, and Union.

Cousins straight owned the court as he posted a double-double in all three endeavors. He had 24 points and 11 boards in a 79-62 victory over St. Paul's Episcopal, 28 points and 14 boards in a 54-51 victory over previously ranked Duncanville, and 26 points and 15 boards in a 88-57 victory over Union. Cousins is now averaging 22.4ppg.

Word of God is supporting a streak of their own. They have now won 7 consecutive games as they beat Waccamaw Academy 75-46 last night. John Wall had 18 points and Bishop Daniels had 12. This makes the second straight game that WOG played without C.J. Leslie. We hope to have some information on this soon. Word of God is now 14-7.

Murrah has taken a little bit of a slide. They have lost two straight games at the hands of Melrose and NW Rankin. LaQuinton Ross scored 24 points against Rankin and continues to have a dominating sophomore campaign. He is averaging 23.2ppg.

John Wall is the #1 Player in the Country?...We Think the Title fits...Wall Goes for 41. Murrah, Marion, and Centennial Keep Streaking.

Everybody has an opinion on who the best high school basketball player is. Well, John Wall played like the best last night in an MVP manner. Wall had a season-high 41 points in a victory over Olympia 80-77, which was the championship game of the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions. He also added 10 rebounds and 7 assists. In fact, he either scored or assisted on all of WOG's final 25 points of the game. C.J. Leslie also scored 19 points and made the All-Tournament Team along with Tournament MVP Wall. WOG has made a 180 turn and is now 12-7 this season. Wall is now averaging 19.9 a game and Leslie is averaging 18.8.

Scott Wood kept a streak alive and so did his Marion Giants. Scott Wood has now scored 20+ points in 10 straight games, which is every game he has played in this season. Marion has also won 8 straight games as they beat Mississinewa 67-54. Marion is now 9-1 on the year and Scott Wood is averaging 27.8 ppg.

Murrah has won 4 straight after a subpar first half of the season. Sophomore LaQuinton Ross has been a big part of the turnaround. Murrah beat Grenada 59-53 on Friday night. Ross scored around his usual with 20 points. Murrah is now 10-8 and Ross is averaging 23.1.

Centennial also streaked on to their 14th straight win as they beat Whitefield 58-46. Lorenzo Brown had 17 points in the win.

January 16th Recruit Update

Last night LeFlore wasn't intimidated by Derrick Favors. A 20-0 run in the second half guided the Rattlers to a 78-66 victory. Favors did get his, as he put up 36 points, 14 rebounds, 1 block, and 5 turnovers. DeMarcus Cousins utterly impressed us here with his versatility and balanced play. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks, and only one turnover. It seemed to us that South Atlanta was completely dependent on Favors for their offensive production. LeFlore didn't completely depend upon Cousins ability to put points on the board because he makes his team better in so many other ways beyond scoring. His selfless and intelligent play showed us a maturity and basketball IQ beyond his years. He was able to shoot the three, create off the dribble, run the fast break like a point guard, and block any shot that was put up. Favors didn't find much success when he went one-on-one against Cousins in the post. What was encouraging was the fact that Cousins let the game come to him and didn't selfishly try to make things happen.

Last night Word of God won in the first round of the Bass Pro Shop's Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Missouri. They improved to 10-7 on the year by defeating Glendale 82-79. C.J. Leslie was literally unstoppable as he scored 28 points (12-18 FG) in only three quarters of play due to the fact that he got elbowed in the face. John Wall also crossed the 20+ point barrier as he completed a double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. WOG will move on to play White Station tonight at 8pm.

LaQuinton Ross and his Murrah boys seem to have turned their season around and are playing like the squad that received preseason hype. On Tuesday night Murrah won its third straight by defeating Forest Hill 75-73. LaQuinton Ross dropped an atom bomb on the box score. He had 25 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks. In some news that Wolfpack Nation would rather not here, Ross said in an interview the other day that Syracuse was probably his #1 choice at this point in the process. We shouldn't make too much of this statement, as he is only a sophomore, and their is still plenty of time to woo the sophomore sensation.

Howell, Cousins, Ross, Harrow Carry the Load

Well Richard Howell is definitely back to good health and so are the Wheeler Wildcats as they have won all three of their games in the new year. They beat Kell 94-60 on Tuesday, Pope 75-38, and Campbell last night 83-67. Richard Howell had 20 points last night. It's good to see Howell and Wheeler playing ball again. Wheeler is now 10-5 overall and 4-1 in Regional play on the year.


Murrah is also making strides to turn their season around as they have won their first two games of 09. They beat Northwest Rankin on Tuesday night 76-58 and beat Madison Central 76-41 on Friday night. Ross put up 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 5 steals against Madison Central. Murrah is now 8-8 on the year. While that might not be where they would like to be, they are 3-0 in Regional play which puts them in a very good position.

LeFlore continues to gain National attention as they improved to 17-2 by smashing Theodore 102-59 last night. DeMarcus Cousins did his part, contributing 19 points.

For the second straight game Ryan Harrow has seen limited playing time due to the punishing leads they have put on their opponents. Walton has won the past two games by an average of 31.5 ppg. Last night they beat Peachtree Ridge 97-55. Harrow had an extremely balanced game with 22 points and 12 assists.

Busy Night on the Hardwood

Tonight is a busy night for many of our Wolfpack recruits as 5 of our commits/prospects will be in action.

Centennial (9-1) will surely receive a warm welcome from their home crowd as they play Campbell tonight. They are coming off of a tremendous holiday season in which they won two holiday tournaments. GSK Tourney MVP Zo Brown (21.6 ppg) will look to start 09 the way that he finished 08, in an All-American-esque manner.

Walton (9-4) is coming off of two holiday tournaments as well, but they finished third in both. Ryan Harrow (30.6 ppg) and crew hit the road tonight as they play at Milton.

Wheeler (7-5) continues their play away from home tonight as they take on Kell. Wheeler hasn't played at home since December 13th. It is unsure whether Richard Howell (16.22) will be able to go tonight, as he was unable to go in Wheeler's last game against St. Patrick due to a pulled muscle/back spasms.

Murrah (6-8) is hoping the new year brings better results than what the end of 08 dished them. In their pursuit of turning their losing record into a winning one they begin their New Year's resolution tonight at Northwest Rankin. Sophomore sensation LaQuinton Ross (23.83 ppg) is the new man in town in Murrah this year and is also the man to turn this team around.

LeFlore (13-2), currently ranked 13th in the nation by USAToday, looks to continue their national dominance as they take on St. Paul's Episcopal riding the curtails of phenom DeMarcus Cousins (22.1 ppg)

LaQuinton Ross 08-09 Season Stats

*CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE; Stats will be updated on this post after every game.

LaQuinton Ross: Profile

Height: 6'8
Weight: 195lbs
Position: SG, SF
Class: 2011
Team: Murrah (Jackson, MS)
Stars: Rivals and Scout - 5 Star
ESPN Grade: 98
Status: Prospect
Offers: NC State, Memphis, Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi St, Baylor

Description:
Ross is an anomaly. It is a rarity to find a player with Ross' height and weight who is a natural SG/SF. He has a beautiful stroke and can consistently knock down the deep ball. He has a quick release and is able to get his shot off in almost any situation. He has a Kevin Durant like physique and has similarities to him in his ability to sleekly attack the basket. He loves to hang around the rim with finesse. Ross is an absolute game changer. When he is on, which is most of the time, he can score at will. He is also a complete player because he has the ability to pass well and the ability to contest shots. He just might be the best player in the 2011 class. In fact Rivals ranks him as the #1 player in his class and Scout ranks him as the #2 Small Forward in the class. It should be noted that the Wolfpack Coaching Staff is going after Ross with the same intensity that they are going after Wall, Favors, and Cousins in the '09 class.

Offers on the Table

A question that gets asked all the time is: "What recruits actually hold offers from NC State?"


This is a very valid question and here is how the answer breaks down:

2009: In 2009 we already have commitments from Lorenzo Brown (GA), Richard Howell (GA), and Scott Wood (IN). We have also made offers to John Wall (PG), Derrick Favors (C), and DeMarcus Cousins (PF). All three of these players who still hold offers from the pack are consensus 5-star players that are in the Top-10 on everyone's list. In fact many lists contain all three of them in the Top-5.

2010: In 2010 we already have commitments from C.J. Leslie (SF, PF) and Ryan Harrow (PG). We also have an offer on the table for Reco McCarter (SF) who is a 3-star recruit out of North Carolina. Tashawn Mabry (SF) is a mystery, because he did hold an offer from the Pack at one point, but now the status of that offer is unknown. Tashawn is a 3-star recruit out of North Carolina.

2011: In 2011 we do not have any commitments at this point, but we have made an offer and are making a strong push for LaQuinton Ross (MS). LaQuinton is argued to be the best player in the 2011 class. We also have an offer on the table for Rodney Hood (SG) who is a 4-star recruit out of Mississippi and Word of God's Bishop Daniels (who also holds an offer from Memphis).