More and more recruiting information on the Internet doesn't always mean better and better information.
Take the case of DeShawn Stevenson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard from (Fresno, Calif.) Washington Union High school, regarded as one of the top five recruits in the country.
On various web sites, it's been reported that Stevenson, who will visit Kansas for Late Night With Roy Williams on Oct. 15, will declare for the NBA Draft after his final high school season.
Not true.
"That is not going to happen. He is going to go to college," said Larry Trigueiro, Stevenson's high school coach.
"He doesn't want to be an average player. He wants to be a dominant player on every level. He wants be freshman of the year in the NCAA, player of the year, win a national championship, go No. 1 in the draft. If he's out (of college) two, three or four years .... he's set no timetable."
Another false Internet rumor: Stevenson will not qualify for a scholarship because of academics.
In fact, Stevenson only needs to improve his ACT score two points to qualify for a scholarship at any of his finalists -- Kansas, UCLA, Fresno State, Georgia, San Diego State, UConn, Missouri and Kentucky.
"He didn't pass the test the first time. If you take the top 100 players in the country, I'd say 50 have not qualified on the first try," Trigueiro said.
"I am learning every day about this recruiting thing. I'd say 33 percent (of those reporting information) are legitimate people; 33 percent are snakes and 33 percent are on the fence.
"One person reported Duke was in the picture. He said he knew because he talked to DeShawn. At the time he said he talked to DeShawn, DeShawn was playing in an AAU tournament. A lot of it just isn't true."
That's the message Kansas coach Roy Williams has been preaching for years.
"It's so funny. I've read some stuff that has absolutely no truth at all," Williams said. "Some of it in fact is 180 degrees from the direction we're going. It's part of it (the business)," he said.
Analysts throughout the years have also failed to correctly assess talent, Williams noted.
KU's coach was shuffling through some old papers on Tuesday and found a list of the supposed top players in the Class of 1994 -- Paul Pierce's senior year at Inglewood (Calif.) High. Pierce, who went on to be taken in the first round of the NBA Draft, was ranked just the 35th best prep player in the country by one recruiting analyst.
Some players ranked ahead of Pierce that year: Gary Bell, Joliet, Ill. (left Notre Dame); Lasean Howard, Toledo, Ohio (unknown destination); Brian Williams, Montgomery, Ala. (Alabama); Rashamel Jones, Stamford, Ct. (UConn). None made a major impact.
"Recruiting crap," is Williams' take on the majority of what is reported.
For instance, approximately 50 players were at one point reportedly being recruited by Kansas this year to fill the Jayhawks' three vacancies.
By all accounts -- Williams will not confirm specifics regarding current KU recruiting -- the Jayhawks are actively recruiting three players -- Stevenson, Travon Bryant (6-8, Long Beach, Calif.) and Jared Reiner (6-10, Tripp, S.D.).
Two of KU's recruits -- Stevenson and Bryant -- have said they will wait until spring to pick a school. Reiner has said he wouldn't mind signing in November.
Why do some players wait?
"No. 1 it's DeShawn's senior year and he wants to concentrate on that," Trigueiro said. "No. 2 the coaching staff will have a lot to do with where he goes to school. He wants to make sure the coach will be there. Nowadays there are a lot of coaching changes after the season. He will have to be real comfortable with the coach of the school he picks. It doesn't matter to him if he lives in Fresno, Kansas, Missouri or Georgia. The big thing is how good the program is, how he gets along with the players and the head coach."
Kansas' coaches reportedly watched SM West senior Matt Freije play in a game earlier this week at a high school in Kansas City. UMKC and Utah coaches also were in attendance.
West coach Donnie Campbell says he doesn't know if KU will start recruiting Freije, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward. He does believe Freije will likely wait until spring to sign because several schools are beginning to show interest.
"It's a myriad of schools calling now," Campbell said. "His name has gotten out and more people are interested in him. He would like to stay close to home. If he goes away it will have to be a program that is consistently good."
Freije has been offered scholarships by Vanderbilt and Northwestern. Utah is quite interested. Kentucky has inquired, along with several Big 12 schools.
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