College basketball recruiting notebook

Wichita Heights sensation Perry Ellis is no longer the only major-college recruit on Wichita’s Pray and Play Players AAU team.

Buddy Hield, a 6-foot-4 senior-to-be from Sunrise Christian High in Bel Aire, has excelled during the July evaluation period.

Rivals.com says the unranked combo guard, who is originally from the Bahamas, has recently received scholarship offers from Memphis, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, Mississippi State, Wichita State, Texas A&M and Utah.

Coaches from Kansas University, Baylor, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Oregon State and others have also been scouting the sweet-shooting player, who scored 27 points against the Virginia Assault on Sunday at the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas.

“Hield drained long threes, hit on pull-ups and even slammed home a missed shot. Buddy Hield has made a splash in Las Vegas,” wrote Eric Bossi of Rivals.com.

Hield has a 3.8 grade-point average.

“You have to make it somewhere so you can be motivated — it’s about your mind and being driven,” Hield told cbssports.com. “I’ve thought about academic reputation with schools. I want to help my family eventually and be a pro, to earn a job.”

Hield plans to make up to five official campus visits this fall.

Smart on fire

Marcus Smart, a 6-4 senior combo guard from Marcus High in Flower Mound, Texas, scored 26 points off 8-of-12 shooting and 10-of-14 free throwing in Texas Assault’s win over the Las Vegas Prospects at the adidas Super 64.

Rivals.com’s No. 24-rated player’s performance came with coaches from Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas Tech in the stands.

“I’m looking at education first,” Smart told Rivals.com. “Then I want to see how I get along with the players and the coaches and see how the system fits me. I’m sure if I get along well with the coach, then I’ll fit with the system.”

Turg at home in Maryland

Former KU point guard Mark Turgeon has settled in well at Maryland, where he has taken over for veteran coach Gary Williams.

“I was lucky enough to be at the University of Kansas for nine years (four as player, five as staff member for Larry Brown and Roy Williams),” Turgeon, 46, told the Washington Post, “and this is the closest thing, or equal, to the passion they feel at Kansas.”

Turgeon said he owes a great deal to North Carolina coach Williams.

“I was 23 going on about 17 or 18 because I was a spoiled player,” Turgeon told the Post. “Life was easy. Life was good. I was a Kansas basketball player. Adored. I hadn’t grown up yet. So I run my office today and treat people the way I want to be treated because of Roy Williams. I work hard because that’s the way I was born. But I also realize, because he taught me, how hard you have to work to be successful in this business.”