Keith Clanton schedules visit to USF

[Mama_Bull]

No date was given.

Varsity COMMENTARY

Buddy Collings | INSIDE HIGH SCHOOLS

September 10, 2008

Keith Clanton, the Sentinel's boys basketball Player of the Year as a junior, Tuesday unveiled a trimmed-down list of colleges he is considering. UCF made the final four.

The 6-foot-8 forward said he will take his first official campus visit to South Carolina this weekend and has a trip to USF scheduled. He will soon set dates for official visits to UCF and SMU. Clanton said all four schools have offered scholarships

"They play my style," Clanton said. "They're wide-open, and they let their big men shoot and dribble if they can do it. I can come in and have a chance of playing as a freshman."

Clanton led Orlando Christian Prep to the Class 1A state championship in March and then helped Team Breakdown repeat as AAU 17-and-under national champion.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-collings1008sep10,0,730039.column

[Velcro]

Great news... he is certainly a primary target...  good to at least be in the running with top notch talent... hopefully stan can reel him in.  He'd definitely complement next year's team very well.

[Vega]

The 6-foot-8 forward said he will take his first official campus visit to South Carolina this weekend and has a trip to USF scheduled. He will soon set dates for official visits to UCF and SMU. Clanton said all four schools have offered scholarships

"They play my style," Clanton said. "They're wide-open, and they let their big men shoot and dribble if they can do it. I can come in and have a chance of playing as a freshman."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-collings1008sep10,0,730039.column

If you are a USF fan or coaching staff for that matter be very concerned about that trip to Columbia this weekend.There is a trend going on in college basketball that has gone unnotice by a lot of people that don't follow basketball recruiting closely.In the past and for a number of years getting the last visit of any visit but the first one is what coaches prefer if the recruit has multiple visits scheduled.Normally schools that get that last visit has gotten that advantage over previous schools that player visited but not this year.For some reason recruits are committing after their first visit to whatever school leaving the others to scratch their heads wondering what happened as they had anticipated that player or players honoring their official trip to campus.

Here is a recent statement contributed to Clanton talking to a SC beat writer.Keith Clanton (6-8) of Orlando is scheduled for his official visit to USC this weekend. His mother, brother and an assistant coach will join him. Clanton also plans to set visits with Central Florida, South Florida and SMU, but he said there’s a chance he could end things while in Columbia and commit to the Gamecocks.

Greg Augman promises to make phone calls to basketball recruits and post it in his blog but he seemingly never does.Maybe he'll get around to posted something before the fact one day.Anyways most USF fans missed Earnest Ross choosing Auburn over us last week.Ross is a SG/SF prospect that had it down to USF and the Tigers and we were the only schools he was going to visit.He visited Auburn first and committed a couple of days later.I am just getting over the shock of any prospect choosing to play for a lame duck HC like Jeff Lebo over Stan Heath.The only reason Lebo has a job at Auburn is because the administration there rarely checks in on basketball.However look for there to be an opening at that school after next season unless Lebo shocks everyone including himself by getting to the NCAAT.Don't be surpise if Ross gets mentioned as a possible transfer to USF next spring.

Another name that Heath has an in home visit with this week is sharpshooting SF/PF Givon Crump.He's a very good player that fills a need at the 3 for us.He has 3 visits setup so far and Stan is trying to get him to take one of his 5 allowed to USF.Isaiah Philmore is another name that is worth keeping and eye on especially if we don't get Clanton which will hurt.We have to start getting guys in this state that don't go to Florida come play for us.We cannot allow schools like south carolina to come in this state and get players we have a chance to get.Losing players to big time schools is understandable but mid and small level schools cannot happen.Can't build this program with that happenig on a regular bases.  

[Compute-a-bull]

Thanks for the awesome update Vega.

[NormalBull]

Hey vega, a report on either rivals or scout said that Isiah Philmore was in the process of setting up a visit to USF, but that he was not going to sign until the spring.

Normal

[Vega]

Found this off of Cockytalk.com

6-8 Keith Clanton of Orlando made his official visit to USC over the weekend. He did not commit. "I want to wait on that until I see another school," Clanton said. 'I'm going to visit South Florida in two weeks." Clanton said he doesn't have a favorite. As for the visit, Clanton said it went well. "I like the coaching staff and the players are real cool," Clanton said. "I saw them scrimmage and they would fit in with my game. I spent a lot of time with coach Horn." Clanton also has offers from Virginia, Butler, Central Florida, Miami, Providence, Penn State and SMU.

The good news for us was that he did not commit to them like another Florida prospect PG Ramon Galloway did.More on that in a minute.Two weekends from now we have to wrap Clanton up.TheBigSpur is reporting that he is actually a silent verbal commitment to the Gamecocks , don't know if that is true or not, but we have need this guy in a bad way.We have to do whatever it takes to have him committed before he leaves the campus.

S. Carolina has a new HC and he is showing that he knows how to recruit.He's a bulldog, he locks in on guys early and doesn't let up.He started recruiting Galloway when he first got the job.He also had 4 recruits on campus this past weekends which is somethinhg I wish we will do here more often.In recruitable sports the players are the best recruiters and I promise you that Galloway worked on his fellow Florida star once he committed to the Gamecocks and will continue to do so.There is no NCAA restriction on prospects recruiting one another.

Freddie Riley visited UMASS this past weekend and up to now I can't find anything about him committing there.He too is a prime target of USF and should be coming in a for a visit soon if he doesn't commit somewhere first.Riley is really bigtime and getting better we need to bring this kid back home.

We had 5 really big prospects play AAU this summer and represented the state well.They were Kenny Boynton, Brandon Knight, Keith Clanton, Freddie Riley, and Ramon Galloway. The 3 names in bold were not going to be recruited by Florida or FSU.That means we they should have been our top priority, instead we have lost one and are sweating it out on the others. As I said in my other post we can't build this thing if we can't get the home guys signed. We waste precious time recruiting guys out of state that are on the same level as those within our very own borders. Our program is not at the level where we can win enough battles in someone else's backyard to improve our situation.Signing D-1 prospects in our area is a must imo. Galloway, Clanton, and Riley are all top 150 prospects nationally.

Clanton and Riley potentially can be 3 year starters for us.You always bring in guys that are capable of starting because that builds depth throughout the roster which allows you to compete at a high level.

BTW Philmore is a good player and would fit into our program.Heath will really turn up the pressure on him if we lose Clanton. IMO if we can sign Riley, Clanton, and Crump this fall that would be a very nice class. GO BULLS!!!

[Vega]

Clanton officially narrows his list to three schools, USC, USF, and UCF. Remember he is scheduled to be on the USF campus the weekend after next.

[Velcro]

great news... thanks for the updates Vega!

[TyBull]

Clanton officially narrows his list to three schools, USC, USF, and UiCF. Remember he is scheduled to be on the USF campus the weekend after next.

[Velcro]

what is UiCF...  is that UCiF  ? 

(btw, anyone that went to the game in orlando... anyone notice the campus slogan....  "IF" , with a link to if.ucf.com )