BleedGopher
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per this update from Marcus:
Harrison Barnes writes SLAM diary
By Marcus Fuller
There was a time when only recruiting gurus and diehard fans of player rankings knew the name Harrison Barnes.
As if being named the No. 1 recruit in the country this year wasn't big enough, the Gophers target and standout wing from Ames, Iowa, now writes a national diary for SLAM magazine. His debut column is in the current (September 2009) issue with Kobe Bryant on the cover.
Former SLAM diary high school writers include players with Minnesota Timberwolves ties (Kevin Love, Sebastian Telfair, Stephon Marbury), and, of course, there was also a year with LeBron James.
While touring the spring and summer basketball scene with local AAU program Howard Pulley, Barnes' story -- seems as interested in reading books and getting a solid education as playing hoops and making it to the NBA -- has been well documented in articles from USA Today to the New York Times. He's also expected to have one of his high school games televised on ESPN in mid-December.
"Playing with my program, he got the opportunity to play on the biggest stage," said Pulley, who took Barnes to Boo Williams, the Memorial Day Classic and the Peach Jam this year. "One thing about him, though, is that he's mentally prepared for the next level, along with his physical skills and talent. He's ready to go play college ball this fall. It's a shame he has to play high school basketball one more year."
Barnes, who has been followed heavily by Duke, North Carolina and Kansas all summer, recently finished as one of the top scorers in the Nike Peach Jam in Augusta, Ga., this week, while helping Howard Pulley to a 2-3 record, including a win against Houston Hoops.
-- Fellow Pulley player and Columbia Heights guard Jacob Thomas was one of the top three-point shooters at the event. Thomas, a Gophers target, struggled in the first two games with just two field goals combined, but lit it up in the last three games. He then picked up offers from Southern Illinois and Long Beach State, according to Pulley. There's still no official offer from Minnesota, because of Thomas' grades.
-- With Henry point guard Jordan Hughes out with an injury, Pulley decided to bring up 15-year-old Hopkins guard Siyani Chambers to start in the backcourt. Benilde-St. Margaret's guard Isaiah Zierdan also picked up a lot of valuable experience playing with the older squad at the Peach Jam this week.
-- Barnes won't be playing with Pulley any longer this summer. He will work out individually to prepare for the Elite 24 camp and the Nike Global Challenge.
-- Pulley said Cretin-Derham Hall offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson would concentrate on football for the rest of the summer. Henderson was his starting center at the Peach Jam.
-- There have been reports that Madison Memorial (Wis.) guard Vander Blue might make a decision later this month or in early August. I've been hearing that he is leaning toward recommitting to Wisconsin, although he has offers from Minnesota, Arizona and Indiana to name a few.
-- Another Gophers target, Nebraska big man Elliot Eliason might be close to making an oral commitment, but it's not to Minnesota. I've heard the 6-foot-11 center might make Creighton his choice, but Colorado State is also in there.
-- The Illinois Warriors beat Minnesota Pump N Run in the 17-and-under finals of the Best Buy Classic in Bloomington on Wednesday. The Warriors lost in the semifinals in the same gym at the Sabes Invitational earlier this summer.
Go Gophers!!
Harrison Barnes writes SLAM diary
By Marcus Fuller
There was a time when only recruiting gurus and diehard fans of player rankings knew the name Harrison Barnes.
As if being named the No. 1 recruit in the country this year wasn't big enough, the Gophers target and standout wing from Ames, Iowa, now writes a national diary for SLAM magazine. His debut column is in the current (September 2009) issue with Kobe Bryant on the cover.
Former SLAM diary high school writers include players with Minnesota Timberwolves ties (Kevin Love, Sebastian Telfair, Stephon Marbury), and, of course, there was also a year with LeBron James.
While touring the spring and summer basketball scene with local AAU program Howard Pulley, Barnes' story -- seems as interested in reading books and getting a solid education as playing hoops and making it to the NBA -- has been well documented in articles from USA Today to the New York Times. He's also expected to have one of his high school games televised on ESPN in mid-December.
"Playing with my program, he got the opportunity to play on the biggest stage," said Pulley, who took Barnes to Boo Williams, the Memorial Day Classic and the Peach Jam this year. "One thing about him, though, is that he's mentally prepared for the next level, along with his physical skills and talent. He's ready to go play college ball this fall. It's a shame he has to play high school basketball one more year."
Barnes, who has been followed heavily by Duke, North Carolina and Kansas all summer, recently finished as one of the top scorers in the Nike Peach Jam in Augusta, Ga., this week, while helping Howard Pulley to a 2-3 record, including a win against Houston Hoops.
-- Fellow Pulley player and Columbia Heights guard Jacob Thomas was one of the top three-point shooters at the event. Thomas, a Gophers target, struggled in the first two games with just two field goals combined, but lit it up in the last three games. He then picked up offers from Southern Illinois and Long Beach State, according to Pulley. There's still no official offer from Minnesota, because of Thomas' grades.
-- With Henry point guard Jordan Hughes out with an injury, Pulley decided to bring up 15-year-old Hopkins guard Siyani Chambers to start in the backcourt. Benilde-St. Margaret's guard Isaiah Zierdan also picked up a lot of valuable experience playing with the older squad at the Peach Jam this week.
-- Barnes won't be playing with Pulley any longer this summer. He will work out individually to prepare for the Elite 24 camp and the Nike Global Challenge.
-- Pulley said Cretin-Derham Hall offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson would concentrate on football for the rest of the summer. Henderson was his starting center at the Peach Jam.
-- There have been reports that Madison Memorial (Wis.) guard Vander Blue might make a decision later this month or in early August. I've been hearing that he is leaning toward recommitting to Wisconsin, although he has offers from Minnesota, Arizona and Indiana to name a few.
-- Another Gophers target, Nebraska big man Elliot Eliason might be close to making an oral commitment, but it's not to Minnesota. I've heard the 6-foot-11 center might make Creighton his choice, but Colorado State is also in there.
-- The Illinois Warriors beat Minnesota Pump N Run in the 17-and-under finals of the Best Buy Classic in Bloomington on Wednesday. The Warriors lost in the semifinals in the same gym at the Sabes Invitational earlier this summer.
Go Gophers!!
