Rodney Purvis Stays In-State

Rodney Purvis (Upper Room Academy, NC) is the latest NC State commitment choosing the Wolfpack over scholarship offers from Memphis, UConn and VCU.

Since his decommitted from Louisville, most speculated that he could join his close friend Tyrek Coger and assistant Tim Fuller, who recruited him to Louisville.

That was all put to rest once he dropped Missouri from his finalist and chose to stay in-state and attend the school his grandmother favored for sometime.

He joins current commit Tyler Lewis in the backcourt and as the only two members of the Wolfpacks 2012 recruiting class.

NC State is still in play for small forward TJ Warren who is visiting this weekend along with Stanford Robinson and Josh Hart. Purvis will also join the group and could do some recruiting of his own.

NC State's class with just Lewis and Purvis is a great one. Head coach Mark Gottfried has done a fabulous job of recruiting thus far and is putting together a special class in his first year at the helm.

Dalante Dunklin Announces for UCSB

When the recruitment of 2012 point guard Dalante Dunklin (Francis Parker, CA) started to wind down, five schools had a realistic shot at his services.

Cal Poly, Denver, Portland State, San Diego and UCSB were his five finalist. When it came down to a final decision, Dunklin left four programs to look elsewhere for a point guard.

Dunklin, decided to end his recruitment with a commitment to UCSB. "Yes, I did commit to UCSB two days ago," he said. "I didn't announce it to everybody but yes I am committed."

After taking an official visit this past weekend, Dunklin just couldn't pass up any opportunity to stay close to home and play for a program that he felt comfortable with.

He was shown around by freshman TJ Taylor and was very impressed with what the school had to offer.

"The coaching staff is amazing and I was able to build a great bond with each of them," he said. "Along with that, the players were all great people."

There is every reason for head coach Bob Williams to smile after Dunklin elected to stay in-state and play for the Gauchos.

"The program is making strides," he said. "I, along with the freshman, feel we can be the Butler or VCU of the West."

That's pretty big shoes to fill but no mistake, Dunklin to UCSB will be a major boost in the backcourt as he has continued to improve that his hardwork pays off. He's a consistent scoring threat and could become a pure point in-time.

The location also played a huge part in Dunklin committing to UCSB because there won't be a problem for his family to see him play.

"The location is far enough from home but easy to get back and forth," he said. "My family will be able to see me since the majority of the teams are in Southern California."

Dunklin is the first commitment for UCSB in the 2012 class. He had nothing but good things to say about the program and should be an All-Big West player when it's all said and done.

"The school atmosphere was phenomenal," he said. "[UCSB] is just a beautiful place."

Jonathan Severe Likes Five Schools

One of the more talented players in the New York area is guard Jonathan Severe.

Severe, at 6-3, has been out of the limelight for sometime due to an injury sustained last year to his wrist, but is as ready as can be for the upcoming season.

Right now, most would agree that Severe is an interesting off-guard. He can score with ease towards the rim and he's continue to develop his jump shot and it looks better than ever but it's still something he's improving.

"[I'm working on] my handle, shot and defense," he said. "I'm also trying to get my wrist back to 100-percent. Right now, it's about 90-percent."

The injury to his wrist is continuously improving but it tends to bother him sometimes. He did iterate that he's never felt the same since the injury occurred.

On the recruiting end, the injury hasn't hurt him as much as it usually would. Florida assistant Norm Roberts was at his open gym this week and has told him before that he likes what he brings to the table.

Severe wasted no time by responding that Florida was his 'dream school' and also said because of that distinction, the Gators have a huge edge in his recruitment.

The Gators have showed continued interest and is the lone school that sticks out that shows the most interest.

Despite not having an offer, just yet, it could come in the future as Florida gets a better look at what kind of progress he's made since the injury sidelined his last year.

Despite the obvious love for Florida, Severe is also considering Ohio State, Texas, Miami and his hometown school of St. John's.

But also made sure to remind me that these are not his final five. He's certainly open to more schools.

"These are the [programs] I like," he said. "I'm open to who wants me more, but I just like them five colleges."

Coming off injury, Severe is likely to see more schools get involved as he heads towards his third season at Christ the King.

Playing with highly touted players like Isaiah Lewis, Omar Calhoun and Jordan Fuchs and many other D-1 talent, Severe has a chance to make a huge impression with many college coaches gazing on at the amount of talent at Christ the King.

After just getting back into the recruiting motion, Severe is unsure when he will start to think about what school will better suit his services. However, he didn't discount staying home to play for an in-state school by saying, "It doesn't matter."

Kendrick Nunn Decommits from A&M

Kendrick Nunn, (Simeon HS, IL) a 2013 point guard, shocked the recruiting world with a commitment to Texas A&M a few days after the Aggies added more talent in 2012.

It sent shockwaves through College Station and energized the fan base.

The only bad part was that his decision to commit was shortlived. A few months after committing, the 6-2 guard, decided to open it back up and explore his options.

"As of today, I will be opening my recruiting process," he said. "I feel like I rushed my decision and I still have a strong two years left to make the right one."

Nunn, one of the more electrifying players in a loaded 2013 class, is a must get for a lot of programs.

He's quick, can create and has the ability to finish consistently around the rim. More impressively is his jump shot. Nunn can knock down jumpers from anywhere with ease.

The Aggies held one to the talented combo guard for sometime but is still conceived the team to beat even after the decommitment.

"There is no dislike of the Texas A&M or the basketball staff," he said. "This was just a decision that I truly felt was best for me at the time."

Before committing, Nunn held offers from Arizona, DePaul, Florida State, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio, Providence and Xavier with interest coming in from just about everywhere.

With the opening of his commitment, I'd be surprised if he didn't hear from just about every school that previously offered and some other big named schools that are looking for a point guard in the class of 2013.

Most notable, the North Carolina Tarheels. The 'Heels missed out of Bronson Koenig and Nate Britt is rumored to have a strong Maryland lean.

Nunn fits the description of a North Carolina guard and Roy Williams was one that had shown interest before he committed as well.

Right now, this is all just speculation but I have a hard time believing this talented guard will not hear from major programs. He sent shockwaves when he committed but thunder when he decided to re-open his recruitment.

Andre Yates to the MVC

Andre Yates (Dunbar HS, OH) became the second commitment for the Creighton Bluejays in the 2012 recruiting class joining Isaiah Zierdan (Benilde St. Margaret, MN) , the sharpshooter from Golden Valley, Minnesota.

Yates, a 5-11 point guard, had offers from Cleveland State, Dayton, Morehead State and Nebraska but ultimately chose the Blue Jays after spending the weekend on campus.

"The atmoshphere is crazy," he said. "The community supports Creighton 100-percent. The Quest Center is amazing and after my visit, I wanted to go right back."

The quick, smooth lefty guard has continued to add to his game and should be a great asset to the Blue Jays. He has continued to develop a point guard feel rather than just being a scoring threat at the one.

I'm not ready to call this a huge steal for Creighton but it sure will look that way if he's able to clean up his decision making at the point.

Swopshire Lands His First Offer

Jordan Swopshire, (SportsQuest Academy, VA) a 6-6 small forward, has to be one of the most underrated prospects in the class of 2013.

The athletic, lean, sharpshooter has yet to reel in any high major offers but has continued to prove himself as one of the best wings in a stacked recruiting class.

Not only was Swopshire named to the USA Developmental National Team but was also selected to the USA Basketball Boys 3-on-3 Youth World Championship Team in Italy.

The most recent trip to Italy didn't end as planned but he still walked away a better player.

"Yes definitely," he said of leaving a better player. "I was the distributor, which is a role I never played before. So it was good"

The USA team that also featured Shaqquan Aaron, Rondae Jefferson and Malik Price-Martin, finished eighth in the tournament with a 7-5 record.

"It was great other than the fact that we lost," he said. "[It was] the best experience of my life."

Swopshire's recruitment should be on the rise after his high school season is over, and as he heads into his final year of AAU basketball.

So far, he's had interest from Arizona, Florida, Georgetown, Illinois, Louisville, Miami (FL) and Tennessee. Memphis and VCU are still on him the hardest, despite the fact that neither one has decided to offer yet.

The lone school that stands as his only offer is Kent State, who is new to his recruitment. East Carolina is also a new name in his circle and could offer as well.

After returning from Italy, Swopshire mains focus has been on improving and getting ready for basketball season. A few coaches are expected to make their rounds out to Virginia to see the 6-6 swingman.

"Only one has come," he said of coaches coming to his open gyms. But also added, "Tennessee, Memphis and East Carolina are coming in within these next two weeks."

He said that he wanted to visit VCU after he returned back from Italy and hasn't done so yet but still plans on it.

"No, not yet," he said of visiting VCU. "I will before the season though."

With the recent improvements to his game and continued development of his frame, Swopshire will soon be a hot commodity. He already has a great jump shot but coaches are looking forward to him developing his handle to become more of a slashing threat. As he continues to improve on that, his offer list will only grow.

Anthony Clemmons Commits to Iowa

Point guard Anthony Clemmons (Sexton HS, MI) decided to end his recruitment with a commitment to Iowa while on his official visit this weekend.

He chose the Hawkeyes over Detroit, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.

"I liked the new practice gym," he said. "I connected with the coaches and players really well. I felt like they were going to make me a better person and player.

And I wanted to challenge myself to play at the highest level."

Clemmons joins Mike Gessell, Patrick Ingram, Kyle Meyer and Adam Woodbury in Iowa's stacked 2012 recruiting class. Despite already having two other guards, Clemmons is certain that going to Iowa will work.

"I think I will fit in real good," Clemmons said. " I actually seen all of them play before this summer. I feel we all can get after it on defense and stop a lot of people from scoring.

I think it's going to be no problem. We should build a strong bond."

Clemmons, a former Eastern Michigan commit, is a solid verbal to Iowa and ready to embark on a new career in Iowa City. He already has big plans for Iowa fans despite having to wait another year before beginning his career as a Hawkeye.

"I look to helping Iowa turn into a winning program and bring a lot of excitement to the table along with the rest of my teammates," he said.

Fran McCaffery has done a great job of recruiting and thanks to his success with the 2012 class, Hawkeye fans have to believe that a turnaround is in the near future.

Buddy Hield Commits to Oklahoma

From the start, Lon Kruger and his staff at Oklahoma, knew Buddy Hield (Sunrise Christian Academy, KS) was a must get in the class of 2012.

Hield blew up on the summer circuit playing with Kansas commit Perry Ellis. As he continued to blow up, his scholarship list did as well but after two months of soaking in the college interest, Hield finally made his decision.

Kruger and his staff beat out the rumored favorite Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska for Hield's services.

His familiarity with the staff played a big part and also the fact that the Sooners were the first high-major to offer. "[I picked Oklahoma] because I like the coaching staff and the style of play," Hield said.

Hield is the lone commit in Oklahoma's 2012 recruiting class but it's certainly a great start for the new staff.

Hield had a monster summer and could be an instant impact player for the Sooners. Kruger pulled in his first big-time recruit and should continue his recruiting success.

Stephen Clark Lands New Offers

Marquette put itself in good position after being the first school to officially offer 5-11 point guard Stephen Clark (Douglas HS, OK) and it didn't take long before other teams followed suit.

San Francisco and Vanderbilt both recently offered, which pushed his scholarship total to double-digits, and many schools are continuing to show interest.

He now holds offers from Baylor, Iowa, Marquette, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, San Francisco, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech.

His mother is expecting her son to make a verbal commitment early, and get the recruiting process out of the way. Right now, two factors are being taken as to what schools are realistic targets.

"It's all about style of play," his mother said. "[As well as] the relationship with the coaches."

During a phone interview, his mother continued to praise Marquette as a program that stood out. She also praised Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford, UConn assistant Kevin Ollie and Vanderbilt assistant David Cason.

Clark is waiting to hear from a certain three schools. "He is waiting to see if Duke, Kentucky or West Virginia will call," she said. "We would love to get this out of the way early."

Clark has also received interest from Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and UConn. Despite no official offer, the Huskies have been in contact regularly with his mother.

Clark, is conceived one of the best scoring point guards in his class. He has great range on his jump shot and is tough to contain when he starts connecting. 

Many schools have continued to show interest in Clark and as he continues to learn what it takes to run a basketball team, more programs will get involved.

Buddy Hield Focusing on Four

Kansas shooting guard Buddy Hield (Sunrise Christian Academy) has whistled his list down to four schools and is setting up official visits.

Hield opened many eyes this year with his explosive scoring and sharpshooting ability. As he continues to get stronger and work on his handle, he'll only get better.

After a successful ending to his AAU career, many schools offered Hield a scholarship including big names like DePaul, Memphis, Missouri and Texas A&M to name a few.

His scholarship total is in the double-digits but according to his coach, he's kept true to his word and narrowed it down to four.

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma all made the cut. He's already taken an official visit to Colorado this past weekend and according to reports, enjoyed it.

He also took an unofficial to Nebraska earlier this month but is going a second time around for an official.

Hield is expected to visit the Sooners this weekend, Nebraska on October 8th and Kansas for Late Night in the Phog.

Perry Ellis commits to KU

Perry Ellis (Wichita Heights, KS) didn't disappoint and opted to commit to Kansas over Kansas State, Kentucky and Wichita State. The 6-8 forward, will be used as a dual forward and even possibly in the backcourt.

Ellis joins Zach Peters in the Jayhawks 2012 class. Nino Jackson and Kaleb Tarczewski are also realistic targets to add to a developing class.

Archie Goodwin Commits to Kentucky

A few days removed from his decision to drop Kansas and UConn from his final list, comes his final decision.

6-4 shooting guard Archie Goodwin (Sylvan Hills, AR) decided to commit to Kentucky rather than Arkansas or Memphis.

He joins former North Carolina State point guard Ryan Harrow as the only newcomers to commit to Kentucky in the 2012 class. He won't be alone for very long.

The Wildcats are in very good shape with many highly-touted recruits including Perry Ellis, who is expected to announce tomorrow.

Goodwin, is an instant playmaker out of the backcourt, with a knack for getting the ball to the rim and finishing with ease. He's still a developing outside shooter but as he continues to expand his range, he'll only get better.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari got a good one in Goodwin. He'll be an instant impact player for the Wildcats and should blossom under coach Calipari.

Kyle Anderson Commits to UCLA

Kyle Anderson (St. Anthony, NJ) said a while back that he'd know his decision on September 19 and he didn't go back on his word. The 6-7 point-forward opted to select UCLA, over hometown favorite Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. Johns and Florida.

Anderson joins a three man class that features top-100 players Jordan Adams and Dominic Artis.

He has always been a point guard despite his lengthy frame and will have the chance to play in the backcourt with the Bruins despite already having one of the best point guards in the class headed to UCLA.

"Coach Howland said that I will be fighting for the point guard spot," he told Alex Kline of the Recruit Scoop. "As long as I'm on the court, I'll be good."

The Bruins aren't done with their 2012 class. UCLA is still in good standing with Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 1 recruit in the nation, who everyone believes has a UCLA lean.

If Howland is able to acquire Muhammad, the Bruins will undoubtedly, have the best class in the nation.

Wichita State Still in the Mix for Ellis

Perry Ellis (Wichita Heights, KS) a five-star power forward, has a final four of Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky and Wichita State. After today (9/16), he will have finished all of his in-home visits and started talking about his recruitment with his closest family and coaches.

Wichita State, who everyone conceives to be a darkhorse in his recruitment, has made a strong push throughout his middle school and high school career. They've even done enough to beat out schools like Duke, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

But after adding two JUCO big men in Earl Watson and Cleanthony Early, many would speculate that the Shockers chances of landing the in-state talent were slim.

However, according to the Ellis family, that isn't the case.

"I don't think that's an issue at all," his mother said. "Perry is not a big for [Wichita State]. He will be a wing."

The versatile forward has received big time compliments from all the coaches saying he could be another, three position threat. For the most part, Ellis has played in the frontcourt, but after recent improvement to his shot and ball handling, he has the ability to play on the wing and some coaches even believe he could be a college two.

Malcolm Hill Commits to Illinois

Back in June, Malcolm Hill (Belleville East, IL) took an unofficial visit to Illinois and walked away without committing. Months later, he takes another unofficial visit but this time around gave a verbal commitment to the Fighting Illini.

Hill, a 6-5 shooting guard, held offers from Kansas State, Missouri, Southern Illinois and Xavier.

Hill was also receiving interest from powerhouse schools such as Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State and UCLA just to name a few.

He is considered a top-50 athlete in a loaded class and is a huge addition to the 2013 class of Illinois that also features point guard Jalen James.

With a talented backcourt duo already, you have to believe the Illini will go big or on the wing in 2013.

Bronson Koenig Down to Two

Start naming some of the elite point guards regardless of class and Bronson Koenig's (Aquinas, WI) name is sure to surface.

Koenig, a Wisconsin native, really made his mark as one of the best guards in the country with his play this summer.

He currently holds high-major offers from Duke, Kansas, Marquette, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington State and Wisconsin. He has also received serious interest from Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State and Minnesota.

But according to reports, Koenig is nearing a decision and two teams are currently in the lead for his services.

Koenig is reportedly down to North Carolina and Wisconsin, with the Badgers being the favorite for his services according to multiple reports.

Both programs could benefit from a point guard like Koenig. He's smart enough to be a floor general but versatile enough to play both positions in the backcourt.

As his recruitment continues to wind down, he could be announcing his decision soon.

Jarmal Reid Commits to Oregon State

Oregon State picked up one of the most underrated recruits in the 2012 class.

6-7 wing Jarmal Reid (Columbia HS, GA) took an official visit to campus this weekend and decided that Oregon State was the place where he'd call home.

Reid held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Charlotte, Florida, Nebraska, Wake Forest and West Virginia.

Oregon State gets a versatile wing that will compete for a starting position right away. He's a long, physical three-man with the ability to finish strong in the post.

He's a solid rebounder and could potentially be All-Pac 12 when it's all said-and-done.

He has great upside and his game continues to develop. He joins Maika Ostling in Oregon State's 2012 recruiting class.

Travis Jorgenson Commits to Mizzou

Travis Jorgenson (Rock Bridge HS, MO) has made his college decision and will stay in-state and play College Basketball for the Missouri Tigers.

Jorgenson held offers from Boston College, Central Michigan, Colorado State, Creighton, Missouri State, Oklahoma State, Rice, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Virginia.

He had plenty of high-major suitors, including Arkansas, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina interested, just to name a few. But in the end, Jorgenson gave the Tigers the nod.

"I met the coaching staff yesterday and talked for a very long time," he said. "I talked to coach Alden and don't feel confused. Coach [Frank] Haith will be there when I play and the Miami situation will be resolved."

Jorgenson joins center Tyrek Coger in Missouri's 2013 class. He's a great floor general and should make an easy transition to the college game under Frank Haith.

The Tigers class is shaping up to be a great one in 2013 and Haith is far from done. Many other recruits are seriously considering Mizzou and when it's all said-and-done this 2013 class to could be at the top of the rankings.