I’m hesitant to believe it. The latest from Chris Dokish/PSR on Pitt b-ball recruiting has a major potential bombshell in college basketball recruiting.
However, the biggest addition on the Panthers watch list is 6’9″ 240 pound MICHAEL BEASLEY of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA. According to the same DC area source, Beasley, one of the top four players in the country, is very interested in the Panthers even though he is currently committed to Kansas State.
“He is going to visit Kansas State and if he doesn’t like it, he already told Cox that he will go to Pitt,” says the source, who also stated that Cox was hired a day after Beasley committed to Kansas State. “If Cox was hired one day earlier, Beasley may have committed to Pitt. They won the (AAU) National Championship together and are very close.”
“I’m interested in Pitt a lot,” Beasley confirmed when asked if he was interested in Pitt, despite being committed to Kansas State,
When asked if it was because of Cox, Beasley simply replied, “Yes.”
Beasley stated that he was still committed to Kansas State, and plans to visit next month. He is unsure if he will visit Pitt if he likes it at Kansas State.
Be aware, that Beasley is literally one of the top ten players in the 2007 class. Rivals.com has him as the #1 PF prospect and #4 overall. Scout.com puts him as the #2 PF and #8 overall. Hmmm, maybe Huggy-bear might find recruiting to the Little Apple a bit more difficult than first envisioned.
Beasley originally gave a verbal to Charlotte, but when the assistant who recruited him was poached by Huggins, he decommitted in May. As expected he shifted his verbal in June to K-State. So, there could be some truth to this as far as Beasley wavering on KSU. Even columnists in Kansas aren’t sure about Beasley (or any of the originally presumed monster recruiting class for 2007).
Likewise, K-Staters should be somewhat leery of a commitment from a player (Michael Beasley) who says he knows where he’s going to attend college a year from now but not which high school or prep school he’ll attend next month.
Beasley is supposed to be attending Oak Hill Academy. Beasley was also the co-MVP at the Adidas Superstar Camp this past weekend.
So far Dokish is ahead of the curve in this one. Even if it happens that he switches his verbal, Pitt would have to be sweating until they get a signed commit.
The story also lists a couple other very talented players that are now very interested in Pitt with the hiring of Dave Cox. Chris Wright (who attends Cox’s HS alma mater) and as previously mentioned, Julian Vaughn.
