Jersey boys: Two new names in for visits

Big developments in Stan Heath's recruiting efforts, with two new names that could turn to commitments for the Bulls after official campus visits this weekend. USF is in strong position for point guard Dwan McMillan, from one of the top prep schools in the country, and Gene Teague, a 6-foot-8, 295-pound power forward/center who could help fill USF's frontcourt needs.

McMillan is a 6-foot point guard at St. Benedict's, a Newark prep-school powerhouse which was ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation last season and has sent impact players to the Big East in Seton Hall sophomore Eugene Harvey and Villanova freshman Corey Stokes, as well as Louisville signee Samardo Samuels. His coach there is the well-respected Dan Hurley, the former Seton Hall guard and son of New Jersey prep coaching legend Bob Hurley.

"Very creative point guard with great speed and quickness," Dan Hurley wrote in an e-mail to the Times on  Wednesday. "Typical NY city guard."

McMillan (he pronounces his first name like D'Juan) started his high school career at Boys and Girls High in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, and made a name for himself with the New York Panthers, an AAU program that has produced a ton of Big East stars, such as Khalid El-Amin, Charlie Villanueva, Curtis Sumpter and Taquan Dean.

"He likes South Florida a lot," said Panthers founder Gary Charles, who coached McMillan for two years. "I think he's a good fit for them. Stan's in a prime position to get a great point guard. He has quickness up and down the court, and he has that New York mentality. He wants to win all the time. He's a Big East guard."

The Bulls also got a boost when Providence fired coach Tim Welsh last week, as the Friars were USF's closest Big East competition. Hurley said McMillan is still considering Providence, pending their coaching change, as well as La Salle and George Mason.

The other promising new name is Teague, of Vineland, N.J., who just got on USF's recruiting radar in the past month but has quickly grown to like the idea of joining the Bulls and making an immediate impact in the Big East.

"He's very interested in USF, and I think there's a great possibility he attends school there," his father, Eugene, said Wednesday. "They came up here and liked what they saw, and we're going to try to make it happen. Gene has always liked the Big East."

Teague, due in for an official visit Thursday, played three years at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, N.J., averaging 17.1 points per game as a junior, but transferred two months ago to Living Faith Academy, whose prep ranks including two 6-foot-9 Kansas signees. He's on the high school team there, but has left an impression on the school's prep coach, Rich Marcucci.

"He can be a reckoning force inside," Marcucci said. "He's big, and he's very comfortable from 15 feet in. He's developed a lot faster than we even gave him credit for. He's already made tremendous improvement."

Teague, who averaged about 24 points and 10 rebounds in his short time at Living Faith according to Marcucci, drew early interest from Georgetown and Clemson and is also considering Iona, Delaware and Wright State. When Philly.com made its "Nifty Fifty" list of the top prospects in Philadelphia, its suburbs and south Jersey, Teague made the list at No. 38. His father said Heath made a strong impression on the family during a recent visit.

"I've been around basketball all my life, and I know who's talking reality and who has the far-fetched fantasy-type talking," Eugene Teague said. "That coaching staff, you can tell they're determined."

There you have it: two new names to add high on the list of potential Bulls. USF is still working the junior college route hard as well and could wind up with more than the current three scholarships available, so I'm curious to see just how big this incoming class could get. Thoughts? Questions?

Comments

[Astro]

6'8" 295? Ask him if he wants to play LT for the football team.

[Dave W]

Both guys are listed 2/3 inches shorter on Scout than what GA has. I'll take GA over Scout any day, though.

It's good to have options. The best triumverate would be Brumbaugh, Goins, and Simmons, but it seems as though there are plenty of options if we don't get those guys. That is a noticeable change from the past.

And I know I said we needed a guy to go up against DeJuan Blair, but 6'8" 295 is huge. If that kid can move at all and shoot up to 15' out, he could be a great Big East banger.

[Herman Momart]

Thats what Im talking about. Its about time we recruit NYC. And just because they play in a NJ school doesnt make them "Jersey Boys". As a native New Yorker its not the same...no disrespect to NJ but you dont call a Florida kid a georia boy because they border eachother, even if he goes to a prep HS there.

the only reason i was skeptical of Heath was he seemed to have midwest ties and not NY ties but maybe he is breaking the barrier. You watch the Big East championship every year in MSG and they show how half the rosters are from NY (look at Pitt) and then you look at USFs roster with not one kid from NY. We know where the best ballers are at and who runs the Big east, time to sign em up to play against their former teammates, rivals, friends, etc. It makes good competition. Kids want to prove themselves against a UCONN/Pittetc. who didnt recruit them or went with someone else, all great motivation. We really could use a typical NYC point guard on this team to play QB.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Wake me up when we find out what the hell is going on with Brumbaugh who happens to play 10 blocks down fowler and a mile south on your right.

It doesn't look like Stan Heath is very positive on the Brumbaugh situation, because he rarely brings it up and visits haven't seemed to happen.

We got a kid over on the other side of town who is averaging 43 pts 167 rebs and 91 assists a game.

I don't care about some 295 lb jelly roll who scores 16 pts a game in prep school. Get me Brumbaugh.

[G.A.]

Ari ... you make it seem as if USF is unaware of Brumbaugh. They've been all over him. Went in person the first day they could visit. Went to his first game. They're competing with the NBA. If they don't get Brumbaugh, it won't be for a lack of effort. At this point, if you're still thinking "Brumbaugh or
bust," you're going to be disappointed.

You say Heath rarely brings it up. Does he talk about any recruits?

[G.A.]

Heights, weights are always fun. Most of the recent references to McMillan have him at 6 feet. That's what his AAU coach gave for him.

On Teague, Scout.com had him at 6-6, 265, but those numbers are at least a year old. Coach told me 6-8, "high 2s" for weight, then guessed he was 275. His father told me 6-8, 295, but said "the weight is deceiving," that people don't believe him when he says 295. I doubt he would play at USF at that weight -- they'd put him on a diet and conditioning plan, could get him down in the 275 range easy.

[Herman Momart]

Ari, gotta agree with GA. Your Brumbaugh cries are becoming old. There are other players out there. If the kid wants to go NBA to maybe get drafted in the 2nd round with no guaranteed contract...let him. He will be out of the NBA and in Europe in a year. College basketball is a team sport and it takes numerous players and a well run system, unless of course you got a guy with freaky ability like Michael Beasley...and KState isnt a really good team with him anyway. Brumbaugh is not make or break, he would be a great addition but we can be alright without him.

Though it is sad when Tampa has a Big East team and the best player in the city goes to the local community college. Puts things in prespective. I would like to see someone write a Stephen A. Smith piece and compare USF baketball woes with other big conference bottom feeders. Maybe some stats on how many no scholarship IVy league programs who have had better RPIs than us. Something to wake up the fan base and program to show how bad it has been if they have what seems to be oblivious the last 12 years.

[The Champ]

Folks this is good news and this proves that Stan has indeed learned his lesson from his days as coach of the Hogs.Some of you don't know how many times Stan has been burned by recruits in the 11hr.Stan use to just focas on one player at each position he was looking.Things would look good that the kid would commit to play for him but by hook or by crook the kid would end up signing somewhere else leaving Stan hanging.With no backup plan that late in the game Stan would have nowhere else to turn.In fact the reason he is here is because of recruiting failures exactly as I wrote it.

None of us know how many players Stan will sign but one thing is for sure is that he will not wait around of a recruit that may or may not come to USF.He and his coaches have indenified a bunch of guys that can make usf better and offered scholarships to all of them.Whichever ones say yes first, those will be the ones to get signed.Ofcourse there will always be a scholarship or two left for any true elite player that wants to come on board.

Very nice to see a better Stan Heath coaching at USF.

[The Champ]

Another thing, there is not a more well respected HS coach then Bob Hurley sr.If he says the kid can really play then you better believe that is the case.

Stan once signed a PG that played on Hurley's underfeated team a few years back named Sean McCurdy.Well he was a part of Stan's horrible 2005 class that produced 1 halfcourt shot, 1 highlight throwdown, and many, many headaches for Stan that added up in him eventually getting fired.

How honest is Hurley? Well despite that PG he had on his underfeated team, Hurley was not that high on him and kind of predicted he would fell in college.I read Hurley's book.

[G.A.]

Hey, just to clarify, the e-mail I quoted was from Dan Hurley. I've added a first name in the post to make it more clear.

[The Champ]

Once doing some quick looking around I realize you meant Dan not Bob, but still your info was great.Besides a Hurley is a Hurley regardless.lol

After reading some stuff on McMillan I think he is a better prospect then Simmons who I love as a player.He is for sure a more natural PG and not a converted 2.

[mike]

hey greg, do you know how many points a game McMillan averages?

[Reality]

Some things to clear up Greg. St Ben's has two teams. Go Gray Bees! High school and prep. Dwan was on the prep team that was not ranked #1 this year. That was the high school team with Samardo Samuels, who is going to be an absolute STUD at Louisville. As a side note, the team has a Junior that Rutgers will probably get, who is another top notch kid, in Greg Echenique. Just wanted to let you guys know that even the crummy Big East teams are getting good players and we are not.

While Eugene Harvey was an impact freshman in the Big East, it was last year, not this year, when he was the runner up for rookie of the year in the Big East for Seton Hall. And yes, this was a kid that Bobby Gonzalez signed within 3 weeks of getting hired, for all you Stan Heath Apologists.

When it comes to Jersey basketball, Stan is trying, and he needs to, because the area is loaded with players, but he blew it with Mccurdy, who everyone tried to tell him was a bust.......His mom is one of those people who is usually a dad......the know it all types.......sort of like the Reality!!!!

I'm convinced Reality is a local recruiting huckster who Heath wouldnt give the time of day too.

[JR Smith]

Danny Hurley was the coach of the great JR Smith, at least great in high school and prep school.

I was lucky enough to take in several St. Benedict and St. Anthony games during my consulting days in Jersey.

Talk about some great basketball.

[The Champ]

I told you I could smell 'em no matter who they are or who they claim to be.

There is hawgsillustrated.com, hawgsports.com, and hogville.net to post on you know.Wow I wish I had that kind of time to waste, but some of us have to work.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Reality,

You know the recruiting classes that Heath brought in at Ark were pretty freakin sick.

And his line of players that filled Tom Izzo's roster lead to a dynasty.

I'm just saying.

And Greg,
Let me at it. I bet ya I have Brumbaugh in a bulls jersey within 10 days.

Ari I'll bet you 100 dollars Brumbaugh never makes it to any college because he won't even get his two year degree from HCC to go D 1-2-or 3 for that matter! Quit living in dram land and get into reality Brumbaugh is DUMBbaugh and the kid has no interest in school. His coach won't say it but I will - the kid could care less about going to college! He is headed to the D-league or to Europe because he won't hit the books and his coach at HCC pimped him for wins, hype, and pub. Worrells is a joke and could care less if a kid graduates. Put it writing Ari - Brumbaugh will not have the grades to go to USF or any other D1 school. Ask his coach at HCC why he didn't play in their last game of the season????

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Depressing.

[Josh]

Brumbaugh is not the end all be all of this recruiting class. He's got some skills but he's no Othello Hunter...he was much better than Brumbaugh and smarter too. If Heath, and this is a pretty big "IF", can get 3 or 4 of these guys USF is going after it will be a very good class for us. Just like our football class. It wasn't the best in the nation or even our state...not even close, but it was good for us. USF athletics can only go up people!

[mike]

othello hunter better than brumbaugh? thats funny josh