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This appeared in the Daily News on Feb. 15, 2001.

SCOUTING THE TOP PLAYERS
COLLEGE RECRUITS ABOUND AMONG THE CITY'S ELITE

by Ted Silary, Daily News Sports Writer

    For the 24th consecutive season, the Daily News is attempting to give
college basketball coaches a helping hand with recruiting.
    Our five categories for seniors are point guards, wing guards, small
forwards, power forwards and centers. Players are categorized by the position
we expect them to play in college. But remember, a player's role can depend
upon the level of school he attends.
    The players in "The Best" category are those we believe would be most
capable of playing in Division I or the higher levels of Division II, or in a
competitive junior-college program if there's a need for academic
strengthening. "Others" are Division IIs or IIIs.
    Our rating system: 1. big time; 2. midmajor; 3. low Division I; 4. high
Division II.
    The notation "NCAA OK" means the player is qualified for freshman
eligibility under NCAA academic guidelines. Those not qualified may become so
later.
    Point guards
    The Best: Cantrell "Man-Man" Fletcher, Neumann, 5-9, Siena signee; Mike
Slattery, Germantown Academy, 6-1, Delaware signee; Bobby Leach, Bartram,
6-foot, multiple skills, best in clutch, good strength/agility, heady, Rating:
3-4; Mike Barker, St. Joe's Prep, 6-2, penetrates, snappy passer, hits
jumpers, also WG, Penn intrigued, NCAA OK, SAT: 1,330, Rtg.: 3-4.
    Fifteen others: Shawn Roberts, Bartram; Kevin "Chip" Green, Frankford;
Anthony Abrams, Gratz; Michael Ezell, Mastbaum; Matt Gosselin, Malvern; Shaun
Snyder, Fels; Salahudin Muhammad, Strawberry Mansion; Jim Kelly, Roman; Kevin
Wolf, Judge; James Avant, Mastbaum; Amos Joway, West Catholic; Terrell
Jackson, West Catholic; Bill Armideo, Bonner; Kelvin Smith, King. Demarice
Dobbins, Parkway.
    Wing guards
    The Best: David "Bone" Bell, Olney, 6-6, also PG, marvelous possibilities,
smooth, long-limbed, breaks down defenders, may opt for prep school, Rtg.: 2;
Robert "Beattie" Taylor, Neumann, 6-2, also PG, deep shooter, tricky in
traffic, NCAA OK, pesky defender, La Salle has offered, Rtg.: 2-3; John
Huggins, Roman, 6-2, burgeoning confidence, plays hard, hits treys, good ups,
Rtg.: 3-4; Daniel Rumph, Parkway, 6-2, deep radar, clever, gets to baseline,
surprising leaper, Rtg.: 4; Sean King, Overbrook, 6-2, lefty, gets to hole
against everybody, thrives in transition, must develop jumper, Rtg.: 4; Nate
Lewis, West Catholic, 6-1, born scorer, shot is sweet but inconsistent, wide
wingspan, motivated, NCAA OK, Rtg.: 4.
    Fifteen others: Vernon "Juice" Robinson, Olney; Robert Bouknight, Bartram;
Garry Mills, Lincoln; John Capella, Ryan; Brian Mooney, Judge; Kyle Jones,
Southern; Dave Hoopes, Carroll; Mike Cram, North Catholic; Rodney Warren,
Franklin; Mike Morak, McDevitt; Hal "Bone" Housley, Engineering and Science;
James Frager, Bok; Steve Brodzinski, Roman; Mike D'Elia, West Catholic; Troy
Holiday, Germantown Academy; Tom Mattern, La Salle.
    Small forwards
    The Best: Michael Cuffee, Gratz, 6-4, athletic/explosive, still developing,
soft touch, ravenous rebounder, huge hands, never forces, increasing interest,
Rtg.: 2; Steve Smith, Northeast, 6-7, most potential on list, runs/jumps like
crazy, NBA treys, dunkmeister, second year of organized ball, several
monstrous performances, SAT: 830, Rtg.: 2-3; Nicholas King, Frankford, 6-6,
sugar-sweet shooter, can rain down treys, sees floor, will get even better as
strength improves, Rtg: 2-3; Dave Glaser, Malvern, 6-5, rock steady, makes
good/quick decisions with ball, finds ways to score, Ivy-Patriot interest,
NCAA OK, SAT: 1,210, Rtg.: 3-4; Brent Welton, Roman, 6-5, best on move, more
athletic than sometimes shows, shaking tendency to drift, scores in assorted
manners, NCAA OK, SAT: 910, Rtg.: 3-4; Maurice Maxwell, University City, 6-5,
slinky around basket, plays under control, thin but sturdy, deft medium-range
shooter, Rtg.: 4; Walt Pinkas, Conwell-Egan, 6-5, has missed all season with *
injury, very athletic, sweet shooter, Rtg.: 4; Bryan Green, Dougherty, 6-7,
very thin (152 pounds) but interesting project, first-year player, decent
dexterity, Rejections R Us, can hit threes, NCAA OK, SAT: 840, Rtg.: 4.
    Fifteen others: Dwayne Shelton, Franklin; Ty Teasley, Northeast; Chris
DiStasio, Ryan; Olufemi Fadeyibi, Engineering and Science; Anthony Boyer,
Bartram; Curtis Easley, Southern; Daniel Joyner, Bartram; Imein Ellison,
Frankford; Brad Kielinski, Kennedy-Kenrick; Glenn Pembleton, Mastbaum; Jeff
Thomas, Neumann; Robert "Smiley" Johnson, University City; Bruce Bonner, King;
Pat Cannon, Haverford School; Jerry Johnson, Washington.
    Power forwards
    The Best: Tamal Forchion, Roman, 6-6, George Washington signee; Brandon
Brigman, Neumann, 6-8, South Florida signee; Jamal Nichols, Franklin, 6-7, has
mean streak, gets on glass, already strong and has perfect frame for adding
weight, capable dribbler, leaning to St. Joseph's; Gene Willard, O'Hara, 6-5,
Sciences signee; Ali "Badou" Gaye, Kennedy-Kenrick, 6-7, native of Senegal,
runs well, very raw, interesting possibilities, take and mold, absorbs
instruction, Rtg.: 3-4.
    Ten others: Ryan Tyson, St. Joseph's Prep; Michael Branch, Frankford; Rich
Schmidt, Judge; Robert Taylor, Mastbaum; Brandon Millwood, Gratz; Kenneth
Faison, Edison; Robert Smith, Furness; Brandon Vaughan, McDevitt; Leon Brooks,
Central; Eric White, Chestnut Hill Academy.
    Centers
    The Best: None.
    Five others: Anthony Geiger, Gratz; Lawrence Watson, Franklin Learning
Center; Ryan Webster, Chestnut Hill Academy; Ken Grant, O'Hara (injured all
season); Glen Jenkins, Germantown.
    Baker's dozen juniors
    Matt Walsh, Germantown Academy, 6-6, WG; Lee Melchionni, Germantown
Academy, 6-7, SF; Ted Skuchas, Germantown Academy, 6-11, C; Michael
Blackshear, Gratz, 6-6, PF; Mike Spadafora, Wood, 6-3, PG; Terrence Mack,
Episcopal, 6-6, PF; Michael Haddix, Neumann, 6-6, PF; Leon Fulton, Strawberry
Mansion, 6-6, PF; Mustafa Shakur, Penn, 6-3, PG; Eugene Myatt, West Phila.,
6-4, SF; Richard Francis, Bartram, 6-3, SF; Dahliek Powell, Roxborough, 6-4,
SF; Matt Kearney, Bonner, 6-4, WG-SF.
    Top 15 youngsters
    Maureece Rice, Strawberry Mansion, 5-10, WG, soph.; Jordan Ingram, Carroll,*
6-7, PF, soph.; Kashif Payne, Carroll, 5-7, PG, soph.; DeSean White,
Strawberry Mansion, 6-6, PF, fresh.; Wayne Marshall, King, 6-8, PF-C, soph.;
Charron Fisher, Roman, 6-4, SF, fresh.; Brian Grandieri, Malvern, 6-1, PG-WG,
fresh.; Richard "Tabby" Cunningham, Neumann, 5-7, PG, fresh.; Khalil
Abdus-Salaam, Bartram, 6-4, PF, soph.; Darnell Corbitt, Franklin, 5-11, PG,
soph.; Tasheed Carr, University City, 6-2, PG, soph.; Chris Clark, St. Joe's
Prep, 5-6, PG, fresh.; Rob Kurz, Germantown Academy, 6-6, WG, soph.; Troy
Roundtree, Northeast, 6-4, SF-PF, soph.; Isaac Greer, Dougherty, 5-11, WG,
soph.