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Antonio Williams

  (2:31 PM)

Good afternoon hoop fans. With the McDonald's game set for this week plus Lance's big announcement there's plenty to talk about. Let's get to it.

Steiny (NYC)

What is there to know about Jeronne Maymon? Is the kid the read deal?

Antonio Williams

  (2:33 PM)

Steiny, whats up my man? Maymon has a load of untapped potential. His best basketball days are ahead of him. He's a junkyard dog type that does the dirty work and rebounds the ball very well. And if he improves his touch from the perimeter he can be a monster on the wing.

Steiny (NYC)

Lance Stephenson is going to announce where he is going to play tomorrow. If you had to guess, where will he be attending college?

Antonio Williams

  (2:35 PM)

At first I thought he'd end up at St. John's but now it looks like its Kansas.

Matt

If Calipari jumps ship to Kentucky, how does this change the recruiting landscape? Does he take some guys with him?

Antonio Williams

  (2:40 PM)

Matt, in the past when coaches have changed shcools, some athletic depts have been good about releasing kids and others haven't. Take the Jeff Withey situation at Arizona. They took a while to release him. Then look at Tom Crean at Marquette. Some of his kids were releaesed. It's very possible Calipari could take some kids with him if he leaves. But there a lot of different factors to consider. Will Memphis allow those kids out? How many scholarships will Kentucky have? etc. etc.

Jon, NY

With John Wall meeting with Coach K last night and speculation of Calipari moving on to Kentucky, what are the chances John Wall comes to take the PG spot at Duke?

Antonio Williams

  (2:42 PM)

Jon, even though Wall has expressed his interest in Memphis I certainly wouldn't count out Coach K. With the allure that playing in front of the Cameron Crazies offers, Coach K may just be able to swoop in an steal John Wall.

Jeff (Vegas)

Can you talk about NDs recruits for next year? See some decent grades for these guys... and potential stars in the making?

Antonio Williams

  (2:51 PM)

Thanks Jeff. ND has a really good class coming in. They've done a good job of setting themselves up for the future especially if Harangody leaves for the NBA this season. Jack Cooley is a hard-nosed big man with a great deal of heart who plays hard all the time. He can hit jumpers from the FT line and can rebound with anyone. Mike Broghammer is in the same mold. Good around the hoop and can finish with both hands. Knight, in the last two years may have improved as much as anyone in the country. He got in shape and really improved his skill level. He's much more athletic than he looks and has range out to 3. Brooks is a strong, physical wing player who is an absolute scorer. Look for big things from this class.

brett (the ville) [via mobile]

besides peyton siva and raheem buckles, what talent will pitino have coming in next yr?

Antonio Williams

  (2:53 PM)

Brett, Siva and Buckles are a great start, with both being ESPNU 100's. Rick Pitino also has Mike Marra and Stephen Van Treese coming in. Marra is a sharpshooter with unlimited range and very good athleticism. Van Treese is a big man who can run the floor well and should fit right in UofL's fast break style of play. He just needs to learn to be more aggressive.

Cliff (Philly)

Do you think John Henson will be able to put on a few pounds and be a dominant player next to Ed Davis at UNC?

Antonio Williams

  (2:55 PM)

Well Cliff, first we should let Henson settle in at college. Their are already some pretty good post players at UNC already: Zeller, Thompson, etc. Having said that Henson has the talent as well as the upside to develop into a future great at Chapel Hill.

Nick (Frankenmuth, MI)

Can you talk about Duke's recruits coming in this year? Can Plumlee or Kelly help the Blue Devils in the interior, where they need much improvement?

Antonio Williams

  (2:57 PM)

Nick, Plumlee and Kelly will provide Duke with two immensely skilled big man. While they may not be the traditional, back to the basket players Duke needs, Coach K should get plenty of contributions from them early on.

Nico san antonio, tx [via mobile]

hey antonio love your blogs a lot. just wondering if you had some thoughts on the longhorns recruiting class next year. thanks much appreciated!

Antonio Williams

  (3:00 PM)

Thanks a lot Nico. Much appreciated. I like the Longhorns class a lot, led by the scintillating Avery Bradley. There is nothing on the floor that he doesn't do well. Jordan Hamilton can get a bucket for you from wherever he is on the court. If Shawn Williams can tap into his enormous potential, he can become another very good wing player for Texas.

Jon (Boston)

What kind of potential do you see out of Dexter Strickland? Can he be the next great PG for UNC following Felton and most recently Lawson?

Antonio Williams

  (3:04 PM)

Well, Jon, those are huge shoes to fill. You're talking about one NBA first round pick and a future first rounder. Strickland, at this point, is more of a shooting guard than a point guard. But luckily for him, at UNC he'll constantly be around the coaching and talent and environment that should stimulate his growth as a lead guard.

Alex (Chicago)

What are the chances that Iowa State can land Harrison Barnes and keep him in Ames?

Antonio Williams

  (3:07 PM)

Thanks Alex. While Barnes continues to attract attention from the nation's top programs, the Cyclones have two things in their favor: 1) Ames is his home and 2) his mom works at Iowa State. Those two factors could lead Barnes to stay home. But he seems like he's a long way from deciding so stay tuned.

pj

If Calipari leaves for Kentucky, can Xavier opt out of his letter of intent even though he signed?

Antonio Williams

  (3:11 PM)

PJ, Xavier, as with any student athlete who signs a binding letter of intent, must be granted a release from the athletic department at Memphis. If he's not granted a release, he has to sit out a year, much like a transfer student-athlete.

Mike (DC)

Does Maryland still have a shot at Stephenson?

Antonio Williams

  (3:15 PM)

Mike, Maryland has an outside shot but it really doesn't look good for the Terps.

Marc, Charlotte

What kind of shot do the Heels have of gettin' James McAdoo?

Antonio Williams

  (3:16 PM)

Thanks Marc. He's very good but it might be too early to speculate on that one.

james: Arizona

Are their any good recruits left out there that Arizona's new coach (who ever he is) can grab once he gets hired.

Antonio Williams

  (3:17 PM)

James, I know forward Victor Rudd form California is considering the Wildcats but outside of that they may look to go the JUCO route.

Mike Anderson

Will I get any good recruits this year?

Antonio Williams

  (3:21 PM)

Hey Coach! Congrats on your tourney run. Michael Dixon is tailor made for the up-tempo system that Missouri runs in the open court. They also have Keith DeWitt, is another fast-breaking-type of player who will mesh perfectly with Mizzou's style.

Jay: (Bloomington, IN)

Hey Antonio. I know he is for 2010, but how likely is Dominique Ferguson to look elsewhere now that Gillispie is out at Kentucky?

Antonio Williams

  (3:23 PM)

Jay, being a younger commit, I'm sure Ferguson will take a look around and see who Kentucky hires. He hasn't made a decision yet but it's worth keeping an eye on all of their recruits.

TERPFAN College Park, MD

Where does it look like Terrell Vinson will end up now that he has de-committed from Loyola Marymoung? Please say my Terps..

Antonio Williams

  (3:27 PM)

Terpfan, I feel like Maryland is where he'll end up but South Florida, Cincinnati and UMass are also on his list. He'd have a chance to restore the Terps to national prominence in his own backyard. That may appeal to him.

Timmy (Steubenville OH)

What impact will little Curry have for Duke? Starter?

Antonio Williams

  (3:30 PM)

Timmy, it's too early to pencil in Curry as a starter. No team, however, can have enough shooters, and Curry's ability to stroke it should earn him significant playing time early.

Antonio Williams

  (3:33 PM)

Thanks for everyone's great questions. Don't forget to check out the Powerade JamFest at the McDonald's Game tonight on ESPNU at 8 PM et. Also the game airs Wednesday night at 8 pm ET. Thanks and we'll talk to you next week!