Perhaps the biggest recruiting target for Lorenzo Romar both physically and theoretically, Josh Smith, a junior from Kentwood High School, is currently pondering what college he will attend after he graduates in 2010.

He currently has 12 scholarship offers from the top college basketball programs across the nation, including the University of Washington. According to his Scout.com profile he currently has a high interest in UCLA and medium interest in UW and Louisville.

UCLA has been the top team on the west coast and in the nation making the Final Four for three consecutive years from 2006-2008. If Smith wishes to jump to the NBA after one or two years, UCLA has also proved to a be an effective place where he can get the proper exposure for the NBA.

Also, UCLA has churned out several top NBA talent out of its program recently. Jordan Farmar, Kevin Love, Aron Afflalo, and Russell Westbrook are few of the many Bruins that have been drafted in the couple past years. These things might explain his "high interest" in UCLA.

For UW, Romar is probably selling the benefits of staying close to home. Smith will be in a more comfortable environment. He won't have to adjust as much, as he would if he went to college out of state. Also, depending on the style of system he wants to be in, UW offers a much-more player-centric offensive system.

Romar gives his players a lot of freedom on offense, and this could only mean good things for Smith. He is guaranteed at least one year with Abdul Gaddy, and he may get a shot to play with Isaiah Thomas as well, if Thomas doesn't leave early.

Louisville's only selling point right now is it's strong connection to Seattle basketball. Rick Pitino has successfully nurtured Seattle native Terrance Williams into one of the best players in college basketball. Smith's former Rotary teammate, Senior Peyton Siva, is headed to Louisville this upcoming season. It doesn't hurt when the Cardinal were one of the best teams in college basketball this past year.

I have a strong feeling that Smith does not wish to go to the East coast. Duke, North Carolina, and Ohio St. have all offered, but Smith is currently showing little interest in those schools. His decision will most likely come late this summer or in the fall. We'll have you updated on UW's chances of grabbing this special player.

Further Reading:
Top 10 High School Players in Washington 2009-10
Class of 2010 and 2011 Recruiting Update


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With the High School Basketball season all over, it's now time to release our state player power rankings for next season. This list will not include any Seniors, so no more Peyton Siva, Abdul Gaddy, etc. The grades listed for players will reflect their current grade this school year, so Tony Wroten will still be listed as a Sophomore, not a Junior. With all this said, enjoy and let the debate begin.

These are who we believe to be the top 10 players in the state regardless of class or position

1. Josh Smith (Jr.) Kentwood-PF/C--Had to be disappointed, as the Kentwood Conqs were unable to make the 4A state tournament this past month.  He led the state in both classifications with 24.3 points per game. He is the most dominant player in the painted area in the whole country.



2. Tony Wroten (So.) Garfield-PG--Tony Wroten will enter next season as the most talented junior in the whole country. He has a lot of holes in his game, but he's turned himself into one heck of a player. Coaches that have seen all the talent come through, have said that Wroten might be the best they've ever seen. That's something special if they've seen players like Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, and Jason Terry play high school ball in Seattle.

6. Cole Dickerson (Jr.) Federal Way-G/F-- A really solid offensive threat. He can rebound, score and pass with efficiency.  He will try to lead the Federal Way Eagles to a repeat State title next season. His point production should go up with Forbes, Hale, and Barrington departing.


7. Jaamon Echols (Jr.) Rainier Beach-PG--With Dotson and Pickett both injured, Echols was called on to become Beach's first option offensively. Although he failed to lead Beach deep into the 3A state tournament, Echols gave a preview of what Beach's team will be like next season. He's a very fun player to watch, he has great handles and he is incredible at finishing around the paint and finishing off drives. He ends up getting a lot of 3-point plays.

8. Christian Behrens (So.) Tahoma-F--An under-the-radar player, Behrens averaged 20.5ppg as a sophomore. We'll be hearing his name a lot more next season. He's 6-8 and apparently still growing. If he gets taller, he could start gaining some serious notice from colleges if he hasn't already.

9. Brett Kingma (So.) Jackson-SG--Returned to play in 2 games late in the season, in his first game after recovering from his injury he scored 23 points. It wouldn't be a stretch to say he's the best shooter in the State. When he's on, he's on. He can pull up from any location on the court and sink a shot, his shot is so pure.

10. Jerron Smith (So.) Decatur-G--A natural athlete. He has some nice range on his jumpshot. With Tibbs departing, he becomes Decatur's 1st option. The Gators have a chance to have a special season with Jordan McCloud also returning next season.

Next 10 in:  Ryan Nicholas-Gonzaga Prep, Tanner Riley-Mount Si, Ryan Rogers-Auburn Riverside, Andre Winston Jr.-Lakes, Deshea Bell-Kennedy, Paul Jorg- Inglemoor, Lonnie Pearson-Rainier Beach, Devante Williams-O'Dea, Dominic Ballard-O'Dea, Connor Hamlett-Meadowdale



Link: [Previous Rankings]
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