2007 Men's Basketball Commitments

[Rhino]

I'm closing this so posters can get info on future recruits without wading through a bunch of posts.

I'll update this list as we go along this recruiting season.

[Rhino]

Cade Davis
Shooting guard
6'5", 205 lbs.
Elk City (OK) Elk City
AAU: Athlete's First

Committed: 05/03/06
SIGNED LOI: 12/11/06

Widely regarded as the second best senior in Oklahoma, Cade Davis is a 6-5, 205-pound guard who boasts athletic ability and is a noted outside shooter. He is regarded as a three-star recruit (out of five) by Rivals.com and has led Elk City High School in scoring in each of his first three years there. As a junior, Davis averaged 24.9 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while shooting .430 from 3-point range and .850 from the free throw line. Elk City finished 22-6 last year but was 21-2 in games which Davis played (he missed five contests with mononucleosis). The Elks advanced to the Class 4A State Tournament quarterfinals where they lost to eventual champion Bishop McGuinness, 54-50. Davis scored 30 points in the game.

Quotables:

“He’s just been the consummate team player. For as talented as he is, he’s been our hardest worker on a daily basis and is always trying to improve his game. He’s a coach’s dream. He shows up ready to go every day and you very seldom find kids who are that talented and still try to improve. So many kids already think they’re a complete player, but he never sees himself as that.”
Other schools considered:
Auburn, Nebraska, Southern Cal, Washington St., Nevada, Tulsa, Wichita St., Oral Roberts

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5087/cadedavis61200go1.jpghttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/634/cadedavis518200bds0.jpghttp://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5528/cadedavis518200czx6.jpg

More pictures here (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85726).

[Rhino]

Blake Griffin
Power forward
6'9", 240 lbs.
Edmond (OK) Oklahoma Christian
AAU: Athletes First

Committed: 05/13/06
SIGNED LOI: 12/11/06

Rivals.com Rivals150 2007 (29) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1611)
2007: Power forwards (8) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1438)
Rivals.com Rivals150 2007 (29) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1611)

The brother of OU sophomore forward Taylor Griffin, Blake Griffin is a five-star recruit ranked No. 20 nationally by Scout.com and No. 29 by Rivals.com. Scout.com also ranks him as the country’s No. 7 power forward while Rivals.com lists him at No. 8. The 6-9, 240-pound Griffin has helped his three Oklahoma Christian School squads to three state titles and a combined 80-3 record. Last season he averaged 21.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in leading OCS to a 26-1 mark. Griffin has been named to the all-tournament squad in each of his team’s tournaments the last two years and was voted the state tournament’s MVP last season. He was also named to The Oklahoman’s Super Five as a junior. McDonald's All-American. McDonald's 2007 Slam Dunk Champion.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPzYqv3H3mE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSKAgieSgc)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKSKAgieSgc

Quotables:

“Any position we need covered, Blake can do it. He’ll run a little bit of point this year. He’ll play outside, he’ll play with his back to the basket, he’ll help break the press. He’ll do whatever we need done and he’s capable of that. He has the skills to be able to handle the ball and pass it. He’s a pretty good all-around player. What he’s working on right now is being able to shoot the 3 with a little more proficiency and increase his free throw percentage from the high 60s to the high 70s. Other than that, he’s pretty complete. He’ll grow with maturity and his best basketball is ahead of him.”
Other schools considered:
Baylor, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan State, Oklahoma State

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8334/blakegriffin55200dr8.jpghttp://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8694/blakegriffin58200rg6.jpg

[Rhino]

Chris Early was dismissed from the OU Men's Basketball team on July 8, 2007 for team rules violations.

Chris Early
Shooting guard/small forward
6'6", 210 lbs.
Huntington (WV) Huntington
AAU: Boo Williams

Committed: 06/28/06
SIGNED LOI: 12/11/06

Rivals.com Rivals150 2007 (147) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1611)
2007: Shooting Guards (27) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1441)
Rivals.com Rivals150 2007 (147) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1611)

Chris Early, a three-star prospect by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, has helped his Huntington (W.Va.) High School teams to a combined 49-4 record over the last two years and a pair of Class AAA (the largest class in the state) state titles. Last year the 6-6 guard averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for a squad that finished 25-2. Huntington will be among the nation’s top high school teams again in 2006-07. Early is ranked No. 147 in the class of 2007 by Rivals.com and is regarded by the service as the country’s No. 27 shooting guard.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnhtKkH5yF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJlw-j2BSA

Quotables:

“Chris is a strong, physical player who is in the process of expanding his game so he can play beyond mid-range. I think he’s a guy who will amount to a utility forward in a really good role at Oklahoma. He gets out and he defends, he can score a little bit on the perimeter. And as he gets better, he’ll be a guy who goes off the dribble and attacks the basket.”
Other schools considered:
Miami-FL

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9817/chrisearley426200ky2.jpghttp://img241.imageshack.us/img241/2609/yessirchrisinthestateto6.jpg

[Rhino]

Tony Neysmith
Guard
6'5", 195 lbs.
Norcross (GA) Norcross
AAU: Georgia Hurricanes

Committed: 09/02/06
SIGNED LOI: 12/11/06

Rivals.com Rivals150 2007 (84) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1611)
2007: Point Guards (10) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1439)
2007: Georgia Hoops Rankings (8) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1628)
2007: Georgia Hoops Rankings (8) (http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1628)

Ranked as the nation’s No. 10 point guard and the 84th-best player overall, Tony Neysmith plays for one of the top-10 preseason teams in the country in Norcross (Ga.) High School. Possessing excellent size for a backcourt player, Neysmith is generally regarded as a combo guard. He averaged 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals for a Norcross team that finished 28-4 last year and won the Georgia 5A state title. The 6-5, 195-pounder started every game last year and earned all-county honors. Scout.com ranks him as the country’s No. 22 point guard.

Quotables:

“Tony is a guy I’m very excited about. He’s a 6-5 guard. I don’t want to say he’s just a point guard and limit him to that. I envision him playing everywhere. He has a great feel for the game, is a great decision maker and will be able to handle the ball for us, but because of his great size, athletic ability and versatility, he can play with different guys on the floor. That excites me. I think he has a chance to be a great defender — not a good defender, a great defender — and a guy who can do a lot of things for us. I’ve always had a versatile guard like him since I’ve been a head coach.”
Other schools considered:
St. John's, Charlotte

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8889/tonyneysmith55200qs5.jpghttp://img212.imageshack.us/img212/8092/tonyneysmith36200ys6.jpghttp://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5065/tonyneysmith36200bku1.jpg

[Rhino]

Omar Leary
Point guard
5'10", 170 lbs.
Portland (OR) Lincoln
Sterling (CO) Northeastern JC

Committed: 05/06/07
SIGNED LOI: 05/06/07

Originally a Colorado State commitment. Leary will join the Sooners for the 2007-08 season and will have two years of eligibility.

One of 10 first-team juco All-Americans, averaged 14.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.6 minutes per game this past season for fourth-ranked Northeastern (Colo.) Junior College. A starter in 31 of his 32 contests, the lefty also shot .482 from the field, .439 from 3-point range (69-for-157) and .796 from the free throw line (82-for-103).

Leary led the Plainsmen to a 34-2 record and a trip to the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., where he earned all-tournament honors. With averages of 21.5 points and 5.5 assists over four games (his team went 3-1), Leary was the tournament’s third-leading scorer and top assists man. He also went 13-for-30 from 3-point range (.433).

Quotables:

Capel continued, “He’s a young man who can shoot the ball with range, he has good speed and can change speeds, and I think he has the ability to be a very good leader at the point guard position for us. He’ll give us depth at that position and he’ll allow us to move some guys to different spots. For example, we can move Austin Johnson off the ball a little bit to see how that works with those two playing together. And there will be other combinations we’ll look at.”
“He’s one of those kids who is very unselfish and does what’s best for the team. Defensively, he gets on you. Because he’s not a tall kid, he crawls up into you and makes life hard on you. He’s one of those waterbugs you hate playing against. In that regard, I think his game is very similar to that of (former OU point guard) Drew Lavender.”

Added Trenkle, “Omar’s a winner. He doesn’t lose very many games and that’s what’s going to carry him to the next level. With his attitude, he has an ability to just take games. That’s what he does the best and I think he’ll bring that toughness to Oklahoma.”
Other schools considered:
Colorado State, Washington, Wyoming, Denver, Colorado

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/9343/hcdytfzfuvezrsx20070507pn5.jpghttp://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8610/omarleary150ld0.jpg

[Rhino]

Andre Clark did not qualify for 2007.

He will attend prep school for 2007-08. He maintains that his commitment is solid to OU for the 2008-09 season.