The following is an excerpt from the weekly “Nothing but the Notes” package at our partner site WILDABOUTAZCATS.com

Charlotte Bobcats guard Derrick Brown is the only NBA player Sean Miller has produced in his six seasons as an NBA head coach (Photo by US Presswire, Sam Sharpe)

If the proving point to recruits for college coaches these days is the ability to produce NBA talent — and by all indications that is the requirement now for top-notch high school recruits — then UA’s Sean Miller is favorable compared to Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at the same point in their careers.

After six seasons as a head coach, Miller has produced one NBA player — Derrick Brown — who was taken in the second round last year, the 40th pick overall by Charlotte. Olson, by comparison, had two players selected from his only Long Beach State team in team in 1973-74 (when he started his Division I head coaching career) and three players from Iowa by his sixth season overall as a head coach.

However, the three Hawkeyes were picked in the fourth round (the NBA draft currently has only two rounds). Not one of them — Dan Frost and Scott Thompson in 1976 and Bruce King in 1977 — ever played in the NBA.

In Olson’s lone season at Long Beach State in 1973-74, Glenn McDonald and Leonard Gray were drafted and subsequently played three seasons in the NBA. Bob Gross played one year under Olson at Long Beach but finished his time there a year after Olson left. Gross then embarked on an eight-year NBA career in 1975. Olson did not scout or recruit Gray, McDonald or Gross out of high school.

Brown played 57 games, averaging 9.4 minutes a game, with the Bobcats during the regular season this year. Xavier won three straight Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Championships during Brown’s three-year career and compiled an 82-24 (.774) combined record. He left after his junior season partly because he earned his degree last May, but Brown also suggested to reporters last year that he left early to seize the opportunity after believing his chances for an NBA career were remote when he signed with Miller and Xavier.

He redshirted his freshman season after averaging a pedestrian 15 points a game as a high school senior.

In the end, Olson became known for his ability to churn out NBA draft picks at a high-profile program that he built at Arizona. He produced 53 NBA draft picks, including 32 at Arizona, 13 of which were selected in the first round.

Kentucky coach John Calipari, whose production of NBA players will greatly increase in Lexington, did not produce one NBA draft selection in his first six seasons as a head coach, at UMass from 1988-94.

Similar to Miller, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski started at another institution (Army) for his first five years before coaching his sixth year as a head coach at Duke in 1980-81. Krzyzewski did not produce an NBA draft pick at Army. In his first season in Durham, Coach K inherited 1981 NBA draft picks Gene Banks and Kenny Dennard. Banks played five seasons in the NBA and Dennard two.

Krzyzewski, of course, did not scout or recruit Banks or Dennard and he coached them for only one season.

The point is, if the argument is made that Miller does not have a background of producing NBA players, it’s because he simply needs more time. Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy guard Doron Lamb, a Kentucky-bound recruit who officially visited UA, mentioned to The Arizona Daily Star’s Bruce Pascoe last week that Arizona “needs more players.” That was his reason for not coming to Arizona.

Miller can develop players. Brown proves that and Williams is a testament to that fact this season.

Detroit Country Day School point guard Ray McCallum Jr., recruited by Arizona, Detoit Mercy, UCLA and Florida, will announce his decision Wednesday at 1 p.m., Tucson time, on ESPNU.

The spring signing period starts Wednesday and runs through May 16.

Arizona is expected to sign Los Angeles Westchester guard Jordin Mayes and Logan (Ill.) Junior College forward Jesse Perry, both of whom have offered verbal commitments.

UA coach Sean Miller said in Monday’s press conference at McKale Center that he anticipates to sign one more player for the Class of 2010.

The last remaining scholarship could either go to McCallum, Baltimore Lake County point guard Josh Selby, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) combo guard Doron Lamb or Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice power forward Kadeem Jack.

Selby and Lamb will make their announcement April 17 during halftime of the Jordan Brand All-American Game at Madison Square Garden. Jack said he will disclose his choice on April 28.

Phoenix North shooting guard Daniel Bejarano signed a national letter of intent with the UA in November.

Detroit Country Day School point guard Ray McCallum reportedly has narrowed his choices to Detroit Mercy and Arizona

Some general media reactions surrounding Wednesday night’s McDonald’s All-American Game at Columbus, Ohio:

RELATED LINKS:
>>McDonald’s All-American Game boxscore
>>UCLA can promise Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice High School forward Kadeem Jack — another UA target — that he can return to New York City to play for the Bruins against St. John’s and new coach Steve Lavin.

• Joel Steiner of NBADraft.net reports: Somebody needs to make a strong push to get physically gifted Josh Selby because he could be the difference maker on a team that needs a point guard. Selby, a 6-1 point guard from Baltimore Lake County, finished with 13 points, three assists and no turnovers in 22 minutes for the East in its 107-104 loss to the West.
• Former UA standouts Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger are two of 62 McDonald’s All-Americans the last five years to advance to the NBA.
• With five current Kentucky players reportedly on their way out to potentially the NBA, what does that do to the undecideds in the Class of 2010? Selby and Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill combo guard Doron Lamb are considering John Calipari’s program in addition to Arizona.
• Calipari is letting it be known that he must reload next season to the tune of possibly six new players.
• ESPN recruiting reporter Reggie Rankin heard this week during the McDonald’s workouts that Selby is leaning toward Kansas. He also reports that NBA scouts like the way he can score.
• Detroit Country Day school point guard Ray McCallum, who reportedly has narrowed his choices to Detroit (where his father coaches) and Arizona, was graded as one of the best coaches on the floor, according to Rankin.
• Rankin, recently an assistant coach at Dayton, suggests West Virginia is closing strong on Lamb because of its influence of New York-area players.
• McCallum reiterates that his father, Ray McCallum Sr., is not pressuring his decision one way or the other. McCallum Jr. averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists for Country Day, which produced past McDonald’s All-Americans Chris Webber and Shane Battier.
• The Detroit media has begun to make pleas for McCallum to announce he will sign to play for his father. McCallum’s itinerary includes an April 11 date in Louisville for the Derby Festival Classic. The spring signing period begins three days after that. He will announce his choice on that day.