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.

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.

Bob Huggins is now recruiting against Arizona's Sean Miller for the third time since Miller became the Cats' head coach last April

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has always portrayed the image of confidence. Some may construe it as cockiness. His argument that his team deserved to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and not be in Kentucky’s portion of the bracket might seem a bit overzealous.

The Mountaineers (27-6) captured the Big East Tournament title, beating No. 11 seed Cincinnati by three points and No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 seed Georgetown by two along the way. That’s a total of seven points against good but not great competiton. Cincy is in the NIT and Notre Dame and Georgetown lost to supposed inferior teams (Old Dominion and Ohio, respectively) in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.

Add to that Marquette’s upset loss to Washington (from that weak conference, the Pac-10) and Villanova’s near loss to No. 15 seed Robert Morris, and the claim can be made that the Big East so far is overrated. Things can change because top-seed Syracuse, West Virginia, Pitt and Louisville stand a decent chance of winning in today’s completion of the first round. But chances are we won’t be hearing Huggins continue his stance that his team should be a No. 1 seed.

I’ll never forget going to Cincinnati’s practice in 1996 a day before the UA played the Bearcats and Huggins in the 7-Up Shootout in Phoenix (in which Miles Simon made that 65-foot game-winner at the buzzer). Practically every other sentence uttered by Huggins was profanity laced, a stark departure from the way Lute Olson communicated to the Wildcats.

None of the Bearcats seemed affected by it, however. They were used to Huggins being Huggins. His recipe of success is to be the obvious man in charge and to bestow confidence on his players through tough love, a poor man’s Bobby Knight, if you will. The biggest difference is that Huggins does not seem to create rifts with his players.

Arizona coach Sean Miller finds himself in another recruiting struggle with Huggins. This time the recruiting target is Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy combo guard Doron Lamb. Since Miller became Olson’s permanent replacement last April, he has recruited against Huggins for Dayton (Ohio) Jefferson center prospect Adreian Payne (who picked Michigan State) and Concord (Mass.) Middlesex forward Rod Odom (who backed out of his commtment with Arizona and signed with Vanderbilt).

Huggins, again showing his customary swagger, told the media this week that recruiting is not a concern for him because of the Mountaineers’ standing nationally.

“I haven’t worried about recruiting, honestly,” he is quoted as saying in a Charleston (WV) Gazette column. “There will be a payoff. There’s no doubt about it, there will be. To get that much good play in New York has to help us. It will help us up and down the [East] coast.”

Lamb, 6-4, 175, is originally from Brooklyn and played in the New York Gauchos’ AAU program that was once directed by UA assistant coach Book Richardson. His finalists include Arizona, West Virginia, Kansas, Kentucky and Connecticut. He will announce his decision April 17 at the Jordan Brand Classic in New York City.

It’s interesting to note that in one interview with Lamb — among the countless amount of stories regarding his recruitment the last couple of years — the highly-touted prospect refers to Huggins as “Bob”. That tells me that Huggins talks on the level with his recruits. Can you imagine a recruit calling Knight “Bob” before signing? Arizona’s players have referenced Olson as “Lute” but generally after their playing days are over. I’ve heard Solomon Hill call Miller, “Sean” a time or two but that’s also because Miller is only 41 and more on Hill’s level.

Huggins turns 57 this year but he has that down-to-earth persona — the guy at the end of the bar who will buy you drinks and talk your ear off.

The bottom line for recruits is playing time and the coach’s accomplishments of turning out pro prospects. Huggins, in his 28th season as a head coach, has a long list of former players in the NBA from his days at Cincinnati and now at his alma mater, West Virginia. Miller only has Charlotte rookie Derrick Brown to his credit from his five years at Xavier.

Huggins had his sixth first round NBA draft pick and fourth lottery pick when Joe Alexander was selected as the eighth pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2008. Huggins has coached 15 NBA draft selections as well as nine All-Americans. He has also guided 51 all-conference selections in Division I.

Here’s a comparison of Arizona and West Virginia in their recruitment of Lamb:

ARIZONA:

Already in the fold: Daniel Bejarano, SG, 6-4, 195, Phoenix North, has signed a national letter of intent. Jordin Mayes, PG, 6-1, 170, Los Angeles Westchester, has verbally committed. Lamb is the only shooting guard left on Arizona’s prospect list. The Wildcats lacked a consistent scoring threat like Lamb this season.

In Lamb’s way: Kyle Fogg returns for his junior season. Lamb’s former Oak Hill teammate Lamont “MoMo” Jones is back as a sophomore leader. Bejarano will also be in the mix at shooting guard. However, Lamb and Bejarano can extend to the wing, if necessary, in similar fashion to the way Miller used the three-guard lineup of Nic Wise, Fogg and Brendon Lavender. Fogg had his share of blunders this season, but he also had his shining moments (against UCLA and USC, for example). A starting spot is not guaranteed for Fogg if a player of Lamb’s caliber signs. This is, after all, Miller’s team and he made the comment that his goal is to get Arizona back to the NCAA tournament as soon as possible. If Arizona does not sign Baltimore Lake County prospect Josh Selby at point guard, Lamb can also adequately run that position and get plenty of time there as well.

WEST VIRGINIA:

Already in the fold: Noah Cottrill, PG, 6-1, 175, Logan (WV) and David Nyarsuk, C, 7-1, 230, Beckley (WV) Mountain State Academy, have signed national letters of intent. Huggins is also going after lower-tier, unrated shooting guard recruits in case he does not land Lamb.

In Lamb’s way: No obstacles here. Darryl Bryant, also from Brooklyn, will be a junior but he figures to get most of his playing time at the point guard position. He is second on the team to senior Da’Sean Butler in assists (Butler has 109 and Bryant 104) but he also second to Butler in three-point attempts (173 to 126). Bryant has made only 31.7 percent of his attempts beyond the three-point line, exemplifying the Moutaineers’ need for perimeter shooters like Lamb. The next best shooting guard possibilities on West Virginia’s current roster include senior-to-be Casey Mitchell and sophomore-to-be Dalton Pepper. They each average only about 8 minutes per game. Pepper has shown a credible shooting touch (35 percent shooting from three-point range) but has never started. Lamb would demand minutes right away.

Next: How Arizona’s recruitment of Jesse Perry, a 6-8 forward from Logan (Ill.) Junior College, compares to other challengers. Perry visits the UA next weekend after one of his suitors, South Carolina, canceled his visit this weekend. Perry has scholarship offers from Arizona, UCLA, South Carolina, Southern Illinois and Iowa State.

• Where does Lamb fit best?
• Where does Selby fit best?

ALSO VIEW A POLL AT WILDABOUTAZCATS.COM REGARDING THE RECRUITMENT OF LAMB AND SELBY

Doron Lamb

Josh Selby

Baltimore Lake County point guard Josh Selby and Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill combo guard Doron Lamb have let it be known that they will announce their college choice April 17 at the Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The finalists for Selby: Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas and Kentucky. (Tennessee is also making a late push to reacquire Selby, who originally verbally committed to the Vols).

The finalists for Lamb: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Connecticut and West Virginia.

Lamb and Selby will be teammates at the Jordan Brand Classic. The possibility — nobody is quite sure how slim it is — remains that the duo will use the opportunity to announce their intentions to join the same college program. Arizona’s Sean Miller, Kansas’ Bill Self, Kentucky’s John Calipari or Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun would welcome each with plenty of playing time and a likely starting role.

Lamb’s father, Calvin Lamb, told TheShiver.com, that his son and Selby together “would be scary.”

“I’ve heard it,” Lamb told TheShiver.com about Doron and Selby playing together. “Oh man – that would be scary,” he added.

The spring signing period — April 14 to May 19 — will start by the time Lamb and Selby make their commitments.

How do Lamb and Selby stack up with Kansas, Kentucky and UConn in terms of the rosters involved?

ARIZONA:

Already in the fold: Daniel Bejarano, SG, 6-4, 195, Phoenix North. Jordin Mayes, PG, 6-1, 170, Los Angeles Westchester, has verbally committed. Detroit Country Day school point guard Ray McCallum and Mount Pleasant (Mich.) shooting guard Trey Zeigler are still listed as possibilities but they will likely choose to go elsewhere.

In Selby’s way: Nobody really. Nic Wise is gone as the starting point guard. The possibility exists that Lamont “MoMo” Jones will get more playing time at the position, especially if Selby and Lamb decide to go elsewhere. However, if Miller signs Selby, Jones will likely spell the high-profile point guard and get additional time at the shooting guard spot. Mayes is also very capable, especially as a reserve in his first collegiate season. UCLA recruited him hard until JC guard Lazeric Jones of Chicago committed to the Bruins in early December. When Mayes’ team beat Oak Hill and Lamb on Dec. 30, Mayes scored as many points (16) as Lamb and had two assists and only one turnover while Lamb had four turnovers and only one assist.

In Lamb’s way: Much more competitive at the shooting guard spot with Kyle Fogg returning for his junior season, Jones back as a sophomore leader, and the signing of Bejarano. However, Lamb and Bejarano can extend to the wing, if necessary, in similar fashion to the way Miller used the three-guard lineup of Wise, Fogg and Brendon Lavender. Fogg had his share of blunders this season, but he also had his shining moments (against UCLA and USC, for example). But a starting spot is not guaranteed for Fogg if a player of Lamb’s caliber signs. This is, after all, Miller’s team and he made the comment that his goal is to get Arizona back to the NCAA tournament as soon as possible.

KANSAS:

Already in the fold: Royce Woolridge, SG, 6-1, 175, Phoenix Sunnyslope. The Jayhawks are also hot on the trail for high-profile undecided recruits who play similar positions as Lamb and Selby: Brandon Knight, a 6-3, 175 pound, point guard from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest, and Terrence Ross, a 6-5, 185 pound, shooting guard from Portland (Ore.) Jefferson. Knight will announce his choice March 31 at the McDonald’s All-Star Game, more than two weeks before Selby and Lamb announce theirs. If Knight chooses Kentucky or Kansas (he lists Florida and Syracuse as other possibilities) that will immensely help Arizona’s chances for Selby and Lamb.

In Selby’s way: More competitive than Arizona at this spot. Sherron Collins will be gone. Tyshawn Taylor was on the Big 12′s all-freshman team last season and he started 23 games this year, mostly at off-guard or wing as part of Kansas’ three-guard lineup. He has an almost 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 114 assists and only 60 turnovers this season. Elijah Johnson will be a sophomore but he hardly played behind Collins this season. After starting two games and averaging 11.5 minutes during Kansas’ non-conference slate, Johnson played in only nine Big 12 games, averaging only 2.7 minutes. Tyrel Reed will be a senior but he is a career sub, only starting twice in three years despite averaging 15.1 minutes per game.

In Lamb’s way: Plenty of playing time available. As noted, Taylor will demand minutes at either guard spot but can play at the wing. Freshman sensation Xavier Henry, who already has an NBA body at 6-6 and 220, is a projected top 10 draft pick and will likely abandon his starting shooting guard role for the NBA. Reed is also a reliable sub at this spot. Don’t be surprised if Self asks Woolridge to redshirt, or at the very least Woolridge will play limited minutes (especially if Lamb signs). Travis Releford, 6-5, redshirted this season and will factor into the competition at shooting guard next season. As is the case at Arizona, if Lamb signs with the Jayhawks, he will get penciled in the starting lineup because of the value he brings to the lineup. Check out video of Lamb shooting from the perimeter and you will be convinced. Arizona lacked that consistent scoring threat this season.

KENTUCKY

Already in the fold: Stacey Poole, SF, 6-5, 180, Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson. Poole is listed as a wing player but he can also play as a shooting guard. Kentucky is also recruiting Knight and Ross.

In Selby’s way: John Wall will be a one-and-done player because he is forecast as the No. 1 pick overall in the NBA draft. That opens the door for Knight to verbally commit to Kentucky, which is included in the rumor mill these days. Also, sophomore-to-be Eric Bledsoe might return and compete for playing time at the point. Bledsoe is rated as a possible first-round choice but not a lottery pick. Because of this, Selby’s interest in Kentucky has turned lukewarm. He canceled his scheduled official visit to Lexington last month.

In Lamb’s way: Darius Miller, Darnell Dodson and DeAndre Liggins are all listed as guards at 6-6 or 6-7 and they will be juniors next season. With that size, the trio can also be slotted at the wing position, leaving an opening at shooting guard. However, if Knight commits to Kentucky, he will likely start at the point, which places Bledsoe — if he does not enter the NBA draft — at the No. 2 spot, in the same role he has alongside Wall now.

CONNECTICUT:

Already in the fold: Roscoe Smith, SF, 6-7, 185, Oak Hill Academy; Jeremy Lamb, SG, 6-4, 165, Norcross (Ga.); and Michael Bradley, C, 6-10, 210, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Tyner. The Huskies are also vying for Knight and point guard Cory Joseph of Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep.

In Selby’s way: First is the weather. His mother Maeshon Witherspoon indicated to me through a message last month that they do not like snowy conditions. They canceled a trip to Storrs, Conn., last month, when by chance snow was in the forecast. In terms of the roster, Jerome Dyson will be gone. Kemba Walker will be a 6-1 junior. He leads the Huskies with 5.1 assists per game. He is projected to be more of an NBA first-round pick in 2011 than this year. Donnell Beverly (10 minutes per game) and Darius Smith (four) will also return but they were not used extensively. The possible addition of Joseph is something else Selby must consider in addition to health concerns regarding Calhoun.

In Lamb’s way: Jeremy Lamb (no relation) has already committed, but the Huskies will probably need more reinforcements for their woeful perimeter shooting. UConn feels the void in that category this season as Dyson, their most experienced player, shoots only 29 percent from three-point range. Walker is shooting at a 34.3 percent clip. UConn overall is shooting only 31.3 percent from behind the three-point line. Both Lambs would be welcome with open arms.

Summary: The battle for Selby might be down to Kansas and Arizona, as Zagsblog.com has reported. In this case, Arizona has less talent than Kansas to challenge Selby for playing time at that position. Selby, the No. 4 prospect in the Class of 2010 according to Rivals.com, would undoubtedly start and play extended minutes at Kansas. If he plays at Arizona, he would instantly be the best point guard prospect in the talent-starved Pac-10. … Lamb will play 30 minutes or more a game wherever he signs. If Selby decides to attend Kansas, Lamb could come to Arizona and play both the point guard and shooting guard positions. He could co-exist with Jones the way they did with Oak Hill when that storied prep school won 40 consecutive games with them leading the way. If Knight goes to Kentucky and Bledsoe stays another year with Calipari, it’s difficult to see Lamb in that situation. In terms of Kansas, Lamb, the No. 21 prospect according to Rivals.com, can essentially replace Henry in the Jayhawks’ lineup. UConn? Questions surround the program with Calhoun’s health and the way the Huskies dropped off this season. Also, Jeremy Lamb has already committed to the Huskies. The same can be argued with Bejarano already signing with Arizona, but it’s a safe bet that Miller will often use Bejarano as part of a three-guard lineup next season because Bejarano has some height (6-5) and aggressiveness to go after rebounds.

NEXT: A look at how Arizona stacks up with West Virginia for Doron Lamb.

Kyle Fogg should be one of the experienced leaders of the UA next year, but he will be challenged by younger talent

Amid the hoopla of a pep rally on campus Thursday night, UA basketball coach Sean Miller talked about the program’s future beyond Sunday’s important game against ASU at McKale Center.

Miller discussed his plans for the recruiting class of 2010. Of course, he did not talk about particular players, per NCAA rules, but he did mention that he and his coaching staff hope to land two more recruits before the April signing period. Miller already has in tow Phoenix North guard Daniel Bejarano (who signed a national letter of intent in November) and Los Angeles Westchester guard Jordin Mayes (who verbally committed to the UA last month).

The most frequently asked question: How will Miller bring in a four-player class when he only has three spots to fill?

Let’s take a look at the 2010-11 roster as it presently stands if the Wildcats stay intact:

1. Jamelle Horne, senior forward. Although Miller’s patience has run thin sometimes over Horne because of Horne’s lack of rebounds, there’s no reason to believe Horne will not be back for his senior season.
2. Kyle Fogg, junior guard. Will Fogg, mired in a funk for the last couple of weeks, accept being a bench player next year behind a freshman (either Bejarano or Doron Lamb, for example)?
3. Brendon Lavender, junior guard. Lavender has shown signs of life of late beyond the three-point line, but will he accept what looks to be a reserve role for the rest of his career at Arizona?
4. Alex Jacobson, junior center. Don’t expect Jacobson to go anywhere. Jacobson, an asset in practice for his size around the hoop, does not want to lose another year after redshirting as a freshman.
5. D.J. Shumpert, junior forward. Shumpert is another holdover from the Lute Olson era who has hardly played for the Cats. Miller promised Shumpert a scholarship for as long as he is eligible. Can that scholarship be an academic one instead, or might UA academic advisors find other ways to keep Shumpert around?
6. Kevin Parrom, sophomore forward. Has developed into the backbone of Arizona’s starting lineup with his aggressive yet steady style of play. He’s going nowhere.
7. MoMo Jones, sophomore guard. Like Parrom, Jones provides the Cats some toughness, mentally as much as physically. He should be back because a starting assignment is a strong possibility.
8. Solomon Hill, sophomore forward. He has a strong upside because of his versatility. He’s not jumping ship.
9. Derrick Williams, sophomore forward. Interesting angle here is Williams will likely be the Pac-10 freshman of the year. How will that play on his mind when the NBA draft deadline comes around? UCLA coach Ben Howland thought Jrue Holiday would be back this season and Holiday is gone to the NBA.
10. Kyryl Natyazhko, sophomore center. The Ukrainian has shown promise as of late. However, any coach must have guarded optimism that a foreign player will stay his entire career because of family being far away.
11. Daniel Bejarano, freshman guard. He will immediately challenge for a starting spot because of his perimeter shooting ability.
12. Jordin Mayes, freshman guard. His basketball smarts and controlled play will be a necessary component Arizona lacks this season.

This leaves one available scholarship. Again, the ways for another to open up include a player transferring, going pro or attending the UA via other means. Miller would not target a four-player class if he did not think any of these scenarios are possible.

Who are the most likely players to fill these two scholarship spots?

The most written about recruits who the UA has a realistic shot likely boils down to four players:

• Jesse Perry, a power forward at John A. Logan Community College in Cartersville, Ill.
• Doron Lamb, a combo guard from Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy
• Josh Selby, a point guard from Baltimore Lake Clifton High School
• Kadeem Jack, a power forward from Manhattan (N.Y.) Rice High School

The recruits not mentioned as much (although they have visited Arizona) include:

• Ray McCallum, a point guard from Detroit Country Day School
• Rob Loe, a center from New Zealand

With Miller already attracting two guards for the Class of 2010 — and his inside game needing reinforcements for Derrick Williams — his focus likely will be on signing either Perry or Jack. The first between Perry or Jack to commit should see significant playing time next season. Mayes’ commitment gives the UA an adequate ball handler if Selby and Lamb decide to go elsewhere.

By the same token, landing a player with the talent of a Selby or Lamb, will instantly be a landmark achievement for Miller. Both of the guards are Rivals.com 5-star players who are McDonald’s All-American selections.

Lamb is coming off a career game last Friday in the in Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, N.J. He had 49 points – second in tournament history to the 52 LeBron James put up in 2003 – and hit three 3-pointers in the final 17.5 seconds.

Selby this week eliminated Syracuse and Indiana from his list. Zagsblog.com has reported that Selby has narrowed his choices to Kansas and Arizona although he and his mother Maeshon Witherspoon have stated that UConn and Kentucky are also possibilities.

Selby and Witherspoon, who have already toured Arizona and Kansas, visit UConn on Feb. 28 and Kentucky on March 7. The spring signing period lasts from April 14 to May 19.

Class of 2010 combo guard Doron Lamb

Gary Parrish of CBSSportsline.com at least got this one right: Why blue-chippers should wait until the spring to sign

A few of Arizona’s targeted recruits this summer for the Class of 2010 remain undecided as the end of the week-long fall signing period is tomorrow. I am a firm believer that these players — and even some of those who signed with other programs during the fall — should wait until the spring before making a final decision. The potential UA recruits still out there include:

1. Ray McCallum, 6-1, 175, Detroit Country Day School. Why would it benefit McCallum to wait? He can really study the programs that want him the most, including his father’s team at Detroit Mercy. McCallum can also be at ease by waiting until the spring if he decides to not play for his father. Instead of constantly being reminded during the season by hometown folks he should have stayed at home, he can concentrate on playing basketball and still support his father.
2. Doron Lamb, 6-4, 175, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. Although he never took an official visit to Arizona this fall, I believe the Wildcats are still very much in play for Lamb during the spring. The signing of Phoenix North guard Daniel Bejarano last week should not deter Lamb from considering the UA. It’s obvious that UA coach Sean Miller will try a rotation of eight to 10 players, so playing time will be there for the taking. Also, Lamb is a combo guard who can play the point if necessary. A McCallum-Bejarano backcourt or Lamb-Bejarano backcourt — heck, even a Lamont “MoMo” Jones-Bejarano backcourt — could evolve into one of the best the school has produced.

We should learn about McCallum’s intentions soon (mostly likely Tuesday). I will not be surprised if he waits until the spring, an approach that would be wise on his part. If he announces he will play for his dad and signs during the fall, more power to him: Family should take precedence in that scenario. As I mentioned before, if he chooses to sign with a team other than Detroit in the fall, he may get a lot grief from Detroit-area fans during his senior season. Bottom line: McCallum is better off waiting.

McCallum and Lamb waiting can only be good news for Arizona, which figures to increasingly play well by the end of the year because of its youth. That momentum and potentially another NCAA tournament appearance can spark an interest in these recruits and others who decided to wait until the spring.

The darkhorse out there might be C.J. Leslie, a 5-star power forward from Raleigh, N.C. Arizona showed interest not too long ago with the UA coaching staff phoning Leslie’s mother to gauge interest and she did not rule the Wildcats out. If the UA catches the eye of the national media as the season goes along, who’s to say that Leslie will be showcased better elsewhere? Will he become interested in the Wildcats?

With these recruits waiting until the spring, the UA has a fighting chance with any of them (if the opportunity presents itself — a BIG IF — because as it stands now only one scholarship is available if the team stays intact — another BIG IF).

With Jones and Odom likely out of the picture, it appears that Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy player Doron Lamb, who can play the point, shooting guard and on the wing, will continue to be a viable target of the Wildcat coaching staff. Calvin Lamb, Doron’s father, said, “He’s always had Arizona on his list because of Coach (Sean) Miller and Coach (Book) Richardson. That’s never changed.”

Odom has indicated to those close to him that he never felt comfortable with his decision because he did not like the idea of leaving close to home. He originally is from New York City. Attempts to reach him Sunday night were unsuccessful.

He indicated on his Facebook page: “Just made one of the hardest calls I ever had to make, but it’s what’s best for my family, and what’s best for me … feels like the weight of the world is off of his shoulders.”

The commitments of Odom and Phoenix North shooting guard Daniel Bejarano theoretically filled the potential scholarship spots open for the 2010-11 season. The UA now has at least one scholarship to fill.

The UA is directing most of its efforts at Dayton (Ohio) Jefferson center Adreian Payne and Detroit Country Day School point guard Ray McCallum and potentially Lamb to go with Bejarano. McCallum visits the UA campus this weekend.

In this day and age when high school recruits have their Facebook accounts readily available to anyone, and some of them (re: Ray McCallum Jr.) are even tweeting on Twitter, it seems odd that Dayton (Ohio) Jefferson center Adreian Payne is not making himself available to the media.

On one hand, it’s refreshing to see a kid not want to talk about himself, but on the other hand, interest in recruiting is about as strong as it ever has been. I believe it would be a good move by him to give reporters a clue about what intrigued him about the weekend visit to Arizona. What does he think about his chances to immediately make an impact at Arizona at the post? Players his age talk about playing time being paramount.

Payne can play significant minutes right away for Arizona.

I respect the fact that Payne does not want to talk about the recruiting process — he is 17 and only a senior in high school, after all — but what confuses me is why his coach Art Winston did not clear up some misinformation I was given about the recent weekend visit. I left numerous messages with Winston following the weekend visit after I was told by his athletic director Dan Fernbacher that he got on a plane with Payne on Friday morning — at 4 a.m. to be exact — to arrive in Tucson. Winston was not at his Jefferson office at that time.

“They should already be there,” Fernbacher said from the athletic department office when I phoned him in the late morning.

Evidently, Winston told Josh Gershon of GOAZCATS.com today that he did not go to Tucson and that Payne visited Tucson with his grandmother instead. For that bit of wrong information, I want to apologize, and that’s primarily why I’m writing about this. Otherwise, I don’t get into why a subject did not return my phone calls because I don’t want to bore you.

At the same time, I can assure you that I’ve tried to get an accurate account of the weekend by phoning Winston numerous times and even trying Payne’s cell phone (although I know he won’t answer) plenty of times. I don’t want to say that I’ll give up because I know you all are starved for information. But I will just respect their silence for now.

As expected, with the commitment of Phoenix North guard Daniel Bejarano to Arizona, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy guard Doron Lamb has crossed Arizona off his list. He reportedly is down to three schools: Kansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Bejarano and Lamb both play the shooting guard position, as does Mount Pleasant (Mich.) senior Trey Zeigler, who never talked about an official visit to Arizona.

One of the schools mostly in direct competition with the UA on a number of recruits includes rival UCLA. This weekend (Oct. 2-3) two of UA’s coveted recruits out of Michigan — point guard Ray McCallum, 6-1, of Detroit Country Day School and shooting guard Trey Zeigler, 6-3, of Mount Pleasant (Mich.) will officially visit the UCLA campus and attend the Bruins’ football game with Oregon.

Portland (OR) Jefferson 6-8 forward Terrence Jones is also being recruited heavily by UCLA, Washington and Oregon, but has yet to announce his official visit schedule. He has indicated he will do that Friday. Madison (WI) Memorial 6-3 point guard Vander Blue has also mentioned that Arizona is in his top five along with UCLA, but he has also not announced his official vists.

Here is the recruiting calendar with official visit information that is known to this date:

Oct. 2-3:

• Gary Franklin, 6-2, PG, Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei: California
• Adreian Payne, 6-10, C, Dayton (OH) Jefferson: Michigan State
• Rod Odom, 6-8, SF, Concord (Mass.) Middlesex School: Boston College
• McCallum: UCLA
• Zeigler: UCLA
• Doron Lamb, 6-4, SG, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy: Oklahoma

Oct. 9-10

• Payne: Arizona

Oct. 16-17

• Cory Joseph, 6-1, PG, Henderson (NV) Findlay Prep: Connecticut
• McCallum: Florida
• Lamb: Kansas

Oct. 23-24

• Zeigler: Michigan
• Lamb: To be announced

Oct. 30-31

• McCallum: Arizona
• Payne: Kansas

OFFICIAL VISITS ALREADY TAKEN

• Alex Kirk, 6-10, C, Los Alamos (N.M.): New Mexico and Arizona
• Odom: Arizona and Harvard
• Zeigler: Oklahoma
• McCallum: Oklahoma
• Payne: Kentucky
• Joseph: Texas
• Franklin: Baylor

UNOFFICIAL VISITS ALREADY TAKEN

• Franklin: Arizona State
• Kirk: Arizona
• Odom: West Virginia
• McCallum: Arizona
• Joseph: Minnesota
• Zeigler: Michigan and Michigan State