Raheim Lamb is one of three Boston English High players to sign with Division I schools.

Track and Field - Stephanie Harmon of LaGrange High in Louisiana has signed a track and field scholarship with Northwestern State University. Harmon, the defending state champion in the shot put, is also a very talented basketball player. She is an All-State selection and a two-time Southwest Louisiana Large School MVP. Harmon is expected to play both sports for the Lady Demons, whom she chose over McNeese State and LSU.

Basketball - Nikki Mason of Washington-Marion High (Marion, La.) signed with Bethune-Cookman College (Daytona Beach, Fla.) last week. She is considered one of the top guards in the state.

The Terriers of Boston University signed 6-foot-2 guard Kevin Fitzgerald of St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) last week. Considered by many as a steal for BU, Fitzgerald could be one of the more underrated players in the nation. The gifted combination guard chose the America East school over St. Peter's and Stonybrook.

Michael Stringer, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Campbell High (Smyrna, Ga.), signed with Richmond earlier this week. While Stringer may be leaving the Peach State, highly touted 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward John Toombs of Crispus Attucks Build (York, Pa.) has decided to move in, and play his college ball at the University of Georgia. Toombs, who was at Carver High (Columbus, Ga.) before surfacing at Crispus Attucks earlier this year, was also considering Villanova, Tulane and Georgia Tech. He averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds this past season.

Recently hired University of Memphis men's basketball coach John Calipari dipped into his old recruiting grounds this week when he convinced Modibo Diarra, a 6-foot-9 forward from Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.), to sign with the Tigers. A native of Mali, West Africa, Diarra visited Memphis last week and apparently liked it enough to choose the school over Louisville, Boston College, Providence, Kentucky and Syracuse. But Calipari may not be done with the Bay State, as he's vying for the talents of 6-foot-9 Liberto Tetimadingar of Worcester Academy (Worcester, Mass.). Tetimadingar visited Memphis earlier this week, but is also considering Fordham, Georgia Tech and Rutgers.

Diarra is the fourth recruit for Memphis this year and the second landed by Calipari, who signed highly coveted Arthur Barclay of Camden High (Camden, N.J.) last month. Memphis could have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation if Calipari can convince top 20 national prospect Darius Rice of Lanier High (Jackson, Miss.) to come to Memphis instead of Kentucky or Mississippi State.

Calipari is also going hard after Barclay's Camden teammate and friend, Dajuan Wagner, who is considered one of the top five juniors in the nation. Memphis has reportedly interviewed Wagner's father, former Louisville star Milt Wagner, for an assistant coaching job. Milt, 37, recently retired from professional basketball and has expressed interest in coaching. Bringing his son to Memphis would more than likely be part of the arrangement.

Kentucky received good news last week when it got a commitment from 6-foot-7 All-American Erik Daniels of Princeton High (Cincinnati, Ohio). Daniels, who chose the Wildcats over Temple, Clemson and Michigan, averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds last season and joins KU signees Michael Southhall, a 6-foot-9 center from West Salem, Wis., Cliff Hawkins, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and Gerald Fitch of Macon, Ga., who committed to the Wildcats last week.

Ray Noiles became the third player from Boston English High (Boston, Mass.) to sign a college scholarship this year, when he announced he'll play for Radford next season. Teammate Raheim Lamb has signed with the University of Massachusetts, and Rasheed Quadry with Lehigh. Senior point guard Dewayne Cox is also expected to sign on the dotted line sometime in the next week.

Football- With the Chicago area having perhaps its best class of football prospects in the past 15 years, it's not surprising that Illinois coach Ron Turner is trying to tap into it. Turner already has commitments from Rolling Meadows High offensive lineman Rob Needham and running back Abe Jones, but doesn't appear to be done yet. He has reportedly made offers to quarterbacks Owen Daniels of Class 6A champ Naperville Central High and Casey Paus of Lincoln-Way High; defensive backs Brett Bell of Wheaton-Warrenville South High and Chuck Moore of Elk Grove High; wide receiver Kevin Noel of Naperville Central High; and linebacker Lionel Williams of Addison Trail High.