ESPN.com: RECRUITING - Hodge: Chalk it up

Class 2004 Top 100 guard Russell Robinson of New York-Rice, NY., has picked Kansas and coach Bill Self over UConn, Georgia Tech and Kentucky. Among many others were Florida State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, St. John's and Syracuse.

Top 100 guard A.J. Price of Amityville-Memorial, NY., is headed to Connecticut over Kansas and St. John's. He averaged 25 points as a junior.

C.J. Giles, a Top 100 center from Seattle-Rainier Beach, Wash., committed to Miami-Florida over Arizona and Kansas.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have pledged their fourth Class 2004 prospect in guard Quentin Thomas of Oakland-Tech, Cal., over Kansas and Arizona State.

Memphis has its fifth Class 2004 commitment in forward Richard Dorsey of Baltimore, Md/Mt. Zion Academy, NC/Laurinburg-Laurinburg Prep, NC., over Auburn, Miami-Florida, LSU, Southern California and Cincinnati. The Tigers recently gained center Kareem Cooper of Laurinburg-Laurinburg Prep, NC.

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Marshall pledged Class 2004 guard Ryan Lamb of Mableton-Whitefield Academy, Ga., over the Citadel. He averaged 14.6 points as a junior.

Bradley gained Class 2004 center Patrick O'Bryant of Blaine, Minn., over Fresno State and Southern Illinois.

Fordham has a Class 2004 commitment from forward Sebastian Greene of Germany/Lafayette-Central Catholic, Ind., over Dayton and Youngstown State.

Columbia has pledged guard Mack Montgomery of Clayton, NC.

Winthrop gained Class 2004 guard Chris Gaynor of Winston-Salem-Mt. Tabor, NC., over Virginia Commonwealth and UNC-Wilmington.

Near Decisions:
*Center Goran Suton of Lansing-Everett, Mich., between Michigan State, Arizona State, LSU and Dayton.
*Top 100 forward Davis Nwankwo of College Park-Georgetown Prep, Md., between Arizona (probable) and Stanford.
*Top 100 center Alexander Kaun of Melbourne-Florida Air Academy, Fla., between Duke and Kansas (probable).
*Forward/center Drew Richards of Rogersville/Logan-Rogersville, Mo., between Texas Tech (probable), Arkansas and SW Missouri State.
*Top 100 guard Isaiah Swann of Rockville-Magruder, Md/Oak Hill Academy, Va/Hargrave MA, Va., between UConn and Florida State.

Sixty-eight prospects on the early Class 2004 Top 100 have already made commitments.

Texas, Indiana and Alabama lead the very early 2004 Top Classes. Florida State led the 2003 Top Classes.

Class 2004 Basketball Database
* Search the early list of Prospects/Commitments/Schools and Conferences
* Early list of Top 100 Prospects/Commitments/Remaining Top 100 Prospects.
* More players projected to make an impact: Super Prospects.
*Bssketball Signing Periods: Early (Nov. 12-19) and Regular (Apr. 15-May 19).

* Texas, Indiana and Alabama lead the very early 2004 Top Classes.

Class 2003 Basketball Database
* Search the list of Prospects/Commitments/Signed/Schools and Conferences.
* List of Top 100 Prospects/Commitments/Remaining Top 100 Prospects/Super Prospects/Top 100 JC Prospects.

* Florida State led the 2003 Top Classes.

2003 NBA Draft:
The most heralded high school player in years, high school forward LeBron James was chosen No. 1 by the NBA. All four other preps were selected, while three junior college prospects were not picked: Forward LeBron James of Akron/St. Vincent-St. Mary, Ohio, top pick in first round by Cleveland; forward Travis Outlaw of Starkville, Miss., 23rd pick in first round by Portland; forward Ndudi Ebi of Houston-Westbury Christian, Tex., 26th pick in first round by Minnesota; center Kendrick Perkins of Beaumont-Ozen, Tex., 27th pick in first round by Memphis, then traded to Boston; center James Lang of Birmingham-Central Park Christian, Ala., 19th pick in second round by New Orleans (not guaranteed contract). Forward Charlie Villanueva of Blairstown-Blair Academy, NJ., and center/forward Sani Ibrahim of Southern Idaho CC, Id., withdrew from draft. (List).

2002 NBA Draft:
The NBA selected only one high school and a single junior college prospect: Center/forward Amare Stoudemire of Orlando-Cypress Creek, Fla., was taken 9th in the first round by Phoenix, while Portland took forward Qyntel Woods of Northeast Mississippi CC, Miss., at No. 21 in the first round. The NBA passed on three other high school/prep school prospects and seven JC players (List).

2003 McDonald's All-American Game
LeBron James scored 27 points in leading the East over the West, 122-107, in the 26th annual McDonald's All-American high school basketball game in Cleveland, Ohio. McDonald's All-American Game stories/Rosters for 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000.

2003 Parade All-America Boys Basketball Team
LeBron James heads roster.

Basketball Commitments/Signings:
OCSN: Main Recruiting Page.
Class 2004 Men: Database/Top 100.
Class 2003 Men: Database/Top 100/Top Classes.
Class 2002 Men: Database/Top 100/Top Classes/Women: Database.
Class 2001 Men: Database/Top 100/Top Classes/Women: Database.
Class 2000 Men: Database/Top 100/Top Classes/Women: Database.
Class 1999 Men: Database/Women: Database.
Class 1998 Men: Database/ Top Classes/Women: Database.
*McDonald's All-American Game stories/Rosters for 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
*USA Men's Junior National Team.

Bill Hodge is the executive editor and director of recruiting coverage at CollegeSports.com. For daily columns on prospects, commitments and signings, plus databases, go to CollegeSports.com's Recruiting Page.

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