We venture on to thin ice

You ask and we do our best to fulfill. We received a couple of queries about the to-date four-player recruiting class for Steve Cleveland and Fresno State and our assessment of the quartet. The reason we've been reluctant to do so is because we have no firsthand knowledge of one of the kids and we haven't seen the other three play this season.

So with keeping that caveat in mind and chanting such as if a mantra, here goes.

Also keep in mind that we missed on Chris Jones' eligibility issue. Yes, we did an article on him last year and were told all was fine academically but that's no excuse for us swallowing what was said hook, line and sinker. Mea culpa.

GREG SMITH

Having not seen him play this season because of his transfer to a prep academy in Arizona, the Greg Smith we have witnessed isn't in the category of a program changer -- but we don't view this as any sort of a knock, nor is it meant to be criticism. He will be an upgrade and finally give the Bulldogs the size and athleticism needed in the middle and, best of all, more than likely will be in Fresno for all four years as long as academics don't waylay him. Smith projects as an immediate starter and would benefit tremendously from having a penetrating/creating point guard among the Bulldog starting five -- hopefully that will be Steve Cleveland's next accomplishment. One knock about Smith is his past penchant for not always playing hard -- whether that is a personality trait or a by product of playing against height-challenged opponents or something else or a combination is anyone's guess. We do caution that anyone looking at his stats this year at Westwind Prep should do so with extreme caution as the school is playing against veritable cupcakes. To Smith's benefit, he is being coached by Gary Trousdale, someone with D-1 experience and the knowledge to get Smith more prepared for the next level than most.

CHRIS JONES

We repeat not having seen him play this season... Jones' best asset is his desire/willingness to play defense. In the past, we have joked that Jones must have been in a defensive stance coming out of the womb. His ballhandling is adequate but last year's viewings indicated to that playing at the point in college was not the best positioning for him. He's shoots better at mid-range and in driving to the basket than long-distance but may have upgraded that skill in the interim. He's a great kid with a fine background (his father is a minister). Look for him to be a solid college player, a member of the playing rotation who will contribute.

JERRY BROWN

Jerry Brown, out of Sacred Heart Prep in San Francisco, was once ranked among the top five Nor Cal prep prospects (can't seem to locate the old rankings right now) by NorCalPreps.com. But the latest ranking placed him at #16. So why the drop? Probably because his game remains a work in progress, something true for all preps but especially so for him. Brown is a good athlete but a player primarily focused on the offensive end. On the plus side, he can put a lot of points on the scoreboard quickly but his shooting consistency goes in and out and his shooting timing/judgment is sometimes questionable. There's certainly potential within him and we have yet to see him and Sacred Heart this season so we'll report back when we do. At this point, we don't see him beating out Paul George at the 3 spot for the Bulldogs and Brown's ballhandling will need refinement for him to play at the 2.

GARRETT JOHNSON

Having never seen him play, it would be foolish to base any opinion on any 'knowledge' culled from the internet. My suggestion: try contacting Dave Keefer at davekeefer at @aol.com who operates the CaliforniaPreps.com Rivals site, the site for SoCal prep basketball. He may be able to help.