The vagaries of college recruiting

It's difficult to judge how a high school prospect will play out anywhere from the next one to four years even when the player in question is a so-called nationally-ranked blue-chipper. But the coaches at the crème de la crème colleges truly have it much easier not only in measuring potential but with the volume of 'reachable' prospects in comparison to their mid and lower level coaching brethren.

At the WAC level, there are a greater number of gambles that have to be taken. Can player X handle the jump to college-level academics? Will he put in the work necessary to get better or assume he has already made it after securing an athletic scholarship? Will accepting the likelihood of a different role from high school be a smooth or rocky road? If he succeeds quickly, will a transfer be forthcoming or will some sense of loyalty prevail? It goes on (and yes, some of these also apply to top prospects).

With all this in mind, here's a few 2010 prospect names with WAC mentions. Do keep in mind the context of the above.

Richard Solomon, 6-foot-9, Price High (Los Angeles) -- This young man has PAC-10 potential and various members of that conference are eyeing him. So are a few WAC schools, hoping that he might somehow fall. His athleticism is superb but he weighs about 190 and is extremely raw offensively. There's little chance that Solomon would play much his freshman season at a high major level, with possibly the same scenario for his sophomore year.

Our intuitive sense -- not based on anything we've read or have been told -- is that he and his family see Solomon as a major prospect and that he will more than likely choose just such a school.

But we also imagine that he could likely be a candidate for a transfer after riding the bench for a period of time. The PAC-10 schools are much more likely than say those in the WAC to recruit 'over' a player with the next and then the next class of newcomers. So schools such as those in the WAC aren't hurting themselves by staying in the 'race' as one may possibly be the recipient of Solomon as a bounceback.

Remember this kid because his name may just pop up in conjunction with the WAC down the road, if not this recruiting go-around.

Matt Korcheck, 6-foot-9, Sabino High (Tucson) -- Utah State is the WAC school mentioned most with this young man. In one report we saw, Korcheck said he had an offer from the Aggies. He's still a tad raw offensively but plays with passion and decent athleticism. One recent Rivals article lamented that only three schools were taking him in recently in Vegas -- NAU, Northern Colorado and Weber State. A SCOUT report stated he was a mid-major prospect with the chance to go higher.

So Korcheck is being presented at the very least as a WAC level prospect. So where are the other WAC schools? And Utah State? Did they watch him earlier and decided to feign falling interest? Or has he fallen off the Aggie radar? Another item had Korcheck with a 2.0 grade point average so is that a concern for possible suitors and a reason for him not having a greater following?

Follow this kid.

Jordan Burris, 6-foot-6, Stockdale High (Bakersfiueld, CA) -- Simply put, where's the love, or even the like, for this kid? He appears to be a prototype college wing -- athletic, three-point shooting range, a willingness to mix it up. Burris averaged 23 points per game as a junior, shooting 58% overall and 38% from three-point range. We haven't seen his name connected to ant WAC team and that is puzzling.