Two more WAC-related basketball items

The Hattiesburg American newspaper has a feature up on the newcomers joining the Southern Mississippi squad, including former Nevada player Ahyaro Phillips.

Here's an excerpt: "...According to an official with the Washoe County District Court in Nevada, Phillips pleaded guilty to a felony concealed weapon charge and had two misdemeanor charges connected with the case dropped.

On July 15, he entered a drug court program. If he follows the conditions of the deal, he won't have to serve a sentence and his record will be sealed.

"We did a lot of research on him," said USM coach Larry Eustachy. "The guy who recruited him to Nevada (Mark Fox) is now at Georgia and he said it was a no-brainer (to sign Phillips.) He's a real good kid who made a mistake..."

Go here for the full article.

We're not sure what the drug court angle is about.

Phillips signed a letter-of-intent in May with James Madison but was released from it. He played his junior and seniors years at high schools in Virginia after his family moved there from New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina damaging their house.

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During the season, there was talk and some print about Nevada's interest in Titus Rubles, a small forward out of God's Academy in Dallas. Rubles eventually signed a letter-of-intent with Oral Roberts.

D/FW Metroplex Hoops recently tweeted that Rubles is now headed elsewhere: "Per a source, Titus Rubles will enroll at independence cc this fall."

That's Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. 

Chris Murray is back with a roar

Chris is pumping 'em out, covering what the RGJ missed in his absence:

Go here for the Ahyaro Phillips update.

Go here for a lengthy Q-and-A with Olek Czyz.

Go here for the very latest on Armon Johnson.

Ahyaro Phillips has a new destination

Former Wolf Packer Ahyaro Phillips is not heading to James Madison as was originally announced. Something came up and now it's Southern Mississippi and Conference USA. The Phillips family relocated to Virginia (where James Madison is located) after their home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Here is one link on this turn of events.

Here is another. 

For those with short memories, here is why Phillips is no longer in Reno.

Friday's p.m. links and notes

Jeff Portnoy and Gib Arnold conversed last night and the former liked what he heard and saw.

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Chris Murray has a post on the staying or going situations facing big-time talents and those lesser lights. We repeat: LB has nothing to gain basketball-wise by remaining -- it will have to be another reason or reasons keeping him in Reno.

Chris also says that former Wolf Packer Ahyaro Phillips is heading back to the D-1 ranks -- just imagine the media uproar if the school was Virginia Tech.

We will never forget the unintended irony of Phillips listing his hobbies as "playing basketball and shopping" -- although, in fairness, shoplifting charges were dropped against him from the Scheels store incident.

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 Jason Groves blogs about possible/actual recruiting targets of Marvin Menzies.

The highly athletic Simmons was highly regarded -- Utah invited him to it's elite camp in July -- but his numbers 12.8 points and 3 rebounds per game -- appear just so-so.

Cantino seems to be the NMSU prototypical recruit: well-traveled.

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Matt Sonnenberg isn't kicking back in the off season -- he offers a feature on Utah State point recruit Brockeith Payne.

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Dale Grummert's Lewiston Tribune article on Idaho recruiting is posted here.

Two paragraphs from it:

"...More complicated is the case of [Djim] Bandoumel, who took a good-sized hiatus from basketball before his junior-college career and therefore faces questions about his eligibility clock. It could be weeks before the NCAA makes a ruling. Having blocked 65 shots this year for Monroe College in New York, he could help fill a void left by graduating UI post Marvin Jefferson.

The Vandals appear to have a scholarship available for Bandoumel. Verlin said Thursday that point guard Marcus Lawrence, who was under scholarship as a redshirt in 2008-09, was docked to walk-on status as a disciplinary measure this past season, and is slated to remain a walk-on next year as a senior..."

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Leon Rice is looking at backcourter Brady Heslip -- a Boston College November signee who is now a back on the market due to the coaching change at Chestnut Hill:

Sanders and Heslip leaving BC
Mark Blaudschun
Boston Globe
April 15, 2010

Just another wild and crazy day at the Boston College basketball office today which began with the request--which was granted-to transfer of junior forward Rakim Sanders and freshman guard Brady Heslip.

New BC coach Steve Donahue said that nothing was official yet, but confirmed that Sanders, a 6-foot-5 inch unior was indeed leaving. Although nothing can be formally done until the paper work has been filed, sources familiar with the situation say that Sanders will be headed to Fairfield to play for former BC assistant coach Ed Cooley., Sanders will have to sit out next season before he can conclude his collegiate career
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Donahue also granted the release of Heslip, who spent the fall at New Hampton and enrolled after Christmas, but did not play this season. Heslip is visiting Boise State this weekend...

Go here for the remainder.

Here is Heslip's Twitter account.

Here is a SLAM article on Heslip followed by another link to an interview.

Here is a second interview with Heslip.

An Ahyaro Phillips update

Former Nevada basketballer Ahyaro Phillips is putting together a decent season at Lamar State College in Port Arthur, Texas. It will be interesting to see where he returns back into the D-1 ranks.

His numbers to date:

In 22 games, the 6-foot-8 frontcourter is scoring 10.8 ppg. and grabbing 11.6 rpg contest.

He is shooting 54% overall (105-194) and 26-50 on free throws. Phillips is 2-17 on treys.

His boardwork is an interesting ratio -- 91 offensive and 166 defensive.

Phillips has also totaled 80 blocked shots, an average of 3.6 a game.

He is #25 in the team picture above.