MARQUETTE LOOKING EAST UNDER BUZZ WILLIAMS

June 11, 2008


New Marquette coach Buzz Williams has a strong reputation as a recruiter in the state of Texas from his time on Billy Gillispie's Texas A&M staff. In his brief time at Marquette, as an assistant and head coach, he has used those ties to bring in recruits such as Chris O'Tule, Joseph Fulce, Jimmy Butler and Erik Williams. Williams also hit the local market for a 2009 commitment from Jeronne Maymon of Madison (WI). Now, it looks as though the Marquette staff is strongly looking toward the east for some of their next targets.

While the NY Gauchos are Battered, But Ready to Rumble, three of their players have seen interest from Marquette, and the interest looks mutual.



The star and leader of this year’s NY Gaucho U-17 squad is Durand Scott, a 6’4 G/F from Rice High School in New York City. Playing with a broken knuckle that took away his ability to shoot from outside all weekend, Scott still dominated and got to the rim to score at will at the MDC.

“Durand was truly un-guardable in leading us to the championship game,” according to Gauchos assistant Chad Babel. “He is one of the best defensive players in the country and can guard all five positions on the court. His best attributes are his leadership, will to win, and his refusal to lose.”

Out of the Big East, schools like St. John’s, Connecticut, Rutgers, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and West Virginia are just a sampling of the college interest that Scott is receiving from across the country.

Another Gaucho battling through injuries this summer is the ultra-athletic 6’6 forward Tevin Baskin out of Trinity Catholic in Connecticut. “Tevin has a reliable mid range jumper and the ability to defend both out on the perimeter as well as on the block,” comments Babel.

With high-major schools from several conferences in hot pursuit of Baskin, including St. John’s, Rutgers, Marquette, and Seton Hall, Baskin will concentrate on getting healthy for the important July evaluation events and is not expected to participate this weekend in the Rumble in the Bronx.

Anchoring the paint for this year’s squad is Danny Jennings, a 6’8 power forward/center who played this past season at Oak Hill Academy after leaving NYC’s Bishop Loughlin High School. Jennings will attend prep school this season and be a hot commodity in the class of 2009 and he already has seen St. John’s, DePaul, Rutgers, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Louisville and West Virginia show interest in him this spring.

Jennings is an imposing presence visibly and, according to Babel, “Danny greatly improved his strength, physique, and conditioning during his year at Oak Hill Academy.”

The interest in East Coast talent does not end there as Adam Zagoria reports that Kevin Parrom and former St. Ray’s teammate Omari Lawrence will take an unofficial visit together to Marquette this summer.

Moving down the east coast a little bit, Zags also continues to follow the Donald Williams recruitment closely. Williams is Still Deciding and after visiting St. John’s last week, the 6’5 shooting guard who attended Progressive Christian Academy last season, hopes to visit Marquette in the next week. Williams is a native of Baton Rouge (LA).

And, finally, another 2009 big man on the Golden Eagles radar is Talib Zanna, a 6’9, 215 lb native of Nigeria, now playing at Bishop McNamara in the tough WCAC conference in the DC-area recently indicated to the NBE Basketball Report that Villanova, West Virginia, Marquette and Connecticut were among the schools he is hearing from the most. Zanna averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds for Marty Keithline’s squad last year.