McD's All-Americans are out. Where's Wall?

The 2009 McDonald's High School Boys Basketball All-American teams were announced Wednesday and there were two players from North Carolina: Mason Plumlee, a 6-foot-11 post player from Arden Christ School, near Asheville, and Raleigh Ravenscroft's 6-10 center Ryan Kelly.

The one thing Plumlee and Kelly have in common, besides having signed with Duke University, is they have both played against Greenfield this season and won.

Omitted from the 24 players on the East and West rosters is another player who has beaten Greenfield (and who could sign with Duke), Raleigh Word of God point guard John Wall. Apparently Wall is not eligible to be in the Mickey D's starfest because he reclassified, ie, repeated a grade, when he came to Word of God from Raleigh Broughton.

Wall will participate in the Jordan Brand Classic in New York's Madison Square Garden on April 18.

Big Jean's on a roll!

Congratulations to East Carolina freshman center Jean Best who was named Conference USA Women's Basketball Rookie of the Week today. It's the second time the 2008 Beddingfield High School graduate has earned that distinction in the past four weeks.

Against Central Florida last week, Best posted her first career double-double with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds and four blocked shots, also a career-best. She leads C-USA in field-goal percentage (.606) and is second in blocks (33), an ECU team high.

For my money, Big Jean should have the inside track on C-USA Rookie of the Year.

New football coaches at rival schools

Here are a couple of recent high school football coaching moves of note for teams in conferences in The Wilson Daily Times readership area.

Last week, Charles Alston of NorthCarolinaiHigh.com reported for The Nashville Graphic that Northern Nash has hired Mickey Crouch to replace Chad Smith, who resigned after two seasons. Crouch had previously been head coach at Eden Morehead High.

Rudy Coggins of The Goldsboro News Argus reported today that Eastern Wayne has hired Bubba Williams, the offensive coordinator at New Bern, to replace Jeff Price.

Northern Nash is currently in the 3-A NEW 6 Conference which will become the 3-A Big East Conference next season as Hunt joins and SouthWest Edgecombe departs. Fike, Southern Nash, Nash Central and Rocky Mount are the other members.

Eastern Wayne will remain in the 3-A Eastern Carolina Conference along with Charles B. Aycock and Southern Wayne while new members North Lenoir, Triton and South Johnston.

Duke, ECU, State announce football signing classes

A big class for the Blue Devils and head coach David Cutcliffe:

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School
Lex Butler Back 5-10 175 Anderson, S.C. Westside
August Campbell Back 6-3 215 Nassau, Bahamas Christ (N.C.) School
Walt Canty Back 6-0 220 Roebuck, S.C. Dorman
Ross Cockrell Back 6-0 170 Waxhaw, N.C. Latin
John Coleman Line 6-5 280 Florence, S.C. West Florence
John Drew Line 6-1 315 Midland, Ga. Northside
Jack Farrell Line 6-2 225 Atlanta, Ga. Holy Innocents’
Joey Finison Line 6-4 280 Greensboro, N.C. Ragsdale
Justin Foxx Line 6-3 230 Charlotte, N.C. Victory Christian
Austin Gamble Back 6-1 230 Weston, Fla. Cypress Bay
Corey Gattis Back 5-11 170 Durham, N.C. Hillside
Tyree Glover Back 6-2 240 Crescent City, Fla. Crescent City
Zach Greene Back 5-10 170 Raleigh, N.C. Leesville Road
Kyle Griswould Back 5-10 180 Midland, Ga. Shaw
Ryan Hall Line 6-3 235 Orlando, Fla. Olympia
Dave Harding Line 6-4 290 Orlando, Fla. Boone
Garett Patterson Back 6-0 180 Chesterfield, Va. Monacan
Brandon Putnam Line 6-3 240 Peachtree City, Ga. Sandy Creek
Kevin Rojas Back 6-3 210 Raleigh, N.C. Wakefield
Sydney Sarmiento Line 6-4 265 Florence, S.C. West Florence
Sean Schroeder Quarterback 6-3 185 Laguna Niguel, Calif. Dana Hills
Desmond Scott Back 5-10 185 Durham, N.C. Hillside
Perry Simmons Line 6-5 260 Raleigh, N.C. Sanderson
Taylor Sowell Back 5-11 190 Spartanburg, S.C. Dorman
Conner Vernon Back 6-1 180 Miami, Fla. Gulliver Prep
Tyree Watkins Back 6-1 195 Camden, N.J. Camden
Anthony Young-Wiseman Back 6-1 200 Bethesda, Md. Walt Whitman

Here are the incoming Pirates:

Jimmy Booth DT 6-2 288 Fr. Greenville, N.C. (J.H. Rose)
Michael Brooks DT 6-3 280 Fr. Roxboro, N.C. (Bartlett Yancey)
Jordan Davis OL 6-3 290 Fr. Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Choctawhatchee)
Michael Dobson RB/DB 6-0 185 Fr. Mount Airy, N.C. (Mount Airy)
Ty Holmes LB 6-1 213 Fr. Lexington, N.C. (Lexington)
Torrance Hunt WR 5-8 160 Fr. Durham, N.C. (Jordan)
Rio Johnson QB 6-2 185 Fr. Atlanta, Ga. (Sandy Creek)
Justin Jones TE 6-8 252 Fr. Conyers, Ga. (Heritage)
Lamar McLendon LB 6-0 200 Fr. Fayetteville, N.C. (Seventy-First)
Matt Milner DE 6-4 235 Fr. Raleigh, N.C. (Cardinal Gibbons)
Zico Pasut TE 6-3 245 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (Ardrey Kell)
Marke Powell LB 6-3 198 Fr. Troy, N.C. (West Montgomery)
Mike Price WR 6-1 165 Fr. New Bern, N.C. (New Bern)
*Korey Reynolds TE 6-2 240 Jr. Hoover, Ala. (Northwest Mississippi CC)
Giavanni Ruffin RB 6-1 215 Jr. Virginia Beach, Va. (College of the Sequoias, Calif.)
Will Simmons OL 6-5 280 Fr. Ahoskie, N.C. (Hertford County)
DaMonte Terry RB 6-1 203 Fr. Laurinburg, N.C. (Scotland)
*Kyle Tudor LB 6-3 195 Fr. Augusta, Ga. (Lakeside)
Reese Wiggins WR 5-11 181 Fr. Durham, N.C. (Southern Durham)

The Wolfpackers-to-be:

Name Ht Wt Pos. Hometown Previous School
Morgan Alexander 5-11 180 ATH Cartersville, Ga. Cartersville HS
Brandan Bishop 6-2 200 SAF Boca Raton, Fla. Boca Raton HS
Jarvis Byrd 5-11 180 CB Pahokee, Fla. Pahokee HS
Darryl Cato-Bishop 6-4 250 DE Groton, Mass. Lawrence Academy
Tyson Chandler 6-6 340 OL North Plainfield, N.J. North Plainfield HS
Ryan Cheek 6-1 230 LB Lancaster, Ohio Lancaster HS
Duran Christophe 6-6 285 OL Woodstock, Ga. Woodstock HS
Sylvester Crawford 6-4 225 DE Charlotte, N.C. Northside Christian Academy
Rickey Dowdy 6-2 225 LB High Point, N.C. High Point Central HS
A.J. Ferguson 6-3 250 DL Southport, N.C. South Brunswick HS
Denzelle Good 6-6 325 OL Gaffney, S.C. Gaffney HS
Dean Haynes 5-11 178 CB Tunnel Hill, Ga. NW Whitfield County HS
Quintin Payton 6-4 190 WR Anderson, S.C. T.L. Hanna HS
Everett Proctor 6-2 200 QB Fayetteville, N.C. Jack Britt HS
Raynard Randolph 6-2 320 DT Brandywine, Md. Gwynn Park HS
Hans Rice 6-2 205 LB Eufaula, Ala. Eufaula HS
Deion Roberson 6-3 275 DT Tucker, Ga. Tucker HS
Brian Slay 6-3 290 DT Ashburn, Va. Stone Bridge HS
Rashard Smith 5-11 175 CB Dublin, Ga. Dublin HS
Anthony Talbert 6-4 230 TE Cincinnati, Ohio Winton Woods HS
Bryan Underwood 5-11 170 WR University Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights HS
Chris Ward 6-1 175 P Fayetteville, Ga. Starrs Mill HS
Asa Watson 6-4 225 TE Rock Hill, S.C. Rock Hill HS
Camden Wentz 6-3 290 OL Marietta, Ga. Lassiter HS
The following players are already enrolled:
Donald Coleman 6-0 210 SAF Detroit, Mich. The Hun School (N.J.)
Sam Jones 6-7 295 OL Fuquay-Varina, N.C. Fuquay-VarinaHS/Hargrave Milt. Acad.
Nathan Mageo 6-3 285 DT Pago Pago, American Samoa Samoana HS/NM Miltary JUCO
James Washington, III 5-11 185 RB Orlando, Fla. Boone HS

Southern Nash shoots for the cure tonight

Southern Nash will sponsor a "Coaches vs. Cancer" night this evening in the varsity girls and boys basketball doubleheader against Rocky Mount. All proceeds will benefit American Cancer Society.

The Ladybirds and Firebirds will wear home jerseys that have been sponsored by families in honor of or memory of loved ones who have had cancer. Each jersey will bear the name of the person honored or memorialized.

"Shooting for the Cure" T-shirts will be worn by students, staff and parents who attend the games.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle with that money going to ACS as well.

Sounds like a great idea so please head over to Stanhope tonight and support them.