The Morning Dish – Thursday, April 21st
Jacksonville Hires Georgia Tech Assistant: Jacksonville officials tabbed Georgia Tech assistant coach Cliff Warren as the Dolphins’ next coach. Warren has been an assistant under Yellow Jacket coach Paul Hewitt for the past eight years, including the past five years at Georgia Tech. Prior to working at Georgia Tech, Warren was an assistant under Hewitt at Siena and also worked for coach Jim Phelan at Mount St. Mary’s. Warren replaces Hugh Durham, who finished his eighth season at Jacksonville with a 106-119 record. For a complete list of this year’s coaching changes, visit Hoopville’s feature about Coaching Changes .
Williams Enters Draft as Best Illini Prospect: Illinois junior point guard Deron Williams will enter the NBA Draft and has hired an agent, ending any chance of a return to the Illini. Williams’ stock caught fire toward the end of the season as Williams proved he was one of the NCAA’s best guards. He can score, find open players and defend opponents’ best backcourt players. Williams hired Bob McClarren as an agent.
Coach Bruce Weber said most scouts predict Williams to be a top ten pick in the draft, which is the best among the Illini’s NBA candidates. The word on junior guard Dee Brown is that he is likely a second-round pick. Ditto for junior forward James Augustine. Senior guard Luther Head is likely a late first-round to early second-round pick, while senior forward Roger Powell needs to impress scouts to earn a spot in the second round.
Another Hawk Flies the Coop: Following in the footsteps of former teammate Delonte West, St. Joseph’s junior center Dwayne Jones will leave the Hawks a year early to enter the NBA Draft. Jones will graduate in May but still has a year of eligibility remaining. He was one of the nation’s most proficient rebounders and shot blockers, averaging 11.6 rebounds and three blocks per game. Jones has not signed with an agent, allowing him to return to school if he does not like his projected draft status. West also left school early last season to test his draft status. He remained in the draft when an NBA team promised to pick him in the first round.
No Turning Back: Wake Forest sophomore point guard Chris Paul ended any speculation about a return to school by hiring an agent. Paul hired Lance Young of Octagon, based near Washington, D.C., to represent him. Paul is likely a top five pick in this year’s NBA Draft, but some Demon Deacon fans had held out hope that Paul would return for his junior year. Young has ties to North Carolina because he represents former Deacon Josh Howard and former Tar Heel Brendan Haywood. Paul will complete this semester at Wake Forest, then work out in the Washington area during the summer.
DePaul Starts Search: Now that former DePaul coach Dave Leitao has officially accepted the Virginia job, Blue Demon officials are starting the search for a new coach. Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins may be at the top of their list because officials have already contacted him, possibly to gauge his interest in the gig. Western Michigan officials granted permission to DePaul to court Hawkins, who has guided the Broncos to a 46-17 record in two seasons. He also has one NCAA Tournament experience under his belt at Western Michigan. Other possible candidates on DePaul’s short list include Bowling Green’s Dan Dakich, Ohio’s Tim O’Shea, Creighton’s Dana Altman and Utah’s Ray Giacoletti.
Horowitz Wants Out of Charleston: College of Charleston center Jeff Horowitz has decided to complete his collegiate career elsewhere. School officials granted Horowitz a release to transfer after Horowitz said he did not like the situation on the Cougars. He said he wanted more playing time, among other issues he had with the team. Horowitz averaged 3.6 points and rebounds per game last season.
NBA First, School Second: Oklahoma State’s top recruit, Gerald Green, will enter the NBA Draft but will not hire an agent. Green excelled during the McDonald’s All American game in March, scoring 24 points and attracting the attention of NBA scouts. His decision seems to be part of an emerging pattern in which scouts become infatuated with high schoolers based on one or two games. Last season, North Carolina recruit J.R. Smith shined in the McDonald’s all-star game, shooting up the draft to the middle of the first round. If Green doesn’t reach a similar position in this year’s draft, he could still change his mind and go to the Cowboys.
Washington May Restock with Transfer: Washington is in a state of flux as several players could turn to the NBA Draft. Junior guard Nate Robinson has already declared for the draft, and Brandon Roy and recruit Martell Webster could follow him shortly. If they leave, the Huskies could get some refuge down the line from transfer Lorenzo Wade, who is leaving Louisville for personal reasons. Wade’s playing time diminished in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 9.9 minutes per game and had 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as Francisco Garcia’s main backup. As a transfer, Wade would sit out next season according to NCAA regulations.
Mason Seeks Fresh Start: Sophomore guard Dameon Mason plans to leave Marquette to transfer to another school, possibly Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Oklahoma State or Ohio State. Mason was the Golden Eagles’ third leading scorer at 11.9 points per game and second leading rebounder at 5.6 rebounds per game. But Mason also had a propensity to commit turnovers, and coach Tom Crean reduced his playing time toward the end of the season. Mason said he disliked the situation that had developed at Marquette and will look for a new start elsewhere. Crean has not released Mason from his scholarship yet, which means Mason would have to pay his way at a new school for one year.
Former Red Raider Could Face Trouble: Former Texas Tech player John Ofoegbu could be at the center of a trespassing investigation. Ofoegbu was banned from approaching women’s dorms on campus after he was identified in an earlier incident in which he attempted to peak at a woman taking a shower in her dorm. Ofoegbu violated the terms of the ban by appearing near an all-women dorm, and police may issue an arrest warrant today. He could face fines or jail time. Ofoegbu left the team because of personal reasons in early February.
