Evan Anderson Working To Solidify His Status

These days, the "summer" basketball circuit heats up right after the high school season is over. Since Wisconsin has tied most of its scholarships up already, most of the coaching staff's interest in AAU tournaments will move to the younger players, with no secret that Eau Claire North's Evan Anderson is a top priority.

It's already been a week since Real Deal on the Hill tournament concluded at the University of Arkansas, but recruiting websites are still pulling out the names of various prep hoopsters to tout. Anderson got some love from Rivals.com, who proclaimed that he "cemented himself as an elite level player" in the Class of 2010. If you've seen Anderson play, there's nothing surprising here--Anderson can block shots and finish at the rack. It is exciting to hear that he continues to do so against the best competition in the country. His list of suitors is a "Who's Who" of collegiate elite.

Badger fans should be happy that UW is the clubhouse leader to sign Anderson, if for no other reason than to erase memories of Brian Butch struggling with bunnies.

Wisconsin has apparently been keeping tabs on another 2010 prospect, this one in Ohio State's own backyard. J.D. Weatherspoon is a very athletic forward out of Columbus, OH, who is starting to show some versatility.

Here is what Rivals had to say about Weatherspoon after the King James Shooting Stars Classic event:

"Anchoring the other side of the blocks was bouncy 6-foot-7 forward J.D. Weatherspoon. He was one of the more intriguing players in the 16 and under division. Known primarily as a pure athlete in local circles, Weatherspoon showed more than just being a play above the rim guy. He hit three three-pointers as a pop out post man. He's super intriguing and it's easy to see why West Virginia, Miami, Akron (offer), James Madison (offer), Wisconsin and Xavier are involved early."

The same author also reported that Weatherspoon fought off foul trouble to score 11 points as his AAU team won the 16U division title at the tourney. Speaking of Ohio, the article also made it clear that Rob Wilson's teammate, Carl "Tay" Jones, is finally starting to blow up nationally after leading Garfield Heights in scoring this season. In attempting to dig up info on Wilson this past season, Jones' name was always present in the headlines. Apparently Michigan is one program showing increased interest.

Last week, the same source was on top of Jeronne Maymon and Mike Bruesewitz as tournament "surprises." I have only heard good things about Maymon so far this spring, who now plays with the Madison Gators AAU team rather than the Madison Spartans club that Vander Blue plays for. It's only a matter of time before more offers come rolling in for Maymon ... probably just as soon as the magic ACT/SAT/GPA numbers get high enough.

And then on the other hand, there are also examples of why all these recruiting reports cannot be trusted. Another Rivals article mentions Chicago point guard Darius Smith and says he has heard from Wisconsin, among others. Since I have been following recruiting much more regularly with the launch of Hoops Marinara, my estimated guess is that Smith heard from Wisconsin over a year ago. I've kept an eye out for Smith's name since then and he hasn't been connected to the Badgers since then.

Hey, if continuing to name-drop Wisconsin helps the kid land a solid gig, I am all for it. In fact, I almost get a warm, fuzzy, proud-parent feeling that UW's program has reached that status. As if my loyal cheers have had anything to do with it ...