Posted by Jeff Borzello

Jamari Traylor doesn’t mind not being a star. He would prefer being on a winning team.

Traylor will have a chance to do that again in the Big 12.

“Jamari just signed his NLI for coach Bill Self and Kansas,” IMG Academy (Fla.) director Andy Borman said.

Traylor, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Chicago who played his high school ball at IMG, chose the Jayhawks over Oklahoma State, Indiana and Texas Tech.

"I know coach Self and his coaching staff, and there's a good group of players," Traylor said. "I envision myself there." 

Traylor has a very good build and body for a player entering his first year of college. He has good strength and is active at both ends of the floor. Traylor is a very solid rebounder who is not afraid to chase down loose balls and mix it up in the paint. Offensively, he finishes well around the rim and also is developing a face-up jumper.

"I'm a high-energy guy," Traylor said. "I can block shots with the best of them. I'm a defensive-minded player."  

With the dearth of inside depth in Lawrence, expect Traylor to step in and produce immediately. He joins a recruiting class that includes top-100 recruits Ben McLemore and Naadir Tharpe, and combo forward Braeden Anderson from Wilbraham and Monson (Mass.). 

"I have the best chance of being successful there," Traylor said. "As long as I get a diploma from there, it will be a good decision." 

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Arguably the best high school player in the history of Alabama has decided to stay home.

Trevor Lacey, the top guard left on the board, committed to Alabama on Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at his school. Word leaked out about an hour before the announcement that he would sign with the Crimson Tide.

"I just signed with the University of Alabama," Lacey said, putting on an Alabama hat. 

Lacey is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from S.R. Butler (Ala.) who led his high school team to three consecutive state championships. He averaged 31.4 points and 8.0 rebounds last season, putting up at least 40 points on 10 separate occasions. 

He chose the Crimson Tide over Kansas, Kentucky, Auburn. Despite being pursued by some of the biggest powers in the country, the pull of his home state was just too much in the end.

"I felt like it was home," Lacey said. "I had a great relationship with coach [Anthony] Grant and the players." 

Lacey was one of the best scorers at the prep level the past few years. He has outstanding range on his 3-point shot, and has shown the ability to make contested jumpers with defenders in his face. Lacey can take defenders off the dribble and knock down mid-range shots or get to the rim and finish. He’s far more effective when playing off the ball, but is difficult to stop when he gets going.

He joins a very solid recruiting class that also includes top-100 prospects Levi Randolph and Nick Jacobs, as well as Rodney Cooper and Moussa Gueye. 

Photo: Al.com  

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Mark Turgeon picked up a program-changing assistant Tuesday afternoon when he hired Dalonte Hill.

Tuesday night, Turgeon landed a huge recruit – again.

Nick Faust, who was released last week from his letter-of-intent to Maryland, recommitted to the Terrapins.

"Coach Turgeon's goal is to win a national championship and I would play a big part in that immediately," Faust told CBSSports.com. 

When he opened up his recruitment, Faust said, “I want to weigh all my options on the best fit.”

Faust admitted that he looked around a little bit after receiving his release, but the Terrapins won out once again.

"I was considering other schools," he said. "Just weighed out everything. Maryland was the best place for me." 

Faust is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Baltimore City College (Md.). He is a big-time scorer who can shoot from the perimeter or finish at the rim. Despite his slim build, Faust is an excellent playmaker that also uses his length to defend multiple positions.

He has high expectations for the future in College Park under Turgeon.

"Special," Faust said. "Maryland is definitely on a mission from day one." 

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Katin Reinhardt gave USC a very happy New Year’s when he committed to the Trojans on December 31.

Now, the two have parted ways – Reinhardt decommitted from USC Tuesday night.

“Yes, the dad just told me that he did,” said Gary Franklin Sr., Reinhardt’s AAU coach with California Supreme.

Reinhardt is a 6-foot-5 New Jersey native who plays at Mater Dei (Calif.). He is one of the best shooters in the class of 2012.

Prior to his commitment, Reinhardt was hearing from Colorado, Utah, UCLA, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Villanova and various Pac-10 programs.

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Mark Turgeon just upped the ante in the nation’s capital.

As Gary Parrish confirmed on Tuesday, Kansas State associate head coach Dalonte Hill has accepted an offer to join Turgeon’s staff at Maryland.

Hill will join Texas A&M associate head coach Scott Spinelli and Maryland assistant coach Bino Ranson on the new Terrapins’ staff.

As most people know, Hill helped transform Kansas State into a national power, poaching players from the DC Assault AAU program where he used to play and coach, and bringing them into the Midwest. He started with Michael Beasley, getting him to commit to Charlotte when Hill was an assistant there and then wooing him to Manhattan, Kan. when Hill got a job there.

Hill did more than that at Kansas State, though. He brought Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder from D.C., courted New Yorker Curtis Kelly and picked up Jacob Pullen from Chicago. He is one of the best recruiters in the country – and he immediately makes Maryland a force to be reckoned with on the Beltway recruiting scene.

Combine him with Ranson, who is to Baltimore what Hill is to D.C., and the DMV might be locked up for several years.

As Baltimore native – and Missouri guard – Kim English tweeted, “With Dalonte Hill and Bino Ranso[n] both at Maryland, all other schools might as well stop recruiting the Baltimore and DC area.”

The reaction from different people in the area has already begun.

“Hill will have a huge impact,” said Jay Watford, who runs a scouting service in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. “He has great connections to several of the big-time AAU programs and even more personal relationships with high school coaches in the area, as well as influential basketball people in the DMV. Many people like an respect him.”

AAU and high school coaches aren’t underestimating the hire, either.

“Great hire!,” Team Takeover (D.C.) head coach Keith Stevens said. “I think he will make a major impact on the Maryland program.”

“The hiring of Dalonte Hill will have a major impact on recruiting for Maryland basketball,” Kevin Jones, head coach at St. Andrew’s Episcopal in Potomac, Md., added. “I think Maryland will start to attract and sign local talent they have been unable to in the past.”

For the past several years, Gary Williams was unable to keep the best talent in the Baltimore/D.C. area at home. The two high-profile ones were Carmelo Anthony and Rudy Gay, who left the state to attend Syracuse and Connecticut, respectively.

Many people have said that Williams shied away from getting involved with the AAU teams in the area. D.C. Assault and Team Takeover kids have left to go to Duke, Rutgers and many others in the last year.

“He is able to recruit DC Assault effectively,” Watford said of Hill. “That was a struggle for Gary Williams. [Hill] is very well connected with both power teams in the area.”

Jones summed up the hire.

“Hill has strong connections to AAU coaches in the D.C. area,” he said. “And he was a former All-Met player at Newport School, so he knows the area. This hire by Turgeon shows he plans to compete at a national level.”

The questions about Turgeon adapting to the area have now been answered – get ready for plenty of recruiting wars.

Posted by Jeff Borzello

It didn’t take long for Sterling Gibbs to end his recruitment this time around.

Gibbs, the former Maryland signee who received a release from his letter-of-intent last week, took a visit to Texas this past weekend and saw all he needed.

The 6-foot-1 point guard is headed to the Longhorns, he announced on Twitter Monday night..

Ashton Gibbs told CBSSports.com his brother also considered Connecticut, UCLA, Louisville and Seton Hall, in addition to Maryland.

The Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) product is a very good player at both ends of the floor, and has developed into an impact point guard over the past couple of seasons. Gibbs can shoot the ball consistently from behind the arc and also makes plays for himself and teammates when driving into the lane.

The chance for immediate playing time must have been attractive to Gibbs, who will team with fellow freshman Myck Kabongo and returnee J’Covan Brown in Rick Barnes’ backcourt. Barnes needs to replace his entire perimeter, namely NBA draft early-entries Jordan Hamilton and Cory Joseph, and Big 12 defensive player of the year Dogus Balbay. 

Gibbs joins a recruiting class that includes Kabongo, guards Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis, and forwards Jonathan Holmes and Kevin Thomas. 

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Mark Gottfried is on the board in 2012.

Torian Graham, one of the top juniors in the country, committed to North Carolina State on Monday.

Graham, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Word of God (N.C.), chose the Wolfpack over Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgetown, UCLA, Xavier and others.

He is a fantastic scorer, demonstrating the entire package offensively. He can knock down mid-range shots, score in transition or finish at the rim with contact. Graham has the ability to drive past defenders and hit pull-up jumpers, leaners or floaters in the lane. He is extremely athletic and demonstrates great body control when running the fast break.

Graham will join a recruiting class that includes point guard Tyler Lewis, one of the most impressive passers in the nation. The two will form a dynamite backcourt in Raleigh.

The news was first reported by PackInsider.com. 

Posted by Jeff Borzello

Over the last year, Georges Niang’s recruitment has blown up. He went from a mid-major prospect to one with several high-major offers.

On Sunday, Niang completed his rise by committing to Iowa State.

“I just felt that it was a perfect spot for me,” Niang told CBSSports.com. “I felt there wasn’t another place that has a better fit for me than Iowa State.”

Despite his consistent production nearly every night with Tilton (N.H.) on the prep scene and BABC on the AAU circuit, Niang was vastly underrated nationally.

Last summer, he had offers from Florida Atlantic, Hofstra and New Hampshire. Prior to making his decision, Niang had offers from multiple high-major schools.

“I wish I knew why – it just started blowing up,” Niang said. “But I know coach [Fred] Hoiberg believed in me from the first time he saw me and the coaches who didn’t recruit me didn’t see that. I don’t let that bother me. I just get out there and try to be the team that my team is facing.”

Niang, a 6-foot-7 forward, said the other finalists in his decision included Iowa, Miami (Fl.), Providence, Texas A&M, Charlotte, Alabama and Seton Hall.