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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

More On St. Thomas More From
Friends In The East--(Sept. 23, 1998)

We just heard from Brandon Hawkins (6'-3" Grad. PG) formerly of LA Crenshaw High who is now enrolled at St. Thomas More Academy in Oakdale, Connecticut, and he thoughtfully sent us the St. Thomas More roster. Here it is

Jason Smith (6'-4" Post-Grad SG/SF) from Kent Merdian, in Kent, WA
Jay Crowell (6'-2" Post-Grad SG) St. Thomas More, Oakdale, CT
Brandon Hawkins (6'-3" Post-Grad PG) from LA Crenshaw
Jake Rohe (6'-8" Post Grad F/C) from Santa Margarita High, Orange County, CA
Jamil Hardwick (6'-1" Post-Grad G) from Dunwoody High, Decater, Georgia
Josh Moore (7'-2" Sr. C) from St. Anthony's, Newark, New Jersey
Nick Van der Laan (6'-9" Sr. C) from Kent Prep School
Keith Price Senior (6'-6" Sr. F) St Thomas More Oakdale,CT
Jordan Stern ( 6'-2" Sr. G) St. Thomas More Oakdale,CT
Todd Cooper (6'-0" Post-Grad G) from Newburgh Academy, NY
Khalif Muhammed (6'-2" Sr. G) from West Haven High, New Haven,CT
Matt Turner (5'-7" Sr. G) from St. Thomas More Oakdale,CT

We're not sure, but it looks like some of these guys, like Nick VanderLaan, who also attend other prep schools are permitted to play for St. Thomas More. Crowell (originally from Seattle) is reported to be a shooter. Vander Laan, of course, is a big in the paint guy, who recently committed to Cal with his Rockfish buddies. This weekend we chatted briefly with Dave Benezra, the head fishie, and he told us that at first Nick was really down on the idea of attending a school so close to home; but then he visited, and realized that it was just far enough away from the folks that it would feel like he was still away and could be independent, and apparently he also realized it's close enough to Sacramento for him to take his laundry home and maybe even stop along the way for a few burgers (sorry Nick, we don't think In-N-Out has made it up to I-80 yet, but we hear they're working on it).

Josh Moore is the current object of affection for DePaul coach Pat Kennedy, and we're sure (but really don't know) that a bunch of others would love to have this big man, who is really just HUGE, and who gets up and down the floor pretty well for a guy with his size. Brandon didn't tell us about junior Jeff McMillan, a 6'-8", 250-pound forward from NYC who had previously been reported to be with the team in a report posted about a week ago at WestCoastHoops, but maybe he just forgot, although it's pretty hard to misplace a 6'-8", 250 lb. player.