fullerton recruiting

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Fullerton Recruiting Targets:
Multiple Players, Only A Few Spots--(Sept. 30, 2000)

We've been trying to figure out Cal State Fullerton's recruiting situation for the last few weeks, and seemingly everyone we talk to is "getting recruited" by the Titans coaching staff. We know that Donny Daniels and his assistants Jason Levy and Rob Orellana have been busy, but the reality is that Fullerton will likely only have one or two scholarships to give next year, and we know they are looking for a two/three combo wing-type player, and there are several candidates all being looked at seriously for the same spot:

Trey Putnam (6'-6" Sr. SF) from Santa Barbara HS, is probably one of Fullerton's key targets right now. He's hearing from Cal State Fullerton, Air Force, UC Davis, Colgate, Sacramento State and UC Santa Cruz according to PWH. We haven't seen Trey play in a while, nor have we talked with him since the summer, but he's a strong player, and we wouldn't be surprised if Donny Daniels, Levy and Orellana are successful in getting Trey if that's who they decide they want. Cody Pearson (6'-4" Sr. SG/SF) from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, who is reportedly pretty close to committing to CSUN right now, is also a prime target for Fullerton (he's been offered), and Marques Crane (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Ocean View HS, and Marko Mihailovic (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF) from Pacific Palisades are the other likely targets, although interest in Marko may be waning. Marques is currently being recruited really only by Fullerton, and if he can become a full qualifier by the spring, and if he doesn't sign, look for his recruitment to pick way up. Thus far he's had an in-home with coach Daniels and his staff, and is also receiving some mild interest from Long Beach State, although it's hard to gauge right now if they are serious about him. LB State is also still interested in Cody as well, but from what we are hearing, Cody is very close with his family, who live in Northridge, and he might just decide that closer is better, even if Fullerton is only about 45 minutes down the 5 Freeway. According to PWH, Marques Crane is also hearing infrequently from Rutgers, but we'd say right now that that's.

We've spoken with Marques and his dad about his recruitment, and likewise, PWH confirms what we've heard from them, and from BWBA Coach Bob Gottlieb, who is working on Marques' recruiting, and that is that if Marques does not qualify, or does not get the kind of recruitment that he thinks he should, he'll consider a year of prep school as an option. Now if that also makes it sound like he's not going to commit to Fullerton, we'd say that it's a longshot he would do that in the fall. . . now by the spring, who knows. But we find it kind of odd that a player who was a standout for the USA Youth Basketball development camp, who played as well as he did at some major tournaments this summer, is having such a hard time attracting attention, but perhaps the reason is, as suggested by Marques to PWH, i.e., he has yet to take the SAT and a lot of schools are "just assuming" that he will not qualify, which might turn out to be one huge miscalculation on someone's part.

Fullerton has 13 players on scholarship this year, giving out the last available ride to Babacar Camara, the 6'-11" center from Senegal, and two players will graduate this year (Ike Harmon, who received permission to play a 5th year following his graduation, and Matt Caldwell), so unless others transfer out, the Titans will only have two to give for next year, and are recruiting this fall as though they just have one.