SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Dennis Lattimore Commits
To University Of Arizona--(Oct. 9, 2000)

Ok, so Dennis Lattimore isn't from Southern California. . . but he did play the past year with the SoCal-based Double Pump team with guys like the Craven twins, Rick Rickert, Charlie Rodriguez, Kevin Fellows, Chris Hernandez, Chris Jackson, and many other high D-I recruits, and we've finally received confirmation that Dennis has committed to play next season for Lute Olson at the University of Arizona. . . . and we also think that his friend and club teammate, Rick Rickert (6'-11" Sr. C) from Duluth, MN won't be far behind either, notwithstanding that Duke is pursuing him heavily.

We've been reading quite a bit about Dennis lately, including some interesting stuff on HoopsTV.com written by Dan Wetzel, who interestingly, describes Dennis as being from Southern California (wrong, he's from Halstead, Kansas, and lived for a year in Arizona with his father, but then moved back to Kansas. . .he's never lived in SoCal), and who also describes Dennis as having played for "Lakewood Artesia" and being a "Hollywood" star.  Where do these "national" guys get this drivel from?   If Dennis Lattimore ever played for Artesia,  we must have missed it, because as far as we know he never played for either Artesia or QBL. . .  now Jason Carter from Bishop Gorman, that's a different story (he did play for QBL, and was set to enroll at Artesia, but at the last minute went back to Vegas).

In any event, the Arizona Daily Star had an article this morning, confirming the commitment.  Here's a link and the story itself:

Kansas prep star commits to UA

By Bruce Pascoe
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Monday, 9 October 2000

One of Arizona's top basketball recruiting targets in the class of 2001, Kansas power forward Dennis Latimore, is scheduled to announce a commitment to play for the Wildcats today. 

Latimore committed to Arizona privately over the weekend, sources close to the player said last night, even though he wasn't scheduled to officially visit campus until this weekend's Midnight Madness ceremonies. Latimore, a consensus Top 50 player nationally who was also considering Kansas and UCLA, was unavailable for comment last night. 

While Halstead High School coach Mark Fox said he couldn't confirm where Latimore was going, he has said Latimore was leaning toward attending the UA.  "He'll let everyone know today,'' Fox said last night. "I don't think it'll be a great surprise. Let's put it that way.'' 

The commitment will give Arizona its third recruit from the well-regarded class of 2001, joining Phoenix St. Mary's center Channing Frye and Lake Oswego (Ore.) guard Salim Stoudamire. The Wildcats are hoping to fill five scholarships with this recruiting class, preferably with a key prospect at each position to guard against potentially heavy losses to the NBA next spring. 

At 6-foot-8-inch and 228 pounds, Latimore may appear best suited to play power forward for the Wildcats. But Fox said last week that Latimore also has the mobility and shooting touch to play small forward if needed. 

For Halstead, Latimore managed to hit 10 of 29 three-pointers (34 percent) despite playing center. He shot 53 percent overall from the field while averaging 25 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks last season.   "He's got the athletic ability to play out on the wing by the time he's a junior or senior there,'' Fox said. "The biggest thing that impresses me is his athletic ability for his size, his ability to face the basket. He's got quick feet, which I attribute partly to his playing soccer when he was younger, and he's got a great spin move.'' 

Over the summer, Latimore was ranked No. 17 player overall at the ABCD camp by HoopScoop, a recruiting newsletter. The Sporting News' Steve Wacaser ranked him the No. 6 power forward in the class of 2001, and now ranks him as the 32nd player overall in the class.  Latimore will be joining Duluth (Minn.) East High School center Rick Rickert, The Sporting News' No. 11 player overall in the class of 2001, for an official visit here this weekend. Arizona is leading Minnesota and Duke for Rickert's services, according to East coach Bob Kunze, and Rickert has expressed interest in playing alongside Latimore. 

Other remaining recruits on Arizona's list include: guard Aaron Miles of Portland (Ore.) Jefferson High School; guard Jonathan Hargett of Emmanuel Academy in Durham, N.C.; guard Jason Fontenet of Phoenix St. Mary's; wing Josh Childress of Lakewood (Calif.) Mayfair High School; wing Dijon Thompson of Redondo Beach (Calif.) Union High School; and forward Isaiah Fox of Santa Monica (Calif.) Crossroads High School.   

 
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