Prep Prospects on Wait-and-See List

The early signing period for basketball is now just two weeks away, and the Bulls expect to add guard Collin Dennis, forward Solomon Jones and up to three more recruits. But if head coach Robert McCullum decides to carry over one or more scholarships into the spring, at least two players who bear watching are point guard Cliff Clinkscales and forward Cyrus Tate.

Neither has reached a qualifying SAT or ACT score, and both will be taking the test in the coming weeks, but Clinkscales and Tate would seem to be fine additions to McCullum’s first full recruiting class.

Clinkscales, from Ocala Shores Christian Academy, burst on the scene this summer, playing with the nation’s most elite AAU team – the Atlanta Celtics.

The 6-foot-1 point guard ran the show for a Celtics team that included three potential NBA Draft Lottery picks in Dwight Howard (Southwest Atlanta Christian), Josh Smith (Indiana commit from Powder Springs, Ga. McEachern High) and Randolph Morris (Palmetto, Ga. Landmark Christian).

Originally from New York, Clinkscales benefited from the exposure and helped dispel concerns about his shooting, according to Shores Academy head coach Danny Smith.

“Cliff’s always been a great leader and an unbelievable passer, but the knock on him was his shot. He’s a gym rat and he spent all summer working on it and he’s developed into a great shooter. He now has a complete game,” Smith said. “And he’s a true point guard. Schools are always looking for true point guards and centers and that’s why Cliff is so valuable.”

Although he has no official offers in hand because he has not yet reached eligibility, Clinkscales has drawn significant interest from Florida State, USF, Providence, Rhode Island, Boston College, Georgia and Jacksonville. Smith said he believes FSU is Clinkscales’ early favorite, but “he’s open and he’s very interested in USF. He hasn’t been there yet to see what they have to offer, but we met with (assistant) coach (Tommy) Deffebaugh right when school started. We both liked him. He was very down-to-earth. USF is right in there.”

Clinkscales averaged 15 points, 10 assists and five steals as a junior and is a three-year starter at Shores Academy. Originally from New York, Clinkscales was an early basketball prodigy and even appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show as a fifth grader because of his hoops skills. His path to Florida is an interesting one.

“We had a guy here in Ocala who knew Cliff from New York and Cliff wasn’t going to school. He was just running the streets,” Smith said. “He brought Cliff down here, got him in school and it’s obviously been very good for him.”

Tate, like Clinkscales, has colleges in a wait-and-see mode while he attempts to qualify. But there is little doubt the 6-8, 220-pound forward will see increased recruiting interest if he is successful.

Tate stars at Homewood High School in Flossmoor, Ill., and is among the state’s top prospects. In fact, one source lists him as the No. 17 senior in the talent-rich state.

“He probably doesn’t get as much attention as he could because he plays on our team with Julian Wright. Some lists, for whatever stock you put in them, have Julian as the top junior in the country,” Homewood coach Roy Condotti said. “But Cyrus can definitely play (high division I basketball).”

Condotti said USF, Purdue, Wyoming, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois and a number of other mid-major programs have been in contact by mail, but all are waiting to see the outcome of Tate’s test score before making a move. In the meantime, the lefty will try to improve on his numbers from a year ago (12 points/eight rebounds per game).

“He’s tough around the basket and can shoot the 15-footer,” Condotti said. “He could probably be a 20-point scorer for us, but we have a pretty balanced team.”