Florida Gators

BRADENTON, Fla. -- ESPN 150 wide receiver Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), as expected, was one of the top wideouts in attendance at the IMG 7v7 Southeast regional championships over the weekend.

The four-star wide receiver visited Michigan recently and said he enjoyed his experience in Ann Arbor.

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This year’s NCAA tournament has been full of great stories, from Florida Gulf Coast’s Cinderella run to La Salle going from First Four to Sweet 16 to the Big Ten placing four teams in the final 16.

But what about the stories behind the stories -- the tales of how some of this year’s March Madness stars ended up at their eventual schools and helped shape this year’s tourney? To delve into those, this week’s top 10 looks at the 10 best recruiting stories from players and teams in the Sweet 16.

Top 10 Recruiting Stories From the Sweet 16

1. Trey Burke, Michigan
Mick Cronin is not going to want to hear this again, but it’s true. Burke was going to Cincinnati. It was nearly a done deal. But one last call to Michigan’s staff changed the fate of two programs. According to recruiting lore, Burke’s father called a final time asking Michigan if it was interested in Burke. If the answer was no, then Burke was going to Cincinnati. This was in late July of Burke’s pre-senior summer. Remember, it wasn’t like the now All-American was hot stuff then. He was good -- a late top-100 player -- but he wasn’t the player then that he has become. Ultimately, Michigan said it wanted Burke and the Wolverines landed him a few days later.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Watch List running back Tony James (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville) picked up an offer from the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday afternoon.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound speedster said he believes he would fit well in the Oregon offensive system.

"That offer means a lot to me, actually," James said. "This is one of those offers that I have kind of been waiting on. It shows my dedication and hard work have been paying off. Oregon is the type of offense where I know I would fit in. They spread the ball out a lot and I feel I could really do well in that offense."

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Watch List wide receiver Drake Harris (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) reopened his recruitment earlier this year, but didn’t officially decommit from Michigan State until Monday afternoon.

Despite the decommitment coming on the tails of three consecutive weekends visiting with Michigan coaches and players in Ann Arbor, Harris said the two aren’t related.

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The University of Florida had several prominent targets on campus Saturday, including one of the more coveted prospects from Georgia. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan (Hinesville, Ga./Liberty Co.) was in Gainesville, Fla., to check out the Gators, and it looks like they have made yet another solid impression on the ESPN Watch List prospect.

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Junior college quarterback Tanner McEvoy (Hillsdale, N.J./Arizona Western College) was one of the most sought-after uncommitted recruits at his position as signing day approached. A quarterback with three years to play three seasons, capable of stepping in and pushing for early playing time, McEvoy narrowed his choices to a final four that included Florida, Oregon, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

After official visits to Wisconsin and Florida last week, McEvoy announced his decision on Monday.

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Junior college quarterback Tanner McEvoy (Hillsdale, NJ/Arizona Western College) seemed to be settled on a final few schools, as Oregon and West Virginia sat atop his list after official visits to the Mountaineers on Dec. 14 and the Ducks on Jan. 11.

But the 6-foot-6, 215-pound dual-threat quarterback said previously that he might not be ready with a decision by signing day, and now that another member of college football royalty has joined the race, McEvoy's recruiting picture could be even more clouded.

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Shortly after returning from his weekend visit to USC, four-star linebacker Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, Fla./Mainland) has a final two.

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More than 150 of the top underclassmen prospects in the country were in attendance for the Under Armour All-America Combine. There is no shortage of talent set to come out of the Tar Heel State in the 2014 class, and it was well represented on Friday.

Coaches line up to see WR Thompson

The AFCA coaches convention is in Nashville, Ten. Jan. 6-9, but for ESPN 2014 Watch List wide receiver Trevion Thompson (Durham, N.C./Hillside), it might as well have taken place at his school over the past few months.

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More than 150 of the top underclassmen prospects in the country were in attendance for registration to the Under Armour All-America Combine, several of which are from Georgia.

Massive OL looking to visit Wolverines

ESPN 2014 Watch List prospect Orlando Brown Jr. (Suwanee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge) should have no problem finding a place to play at the next level. At 6-foot-8, 370 pounds, the mammoth offensive lineman boasts offers from 36 programs, although he maintains eight of them are at the top.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Kain Daub (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood) is looking forward to putting his skills to the test.

At Friday's Under Armour Combine, Daub impressed enough to accepted an invitation to the 2014 Under Armour Game.

"That's really all I came out here for, to compete," he said. "I probably won't do all the combine stuff, but I want to compete and get better."

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