ESPN Men's Basketball Recruiting

In another example of an all too common trend, 6-foot-2 Ameer Shamsud-din (Portland, Ore./Benson Tech) changed his mind and cast his lot with the Pepperdine Waves after previously being committed to Loyola Marymount. Shamsud-din joins ESPN 150 recruit Brad Tinsley (Oregon City, Ore.) and 5-11 Paul McCoy (Portland, Ore./Grant) to form an impressive group of perimeter prospects.

Tinsley, who turned down offers from California and Utah, is a cerebral guard who can play both guard positions due to his shooting and decision making while McCoy has a tremendous upside and should turn out to be one of the better point guards down the road in the conference.

Shamsud-din completes the trio of combo guards headed to Malibu and should see significant minutes during his freshman year due to a Pepperdine roster void of perimeter talent. Shamsud-din has a great frame --Jason Hart (Utah Jazz) comes to mind -- and his best basketball is definitely ahead of him. Though he isn't a great shooter, his stroke has improved in the last couple of years and he has a nice feel for the game.

With highly regarded freshmen Tyrone Shelley and Malcolm Thomas already in the fold, Vance Walberg is building quite a nucleus of talent that could challenge the upper-echelon of the WCC in the coming years.

One of the top prospects on the West Coast in the Class of 2009 is headed to Herb Sendek's up-and-coming Arizona State program. Jared Cunningham, a 6-3 point guard out of San Leandro, Calif., might end up being No. 1 at his position out west when it's all said and done.

His frame and athleticism are just a couple of attributes that suggest his upside is significant. His skills and savvy have progressed considerably since his sophomore campaign, and with continued development, he should log significant minutes during the 2009-10 season.

Cunningham joins fellow classmate and national sleeper 6-5 Trent Lockett (Minnetonka, Minn.) to form one of the more "lengthy" backcourts of the future in the Pac-10.

Sendek and his staff have done an outstanding job thus far in recruiting. Signing 6-5 James Harden (Lakewood, Calif./Artesia) should go down as one of the best pickups for the 2006-07 recruiting season. And with expected improvement on the hardwood in the 2007-08 season, look for ASU to begin making some noise in the Pac-10 sooner rather than later.

As the November signing period approaches most of the prospects in the class of 2008 have already selected their college destinations. However, there are handfuls of "under the radar" prospects who have yet to make a decision. In the 2007-08 season, look for the following cagers to garner some Division I looks as the year progresses.

• Bryce Cartwright, (6-0, 160), Compton, Calif./Dominguez
Cartwright will become one of the hot commodities come springtime as programs scramble to sign a point guard. He has blinding speed and his decision-making has come a long way since his junior campaign.

• Michael Bostic, (6-7, 190), Ontario, Calif./ The Colony
Bostic is one of the most electrifying leapers in the country. Although his skills are quite raw, he is a menace around the basket. Will it be the JUCO route to develop some skills or will someone take a chance on him?

• Ian Salter, (6-8, 215), Marin, Calif./Marin Catholic
Salter is a relative unknown outside of Northern California. However, he has nice size for the "four-spot" and intriguing skills. He plays hard at both ends and can score in a variety of ways. He's worth a look at the WCC and/or Big West level.

• Kevin Bradshaw, (6-7, 220), Upland, Calif.
Bradshaw possesses a "Division I body" as he consistently punishes would-be defenders on the high school level. He has a soft pair hands and a solid drop-step move that should spark interest from coaches in the WCC and/or Big West.

• Charles Odum, (6-2, 200), Lakewood, Calif./Mayfair
Odum has played most of his career inside due to his "bouncy" nature. However, this summer his perimeter skills -- most notably his handle and decision-making -- have improved immensely.

Joel Francisco has been a high school basketball scout for 15 years. He has written for Hoopscoop Magazine and Basketball Times and organized "So-Cal's Finest," his own scouting service.