The Recruiting Guy

Dallas guard plans Arkansas visit

Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson directs players during practice for an NCAA college basketball second round game, Wednesday, March 18, 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. Arkansas plays Wofford on Thursday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson directs players during practice for an NCAA college basketball second round game, Wednesday, March 18, 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. Arkansas plays Wofford on Thursday. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Shooting guard Terrance Ferguson, a top-10 prospect nationally, will play the weekend in central Arkansas at the Real Deal in the Rock and a return trip to the state is likely.

Ferguson, 6-6, 185 pounds, plays for Prime Prep Academy in Dallas and will play this weekend for Mo Williams Elite, which will play Greenwood Elite at 9:40 tonight on Court 1 at the P.A.R.K. complex on Geyer Springs Road.

Prime Prep and Mo Williams Elite Coach Ray Forsett said Ferguson likes Arkansas because of Coach Mike Anderson and assistant coach T.J. Cleveland.

"Coach Anderson and Coach Cleveland have done a great job of recruiting him, and he's definitely interested," Forsett said of Ferguson, who is the No. 2 shooting guard and the No. 9 overall prospect in the nation in the 2016 class according to ESPN. "They've done a great job this year. I actually know Coach A pretty well, so we respect him and the things he's done."

Forsett said Ferguson plans to make a trip to Fayetteville.

"He'll definitely take an unofficial to Arkansas. That's for sure," Forsett said. "We're not sure when."

Arkansas' up-tempo style is also a hit with Ferguson, who Forsett said is relentless in his effort.

"That's what makes him special," Forsett said. "He plays hard and gets after it on every possession. He shoots it well."

Ferguson, who has visited Kansas, Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas, appears to be done with unofficial visits other than the Hogs.

"He's just been to places that's close, but that's pretty much it as far as going on an unofficial," Forsett said. "Everything else will be an official [visit]."

EYE ON LOCAL GUYS

Arkansas Hawks founder and Real Deal in the Rock executive director Bill Ingram believes the next great group of in-state prospects will come from the 2018 class, and several of them will play for the Hawks' 15-under team this weekend.

The Hawks will play X-Factor at 8:35 tonight on Court 3 at P.A.R.K.

Little Rock Parkview forward Ethan Henderson 6-8, 175, took part in Arkansas' Elite Prospect Camp last summer. LSU is also showing interest.

"Ethan is probably the one that's ranked the highest," Ingram said. "His athleticism is off the charts, and he has long arms. If you look at his face he still looks like he's 12 years old. That kind of gives you an indication that he's going to grow some more."

Caleb Stokes 6-8, 220, is a forward/center from Little Rock Parkview and is drawing interest from Ole Miss and Memphis.

"Caleb's name isn't out there probably as much as Ethan, but he's also very talented," Ingram said. "We scrimmaged the Memphis Magic 16-and-under team last weekend and he was the leading scorer every game."

Shooting guard Seth Millner, 6-4, 165, of Little Rock is the nephew of former NBA veteran and current New York Knicks Coach Derek Fisher.

"He's another kid that has great potential and loads of talent," Ingram said.

Ingram said he also expects Jonesboro Annie Camp shooting guard Desi Sills, 6-1, 165, to be a high Division I prospect.

"He's probably the most gifted athletically," Ingram said.

Another to keep an eye on is guard Isaiah Joe, 6-2, 145, of Fort Smith Northside.

"He's a 6-2 shooting guard with NBA range," Ingram said.

With three more years to play in high school, Ingram said he believes the five Hawks players will eventually end up playing for high-level Division I teams.

"The guards have a bunch of mid-majors looking at them now." he said. "Those five kids probably have a chance of being high major-college prospects. The two big ones have a chance of being really, really good."

The Hawks also will have the services of highly regarded forward Reginald Perry, 6-9, 205, of Tallahassee (Fla.) Maclay Prep this weekend. The Little Rock native is ranked the No. 11 prospect in the nation for the 2018 class by future150.com.

"He's ranked highly and has been to the USA camp trials," Ingram said. "He's coming off knee surgery from last year. He's not a 100 percent, but he's about 85 percent. A lot of people are saying he has pro potential."

UA OFFERS MACON

Former Little Rock Parkview shooting guard Daryl Macon was one of only two freshmen named to the junior college All-America first team Tuesday, and Thursday he received a scholarship offer from Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson.

Macon, 6-3, 185, averaged 23 points a game for Holmes Community College in Mississippi this season and finished sixth in the nation in scoring while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from beyond the three-point line.

He admitted that he had a hard time concentrating after Anderson told him of the offer.

"I almost dropped my food," said Macon, who also played for the Arkansas Hawks. "I wanted to hang up on him and call my mom immediately. I was excited, just hearing that from one of the best coaches in the NCAA."

Macon, who can sign with a four-year school in 2016, also has a scholarship offer from Ole Miss and had one from Mississippi State before former coach Rick Ray was fired. He also is receiving interest from Louisville, Memphis and Tennessee.

E-mail Richard Davenport at

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Sports on 04/03/2015

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