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Monk close to announcing short list of colleges

Malik Monk of Bentonville is expected to announce his shortened list Tuesday. Monk is the seventh-best player nationally in 2016 by Scout.com.
Malik Monk of Bentonville is expected to announce his shortened list Tuesday. Monk is the seventh-best player nationally in 2016 by Scout.com.

The next step in the recruiting saga of Bentonville basketball star Malik Monk will happen Tuesday night.

Monk (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), ranked the seventh-best player nationally in the 2016 class by Scout. com, will release his shortened list of schools.

Arkansas and Kentucky are expected to be two of the teams on the list, which will likely be revealed on "The Raw Report," a new radio show airing in Northwest Arkansas on The Fan 99.5 nightly between 7-8 p.m.

"I am pretty sure we are going to do it Tuesday on the show," noted Marcus Monk, the player's brother and former Razorback football and basketball star and co-host of the show along with former Razorback basketball player Nick Mason.

"We will be finalizing up all the official visit dates by Monday and then we'll go from there."

Arkansas has anywhere from six to eight scholarships to give in what will be one of the largest recruiting classes in a while.

Technically the class already has two commitments in former Little Rock Parkview star and current Holmes Community College junior college All-American Daryl Macon (6-3, 180) and 2015 Razorback back signee Ted Kapita (6-9, 240).

Macon, who committed to Arkansas this summer, averaged 23 points last season for Holmes as a true freshman and is a deadly outside shooter.

Kapita will spend at least a semester and maybe the full year at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

Arkansas has also set up several official visits with Grand Prairie, Texas. South Grand Prairie small forward Cameron McGriff (6-7, 215) being the first one Sept 4-6.

He'll be followed by Little Rock Southwest Christian Academy forward Eric Curry (6-8, 210) and Motlow, Tenn., State point guard Jaylen Barford (6-4, 200) on Sept. 18-20.

St. Louis, Mo., Chaminade power forward Tyler Cook (6-9, 240) will take his official visit to Arkansas either Sept. 25-27 or Oct. 3-5.

Campti, La., small forward Adrio Bailey (6-6, 205) is scheduled to visit the Razorbacks officially Oct. 24-26.

Arkansas is also known to be interested in Memphis, Tenn., point guard Jaylen Fisher (6-1, 165), Van Buren forward Mitchell Smith (6-10, 215), Warner, Okla., Connors State Community College forward Arlando Cook (6-8, 200), Middleton, Del., center Seedee Keita (6-10, 225) and Arlington, Texas, Seguin shooting guard Josh Parrish (6-5, 200).

No word on dates of possible official visits to Arkansas for those prospects yet.

Dudley Dawson can be reached at [email protected].

Sports on 08/27/2015

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