[Buckskin86]

Hammons is on the rise
By Jeff Rabjohns
Posted: May 16, 2009

A.J. Hammons' growth spurt might be ending, but his national reputation is only beginning.

The Carmel High School center, who recently measured at 6-11, already has a host of major college basketball programs chasing him as he finishes his freshman year.

Indiana and Purdue are among them.

"I'm just looking right now," Hammons said before a recent workout at Carmel. "I'm not even going to try to pick a school until the end of my junior year probably. I'm just looking at all of them."

Hammons will be playing for the Spiece 15-and-under team this weekend in the adidas May Classic, a major spring event in Bloomington, Ind., with teams from New Jersey to California.

While college coaches aren't allowed to watch, the talent evaluation services that rank players will be there, and it's a chance for emerging players like Hammons to face other top prospects.

"Hammons is going to get interest at the highest level provided he capitalizes on his size and ability," said Dave Telep, national recruiting analyst for scout.com. "I like his instincts and his presence."

Hammons has made unofficial visits to IU, Purdue, Marquette and Georgetown, and other coaches, such as Ohio State coach Thad Matta, have visited Carmel to watch Hammons work out.

Hammons averaged 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting 69 percent as a freshman for Carmel.

Hammons is on the rise | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star