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PF/C Kosta Koufos (CSKA Moscow)

OSUBasketballJunkie

Never Forget 31-0
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Canton GleOak High School (Canton, OH)

Ht: 7-1
Wt: 245
PPG: 24.0
Reb: 11.8
Blks: 4.0
AAU: King James Shooting Stars 17-under

Koufos averaged 15.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks a game as a sophomore. Injured his foot as a Junior and only played in 11 games, averaging 24 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks a game. Selected as a second team All-Ohio pick as a junior.

Maryland (early favorite), Duke, Miami (Fla.), Illinois, Michigan, Xavier, Akron, Notre Dame, Penn State, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Princeton, Ball State, and Ohio State (offer).

Updated Profile: 3/24/06
 
Last edited:
CantonRep.com

7/4

GlenOak’s Koufos reaching his goals
Monday, July 4, 2005 By Chris Beaven Repository sports writer


Most college basketball coaches knew about Kosta Koufos before this offseason began.

They knew he already stood nearly 7 feet tall as a GlenOak High School sophomore. They knew he possessed skills rarely found in a young player his size.

What they didn’t know was how determined Koufos was to make the most of this offseason to become better.

“I’ve been working nonstop,” Koufos said.

That approach is paying off big time for the soon-to-be junior.

All of the top coaches know his game now, and they will see more of it this week when he attends the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis.

“After this All-American camp, it’s going to get kind of crazy,” GlenOak head coach Jack Greynolds Jr. said.

The 7-foot, 240-pound Koufos entered the offseason already a top recruiting target of many schools, including Ohio State.

Now ...

“Duke’s calling,” Greynolds said. “Michigan, Michigan State, Arizona, a lot of the Big East ... a lot of people are on his trail.”

Koufos generated the interest with what Greynolds called “a dominant” showing two weeks ago at the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis. That earned him an invite to this week’s Nike camp. He also put together an impressive week in March on an Ohio all-star team playing in a tournament in Italy.

Add all of it together and Koufos finds himself in a situation he has dreamed about. But he could not even begin to imagine he would hear from the likes of Ohio State Head Coach Thad Matta or Maryland assistant Keith Booth.

“And Coach K (Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski) and Bobby Knight (of Texas Tech) have called coach Greynolds,” Koufos said, taking a long pause as he thought about that. “It’s amazing.”

Greynolds is not surprised.

“He’s great kid,” Greynolds said. “He’s a 3.8 student. ... He’s personable, he’s polite and he just has a great work ethic. He does basketball 24/7. That’s his passion. You don’t get too many 7-footers that have that type of passion, talent and skill to do something with it.”

Koufos became determined to have a big offseason as soon as he walked off the court for the final time last season, which ended with a disappointing third loss to McKinley.

“I had to become more aggressive,” he said.

Koufos put up good numbers last season on a GlenOak team that went 18-5. He averaged team highs of 15.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. He displayed a nice touch on his jumper, ran the floor well and was the only sophomore on The Repository’s All-Stark County team.

But Koufos thought his season could have been a lot better. The three losses to state champion McKinley really bothered him.

“When we played against McKinley, I wished I’d done a little bit more after each game,” he said. “I’d be in locker room thinking about what I could’ve done more, and I needed to be more aggressive.”

So this offseason, in addition to putting up 500 to 1,000 jumpers a day, Koufos focused on being aggressive inside.

That helped him earn MVP honors in leading a group of Ohio sophomores to an unbeaten record in a tournament in Italy.

“That was a huge thing over there,” Greynolds said. “He played in front of 9,000 to 10,000 people, had little kids asking for his autograph.”

Then came the Nike Hoop Jamboree.

“From coaches I talked to, he just dominated,” Greynolds said.

Not that Koufos did much bragging himself.

“After the Nike Jamboree, we had a summer-league game the next night, and he kind of walked by me and just put a thumb up, like he did all right,” Greynolds said.

Koufos sat down next to his coach, talked some, but said nothing about the camp. Greynolds already had heard how well Koufos had done, but the coach played dumb.

“I finally asked him how he did, and he said he thought he did OK,” Greynolds said. “I said, ‘Yeah, OK. ... From what I heard you were the best one there.’

“That’s what makes it so fun with him. He’s humble, and he’s a great kid. When you talk to coaches about him, you don’t have to keep things to yourself or try to spin things. ... He’s the kind of guy I think every program should look for.”

As seemingly every program inquires about Koufos, he said his focus is on continuing to improve. He has the camp this week, and AAU nationals in Las Vegas later in the month. A college commitment is not something he plans to make anytime soon.

“It’s breathtaking when you think about it,” said Koufos, who just turned 16. “I’m so young right now, and the decision will be so hard when I get (there). Right now, I’ve got to keep my options open.

“And it’s a good thing I’ve got a great mom, too. She keeps track of all of that, and I’ve got a great coach, too. They both support me a lot, and they keep me grounded.”

You can reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail:

[email protected]


Several Stark County high school basketball players — from McKinley standout forward Raymar Morgan (senior-to-be) to Perry center Kenny Frease (sophomore-to-be) — are drawing serious recruiting interest this summer from college coaches around the country, as sports writer Chris Beaven reports in this three-part Repository series.

SUNDAY: Class of 2006. McKinley has not one, not two, but six senior-to-be players getting serious recruiting interest, making Memorial Field House the place to be for college basketball’s elite coaches.

TODAY: Class of 2007. It’s been a busy offseason for GlenOak junior-to-be Kosta Koufos, including the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis, playing in Italy and this week’s Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis.

TUESDAY: Class of 2008. Frease isn’t old enough to drive and has just one season of varsity basketball under his belt, but he already has a full-ride offer from Xavier — surely just the tip of the iceberg for this promising Perry sophomore-to-be.


Top prospects in Class of 2007


n Here’s a quick glance at the Stark County players in the Class of 2007 expected to get serious looks from major Division I college basketball teams this summer and beyond.

Player School Ht. 2004-05 stats Description

Kosta Koufos GlenOak 7-0 15.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg Good shooting touch, impressive all-around skills ... Could dominate if he develops mean streak

Michael Porrini Massillon 6-0 14.5 ppg, 5.2 apg Can take over game as scorer or passer ... Capable of triple-double on any night ... Needs consistency

Ricardo Wells Massillon 6-2 11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg Streaky shooter who can heat up in a hurry ... Overall game still developing, but is gaining experience

Dan Boudler Louisville 6-7 14.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg Prototype big man who does all his damage in the paint

Cory Berry Central Cath. 5-11 14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg Playmaking guard with a flair to his game ... Will have greater role this season

Morgan Williams McKinley 6-0 1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg Explosive athlete who also could have a bright football future

Leo Turpin McKinley 6-6 1.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg Rangy big man ... It’s tough for him to get minutes in Pups’ front court ... Enjoyed a solid summer

compiled by Josh Weir and Chris Beaven, Repository sports writers
 
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Landing Koufos is very possible, not only because he's from Ohio, but because of the threat that Oden could go pro after one year, thus starting from Day 1. Even if he doesn't go pro, he can go there and learn from the best for a year. Sounds like the kid has a lotta respect for Matta, mentioning him before Coach K and Bobby Knight.

Smart, tall, good shooter, athletic for a big man. Just think of that center combination... Oden and Koufos... the neo-twin towers?
 
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rivals.com$

7/6/05

Good Article about Matta and Company hitting the three major summer camps going on during July. The staff can evaluate from July 6-15 and July 22-31, with July 16-21 considered a "dark" period. Article touches on who could be the next addition to the 2006 class.

The following prospects of interest to Buckeye fans will be in action...

Greg Oden
Mike Conley
Daequan Cook
Jamil Tucker (could be the next verbal to the 2006 class)
Luke Harangody
Thaddeus Young
Josh Chichester
Raymar Morgan
Kosta Koufus
O.J. Mayo
Bill Walker
Keenan Ellis
Lance Thomas
Dallas Lauderdale
DeJuan Pursley
Aaron Pogue
Eric Gordon
Yancey Gates
B.J. Mullens
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
 
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Dayton Daily on Indy camp

Dayton's Brian Gregory and Ohio State's Thad Matta were among a slew of coaches attending the camp Thursday, and Wright wasn't the only rising junior to draw approving glances.

Kosta Koufos, a 7-footer from Canton GlenOak High School, has wowed coaches with his 3-point range and mammoth potential. He has grown three inches in the last year and has been told by doctors he'll sprout to 7-3 or 7-4.

He already has gotten a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes. And although they have one 7-footer on the way in senior Greg Oden — the jewel of the 2006 class — Koufos believes there's room for another.

"He's a year older than me, and he might go to the NBA (after his freshman season) or stay two years," Koufos said. "But they could use me at the 3 and 4, too."

A 7-foot wing? Don't laugh.

"There were many times last season that my coach played me at the 3," Koufos said.

Matta met with the media for the first time since getting oral commitments from Oden and superstar point guard Mike Conley Jr. two weeks ago. But coaches aren't permitted to talk about unsigned recruits — letters-of-intent won't be distributed until Nov. 9 — and Matta was understandably guarded. He did address recruiting in general terms. Asked if schools have difficulty attracting star-studded classes in back-to-back years, Matta said: "I don't think so. At the elite programs, that's what they do. Good players want to play with good players. That's become the trend. Guys want to win."
 
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From Sportline.com today:

http://sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/8630403/2

College coaches are saying ...



  • One of the fastest-rising players from the class of 2007, 7-0 Kosta Koufos of North Canton, Ohio, is the son of a pair of Ohio State graduates. If Thad Matta wants him, coaches are saying, Matta will get him. Don't be surprised if Matta wants him. Koufos is expected to reach 7-3, and future OSU center Greg Oden might enter the 2007 draft after his freshman season.
 
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SchoolSports.com (free)

7/8/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Ryan Canner-O'Mealy
Date: Jul 8, 2005

Top performances from Kosta Koufos, Anthony Gurley and Sherron Collins highlight the second day at the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis.
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3>

Total 2005 Summer Hoop Camp coverage

Not too long ago, Kosta Koufos wasn’t even sure he’d be at the Nike All-America camp. Yet there he was yesterday, going toe-to-toe with Seattle Prep (Wash.) stud big man Spencer Hawes and more than holding his own.

Koufos is a 7-foot, 232-pound center from Glen Oaks (North Canton, Ohio) with a deft shooting touch, yet can also mix it up in the paint. He showed both facets of his game yesterday, hitting a few jumpers and getting a few blocks on Hawes. And while Koufos thought he could have played better, Hawes came away impressed.

“He’s got a real nice game, with a good balance of inside and outside,” Hawes said. “For a 2007 guy, he’s got a lot of talent.”

Koufos, who models his game after Larry Bird and Dirk Nowitzki, is one of the hardest working players around. After he heard that Bird used to take 1,000 shots a day, he tried to do the same thing.

“I tried to do it, but couldn’t do more than 500, with homework and everything,” he said.

Still, the practice paid off. Koufos blew up at the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis last month, where his stellar play earned him an invite to Indianapolis. Here at Nike, his stock has continued to rise.

“The Jamboree greatly helped my confidence,” Koufos said. “Seeing that I could play with the best competition was a thrill.”

The people at Nike weren’t the only ones who noticed. Koufos has already received offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Xavier, Miami and Akron. Other schools to express interest include Maryland and Stanford.

For now, Koufos says he’s keeping his options open and plans to make a decision by the end of his junior year.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
 
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