Arkansas will get the first opportunity to host small forward Cameron McGriff for an official visit Sept. 4-6.
McGriff, 6-7, 210 pounds, plays for Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie and has scholarship offers from approximately 15 schools that include Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Miami, SMU, Houston and Oklahoma.
ESPN rates McGriff a four-star prospect, the nation's No. 19 small forward and the No. 96 overall recruit.
Arkansas' style of play and McGriff's relationship with Arkansas assistant T.J. Cleveland have drawn him to the Razorbacks.
"He gets my attention because he can relate to guys my age," McGriff said of Cleveland. "He's relatively young, and he's a real cool guy, just his style. He's my type of dude. We listen to the same music and things like that."
McGriff, who averaged 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds for South Grand Prairie, played for Urban DFW Elite during the spring and summer and saw the Razorbacks staff at some of his games.
He said he is looking forward to learning more about the program.
"Seeing how the guys work out," McGriff said. "The campus and the atmosphere. Get to know their tradition for basketball and the academics as well."
McGriff said he plans to take an official visit to Oklahoma State the week after making his trip to Fayetteville. Miami and Tulsa are also possibilities for official visits.
He added offers from Oklahoma State, Miami and Nevada after an impressive showing at the Adidas Uprising Summer Championships in Las Vegas in July. He said the extra offers haven't complicated his recruiting.
"Not really," he said. "I look to focus on the schools that kind of showed interest maybe early, and Arkansas was definitely one of them."
McGriff said schools that offer early often find favor with recruits.
"I think it has a big impact because they see a lot of potential in you, and I guess the coach really likes you and they want a relationship with you," McGriff said.
His mother, Octavia Goodman, will accompany him on his visit to Arkansas.
" She wants to see a lot of my games," McGriff said. "If I have to go out of state, I think she'll understand, but she said Arkansas is relatively close to where we are."
McGriff, who has a 3.2 grade-point average, said he plans to sign during the early signing period that runs Nov. 11-18. He said he might just leave his official visit committed to the Razorbacks if all goes well.
"Possibly," he said. "If I'm really swept off my feet."
ALL EYES ON WILLIAMS
Most college prospects usually have to wait at least until their sophomore year before receiving a scholarship offer.
Central Arkansas Christian sophomore guard Christyn Williams didn't have to wait that long. She had three scholarship offers before entering the ninth grade, with Arkansas being the first when it offered in June of 2014. Baylor and Missouri State followed soon afterward.
Williams, 5-10, has approximately 14 other scholarship offers from schools that include Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. She is rated the nation's No. 3 prospect by ESPN for the 2018 class, and she impressed college coaches while playing for the Arkansas Banshees in the spring and summer.
CAC Coach Steve Quattlebaum's phone has been ringing with the contact period set to begin Sept. 9.
"It's picked up a lot the last couple of weeks," Quattlebaum said. "We had calls this week from Kansas, Kentucky, UConn and a couple of more, so they're trying to set up times to come in and watch us work out."
Connecticut plans to visit the school Sept. 25.
Williams, a cousin of former Arkansas Razorback and world-class sprinter Wallace Spearmon, averaged 19 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists last season. Quattlebaum said her work ethic is strong and that she was such a frequent visitor to the school's gym that the school had to get another shooting machine.
"She was on it so much this summer we went and bought a new one, and she about wore the old one out," Quattlebaum said. "She would shoot for an hour and a half."
Quattlebaum has seen his share of talent in 20 years of coaching, but no one like Williams.
"We've never had one offered a scholarship before they played a high school game," said Quattlebaum, who has sent players to Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss.
AGIM'S DECISION
Hope defensive end McTelvin Agim will announce his college decision at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 5 during a family reunion.
Agim, 6-3, 268 pounds, 4.62 seconds in the 40-yard dash, will choose from among Arkansas, Baylor, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
ESPN rates Agim a five-star recruit, the nation's No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 defensive end.
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 08/25/2015