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'12 VA C A.J. Hammons (Purdue Verbal)

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Notebook: Hammons draws interest at Oak Hill
Mar 4, 2011
Written by Kyle Neddenriep

A.J. Hammons may be playing out of state this year, but he's definitely not out of mind for college programs in need of a big man in the 2012 class.

The 6-11 Hammons, who transferred from Carmel to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) in the fall, has recently picked up offers from Cincinnati, Maryland, Texas and Virginia, according to Jared Quarles, his coach with the Spiece Indy Heat summer travel team. Playing in a different area of the country has exposed Hammons to a new group of schools, Quarles said.

"He went to a football game at Virginia and they've been really involved with him," Quarles said. "(Oak Hill) plays a little more of a national schedule, so he's been seen by some different coaches. He's coming back (to Indiana today), so we're hoping to get to Cincinnati and Xavier (where he also has an offer) to visit this weekend."

Hammons, who starts for Oak Hill, has also received more interest from Purdue, according to Quarles.

"That seems to be picking up some," said Quarles, who noted Hammons has offers from Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio State. "I think Purdue wants to see what they will have available in that class (with three recruits already committed) and go from there.

"We haven't heard as much from Indiana recently, but I know he still likes IU."

Hammons' mother, Alfreda Hammons, said she was able to see her son play when the team made a two-game swing through Tennessee and Kentucky in December.

"He seems to like it there," Alfreda Hammons said. "They travel quite a bit, so it's not like he's stuck on campus all the time. He was at a boarding school before (as a seventh- and eighth-grader at Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home near Knightstown), so that's helped with the transition."

Hammons isn't likely to make a college decision soon.

"He'll probably wait it out and see what his options are through the summer," Quarles said. "There aren't that many schools that play with a back-to-the-basket center, so he wants to find a school that's going to be a good place for a big man."
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http://www.indystar.com/article/201...0615/Notebook-Hammons-draws-interest-Oak-Hill
 
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Indiana big man has long list
Posted on June 26, 2011 by Jody Demling

A.J.-Hammons06111-194x300.jpg


Former Carmel (Ind.) big man A.J. Hammons is generating a lot of college interest but said he?s not interested right now in narrowing his list of schools.

The 6-foot-10, 275-pound Hammons said Minnesota and Georgia Tech are "showing me the most love right now."

But he also listed Cincinnati, Ohio State, Maryaland and Virginia as schools that are after him. He played last season at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy and will head back there for a second season.

"I am not paying much attention to colleges right now," he said. "I haven?t narrowed it down and I don?t know when I will make a decision, maybe the middle of my senior year.

"Everybody is in the mix right now."

Hammons said he had early interest from the Indiana staff but in recent months hasn?t heard from the Hoosiers, who already have five commitments for the Class of 2012.
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http://blogs.courier-journal.com/jodydemling/2011/06/26/indiana-big-man-has-long-list/
 
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Recruiting: Hammons hasn't ruled out Big Ten
Ex-Carmel center has benefited from Oak Hill's isolation
Aug 2, 2011
Written by Kyle Neddenriep
[email protected]

When A.J. Hammons transferred from Carmel High School to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) before his junior year, it left a 7-foot, 270-pound void in the state's high school basketball scene.

Hammons, ranked as the No. 90 player nationally in the 2012 class by Rivals.com, isn't ruling out a return to the Midwest for college. He said he would likely make an unofficial visit to Purdue before he leaves for Oak Hill again later this month.

"The Big Ten, that's my conference," he said while competing in the Gym Rats Basketball Association National Championship in Fort Wayne last weekend, which completed the summer travel season. "That's home for me. But I don't know for sure. I think the only place I wouldn't go is really far out west. You pretty much have to fly out there and I don't like to fly."

Hammons, who had never flown before enrolling at Oak Hill, has a number of schools interested within driving distance of Carmel and his new home in Virginia. Jared Quarles, his summer coach with Spiece Indy Heat, said Cincinnati, Dayton, Florida, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Purdue and Wake Forest have shown the most recent heavy interest.

"There are others, but those are the schools that have been the most consistent," Quarles said. "He's talked about being close to home, but I know there are some schools that he likes that are a little bit farther away, too. He's looking at it all school-by-school right now."

The simplicity of life on Oak Hill's tiny campus appears to have benefitted Hammons, who said he has never been in better shape and looks the part.

"Running miles and sprints," Hammons said of the routine. "Pretty much every other day is conditioning."

Though he admits it would be nice to get home a little more often during the school year, Hammons has some experience living in a boarding school setting. He attended Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Home near Knightstown as a seventh- and eighth-grader.

Alfreda Hammons talks to her son every Tuesday on the community phone at his dormitory at Oak Hill.

"The thing about being up there on that mountain," Alfreda Hammons said of the Oak Hill campus, "is that there is nothing else for them to do. There are no distractions. The only thing he can do is homework, play ball and work out. That's been good for him."

With a rare combination of size and skill, Hammons has realistic NBA aspirations. Part of the recruiting process is finding a college program that will help him get to the NBA.

"What we're trying to do now is give A.J. information he can use to make a decision," Alfreda Hammons said. "Part of that is to find a coach that can help him get to the next level. We want him to be with a coach who needs him and will use him. Does he want to go to a big top-25 college or does he want to play a lot? That's part of what we have to decide."

It's unlikely Hammons will decide anything before heading back to Oak Hill, although he could cut down his list of favorites soon.

"I'll get it down to five pretty soon," he said. "I don't know when it's going to be. I don't have Twitter, but maybe I'll have somebody tweet it out for me."
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http://www.indystar.com/article/201...7/Recruiting-Hammons-hasn-t-ruled-out-Big-Ten
 
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Big visit: A.J. Hammons of Oak Hill Academy made an unofficial visit to UD last weekend. The 7-0, 260-pound senior is ranked as the 15th-best center prospect in the nation and is rated 90th overall by Rivals.com.

He has scholarship offers from Illinois, Indiana, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Georgia Tech and Xavier.

He?s reportedly considering an official visit to UD in September.
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http://www.daytondailynews.com/dayt...-going-the-extra-mile-literally--1237074.html
Meanwhile, A.J. Hammons of Oak Hill Academy, one of the top center prospects in the nation, made an unofficial visit to Dayton on Aug. 20, and one recruiting analyst believes the Flyers have a shot at landing him.

The 7-foot, 260-pound Carmel, Ind., native is rated as the 83th-best recruit in the senior class and 19th-best center by Scout.com. He has scholarship offers from Xavier, Cincinnati, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Georgia Tech.

“Coach Miller has done a good job of building a relationship in a short time. A.J. is a kid that likes a small atmosphere, and Dayton is one of the schools they’re seriously considering,” said Brian Snow of Scout.com.
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http://www.daytondailynews.com/blog...2011/09/02/harris_coming_to_ud_for_visit.html

Oak Hill Center A. J. Hammons To Make Minnesota Visit Basketball Recruiting
by Chris Monter September 13, 2011

A. J. Hammons, a 7-foot, 278-pound center of Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy, will visit Minnesota this weekend. Hammons shot 58% from the field as he helped lead the Warriors to a 29-4 record and a No. 4 ranking by the USA Today. GopherHole.com recently caught up with Oak Hill Academy head coach Steve Smith to learn more about Hammons.

Hammons transferred to Oak Hill Academy after he averaged 8.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Carmel High.

Hammons helped lead the Spiece AAU program to a 10-5 mark in the Nike Elite Youth Baksetball League (EYBL) and an appearance in the Peach Jam.

Oak Hill is a basketball powerhouse, so Hammons was not the focal point of the team, but Smith felt that he is a key player with a good upside.
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http://www.gopherhole.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1476
 
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Center A.J. Hammons picks Purdue
October, 13, 2011

Carmel, Ind. native and Oak Hill Academy (Va.) senior A.J. Hammons will return to the Hoosier state to play his college basketball after verbally committing to Purdue on Thursday night, ESPN.com's Dave Telep reported.

"Purdue chased him since his freshman year and stuck with him the whole way," Telep said. "With him it's simple. A few years ago Gary McGee came out of Indiana and they had the same profile. The hope here is that Hammons, like McGee, comes around and turns into a similar player. He's literally one of the biggest kids in the class."
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http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncb...post/_/id/329/center-a-j-hammons-picks-purdue
 
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