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SF LaQuinton Ross (Memphis Hustle - NBA G-League)

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OSU men's basketball: Matta adds Ross to class of 2011
Monday, November 15, 2010
By Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

LaQuinton Ross knew he wanted to play basketball for Ohio State, one of his coaches said, but he waited to make it official until he could visit campus and resolve any questions.

That done, the 6-foot-8 guard from Jackson, Miss., signed with the Buckeyes yesterday before leaving Columbus and became the fourth member of their 2011 recruiting class.

"He pretty much knew this is where he wanted to be," said Omhar Carter, the coach of Ross' Mississippi AAU team, "but he needed to see the campus and meet the people face to face. He needed to see about the school, how big it is, the academic side, what he wants to major in."

The biggest selling point, though, probably was 6-7 Evan Turner's development into the NBA's No.2 draft pick this year.

"(He has) a 7-1 wingspan, but he wants to play the guard position," Carter said of Ross, "and coach (Thad) Matta has a history of letting guys play their position rather than trying to (slot) them according to their height. And he allows guys to
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"He sees himself as a one-and-done," Carter said, "but at the same time, he wants to win a national championship."
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...matta-adds-ross-to-class-of-2011.html?sid=101
 
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With LaQuinton Ross' national letter of intent having passed muster in the compliance office today, Matta was free to speak about the fourth member of the 2011 recruiting class.

"I?m very excited about LaQuinton," he said. "I remember when he was in eighth grade, I saw him at the Nike camp and somebody said, 'Hey, you need to recruit this kid,' and I said, 'He?s from Mississippi. We're not going to be able to get him.?

"So times have changed at Ohio State," Matta said, with the Buckeyes being able to attract a top-shelf prospect from outside their region.

Ross' signing, though, was due to more than the allure of him possibly being the next Evan Turner. Matta said the program had no tie-in with Ross until assistant coach Dave Dickerson was hired in the spring to replace Alan Major. Dickerson had been head coach the past five seasons at Tulane, in neighboring Louisiana.

"Dave knew the area," Matta said, "and that kind of got us in there."

Matta called Ross "one of the best scorers in the country."

"With his size at 6-foot-8 . . . he gets to the foul line, he can make threes, he can post, he handles the ball and he?s long. I think he?s just a terrific player. For how we play, it?s a great get for us."

Matta did not say whether he was worried when Ross, who had committed to Ohio State in August, did not sign the letter of intent until Sunday, four days after the signing period began. Ross had said before he visited Ohio State for the first time over the weekend that he might not sign until April.

"His big thing to me was he?d never seen the campus," Matta said. "As much as we tell him about it, I don?t blame a kid for wanting to set his eyes on it. Obviously, with the weekend we had, our game (Friday night) and the football game (Saturday), it was just a tremendous, tremendous weekend for us.

"When you get kids here, this place is so fantastic that I tell them when they get here, 'Hey, just put yourself in the shoes that you are an Ohio State Buckeye this weekend and take it all in.'"
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http://blog.dispatch.com/hoopsscoops/2010/11/pregame_notes_on_big_sully_pry_1.shtml
 
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MARVYMARV14;1812292; said:
Dude reminds me of a slightly less athletic Tracy McGrady, and im surprised that he is not ranked in the top 15 in the country at least.
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I don't know that I would go that far. I do think he is a unique talent in comparison to what's been at Ohio State in the past couple decades - I don't think the Bucks have really had anyone his size (he's a legit 6'8" wing) who has his skill package, which includes the ability to create his own shot off the dribble as well as play off the ball and be an effective catch & shoot threat. I don't know how good he'll be defensively, but offensively he should be a great option.
 
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More agile and fluid than Dunleavy not as good of a shot but pure stroke, so I feel like his shot will come in time. But just reminds me so much of T-Mac with his creativity around the rim, confidence in his game and his handle at that height.
Depending on his coachability, he could be one and done, but he would more likely seal the deal with his performance come tournament time.
 
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MARVYMARV14;1813040; said:
More agile and fluid than Dunleavy not as good of a shot but pure stroke, so I feel like his shot will come in time. But just reminds me so much of T-Mac with his creativity around the rim, confidence in his game and his handle at that height.
Depending on his coachability, he could be one and done, but he would more likely seal the deal with his performance come tournament time.
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His quick release reminds me of Reggie Miller. Kid has some great range...
 
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His quick release reminds me of Reggie Miller. Kid has some great range...
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Yea his release is definitely closer to reggies than it is to T-Mac but go back and watch some of his clips and just watch his creativity around the basket his handle and his aura on the court he definitely has a presence to him.
 
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"(He has) a 7-1 wingspan" - that's nothing! If you watched one of the IU games earlier this year, the announcer actually said Guy-Marc Michel has a 8'6" wingspan. So he will really struggle shooting against IU :wink:
 
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Outstanding get by Coach Matta and the Staff. This kid looks to have scads of potential. He has a great stroke from deep, and handles very well for a kid his size. He will be a matchup nightmare.

Add to that his athletic ablility and length, and he could become a great defender, either in the zone, or man, and we know how Coach stresses defense with these youngsters.

I love how the Staff pulled this kid from Mississippi, by way of NJ, he opted to don the S&G instead of heading home to play with some boyhood friends.

The way this Staff is cranking out NBAers, not only one and doners :( but kids like ET who show potential early then are beasts after a few years under Mattas tutelage, I see this trend continuing. This kid will look awesome in the S&G. What an age we're living in as tOSU fans.
 
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Dan Guttenplan Staff Writer 12/01/10

LaQuinton Ross leads Life Center, hopes to be Ohio State's next lottery pick
Ross earned a national rep playing in his native Mississippi, but he came to Life Center Academy (Burlington, N.J.) as the next step toward is dream of playing NBA basketball

The Southern hospitality is the first thing you notice talking to Jackson, Miss., native LaQuinton Ross.

?No, sir ... Yes, sir ... I?m sorry to keep you waiting, sir.?

It?s easy to forget that this 6-foot-8, 218-pounder has spent the last four years getting showered with praise and accolades for his exploits on the basketball court. Ross, a senior swingman at Life Center Academy (Burlington, N.J.) is the nation?s No. 63 recruit in the ESPNU 100. He has committed to Ohio State, where he hopes to follow in the footsteps of recent Buckeyes Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and Evan Turner by becoming an NBA lottery pick.

Ross? humble demeanor may be attributed to his quick ascent from an awkward, uncoordinated middle schooler to a 6-foot-4 freshman who topped many of the national rankings for his high school basketball class. As a child, Ross had very little exposure to the sport. That changed when he met Mississippi Basketball Association AAU coach Omhar Carter at age 9. Carter, who has coached several Division I college prospects, including NBA standout Monta Ellis, doesn?t remember being overly impressed with Ross? first basketball experience.

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Photo by: Steve Boyle
LaQuinton Ross transitioned from a raw middle-schooler to an ESPNU 100 recruit, thanks to polishing from AAU basketball.
?There was nothing there,? Carter says. ?He was raw. Students in his school used to throw jokes at him because he was tall and long.?

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http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basket...Ross-December-Mag.aspx?pursuit=BoysBasketball
 
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