Update: Cross gets JC point guard, HS shooting guard

5/13/2008

Coach Gene Cross has his first signed recruit. Ed Tucker, a point guard from Saginaw, Mich., who has played at Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill., the last two years, has signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball for the University of Toledo.

Another recruit, shooting guard Stephen Albrecht of Crown Point, Ind., has committed to the Rockets and his signed letter of intent should be arriving Tuesday night.

Tucker, 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, averaged 9.7 points and four assists for Highland this year. He had 2.6 rebounds a game and shot 50.5 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from 3-point range.

Albrecht, 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, averaged 17.9 points his senior season at Crown Point High School. He's known as a sharpshooter and reports out of Indiana say his grade point average is quite high.

I have been on the road for several days (brother's graduation) and just got back tonight, so I will put together a story on Wednesday for Thursday's paper on this with interviews from all parties.

Cross has at least one more scholarship available. If it's used I'd guess it will be on a big man.

Earlier ...

Something to watch over the next couple years in women's hoops

The college basketball coaching carousel is nearly over for 2008, with Ball State hiring a women's basketball coach in Kelly Packard

on Monday.

In reviewing the hires this off-season, the University of Toledo had some very qualified candidates apply for its women's position. I say that based on the fact that six of the coaches who didn't get the UT position have gotten a new Division I head coaching job in the past few months.

Packard and new Ohio coach Semeka Randall expressed interest in the UT job by applying. Others who applied or were contacted include Cindy Martin (Youngstown State), Darcie Vincent (Appalachian State), Erik Johnson (Denver), and Stephanie Gaitley (Monmouth), with their new head coaching jobs in parentheses.

Another applicant, Marcie Alberts, got a Division III job at Heidelberg.

I know I'll be following the happenings of these former candidates from afar (I guess I'll see the new MAC coaches up close) over the next few years to see how they do.