By Gery Woelfel | Posted: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 12:00 am
Those who rushed to judgment and said Johnny Clay wouldn't play for the University of Wisconsin football team this fall might want to reconsider.
There have been various media reports in the last couple of weeks that Clay, the standout running back from Park High School, had not met NCAA freshman eligibility requirements and thus would not be eligible to play.
Not true.
Clay has been taking two English classes at Horlick High School this summer and appears on course to gain his eligibility. While Clay and UW officials won't discuss the matter, I've been told Clay needs an "A" and "B" in the two classes to be eligible.
All indications are Clay will attain those grades, which are expected to be finalized by Aug. 7. Once Park officials receive those grades, they'll forward them to the NCAA's Clearinghouse.
If everything goes accordingly, Clay should be cleared to join the Badgers in training camp.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Clay was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation and chose Wisconsin over Iowa.
Haarsma heads West
James Haarsma is headed to the Coast, but not the East one as many expected.
Haarsma, who had made a verbal commitment to attend Army, said he has changed his mind and will attend Stoneridge, a prep school in in gorgeous Simi Valley, Calif.
Stoneridge is one of the premier prep schools in the country and travels extensively around the nation. Seven members of last season's Stoneridge team received Division I scholarships.
The 6-foot-6 Haarsma was an Association Press all-state second-team basketball selection last season after averaging 19.3 points and 9.5 rebounds a game for WIAA Division 3 state champion St. Catherine's.
"It's going to be a good opportunity for me to get some exposure," Haarsma said. "They play all over the nation. It's going to be fun."
Horlick's Wilson catches his breath
There are some basketball observers who contend Jamil Wilson has the potential to some day play in the NBA.
That remains to be seen, but this summer Wilson played an NBA-like schedule. As a member of the Playground Warriors AAU team, Wilson seemingly played every day this summer.
"I probably played about 100 games," said Wilson, who is back in Racine after playing in a tournament in Las Vegas.
Wilson was one of the best players in the state last year and is regarded as one of the best players his age in the nation. Wisconsin, Marquette, Purdue, Michigan, Duke and North Carolina are just some of the colleges recruiting him.
By competing against top-flight competition this summer, Wilson's game has grown. He also has grown physically.
"I grew an inch and a half," Wilson said. "I'm now 6-5½ without shoes."
Yi could be something special
When I was at the recent Las Vegas Summer League, almost everyone I encountered wanted to talk about Yi Jianlian, the Milwaukee Bucks' top draft choice.
And why not?
Yi, a 7-foot forward, has created a buzz by saying he won't play for the Bucks, although I'm convinced he will. Beyond that, Yi has the physical and mental makeup to be a special player.
Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak, who also was at the summer league, concurred.
"I'm a big fan of Yi's," Krystkowkiak told me last week before heading out to Montana for a little R&R. "It's amazing how fast he can get from one end of the floor to the other end of the floor and he has a nice shooting touch.
"He's very intriguing. I think he can be a great player."
Considering Krystkowiak is hardly prone to hyperbole, that's quite a statement.
Better selection
Now we know the "real" reason Yi Jianlian is balking at playing in Milwaukee.
Said Ma Jian, a former Chinese basketball star: "Of course, definitely, CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) and Yi's agents would prefer that he play in cities with large Chinese population. It will benefit both CBA and Yi; it will help promotion. And it will guarantee him better restaurants and perhaps better looking Chinese girlfriend."
Show me the money
Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback from Burlington, couldn't help but take notice of Marc Bulger's new contract. Bulger, the St. Louis Rams' quarterback, signed a six-year, $65 million contract last week. Bulger's agent is Tom Condon, who just happens to represent Romo as well. Romo is in the final year of his contract.
Around the horn
We should know more about Charlie Bell's status this week. Bell, who was the only Milwaukee Buck to play in all 82 regular-season games last season, is a free agent and, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein, is being courted by a "bunch of teams." Because Bell is a restricted free agent, the Bucks can match any offer made to Bell and retain his services. … I posed this question three weeks ago in this space, and I'll pose it here again: What is wrong with Rickie Weeks? … A couple of individuals told me UW football coach Brett Bielema went ballistic when it was first reported that Clay would be ineligible, a report he later sternly disputed. … It appears Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh has spent too much time in the California sun. Harbaugh had this to say about Pac-10 rival Southern Cal: "There is no question in my mind that USC is the best team in the country and may be the best team in the history of college football." Countered USC coach Pete Carroll: "There's no way I would have any way of understanding what that's all about."
Gery Woelfel is a sports reporter for The Journal Times. Gery can be reached by calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 322, or by e-mail at gery.woelfel@lee.net Read Gery's "Woelfel World of Sports" blog at www.journaltimes.com