Arizona recruit standing out

Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson briefly stopped by Green Valley High School on Tuesday to check out his new recruit.

The Hall of Fame coach was treated to quite a performance.

Brandon Jennings, the top-rated prep point guard in the country, logged 24 points and seven assists to lead Belmont Shore to an 81-55 victory over the KC Cowboys in the Reebok Summer Championships.

Jennings, who will be a senior at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia this fall, said he enjoyed the opportunity to prove himself in front of his future coach.

"I wasn't nervous at all," said the 6-foot-2-inch Jennings, whose fallaway 3-pointers, acrobatic dunks and no-look passes appeared effortless. "I think I put on a show for him."

Belmont Shore coach Dinos Trigonis said that confidence is among the factors that make Jennings such a complete player.

"He's got a certain edge," Trigonis said. "But there's something to be said about believing you're better than the rest. Brandon's got it, and it's an important thing for the top players to have."

Considering his statistics, Jennings has every right to be confident. He was recruited by several of the country's top college programs after averaging 15 points and 12 assists per game at Oak Hill last season. He finally gave Southern California an oral commitment early in the spring, but later had a change of heart. A visit to Arizona in May persuaded him to become a Wildcat.

I committed (to USC) too early," said the left-handed native of Compton, Calif. "I just decided later that it wasn't the place for me. I took a visit to Arizona, I liked it and I decided to go there."

Jennings said Olson played a big role in his decision to reconsider his college plans.

"Lute is one of the best coaches in basketball," Jennings said. "And he lets us point guards go."

Trigonis said he expects Jennings to be successful at the next level.

"He's a central figure on this team," the coach said. "It's a great advantage to have him, especially late in a game. I think he's got a chance to do that in college. He's added a level of athleticism to his game this season and he has the ability to do more things."

Jennings, who is often compared to longtime NBA guard Kenny Anderson, said he expects to play beyond college.

"My goal is to go to college and not rush things," he said. "I hope to win a national championship. But when the time is right, I'll come out (to turn professional)."

However, Jennings still has another year of high school ball to play before setting out to achieve such large goals. But he clearly sounded ready to move on.

"I have nothing left to prove," Jennings said. "Hopefully in my senior year, I'll be the No. 1 player in the country and win a national championship at Oak Hill."