John Wall's so last year

Tim Stevens, our preps editor, had an interesting post on his Preps Now blog about Rodney Purvis, a local basketball player who has justed finished up his eighth grade and is getting wide notice for his skills.  I'm expecting that recruiting sites on the internet will eventually start scouting promising third graders with exceptional crossover moves and quick first step.

This is the skinny from HoopsReport.com:  "Rodney Purvis-I can’t believe he is only an 8th grade. Nice looking prospect." 

There you have it. Rodney Purvis, projected high NBA draft choice in 2014 or so.

Seriously, one of the things Tim always tells me is that you can never, ever, tell what's going to happen to some promising 14-15-year-old.  Some kids just develop earlier, but then plateau, and don't amount to anything special. Some talented kids don't want to work hard and fall by the wayside, and never make it to college because of poor grades and a bad attitude.  The guys who eventually make it to Division 1 programs and to the NBA are not always the most talented basketball players on the planet. The playgrounds are filled with great players who lack the discipline and the mental toughness to stay in school, follow the rules and keep away from trouble.

So making any kind of projections about 8th graders is a dicey proposition at best.