Recruit reaffirms LSU decision (4/16)

While it remains to be seen where LSU men's basketball 2008 recruiting class will rank once the upcoming season begins, at least one recruit said his plans are unwavering. Dennis Harris, a 6-foot-10-inch, 210-pound forward from Jonesboro, Ga., said he has no intentions of asking for a release from his national letter of intent, even with LSU's hiring of new coach Trent Johnson this past week. "I committed to LSU," Harris said. "Nothing changes with coach Johnson coming in." Auburn, Xavier and Virginia Tech were some of the schools Harris considered before signing with LSU in November. Three other high school seniors make up the Tigers' 2008 class, which is currently ranked No. 18 in the nation, according to Rivals.com. J'Mison Morgan (6 feet 10 inches, 275 pounds) from South Oak Cliff in Dallas, Storm Warren (6 feet 6 inches, 215 pounds) from Monroe, La., and Delwan Graham (6 feet 6 inches, 190 pounds) of Dunwoody, Ga., comprise the class. Morgan, a five-star recruit and the nation's sixth-best center prospect according to Rivals.com, remains mum about his commitment to the Tigers and has reportedly contacted other universities. UCLA assistant coach Donny Daniels left a message for Morgan shortly after LSU fired Brady, according to a February report in the Press-Enterprise. Despite Johnson's hiring, Morgan's AAU coach, Jazzy Hartwell, told the Press-Enterprise that UCLA has continued to pursue the Dallas prospect. "They call a lot," Hartwell told the paper. Hartwell said he and Morgan will evaluate Johnson before deciding whether to ask for a release. Neither Graham nor Warren have confirmed their commitment since Brady's firing. The pair of prospects are expected to stay on board with the Tigers. Warren, who lives with Richwood High School coach Terry Martin Sr., the father of current LSU rising senior Terry Martin Jr., was the final recruit to join the Tigers and the only prospect from Louisiana. After Brady's release, the elder Martin spoke out about his player's commitment to the program. "Storm loves LSU," Martin said. "He was upset by the news because he really liked Brady, but the bottom line remains that he wants to play for LSU." At his first press conference as LSU's coach, Johnson stressed the importance of keeping highly-touted, in-state talent in Louisiana. "Recruiting is building relationships and sustaining relationships and hard work," Johnson said. "There's no question that I - along with the staff - have to do an excellent job ... of keeping the in-state players home." Johnson, whose two head coaching jobs were at Stanford and Nevada, said he does not foresee any problems with recruiting in the South. "It's just about going back and talking and communicating to people and then having assistant coaches who are from this area, and that all takes time," he said. "This is the institution in the state of Louisiana. There are enough players to go around. We've just got to stop all the great ones from going somewhere else and stay here." If a player wishes to be released from his national letter of intent, the letter shall be declared null and void after not attending an institution for at least one academic year or attending an institution such as a preparatory school or junior college that does not participate in the NLI program.

---- Contact Shea Dixon at sdixon@lsureveille.com