John Winchester

10/27: "Despite several reports yesterday that he was re-opening his recruitment, guard John Winchester of Bonner Academy in Raleigh, N.C., said he remains committed to Tennessee. ''Everything's going to be all right,'' Winchester said. ''I'm still coming to Tennessee. What happened is that everybody here at school was telling me to go all these different ways. I was confused and said that I was going to back off for a minute. But my commitment to Tennessee still stands. That's where I want to go.'' Winchester called the Tennessee coaching staff yesterday afternoon to reaffirm his commitment to the Vols. The 6-foot-4 Winchester is the highest-rated player in Tennessee's recruiting class. Bob Gibbons of All-Star Sports Report has him rated among the top 50 prospects nationally." - The Tennessean

10/26: "Both NJ WG John Winchester and NJ C Eric Davis have left Raleigh (NC) Bonner Academy. Winchester actually get two mentions, because he also has de-committed from Tennessee, though the Vols remain a possibility." - PrepStars.com

10/25/01: "Sometimes, things happen to quickly. Last week, John Winchester announced his intentions to attend Tennessee. However, upon revisiting the issue with his family, he’s decided to reconsider. According to his high school coach, Marvin Reed, Winchester is re-opening his recruitment. “I called Buzz Peterson and explained to him that he had a lot on his mind,” Reed said. “He says he likes Tennessee and he felt as though he may have rushed the decision.” - BlueChip Hoops

10/5/01: "is expected to visit West Virginia this upcoming weekend. He has already taken a trip to Tennessee. Winchester has already indicated that his visit to Tennessee was a very good trip. It might be hard to beat the Volunteers right now but the Mountaineers have a shot at this talented guard this weekend. Winchester previously said he had been offered by St. Joe's, Texas, Miami, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Tennessee. But St. Joe's landed two guards over the past 48 hours and are out of the race now." - Rivals Hoops

7/22: Winchester did not mention Cincinnati in a list of schools he gave. - RivalsHoops

7/18: "One of the players who caught our eye at last week's adidas ABCD camp was John Winchester, a 6-3 WG from Durham (NC) Mount Zion. Winchester didn't put up huge numbers at ABCD, but he showed a lot physical ability that, combined with the exposure he'll get at Mount Zion this season, should draw attention from a wide variety of coaches. Actually, it already has. John's list contains a host of high-major programs. "My schools are Seton Hall, Maryland, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Villanova, Rutgers and a few more," Winchester told PrepStars.com. "But I'm still open to hearing from other people. I'm looking to have a bond with the coach, and I don't want to be recruited over," he said. He added that he'd like to hear from North Carolina and Arizona. Specifically, it's Winchester's athleticism that has drawn interest from all the coaches. He's a slender athlete who has a quick first step and is very fast in the open court. Not surprisingly, he also can explode off the floor for slam dunks in traffic. And his jumper isn't bad; John hit a few threes at ABCD and also looked for his shot from medium-range, though we didn't see him do much shooting off the dribble. Like so many players his age, Winchester simply must get bigger to play defense and attack the rim at the college level. He also must keep himself involved in the offense at all times, even when he doesn't have the ball. Winchester said that has no timetable for making a decision, but that he'd commit to the first school that "felt right." - PrepStars (3 to 1)

7/15: Winchester did not mention Cincinnati in a list of schools he gave. - RivalsHoops

7/9: Winchester is playing on the same team as fellow target Rob Hite at the abcd Camp.

7/8: "Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Rutgers, Michigan, Tennessee, and Cincinnati are all in the hunt for 6'4 John Winchester from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC via Bayonne (Marist) NJ." - Hoop Scoop

7/5: Listed as the 82nd best player in his class. - ESPN

5/14: "a 6-3 shooting guard/swingman from Marist HS in Bayonne NJ, is likely to be among the more highly recruited wing players in the Class of 2002. Winchester burst on to the scene in 1999-2000 as a sophomore at Marist, and enhanced his reputation as a sniper during the spring and summer with Jimmy Salmon's T1T Playaz program. Winchester said he is still wide open on schools, but says he has a strong early interest in Tennessee, St. John's, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Seton Hall, Villanova, Rutgers and Pittsburgh. Winchester is a dangerous offensive player who can hurt you with his athleticism near the basket and his outside shot from the perimeter. He uses fakes very adroitly to scoot past defenders, though he will need to continue honing his handle for the college level. Winchester averaged 20 points and six rebounds per contest this past season. He will once again tour the spring and summer circuits with the T1T Playaz." - RivalsHoops

5/8/01: "The 6-4 WG from Bayonne (NJ) Marist had a solid (and at times spectacular) weekend. An athletic leaper who shouldn't have to play second fiddle to Elijah Ingram in the TTP backcourt. Really nice three-point stroke -- including shots off the dribble, on the move and coming off screens. That enables him to score in bunches. A bit thin but nothing to worry about. Looking mostly at the ACC and Big East. Good kid with an 84 average in the classroom who scored a 910 on the PSAT." - NYNJHoops