Jermaine Bell

05/04/05: "Former Franklin High basketball star Jermaine Bell has been named an honorable mention JUCO All-American. The 6-11 freshman averaged 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks for Indian Hills CC in Ottumwa, Iowa." - Rochester Democrat

03/10/05: The word "Cincinnati" does not appear in a new article about Bell. - PrepStars.com

10/11/04: "This thin insider has excellent ball skills to create drive and ability to stop and pop jumper from arc to the hoop. This former St. John's commitment reminds me of Jonathan Bender in a lot of ways. He averaged 10 points a game this weekend, but look for some big numbers this winter for the Warriors. Majors will all come take a look at him this winter." Now listed at 6-11. - HoopMasters.com

Changed to 2006 player. He is now a Freshmen at Indian Hills CC, but is likely having grade trouble.

05/15/04: "Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) 7-foot forward Jermaine Bell has officially entered the 2004 NBA Draft, joining the ranks of the record 13 high schoolers who filed for early entry status. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names the draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than June 17." - www.theInsidersHoops.com

04/24/04: "Well-traveled 7-foot forward Jermaine Bell, a native of Rochester, N.Y. who has played just a handful of games in the past year, has decided to enter his name in the NBA Draft, according to sources close to the senior. Bell has yet to qualify academically to play in college and it's a long-shot the thin big man will be drafted, according to one NBA source." - www.theInsidersReports.com (drop to inactive)

01/19/04: "Memphis assistant coaches Derek Kellogg and Tony Barbee both have been mentioned as potential candidates for the Massachusetts job. . . . . And, if either Kellogg or Barbee gets the job, don't be surprised if right off the bat 6'1 Jamual Warren from Fitchburg (Notre Dame) MA and 6'11 Jermaine Bell from Fitchburgh (Notre Dame) MA both commit to the Minutemen. Otherwise, our guess is that Warren will either end up at Fordham or at Cincinnati as part of a potential package, along with Bell." - www.HoopScooponline.com

12/11/03: "One school that is starting to pursue Bell is Memphis, according to ND head man Bill Barton." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

11/28/03: "the big news that Notre Dame Prep Head Coach Bill Barton provided us with is the fact that 6'10 Jermaine Bell plans to re-enroll in school this week. We also confirmed this with Bell himself who was at the War on the Shore National Prep School Invitational Tournament in Milford, DE on Sunday, plus it looks like Bell is now the first player in history to have committed to and reneged on the same school (St. John's) three different times. Obviously this is not good news for Red Storm head coach Mike Jarvis, who will have to re-recruit Bell all over again. But it may not matter, because Bell may need the rest of this year and next year to make up the ground he's missed academically this fall." - www.HoopScooponline.com

11/25/03: "Bell, who turns 20 in May, was even contemplating going overseas to play pro ball, but opted against it for a chance to play college ball. "I’m going to try and stay away from home because that’s been my downfall," he added. "There are just too many distractions. If I stay away, I can stay focused."

Bell, who has had an on-again, off-again affair with St. John’s over the past couple years in which he’s committed and de-committed on a couple of occasions, says that the Red Storm are still a possibility. "They said they’ll still be there if I get my grades up," Bell said. "They are still one of my favorites, along with Cincinnati and Syracuse. I know this is my last chance," he added. "But I’m going to get it done." If he does, they’ll be no shortage of suitors lining up in Fitchburg, Mass." - www.theInsidersHoops.com

11/12/03: "Our information says that he’s not enrolled anywhere at the present moment and we can’t confirm he’s even in school. If he does show up, he’s a fifth year who snuck in on this list." (rank 74) - theInsidersHoops.com

09/11/03: "Jermaine Bell 6'10" PF/C Notre Dame Academy (MA)?? Some reports have him headed for IMG in Florida. He began his career at Ben Franklin High in Rochester and makes our list because of his play with the Juice All-Stars. Like James his strengths are the athletic tools and the ability to block shots. He also runs the floor extremely well. However he's longer and has shown glimpses of improvement offensively. His touch around the basket is much better but he'll get pushed around a bit at the college level. An on again off again commit to St. John's, he can help them if his academics and attitude are where they need to be. - NYCNJHoops.com

07/26/03: "Bell is very strong and athletic for his size. His team didn’t do a very good job of getting the ball to him, and he didn’t play as hard as he should have. Once he gets the ball within a few feet of the basket, he is going to score 95% of the time. I’m sure that his college coach will have him playing harder, and he should be a force to be reckoned with at whatever East Coast school he ends up at. With the exception of Arizona Magic star Lawrence Hill, Jermaine Bell outplayed everyone he went up against." - GoAZCats.com

07/02/03: Listed as 48th best player in his class. – www.theInsidersHoops.com

05/25/03: "Say what you want about his lack of weight – he doesn’t weigh 200 lbs. yet. But, Bell gets things done. He’s got a sweet mid-range touch and he challenges everything in the paint." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

05/05/03: Listed as the 83rd best player in his class. - RivalsHoops.com

03/03/03: "It also looks like the off-again-on-again verbal commitment by 6'10 Jr Jermaine Bell to St. John's is back on. Apparently Bell was at the St. John's-Duke game yesterday and prior to the game told a newspaper reporter that he does plan to honor his verbal commitment to St. John's." - HoopScoop

02/28/03: "Bell not only is telling people that he's wide-open, but provides a list of schools that includes South Florida, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Georgia, and, of course, St. John's." - HoopScoop

12/19/02: "Jermaine Bell is a 6-foot-11, 210-pound center from Rochester, N.Y., who has moved around quite a bit during his high school years. Currently, he is playing for Pendleton High School at the IMG Academy in Brandenton, Fla., and has been reclassified as a junior. Jermaine had committed to St. John's as a sophomore, but although the Johnnies are still involved, he has reneged on that commitment and is wide open. Bell has always seemed to have a problem putting weight on, but at the same time, he has always been an outstanding defender. He is blocking shots at one end and finishing with a dunk at the other. Recently he had 24 points against Chipola Junior College. He's stronger than ever, and most important, he is in better condition. Jermaine is receiving attention from Memphis, St. Johns, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Providence College." - Providence Journal

10/22/02: "Jermaine Bell has been around the block the past few seasons. Now, he's surfaced at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. IMG coach Mike Moreau usually gets the same reaction. It's kind of like "Oh, you have Jermaine Bell." Yes, Moreau does have Bell and the coach says the player is making strides. "When he got here he could barely get through a workout," Moreau said. "He had 24 against Chipola junior college the other day in a scrimmage. He's just stronger and in better condition." - www.theInsidersHoops.com

7/24/02: "Jermaine Bell might have committed to St. John's last winter, but it looks like he will be changing high schools before he ever sets foot on a college campus. Bell, a 6-11, 205 pound forward from Rochester, N.Y., told the Insiders Report/Rivalshoops.com that he plans on transferring to George Junior Republic H.S. in Western Pennsylvania. (This is the same HS that BJ Grove attended) A very skilled big man who prefers to face the basket rather than mix it up in the paint, Bell spent the past two years at Coastal Christian H.S. in Virginia Beach, Va." - www.RivalsHoops.com

Verballed to St Johns

5/21/02: Listed as the 43rd best player in the class of 2004 - Hoop Scoop

4/11/02: Six months have passed since Jermaine Bell moved south to attend a Christian school in Virginia Beach. Talking into a speaker phone at Coastal Christian Academy, Bell says he is making progress. The NBA is where he wants to go, and he believes his chances of getting there have improved since he left Franklin High in Rochester after two All-Star basketball seasons. Bell, once ranked among the top underclassmen in the nation, said last month that he verbally committed to St. John's University. But the National Basketball Association figures more in his current plans. "My goal is to play there when I graduate from high school," said Bell, who is 7-feet tall. "If I had the chance to go, I would." Bell said there would be little chance of that happening if he stayed in Rochester. He lives in Norfolk, Va., with two adult cousins. "I have my head on straight here," said the two-time All-Greater Rochester center. "Back home, I was following the wrong crowd. I was just being a knucklehead. "When my mom heard that this was a Christian school, this is where she wanted me to go." The level of basketball was what Bell was looking for too. He considered transferring to national high school basketball powerhouses in Virginia and North Carolina before returning to Franklin in September. A month later, Bell headed to Coastal Christian, an emerging so-called "basketball factory" on the advice of a relative. Bell attended summer school instead of basketball camps to stay on track for his junior year at Franklin. The officials at Coastal Christian looked at his grades and attendance and moved him back a grade. "We had to reclassify him as a sophomore," said Wayne Webb, Coastal Christian's athletic director and boys varsity basketball coach. "To pass him as a junior would've been an injustice to him." "I promised Jermaine and his mother that there would be some progress academically. His grades have been better each quarter. I think he's on the honor roll." Webb, 30, said that discipline "rules with a big stick here. I'm not saying I have the only one to get him there, but if he follows the program we have everyday, I do see him going to the NBA." With weight training, Bell has gained 10 pounds, which puts him at 200. A broken foot sidelined him for eight weeks at the start of the basketball season, but he still played in 25 games. He was on the court for about 15 minutes in each contest and averaged 11.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and 9.7 blocks." - Rochester Democrat and Chonicle

3/9/02: "The tallest catch was Jermaine Bell, a 6-11 sophomore from Rochester, N.Y. His cousin, a close friend of Coach Webb's, told him about the school after Bell tried two other basketball factories. Bell said he spent two days at Mt. Zion but didn't like the school. He was going to play at Oak Hill, "but my grades weren't right." He jumped at Coastal Christian when the option was presented to him. "I was getting in trouble back home," he explained. "I was just being a knucklehead." He lives with the cousin in Norfolk and is happy he became a Hurricane. "It's a big change in my life," he said. There are 19 players on the Hurricanes. Nearly all of the key players are from out of town." - The Virginian-Pilot

8/17/01: listed as the 27th best player in the class of 2003. - Student Sports (LeBron #1)

Summer 2001: Bell didn't play many minutes, but showed the physical tools to be a future star at center. He's tall, athletic, runs the floor well, and blocks shots--he just needs to add weight to his very skinny frame." - Glaxo tourney report, Volball

Aug 2000: listed as the 18th best player in his class. He was also listed as a 7 footer. - Brick Oettinger