Daniel Ewing

SIGNED WITH DUKE

2/17/01:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/826320

11/18:
Recruiters hit jackpot with Willowridge trio
By SARAH HORNADAY Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle

With the Willowridge cheerleaders doing a cheer in front of them, T.J. Ford, Daniel Ewing and Kenny Taylor took a collective sigh of relief as they finalized the biggest decision of their young lives.

"It's nice now that it's official and there's no second guessing," Ford said. "This pretty much takes a lot of pressure off," Taylor said.

Ford, Ewing and Taylor play for the Willowridge basketball team, the defending Class 5A state champions. All three signed this month with Division I colleges -- Ewing with Duke, Ford with Texas and Taylor with Baylor.

While multiple Division I signings are commonplace for other sports, having three Division I players on the same team -- and at the same position -- is a rarity in basketball.

Even though they signed in November, the road toward signing day began during their junior years at Willowridge and moved into high gear in June, the first time college coaches could make phone contact with prospective recruits.

All three were ranked among the best senior guards in Texas. Ford, a point guard, came into the summer with a national reputation. Ewing, a shooting guard who will be used as a combination point guard/shooting guard in college, earned one by the end of the summer. Taylor, a shooting guard with one of the sweetest shots in the area, didn't make all the national lists but still was considered one of the best in the state. All three got what only a few special players get out of the recruiting process.

Basketball recruiting is an ever-changing dynamic. The best place to be seen isn't on the high school courts during the school year, but with a traveling team during the summer.

The NCAA wants to give more control to high school programs by shortening the evaluation period during the summer. But for many, the three weeks during the summer is their main audition for a scholarship.

The biggest stages are the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis and the Adidas ABCD camp in Hackensack, N.J. National tournaments in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla., also serve as opportunities for coaches to watch players that caught their eyes elsewhere.

The summer evaluation period is similar to a fraternity mixer. Coaches size up players, picking and choosing who they want to dance with. It can be an unnerving atmosphere for players who think they need to be a human highlight reel for three weeks.

The ABCD and All-American camps are at the beginning of the summer evaluation period, followed by large national tournaments.

ABCD was the first stop for Ford, Ewing and Taylor, followed by tournaments in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The players had a few days at home in between, but for the most part they were on the road playing every day throughout the month of July.

The ABCD camp lasted four days with two games per day. Three of those days at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey were in front of an audience that at one time or another included representatives from every Division I program in the country.

You name the coach, he was there at some point, dressed in something that designated his school. Everyone, that is, but Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who was in golfing attire right down to the straw hat.

As they watched games on four courts stretched across one gymnasium, the coaches were on display as much as the players. The coaches wanted to make a good impression as much as the players wanted to impress the coaches.

T.J. Ford was the underclassman MVP at the 1999 ABCD camp, which was his coming-out party as a top national prospect to watch. Alton Ford from Milby, now a freshman at the University of Houston, won the same award during his high school days.

T.J. Ford roamed the courts of Fairleigh Dickinson like a political candidate working a room of supporters. He had friends on every court and seemed oblivious to the throng of coaches watching him play.

Ford understands that how well you play at ABCD is all about rankings, not scholarships. He had nothing to prove at ABCD Camp and simply had fun. With an All-American team around him, Ford just played a role and didn't get into the selfish, offensive-oriented atmosphere.

"I don't think there's pressure," Ford said. "I've been here before and traveled a lot. I don't worry about (the college coaches). If I don't play well today, I'll play well tomorrow."

Though his statistics didn't improve from last season, there wasn't a coach at that camp who was swayed from recruiting the 6-foot guard. Texas had a single-minded approach about Ford that never faltered. Wherever Ford played, there was a Texas coach -- or two -- watching him.

"During that (three-week) time period, just by playing you're going to get noticed by some colleges," Ford said. "Make-or-break is for writers. They're the ones that judge you. If they don't think you play well, they have something negative to say. If you don't get too caught up in it, if you can take negative criticism, you will be OK."

Daniel Ewing played at ABCD last year but missed making the final day's All-Star game because of an injury. He wanted to make an impact and get to that game this year.

Kenny Taylor was attending his first camp. Unlike Ewing and T.J. Ford, whose names had appeared higher on national ranking lists, Taylor wanted to get the national recognition that had eluded him.

The first day of ABCD camp was a rough one for Ewing and Taylor, who were on separate teams from Ford and came to realize, if they didn't know already, how important it is to have a point guard of Ford's quality looking out for you.

Ewing scored eight points while shooting 32 percent from the field. Taylor scored four points and shot 28 percent, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range.

The games at ABCD camp aren't about winning for most players. They're about showing latest moves or simply showing off. So some find themselves competing against their teammates as much as their opponents.

Neither Ewing nor Taylor had many opportunities in their first games of the camp. That changed after the first game for Ewing, whose coach helped him get more involved in the offense. It was harder for Taylor to get more opportunities, but it wasn't hard to read the disappointment on his face.

"It was tough. You had to get used to how everyone was playing," Taylor said. "Once you get (the ball), you have to do something with it. It was fun, but at the end, it was getting exhausting."

By the last games in Los Angeles, Taylor was suffering from cramps and didn't even play at the end when his team won the tournament.

The breakneck pace of the evaluation period is another reason coaches use it as a tool, but not the last word, on deciding a player's worth.

Texas coach Rick Barnes, in fact, doesn't view the three-week evaluation as the pressure-filled audition it's billed to be.

"I don't know if I put a lot of stock in one camp or one performance," Barnes said. "I don't think coaches get enough credit. I try and evaluate decision-making, not scoring."

While the three weeks don't make or break a player, they can definitely set players apart. Though Ewing got off to a slow start at ABCD camp, he rebounded and earned a spot on the ABCD senior all-star team. That was just the beginning of Ewing's summer show, which climaxed with him being ranked the No. 5 off-guard in the country by The Sporting News.

Ewing played well in the Las Vegas Big Time tournament but picked it up a notch in the Double Pump Best of the Summer Classic in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, Calif. Ewing won the Best of the Summer tournament MVP as his team won the tournament.

After his MVP performance, he returned to Houston and had been back for less than a week before making his decision to play for Duke, which has two national championships and has made it to 12 Final Fours in 24 NCAA Tournament appearances.

"I think that helped him get Duke," said Daniel's father, George. "He exhibited he could play good at all three (events)."

Duke had shown interest the entire time, but Daniel didn't received the treasured phone call from Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski until after returning from Los Angeles. It was the one call Ewing was waiting for, and he didn't need much convincing to go to his "dream school."

In addition to Duke, Ewing had considered Arizona, Kentucky, Syracuse and Georgia Tech. He was faced with the dilemma of whether to choose Kentucky at ABCD Camp but decided not to make a hasty choice without his family around.

Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said he was recruiting Ewing and Rashaad Carruth of Virginia and would take the first one who committed. Carruth held an impromptu press conference and announced his intentions, in effect dropping Kentucky from Ewing's list.

There was no reason not to say yes to Duke when Krzyzewski called, and Ewing didn't hesitate, even though he hadn't officially visited the campus.

Ewing knows all too well the flip side of recruiting, when players court schools rather than vice versa. His brother Lorenzo, who is 10 years older, played at Houston Baptist and Louisiana Tech. His brother Michael played at Cisco Junior College.

George Ewing learned from the experience and made sure Daniel had opportunities his brothers didn't.

"We made a lot of mistakes, and we promised it wouldn't happen again," George said.

Both his brothers played in area summer leagues and participated in the Five-Star recruiting camp before their senior years, but neither could match Daniel's exposure. George Ewing shopped highlight tapes to colleges and called schools in need of players.

While Ewing's parents left the decision-making up to him, they did little things that opened the door for opportunities.

Ewing, who has a 3.5 grade-point average, achieved a qualifying test score as a sophomore. George Ewing knew that waiting until his senior year was too much pressure.

The Ewings also learned the lesson of exposure. The Ewings, who have seen less of the country than their youngest son, didn't balk at Daniel playing on travel teams, knowing the exposure would help his game and his chances of getting a scholarship.

Taylor's decision to attend Baylor was, like Ewing's, uneventful. He waited for an official visit to Baylor before he decided to commit, but it was an easy decision. He had thoughts of Seton Hall but wanted to stay closer to home.

Ford's decision was more complex. He had only four in-home visits (Texas, Houston, Cincinnati and Louisville), but assembling that list was an involved process.

The Fords didn't have any guidance through the process. T.J. is friends with current UH sophomore George Williams but didn't seek much help. He swapped recruiting stories with his friends, but the Fords trudged through the process systematically and alone.

Ford's mother Mary made charts of teams T.J. considered. She looked up articles on the Internet. She would investigate the players already at the school and those who were coming in. She gave T.J. mounds of information so he could make an informed decision.

She never told him what to do but gave her input with enough background information to make the FBI envious. She even came up with distances from Houston and the cost of travel.

"At times I got kind of mad, but it helped a lot," Ford said. "In the end, I knew what they were doing without them knowing. I could ask questions and make my mind up."

While Taylor and Ewing simply announced their oral commitments with a phone call or two, Mary Ford had different ideas for T.J.

She was ready to celebrate the decision with Ford's family and friends in Baytown. She worked for more than a month putting together a 100-page guide of T.J.'s accomplishments, showcasing all the college mail T.J. had received and also assembling memorabilia from the playing days of T.J.'s father and brother. It paid off when more than 100 people came out to hear Ford announce his college choice.

When all was said and done, each Willowridge player had gone about the recruiting process in a different manner. But they all proved that you don't have to follow the same path to get to your destination. - Houston Chronicle

11/15:
http://www.foxsports.com/highschool/basketball/stories/hs111500dewing1.sml

7/30: "COMMITTED to Mike Krzyzewski’s DUKE Blue Devils. Ewing visited Duke during the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions and the sentiment was that if Duke offered he would wind up in Durham." - Rivals100Hoops

7/28: "Daniel silenced (in the opinion of this correspondent) the critics who have suggested he suffers from an inability to create his own shot. Admittedly, Daniel did not exactly torch the "nets" in the contests I observed. However, the athleticism, ball-handling dimension, and aggressive approach necessary to create scoring opportunities on a regular basis were clearly evident. Defensively, Daniel occasionally lacks intensity. With that said, Daniel's physical gifts imply that future excellence at the defensive end may only be a matter of coaching and the correct frame of mind." - ACC Recruiting, Big Time Notes

7/22: "Texas star Daniel Ewing, who is HS teammates with Terrance (TJ) Ford at Willowridge, has pushed Kentucky off his list after they side-swiped him by going after Rashaad Carruth. Right now Arizona, Kansas, Duke, Syracuse and Georgia Tech lead Ewing's list of schools. The big question, however, is whether Ford will bypass Kentucky after what they did to his best friend." - FastBreak

7/20: "(Arizona is) making a strong push 6'3 Daniel Ewing " - HoopScoop

7/20: http://www.sportingnews.com/voices/mike_decourcy/20000720.html

7/18: from Dan Ewing's FastBreak mssg board

Q: What schools are at the topof your list right now ?
A: Arizona, Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Georgia Tech

7/16: "Ewing has had an impressive summer and it continues at the Big Time in Las Vegas. Daniel told us he eliminated Kentucky from his recruiting list when Rashaad Carruth committed to Kentucky. Remaining on his list is Duke, Arizona, Kansas, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and UCLA. Daniel plans to sign early." - ACC Recruiting

7/14: 7th best SG at ABCD Camp. - All Star Report

7/11: "The others that I thought played particularly well were Daniel Ewing, (6-4, Houston), who was extremely impressive the whole day. There are rumors that Ewing and his high school teammate, who is even more touted, T.J. Ford, a 6-foot point guard, both could be announcing shortly for Kentucky. That's one of the things that was going around Saturday." - Brick O. / CNNSI

7/11: "There are a lot of guys looking at Kentucky right now. Word around town is that Carruth is now a Cat, Daniel Ewing is leaning that way and others have it tops on their list. (TJ) Ford was the best point guard at ABCD, but I'm not sure if he is leaning anywhere right now. I will sit down with him at Big Time to get a better idea for you, but I think he is justing focusing on this stretch of camps for now." - FastBreak

7/10: Selected to the ABCD Senior All Star game, July 10, 2000 - Insiders Report

7/8: "Daniel Ewing showed today that he is one of the best guards in the class of 2001. Ewing really turned his game up today, just in time for all the college coaches to see. Daniel had two monster games scoring 20 points in the first and 16 in the second. At this point after 4 games played he averages 13 points a game and is 47.6% from the field. He also has a 3-point shooting percentage of 60%. When I had a chance to talk with him he expressed his desire to show well in these summer camps so that people would speak of him alone, not just of him and Terrence Ford together all the time. He thinks that the recruiting process is ok but expects it to get hectic later on this summer. Ewing expects to commit by September. Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Georgia Tech are the schools that he is interested in at this point. Out of those schools Kentucky, Syracuse, Arizona and Georgia Tech have called the most. He also said that Duke had called him a couple times. Ewing has a 4.0 GPA and has qualified. Another interesting note is that since the beginning of June Daniel has been working with former NBA player John Lucas. They practice twice a day on mostly shooting. The effort has certainly paid off. - ACC Recruiting Update


7/6: "Ewing, the 6'3 SG from Texas has been offered by Kentucky and Syracuse according to his AAU coach John Eurey. Eurey says that Ewing has early favorites in Kentucky and Duke, but gives us a list comprised of Duke, Kentucky, Auburn, Kansas, Syracuse and Texas A&M. Eurey said that " Daniel's father has talked to Tubby Smith ." Eurey says that Ewing is a great kid, student and versatile basketball player." - High Major Hoops

http://foxsports.com/highschool/basketball/players/daniel_ewing.sml
includes picture

6/10: Q - What programs are you currently considering? Ewing - "I like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Louisville."

http://www.thedevilsden.com/profiles/dan_ewing.html

6/8: Interview with Dan Ewing from duke.rivals.com:
BDC- What current collegiate player do you admire the most? Daniel- "I would have to say Kenyon Martin and Chris Carrawell."

BDC- If you could meet one individual-past or present- who would it be and why? Daniel- "Probably Martin Luther King to hear the positive things he had to say, and about the things going on during his time."

BDC- If you had the power to change one aspect of American life, what would it be? Daniel- "I would probably change the inter-racial conflicts."

BDC-- At present, what is your GPA? Daniel- "3.8"

BDC- What academic discipline will you study in college? Daniel- "I think I will study business."

BDC- What programs are you currently considering? Daniel- "I like Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Louisville."

BDC- Do you have a leader or leaders at this point? Daniel- "No, I'm still wide open."

BDC- What factors will govern your decision in terms of the program you ultimately select? Daniel- "How well I get along with the coaching staff, the environment, if they (the school) have major, and playing time."

BDC- When do you intend to sign with or commit to a program? Daniel- "I would like to sign kind of early to get it over, but I don't want to rush it. If it is not there I'll wait."

BDC- What facet of your game requires the most work or improvement?
Daniel- "Probably my mid-range shot or jumper."

BDC- What facet of your game do you consider your greatest asset?
Daniel- "Taking it to the rack."

5/27: "made an unofficial visit to Duke's campus while participating in the Bob Gibbons' Tournament of Champions. Word at the TOC was that Ewing loved the visit and would be extremely interested in the Blue Devils if Mike Krzyzewski's group decided to pursue him with some intensity. PA PG Brandon Fuss-Cheatam also made an unofficial visit to Duke's campus the same day. - Rivals100Hoops.com

5/8: "the #11 Shooting Guard in the class of 2001" - MidWest Hoops

3/5/00: Willowridge beat Carlos Hurt's Elsik team to enter the state tournament at 34-1 on the year.

12/30/99: Willowridge won the SlamDunkToTheBeach tournament over Philly's Roman Catholic, 64-58. The big difference in the game was Willowridge's relentless pressure early. Roman Catholic features top player, Eddie Griffin. - HoopScoop

12/30/99: Daniel Ewing and Terrance Ford have expressed an interest in attending college together. They list 9 schools including Cincinnati.