Roy Bright

Visited 10/24. Verballed 10/26/03. Signed 11/12/03

10/14/04: Listed as the 47th best player in his class - Bob Gibbons' All-Star Sports Report

07/27/04: Listed as the 32nd best player in his class, per a consensus of five major recruiting services - RSCI

06/30/04: Listed as the 36th best player in his class. (Dwight Howard #1, Jamar #81, Brackman #103) - HoopScoop

06/09/04: Bright has a picture and blurb in the latst Slam Magazine.
"My mentality is, I ain't gonna let my man score". It includes a nice picture of a sneering Bright and a mention of the fact that his Mt Zion jersey already hangs in the rafters at their gym. There are only three of them there - one is Tracy McGradys. - Mike Ryan

05/17/04: Listed as the 18th best player in his class. - PrepStars.com

05/12/04: Listed as the 33rd best player in his class. - www.theInsidersHoops.com

04/06/04: Listed as the 58th best player in his class. - www.RivalsHoops.com

03/30/04: "Durham Mount Zion's Roy Bright and East Forsyth's Chante Black were named Gatorade N.C. high school basketball players of the year. The award is based on performance, academics and character. Bright, who signed with Cincinnati, averaged 17 points and nine rebounds. He maintains a B average, and participated in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program." - Charlotte Observer

03/29/04: Found the full box score for Roy Bright in the EA Sports All Star game - -
22 mins played
4-12 FG; 1-2 on 3ptFG; 0-2 FT's. Nine pts total.
8 off rebs, 3 def rebs, 11 total.
No assists, one steal, one block.


03/25/04: Here is a short game report from friend of BearcatNews WindyCat, who attended the game:
"Roy Bright looked very good. Reminded me of Herb Jones but not as good at shooting or scoring as Herb was. Bright is probably an inch or two shorter than listed height of 6-6. Fierce offensive rebounder. Nice 3-point shooting touch (occasionally). Very good defender. Had 9 points and 11 rebounds, many on offensive glass."

This game will be shown in Cincinnati on April 24th at 1:00 p.m. on Channel 12.

03/25/04: "I still think Bright is more suited to play as a combo/forward and get a lot of time around the bucket in college. I watched last night (roundball classic) and I have seen him with Mt. Zion and in the summers, I just don't see him as a natural wing and taking him away from playing in the paint is taking away from his strength, imho. If he gets it going inside first, his outside game generally follows, but when he doesn't establish himself inside, he struggles to score exclusively from the perimeter." - Eric Bossi - Inside Carolina

03/03/04: Mt Zion is listed as the 6th best team in the nation by iHigh.com. "The Warriors got 25 points from junior forward Brandon Rush in a 80-59 win over Camden Military and Roy Bright (Cincinnati) scored 25 points in a 83-78 victory against Prince Avenue Prep." - iHigh.com

02/20/04: Bright was >not< selected for the McDonalds Game.

02/18/04: PrepStars has their picks for the McDonalds All America team and Bright is included. They are officially announced tomorrow. - Mike Ryan

02/14/04: Listed as the 44th best player in his class. – www.HoopMasters.com

02/10/04: Bright was selected to play in the Sonny Vaccaro EA Sports Roundball Classic, which will be held March 24th, at the United Center in Chicago, IL.

02/07/04: Cincinnati Bearcat recruit Roy Bright has been selected as one of 22 players to play in the 2004 EA Sports Roundball Classic on March 24th in Chicago’s United Center. Bright will play on the same East squad with other notables such as Dwight Howard (likely NBA), Sebastian Telfair (committed to Louisville) , Dorell Wright (DePaul), and Randolph Morris (likely NBA). The head coach for the East squad will be Winchendon coach Mike Byrnes. Byrnes was Donald Little’s head coach a few years back. Bright is averaging 18 ppg, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals for his Mt Zion team. The game will likely be televised, but no info was yet available on specifics. Past players in the Roundball Classic have included Danny Fortson, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. There are over 80 players in the NBA today that have played in the Roundball Classic, or its predecessor, the Dapper Dan Classic. – Mike Ryan

02/02/04: Bright is listed as the 35th best in his class. - HoopScoop.com

01/11/04:
Shooting for success
Rescued from a dismal life, Roy Bright shows promise on court
By THOMASI MCDONALD, Staff Writer, Raleigh News Observer

DURHAM -- Roy Bright didn't want to go home. The nine-day trip to Kingsport, Tenn., was as far as the 11-year-old had ever been away from Few Gardens, and it had revealed a different world. Instead of hearing gunshots, he shot pool in his hotel. Instead of fighting with boys on the street, he played cards into the evening. And he showed great promise in leading his AAU basketball team to a 1998 national championship.

So there he sat, in Coach Dave Smith's driveway in North Durham after the trip, in tears at the thought of going back to a troubled family surviving from day to day in some of Durham's worst neighborhoods. "I got to thinking to myself that I could change my life, right then and there," Bright says now. "I was growing up in the streets, but I didn't want to stay in the streets."

So he didn't go home. He stayed with Smith, beginning a relationship that, six years later, has helped make him one of the most sought-after high school basketball players in the country. Bright, now 17 and 6-foot-6, is considered the best player to come out of Mount Zion Christian School since NBA superstar Tracy McGrady. He's headed to the University of Cincinnati this fall on a scholarship. And, unlike several of his childhood friends and cousins from Few Gardens, he's alive.

Refuge from violence
Most children expect their parents to tell them stories before they fall asleep at night. In Few Gardens, an East Durham public housing complex, Roy often went to bed to the sound of gunfire. "There were a lot of gunshots," he says. "At least two times a week." Drug-fueled shootings left a 5-year-old boy paralyzed. Gang violence killed a 2-year-old girl. Gunfire erupted on the basketball courts during the day and drug deals flourished along the streets at night. For the children, the refuge from the violence was the after-school program at the Edgemont Community Center, located on the Few Gardens grounds. On weekday afternoons after school, they would doff their backpacks and parkas and run to the center. Edgemont was a valuable community resource. About 80 percent of the adults in the public housing complex didn't finish high school, says Martina Dunford, the center's program director from 1992 until 2000.

In front of a building the color of dried blood, the rhythms of West African drums filled the air as children pounded on the instruments and others danced or sang. "Miss Sue from Alabaaama! Sitting in her rocker! Eating Betty Crocker!" they sang. One of the drummers was Kenneth Anthony Cox, nicknamed "Nugget," a favorite among the center's staffers. Roy would come around and drum on occasion, but his refuge, even then, was basketball. He and another cousin, David Lamont Cox, who was also related to Nugget, would go out to the basketball courts in the project's hardscrabble playground and shoot baskets in the rusted rims with the metal backboards and white nylon nets. "Basketball was all there was to do back then," Roy says. "We would play until it got dark outside." Now, David Cox and Nugget are dead. Nugget shot himself in the head in July. A few days later, David Cox was gunned down an hour after he was released from the Durham County jail on concealed weapons charges. "I think about them a lot," Roy says. "I think about what happened to them could have happened to me because I was pretty much doing the same thing. I could have ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mom's struggles
By the time Chevelle Bright moved to Few Gardens in the early 1990s with three children, the place was well on its way to becoming the Wild West of the Triangle's urban drug trade. With at least 60 percent of the households involved in substance abuse, Dunford says, the youngsters had a convoluted perception of drugs: Mom seemed happiest when she was getting high. Chevelle Bright, who grew up in Few Gardens, says that by age 11 she was drinking and smoking marijuana. In April 1986, one month before her 16th birthday, she gave birth to Roy and named him after his grandfather. "I don't know my father," Roy says. "I never met him. I don't even know his name." Chevelle Bright couldn't keep the home together. Time after time, she bundled the family's possessions and moved to another place to live, only to trudge back to Few Gardens. She was addicted to crack; at one point, Social Services stepped in and took the kids for 30 days, she says. She recalls that Roy, then 7, was angry about his living conditions. "Li'l Roy was mean," she says. The Brights needed help. For Roy, it would arrive four years later, in the person of Dave Smith.

The mentor is taught
In 1997, Smith saw a lot of himself in Roy. Smith grew up in a poor, single-parent household in Chatham County. "I came up kind of rough, without a father," says Smith, a stocky man who speaks with confidence. "I grew up quick, you know, educated on the block." He had brushes with the law as a juvenile and didn't really change until his oldest son was born. "I was just a thug," Smith says. "The kids, they changed me. They've helped me as much as I helped them. I tell you, man, kids will change everything you think about life."

Smith, who produces and sells hip-hop CDs from a recording studio in his home, was coaching the Amateur Athletic Union team; another youngster had moved into his house months before. Almost from the moment he started coaching, he wanted to help children from low-income families who could not afford the program's fees. "We recruited kids from every project in Durham," he says. After Roy's tearful episode in his driveway, Smith and his wife, Annette, talked with Chevelle Bright, who at that moment was living away from Few Gardens on Lee Street in East Durham. At the time, Roy was on juvenile probation for having a pocket knife at school, according to Roy and to Smith. "I told her I felt like if Roy moved in -- to be perfectly honest -- I told her I thought he could go to the NBA," Smith says. "He was the best 11-year-old basketball player I had ever seen."

It wasn't an easy sell for Chevelle Bright. But she relented after the Smiths assured her that they didn't want custody of her son. They would become his legal guardians. "I asked Roy and he said he wanted to give it a try," Chevelle Bright says. "It was his choice. I thought it could better his life." Roy's nomadic existence ended when he settled into the Smith home. He shared a bedroom with Brian Owens, now a senior at Northern Durham High School, who stayed with the family until his second year of high school. Modest as the house was, it made a big impression on the 11-year-old. He readily took to the organized family structure on Strebor Street. There were two parents in the home. The children were expected to do chores. There was discipline. Homework. Three hundred jump shots out back before supper. As the boys grew older, whippings with a belt gave way to laps around Duke University's Wallace Wade Stadium. "Coach has been real important," Roy says. "He showed me a whole different side of the world. No drugs and no police." And no gunshots. But Roy still had a lot of anger simmering inside. Sometimes, when he lost contact with his mother because of her drug binges, that anger would boil over. He got suspended "a lot" in middle school, says Smith, 39. Two years ago at Northern Durham High School, Smith pulled his son, Montez, now 17, and Roy off the basketball team because of poor grades. Roy and Montez were later suspended from school for being in a fight. "I knew it wasn't going to really hurt them if they didn't play basketball. But if they didn't get their grades right, I knew that would hurt them for the rest of their lives," Smith says. "Plus, I knew that was a way to get their attention. I swear I can threaten to kill 'em and it won't faze them. But if I tell them they can't go to basketball practice they're like, 'Huh,? Uh, what you talking 'bout?' " Smith has heard criticism that he's an opportunist trying to cash in on the talents of a young man who could earn big money if he makes it to the NBA.

Smith also raised a few eyebrows when he allowed Roy to sign with Cincinnati's basketball program, which traditionally has had a low percentage of its players graduate. Smith laughs at the suggestions of opportunism. "I don't believe a person can keep a kid six or seven years and not develop a love for that kid," Smith says. "There's no way you can exploit that kid. Your conscience won't allow it. Look, the greatest thing Roy can give me is to help a kid -- who ain't related to him -- in the same way I helped him." Roy says he doesn't feel exploited. He feels like a part of the family.

Two early deaths
Last summer, Roy was in Las Vegas playing in an AAU tournament when Nugget Cox killed himself. Eight days later, on July 16, David Cox was shot and killed while Roy was playing at the ABCD camp in New Jersey. The annual camp, loaded with college and NBA scouts, features the top 200 high school basketball players in the country. Roy was running the basketball courts and playing well enough to make the camp's all-star team. David Cox, 17, was running for his life after someone shot him in the back, relatives say. He died on the steps of his aunt's house. The slain boys' mothers, Tammy and Darlene Cox, both believe their sons might still be alive if their fathers had been around. David's father was in and out of his son's life after separating from Darlene Cox in 1992. Nugget's father was poisoned and died in front of him on the family's living room floor in Few Gardens when he was only 4. "It infuriated Nugget," Tammy Cox said about his father's absence. "He didn't have a daddy like the other boys to pick him up and take him places."

Roy had Dave Smith. After the problems at Northern Durham, he moved Roy and Montez to Mount Zion, a Durham basketball hotbed that attracts players from around the country. The weekend after Thanksgiving, on a Mount Zion team ranked second in the country in most polls and loaded with major college prospects, Roy scored 13 of his team's first 19 points and was voted most valuable player of Durham's Bull City Classic at N.C. Central University's McClendon-McDougald Gymnasium. In the championship game against William Penn Charter School of Philadelphia, Roy got off to a quick start. He routinely hit 20-foot jumpers, scoring 23 points. When Mount Zion's Mighty Warriors needed a defensive stop, Roy clamped down on Penn's best offensive player, Sean Singletary. "Roy Bright is one of the most explosive players in the country," says Don Fozard, Mount Zion's athletics director.

Eyes on the NBA
Roy has channeled his emotions into a controlled intensity on the court. Off the court, he's calm, polite, deferential. He wants to major in business or sports management at Cincinnati. Despite the talk about getting good grades and an education, he wants to play in the NBA, and soon. "I know I can come in right away and help the [Cincinnati] program. I want to play in the Final Four and go to the NBA after one year," Roy says. "I'm going to get my degree. I could get injured and I'll need something to fall back on. Basketball, though, has been a way out."

Talk about the NBA from a high school senior is a bit premature, says Dave Telep of Raleigh, director of scouting for TheInsidersHoops.com, an Internet publication that covers college basketball recruiting. "Does he have the talent and ability to at some point make money playing this game? I think he does," Telep says. "I think Roy Bright has done a pretty good job just going step by step, and I'll be interested to see what the next step looks like."

The 17-year-old prep star's success represents a lot of positive firsts for the Bright family. When Roy graduates this spring, he will be the first person in his family to receive a high school diploma. "In the whole entire family," Chevelle Bright says, "-- aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews." Chevelle Bright, 33, and Roy have remained close. He visits her each Sunday in a West Durham house for recovering drug addicts, where she now lives. She says she has been clean for nearly seven months. She spent Thanksgiving Day with her son at the Smiths, staying until nearly midnight. "I love them people," Chevelle Bright says. "They never turned their back on me. Even when I was getting high, they brought my son to see me."

Allowing Roy to live with the Smiths, she says, "was the best decision I ever made in this world. When I look at him, I think about a miracle God created. A lot of kids he grew up with are dead and gone. My son was headed in the same direction." Few Gardens is now gone; it has been demolished to make space for new public housing, which will be mixed with market-rate homes. These days, though, Roy Bright's mind is on other things. He hasn't been back to the housing complex since he left years ago. He didn't even know that it had been torn down.

The writer, Thomasi McDonald, worked as an arts teacher at the Edgemont Community Center from 1990 until 1995. He taught Roy Bright, Kenneth Cox and David Cox, among others. He recently returned as a reporter to tell their story.
Staff writer Thomasi McDonald can be reached at 829-4533 or 'tmcdonal' at newsobserver.com.

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01/09/04: Listed on the First Team, All North Carolina/South Carolina list by HoopScoop. Also listed as the best high school player in the two states.

01/05/04: "Behind the consistent play of tournament MVP Roy Bright and hot shooting of Albert Weber, Mount Zion rallied for a 65-56 win and its second consecutive Dell Curry Shootout championship. Bright came off the bench all three games for Mount Zion and was the team’s most consistent performer. He finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds in the title game and only he and Weber cracked double-digits for the Warriors." Bright was named the tourney MVP. – www.theInsidersHoops.com

12/30/03: "6'5 Cincinnati signee Roy Bright scored 20 points on 8-14 shooting, including 3-5 from beyond the arc, to lead Mount Zion (NC) to a 67-55 victory over Penn Charter (PA) on Monday night at the Slam Dunk to the Beach." – www.HoopMasters.com

12/30/03: "This might have been his best game of the year as he led the Warriors to their 11th win of the season. Bright played well in both halves and went 3-for-5 from downtown. The stroke was on and he did work going to the basket. He had 20 and he’s got big game." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

12/28/03: "Roy Bright led Mount Zion in scoring with 14 points. He had 10 and 5 in the first half and finished with 14 and 6. In scouting Bright it’s clear he’s one of the best starters in the country as he typically plays the first half with unbelievable energy and effort on the glass. Traditionally, his second halves have been less productive. He expends a ton of energy in the first half of ballgames." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

12/24/03: "I went to the Shootout in St. Louis earlier this month. I saw Roy Bright play. Although Rush stole the offensively I saw great stuff from Roy. He's a hard nose defender, anticipates where the ball going after a shot and positions his body in same fashion we're use to seeing the likes of Fortson, Martin, and Maxiell do to secure the rebound. He also runs the floor well. Roys very athletic and will be an excellant addition." - Alan, a tipster. Thanks Alan !

12/1/03: "Roy Bright, a 6-5 small forward out of Durham (NC) Mount Zion, enhanced his McDonald's All-American candidacy with an MVP performance at last weekend's Bull City Classic. In the title game, Bright scored 23 points (9-15 FG) and grabbed 9 rebounds as Mount Zion edged Penn Charter 75-69 in overtime to capture its own tournament title for the first time since 1999." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

11/30/03: "On a night when his touted team was taken to the edge by an upstart group from Philly, Roy Bright delivered big and led host Durham (NC) Mt. Zion to a 75-69 overtime win to capture the championship of the Bull City Classic. Bright, flanked by high-major prospects at every side, scored 23 points, heating up quickly and making some key plays in the final minutes to hold off Philadelphia (PA) Penn Charter. The Cincinnati-bound wing may be, along with Mike Williams, the most instinctive offensive rebounder in the senior class. Bright is very quick off the floor and has an uncanny ability to anticipate where the ball will miss. But not only does he score on putbacks, he also fires in smooth jumpers and finishes on the break. How quickly Bright is able to make an impact at Cincy may depend on his ball-handling, the weakest part of his game at this point in his career." - www.PrepStars.com

11/29/03: "Bright is a much more reliable 3-point shooter than most credit him for. In fact, he made his first three triples in this game. He’s also a good scorer who can do work on the blocks as he did. Finally, Bright can be a superior rebounder for his position and when he’s getting boards in traffic he’s even tougher." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

11/14/03: (snipped) "Bright, a 6-6, 225-pound swingman, is currently at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham. Last season he earned All-State and All-America honors at Durham's Northern High School after averaging 28 points and 12 rebounds per game. Bright has been rated as the 15th best prospect by Prep Sports, No. 32 by Blue Chip Hoops, and 33rd by Hoop Scoop." - UCBearcats.com

11/27/03: "The three newcomers who should help Mount Zion improve on last season's 25-5 record are Durham's Roy Bright, a 6-6 small forward who transferred from Northern last winter and recently signed with Cincinnati, and Kansas City product Brandon Rush, a 6-7 swingman who is the younger brother of former UCLA and Missouri stars Jaron and Kareem Rush.

Rush, whom Fozard compared to Tracy McGrady, averaged 26 points in the Warriors' four preseason games. "People ask me, 'How in the world do you go to bed at night?' " Fozard said. "But for me, it starts off the court with going to church and going to class. That's what I use to determine it. They know that if they strive in those areas, they'll get a piece of the pie. And if someone slips up, they know it gives an opportunity to the next kid."

Fozard said Mount Zion often might go with a three-guard set. "We'll do a lot of motion, pick-and-roll sets," he said. "And sometimes, I'll tell the guys to just go play basketball. We could win with just natural talent as long as we stay organized."

The Warriors are best in transition, Bright agreed, with Rush's dunks the nastiest on the team. "It won't be like we're showing off," Bright said. "That's the way we play. We're too athletic. We can't slow up." If Mount Zion wants to win a national title, this is the season." - Durham Herald Sun

11/13/03: "Bright, a 6-6, 225-pound swingman, is out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., the same school that produced NBA star Tracy McGrady. Bright, who also can play shooting guard and power forward, is rated No. 15 nationally by PrepStars and ranked 10th among small forwards for the class of 2004 by RivalsHoops.com. Kennedy says Bright will fit into UC's system well, because of his strength and aggressive playing style." - CincyPost.com

11/13/03: "Bob Huggins looks at Roy Bright and sees his type of player. "He brings great athleticism," the University of Cincinnati basketball coach said. "He's kind of like some of the old guys that really attack the glass. He's not a great pure shooter, but he makes enough shots that people have to come and guard him. He plays really hard."

Bright, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound forward-guard from Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., was one of two players who signed a letter of intent with UC on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period."

Bright is ranked among the top 50 players in the country by most recruiting services and was rated as high as No. 15 by PrepStars. "He brings the type of approach we try to instill in kids," said Andy Kennedy, UC's recruiting coordinator. "He won't have any trouble fitting in at Cincinnati. That was one of the main things that was very attractive to us." - Enquirer.com

11/09/03: Bright and his Mt Zion team will be playing in the The Shop and Save KMOX Shootout on Dec 11th in St Louis against South Kent (CT) Prep. – www.Collegebasketballnews.com

11/09/03: "UC expects to sign two players Wednesday, the first day of the fall signing period. Guard Vincent Banks and forward Roy Bright, who have committed to UC, are expected to make their commitments official that day." - Enquirer.com

10/27/03: "Once the official visit to Cincinnati was scheduled, it was obvious that the Bearcats would be tough too beat. Bright and Smith spent the entire weekend with the coaching staff and watched the team practice, which sealed the deal." – www.RivalsHoops.com

10/27/03: "Get this: The University of Cincinnati will get a player next season who looks forward to the wrath of Huggins. Roy Bright, a heralded swingman prospect out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., orally committed to play for the Bearcats after visiting the UC campus last weekend mainly because he wants to be pushed by hard-driving head coach Bob Huggins. "I've coached Roy since he was 11, and Roy has always responded to coaches who are more demanding," said David Smith, who is Bright's guardian and AAU coach. "Coach Huggins is a man who demands the best out of his players, and Roy respects that."

Bright, 6 feet 6 and 223 pounds, describes himself as a physical player and says he admires former UC All-America Kenyon Martin for "how hard he plays."

Bright, who is rated No. 33 nationally by Hoop Scoop and No. 58 by RivalsHoops.com, is the second player to orally commit to UC as a part of the 2004 recruiting class. Bright and former Georgia prep player of the year Vincent Banks, a top-25 prep-school prospect, are expected to sign during the fall signing period Nov. 12-19. That will leave UC with one remaining scholarship for the 2004 class, and the Bearcats will look to sign a post player in the spring." - CincyPost.com

10/26/03: "In Bright, Cincy gets an athletic wingman who can fill it up from almost anywhere on the floor. However, he seems most comfortable slashing or popping of the dribble. Defensively, he could improve, but most high school players slack off on D. He best attribute is his passing ability, making his teammates better.

Bright is huge get for Coach Bob Huggins and his staff. Roy is a very talented player who has been a member of the ABCD Camp All-Star game the past two summers. At Big Time, Roy was a huge reason the Michigan Hurricanes did so well. Just a few weeks ago Bright called for a press conference, only to call it off the day before it had been scheduled. It was widely reported that Bright was all but headed to Ames, IA, and the Iowa State Cyclones, but must have got cold feet at the last moment.

I spoke with Roy the same day he cancelled his press conference. He said that he wasn't 100% sure, so he decided to hold off. Plus a few other high profile schools had expressed interest when told that Bright was going to announce for Iowa State. I also got the impression that he was hoping to stay a little closer to home.

So, Cincinnati stepped up and made a huge play for Bright. The gamble paid off, as Bright has decided to accept their scholarship offer. It was a risk Cincy needed to take though, because they needed a perimeter player badly.

There will be those out there who won't believe Bright's decision until he signs, but I'm pretty sure he'll follow through with his commitment now that he's gone public with it. Cincinnati will welcome him with open arms. This is the lift they needed.

Bright has selected Cincinnati over Iowa State, Tennessee, Miami (FL), and Virginia Tech. He will join Vincent Banks, a point guard who attends Laurinburg Institute in Laurinburg, NC. They are both expected to sign during the early signing period, which begins November 12th." – www.HoopMasters.com

10/26/03: "Bright, who is a big time athlete, good outside shooter, and tough hardnosed competitor, is ideally suited to step into the spot that currently is occupied by 6'3 Sr Field Williams a year from now. The verbal commitment by Bright moves Cincinnati's recruiting class, which also includes 6'3 Vincent Banks from Laurinburg (Institute) NC, into a tie at #25, along with Syracuse, Arizona, Oklahoma, Duke, N.C. State, and Virginia, on our list of the Top Recruiting Classes To-Date for the Class of 2004, but even more important, if Robert Whaley, Jason Maxiell, James White, and Nick Williams all return next year, the Bearcats could have a potential pro at every position." - www.HoopScoop.com

10/26/03: "Roy Bright's legal guardian and AAU coach has had his eye on coach Bob Huggins and the University of Cincinnati basketball program since Bright was in the eighth grade. "I always felt like coach Huggins was the best fit for Roy," David Smith said.

Bright, a 6-6, 215-pound forward from Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., will have the chance to find out if his guardian was right. He made an oral commitment to UC during his official recruiting visit Saturday and said he intends to sign a letter-of-intent during the early signing period that begins Nov. 12.

Bright is the second player to commit to UC, joining Atlanta guard Vincent Banks. The Bearcats still have one more scholarship to give for next year. "I told coach Huggins this is the right place for me," Bright said. "I think I fit in and can help the program right away."

Bright is rated among the top 50 prospects in the country by most recruiting services. PrepStars rates him as high as No. 15.

Bright and Smith both watched the Bearcats conduct a public scrimmage at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday afternoon. They also watched practice after arriving on the UC campus Friday afternoon. "I told coach Huggins the visit was great," Smith said, "but the most important thing to us is what happens between the lines and in the classroom. He demands a lot, but at the end of the day, you know you're going to get better and you know he cares about his players. I picked up on that right away." - Enquirer.com

10/26/03: "Roy Bright didn’t need to come home in order to make his decision. During his campus visit to Cincinnati, Bright ended his recruitment. The Cincinnati Bearcats locked up TheInsiders.com’s No. 32 prospect in the country on Saturday night. During Roy Bright’s official visit with the Bearcats, the standout small forward from Mount Zion committed to Bob Huggins’ program. “To be honest, since the 8th grade we’ve watched Huggins coach,” David Smith, Bright’s legal guardian said. “There was a time when Cincinnati wasn’t recruiting him but that was his first choice.”

Bright had been getting recruited hard by Iowa State, Miami and Tennessee. Not long ago, the Bearcats made the decision to pursue him hard and wasted little time in getting it done. “After practice, Roy was sold and I was sold,” Smith said. “He works the kids hard but after practice he cares about the kids.” Smith thinks that Huggins and the staff give Bright an excellent chance to continue his career after college. “He can’t help but get better there.” He’s a big-time addition to the Bearcats recruiting efforts and a guy who will wind up playing multiple positions for Huggins." – www.theInsidersHoops.com

10/23/03: "I know for a FACT that he's Cincy's prospect to lose and that comes from a great source. If that changes I'll let you know but right now, the Bearcats are in the driver's seat." - Dave Telep, InsidersHoops

10/22/03: "After this weekend, the University of Cincinnati might be down to one remaining vacant scholarship for the 2004 recruiting class. Roy Bright, a highly regarded small forward out of Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., is scheduled to visit the UC campus this weekend.

If the visit goes well, Bright could become the second player to give UC an oral commitment for next season's recruiting class. At least that is the indication Bright's guardian, David Smith, gave Rivals-Hoops.com on Tuesday. "We're looking for a school where the head coach is in a stable position," Smith told the Web site. "I don't want Roy signing with a school and then the head coach bolts for another school. We want a school that has a history of developing pro players, and we want a school that can make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. "I think Cincinnati offers all of that. I really believe Coach (Bob) Huggins and Roy are a match made in heaven."

Bright, 6 feet 6 and 211 pounds, had been heavily considering Iowa State and Tennessee, but canceled a press conference last month in which he was expected to announce he was headed to Iowa State. He also is considering Miami (Fla.), but does not have a visit scheduled. Bright is rated No. 33 nationally by Hoop Scoop and No. 58 by RivalsHoops.com.

UC already has received an oral commitment from Vincent Banks, a highly regarded point/shooting guard out of Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina. UC has three scholarships available for next season, and the Bearcats are also expected to sign a post player." - CincyPost.com

10/22/03: "Roy Bright, one of the top-rated prep small forwards in the country, is scheduled to visit the University of Cincinnati this weekend. Bright, a 6-6, 215-pound senior from Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., is ranked among the nation's top 50 prospects by most recruiting services. PrepStars rates him as high as No. 15. "It's down to Cincinnati and Miami (Fla.)," David Smith, Bright's father, said Tuesday.

Smith said Bright could make a commitment to UC this weekend. He has not visited Miami. "It depends on how things go," he said. "It could happen. He likes coach (Bob) Huggins and the style that Cincinnati plays. He likes the players that come through Cincinnati."

Asked what kind of player Bright is, Smith compared him to former UC star Kenyon Martin. "You just throw the ball up and he goes and plays," Smith said. "He doesn't get into I play 'two' or I play 'three.' He just goes and plays basketball." - Enquirer.com

10/21/03: "If all goes as planned during Bright’s visit to Cincinnati, its likely that his recruitment will end. Smith and Bright are looking for a school that has some stability in the coaching staff and a school that makes regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament. “We’re looking for a school where the head coach is in a stable position,” he said. “I don’t want Roy signing with a school and then the head coach bolts for another school. We want a school that has a history of developing pro players and we want a school that can make some noise during the NCAA tournament. "I think Cincinnati offers all of that,” he added. “I really believe Coach Huggins and Roy are a match made in heaven.” Rivals.com ranks Bright No. 58 on the Rivals150 list and the 10th best small forward in the class of 2004." - (3 to 5) http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/default.asp

10/21/03: "We also wouldn't be surprised if Cincinnati gets 6'6 Roy Bright from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC, who is ranked #33 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP. If you will recall, Bright was down to two (Iowa State and Tennessee), but got cold feet right before it was time to make his decision and re-opened his recruitment. Miami-FL and Connecticut also have jumped into the Bright sweepstakes, but, if all goes well on his official visit this weekend, it would not surprise us if he made a verbal commitment to the Bearcats next week." - HoopScoop

10/17/03: "The 101-72 victory by the White team in the scrimmage was led by Roy Bright was scored 27 points 12-for-13 shooting. Like his teammates, most of Bright’s points came off powerful, athletic dunks. The scrimmage, played with running clocks and a pair of 15-minute halves, was simply a display of athleticism. He’s being recruited hard by Cincinnati, Connecticut and Miami. In fact, he’ll visit the Bearcats next weekend and Cincinnati is gaining strength by the day with him." - TheInsidersHoops.com

10/14/03: "Several weeks ago, it looked like Roy Bright was ready to end his recruitment. The 6-foot-6, 211-pound small forward from Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC., has taken official visits to Iowa State and Tennessee. It looked like Bright was bound to play for the Cyclones, but he decided to open up his recruitment and reconsider all of his options. "Nothing has been scheduled at the moment, but Roy will definitely take official visits to Miami and Cincinnati,” David Smith said. “I don’t really know when those visits will take place, but I hope they happen in the very near future. "We tried to get something scheduled for this next weekend, but Roy has a basketball scrimmage and some other basketball related things he must do,” he added. “Virginia Tech is also in the picture, but I don’t know if he will visit them or not."

Before Bright decided to reopen his recruitment, it appeared that Iowa State and Tennessee were the frontrunners. As a matter of fact, there was a great deal of speculation that Bright would eventually become a Cyclone, but that never happened. "Tennessee is still in the picture for Roy, but I have heard nothing from Iowa State,” Smith said. “Right now, Miami and Cincinnati are the only schools that Roy will definitely visit. We should know a lot more about those visits within the next week or so." Rivals.com ranks Bright No. 58 on the Rivals150 list and the 10th best small forward in the class of 2004." - http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/ (1 to 3)


10/06/03: "Bright, a 6-6, 213-pound BF/WF from Durham (NC) Mt Zion, said that the newest members of the ACC, Miami and Virginia Tech, have now become involved, and Mt. Zion coach Antonio Fozard said that Cincinnati also has started calling. "I haven't set up any visits with (the new schools) yet," Bright said. "Location does matter. I want my family to be able to come and see me play, so that's kind of a part of it. It will all depend on how I feel after my next couple of visits and talking with my mom and dad." - PrepStars.com

10/4/03: "Roy Bright now appears to be a near lock for Cincinnati. Cincinnati assistant Keith LeGree can flat out recruit and get the player his program needs." - Richmond Squire basketball

09/29/03: "Roy Bright’s recruitment is about to open up. Last week, while most thought he would pick Iowa State, he backed off and now other options are being considered. The wedding was planned and the ceremony was set for last Thursday, but Roy Bright got cold feet. "At the last minute, the day before the press conference, Roy came in and said that he wasn’t sure," David Smith, Bright’s legal guardian said. "Everybody assumed [he would commit to Iowa State] but somehow or another someone forget to tell me and Roy that. Tennessee was always in the running as much that I thought because the distance is always a question." And it was the distance the caused Bright to pull back on the Cyclones. ISU assistant Fred Quartlebaum had done a terrific job of positioning himself with the small forward. However, the total mileage between Durham and Ames was a problem. So what’s the scoop? Well, Virginia Tech and Miami are calling and pitching the ACC connection that much we know. How advanced is their involvement? "We’re just talking," Smith said. A good list right now might read Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Miami and Iowa State.

09/26/03: Listed as the 15th best player in his class. - PrepStars

09/25/03: "Our North Carolina/South Carolina Editor Brian Clifton tells us that the press conference that the press conference that 6'6 Roy Bright from Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC had scheduled for earlier today was cancelled and that out of nowhere the legendary Joel Hopkins, who was the head coach at Durham (Mt. Zion Christian) NC during the Tracy McGrady era and more recently was the head coach at Shaw University, has gotten involved with Bright's recruitment. And that's too bad, because suddenly it looks like the decision is no longer in Bright's hands. It also looks like Bright's recruitment may be starting over and, as a result, where he will end up now is anybody's guess." - HoopScoop


09/24/03: "Mount Zion's Roy Bright is calling off his press conference and keeping his recruiting door open. Bright, a highly touted senior forward, was going to verbally commit to a college today in an 11:30 a.m. press conference at the school's gym. Bright was expected to pick either Iowa State or Tennessee.

Several coaches contacted Bright after hearing about his decision, however, and that convinced him hold off on announcing his decision. "They've been calling all day," Mount Zion athletics director Donald Fozard said. The 6-6, 211-pound Bright is rated the No. 28 player in the Class of 2004 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index.

He sat out most of his junior year after transferring from Northern to Mount Zion and played this summer with the Michigan Hurricanes and Durham Panthers club teams. The transfer didn't alter Bright's academic track, Fozard said. Bright should graduate this spring." - Durham Herald Sun


08/29/03: "Roy Bright shined this summer at the adidas ABCD camp and with the Michigan Hurricanes at the Big Time Tournament and Best of Summer. He played in the ABCD All-Star game, scoring 15 points. Bright will visit Iowa State September 13th. North Carolina State and Michigan are two other possible visits.

Grier said that St. John’s is gaining ground on Bright. There had been rumors about him committing to Iowa State in July. The Cyclones have a good chance in the Bright sweepstakes, due to the presence of assistant coach Fred Quarterbaum. He was an assistant at North Carolina last season and he has kids who go to Mt. Zion.

Grier had told me that Connecticut, DePaul and Clemson were in the mix during the Big Time Tournament. However, DePaul received a commitment from 6-7 Dorell Wright and Clemson received a verbal from Cheyenne Moore. Connecticut was involved with J.R. Smith, who just committed to North Carolina. This could cause the Huskies to get re-involved. Bright left Durham (NC) Northern during last season and enrolled at Mt. Zion. He had averaged 28 points per game last season." - CollegeBasketballnews.com

07/11/03: "Roy Bright lists Connecticut, Tennessee, Charlotte, DePaul, Iowa State, Clemson, North Carolina State and LSU." - InsidersHoops.com

08/11/02: Listed as the 17th best player in his class. (Jamar 28th) - HoopScoop