John Riek

verballed - 8/2/08

Photo -
http://www.draftexpress.com/gallery/JohnRiek/1201489735.jpg

08/08/08:
http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=835388

08/05/08: "John Riek, the 7-2 Sudanese import with the 7-8 wing span who attended Our Savior New American and Winchendon - and then left before the end of the academic year to work out at IMG to prepare for the NBA draft - has committed to Cincinnati? I could have sworn Riek, who withdrew from the draft after tearing his ACL at Orlando NBA pre-draft camp in June, had an agent listed on his paper work when he was there. I hope I'm wrong about this one. Maybe the guy he lives with in Tampa is just a guardian. Still, to our knowledge, the kid was struggling with English and there is a question about whether his transcripts from OSNA and Winchendon will hold water with the NCAA clearing house - as well as whether his scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language test will pass the litmus test. The clearing house will have to be the final arbitor on this one. No matter what happens, Riek, who underwent knee surgery this summer, will not be ready to play until second semester. At this point, he is a work in progress and hardly first round NBA material, according to scouts who watched him play at Winchendon." - Dick Weiss, NY Daily News

08/04/08:
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080804/SPT0101/808040358/

08/03/08: "UC coach Mick Cronin pulled off a huge recruiting coup late Saturday night when he received a commitment from John Reik, a 7-2, 240-pound center from Winchendon Academy (Mass.), who was the No. 1 prospect at the LeBron James Nike camp in 2007. Reik, who left war-ravaged Sudan in 2006 to attend school in New York, has lived a hectic last two years, switching schools several times and attempting to figure out life in America, but he is said to have talent that could one day make him an NBA star. He should be eligible to play for the Bearcats in 2008-09. Reik, who will be 19 in November, withdrew from consideration for the NBA after it was discovered that he had an ACL injury. He underwent surgery from which he’s still recovering. Dave Telep, of Scout.com, said it could be six months before he will be able to play, but there’s a chance he could be ready in December. "John has worlds of talent as a shot blocker," said Telep. "There's enough tools there to work with offensively but he's got to get his body ready to play in the NBA." Would that make him a one-year player for UC? "Not necessarily," Telep said. "That's a perception that may not necessarily be true." Telep said that South Florida was also pursuing Reik, but credited UC with continuing to pursue him even when it appeared he was heading to the NBA. "He could mean a guy who protects the basket with the best of them in college,” Telep said. "Defensively, he can change the game around for you. Best-case scenario, he gets himself healthy and they have a guy who makes it very difficult for other people to score. He has a high ceiling. It's important to understand that his last year was almost a throwaway season. He's got to get refocused and make good on the promise he showed at the LeBron Camp." - Enquirer.com

08/03/08: "Riek had become a forgotten man since not being drafted this spring, but not taking an agent makes him eligible if he can make test scores in the September SAT. Riek who is also recovering from an injury is hoping to be ready to go in December if qualified in September. He has already submitted his international academic paperwork to the clearing house along with his American transcripts and should qualify if he makes his test score. There is no doubt that Riek who was one of the top five performers at the 2007 LeBron James Skills Academy has an immense upside & can become a dominant player in college in preparation for the NBA. Mick Cronin and his staff will have the opportunity to help Riek attain that lofty goal. He is a physically gifted talent who needs 1-2 years to establish those skills. - Hoopmasters.com

08/02/08:
http://scouthoops.scout.com/2/774845.html

07/05/08: "John Riek, who cited a knee injury in backing out of the NBA Draft, is hoping to land at a major college this fall. Riek had considered attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, but after undergoing successful knee surgery, he's targeting colleges, according to advisor Fatah Muraisi. Thing is, he won't be able to take the SAT until September, so he'll need a program that will take him long after the fall semester begins. That's not likely to be USF, but could a school like Cincinnati, which Muraisi said is on a quarters calendar." - TampaBay.com (USF Sports)

01/27/08:
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Getting-to-Know-John-Riek/

12/18/07:
http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/basketball/articles/2007/12/18/a_basketball_odyssey/

12/7/07:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/the_bonus/12/05/john.riek/

Other articles -
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/John-Riek-1317/