Arkansas Recruiting Spotlight: Razorbacks Add Three in 2010 Hoops Class

The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team is set to start the 2009-2010 season with eight players. One could say that things seem pretty bleak. However, Coach John Pelphrey is optimistic about the future. During Pelphrey's press conference this week, the subject of discussion was the five suspensions of current players. Most notable were the questions surround starting point guard Courtney Fortson and his indefinite suspension .

Talking about the current predicament Pelphrey and his staff find themselves in—going into the season with eight players—is something that many would believe would have a coach looking for the eject button. Is that the case with John Pelphrey?

No, during the press conference Pelphrey found time to talk about the future. He did not lament on the problems he faces today. He spoke confidently about where the Razorbacks will be a year from now, and how they are going to get through the problems that face them today and tomorrow. Hard work, good attitude, very good work ethic, and yes, discipline.

These are the things that will allow the players and staff to see the end of the tunnel. Hard work will garner them the support of the Razorback Nation, which can help create an atmosphere of positive change and an anticipation of great things to come with a ferocity rarely seen in fan bases. And it is all of these things that will get them to a new era of Razorback basketball; one that Pelphrey sees rivaling the great Razorback days of old.

That optimism and confidence Pelphrey exuded began today, because today the Razorbacks took a step towards a bright future with the signing of three talented future Hogs. The coach and his staff worked tirelessly to sign three high-character and extremely talented young men to letters of intent this week. Rickey Scott, Mardracus Wade, and Marvell Waithe are extraordinary basketball players and young men.

For those of you that know nothing about these new Hogs, allow me to share with you the story of three different young men all working towards a common goal. A journey of three young men all working to come together at the same place, and the path each must take to get there.

Rickey Scott

In Irving, Texas, Rickey Scott is in a gym working day in and day out to be a better basketball player. When Scott is not on the court, he is in the classroom working to raise his already solid 3.2 GPA. And when he is not on the court or in the classroom, Scott is spending time with kids while participating in the Big Dogs Program.

The Big Dogs Program is a non-profit organization that focuses on the mentoring of youth. B.I.G D.O.G.S., according to their website , stands for “Believing In God Depending On Gods Strength.”

On the basketball court, Rickey Scott is described as a relentless defender with rising skills and a hard work ethic. He has worked on his outside shot, which was identified as an area he needed to improve to be a complete player. He is a tall, rangy guard that projects to be a small forward or a shooting guard in college. Scott is rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, and received offers from top programs across the country.

Scott's coaches have spoken about how great of a player he is and the potential he has to be an outstanding player at the collegiate level. They believe a person like Scott, on and off the court, does not come around all that often. It is all the positives Scott dedicates himself to that will allow him to succeed as a Razorback in the coming years.

Recruiting and bringing a young man like Rickey Scott into your program gives a coach dealing with adversity, like John Pelphrey currently is, the confidence that things are going to change. Pelphrey likes to say, "doing things the right way," and Scott is the epitome of just that.

Mardracus Wade

In Chatham, Virginia, Mardracus Wade is sitting in front of cameras dressed in his military school uniform and smiling as he signs his national letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Arkansas. Wade is a long way from the streets of Memphis, where he grew up playing basketball and where he was first noticed by college recruiters.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?