Steve Lavin was 32 years old the first time he recruited Rico Hines, who was then a pretty good but not McDonald's All-American player from Saint John's at Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md.
The North Carolina native was the first of what ended up being a star-studded recruiting class that ranked second in the country, and Hines finished his career as a co-captain at UCLA.
It was part program lure, part a lack of any better offers that helped bring Hines to UCLA, but it was mostly Lavin's ability to win over not only the young guard but also his family.
"My mother loves Coach Lavin," Hines said. "She thinks he's a handsome man."
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Hines' NBA experience looks excellent for players who want to get to the next level. Dunlap's long history with AAU and high school programs in New York gives St. John's a boost. And even the hiring of Hicks, who as director of basketball operations is by NCAA rules not allowed to have anything to do with recruiting, gives the school an obvious pipeline to many New York-area recruiting hot spots, including Harlem's Rice High School, which produced Walker, Shane Southwell (Kansas State) and other top Division I prospects.
"Each staff member is gifted in specific areas, and they have complementary skills," Lavin said. "As a group, they mesh very well."
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=5489079