Word today from Scout.com that Turkish center Enes Kanter (our profile here) is opening up his recruitment and looking at other schools. I’ve not spoken to Enes myself, but his words to Scout are pretty clear.

Enes claims he doesn’t know a lot about the NCAA and wants to explore his options. (WHAT-ever, Enes!)

Percy Allen has some more here. This is a bummer for the Dawgs, obviously. Unless. . .

It’s a total bummer unless Terrence Jones announces in just a few short weeks that he’s coming to play at UW. We’ll see, but a source told me today that he’s heard that UW is the frontrunner for Terrence. I can’t let my hopes get up any higher, so I’ll just say that I’m cautiously optimistic.

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And, of course, the day’s other big news is the possibility of the Pac-10 expanding to 12 schools.

I don’t know what to think yet. My initial reaction is that I like the Thursday/Saturday, home-and-home style of the Pac-10 schedule. I’ll wait for this to come to pass, and for concrete details to emerge, before giving any more opinion on this.

What do YOU think of Pac-10 expansion? Would love to hear thoughts from the readers on this. . . Let me know, and thanks for coming!

Kanter is the highly-touted center prospect who, in a complete surprise to most fans, announced about a month ago that he’d be playing at Montlake next season.

Here’s our profile of Kanter, including some coverage of the eligibility issues that may prevent Kanter from playing from day one next season.

As far as whether Kanter has signed his LOI (letter of intent). . . No, he hasn’t. There are two periods to sign: the early period (November 11 – 18, 2009) and the regular signing period (April 14 – May 19, 2010). Kanter announced he’d be playing for the Dawgs a few days after the early signing period ended, so he won’t be able to make it official until April, 2010.

A few of you have expressed concern over the possibility of Kanter backing out of his commitment prior to signing. Is it possible that Kanter could change his mind? Of course.

That said, I have ZERO information that would lead me to believe anything is in the works, or that there’s anything to be concerned about.

As of now, next year’s Husky frontcourt is looking A-OK to me!

Thanks for coming!

Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

Drew Gordon, UCLA’s third leading scorer, and top post presence, left the team today. The 6’8″ forward will transfer to another school where he’ll play next year unless he opts (to try) to be drafted by an NBA team.

A source told ESPN that it was a mutual parting due to behavior by Gordon that was detrimental to the team. Gordon has been known as an emotional player, and Coach Ben Howland said that this had been in the air for weeks and was not a spur of the moment decision.

What this means for the Dawgs:

First, this is another kick to a UCLA team that is clearly down right now. I’ve been in the “they’ll get better” camp, even though the record stands now at 2-4 with a couple of really bad losses. They might still get better. Basketball is a sport where “addition by subtraction” really does exist because it’s such a chemistry-based sport. If Gordon were truly a negative force in the locker room, replacing his production may prove easier than it looks. That said, I don’t think UCLA can be looked upon, at this point, as any threat to contend for a conference title.

Gordon will be able to help whichever school he chooses. He talents are undeniable, and the coach who can reign him in will reap the benefits. Interestingly enough, the final four schools he chose from as the #9-ranked power forward prospect in 2008: Arizona, Cal, UCLA, and. . . UW. I have nothing else to go on regarding whether there’s any chance he’d come to Seattle, nor any sense of whether the coaching staff would want him next January. But, it’s certainly interesting.

Repeat: Nothing to go on saying Gordon is coming to UW. And, truth be told, both Arizona and Cal have more need for a big man in 2010 than UW does at this point with the recent news that Enes Kanter is coming to town. But, still… In the world of Romar Math, anything can happen, right?

Thanks for coming!

I’ve actually wondered for a while what might happen if some big Husky news happened while I was indisposed, and got my answer today. You are all awesome, and I appreciate all the heads-up.

Kanter indeed has, according to several reports and quotes from his coach, given his verbal to the Huskies. This is amazing news. Here’s what we’ve got on Kanter:

Vital stats:

• Kanter was born in Switzerland, but is of Turkish descent.
• He’s about 6’10, 245 lbs., and 17 years-old.
• He’s currently playing for Stoneridge Prep, and played with Turkish professional team Fenerbahçe Ülker before that, however he did not accept payment for playing.
• ESPN calls him the #9 center in the 2010 class, and Scout.com projects him as the #7 center.
• Purely based on his skill, size and age (not anything Enes has actually said), Kanter is considered a candidate to be a “one-and-done” player by the two most authoritative sites on the matter, NBADraftnet and DraftExpress.
• Kanter dominated the under-18 European Championships, averaging 18.6 points and 16.4 rebounds per game.

Scouting report (courtesy ESPN/Scouts, Inc.):

I’ve never seen Kanter play, but here’s the most thorough scouting report I’ve read:

Kanter is a fundamentally sound basketball player with a high basketball IQ. Enes scores the basketball all over the floor and is an efficient player in the post. When in the post, Enes is patient and reads what the defense is giving him. He does a great job of establishing deep post position and loves to create contact with his opponent. Enes uses a drop step or step through move in the post, as well as, two dribble drop baseline moves from both sides of the floor. He is always on two feet when going to finish and keeps the ball chinned while completing his moves in the post. Enes finishes his lay-ups above the rim; occasionally, he will dunk. Enes is comfortable knocking down the three-point shot as the trail post or picking and popping in the half court offense. He will rebound the basketball at its highest point and goes outside of his body to grab a number of rebounds. His physical traits plus his feel for the game will allow him to be an excellent player at the high major level.

What this means for the Huskies:

After losing out on Josh Smith, and not getting Terrence Jones in the early signing period, this is huge for the Dawgs.

Kanter is ranked nearly as high as Smith is by many of the scouts that follow high school hoops closely. The big thing I’m reading that Kanter may have above Smith is his versatility, and ability to face up to the basket. For all we know, Kanter could be a better fit than Smith for the Huskies.

There is a chance, depending on a forthcoming ruling from the NCAA, that Kanter would be ineligible for a number of games next season.

This puts the Huskies in a great position for next season, as their perceived weakness from this year will be much addressed. Assuming Tyreese Breshers continues to show the same level of promise, he, MBA, Gant and Kanter could be a force in the post in 2010/2011. Add that to another year of Isaiah, Abdul and Venoy in the backcourt, and a combo of J-Hol, Elston, Desmond Simmons, C.J., and Scott Suggs should be (at least) serviceable on the wing.

What this means for Terrence Jones:

This makes the Huskies pursuit of Terrence Jones more interesting, as it projects to leave them without room for him. If no one leaves the team before then, the Huskies will return 11 scholarship players next year. With the addition of Simmons and Kanter, they’ll be at the maximum of 13 scholarships. If Jones signs with Huskies, something will have to give. A few possibilities:

• Sad as it would make me, Isaiah Thomas could wind up leaving for the NBA.
• Someone could choose to (or be asked to) transfer.
• A player could choose to (or be asked to) pay his own way.

Anyhow, this is the special “Romar Math,” that people talk about, and things ultimately seem to work out, so I’m going to continue to view the concept of landing Terrence Jones as a 100% good thing.

Extra reading:

The Zagsblog story on the signing with plenty of praise for Kanter.

Here’s Percy Allen’s article on the signing for the Times.

An ESPN profile of Kanter, called “Meet Enes Kanter,” focusing on his Euroleague debut.

Another ESPN article from today about Kanter’s impressive performance at the Impact Basketball Academy Classic.

Video clips of Kanter:

Thanks for coming!