UNLV among many programs vying for Cory Joseph

By Rob Miech

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Official basketball practice at UNLV doesn’t start for more than a month, the first game is more than two months away and the NCAA tournament is way down the line.

However, this is a big weekend for Rebels hoops.

And Louisville. And Kansas. And Minnesota, Ohio State and Marquette, among many others.

Findlay College Prep point guard Cory Joseph’s mother Connie is flying in from the Toronto area, and she and Pilots coach Mike Peck will help Cory whittle his list of prospective college programs.

That is currently 18 or 20 deep. He will be able to take as many as five official visits. The early-signing period is in November, and many elite recruits opt for that window so they can focus on their senior seasons.

But the 6-foot-3, 180-pound floor general said he has no timetable. He could make a verbal commitment next week, without taking any official visits, if he is so moved, or it could come sometime in April.

“Whenever it feels right to me,” Joseph said. “When I feel like I want to commit, that’s when I’ll commit. Might be early. Might be late. Whenever it feels like I’m ready.”

Sponsored by former UNLV center and prominent booster Cliff Findlay, the Pilots, in their third season, won the inaugural ESPN National High School Invitational championship last spring.

They capped a 33-0 campaign by belting the vaunted Oak Hill Academy in the title game. Joseph averaged 10.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals last season. He shot 50.4 percent beyond the 3-point line.

The recruiting service Rivals.com ranks Joseph seventh in his class and among the top three senior point guards in the country.

During last season, Joseph said he made unofficial visits to California, Louisville and Ohio State. During the summer, he took unofficials to Connecticut, Marquette, Minnesota and Villanova.

Rivals.com also lists Arizona, Florida, Georgetown, Memphis, Texas, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech among his suitors.

Joseph said he attended a UNLV game last season, and he has visited the Rebels coaches and players on campus at least a few times.

Former Findlay players Brice Massamba and Carlos Lopez play for UNLV, so a connection is developing between the Rebels and the prominent national program in the Henderson foothills.

“Yeah, UNLV is definitely in my mix,” Joseph said. “I know a lot of people here in Las Vegas and get support from a lot of people. I try to give back to them as much as I can, even if it’s talking to people in the community.

“I have great friendships here. Las Vegas is like a second home. And I think Lon Kruger is a great coach. He’s a nice guy to talk with. I’ve talked with him a couple times. He’s a very good coach.”

Joseph plans to gauge each situation by the potential relationship he will have with a coach and the style that team plays.

Findlay might have a bit of an advantage, since coach Mike Peck’s system – hounding defense, up-tempo offense – mirrors Kruger’s.

“And academics,” Joseph said. “You never know. You always have to have a second option. I also want to see who’s coming in and who’s going out. Obviously, you don’t want to go where there are a lot of guys at your position.

“That’s what I’m looking for.”

Minnesota might have an edge because older brother Devoe, a sophomore guard, is a Golden Gopher.

“Everyone would want to play with your brother, ever since you were little kids,” Cory Joseph said. “But I’m open to many schools. I want to see what the best fit is for me.”

He met Kansas coach Bill Self and assistant coach Danny Manning when the Jayhawks tried getting Devoe out of Pickering High in the Toronto area.

“Bill Self is a great coach, and I’ve talked to Danny Manning,” Joseph said. “He’s a great guy. I’ve seen them before and they’re good people.”

At Louisville, coach Rick Pitino has been dealing with his own very public drama, which includes extortion and other allegations, over the past few months.

“Well, everybody has their ups and downs,” Joseph said. “Everybody goes through hard stuff. Programs have downfalls and upfalls. Basically, you have to stick with it, play hard and play ball.”

Joseph admitted that his big decision occasionally weighs on him.

“A little bit, yeah,” he said. “But I’ll keep asking questions, trying to know as much about the programs as I can. I’ll expand on my knowledge and go from there.”

He doesn’t know where he’ll wind up, but he’s already astounded by where the game has taken him.

He’s a defending national prep champion, and he played in junior national tournaments in New Zealand and France over the summer.

“I just knew I’d love basketball,” Joseph said. “I knew I’d keep working hard, but I never thought it would take me to these places. It’s unbelievable. I know I’ll keep working hard and keep getting after it.”