Miner Rush, a UTEP Miners community

Houston's CBS affiliate provides a preview to Saturday's UTEP @ Houston game.

We knew it was a done deal, but it's nice to hear the "letters have arrived" at Tim Floyd's office. Harris definitely has eligibility concerns, but there's no way Tim Floyd would be recruiting him if he wasn't positive he would be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. KTSM has also confirmed that Harris will have four years of eligibility with UTEP. It's not clear if he will have to sit out next season, per NCAA transfer rules, since he did not play in any games last season with Georgia State. KTSM also confirms that William Small, Harris' recruiter at Georgia State, will join Tim Floyd at UTEP but the article wasn't clear in what capacity he will serve. He won't be UTEP's Director of Basketball Operations, as that spot has been filled by former Floyd player (USC Forward) Keith Wilkinson. So, it appears Small will be an assistant coach and/or recruiting coordinator. Small has 16 years of coaching experience and it's all in the southeast. He's coached at Southeastern Louisiana, Troy, Western Kentucky (where he's credited with signing Courtney Lee who's now with the New Jersey Nets), Tulane, and most recently Georgia State. At Georgia State, Small was the lead recruiter of Harris and three star forward James Vincent. If Small could consistently sign 3 and 4 star recruits to the Colonial Athletic Association's Georgia State, I can't even begin to imagine what he might be able to bring to UTEP. So far, with Harris coming along with him, he's off to a good start in El Paso. Also, in news that slipped through the cracks seemingly everywhere else, John Bohannon, of Lancaster, has also signed on the dotted line. These signings give UTEP a 6'9 center who physically is ready to play immediately and a 6'10 freshman who has seemingly endless upside. Bohannon was the star of Tony Barbee's final recruiting class and it was vital that Floyd keep him committed. With Jamison Stearns and Darrious Curry out of the picture, the only Miner recruit unaccounted for is Matt Korcheck, a 6'9 center out of Sabino High School in Tucson. Scout has Korcheck rated as the #29 center prospect in this year's class. On April 14, Bill Knight reported that Korcheck is "still with the Miners" but I have not found confirmation that he's made it official. If he does sign, or has, the Miners will be set in the post in 2012. Exciting times.

The Miners basketball team has lost their second Tony Barbee signee in a matter of days, this time it's Darrious Curry. According to Bill Knight, John Bohannon and Matt Korcheck are still committed to become Miners. Best of luck to Darrious Curry wherever he lands. UPDATE: KTSM reports that John Bohannon "is still believed to be coming to El Paso" after meeting with Tim Floyd this week.

Dwayne Polee, an exceptional athlete, had committed to USC before he ever played a game at Westchester High. After Tim Floyd resigned, he withdrew his commitment. Now, the 6'7 small forward (and 3-Star Rivals Recruit) has narrowed his choices to UTEP, UNLV, and Georgia. Polee said that he intends to make his decision "within weeks." I am still waiting to see if recruits that Tony Barbee signed (John Bohannon, Matt Korcheck, Jamison Stearns, and Darrious Curry) will still enroll at UTEP. With Derrick Caracter leaving early, the Miners now have another scholarship available. According to the article, "Polee, a master dunker and a stellar shot blocker with his 40-inch vertical leap and aggressiveness around the basket, has been named the Daily Breeze Player of the Year after expanding his game and having his best season for Westchester (32-3), which captured back-to-back L.A. City Section and CIF Division I state championships." You know how sometimes, people say they run a 4.4 forty but they really don't? Or have a 40 inch vertical? Well, Polee has a 40 inch vertical. The kid can fly. Polee's father, Dwayne Polee, Sr. was hired as the Director of Basketball Operations at USC shortly after Polee committed to become a Trojan. The Polee family is something of basketball royalty in L.A. as Polee, Sr. was also a high school sensation and named the City Section Player of the Year too, before going on to star at Pepperdine. He also played briefly for the L.A. Clippers. His family undoubtedly has close ties with Coach Floyd, and he would be a steal this late in the process. Also, if Polee were to recruit, it would help UTEP get a nice swipe at former rival, New Mexico, as the Lobos reportedly were recruiting him hard. Now, it appears the Lobos are out of the mix.