BURN THE HORSE
UALR solidified the 2011-2012 roster when freshman Michael Javes arrived on campus and enrolled.Javes, who is from Venezuela, played high school basketball in Florida. He had to be given approval by the NCAA Clearinghouse and prove his status as an amateur athlete before he could enroll. That has now taken place.
Javes is a somewhat mysterious yet highly anticipated member of the 2011 recruiting class. He played last season at Arlington Country Day in Florida and considered the 57th best center prospect in the nation by ESPN, which graded him as an 85. He is a 6-10, 225-pound post player.
Internet posts associated with Venezuela's national team suggest they are keeping an eye on him.
It was interesting to read stories about Javes all season long. ACD plays a traveling schedule against many of the nation's elite teams. We saw several mentions of Javes each time they played. The consensus was that he was a little bit raw offensively, but was a good shot blocker and rebounder. He was also reported to be a decent free throw shooter.
Javes committed to UALR early in 2011 but didn't sign with the Trojans during the spring signing period because his eligibility had not been established. He reaffirmed his commitment this summer but could not report for the first session of summer school because he was awaiting word from the NCAA.
That was the case again last week when his teammates reported and began classes. But he arrived at UALR on Tuesday and should be good to go.
His arrival seems especially important considering the status of sophomore big man Gus Leeper, who may be out for the season with a knee injury. Leeper got off to a slow start last season as a freshman, but was starting and playing considerable minutes in March.
