FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Lawrence Central High School sophomore basketball player Jeremy Hollowell readily admits that he wasn't ready for the attention that came his way last summer. He flashed potential, a word often associated with his game.
Then college offers started rolling in. From Cincinnati. Illinois. Iowa. Ohio State. Indiana. Tennessee. Xavier. A laundry list of top programs in the Midwest.
But just getting offers, obviously, isn't enough. The on-court production is starting to match the promise.
"I think I'm more aggressive than I was," said the 6-6 Hollowell, who is playing this weekend with the 16-and-under Eric Gordon All-Stars at the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-N-Slam All-Star Classic. "I'm learning to use my body more to attack the basket. I'm a little more confident."
On a recent unofficial visit to Ohio State, Hollowell played in pick-up games with Ohio State star Evan Turner and in-coming Buckeyes recruit Jared Sullinger, one of the top prospects nationally in the 2010 class.
"I spent a lot of time with those guys," he said. "It was fun. Evan draws a lot of attention, so I got some open shots."
Hollowell admitted Ohio State might have a slight advantage in his recruitment because he lived in Cleveland in grade school.
"They might have a little edge because I'm from Ohio," he said. "But it's the same with Indiana, too. I'm still keeping it open."
Hollowell said he has plans to visit Illinois, Indiana and Xavier in the next two weeks. He said he likely won't make a decision until the summer before his senior season.
Hollowell's trip to Ohio State yielded some tips from Turner.
"He showed me some pull-up shots and talked about different things like court awareness," he said. "It was good to talk to him."
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