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© St. Petersburg Times, published October 9, 2002
TALLAHASSEE -- Vakeaton Wafer, one of the nation's top-rated prep shooting guards out of Cleveland (Texas) Heritage Christian, has committed to Florida State, signaling a dramatic upswing for a program that has struggled to attract top talent.
"I just like coach Leonard Hamilton," said Wafer, a 6-foot-5 scoring machine who also considered Indiana and Texas. "He's proven he can get the job done."
Wafer, who averaged 32 points and 10 rebounds last season, is rated eighth among rising seniors in Lindy's preseason magazine and the second best shooting guard in Athlon.
"He can really, really shoot it," Heritage Christian coach Jerome Tang said. "He's skilled and he's a world-class athlete. I expect him to be an impact player, a rookie of the year."
Hamilton also received commitments from 6-10 Diego Romero, one of the top-rated junior college power forwards out of Lon Morris (Texas), and 6-6 forward Antonio Griffin out of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. The early signing period begins Nov. 13.
AUBURN: The NCAA has formally notified the school of an investigation into alleged recruiting violations in its men's program.
A letter from the NCAA indicated the probe "will relate primarily to alleged improper offers and inducements to two prospective student-athletes," a statement from the university said.
GEORGIA: Coach Jim Harrick admitted that he has made mistakes, but he also defended recruiting practices that have given the Bulldogs an outlaw reputation.
Only one of four recruits qualified academically for the upcoming season, and the program already was reeling from an alleged rape case involving two players.
"If you want to criticize me for anything, it's that I tried to do it too quickly," said Harrick, who took over the program in 1999. "I brought in some guys who were questionable. I'll be the first to admit that. I'm not perfect."
-- Staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.