Hoop-la starts with news of Sidney being courted by Arizona St.

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Let the games begin. The recruiting games, that is. Seemingly every NCAA Division I basketball program in the nation has expressed interest in Renardo Sidney of Fairfax, widely considered the top-rated prospect among the 2009 class. And it appears as if the hype machine is generating steam.

Believe it or not, Arizona St. might have the inside track, at least for the time being. The 6-foot-10 junior is expected to visit Tempe this weekend to watch Coach Herb Sendek & Co. take on Cal. As it now stands, the Sun Devils, Ohio St., Texas and USC have offered Sidney scholarships.

The intriguing thing about this whole scenario is current Sun Devil standout, James Harden, was a teammate of Sidney last season at Artesia. Suppose I should mention Arizona St. sophomore Derek Glasser and assistant coach Scott Pera have ties to Artesia as well. Not sure if that makes much of a difference, but it’s interesting, nonetheless.

Where Sidney ends up is anyone’s guess. It’s much too early in the recruiting process to begin speculating. My guess is he’ll take his time in making a decision, which is probably a good idea when considering how many big-time scouts from across the country are courting him.

--Sean Ceglinsky