7-6 Sophomore Puts Off Transferring to UCLA

Mike Lanier, a 7-foot-6 sophomore from Hardin-Simmons University, was ready to sign with UCLA today but decided to delay the decision after a late-night soul-searching session, his coach said.

“We spent 2 1/2 hours talking together, then later he called and said it was off,” said Hardin-Simmons Coach Dennis Harp, who is helping his players choose new schools after regents decided to eliminate scholarships and seek NCAA Division III status.

Lanier told Harp that UCLA still is in the picture, but he may not be ready to make a decision until next week. Lanier also indicated he may go to Hawaii.

Lanier, who still has a redshirt year left is the prize in the school’s dispersal of basketball talent. Four players already had signed with other schools and three others besides Lanier are closing in on decisions.

“It’s been a zoo with Lanier,” Harp said. “Even (Maryland basketball coach) Lefty Driesell came in here last week and spent an entire day with him. We’ve had about 80 schools interested. That redshirt year makes him especially attractive.”

Lanier, who weighs 260 pounds, is considered a project by many coaches. Last year, he averaged 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks. He had averaged six points and three rebounds as a freshman.

“He’s turning down people that wouldn’t even have considered him out of high school,” Harp said. “And there’s been a lot of negative recruiting going on.”

Lanier could not be reached for comment Thursday. A person who answered at his college dormitory room Thursday morning said he did not know when he would return.

Harp, who plans to remain the school’s basketball coach, said it has been hard to watch players drift away in what amounts to a bargain-basement sale of college basketball talent.

“The frustrating thing about it was we were a young basketball team,” Harp said. Hardin-Simmons was 9-18 last season, but had played a solid schedule and expected to fare well this year.

Four players already have signed letters of intent for scholarships at other schools: Tommy French, a 6-6 forward and TAAC Newcomer of the Year, headed to Texas A&M; Quinton Fly, a 5-11 guard, Indiana State; Jeff Murray, 6-10 center, Northeast Louisiana, and Michael Pearson, 6-3 guard, Western Michigan.

Broderick President, 6-4, and Harry Roscle, 6-5, have visited Stanford.