http://www.wissports.net/sports/hoopsb/article.asp?fid=9&nid=148175/2/2008 - Wisconsin Sports Network
By Mark Miller
Wishoops.net Editor
As those who have watched him in the past can attest, when Johnnie Lacy of Milwaukee Bay View is on his game, it is a sight to behold.
More than capable of going off for 30 or more points on any given night, Lacy uses his superior quickness and uncanny shot-making ability to baffle opponents.
That was certainly the case last Saturday at the King James Shooting Stars Classic in Akron, Ohio. Lacy popped in a reported 36 points for the Playground Elite 17U squad in a 72-65 Sweet 16 loss to the highly respected Illinois Rising Stars, who would go on to finish second in the prestigious travel-team tournament.
National recruiting experts Dave Telep of Scout.com and James Mulcahy of HoopsReport.com raved about Lacy’s performance as the 5-foot-10 point guard made one difficult shot after another.
Currently ranked No. 3 among state prospects in the class of 2009 by Wishoops.net, Lacy is a prolific scoring point guard who is very difficult to contain because of his outstanding ball handling skills and unquestioned quickness. Add those qualities to his impressive ability to put the ball in the basket and it’s easy to comprehend how Lacy can be so impressive at times.
As for his collegiate options, Bay View coach Lou Chapman said Friday Marquette remains the school in front of the pack, though he stressed Lacy remains “open” in terms of where he’ll eventually play college basketball.
“Like all kids, I think Johnnie will look for the best situation that fits him,” Chapman said. “He’ll look for the best situation … wherever that might be. Right now, things are at a bit of a standstill.
“I did have the chance to meet with (new Marquette coach) Buzz Williams and I talked with him about Johnnie. Marquette will still recruit Johnnie, but they just want to make sure he takes care of his classroom business.”
Lacy’s ability to meet NCAA academic requirements for freshmen eligibility remains a bit fuzzy, though Chapman says the first-team all-Milwaukee City Conference performer is fully aware of what he needs to do in order to qualify.
“It’s a process he has to follow and he has to stay with that process,” said Chapman, who recently concluded his first season as the Redcats’ head coach.
Duane Wilson of the Playground Elite program said in addition to Marquette, Minnesota, Purdue and Tennessee are showing interest in Lacy.
"Johnnie ran the point very well at the King James Tournament," Wilson said. "He got people the ball. He showed he could run the point by getting his teammates the ball."
Lacy averaged 21.7 points per game as Bay View finished 8-13 with an extremely young squad last season. Among the highlights for Lacy last season were a 47-point outing in an 87-86 loss to Milwaukee North Division and a 39-point outburst in a victory over Milwaukee Marshall.
However, Lacy also had a few games where he struggled offensively, scoring just seven points in a loss to Milwaukee King and 10 in a lopsided loss to Milwaukee Vincent.
A former collegiate basketball player at NCAA Division III powerhouse UW-Whitewater, Chapman believes Lacy needs to become a more consistent performer on both ends of the court and develop into a pass-first point guard in order to achieve success at the next level.
“Johnnie needs to become more of a pure point guard … a point guard who passes first and scores second,” Chapman said. “At the next level, that is what he’ll be asked to do. But he is also a point guard who can score.”
Indeed, Lacy can be a dynamic offensive performer, as the Illinois Rising Stars with their potent lineup of Jack Cooley, Nik Garcia, Marcus Jordan and Jereme Richmond saw up close and personal last weekend.
