Dean's list

DeLaSalle's Royce White is widely regarded as one of the top 20 juniors in high school basketball in the nation. While recruiters have had him in their sights since his freshman season, the 6-7½ White appears to be in no hurry to make a decision.

Part of the reason is the advice he is receiving from his coach, Dave Thorson, who is monitoring White's recruiting process at the request of the White family. "I get 10 calls a day about Royce," Thorson said. "I don't want this to turn into a circus. We're not going to let anything distract Royce from what he is trying to do academically, athletically and spiritually."

White said one of the factors involved in his decision will be the relationship he establishes with his future college head coach. It appears unlikely he will commit to a school without that coach making a visit to DeLaSalle.

Thorson said six Division I coaches already have visited: The U's Tubby Smith, Wisconsin's Bo Ryan, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Iowa State's Greg McDermott, Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson and Colorado State's Tim Miles.

"More will come after the season starts," Thorson said. "All the [head coaches] who have been here have an elevated chance because they have established a relationship with him."

Talk in local basketball circles is that White represents the first big recruiting test for Smith at the U. White said he has been very impressed with the entire Gophers staff.

"The U was in my top five even before the coaching change," White said. "The Gophers are still up there."

Smith traveled the country this summer playing various invitation-only camps, among them the LaBron James camp in Ohio. Among the new friends White made is Ralph Sampson III, who recently made a verbal commitment to the Gophers.

Recruiting trail

Holy Angels boys' soccer coach Scott Eisentrager reports senior goalkeeper Mahshad Moin has committed to the University of Louisville. Moin was first team all-state in 2006 and first team All-Missota Conference in 2006 and 2007. He leaves Holy Angels as the school's career leader in minutes played, victories, goals-against average and shutouts.

Blake midfielder Megan Gallivan has been accepted at Columbia [N.Y.] and will play soccer there next season. Gallivan helped Blake go undefeated in the Tri-Metro Conference.

Chaska lefthanded pitcher Brad Hand has verbally committed to Arizona State.

Cooper boys' basketball coach Kurt Pauly reports Jermain Davis, who played on the Class 4A runner-up team at Cooper in 2006, has received a full scholarship to the University of Iowa. Davis is attending Kirkwood Community College in Iowa City this season.

Making friends

The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association had a record turnout of 500 coaches Sunday for its Hall of Fame banquet in St. Louis Park. Tubby Smith was one of the headline speakers.

The 2006 inductees were Dave Galovich of Crosby-Ironton, Cal Hoekstra of Southwest Minnesota Christian, Merrill Skinner of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Eldon Sparby of Badger-Greenbush-Middle River, and Bob Torgrimson of Redwood Falls and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.

Dean Spiros • dspiros@startribune.com