Scott May says son Sean has open mind while looking at schools

Former Hoosier basketball great Scott May is hoping a college coach will make a commitment to his son -- Bloomington High School North star Sean May -- similar to the one his mother received from Bob Knight on a recruiting visit nearly 30 years ago.\nKnight promised Scott May's mother that he would advise Scott not only in his four years of playing basketball at IU, but during his entire life -- in everything from the National Basketball Association to business endeavors.\nSuch a commitment ranks higher than Sean May choosing a school based on its closeness to Bloomington, Scott May said. Scott May will listen for an echoing promise from Knight's successor, Mike Davis, North Carolina's Matt Doherty, Notre Dame's Mike Brey or Louisville's Rick Pitino as Sean May visits those schools in September.\n"As a parent, I will look at a commitment from a coach not for his four years, but for the rest of his life," Scott May said. "This will probably be one of the most important decisions of his life."\nSean May averaged 24.7 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 60.7 percent from the field for North (23-3) last season. Scott May said no particular school leads his son's list -- even IU, where Scott May was a key player on college basketball's last unbeaten team in 1975-76.\nSean May visited IU this weekend and will visit the other three schools this month. Along with a coach's commitment to Sean May's lifelong well-being, Scott May said his family will critique each school's playing system and academic competence.\nScott May said that although his time at IU was successful, the program differs from when Knight was at the helm. Scott May said he hopes his son plays under a fast-paced system that teaches fundamentals and allows him to shoot from both the perimeter and around the basket. Staying close to home isn't a high priority for Sean May.\n"The best situation could be the situation that's 100 miles away, 1,000 miles away or 5 miles away," said Scott May, whose other son, Scott May Jr., will walk on IU's team as a freshman this year. "We'll sit down and discuss things and then decide what's best for him."\nClark Francis, editor and publisher of the recruiting publication Hoop Scoop, ranks Sean May 35th among class of 2002 recruits based on a poor summer. Francis has listed him as high as fifth. Other recruiting analysts have placed Sean May in the top 10. \nFrancis said Sean May carries extra weight on his 6-foot-7, 269-pound frame and needs to work on his quickness. Still, Francis said Sean May is a legitimate McDonald's High School All-American, comparing him to Marion (Ind.) High School product and the 50th pick in the 2001 NBA draft, Zach Randolph -- a large player with soft hands and nice touch around the basket who wasn't in good shape until the end of his high school career.\n"May's only as good as his last game," Francis said. "He's been out of shape, maybe a little overweight, but seeing he's ranked 35th could make him a better player. By the end of July he was still not in tip-top playing form."\nScott May challenged Francis' analysis by saying his 17-year-old son's body is still developing and that he had to cope with a bruised kidney that he suffered in a collision last season.\n"I'd rather have a player who's still growing then one who has maxed out," Scott May said. "I don't take too much in on analysts and polls. Either you can play or you can't. I don't think he had a bad summer. I just don't think his team, Bloomington Red, was that good."\nScott May added that his son is in no hurry to make a decision before the signing period in November.\n"He wants to concentrate on his grades and get his team back to the state championship," Scott May said. "The way the NCAA is set up, it's really difficult to change your mind, so you better pick right." \nSean May did not return repeated phone calls.