A quick note for the Holy Cross old-timers who remember a guy named Larry Westbrook, a three-time letter winner in the early 80s. Westbrook wasn't a big scorer, but he led the 'Saders in assists in 1983 and 1984 and in steals in '84.

His son, though, is reportedly a true scorer. As a senior at the Winchendon School in Mass., Larry Westbrook Jr. averaged 18 points per game. Before prepping at Winchendon, he was the nation's top prep scorer, averaging 40 points per game at Chandler H.S. in Arizona, where he scored over 40 points in 14 of 22 games, including a 57-point showing in one contest, en route to a state season scoring record.

There is no doubt about his athletic pedigree. His dad played D-1 ball, his cousin is Brian Westbrook, the Philadelphia Eagles running back.

The kid also has a 3.7 at Winchendon.

Before the Purple faithful get too excited, we should reveal where we found this information. It came from a story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press about the kid signing with Minnesota.

From the sounds of things, he might not have exactly been a Holy Cross kind of kid.

The Pioneer Press story says there were "published reports that Westbrook had problems in Arizona" and he is also reportedly "wired for buckets", which hardly would make him a match for Ralph Willard's defensepfirst approach.

The fact that he originally committed to Memphis sort of signals that he might not be a Patriot League kid in ways other than just his "blue chip" athletic prowess. His 3.7 GPA came at a school that bills itself as being for students who "have good academic promise but may not have fully realized their potential."

That academic emphasis is so strong that kids there actually attend classes from 7:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. before knocking off for a mandatory two-hour athletics period, followed by what is called a "conference" period.

Interestingly, the kid's coach back in Arizona told the Pioneer Press Westbrook was "a hard worker" with "a good attitude."

"I think his dad just wanted more national exposure," said Ellsworth, who coached Chandler to a 10-16 record during his first season with Westbrook in 2004-05. "We got along fine. He just had a lot of young kids on the team and he didn't have much confidence in them."

Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Back when Westbrook was breaking all those scoring records, Albuquerque Tribune writer Jeff Carlton spoke to the coach about Westbrook, who was apparently on the New Mexico Lobos' recruiting radar at the time.

Here's what Carlton wrote in a Jan. 23, 2005 blog entry (scroll down):

"No assists and no rebounds," Mike Ellsworth said. "All he does is shoot. So you'll have a ball hog on your hands."

Then I asked Ellsworth if Westbrook was a junior or a senior.

"He's a junior," Ellsworth said. "But you can have him this year."

Carlton later wrote that Larry Westbrook Sr. told him the coach was wrong about those numbers. Dad said his son had 9.5 rebounds, six assists and three steals per game. Dad also said he had a 3.7 GPA.

Just us, or do others wonder about the coincidence of that GPA being the exact same number as the Pioneer Press says he has at Winchendon. At the very least it makes us wonder two things: 1) If he had a 3.7 in Arizona, why a remedial sort of prep school and 2) Just who was the Pioneer Press' source for his current GPA?

Here is a quote from Westbrook Jr. from the Arizona Republic story on his final game, when he secured his state single season scoring record with 43 points in a 79-68 loss:

"A lot of people didn't want to see me get this," he said. "I even had teachers tell other people that I'm a ball hog and I'm a selfish player. I dedicate it to all the students and all the teachers who hated me and didn't want to see me get it."

By the way, Chandler was 10-15 that season. We don't know much about Arizona H.S. ball, but most places we have been, it is pretty unusual for a team to have a guy scoring 40 points per game and a losing record.

You'll notice that record indicates Chandler player 25 games, while Westbrook's stats reflect 22. That discrepancy is apparently due to Westbrook having been suspended after being thrown out of a game after two technicals for throwing elbows.

There is no doubt the kid is a player. And although he is a little undersized, there are those who think he could play in the NBA some day.

Patriot League schools don't get those kinds of kids unless their legal guardians teach at the school.

Maybe that is not such a bad thing.