HUNTINGTON -- College basketball's annual window shopping spree is beginning.

NCAA Division I coaches are entering the summer evaluation period, a look but don't touch month of recruiting with viewing of prospects allowed from Monday to July 15 and again from July 22 to 31. A recruiting dead period falls in between the evaluation periods from July 16-21 when no recruiting is allowed.

"It's strictly an evaluation period," said Marshall University men's basketball head coach Donnie Jones. "You can't talk to anyone. No contact with coaches and players during this period."

Jones and the Thundering Herd coaching staff head out this weekend for various locations where the major summer events, such as AAU tournaments, are played.

A lot of advance planning goes into July recruiting, which might be the most important month of the year.

Most of April was a time when coaches were permitted to make contacts and evaulations.

"We've got our list," Jones said. "You try to evaluate the ones who fit your need."

Online recruiting and scouting services have mentioned several players Marshall might be interested in.

Marshall extended early scholarship offers to 6-foot-4 junior Todd Mayo at South Point High School and 6-3 sophomore Chase Fischer from Ripley High School in Jackson County, W.Va. Fischer verbally committed to the Herd.

Scout.com reported Marshall has offered 6-foot senior guard Ben Eblen from Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla., and 6-3 senior guard Orlando Williams from Cincinnati Princeton High School.

Jason West is a 6-6 shooting guard at Florida Air Academy listed as a Marshall prospect by Rivals.com.

The Rivals site also mentioned 6-5 junior prospect Jamail Jones from Decatur, Ga.

Those are only some of the possible recruits.

"We'll narrow our list down to who we want and who we have a chance to get," Jones said. "You're out all that time, then all the phone calls and you may get one kid.

"If it's the right kid it's worthwhile."

Wearing the colors

July is the time to see and be seen. And, it can be hectic. Jones recalled one year when he was a University of Florida assistant coach at a huge Las Vegas tournament with about 1,500 prospects playing in more than 50 gyms.

"In four days I had 562 miles on my rental car," he said.

The itineray for Herd coaches this month includes a stop in Cincinnati for an AAU event; the Kentucky Hoopfest in Louisville; the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C.; Jam Fest in Morgantown; the Dick's Sporting Goods Classic in Myrtle Beach; the Indianapolis Hoosier Shootout; junior college recruiting analyst Jerry Mullen's elite event in Tulsa, Okla.; and the AAU nationals at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

And, the mammoth Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas with 224 teams.

With coaches from virtually every school in the nation watching the players, but not permitted to talk to them, the tournament venues become impromptu fashion shows.

Marshall coaches will be decked out in green, hoping to be noticed.

"You want to be seen," Jones said. "We are definitely billboards."

Sometimes, coaches go the extra mile.

Jones said he never sat down in gyms he visited for Florida so prospects might notice him more easily.

And, he always wore the brightest orange shirt he had.

Future star tracking

Marreese Speights was a St. Petersburg, Fla., high school player competing on the summer AAU circuit with the Jacksonville Bulls when the Florida Gators took notice.

Jones followed him around one summer.

"He was a big kid going into his 10th grade year," Jones said.

The Gators were interested, but Speights had some academic problems and enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy for one year.

Florida signed him and he played two seasons for the Gators, averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in 2007-08.

"And look where he is now," Jones said.

Speights was an NBA Draft early entry selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. He was the 16th selection overall.

The game plan

Jones has a coaching staff that includes assistants Shawn Finney, Brett Nelson and Darren Tillis.

NCAA rules only permit three coaches on the road recruiting at one time, so someone stays on campus to mind the store.

That brings Tim Thomas, the director of operations, into the mix.

"Tim Thomas is an important factor," Jones said. "We have Tim and one other guy back here."

The recruiting coaches rotate in and out of town during the month.

Someone has to look after players spending the summer on campus and arrange for the July 15 arrival of incoming freshmen. Marshall also has two of its summer camps left -- a July 14-17 Little Herd Camp and a July 27-30 Individual Day Camp.

Finney, Nelson and Tillis make their own travel arrangements while administrative assistant Angela Orsini works to arrange flights and lodging for Jones.

Travel also takes coaches away from their families.

"My wife (Michelle) understands," Jones said. "We prepare for this."

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