This is what Duquesne basketball coach Ron Everhart knows: One of his current players plans to transfer, his star big man is testing the NBA waters, two of his guard recruits may be even better than advertised and he hopes to land a couple frontcourt players.

"It's a busy time of year," said Everhart, who recently returned from the Final Four in San Antonio and is headed back on the recruiting trail today. "We're uncovering every rock and every stone looking for players who can help us."

Everhart won't know the status of Shawn James for another couple weeks. James, a 6-foot-10 junior whose specialty is blocking shots, is participating in Duquesne's offseason conditioning and strength programs while he waits to receive his evaluation by NBA general managers and personnel directors.

They will watch films and talk to people about James, who will find out at the end of this month where he stands concerning the NBA draft. If James likes what he hears, he can declare for the draft. He won't lose his final season of eligibility as long as he doesn't sign with an agent or withdraws his name from entering the draft by the June 16 deadline. He loses his eligibility if he remains in the June 26 NBA draft.

James' chances of being selected in either of the two rounds have been hurt by the growing number of college big men with eligibility remaining, who intend to enter the draft.

"After he gets his evaluation, we'll sit down and talk," Everhart said. "Everything comes in steps, so we'll just have to wait and see."

Everhart said James won't need surgery on shoulder and back injuries that limited his playing time at the end of the season.

While James ponders his future, teammate Stephen Wood, a 6-4 sophomore who was a highly regarded recruit from Monsignor McClancy High School in Queens, N.Y., has completed his paperwork and plans to transfer after this semester. Wood played three minutes in three games and didn't score this season.

On the recruiting front, Everhart has been excited about recent reports that 5-10 Eric Evans of Detroit Northwestern High School was all-state and runner-up Michigan Mr. Basketball, and 6-5 B.J. Monteiro of Crosby High School in Waterbury, Conn., was the leading vote-getter on the all-state team in the largest classification. Monteiro averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals while leading Crosby to the state championship. Duquesne 6-7 sophomore-to-be Damian Saunders also is from Crosby.

Evans, who averaged 26.3 points and 8.1 assists, also starred as a free safety in football and returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown to help Northwestern defeat Osborn, 13-12, for its first city championship in 30 years. He and Monteiro can expect to receive considerable playing time as freshmen because the Dukes lose guards Gary Tucker and Reggie Jackson.

Duquesne has two other players who signed during the early period in November -- 6-2 Johnny Higgins of Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep and 6-7 Shawntez Patterson of Detroit Northwestern High School. Ali Djim, a 6-8 forward from Bethel Christian School in Hampton, Va., is expected to attend a prep school rather than Duquesne.

Although NCAA rules prohibit Everhart from talking about recruits before they sign, it has been reported that he is involved with 6-9 Zvonko Buljan (12.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.9 apg) from Vincennes (Ind.) Junior College and a big man from the College of Southern Idaho.