Obviously the other big signing period is coming up in a few weeks. Who do you expect to get and how do you think they will round out your class? Also, how do they project onto the court for the upcoming season?
Already Signed LOI's Cory Jefferson - He's a 4* PF from Killeen, TX. Committed to Baylor back in 2007. He's gone back and forth between 5* and 4*. He's kinda thin, but he gives us something that we've been sorely lacking...a post player who has post skills. He's a good scorer down low, but his size may prohibit him from putting up huge numbers this year. I'd expect him to be a sophomore bloomer. He's ranked the 33rd best player in the country by Rivals. Chose Baylor over offers from Marquette, Arizona, and K-State among others.
AJ Walton - He's a 3* PG from Little Rock, Arkansas. Was Arkansas' Mr. Basketball the past 2 years. I think he's going to be our DJ Augustin. It probably won't be next year, but I expect him to start his sophomore year. He's a floor general and a very good passer. He's a true PG in every since of the word. He's ranked #132 on the Rivals150 list. He chose Baylor over offers from Clemson, Kentucky, Marquette, OU, Arkansas, and Tulsa.
Givon Crump - He's a 3* SF/W who's originally from AZ, but went to prep school in New Hampshire. He's probably the best 3 point shooter in the country for the class of '09. He has a Big 12 ready body and is a pretty good rebounder in addition to his perimeter scoring. Needs to work on his handles so he can spell LaceDarius Dunn, but he creates a lot of mismatches. He's ranked #142 on the Rivals150 list and chose Baylor over Iowa State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Providence, and USF.
Probable Signees IMO John Wall - He's a 5* PG and the #1 player in the country according to Rivals. He's still undecided, but I expect him to choose Baylor. His AAU coach and one of his best friends, Dwon Clifton, was given a job in the Baylor basketball program. His best friend from school also plays basketball at the community college in Waco. The offense fits him perfectly and he will be given the freedom to pretty much do as he pleases on the court. He will, based on pure speculation from me, choose Baylor over Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, and NC State.
Nolan Dennis - He's a 4* SG who is currently committed to Memphis, but will look around now that Calipari jumped ship for Kentucky. I've heard from a pretty good source that he'll either follow Cal to Kentucky or head to Baylor. I think this whole thing will make him think twice and he'll jump on board. He's rated the 47th best player in the country on the Rivals150 list. He holds offers from UNC, Texas, UCLA, Kansas, UConn, and Florida among others.
Possible Signees Latavious Williams - He's a 5* PF and is currently living in Texas, but is originally from Mississippi. He's been undecided forever, but he almost signed an LOI in the early signing period to come to Baylor. This one is a Baylor-Georgetown battle, but it's tough to tell between both schools where he'll fit in the mix. We'll have room for him at Baylor, but he's going to have to compete with Quincy Acy and Cory Jefferson. At Georgetown he'll be competing with Greg Monroe. I'm hoping Baylor would rather take Nolan Dennis just due to us losing so many guards this past year. If Latavious wants to jump on board, he probably should do it before Nolan Dennis starts looking around. There's also a lot of qualifying question. No one really knows where he stands grade-wise, so he might not make it to school. He's ranked the 15th best player in the country by Rivals and holds offers from Georgetown, FSU, and K-State.
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Baylor Football 2009-2010
Expect The Unexpected
Last edited by BottomOfDaMapTX; 04-01-2009 at 06:27 AM..
Ater Majok
- 5 star recruit.
- Power forward.
- Had to sit out this year.
Alex Oriakhi
- 5 star recruit.
- Center.
- Jeff Adrien-like player from what I have seen.
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels - 4 star recruit.
- Small forward.
- Seems like a great team player.
Those are the notable ones.
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FREE NOSE (Keep that cocksucker John Calipari banned)
Erick Smith | SG
Hometown Bel Air, MD
High School John Carroll High School
Position rank Shooting Guard # 183
Height 6'3"
January, 2009: Smith has very good athleticism and quickness which makes him a very tough player for defenses to contend with off the dribble. This slasher wants to get to the paint and he gets there almost willingly. Once in the paint, he uses his outstanding leaping ability to finish at or above the rim. Smith has to get stronger and add muscle to his long, lanky frame. As a player that loves to put the ball on the floor, he has to improve his ball-handling skills. Smith would also benefit from improving his jump shot consistency and range.
Alex Herzing | C
Hometown Lynchburg, VA
High School The Hill School (PA)
Height 7'0"
March, 2009: Herzing ranks as a true low-post player and does a good job of using his big body to place his imprint on games. Though he needs to continue to improve his conditioning, Herzing has done a tremendous job of sculpting his body and enhancing his stamina (lost 60-70 pounds in the last 12 months). He understands his role and does not venture too far away from the paint, opting to rebound the ball and play a very physical brand of defense, using his strong body and good length to gather boards on both ends of the court as well as contest shots on the defensive end of the floor. Herzing scores with his back to the basket using both his right and left hand to convert. He will catch passes in traffic due to his very soft hands. Herzing, for the next level, will have to continue to improve his foot-speed and athleticism, as he tends to struggle when he has to cover quicker interior players or he has to come out on the perimeter to cover when teams get him in the pick-and-roll. Herzing will out-work opponents and his effort should allow him to develop into a better player on the next level.
Raphael Jordan | PG
Hometown Bel Air, MD
High School John Carroll High School
Position rank Point Guard # 173
Height 6'1"
January, 2009: Jordan has a very strong, muscular body which allows him to get to the cup almost at will. In addition to his developed body and strength, Jordan also has very good quickness. These physical gifts allow him to over-power smaller, weaker guards on his way to the rim. Jordan shoots a high number of free throws due to his ability to initiate contact with defenders. He can take on contact and still finish using his strength. He has to improve his jump shot accuracy as well as increase his range from the perimeter. Jordan, with his strength and quickness, ranks as an outstanding on-ball defender, harassing opposing ball-handlers.
Vladyslav Kondratyev | PF
Hometown Gainesville, FL
High School The Rock School
Position rank Power Forward # 222
Height 6'8"
Weight 225 lbs.
December, 2008: Kondratyev is a very solid interior player. He has great size and good strength that allows him to score inside with a variety of post moves. He has a jump hook that he executes with good touch and the ability to not only knock down the 12-15 foot jumper but a three as well with time and space. He battles for rebounds at both ends and uses his body well to hold off opponents while posting up and on rebounding box outs. He will need to improve his individual perimeter defense and running the court but his size and skill should make him a contributor as freshmen.
Ater Majok
- 5 star recruit.
- Power forward.
- Had to sit out this year.
Alex Oriakhi
- 5 star recruit.
- Center.
- Jeff Adrien-like player from what I have seen.
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels - 4 star recruit.
- Small forward.
- Seems like a great team player.
Those are the notable ones.
You worried about Ater and the agent? I knew there was something fishy going on when he was practically in at Baylor and then all of a sudden...
Ater Majok
- 5 star recruit.
- Power forward.
- Had to sit out this year.
Alex Oriakhi
- 5 star recruit.
- Center.
- Jeff Adrien-like player from what I have seen.
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels - 4 star recruit.
- Small forward.
- Seems like a great team player.
Those are the notable ones.
I have a RISE magazine that features Coombs & Oriakhi and they seem like they'll be a great duo together. From what I've read, Jim Calhoun would love their style of play. I like the Adrien/Oriakhi comparisons. I see Oriahki in Adrien a lot .
This is what someone said on another site about seeing Oriakhi and Coombs-McDaniel play:
Quote:
Recently I got the chance to watch the UCONN recruits from the Tilton School, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Alex Oriakhi.
Oriakhi is a big man, and I mean man. He's got a body like Jeff Adrian already, just rock solid. He's got a ton of work to do to become a UCONN caliber ball player, and from what I've seen of him I'd be surprised if he becomes a major contributor in his freshmen year. Hopefully I'm way off, because clearly Calhoun is looking to have him eat up some space down low. The kids got a tremendous upside though (he can jump out of the gym), and I wouldn't be shocked to see him develop in to a solid low post player. Look for him to start slow, and have a break out sophmore year.
Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is going to be an interesting case, to say the least. He's raw. It's tough to get an accurate picture of what his role will be at UCONN because he's the Tilton Schools only offensive weapon, but what a weapon he is. The kid can find the hoop. Problem with examining his style at this level is they guys basically forced to be a black hole, ball hog, the sort of dude you want to punch in the face if he's on your team on the out door court. Hard to argue when he drops 33 points though. I didn't see much in the way of a mid range jump shot from him, the guy attacks the hoop in Jerome Dyson fashion, only he doesn't have the upside of a Dyson. He's not as quick, not as athletic, he doesn't jump like Jerome. Being an amateur talent scout at best, I can't say what the cap is on this guys talent, he is very impressive at the JUCO level with a nice soft touch, but I'm not sure if he has the quicks to be a major factor at the D-1 level.
It should be noted that with Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, I had basically the same exact critique of Tyson Wheeler when he committed to URI, and look what he did for them.
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Have to call you out again on Wall. Sounds like you're saying hes going to go to Baylor just because you want him to. Not gonna happen, sorry bud. Hes got the two biggest stages in college basketball going after him hard now (UK, Duke).
I'll filll this out when our class is known. Right now we've got a pretty good class with Orton, Hood and Vilarino, but with the addition of Wall and Cousins we could be in the talk for one of the best classes this decade.
Have to call you out again on Wall. Sounds like you're saying hes going to go to Baylor just because you want him to. Not gonna happen, sorry bud. Hes got the two biggest stages in college basketball going after him hard now (UK, Duke).
I'll filll this out when our class is known. Right now we've got a pretty good class with Orton, Hood and Vilarino, but with the addition of Wall and Cousins we could be in the talk for one of the best classes this decade.
Wall was leaning towards Memphis when he could of gone to Duke. The program prestige isn't everything.
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FREE NOSE (Keep that cocksucker John Calipari banned)
He was leaning toward Memphis because of Cal. He already issued a statement saying that he would go where Cal goes, and Kentucky is now in the running.
Have to call you out again on Wall. Sounds like you're saying hes going to go to Baylor just because you want him to. Not gonna happen, sorry bud. Hes got the two biggest stages in college basketball going after him hard now (UK, Duke).
I'll filll this out when our class is known. Right now we've got a pretty good class with Orton, Hood and Vilarino, but with the addition of Wall and Cousins we could be in the talk for one of the best classes this decade.
Indiana University:
Note: I ranked them in order of impact this season, not their Rivals/ESPN rating
Christian Watford / SF / 6'8" / 215 lbs / Shades Valley H.S. (AL)
# 29 overall / #3 SF
My Take:
Will likely be the leading scorer for next year's IU team. From what I've read he fits the Kevin Durant/Danny Granger mold as a scorer. He slashes to the basket, he can hit from way downtown, he's one of the most complete and skilled scorers in his class. Not so sure about his defense or rebounding, but he's 6'8", so it shouldn't be too hard for him to adjust. He'll be starting from day 1, and likely will be IU's best player.
ESPN's take:
Quote:
Watford is a very versatile player with great size. He is athletic and skilled. This long and lean small forward sprints the wing in transition and can finish in traffic. He is a slasher with excellent body control that allows him to hang in the air in order to make acrobatic shots. Off the dribble he likes drive hard to his right to get to the rim and will spin into a pull up jumper with great elevation if the defender cuts off the drive. Watford will also use the right to left crossover to get into lane as well. He is a good three point shooter off the catch and has a nice stroke at the free throw line. He does a great job of reading guard penetration or double teams and cuts to the open area for easy baskets especially along the baseline or from the weak side of the floor. Excellent rebounder that uses his great length for tip-ins on the offensive end. Watford has the athletic ability to defend both wing positions but must get stronger in order to slug it out in the paint with a power forward where his quickness is his best asset. Watford is very efficient; he makes the most of his touches without taking bad shots. His talent, skill and size will make him a special college player.
Maurice Creek / SG / 6'5" / 200 lbs / Hargrave Military Academy (VA)
# 59 overall / # 16 SG
ESPN's take:
Quote:
Creek has very good size and length which makes him a standout on the perimeter. He can create his own shot off the bounce despite the fact that he does not have great explosion or quickness. However, he seems to have reverted to relying almost exclusively on 3-point shots. Creek has range to hit the 3, but he needs to improve his consistency form behind the arc to rank justify the amount of 3s that he takes now. He can locate open teammates but he seems to concern himself with scoring the ball more than playing an all-around game in the way that we have grown accustomed to seeing him perform over the years. Creek does a good job of using his outstanding length to pressure opposing ball-handlers into fatigue and mistakes. On the next level, Creek's ceiling for development probably projects to a do-it-all guard that does not excel at one particular aspect of the game, but he will perform many tasks adequately.
Bawa Muniru / C / 7'0" / 255 lbs / Mount Zion Christian Academy (NC)
#111 overall / # 14 C
My take:
Classic African project big man. Has great size for a center, could be an intimidating player down the road like Hasheem Thabeet, but has a while to go. Could be a starter this season, but most likely will play a role off the bench.
ESPN's take:
Quote:
A man-child inside. He is powerful around the rim and has a great body. People tend to come at him and bounce off when he is attacking. He is a good shot blocker and rebounds well. A lot of his points come off other people's misses.
Jordan Hulls / PG / 6'0" / 170 lbs / Bloomington High School South (IN)
# 106 overall / # 17 PG
My take:
Classic Indiana basketball player. Undersized, not particularly athletic, but gets by with his incredible basketball I.Q., shooting ability, and team play. Led his team to an undefeated season and the Indiana 4A state title. Could compete for a starting job from day 1, depending on how the depth chart shapes up. Likely will have a large role whether he starts or not.
ESPN's take:
Quote:
Jordan's basketball knowledge and savvy rival anyone he will come up against. Extremely smooth with the ball and can make pinpoint passes with ease. Speed is fine and he can play comfortably at a varied of paces. Although he thinks pass first he has the ability to knock down shots when left unguarded.
Derek Elston is a warrior. Ask this kid to run through a brick wall and he will do it. Elston is tough, physical and loves contact. He dives on the floor and plays the game with a football mentality. Elston is fairly skilled and can trail the break and hit 3's with regularity. He is not going to beat anyone off the dribble at the highest level yet, but his game continues to improve each time you see him play. While not flashy, Elston usually fills the stat sheet at the end of games. He needs to continue to develop his skill set, because with his size, it is going to be tough for him to be a dominant low post player. While in high school, he scores with his back to the basket because of his physicality, he will need to work on his post game to be an effective low post scorer in college. Currently, he scores deep at the basket and uses his hook shot, but will need to develop more moves to score at the rim. He will always give you great effort and in a lot of ways, that is his greatest asset at this point.
Capobianco loves to get into the paint and mix it up, looking to initiate contact at every opportunity. This fondness for physical play makes him a tough player to officiate, as the line between an offensive and defensive foul becomes very blurry when Capobianco takes the hardwood. He does not have great athleticism, but any lack of explosion quickly falls to the wayside due to his intense level of effort. He can face the basket in the mid-range area, but he needs to continue to improve this part of his game. Capobianco has a tendency to drift to the perimeter and hoist up jumpers and he does his best work when he stays around the rim, though he needs to continue to improve his post moves. Capobianco will simply out-work more athletically gifted players for rebounds and will score points by wearing down thin post players. He does not have the great bounce to block shots in or out of his area; therefore he needs to rely on position and out-smarting players when he guards them. His physical nature should also wear down and discourage many thinner, more athletic players when they try to score in the paint on Capobianco.
No ones exactly sure yet, but I think it will happen. Jared Carter is graduating. Michael Porter is a junior, but is graduating and has a wife and kid. Everyone seems to think that he will most likely pursue something else with Calipari's hire as he wont play very often in the dribble-drive. AJ Stewart could transfer, along with a couple of other guys. One guy only has a one year scholarship and could be cut off the team. Outside of that, there is some fringe guys that could meet with Calipari and told they really dont fit, and probably won't play.
.....When has BC ever gotten a great recruit anyway? You never hear them in the recruiting season yet they have solid teams every season.
No, you don't understand. They didn't even recruit. They have zero recruits coming in in 2009.
And you're right, they really don't get great recruits. Craig Smith was a 4-star though and I believe Sean Williams was a 5-star. But Skinner turned unrecruited players like Jared Dudley and Sean Marshall into college stars.
Arizona State has a couple nice pieces coming in with Trent Lockett, Ruslan Pateev, and Demetrius Walker.
Lockett is a 4 star guard out of Minnesota that will likely help the backcourt depth immediately and likely be a starter as a sophomore.
Pateev is a 3 star 7-footer that is supposed to be a major project out of Florida, but he has a good build and may develop into a good player.
Walker decomitted to USC last minute and decided to stay in his new state of Arizona. In 8th grade he was hyped as the Next LeBron by Sports Illustrated, but crumbled under the pressure a little bit. He still is a good quality player and I feel will be a major threat at the college level after watching a couple of his games locally.
Have to call you out again on Wall. Sounds like you're saying hes going to go to Baylor just because you want him to. Not gonna happen, sorry bud. Hes got the two biggest stages in college basketball going after him hard now (UK, Duke).
I'll filll this out when our class is known. Right now we've got a pretty good class with Orton, Hood and Vilarino, but with the addition of Wall and Cousins we could be in the talk for one of the best classes this decade.
You don't understand lol. It doesn't matter how much tradition UK and Duke have. He's one-and-done. He doesn't care about that. He's going to get this next year over with and go pro. His AAU coach and 2 best friends are in Waco. Not to mention John was in NYC last night for our NIT semifinal game. Wall is a Baylor lock.
Recruiting.
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