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August 6, 2008 12:30am
Here is a look at the recruiting classes from writer of Calm Before the Storm column on Johnny Jungle, Garrett Knieste + quick analysis of those classes by Pico Dulce (of course Pico is not his real name), the proprietor of the East Coast Bias blog. For each team, we list the recruiting class, the individual player rankings from Rivals and Scout, and some short notes about how the school will be affected by the incoming class.
The format: Player name; Class (transferred from/ to if applicable); POSITION; Size; Rivals rank (in stars); Scout rank (in stars) –or– statistics from previous Division I school.
Obviously, some schools are very set in their rotation, and freshmen may be learning through limited minutes (let's say under 40% of the minutes they could have played). Other schools have needs, and will be plugging freshmen in to critical roles off the bench. And some schools will have serious needs and will have to depend on their freshmen to hold down a role. One or two freshmen can make impacts on a veteran squad, but leaning solely on freshmen is not a recipe for success, as we know from last year's St. John's team and 2007's Connecticut team. But the right freshman/ first year player can lead one's teams to all kind of heights. Purdue pulled off the 4-freshman roster off very nicely; freshmen can have program-changing impact at the Big East level as well.
By the same token, players and whole teams can regress as well; the impact of the freshmen can be offset by poor performance by the returning veterans, by team in-fighting, by coaching and player issues, and by injury. Players are spending the summer getting stronger, building endurance, and learning how to counter that team that scraped them last year. The Big East has some fluidity, no matter how many writers go off in June about how there will be 9 NCAA Tournament teams from the league. So take the early pre-season commentary with a grain of salt, and know that some team is going to come out of next-to-nowhere like Notre Dame did last year.
So, let's take a look at the incoming recruits of the Big East in Part 4 of 4 of this series continuing our path in reverse alphabetical order keeping an eye towards how they will play, and each team's early outlook for the 2008/2009 season:
Pico Dulce is a midwest guy with east coast roots. He enjoys watching his sports via satellite TV because you aren’t catching too many New York games in Chicago bars. PIco is a diehard Mets and St. John’s fan and yes he does have an East Coast Bias. You can email him at pico.dulce@gmail.com
Who’s In?
• Greg Monroe (freshman) PF – 6’10” 226lbs *****/ *****
• Henry Sims (freshman) C – 6’10” 215lbs ****/ ****
• Jason Clark (freshman) SG – 6’2” 170lbs ****/ ****
• Julian Vaughn (transfer from Florida State – sophomore) PF – 6’10” 245lbs (13.3mpg, 3ppg, 2.3rpg) * eligible in 08-09
Who’s Out?
• Roy Hibbert (NBA Draft – #17 Indiana) – 26.3mpg, 13.4ppg, 6.4rpg
• Patrick Ewing Jr. (NBA Draft – #43 Sacramento) – 21.7mpg, 6.1ppg, 4.2rpg
• Jonathan Wallace (graduation) – 28.7mpg, 10.7ppg, 2.6apg
• Jeremiah Rivers (transfer – Indiana) – 18.6mpg, 2.5ppg, 2.4rpg
• Vernon Macklin (transfer – Florida) – 12.8mpg. 3.4ppg, 2.1rpg
Georgetown 28-6 (15-3)
The Hoyas lost two players to the NBA, a steady 4-year floor leader, their perimeter defensive specialist (Rivers), and the talented forward Macklin. The team will look different, with Monroe, Sims, and Julian Vaughn holding down the post positions with returning junior DaJuan Summers. Jason Clark will find time along with Austin Freeman, Jessie Sapp, and Omar Wattad; Chris Wright and/ or Sapp will handle the ball up the court.
Freshman Impact: Large impact, if only for the loss of experience; Monroe and Sims’ athleticism might provide a new dimension for the Hoyas.
Overall: The new players will be capable, but can they replace the defensive skill and experience on Hibbert/ Ewing/ Rivers? The Hoyas were ridiculously efficient on offense and stingy on defense last year; that's hard to replicate. Hibbert's shot altering ability and Ewing's defense may be replaced by better rebounding from the highly touted Sims and Monroe. The talent will get them to the NCAAs and maybe to the Round of 32; but I think the Hoyas are out of the Big East's top 4 this year. Then again, Austin Freeman and DaJuan Summers are excellent players, and Sapp and Wright are no slouches, so I could be proven wrong.
DePaul 11-19 (6-12)
Who’s In?
• Krystopher Faber (freshman) C – 6’11” 246lbs ***/ ***
• Devin Hill (freshman) SF – 6’9” 195lbs ***/ **
• Jeremiah Kelly (freshman) PG – 6’1” 165lbs ***/ ***
Who’s Out?
• Draelon Burns (graduation) – 17.6ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.5apg
• Wesley Green (graduation) – 18.9mpg, 4.8ppg, 4.3rpg
• Karron Clarke (graduation) – 24.8mpg, 8.1ppg, 4.8rpg
• Cliff Clinkscales (graduation) – 25.9mpg, 3.0ppg, 4.1apg
DePaul graduates a lot of their rotation minutes, and of their top rotation players, only return sophomores Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker, who were very good and fairly consistent. Faber and Kelly will see playing time along with some of the players who didn’t log heavy minutes last year, including Mike Bizoukas, Kene Obi, and Matija Poscic. There is a lot of time at the guard and wing positions for the taking.
Freshman Impact: Slight impact; there are no experienced point guards on the roster unless Will Walker steps up.
Overall: Koshwal and Tucker are talented enough to do the heavy lifting and they can both improve as scorers and on defense. But I don't see how this team is any better than last year. Their defense has to be much, much better (especially against the three-pointer; they allowed 40.8% from beyond the arc and 49.5% inside the arc) to be competitive for the post season. I think they will be a bottom 4 team next yearOverall: Koshwal and Tucker are talented enough to do the heavy lifting and they can both improve as scorers and on defense. But I don't see how this team is any better than last year. Their defense has to be much, much better (especially against the three-pointer; they allowed 40.8% from beyond the arc and 49.5% inside the arc) to be competitive for the post season. I think they will be a bottom 4 team next year
Connecticut 24-9 (13-5)
Who’s In?
• Kemba Walker (freshman) PG – 6’2” 175lbs *****/ *****
• Ater Majok (freshman) PF – 6’10” 220lbs *****/ ****
• Nate Miles (freshman) SF – 6’7” 173lbs ****/ ****
• Scottie Haralson (freshman) SG – 6’4” 195lbs ***/ ***
• Chukwuma Okwandu (transfer from Harcum College – Sophomore) C – 7’1” 250lbs
Who’s Out?
• Curtis Kelly (transfer – Kansas State University) – 7.6mpg, 2.0ppg, 1.8rpg
• Doug Wiggins (transfer – UMass) – 18.9mpg, 6.7ppg, 2.5apg
• Stanley Robinson (transfer? – CC?) – 27.7mpg, 10.4ppg, 6.5rpg
If this were on my site I would say “I don’t wanna talk about them.” As recruiting classes go, I think this is a pretty sick haul. U Conn loses Robinson for at least a semester as he works on academic and personal issues, and loses Wiggins and Kelly, but gains a fill-in/ back up for AJ Price, a stud athlete at forward (Majok), a shooter (Nate Miles), another shooter (Scottie Haralson) and a tall developmental center in Okwandu to go along with the defense of Thabeet and the skills of Adrien, Dyson, and Austrie… this team is stacked, and a Final Four has to be their goal.
Freshman Impact: Impact class, Strong improvement. Walker seems ready for a lot of minutes, and the others will contribute from the bench.
Overall: The Huskies add more bullets to the gun. The lackadaisical play of Wiggins and Robinson will not be missed while Walker and co. could prove to be the missing pieces from an already strong UConn Huskie team.
Cincinnati 13-19 (8-10)
Who’s In?
• Yancy Gates (freshman) PF – 6’8” 250lbs *****/ ****
• Cashmere Wright (freshman) PG – 6’0” 170lbs ****/ ***
• Dion Dixon (freshman) SG – 6’3” 180lbs ***/ ***
• Steven Toyloy (transfer from Miami Dade C.C. – Junior) PF – 6’10” 255lbs ***/ ***
• Mike Williams (transfer from Texas – RS Junior) PF – 6’7” 240lbs (13.6mpg, 2.3ppg, 3.1rpg)(05-06) *sat out 06-07 season **medical redshirt for 07-08 season after ruptured Achilles
Who’s Out?
• Marvin Gentry (graduation) – 20.4mpg, 6.0ppg, 2.5rpg
• Adam Hrycaniuk (graduation) – 24.3mpg, 6.4ppg, 5.3rpg
• Marcus Sikes (graduation) – 15.6mpg, 3.9ppg, 3.5rpg
• Jamual Warren (graduation) – 32.3mpg, 5.6ppg, 4.0apg
• John Williamson (graduation) – 26.5mpg, 11.6ppg, 6.3rpg
Much like DePaul, the Bearcats lose a lot of senior minutes from their squad. Unlike DePaul, some of those minutes sorely needed losing, and the Bearcats do not lose their main offensive threat, Deonta Vaughn. He'll probably have less ballhandling on his plate with Cashmere Wright on the scene; Yancy Gates and JC Steven Toyloy will have a chance to get minutes, especially in light of Anthony McClain's mediocre freshman year. Mike Williams is a wild card for this team.
Freshman Impact: Strong impact class, and solid improvement; Gates and Wright will play from day 1, and Toyloy and Dixon will find their way into the rotation.
Overall: The Bearcats need to have fewer scoring droughts, and their sophomores need to improve. Problem-wise, they're kind of like St. John's – they allow too high a percentage of field goals on defense, allowing too many trips to the free throw line— along with serious offensive droughts. The Bearcats shot below 40% in 12 contests. They have more talent coming in; hopefully one will be able to score alongside Deonta Vaughn. The incoming players will need to replace the strong rebounding of Hrycaniuk and Williamson (a combined 11.6rpg), or else it will be a long season. This team could improve and still have a worse conference record.
Biggest talent losses: Based on players who will be missed and compared to the freshmen/ first year players who will get run this year: South Florida, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh) with a nod to Georgetown, but the incoming talent is strong)
Biggest gains: Based on guys who are going to play as first year players: West Virginia, Rutgers, Louisville (with honorable mentions to Georgetown (they gained AND they lost) and Connecticut).
Schools where the incoming players will have no impact: Notre Dame and Villanova.
Remember, of course, that these players are freshmen and as such, awfully hard to predict on the college level; and good coaching can elevate a pretty poor player into a serviceable role player.
Rookie of the Year candidates: Devin Ebanks, Samardo Samuels, Greg Monroe, Mike Rosario. Kemba Walker has an outside shot, especially if AJ Price struggles in his comeback from ACL surgery.
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