2017 Recruiting Thread

[MikeH]

With Kirby gone, still need another big who can produce front court depth. Another transfer might still happen. Freshmen will need backup.

[lusuperfan]

I think Granic and Smith will be on the way out. Granic never got time for whatever reason, and I could see us looking at Bruninga as a replacement.

Given how Custer ran out of gas, Smith should have been playing around 10 minutes a game down the stretch. Either Porter is too stubborn to play him (less likely IMO) or he just wasn't healthy enough (more likely IMO). Smith will probably get a medical hardship waiver to open up a scholarship. If Smith goes, then we definitely need a PG to back up Custer as he's the only true point guard we had. Richardson's minutes load will hopefully be alleviated with the addition of Townes and/or Skokna/Satterwhite stepping up next year.

As for Lundy: WIU has looked at him, and he has offers from UT-Martin and FIU per his twitter account. The last guard we got who had interest from FIU turned out pretty well though...

[Blers]

Agreed with both Mike and Tank.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lundy is a good defender based on his steal numbers alone (worth noting it's only an offer, no guarantee he's a Rambler yet).

Mike to your point as of now our roster will have Krutwig, Negron, Jackson, and Granic in the post. With Chastain and Ingram on the wing. Chastain looked like he was going to swallow up rebounds from the get go a lot like Ingram was able to. I still am gonna guess Granic leaves and his spot gets taken by Bruninga or a more traditional JUCO post . Just a guess though.

[MikeH]

New offer- Akiean Frederick, 6'8 215. Juco power forward scored 41 points in a recent game. That's what frontcourt needs.

[Blers]

I've been beat twice today on offer news!!! Happy to see i'm not the only one checking.

Looks like he has some inside out potential, but i like that he's able to finish with his back to the basket.... From the one highlight video i watched he kind of reminded me of Montel James. Maybe not the strongest post man, but quick and solid around the rim, with a little range to his game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... zvaBQK5UH0

[ahunte1]

[natetheskate]

Just curious what people think about our continued dependency on JC recruits....although seems like we are on the uptick with freshman recruits. Is there a difference you think and or does it make a difference to anyone?

[Blers]

I don't see too big of a problem with it. I'm not certain but a lot of schools in the valley seem to be picking up 1-2 JUCO transfers every year, you can get some real instant impact talent, just look at Alize Johnson for MSU or Jackson for us. While there is a downside in that you only get two seasons with them, ultimately you're adding some experience right away, and i don't think we're overly reliant on them.

[GoRamblers]

Don't mind it at all. Look back to guys like Demetrius Williams and Paul McMillian. Big guys are hard to come by and often need additional growth to become good players. Might as well let them learn their craft at the JuCo level and then come here for 2 years.

[RamblinTank22]

I think JUCO players can be extremely helpful, Montel James, Aundre Jackson, Earl Peterson. I like that they tend to be more polished than a freshman so they can help fill an immediate hole while a younger player develops.

With that said, I love seeing players develop and grow. I enjoyed watching Turk play last year because as he was making 2s and taking charges, I remembered seeing him as a freshman who only shot threes and wasn’t great defensively. Many of us mentioned how we enjoyed seeing Milton grow off the court as he dev eloped his game. You just don’t get that as much with the JUCO guys. Currently, Ben Richardson is my favorite player on the team. Part of that is I saw him slowly get playing time, and become a top defender. It’s similar to seeing Donte make the 3rd team all Valley. While I enjoyed seeing Jackson win 6th man, I was happier for Donte because I saw him put in hard work for 2 years to get there.

I guess what I’m getting at is I like JUCOs since they can be helpful and play a huge role, fill a need, and play right away, but there is something magical about seeing an 18-year old grow over 4 years. I think if you balance both, it helps build a program, and can help sustain success. Porter is doing a good job with this balance game. For this class, I’m excited to see some big guys over 4 years for the first time in a while. At the same time, I hope we do add an impact JUCO to help even out some of the classes with the scholarship available.