Posts Tagged: recruiting

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29
Aug 10

Recruiting The Recruited

from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

Had things remained as planned, Jarred Tinordi would have started fall classes at Notre Dame last week, extending the summer sessions in which the 18-year-old already had enrolled.

But Tinordi is long gone from South Bend. On Aug. 11, Tinordi signed with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, said goodbye to Notre Dame, and gave up his NCAA eligibility. By doing so, Tinordi, drafted 22d overall by the Canadiens this year, became the second highly touted defenseman to withdraw his Notre Dame commitment in the last two years. Cam Fowler, Anaheim’s first pick in June, would have been a Fighting Irish freshman in 2009-10. Fowler opted for Windsor of the OHL.

Naturally, Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey, Inc., is disturbed by the departures.

“We have to stop the continuing relentless recruiting that goes on after a kid enrolls or commits to a college program,’’ said Kelly, head of the 9-month-old program. “If Jarred Tinordi enrolls at Notre Dame, starts taking college classes, intends to stay with the program, and physically moves to campus, once that happens there shouldn’t be any continued recruiting until the end of the season.

continued plus more hockey topics…

KK Hockey

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28
Aug 10

America East Preview: Will Boston U’s recruiting pay off?

Our conference preview series continues with the America East. Here’s a look at the  projected standings, three must-see games and the conference’s three most intriguing storylines entering the new season.

1. Can Stony Brook earn its first-ever NCAA tournament berth?

Stony Brook had been a conference doormat most of its 11 Division I seasons until sixth-year coach Steve Pikiell’s rebuilding process produced a winning 2008-09 season and regular season conference title in 2009-10.  A loss to Boston University in the conference tournament semifinals prevented the Seawolves from making their NCAA tournament debut, but Stony Brook figures to contend again this March.

Although America East player of the year guard Muhammad El Amin has graduated, all but one other member of the rotation return including second-team all-conference contributors Bryan Dougher and Tommy Brenton. Dougher, a Cousy Award nominee, averaged 13.8 points per game and shot 42.4 percent from three-point range, while the versatile 6-foot-5 Brenton averaged 7.6 points and 9.8 rebounds and was among the league’s best defenders.

In a wide open conference featuring a handful of teams capable of contending for first place, the Seawolves enter the season as favorites along with the Boston U. team that ousted them a year ago. Stony Brook will miss El Amin’s 17 points per game, but they won’t miss his questionable shot selection, especially if senior guard Chris Martin and newcomers David Coley and Al Rapier collectively help fill the scoring void.

2. How good can Boston University be with 10 newcomers?

Boston University has the conference’s best returning one-two punch in high scoring wing John Holland Jr. and versatile forward Jake O’Brien, but the Terriers’ season will depend on whether their 10 newcomers can provide an effective supporting cast.

The most decorated of the BUs three transfers is
6-foot-6 power forward Patrick Hazelle, who played sparingly in two
years at Marquette but figures to help solidify the team’s interior
game. Furthermore, the Terriers’ seven-man incoming freshman class was easily the most well-regarded in the conference, with forwards Dominic Morrison and Travis Robinson the most likely to contribute right away.

BU has a history of not handling high expectations
especially well, but this year’s team has the talent to overcome its lack of familiarity with one-another. In particular, Holland is the most gifted player in the conference and the favorite to win America East player of the year honors after scoring 19.2 points a game as a junior.

3. Can Binghamton help coach Mark Macon shed his interim label?

Mark Macon’s impressive debut season as coach at scandal-tainted Binghamton earned him a two-year contract extension, but it wasn’t enough to get him a longterm committment from the school.

Because Binghamton won’t hire a new president until well into the new school year, school officials have opted not to remove his interim tag so that the new regime can hire its own coach. As a result Macon has at least one more season to persuade the new president that he is the appropriate man for the job.

The transfer of America East freshman of the year Dylan Talley will not help Macon’s chance’s of improving on last year’s 8-8 league finish, but Binghamton did get a rare piece of good news from first-team all-league forward Greer Wright last month. Wright spurned interest from Cincinnati and opted to remain at Binghamton because some of his academic credits wouldn’t transfer and he would not be able to graduate in four years if he left. 

The Dagger – NCAAB – Yahoo! Sports

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26
Aug 10

Women’s Basketball: Lady Vols Recruiting at Full Speed

Don’t blink; the Tennessee Lady Vols are recruiting very well this offseason.

There are three scholarships coming up for the 2011 recruiting class: the two currently held by seniors Angie Bjorklund and Sydney Smallbone, and the one formerly held by Amber Gray.  Of those three scholarships, two are already spoken for:  Cierra Burdick is the top-ranked power forward of the class and committed early, and her new friend Ariel Massengale is the top-ranked point guard and committed earlier today.  Both girls are getting tremendous reviews and are seen as incredibly savvy for their positions and for their age.

That leaves one scholarship, and two recruits to choose.  One is Elizabeth Williams, the top-ranked center (and overall #1 prospect) according to HoopGurlz.  If she becomes a Lady Vol, she would be the heir apparent to Kelley Cain, and everything about her game suggests that she would be successful.  Recent reports suggest that her transition game has been improving – a must for Pat Summitt’s ‘Post Highway’.

The other option is Kiah Stokes, the #3 center in the class.  Like Elizabeth, Kiah is 6′-3″ and is probably every bit as talented.  The only real notable difference is that Elizabeth has taken to physical play a little better so far, and that Kiah tends to use too much finesse when things get bumpy.  But even at that, Kiah is a great option to have as Cain’s successor in the interior.

It’s a beautiful position for the Lady Vols: two big needs already met and two great prospect to fill the final roster slot.  The post-Parker years have been primarily about rebuilding from a very senior-heavy class, and we seem to be heading into the prime of another terrific run of teams for the Lady Vols.

Rocky Top Talk

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20
Aug 10

Recruiting Update: Tackling the Defensive Tackle Situation

Derek Dooley knows SEC football.   And if there’s one constant in SEC football, it’s this: the team that wins the line of scrimmage will almost always win on the scoreboard.  Losing Marlon Walls for the season only further emphasizes the importance of finding SEC-quality defensive tackles for this staff.  So what better time to assess where we are and where we’re going at the defensive tackle position?

A look at the current roster is pretty telling of the state we’re in.  Players mentioned as potential contributors this year have been highlighted in big orange.  Typically, coaches would like to have six players that could be relied upon in the DT rotation.  When your top six include two underweight defensive ends, a guy who hasn’t played in four years, and a journeyman tackle-center-tackle, it kind of makes you take a deep breath.

Dtstarters_medium

I keep waiting to hear a bugle call and see the cavalry on the horizon.  In terms of recruiting, however, we do seem to be on the upswing.  This staff has already gotten a couple of solid commitments this summer in Allan Carson and Trevarris Saulsberry.

Dtcommits2_medium

 

Carson seems to have the bulk and the strength to compete for playing time sooner rather than later.  He plays with good pad level (how could he not at 6-0?) and shows good instincts, but needs to work on his explosiveness if he’s going to be a factor next year.  Saulsberry has the frame tailor-made for a 3-4 defensive end.  He seems taller than 6-4 with long arms and should be able to play in the 280-290 lb range by the time Bennie Wylie is done with him.   Quickness will be a focus for his conditioning as he gets by on brute strength much of the time.

These two commitments are interesting given all the speculation of moving towards a 3-4 alignment at some point in the future, as they could project at nose tackle and defensive end, respectively.  Regardless, you can never have too many hosses in the trenches.  Here are some worth keeping tabs on:

Dttargets3_medium

A good reason to be optimistic is that Coach Chuck Smith’s reputation as an NFL pass rush consultant should weigh heavily with recruits.  I believe Gabe Wright is our best shot to land a top-flight prospect.  He’s a north Georgia guy with a big motor and an SEC-ready body.  Mickey Johnson is going to be a pass rushing machine on the next level, but pulling him out of Louisiana is a tall order.  Also look for us to make a push for one or both of the Juco guys we’ve offered.  Shaq Love and Jakari Kinnie are two fairly local players who haven’t been offered yet but are probably D-1 prospects. 

Look for Coach Dooley and staff to sign four to five defensive tackles in this class, and perhaps another DE/DT tweener or two, like Lonnie Gosha.  While the commitment dominoes starting to fall, there’s still quite a few quality players left on the board.   And lest we forget, last year’s last minute pickups of Rogers and Hunter, the UT coaches served notice around the league that no commitment is safe (I’m looking at you, Les Miles ;-) .

Rocky Top Talk

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19
Aug 10

Mail call: Send in your AJC Recruiting Mailbag questions

mailbag(1)Normally the less mail I get the better I feel. But earlier this summer I started the AJC Recruiting Mailbag as a regular feature. My intention was to answer your submitted questions every Friday morning.

But lately there just simply hasn’t been enough submissions to put a mailbag blog together. So, going forward, it may have to be a whenever-there-is-enough-good-questions feature rather than a regular feature. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I need your help. take a minute to fire off some questions for me now. I have set up an email account just for this purpose. And have fun with it! I plan to.

I think I may have enough for a mailbag for tomorrow but not sure. So let’s hear from you to be sure.

Remember, the address is AJCrecruiting@yahoo.com. Save it in your address books.

C-ya on the flipside.

P.S. Sorry no Ten@10 this morning. Handling personal business. That definitely will resume next week and for the foreseeable future on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

AJC College Sports Recruiting

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10
Aug 10

NCAA Investigating Tennessee Recruiting Violations During Kiffin Era?

Joe Schad just said on CFL that the NCAA is looking more into recruiting violations at UT during the Kiffin era. @KBudden #vols #GoVolsless than a minute ago via webGabe Correa
OrangeTint

 

Can’t verify this. Bruce Feldman, though, is also talking about it. Did anyone else see it?

[Note by Joel, 08/06/10 3:47 PM EDT ] Nothing on Schad’s Twitter feed Hmm.

[Note by Joel, 08/06/10 3:58 PM EDT ] Schad’s story on ESPN. Perhaps just re-heated old news except for the fact that UT expects a letter of inquiry now. Break’s over for me so you’re on your own.

Rocky Top Talk

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10
Aug 10

A huge recruiting week suggests Central Florida is on the rise

When coach Donnie Jones left Marshall to take over at Central Florida in the spring, many wondered why he would make a seemingly lateral move from one middling Conference USA program to another.

In a span of just a few months, however, Jones has taken a step toward proving he was right about his new gig having greater potential.

Jones landed a significant committment on Monday from promising three-star small forward Rod Days, who chose Central Florida over numerous higher-profile programs including Maryland, Alabama, Wake Forest and Arizona State. The Westmont, Fla. native preferred Central Florida because he built a strong relationship with the new coaching staff, he’s interested in the school’s forensic sciences major, he likes the direction of the program and he sees an opportunity to contribute right away.

"I don’t think it was that hard for him to turn down some of those other programs because he has a great head on his shoulders," Broward Bobcats AAU coach Joe Calamaro said by phone. "The way Central Florida recruited him was quite different. They got to know his family and made a point to
find where the heartbeat was coming from. That really sold the family
and him."

Days’ commitment is the latest piece of good news for a Central Florida program that rapidly appears to be positioning itself as the Conference USA program most capable of challenging Memphis in the coming years. Central Florida may not be a contender for the conference title in Jones’ first season, but the influx of talent set to arrive in 2011 portends a rapid upswing.

In addition to Days, fellow three-star small forward Kasey Wilson chose Central Florida on Sunday after decommitting from Virginia Commonwealth earlier this summer. And Virginia transfer Tristan Spurlock, Oregon transfer Josh Crittle and Illinois transfer Jeffrey Jordan are headed to Central Florida as well.

It’s no surprise to Calamaro that Days would choose Central Florida over the more high-profile schools that recruited him because the level-headed senior-to-be has always forged his own path. Instead of accepting an offer from a well-moneyed Nike or Adidas-sponsored AAU program this summer, Days chose to stick it out on Calamaro’s Broward Bobcats, soliciting money on street corners earlier this year to fund their travel to summer tournaments.

A 6-foot-6 small forward with a smooth jump shot and a quick first step to the basket, Days’ biggest challenge will be adding muscle to his spindly 175-pound frame. If he works hard in the weight room the next couple years, Calamaro believes he can be a star in Conference USA.

"Central Florida is headed in the right direction, and Rod will be a major part of it," Calamaro said. "He’s going to go there and make a contribution early."

The Dagger – NCAAB – Yahoo! Sports

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9
Aug 10

Mailbag: Crowell vs. Wilder, recruiting hostesses and what it takes to get noticed

THE MAILBAG:

mailbag(1)Peter of Charleston, S.C., asks: Has UGA said how many running backs they will take in 2011? Which back do you think fits better, James Wilder Jr. or Isaiah Crowell?

Chip: Georgia has not said how many backs it will take but I’m still waiting for their call. In the meantime, I believed they’d sign at least two even before Dontavius Jackson’s DUI and subsequent decision to leave. The Bulldogs made it clear from the beginning that Crowell was their A-number-one target in this class, but that was before they knew they’d get this far with Wilder. So I’d call them 1A and 1B at this point.

James Wilder Jr.: Hard to top this guy. (Photo by Tim Casey/GatorCountry.com)

James Wilder Jr.: Hard to top this guy. (Photo by Tim Casey/GatorCountry.com)

Regardless, the Bulldogs have never banked on one back under coach Mark Richt. If you look at his years at Georgia, they average right at 2,000 yards rushing every season no matter who’s the primary ballcarrier. And the majority of the time those carries are spread somewhat evenly between two or three …

AJC College Sports Recruiting

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9
Aug 10

What are the biggest recruiting stories in August?

I’m back!

Sorry for the absence. I was out the last week or so dealing with some family health matters. I am happy to report that everybody is better now and slowly-but-surely getting back to 100 percent. I am sincerely thankful for the time off to deal with that and especially for the many kind comments, well wishes and prayers that were left for me here and sent via email and social media. It’s really appreciated.

I do feel the need to apologize. Not, of course, for leaving work to attend to my family’s needs. Any of you would do the same. But I do feel like I kind of abandoned the blog and left many to wonder what in the world was going on. Several people wrote in wondering where was their “Ten@10″ last Tuesday and Thursday and what happened to “The Mailbag,” etc. Clearly I could have done a better job of informing everybody what was going on. My sincerest apology.

However, my esteemed colleague Michael Carvell kept an eye on all things recruiting for us over at the “Prep …

AJC College Sports Recruiting