Will Gary Bell Jr.

[jscrk]

Will Gary Bell Jr. become a McDonald's All American this year and thus be GU's second McDonald's All American?

[MickMick]

Well.....there are two versions supplied by Husky faithful.

Husky Version 1 (prior to GU commit):
Bell could "blow up" this season and have the big names like Kansas and UCLA swoop in (hard) to make the recruiting process much tougher.

Husky Version 2 (after GU commit):
Bell is likely a four year player. A definite bonus to the program but not skilled enough to declare early. (That is not a McDonalds AA level player. For reference, look at all the youngin's that declared this year that were not McDonalds AA players.)

I am of the opinion that accolades such as McDonalds AA and Scout/Rivals star rankings are heavily influenced by who is recruiting you. If Bell does have a spectacular senior campaign, the fact that he is not committed to a Kansas or UCLA will likely keep him out of the "elite" discussion.

Fine with me. He is what he is. A player at least of the high school caliber of Heytvelt/Daye coming in with a possibility of being even better. Who knows? He still has a senior season to play out.

With respect to staying four years......wouldn't that be grand? Time will tell. The fact that his parents have had such a positive influence on him with respect to academics leads me to believe that there are more factors than just paving a quick route to the NBA. At a minimum, I expect he will weigh his options very carefully like Harris did.

Just the kind of young man I like to see at GU.

[cbbfanatic]

With respect to staying four years......wouldn't that be grand?

is anyone really speculating/projecting that he wont stay 4? undersized (by nba standards) 2 guards are not exactly the type that make the early jump... not saying it cannot happen, but this kid isnt exactly rated up in the stratosphere of guys that are expected to play professionally before their eligibility expires.

[MickMick]

is anyone really speculating/projecting that he wont stay 4? undersized (by nba standards) 2 guards are not exactly the type that make the early jump... not saying it cannot happen, but this kid isnt exactly rated up in the stratosphere of guys that are expected to play professionally before their eligibility expires.

I dunno. I was completely dumbfounded by the number of young players that decide to "explore" the NBA this year.

Tiny Gallon?

C'mon. If players like that are tossing their hat into the ring, Bell is easily of that caliber or higher.

At this point....no one knows. If DJ Augustine can make it, I wouldn't rule out Bell. Did you ever see Augustine's combine numbers?

[BroncoZAG615]

I dunno. I was completely dumbfounded by the number of young players that decide to "explore" the NBA this year.

Tiny Gallon?

C'mon. If players like that are tossing their hat into the ring, Bell is easily of that caliber or higher.

At this point....no one knows. If DJ Augustine can make it, I wouldn't rule out Bell. Did you ever see Augustine's combine numbers?

DJ Augustin averaged 20 and 6 at Texas before declaring. If Gary can give that at Gonzaga (and I think he can), he can declare for the NFL draft for all I care.

[cbbfanatic]

is bell the pure PG that augustin is? just asking. i get the impression that he is a 2g through and through. plus, augustin always projected as a higher level talent.

and comparisons to a guy like gallon dont work for me. first off, because he is a big guy, and early entrance rules just seem to work differently for them, and second, because it is widely speculated that his departure is more due to bad circumstances and maybe even not being wanted back...

i think bell is a great get for GU, but i see him as being one of these guys that is going to be WAY overhyped before he arrives on campus, relative to what everyone else says about the kid. i hope he lives up to it.

[MickMick]

is bell the pure PG that augustin is? just asking. i get the impression that he is a 2g through and through. plus, augustin always projected as a higher level talent.

and comparisons to a guy like gallon dont work for me. first off, because he is a big guy, and early entrance rules just seem to work differently for them, and second, because it is widely speculated that his departure is more due to bad circumstances and maybe even not being wanted back...

i think bell is a great get for GU, but i see him as being one of these guys that is going to be WAY overhyped before he arrives on campus, relative to what everyone else says about the kid. i hope he lives up to it.

This is why I asked if you had seen Augustine's combine numbers. Pargo (and every other guard) easily beat him in every category. Vertical, agility drills, speed, lifting.....everything. It wasn't even close.

Higher level talent? Augustine was a good playmaker but hardly a great athlete.

Which leads me back to my first post. Husky Version 1 is defintely dead now, but you can be sure that it would still be alive if Bell had decided differently.

Speaking of WAY overhype........The Dawgman was killin me with it about this time last year.

Gaddy and Thomas. Gaddy and Thomas. Gaddy and Thomas.

Holy Moly.....you even had all the pre season publications fooled.

[810Suited]

I dunno. I was completely dumbfounded by the number of young players that decide to "explore" the NBA this year.

Tiny Gallon?

C'mon. If players like that are tossing their hat into the ring, Bell is easily of that caliber or higher.

At this point....no one knows. If DJ Augustine can make it, I wouldn't rule out Bell. Did you ever see Augustine's combine numbers?

Gallon was a top ten player coming out of high school and is entering the draft because of the problems that OK is having. Oh and taking some money from some sort of financial advisor as well.

[Birddog]

Gallon was a top ten player coming out of high school and is entering the draft because of the problems that OK is having. Oh and taking some money from some sort of financial advisor as well.
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What problems is OK having? other than the ones created by Gallon and his teammates of course. Gallon is a bit undersized to play a 4 in the NBA, and certainly hasn't shown the discipline and coach-ability needed to get there. He'll knock around Europe for awhile then go back home with no degree and limited future prospects. Sad for this and other guys like him. Anyway, my point is Gallon is not leaving because of the problems OU is having, he left because he IS the problem. Mason-Griffin and Warren have a major stake in the "problem" too. 3 Burger Boys with delusions of grandeur. Warren might make the Association as a bench player but probably not this year. I see the "D" league in his future.

[Bogozags]

What problems is OK having? other than the ones created by Gallon and his teammates of course. Gallon is a bit undersized to play a 4 in the NBA, and certainly hasn't shown the discipline and coach-ability needed to get there. He'll knock around Europe for awhile then go back home with no degree and limited future prospects. Sad for this and other guys like him. Anyway, my point is Gallon is not leaving because of the problems OU is having, he left because he IS the problem. Mason-Griffin and Warren have a major stake in the "problem" too. 3 Burger Boys with delusions of grandeur. Warren might make the Association as a bench player but probably not this year. I see the "D" league in his future.

Hit the nail right on the head!

I believe you get what you sow! Seems like some of these programs just need to do a much better job of vetting their recruits to eleviate the "problems" many of the "big time" programs constantly encounter. I believe this is one of the basic reasons GU has done so well over the years, the type of recruits they offer.

[CanadianZagFan]

I see Bel llisted at 6'1" and 6'2", does anyone have a grasp on his true size, non shoe size?

Is he a combo, is he a 2 guard that can play the point, or is he a scoring PG?

I am looking forward to seeing this guy play for the Zags, but I have no idea where he will play. To be an AA I would like to see him a a more defined position.

[cbbfanatic]

This is why I asked if you had seen Augustine's combine numbers. Pargo (and every other guard) easily beat him in every category. Vertical, agility drills, speed, lifting.....everything. It wasn't even close.

Higher level talent? Augustine was a good playmaker but hardly a great athlete.

Which leads me back to my first post. Husky Version 1 is defintely dead now, but you can be sure that it would still be alive if Bell had decided differently.

Speaking of WAY overhype........The Dawgman was killin me with it about this time last year.

Gaddy and Thomas. Gaddy and Thomas. Gaddy and Thomas.

Holy Moly.....you even had all the pre season publications fooled.

I was talking about scouting services that consistently had dj rated out as an nba talent, as far back as middle of hs. I don't see that for gbj.

Not sure why you bring up the huskies though, must be that complex flaring up.

[theman.themyth.thelegend]

Is he a combo, is he a 2 guard that can play the point, or is he a scoring PG?

I am looking forward to seeing this guy play for the Zags, but I have no idea where he will play. To be an AA I would like to see him a a more defined position.

Disclaimer: this post is only a comparison of playing style's to help answer the question above. This is no way intended to create unruly expectations for our newest Zag recruit.

If its any consolation, a source close to the team compared Gary Bell's playing style to Ben Gordon, the former Combo-G who starred at UConn. Now, they never said GBJ was going to be the next Ben Gordon, but their playing styles are very similar and they look identical on the court. Gordon was 6'2", 180 lbs out of high school and never had a defined position for UConn, as he was a true CG. He had the handles neccesary to play & run PG, but his scoring prowess & shooting ability screamed SG. Gordon was UConn's spark in transition, could shoot lights out from behind the arc, find the open man when called upon, and despite his smallish frame, take it to the rack. Now, I've personally never seen GBJ play one min of bball and finding game tape seems impossible, but the person who likened GBJ's style to Ben Gordon has played with Gary a handful of times vs D1 competition & defense. I trust his comparison and opinion.

Hope that helps a bit.

[CDC84]

Gary is a classic Gonzaga combo guard who, in time, will be able to play the one or two. Kind of like Derek Raivio. At this stage, talent evaluators generally feel he is more comfortable at the 2. Given how great of a scorer and long range shooter he is, that is certainly understandable. I still feel the best Zag player comparison for Bell is Raivio, except that Gary has higher upside due to his superior strength, length, athleticism and defensive ability. And no, he's not going to shoot 96% from the foul line, because nobody in the history of D-1 basketball has done that besides Raivio. I can see him as an 80's guy though.

I very much doubt Gary will be a Burger Boy. In order to get on that team you need to be an established top 30 level prospect with most recruiting services for 2-3 years. The selectors tend to not reward late bloomers (see Austin Daye, who moved into the top 25 at rivals.com the summer after his junior year). However, the guy who has a great shot at being a McDonald's AA is Kyle Wiltjer.

[cbbfanatic]

From a STYLE perspective, I like the gordon comparison.

Wiltjer will be a mcdaa, bell will not - if I was forced to make a guess.