I have often said recruiting is a very fluid process. Some of you have a hard time understanding this. I will attempt to explain, knowing full well that some will still not understand. But, sigh, I shall try...
Last year there were a handful of 2008 recruits listing GU. Most could be eliminated with a little common sense, ie, not good enough, an LA stud in UCLA's backyard, etc. But a few made sense. Some were borderline.
One thing I've learned over the years is to not get too attached to any recruit. Why? The coaches might evaluate him and conclude the kid just isn't quite good enough or just isn't a good fit. This could take six months to a year with a borderline kid. Watch, evaluate, watch some more, evaluate some more, get a second opinion, a third opinion, all amongst the staff.
Then, as new recruits pop up onto the radar, it starts to get more complicated. The bar is raised for the previous recruits. If they can't measure up and show the coaches that they can step up, well, sorry but the staff moves on.
The 2008 PG has been the most interesting to me.
It started with Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee and Larry Drew, Jr. By what was written and from my sources, I concluded Jerime was at the top of the wish list. He looked darn good. And he was. UCLA jumped on him and that was all she wrote. That left Lee and Drew, both very good. UCLA jumped on Lee and got him to go with Jerime. Drew made it fairly clear that he was going BCS and, sure enough, will choose soon between UNC and Arizona.
With those three off the table, that left Jordan Theodore, Brad Tinsley and not much else. But as the months went by, other names started to appear. More evaluation took place.
Neither Scout nor Rivals has mentioned Jordan Theodore this spring. Not one thumbnail evaluation, not one update, nothing, all spring long through multiple tournaments. Since I correspond with Rivals' Jerry Meyer, I asked him why not. It became clear JT was not only playing very poorly but also possibly regressing.
This is evaluation time. It's when the cream rises to the top, when the wannabes are exposed, and every recruit out there knows he has to play his best if he wants to catch coaches' eyes. Sometimes a kid's best isn't good enough for top programs.
So I have not mentioned JT for a long time, long before he dropped 35 spots in Rivals' rankings. It is my understanding he will not be offered by Memphis, Marquette or any of his top choices if he doesn't turn his game around.
But I'll continue to report any news I hear about him. Trouble is, there hasn't been any news. He plays in the Arizona Cactus Classic soon. I have a request in for a report on JT from that tourney. We'll all see what's up, hopefully.
As for Tinsley, personally, I like that kid's toughness. I was very unimpressed last summer at a GU team camp, but it must've been an off game. But the entire staff has evaluated Tinsley for a year, dozens of times, same as Tony Bennett and his WSU staff, and yet no offers from either school. Why is that, you suppose? Are two of the brightest young coaches in the country blowing it? That tells me something. Both Few and Bennett are not stupid, and each coach is trying to get the best possible recruit they can. Hmmm.
So the 2008 PG saga continues. A myriad of things could happen, including Theodore picking up his game and a change of mind towards Tinsley. Nothing is impossible.
The emergence of Rotnei Clarke has changed the dynamics. As I said before, he sounds a lot like Dan Dickau, right down to his strong Christianity. Clarke is receiving raves. Gonzaga and its fans can't be afraid of lots of other schools getting in on a kid. If Few likes a kid in a small town in Oklahoma enough to go visit him, I know who Gonzaga wants. The same thing happened with Bouldin, and we got him. Daye is top-30 from Orange County but we got him. I never heard of Steven Gray until he committed; UW fans on Dawgman were laughing at GU for taking such a no-name kid like Gray. I remember a thread that was 7 pages long over there, dissing Gray and claiming their superiority with the likes of Phil Nelson, Harvey Perry, Justin Holiday and I. Thomas. It would appear Few knew what he was doing after all.
I never heard of Clarke until recently and I like what I've read and what I see in the video clips, and what I'm hearing from recruiting sources.
It appears Clarke is a priority for 2008. He has stepped up and improved while many have not. I know I want the kid. He's now #1 on my wish list.
Also, always expect the unexpected from the GU staff. Nobody knew Ronny was coming until Andy Katz reported it in late August. Nobody knew about JP Batista until he signed in April or May. Not many knew about Gray, or GU's chances with Daye (until very late), or that Sacre was committing on a visit that few, if anyone, knew about.
Remember, recruiting is fluid. It ebbs and flows. We do our best to stay on top of it, but sometimes it's a little like trying to ride a bucking bronco.
And expect the unexpected, guys. You'll like it.
Last year there were a handful of 2008 recruits listing GU. Most could be eliminated with a little common sense, ie, not good enough, an LA stud in UCLA's backyard, etc. But a few made sense. Some were borderline.
One thing I've learned over the years is to not get too attached to any recruit. Why? The coaches might evaluate him and conclude the kid just isn't quite good enough or just isn't a good fit. This could take six months to a year with a borderline kid. Watch, evaluate, watch some more, evaluate some more, get a second opinion, a third opinion, all amongst the staff.
Then, as new recruits pop up onto the radar, it starts to get more complicated. The bar is raised for the previous recruits. If they can't measure up and show the coaches that they can step up, well, sorry but the staff moves on.
The 2008 PG has been the most interesting to me.
It started with Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee and Larry Drew, Jr. By what was written and from my sources, I concluded Jerime was at the top of the wish list. He looked darn good. And he was. UCLA jumped on him and that was all she wrote. That left Lee and Drew, both very good. UCLA jumped on Lee and got him to go with Jerime. Drew made it fairly clear that he was going BCS and, sure enough, will choose soon between UNC and Arizona.
With those three off the table, that left Jordan Theodore, Brad Tinsley and not much else. But as the months went by, other names started to appear. More evaluation took place.
Neither Scout nor Rivals has mentioned Jordan Theodore this spring. Not one thumbnail evaluation, not one update, nothing, all spring long through multiple tournaments. Since I correspond with Rivals' Jerry Meyer, I asked him why not. It became clear JT was not only playing very poorly but also possibly regressing.
This is evaluation time. It's when the cream rises to the top, when the wannabes are exposed, and every recruit out there knows he has to play his best if he wants to catch coaches' eyes. Sometimes a kid's best isn't good enough for top programs.
So I have not mentioned JT for a long time, long before he dropped 35 spots in Rivals' rankings. It is my understanding he will not be offered by Memphis, Marquette or any of his top choices if he doesn't turn his game around.
But I'll continue to report any news I hear about him. Trouble is, there hasn't been any news. He plays in the Arizona Cactus Classic soon. I have a request in for a report on JT from that tourney. We'll all see what's up, hopefully.
As for Tinsley, personally, I like that kid's toughness. I was very unimpressed last summer at a GU team camp, but it must've been an off game. But the entire staff has evaluated Tinsley for a year, dozens of times, same as Tony Bennett and his WSU staff, and yet no offers from either school. Why is that, you suppose? Are two of the brightest young coaches in the country blowing it? That tells me something. Both Few and Bennett are not stupid, and each coach is trying to get the best possible recruit they can. Hmmm.
So the 2008 PG saga continues. A myriad of things could happen, including Theodore picking up his game and a change of mind towards Tinsley. Nothing is impossible.
The emergence of Rotnei Clarke has changed the dynamics. As I said before, he sounds a lot like Dan Dickau, right down to his strong Christianity. Clarke is receiving raves. Gonzaga and its fans can't be afraid of lots of other schools getting in on a kid. If Few likes a kid in a small town in Oklahoma enough to go visit him, I know who Gonzaga wants. The same thing happened with Bouldin, and we got him. Daye is top-30 from Orange County but we got him. I never heard of Steven Gray until he committed; UW fans on Dawgman were laughing at GU for taking such a no-name kid like Gray. I remember a thread that was 7 pages long over there, dissing Gray and claiming their superiority with the likes of Phil Nelson, Harvey Perry, Justin Holiday and I. Thomas. It would appear Few knew what he was doing after all.
I never heard of Clarke until recently and I like what I've read and what I see in the video clips, and what I'm hearing from recruiting sources.
It appears Clarke is a priority for 2008. He has stepped up and improved while many have not. I know I want the kid. He's now #1 on my wish list.
Also, always expect the unexpected from the GU staff. Nobody knew Ronny was coming until Andy Katz reported it in late August. Nobody knew about JP Batista until he signed in April or May. Not many knew about Gray, or GU's chances with Daye (until very late), or that Sacre was committing on a visit that few, if anyone, knew about.
Remember, recruiting is fluid. It ebbs and flows. We do our best to stay on top of it, but sometimes it's a little like trying to ride a bucking bronco.
And expect the unexpected, guys. You'll like it.
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