UMassHoops.com

NilesGold · Senior Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 1337

Yes, I know the current season isn't over. If anyone is offended by discussions about HS juniors who haven't committed to UMass, I suggest you steer clear of this thread.

I thought it might be convenient to have a thread where we could discuss the HS class of 2014 recruits (potential recruits at this point) as a whole. This is going to be a very important recruiting year. If UMass is going to continue to build on the momentum they've established, DK needs to really come through with a stellar class.

As it stands right now, we're looking at having 4 scholarships open for use. Here is what the roster will look like for the 2014-2015 season when these recruits would be freshmen. Player name, position and class year (during that season) are listed.

Cady Lalanne C/F (Sr)
Maxie Esho F (Sr)
Tyler Bergantino C/F (Jr)
Isaac Freeman C (Jr)
Trey Davis G (Jr)
Derrick Gordon G (Jr)
Clyde Santee F (So)
Zach Coleman F (So)
Seth Berger F (So)

I'm getting the impression that a PG is a big priority (as it should be). I don't know, but I think we should also be targeting a SG and a PF/C. Once those three needs are filled I think they should just go for the best available, regardless of position. Going for an impact transfer might also be a nice option (in which case they wouldn't be eligible until the following year).

InnervisionsUMASS · Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 5:47 pm Post subject:

Not sure why anyone would have a problem with this thread. We talk about 2014 recruits in the football forum!
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iwearglovesndhat · Junior Joined: 11 Aug 2012 Posts: 492

well I know we're in on 3 pg's in Beard, Campbell, and Sumner

sbloombe · Sophomore Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 217

xlgman · Hall of Fame Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 2750

EDIT:

I've updated the wiki page to include all the 2014 prospects we're KAEO. If you see anyone missing, bump their thread to the top or start a new KAEO thread and I'll find it.

The table has updated ESPN ratings as of today.

http://umasshoops.com/wiki/doku.php?id=recruiting_targets#class_of_2014
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fenway617 · Junior Joined: 09 Mar 2012 Posts: 412

Only question I'd have is Izzy, he has not played much so they could red shirt him.
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xlgman · Hall of Fame Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 2750

1 minute of play negates a redshirt unless you are injured within the first 25% of your regular season and do not return. That ship has sailed for Izzy.
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There ain't no days off. That's the only way you can get it. SUCCESS DON'T COME EASY!@big_booge5

xlgman · Hall of Fame Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Posts: 2750

It's interesting to see that DK recruited 15 of the top 100 players in the class of 2013 and got none of them. The two guys he did get (Coleman and Berger) had ESPN ratings in the mid-70's.

In the class of 2014, we are only aware of 3 top 100 players that he has gone after, and most of the players are sub-80. I'm seeing this as him either not getting as much acceptance with top recruits, or him being more realistic, or both.
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There ain't no days off. That's the only way you can get it. SUCCESS DON'T COME EASY!@big_booge5

wmmmfan · Sophomore Joined: 20 Aug 2010 Posts: 214

I noticed that too when I was looking over our 2014 targets this past weekend. I'm thinking it is mainly do the minimal amount of TV games we have received the last few years, hopefully the new deal which begins in 2013-2014 season will help.

The other thing I noticed was the majority of our targets had until recently flown under the radar and just recently started to gain some notice. One player I'm keeping an eye on is Makai Mason at Hotchkiss Prep in CT. The kid is from Deerfield, MA and started to gain some notoriety at the end of the summer.

NilesGold · Senior Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 1337

iwearglovesndhat · Junior Joined: 11 Aug 2012 Posts: 492

NilesGold · Senior Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 1337

^ Lalanne and Morgan were somewhere in that 100 range. Regardless, I think the program is in a better position now than it has been in any of the last 10 years.

iwearglovesndhat · Junior Joined: 11 Aug 2012 Posts: 492

NilesGold · Senior Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 1337

^ Different sites have different rankings, in Rivals Lalanne was referred to as in the Rivals top 150, I can't find any top 100 for Rivals for 2010. Morgan was a 3-star with a 91 grade on ESPN. In my opinon that puts them both in the neighborhood of the 100 range. But really, it's irrelevant to UMass recruiting right now, so I don't really care to continue this argument.

NilesGold · Senior Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 1337

It's interesting to go back and look at some of the scouting reports on the ESPN and Rivals recruiting websites for players who are at UMass. It goes to show you that sometimes the scouts are very accurate, other times you wonder if they ever watched them play, or if they were watching someone else my mistake.

I don't have a subscription, so I only see some of the writeups...

Here are some accurate ones from ESPN:

"Morgan is an extremely versatile wing player. He's a good shooter who can make shots in bunches, has an established mid-range game, and gets to the rim enough to keep defenders honest. He's capable of getting his shot anytime he wants but has a tendency to settle for contested..."

"Riley has the uncanny ability to hit very difficult shots while under duress. However, this gives him a high level of confidence, but sometimes this confidence hinders him, as Riley believes he can make every shot, no matter the circumstances. This approach leads to attempting a number of very..."

These, not so much (emphasis mine). First two from ESPN, last from Rivals:
"Lalanne is a long athletic SF who has a tremendous amount of potential. He is a solid mid-range jump shooter with the ability to stretch the defense with extended range. He possesses a very soft touch for a big guy. Cady has very good ball skills, and sees the..."

"[Sampson] Carter has very good athleticism and length and would benefit from learning to uses these tools to his advantage. He has range that extends out to the 3-point line, but he has a tendency to rely too much on the 3-point shot. When Carter does shoot the 3, he...

"Adept at scoring in a variety of ways, Riley has a special knack at knocking down long jumpers coming off screens. His shot fake then sets up a quality two dribble game. His length serves him well defensively and on the boards although he does need to put some weight on his thin frame."

I think the moral of the story is, the scouts aren't always right.

P.S. If you needed more proof that scouts and rankings aren't infallible, Khalif Wyatt was rated as the #122 best SG in the class of 2009 by ESPN, ranked far below other SG standouts in the same class such as Mike Marra (#50), Christian Salecich (#49), Jason West (#4 Cool

, Lance Brown (#43)... none of whom played a full 4 years of college basketball, or averaged 7 or more points a game in any season.