The Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Springfield Republican - Groebe commitment
he commitments keep coming for University of Massachusetts men's basketball team. With the early signing period approaching, the Minutemen got commitments this week from a pair of players with German roots who are now in Florida, bringing their recruiting class to six players.
Junior college big man Andy Buechert committed Sunday and high school senior guard Max Groebe told the Minutemen of his intentions Monday afternoon.
Groebe was born in Germany and has played for its under-18 national team, but he has lived in the United States since middle school. He currently plays at Dr. Michael Krop High School in Miami.
Groebe, a 6-foot-5 wing, had been leaning toward choosing UMass after visiting two weeks ago, but waited until Monday, his 18th birthday, to make it official. Groebe said his visit convinced him.
'(Watching) the individual workouts were really amazing. The players on the team were really cool. It was a good experience overall,' Groebe said. 'I liked the style of play, the coaches and the sports management program.'
Groebe is coached at Krop High School by Shakey Rodriguez, a legend among high school coaches in Florida. Rodriguez said UMass is getting a good player and a good student.
'He's a great shooter, a good athlete. He's strong, smart, a 4.0 student,' Rodriguez said. 'He's got great energy, a good attitude. He's a good teammate and hard worker. He's a fine young man.
'I think UMass is a great fit,' Rodriguez continued. 'He'll have a coach that understands perimeter shooting. Kids that can shoot the basketball like he can are rare at the high school level. He's one of the premier - if not the premier - shooters in the state of Florida.'
Buechert is a 6-foot-9 power forward from Trier, Germany, where he played through high school. He moved to the U.S. and enrolled at Tallahassee Community College hoping to get Division I exposure.
Stuck behind two older inside players last season, Buechert came off the bench at Tallahassee and averaged 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
'Last year we had three redshirt sophomores so it was very hard for me to start, so I came from the bench,' said Buechert, who drew interest from the University of Texas at El Paso, Pacific and Illinois State. 'This year I think I can be a go-to guy. I'm working hard for it.'
Buechert said it was an easy decision to decide on UMass.
'I liked the people and the situation and the school,' he said. 'I want to major in business and that's pretty strong at UMass.'
He will enter UMass next year as a junior and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
The Minutemen are done recruiting for next season if all of the players who have made commitments come to UMass. Buechert and Groebe will join a class that also includes forwards Trevon Wilcher and Matt Hill and perimeter players Marcus Matthews and Matt Glass.
But Trey Lang, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Marietta, Ga., has listed UMass as his leader. He also is getting interest from several big-conference schools as well.
If the Minutemen are still recruiting Lang, it's possible that at least one of the players who have committed to UMass could end up elsewhere. Internet rumors have swirled of late that UMass may cut ties with Matthews, although his AAU coach Kenny Pretlow last week denied that.
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from discussing recruits until the player has signed a national letter of Intent. The early signing period runs from Nov. 8 to 15.
OVERVIEW - While UMass coach Travis Ford is not allowed to talk about specific recruits, he did have the busiest summer of his coaching career with so many scholarships to fill.
'This year because we've had to sign so many players I've spent so much time on the road recruiting,' he said. 'In 10 years of coaching I've never gone at it like this. I've been going nonstop since July. I've looked for guys that can fit our system, guys who shoot. We need height. We need a little bit of everything other than point guards right now.'
SCOUTING LASME - Ford said several professional scouts have stopped in to watch his team's individual workouts. He said the buzz around senior Stephane Lasme's pro potential is increasing.
'I had one pro scout tell me the other day that when they call other Atlantic 10 coaches, that one of the things they hear consistently is that Stephane Lasme may be the best pro prospect in the league this year,' Ford said. 'I can't disagree for what he can do and how he's getting better every year. He's the No. 1 returning shot blocker in Division I. His offensive game is coming along. He's definitely more than on the radar.'
MISCELLANEOUS - Ford annually spends part of August watching another team, college or professional, practice. After returning from the Minutemen's exhibition games in the Bahamas, Ford spent four days at the University of Florida, where his close friend Billy Donovan is trying to defend his national title.
The Minutemen kick off full-time practice Friday at Midnight Madness, preparing for the season opener at home Nov. 11 against Dartmouth.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/umsports.