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Recruiting Notes: Push for 09?

Published
by
Dylan
on August 24, 2008
in Matt Vogrich, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Uncategorized
. 6 Comments

Note: I finally got internet setup and working at my new apartment so updates should be a little more frequent again.

First, an update on 2009 Illinois shooting guard Matt Vogrich. Illinois Prep Bullseye is reporting that UCLA offered shooting guard Matt Vogrich a scholarship.

Ordinarily we don’t make a big deal over a particular school extending a scholarship offer or receiving an official visit from a prospective recruit, but in the case of 6′4 shooting guard Matt Vogrich from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, IL we are making an exception. We cannot possibly overemphasize how significant we feel it is that UCLA has offered Vogrich a scholarship and even more importantly that they will receive Vogrich’s final official campus visit at the end of September.

Vogrich is really starting to blow up and this one looks like it will be a long battle. UCLA having the last visit certainly isn’t encouraging but Vogrich is a midwest kid so hopefully he stays close to home.

All things considered I’m starting to feel like Beilein will really try to use both of the two remaining scholarships in 2009 rather than bank one or two for 2010. While Beilein was at West Virginia from 2002-2007 he didn’t appear to be scared to use alot of scholarships year in and year out. Here are the number of commitments per year while Beilein was at West Virgina:

  • 2002: 4
  • 2003: 6
  • 2004: 3
  • 2005: 2
  • 2006: 7
  • 2007: 1
  • Avg of 3.8 recruits/year.

Here are the class numbers for the current kids that are here (by graduation year/after redshirts):

  • 2006: 2 (Gibson, Sims) [Amaker Class]
  • 2007: 3 (Wright, Harris, Grady) [Amaker/Beilein Class]
  • 2008: 4 (LLP, Douglass, Cronin, Novak)
  • 2009: 2 (Morris, Morgan)
  • Avg of 2.75 recruits/class.

2008 and 2009 were the first classes Beilein really recruited at Michigan, in his first two years at West Virginia he used 10 scholarships, compared to the 6 that he has used here at Michigan. Of course part of this has to do with class balance and what he inherited at West Virginia compared to in Ann Arbor. But when you see Beilein taking 6 or 7 guys in a class it doesn’t appear he is one to save scholarships for the future. I think it’s clear that Beilein is a firm believer that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.

Here’s what Beilein had to say about a year ago when asked about adding another recruit to the 2008 class (when it consisted of only Ben Cronin):

We would like to take an 08. And if we find two kids we like in 08, we’ll take them. We’re going to plan on seeing who we recruit first. If we don’t get what we think is the right fit, then we’ll move onto 09.

In the end he added two more players to the 2008 class and also signed Robin Benzing before that situation fizzled. And about a year ago I believe people were still wanting to bank scholarships for the 2009 in-state class that was “loaded” (nearly everyone in-state in the 09 class saw their rankings plummet this summer). The bottom line is that things like transfers, non qualifiers, decommitments and whatever else can happen.

The two targets in 2009 appear to becoming focal points are Vogrich and Crump. Their recruitments should become a little more clear after visits start picking up. Both have moved into the Rivals top 150 this summer and seem to be “Beilein fits”.

A couple other links on 2009 names, Kelly Olynyk is playing well in Canadian Nationals, Ethan Wragge ($) , and a new 2009 top 100 from Scout (no Morris, Vogrich at 100).

The issue is that there is a lot of positive movement in regards to the 2010 class. We have talked about 2010 power forward Nate Lubick a lot here and his relationship with the program and Darius Morris. Just today Lou Dawkins from Best of the Best Scouting reported that Michigan is looking “really good” for both Nate Lubick and 2010 combo guard Trey Ziegler.

There are 4 remaining scholarships for the next two years combined, how would you use them? Personally I take a combo forward and the best remaining player on the board in 2009. That way Beilein still has two to work with for 2010 and as we learned this year you never know what else can happen to make more scholarships available. Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.

6 Comments

Friday Notes & Links

Published
by
Dylan
on August 15, 2008
in Crisler Arena, Nate Lubick and Recruits
. 12 Comments

12 Comments

Recruiting Notes: Who’s Next?

Published
by
Dylan
on August 3, 2008
in Darius Morris, Givon Crump, Kelly Olynyk, Nate Lubick, Recruits and Roger Franklin
. 14 Comments

Now that Darius Morris is Blue, it’s time to refocus on the rest of the recruits on the board.

Givon Crump (SF/PF 2009). Givon Crump appears to be climbing Michigan’s recruiting board quickly. This article is from early July when Crump played very well at the RBK All American camp but I missed it then.

Crump’s father, Gino Crump, advised Arizona Preps that he received a phone call from Michigan Head Coach John Beilein immediately following the game, advising him that his son has climbed the recruiting ladder with their coaching staff significantly. While Crump has already received an official offer from the Wolverines, he could become their top recruit in the very near future.

From the same camp, the NBE Basketball Report had this scouting report on Crump:

Based on Crump’s performance against Team Rajon Rondo on Wednesday, one might draw the conclusion that Crump is one of the best shooters in the country. You would be right. Crump,a 6-foot-7 wing, has an unbelievable shooting stroke from anywhere on the court; he also has a high release which makes it unblockable. He can shoot it from deep, well behind the three-point lane. Crump also moves well without the ball, trying to get open for shots. He runs the pick-and-pop extremely well, but can also cut to the basket for open finishes in the lane. He has a good vertical leap, but does not rely on his athleticism like some other players do.

It is looking more and more like Crump is the main target on the board now that Darius verballed. We all know Beilein’s eyes light up when he sees anyone with an “unbelievable shooting stroke”. The next step with Crump is to get him on campus, a fall football Saturday visit would be nice. (Update: Here are Crump’s junior year HS stats)

Kelly Olynyk (SF/PF 2009). Beilein appears to be looking north of the border at Kelly Olynyk from Kamloop, BC.  Olynyk is a forward who is “one year from graduating” (I believe this would put him in the class of 09 but I know there have been some odd issues in Canadian high school eligibility) and missed most of his junior year with a broken arm from playing football. According to the Kamloop News, Olynyk recently got a call from John Beilein’s staff:

Earlier this week, the University of Michigan Wolverines gave him a call. It came on the heels of talks with the San Diego Toreros and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, as well as a few other programs.

Olynyk sounds like a guard who has grown into a forward and college coaches want him on the wing instead of in the backcourt. This reminds me a little bit of a guy like Robin Benzing who had more of a guard skill set in a bigger body. It has been pretty well established that Beilein values ball skills before anything else even in his forwards.

“It’s been tiring, but it’s fun,” Olynyk said. “It’s a good experience, with the travel and the games against international competition.”

In the past, Olynyk has played mostly guard for the Titans. Considering he’s still growing, his NCAA suitors are hoping to move him up to forward. “They want me to play more of a wing position,” Olynyk said. “This season, I want to play more wing. But we’ll see what we have to do to get the job done.”

USBasket lists his height at 6′8 but the Kamloop article mentions that he is “approaching 6′10″.  I would leave Olynyk on the watch list until we hear more but he is worth mentioning.

Baylor, Wall, and Udoh. The #1 player in the class of 2009, point guard John Wall is set to commit to Baylor this week. Of course Wall’s AAU coach Dwon Clifton was hired as Directory of Player Development on Thursday. Not that the hire has been made Wall “expected to announce his college decision early next week according to Brian Clifton, the director of D-One Sports and Dwon Clifton’s older brother”.

Baylor was apparently not the only school that had a job offer from Clifton, according to Rivals:

Dwon Clifton was offered coaching positions by other Big 12 schools as well as schools in the Big East and SEC.

The rumors were so strong in Vegas that Wall (and Clifton) were headed to Oklahoma State that Rivals’ Jerry Meyer claims it may have been a “smoke screen” to take attention away from Baylor hiring Clifton.

This kind of practice is far too common, just last year Texas A&M hired DeAndre Jordan’s AAU coach Byron Smith. His coaching experience includes coaching the Houston Swoosh AAU Program and interim head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters. This has been common practice for a long time, Steve Fisher hired Perry Watson because he was Jalen Rose’s high school coach.

The reason this story caught my eye is because Baylor is involved. Ekpe Udoh recently transferred to Baylor in a decision that left many Michigan fans scratching their heads. It was also pretty clear that Mitch Malone, Ekpe’s former AAU coach was the driving force in his selection.

Malone takes offense to AAU coaches being called “street agents and thugs”:

“For some reason, people think we’re street agents and thugs,” said Mitch Malone of the Texas Bluechips. “We’re not thugs. The main group of guys who have done this for years have families and deeply care about the kids in their program.”

However it’s hard to ignore that this wasn’t the cleanest situation and that Baylor has little to no problem with doing what ever it takes to land a recruit. And not just the transfer happening at all but the fact that Ekpe didn’t goto Arkansas (where coach Pelphrey loves Snoop Dogg) or seemingly natural fits of Oklahoma State (closest to home) or Oklahoma (Ekpe’s best freind from high school).

So while I don’t think we will see Malone hired at Baylor anytime soon, it is clear that Malone ran Ekpe’s re-recruitment and that Baylor will “play the game” with anyone. But at this point all you can do is shake your head but the whole ordeal still leaves a dirty taste in my mouth. The Wall commitment just makes it a little more clear what kind of things were going on behind the scenes.

Roger Franklin (SF 2009). Roger was named one of the top 15 players in Vegas by the NY Daily News. USAToday has an article with a mention of Franklin and Arizona but also mentions that Roger is a long way from a decision.

More on recruiting after the break.

Continue reading ‘Recruiting Notes: Who’s Next?’

14 Comments

Add UMass to the Schedule, Recruiting, LLP

Published
by
Dylan
on July 11, 2008
in DeShawn sims, Jordan Morgan, Laval Lucas-Perry, Manny Harris, Nate Lubick and Zack Novak
. 2 Comments

UMass is apparently playing in Michigan’s bracket in the Coaches vs Cancer opening rounds according to this message board post (I can’t get the article link to work). This is another tough match up on what was supposed to be a watered down schedule this year. UMass is a game that is winable though and will be a good early test for this team. Check out the other notes I have assembled on next years schedule. One other note (sorry for adding this late) there is also a rumor circulating about a home and home series (possibly 4 years) with UConn but this hasn’t been confirmed anywhere and may be for this year or later on (Thanks Joe).

Some information is out there from national events this week about Carl Jones, Michigan’s #2 point guard target at this time. First from the RivalsHoops (free):

Despite a hamstring injury Rivals.com top 150 prospect Carl Jones was in the building supporting his Ohio Basketball Club teammates. Jones says he has offers from Iowa, Penn State, Texas Tech, St. Joe’s, and Marquette. He also mentioned that Michigan is still showing a lot of interest despite not offering.

ESPN had this scouting report on Carl Jones at the LeBron Skills Academy:

Jones has the ability to score in a variety of ways. He can connect with relative ease from beyond 3-point land, but he also has the quickness to penetrate to the basket. Though small, he uses an assortment of floaters and angles to get his shots off in the paint amongst the trees.

Rivals also mentions that Justin Jordan, another 2009 point guard also mentions Michigan as well as Texas Tech,  Purdue, Butler, LSU, and Virginia.

If you have premium on Rivals they have both posted tons of team/elite camp video over the past week: Novak, Lubick, Morgan, and Elite Camp. 2010 point guard Ray McCallum Jr. will attend Detroit Country Day next year. Vince at PrepSpotlight has a great report ($) on Manny and DeShawn at the LeBron Academy where they were counselors and also got to play with LeBron and Chris Paul. Not a lot of mention of Darius this week who was apparently slowed with a back injury for most of the week. One more note, Givon Crump is blowing up at RBK U and he is certainly a wing target to watch (again sorry for adding this late).

From the Jones Cup, Laval Lucas-Perry scored 14 points and notched 2 steals in Day 2 action during an easy win over Qatar. It also looks like Laval had 9 vs Jordan in an opening day loss (Taiwain Hoops).

Laval Lucas-Perry had a fastbreak dunk, a three and a three-point play in the second quarter as AIA led by as many as 14 points.

2 Comments

Post-Camp Notes: Morris, Lubick, Douglass and More

Published
by
Dylan
on July 1, 2008
in Darius Morris, Jordan Morgan, Nate Lubick, Recruits, Stuart Douglass, Womens Basketball and Zack Novak
. 16 Comments

Camp week has come and gone and Darius Morris did not commit. However Darius did enjoy himself and plans to stick to his end of summer decision date. Scout also has a diary feature with Darius (also here on GBOA?) that began today.  I still feel good about this one but the danger is if August passes and Darius doesn’t make a decision, then we are looking at a Tory Jackson 2.0 situation (Short version: Tory told the coaches repeatedly he was coming and “planned to commit” several times but it never happened as he strung Michigan on for far too long). But at this point he has taken a visit to Ann Arbor and loved it and it’s time to just wait it out. With CJ Harris off the board it appears that Carl Jones is the plan-B target for a point guard in a class where it’s hard to fathom Michigan not signing a point guard.

The other star of camp week was clearly Nate Lubick, the big fella really impressed all week in Ann Arbor and at this point has to be the top 2010 target on the board. Rivals already has Lubick listed as the #6 PF and #30 overall player in the class of 2010 and I can only see that ranking going upward. The competition for Lubick will be fierce with tons of high majors after him but Lubick is very familiar with the Michigan program and has been to campus multiple times.

Stephen Bell wrote a good piece listing ten intriguing in-state prospects at Michigan camp.  The most promising junior names for U-M fans to keep an eye on are: Alex Gauna (left camp early due to injury), Sultan Muhammad, Matt Kamieniecki, Michael Talley and Maurice Jones. LaDontae Henton is also a freak athlete in the class of 2011 who is already drawing a lot of attention. Michigan will only have 2 open scholarships in 2010 (if they use their two remaining 2009 scholarships) and I would assume they have to take at least one big guy.

There has been a lot of talk about the starting line up again now that people got a look at the freshman in action at team camp. Zack had become the flavor of the month recently with his gaudy numbers but after struggling a bit at team camp it appears Stu is the guy everyone is penciling in now. It has to be noted that Zack has been playing in tons of camps, all-star games and scrimmages over the past couple months as well as playing baseball and moving to Ann Arbor so it is safe to say that he is probably a little burned out.

Stu’s range has never been questioned but there were many people trying to knock him as the second coming of Reed Baker despite his shooting. First off, Stu is probably at least 3 inches taller than Reed but the thing that sets him apart is his passing ability and ability to use screens. I don’t think Stu can be a point guard but he can make the right passes at the right times from the two-guard. I can’t even begin to count the number of times Michigan missed open back door cuts that would have resulted in easy baskets. Stu being able to make (deep) open shots and stretch the defense and then hit open cutters is a valuable asset all by itself.

The issue with the starting lineup is where does Manny Harris play next year? If he plays the wing (which I think he will), then I think Stu starts at the two-guard to begin the year. If Manny plays the two like he did last year then you have the potential of Novak or Wright starting at the three. For depth reasons it makes more sense to have Manny backed up by Novak at the three with Wright backing up DeShawn in the thin front court. Where Laval Lucas-Perry plays when he is eligible is also going to be interesting because I could see him playing point guard or shooting guard.

Other notes.

  • Sounds like Manny Harris is NOT going to Taiwan for the Jones Cup, just Laval Lucas-Perry.
  • Ben Simmons didn’t show well at the camp despite lighting up the Grand Valley team camp earlier in the summer. It appears to me “the Perfect Beilein Recruit’s” chances of a U-M offer are slipping.
  • One other piece of positive news on Darius Morris. Washington State received a commitment from point guard Xavier Thames. This should presumably knock them down (and off?) Darius’ list.
  • Hollins a Wolverine
    Forgot to add this earlier, nice grab for Borseth.

16 Comments