Tidbit for Rivals Mailbag (OU related)

[Seymore Cox]

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=948508

This is exactly the irony of Ohio State's 2010 recruiting class. It is the No. 1-ranked recruiting class and is stacked at every position except point guard, which is a major priority for the program.

The other irony is that Ohio State didn't recruit two four-star point guards from its own state. Juwan Staten is instead committed to Dayton, and Aaron Craft is headed to Tennessee.

Presently, Phil Pressey, Cory Joseph, Trevor Releford, Joe Jackson and Lavonte Dority are on the Ohio State hot board at the point guard position.

Pressey and Jackson are highly unlikely to be Buckeyes in my opinion. Ohio State does have a good shot at Joseph, whom they and most of the rest of the country have offered. Releford and Dority might be more realistic options.

As noted by many on this board, Releford's stock is rising. I find it odd that Ohio State is more in line with recruiting Releford and Pressey than McCallum.

Coach Roy Williams is not done recruiting. He is working to add a quality small forward to North Carolina's 2010 recruiting class. No. 2-ranked overall prospect Harrison Barnes is Williams' top target, but he is playing catch up to at least Duke and Kansas.

Roscoe Smith and Casey Prather are plan "B" options. And the sleeper recruit is the long and intriguing Rod Odom. Williams and his staff will closely watch these three prospects in July.

UNC is going to offer Cameron Clark. He's the next best wing after Harrison Barnes and UNC has already started recruiting him.

John, your question is the next question to be asked concerning Kentucky recruiting and its 2009 class. If Meeks does come back (and there is some optimism in the Kentucky program that Meeks will return for the 2009-10 season), Kentucky would have 17 players on scholarship, four over the limit of 13.

Something has to give, and academics are the first thing that will shake up the Kentucky roster. At least three current Wildcats are in questionable academic standing, and at least three Kentucky recruits have yet to make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Sources closely involved with DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe say that both prospects have the class work and standardized test score to make it through the Clearinghouse. John Wall, however, is still waiting for his test score, and there are also questions concerning his core curriculum.

So, although Calipari has signed one of the best recruiting classes in college basketball history, the class is not in the bank yet.

If the academic component doesn't drop the roster down to 13 scholarship players, then I'm certain that the players at the bottom of the roster who need to leave will easily be convinced that it is in their interest to transfer to a program where they can get more playing time. A number of mid-major programs are ready to pick up potential casualties in the Billy Gillispie-to-Calipari transition.

Calipari is slimy. He didn't dismiss any players until he found some replacements. The NCAA should really look into this practice by coaches. When it's all said and done with, he would have ran off 6 scholarship players. 1 or 2 is OK, but 6, maybe 7!

 

[BigTime]

There are some reports that say that Clark has already been offered by UNC. We are just going to have to hope that distance, playing time (he can replace Crocker in 2010), and the fact that Capel has been in on him from the start are all enough to get him to OU.

 

[Seymore Cox]

My biggest fear with Roy Williams going to UNC was the fact that he could proabably come back to this area anytime he wanted to and be right in the hunt for a recruit. Anytime their is a super quality recruit in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, or North Texas area, he's going to go after them. That makes it tough for the OUs and OSUs because not only do you have to beat UT and KU on these guys, you also have to beat UNC.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I-5 Elite played in two excellent games on Sunday, and Jones put his entire game on display both times. First in a matchup with Team Texas, Jones showed every bit of his versatility. Jones proved that he could definitely play small forward or power forward, depending on the system he ends up in, and with that he is such a tough matchup for opposing teams.

Against Team Texas, Jones was simply too much. He scored with his back-to-basket, played excellent defense both inside and on the perimeter, rebounded with authority, and made his teammates better by setting them up. At the moment he really prefers to go left off the drive, but on a few occasions he showed that he is more than capable of using the right to get to the rim and score. With his big frame and solid athleticism, Jones is usually too quick for power forwards, and too strong for small forwards, while at the same time showing an ability to defend both spots.

While Jones was good against Team Texas, he saved his best for last. In an overtime thriller against Albany City Rocks, Jones once again went to work, but this time it was all about his play when the game matters the most. With I-5 Elite trailing by one and time winding down, Jones used a quick and powerful left hand drive to get himself in a position to score. From there he attempted a highly contested mid-range floater, that bounced high off the rim and fell through the net as time expired.

The shot was not only big because it got I-5 Elite into the semi finals, but also it showed that when the game is on the line Jones is someone who demands the ball. That type of attitude is always needed in a star player, and Jones more than proved his worth on Sunday.

This is a kid that has listed OU. Geographically it looks like OU is a longshot, but if they get in on this kid, it would be big because he's everybit the caliber of Clark and Cothron.

Team Texas has a lot of talent, and T.J. Taylor stood out with his play. The combo guard who is bound for Oklahoma scored at will off the dribble, and mixed in the occasional jumper as well. Sunday was some of the best we have seen from Taylor on the floor.
Also playing very well for Team Texas was Cameron Clark. The athletic wing man has one of the highest releases on his shot you will see, and it is very effective. His high release combined with long arms and loads of athleticism makes it hard to contest his shot, and gives defenders a whole lot to be scared of when he gets it going.

I put that one sentence on Bold because Rivals admitted they haven't seen TJ at all until this year. Add to that he missed the first AAU tournament. His stock looks like it will continue to rise. I hope he is working on Cameron, hard.

Houston Hoops power forward Tobi Oyedeji faired very well against Boo Williams. He scored 17 points and did it using skill and athleticism down low, but his biggest production came on defense. He used his long arms and natural timing to block shots, and alter several others. Oyedeji looks the part in a big way, and now his production is beginning to match the potential

He seems to be coming along. Houston Hoops has a loaded roster as well, and he seems to be one of their stars.

Ky Madden is hearing from Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, Memphis, Kentucky, Baylor, Arkansas, Texas, and LSU

A 2011 wing from Arkansas. He has an impressive list.

http://www.basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=2&pr_key=86821

Fans of hoops in the Lonestar State of Texas have a lot to looking forward to, and the 2012 class has a few studs that impressed. None passes the test better than 7-foot center Isaiah Austin. Like most 15 year old big guys, Austin needs to gain strength, but he runs the floor extremely well, has a good looking shooting stroke, knows how to block shots, and has a motor that never quits. Now he does need to be a bit more productive at times, but that will come with seasoning. The sky looked to be the limit for this Team Texas big man.

Seven foot freshman that plays for Team Texas.

 

[j2d2]

Dirty Mess you are a jewel. Keep us advised.

 

[BigTime]

Another site's take on T.J.'s performance yesterday:

T.J. Taylor, SG/PG, Team Texas- Oklahoma scored themselves a solid recruit in the Texan. A solidly built combo guard, he isn’t flashy, but he’s certainly effective and contributes all over the floor. He’s got the strength to absorb contact and finish on nifty drives and floaters in the lane, is capable of getting after it on defense

 

[pnkranger]

TJ Taylor sounds a LOT like Nolan Johnson.

 

[BigTime]

TJ Taylor sounds a LOT like Nolan Johnson.

I think that is a very fair comparison. I am a huge Nolan fan. At this point, I would give T.J. the edge from the outside and from a pure athletic standpoint. I think Nolan is better from the line and at creating his shot in heavy traffic. I think that both are really good at taking contact and still being able to get their shot off (likewise for Willie Warren) and I think both have bigger builds for guards.

 

[DenverSooner]

My biggest fear with Roy Williams going to UNC was the fact that he could proabably come back to this area anytime he wanted to and be right in the hunt for a recruit. Anytime their is a super quality recruit in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, or North Texas area, he's going to go after them. That makes it tough for the OUs and OSUs because not only do you have to beat UT and KU on these guys, you also have to beat UNC.

I am not sure that kids really remember who coached at KU 6 years ago. If you are going to be a high school senior next year that means you are 16 or 17 today and were 12 or 11 when Roy Williams was at KU.

 

[Seymore Cox]

I am not sure that kids really remember who coached at KU 6 years ago. If you are going to be a high school senior next year that means you are 16 or 17 today and were 12 or 11 when Roy Williams was at KU.

These kids have high school and AAU coaches who are between 30-40 years old around them who would love more than nothing to have players affiliated with a UNC or Roy Williams. And it's not so much about the kids as it is about Roy Williams who has a history of recruiting kids from that area. Make no mistake about it, Roy Williams may be the best recruiter in basketball. He also may be the best talent evaluator in basketball. I sat next to him as he projected a Freshman JR Giddens from Yukon Oklahoma an elite basketball player.

 

[perryj74]

Dirty is there anything on the 16-U kids? The kid I asked you about a couple of weeks ago was in the finals against the K-town Kings.

 

[Seymore Cox]

Dirty is there anything on the 16-U kids? The kid I asked you about a couple of weeks ago was in the finals against the K-town Kings.

Sorry Perry, I didn't make it. What is his teams tournament schedule? I'll see if it coincides with mine.

Luke Cothron (2010 Alabama Terriors)- The top ten prospect lived up to the billing with strong play in both the low post and midrange area.

Not playing for Southeast Elite. I wonder if he's going to go to school in Alabama again or if he's just going home for the summer.

Shavon Coleman (2010 Louisiana Future)- The future Rivals150 prospect was one of the top prospects in the tournament. Coleman scored with ease at the rim and showed the ability to guard multiple positions. Look for Coleman's recruiting to heat up in July. Texas, Auburn, Oregon, Ole Miss, Minnesota, LSU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State already are showing serious interest

Sounds like an under the radar guy who's getting some love.

 

[BigTime]

Sorry Perry, I didn't make it. What is his teams tournament schedule? I'll see if it coincides with mine.



Not playing for Southeast Elite. I wonder if he's going to go to school in Alabama again or if he's just going home for the summer.




Sounds like an under the radar guy who's getting some love.

That would be huge if were to leave NC imo. It would give us (and Kansas) a better chance for sure.

 

[Seymore Cox]

Last summer, Jones projected as a 6-foot-6 small forward. The lefty impressed with his ballhandling and passing abilities, but he was an average long-distance shooter and had average quickness for a small forward. Hence, his ranking was in the middle of the four-star range.

This spring, however, I was taken aback when I saw Jones. If he is not 6-9 now, he is awfully close. He still has his advanced ballhandling and passing skills, and his shot appears to be improving. As a skilled four man at 6-9, and with above-average quickness for his new position, Jones' stock rose to the top of the four-star range. I have a hunch that by the end of the summer, Jones will convince Rivals.com that he is a five-star prospect and a future pro.

As to where Jones will end up is a tossup among a bunch of schools. He has said that he is not anchored to the West Coast; he has family scattered across the country and his former teammate and friend Terrence Ross is a Maryland commitment attending Montrose Christian on the East Coast. Schools such as Arizona, Florida, Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma and a number of Pac-10 schools have offered, and a couple of traditional powers in North Carolina and Kansas are keeping up with Jones.

--Jerry Meyer

 

[Seymore Cox]

Terrence Jones (2010)- If Joes makes three-pointers like he did in the first session, he is one of the very best skilled four men in the class. His court vision and feel for passing the ball is top shelf, and he also has the size to be effective inside. He has the type of game that will be tough to match up with at the next level.

...

 

[Seymore Cox]

OU recruits at Pangos

6-9/220 (NR overall; NR power forward)
Johnson began the camp with a chorus of dunks and rebounds. He continued punishing defenders with his physical and bouncy play while also displaying a soft touch from the outside. A tough competitor, Johnson will become one of the more highly recruited big men once college coaches get a look at him in July.


PF Terrence Jones
6-8/220 (No. 27 overall; No. 7 power forward)
Jones is also having a terrific spring coming off a state championship high school season. He has always been a unique player with his physically strong, left-handed, skilled game as a ball handler and passer. Now he has grown to at least 6 feet 8 and has improved his outside shooting. Throw in his nifty post up game, and you have a prospect who creates massive mismatch issues.

C Alex Kirk
6-10/230 (NR overall; NR center)
After watching Kirk play early in the spring at the Boo Williams Invitational, I just didn't think he had enough game to overcome his lack of foot speed to merit a spot in the Rivals150. Kirk proved at the Pangos All-American Camp that he does have a lot of game. He scored with jump hooks in the post, knocked down outside shots and blocked shots at the rim.