Monday, May 24, 2010

I Want Ryan Boatright



Who is Ryan Boatright? you are probably asking yourself, and up until yesterday I didn't know either.  But now that I know, I'm jazzed.

Boatright is a class of 2011 point guard from Illinois who is ranked by Rivals as the #90 overall prospect and #16 point guard for the class, and who the Gophers and Tubby Smith are looking at.  He doesn't have an offer yet, but he doesn't have an offer from anybody because schools are still waiting on his ACT Score according to one article (not that it's been bad, just that it hasn't come back yet.)  Of course, another article says he has offers from Wake and Miami, so who the hell knows, but I know that I want him.

He's described as lightning quick with a crisp shooting stroke.  His passing is rated as "outstanding", with shooting, handling, and rebounding all rated as "good."  He led the U.S. Under 17 Junior National Team in scoring at 19.6 points per game this April in a tournament in Germany.  His ball-handling is described as elite and impressive.  He's said to have a good feel for the game.  He can score in bunches.  He can shoot.  He's an excellent defender.  He once delivered a baby while driving a city bus after the driver had a heart attack, fighting off a mugger the whole time - and then giving the driving a tracheotomy with a ball point pen.   He's everything I always knew I always wanted.

Boatright has been on the national radar for a long time, having committed to USC as a 14-year old.  Huge shocker here, but he has backed out of that commitment and is now hearing from West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas State, and Wake Forest along with the Gophers, with it sounding like Kentucky and K-State are in the lead right now, but not by much.  Heady competition for his services, but Tubby has pulled things like this off before.  Not so much this year.  Or last year.  But the year before that was pretty good.  Do it again.

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