I'm going to be honest with you here - I barely remember anything about Iowa. I know they should have made the NCAA Tournament two years ago over the Gophers after closing hot but didn't, and I know they probably shouldn't have made it last season after collapsing down the stretch which they then proved by losing to Tennessee in a game which I can't even remember if it was close or not. I also remember Roy Marble - both of them - and they're both gone now and even though they're used to the old guy being gone his kid having graduated is going to pose a major problem since he was pretty much the guy who could create his own shot there. Maybe I do remember more stuff. Like how annoying that entire team (sans Marble) was.
Now the job of scorer goes to annoying ginger Aaron White, the Hawkeyes second leading scorer (12.8ppg) and leading rebounder (6.7rpg) last season. White was incredibly efficient last season (15th best true shooting % in the country) in large part because he was able to be more selective with Marble using up so many possessions and drawing tons of defensive attention. Zach McCabe also used a ton of possessions (took 22% of Iowa's shots when he was on the floor) and he's gone too so there'll be plenty of extra shots this season for White to take more of and fail spectacularly.
Two other guys who might grab some of those extra shots are starting guards Mike Gesell and Josh Oglesby. They're super mediocre, but Gesell does a nice job of running the offense and Oglesby can heat up from the outside which the Gophers unfortunately saw twice since Oglesby shot 9-16 from three in the two games Iowa played against them. The fit the profile for Iowa guards by being extremely annoying, as does reserve guard Peter Jok who really, really likes to shoot and other reserve guard Anthony Clemmens who really hates to.
Even though White is probably the key to seeing if the Hawkeyes make the NCAA Tournament or not, the key to how good they can be and how far they can go is junior center Adam Woodbury. He's a legit 7-1 and it was a major upset a couple of years ago when the hometown kid signed on with the Hawkeyes despite offers from North Carolina and Ohio State when he ranked as the #39 player in the country. After a so-so freshman year, however, Woodbury stagnated and maybe even regressed in year two, and put up averages of just 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year. With both McCabe and Melsahn Basabe (7.2ppg, 5.7rpg) gone it's time for Woodbury to get his shit together. 6-8 junior Jarrod Uthoff was pretty decent last year and he should help out, but it kind of needs to be Woodbury's year.
Iowa has several fairly decent pieces back, but a ton of questions as well. Most likely 8th is a bit low and they'll be in the hunt for an NCAA bid, but they're Iowa so they can all just go to hell.
OTHER PREVIEWS
#9 MARYLAND TERRAPINS
#10 INDIANA HOOSIERS
#11 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS
#12 NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
#13 PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
#14 RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
Showing posts with label Josh Oglesby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josh Oglesby. Show all posts
Friday, October 17, 2014
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Gopher happenings
Lots going on in the nation of the Gopher this weekend. First, Gopher football lost to Northern Illinois, what else is there to say? Take everything that was said after the loss to South Dakota, multiply by 10, and repeat. I was at this game and you could feel the apathy from the crowd the whole way, and the amount of people pouring out of the stadium at halftime was staggering. Not that it's ever been a hot ticket with everything else there is in town, but Gopher football is a joke both in terms of product and fan interest, which is pretty sad considering the beautiful stadium that's just a year old. Pretty amazing accomplishment by Brewster, actually, and the only thing he's accomplished.
It's almost unfortunate the way recruiting works, because that's really the only reason for him to still have a job right now, although he's been doing such a bang up job that having his signees leave might actually improve the team. I mean, he's taken a thoroughly average BCS program in every way and taken it to the bottom. Certainly they are the worst team in the Big Ten, and might very well be the worst BCS football team in the country, a possibility Marcus Fuller wrote about. And Brewster has done this all with a shiny new stadium. Pretty amazing. Not even Dan Monson could have pulled this off.
And speaking of Monson, that would be a good segue into some good news: Tubby and Gopher hoops locked up Joe Coleman of Hopkins for the 2011 season on Friday. I already wrote quite a bit about Coleman here and here, so I won't go over it all again, but needless to say I'm pretty happy about this. Getting the best player in Minnesota each year should be a priority, assuming he's a Big Ten caliber player, and Coleman is far beyond that. He's ranked as #116 overall and the #34 shooting guard by Rivals, #80 and #26 by ESPN, and the #29 small forward by Scout, so it's safe to say he should be a pretty high quality edition.
In other recruiting news, there were a couple interesting developments in other players the Gophers are after. First, Andre Hollins visited campus this weekend, and got to see the football team embarrass itself, but by all accounts enjoyed his visit. He says all five schools on his final list (Minnesota, Harvard, Stanford, Auburn, and Ole Miss) are still tied at the top, but let's hope some of the local talent did their best to swing him in our favor. Also, Josh Oglesby, who had previously whittled his list down to Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Arizona State, has dropped the Illini from consideration so the Gophers are now in the final 3. Both Hollins and Oglesby are combo guards who are pretty much consensus top 150 players so either (or both) would be a quality get.
Lastly, a few recruiting notes around the state (and if you are on Twitter and aren't following Ryan James, you really need to). First, Shelby Moats, who the Gophers were interested in but who I said seemed more suited to a nerd school, once again proved how smart I am by signing on with Vanderbilt. He's perfect for that system and they love their academics, so he can go ahead and join the Tri-Lams without being persecuted. And finally, Chaska's Ross Travis, a player the Gopher never showed a ton of interest in even though there was a segment of the fan base who thought they should, has signed with Penn State. This way we will be able to watch and judge if and to what degree Tubby made a mistake on this kid twice a year. Let's hope his eye for talent is still 20/20.
It's almost unfortunate the way recruiting works, because that's really the only reason for him to still have a job right now, although he's been doing such a bang up job that having his signees leave might actually improve the team. I mean, he's taken a thoroughly average BCS program in every way and taken it to the bottom. Certainly they are the worst team in the Big Ten, and might very well be the worst BCS football team in the country, a possibility Marcus Fuller wrote about. And Brewster has done this all with a shiny new stadium. Pretty amazing. Not even Dan Monson could have pulled this off.
And speaking of Monson, that would be a good segue into some good news: Tubby and Gopher hoops locked up Joe Coleman of Hopkins for the 2011 season on Friday. I already wrote quite a bit about Coleman here and here, so I won't go over it all again, but needless to say I'm pretty happy about this. Getting the best player in Minnesota each year should be a priority, assuming he's a Big Ten caliber player, and Coleman is far beyond that. He's ranked as #116 overall and the #34 shooting guard by Rivals, #80 and #26 by ESPN, and the #29 small forward by Scout, so it's safe to say he should be a pretty high quality edition.
In other recruiting news, there were a couple interesting developments in other players the Gophers are after. First, Andre Hollins visited campus this weekend, and got to see the football team embarrass itself, but by all accounts enjoyed his visit. He says all five schools on his final list (Minnesota, Harvard, Stanford, Auburn, and Ole Miss) are still tied at the top, but let's hope some of the local talent did their best to swing him in our favor. Also, Josh Oglesby, who had previously whittled his list down to Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Arizona State, has dropped the Illini from consideration so the Gophers are now in the final 3. Both Hollins and Oglesby are combo guards who are pretty much consensus top 150 players so either (or both) would be a quality get.
Lastly, a few recruiting notes around the state (and if you are on Twitter and aren't following Ryan James, you really need to). First, Shelby Moats, who the Gophers were interested in but who I said seemed more suited to a nerd school, once again proved how smart I am by signing on with Vanderbilt. He's perfect for that system and they love their academics, so he can go ahead and join the Tri-Lams without being persecuted. And finally, Chaska's Ross Travis, a player the Gopher never showed a ton of interest in even though there was a segment of the fan base who thought they should, has signed with Penn State. This way we will be able to watch and judge if and to what degree Tubby made a mistake on this kid twice a year. Let's hope his eye for talent is still 20/20.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Gopher Recruiting Update
When it comes to Gopher basketball recruiting for next season there are really only four names you need to care about: Joe Coleman, Naadir Tharpe, Andre Hollins, and Josh Oglesby. That's it. Everybody else of consequence has signed with Virginia (Malcolm Brogdon and Paul Jesperson) or seems like more of a fallback and will probably go somewhere like Northwestern or Stanford or some other smart person school with his big brain and slow white body (Shelby Moats - and don't get me wrong, I like what I've read and think he could be successful here, but my instincts tell me he's going to a smarty pants school). Here is who is relevant:
SG Joe Coleman - Hopkins, MN - #34 SG and #116 overall by Rivals. He's rated even higher by ESPN, and there's no doubt he should be the #1 priority for Tubby and crew. Not because he plays the biggest position of need for 2011-2012, which is pretty clearly point guard, but because he's a highly rated player from Minnesota. Tubby did a great job getting Rodney Williams and Royce White, even though we're still kind of waiting for Rodney to arrive and obviously Royce never really did. Or, more accurately, he arrived wielding a sledgehammer, destroying everything around him before fleeing to Ames. But it's still important to keep Minnesota kids who are highly rated in state because it sends a message to future players.
Guys like Tyus Jones, class of 2014 PG already on everybody's radar, see top instate talent, guys they've played against and/or played with in camps and on all-star teams, heading to play for the Gophers and it creates a culture where that just becomes what you do. Obviously you can't solely recruit instate players, this isn't hockey in the 90s, but it can become almost automatic that a top flight instate player stays home, but that has to be built up, and Tubby has to continue that momentum and that means getting Coleman. The fact that his brother, Dan, played here cements it ever further that Coleman is the #1 most important player in this class.
All accounts I've read say he is going to be deciding soon, possibly as early as today, and he's basically narrowed it down to Santa Clara and the Gophers after eliminating Iowa State earlier this week following their signing of SG Tyus McGee. With the Broncos the Gophers only real competition it almost seems like a given, but don't underestimate the beautiful weather and the pretty girls in California. And don't forget Ray Cowels, formerly of Hopkins, is still out there to help sell Coleman on the West Coast. I know I was worried that he'd talk Rodney into it, and obviously that didn't happen, but it's still something to be concerned about.
PG Naadir Tharpe - Wolfeboro, NH - #20 PG and #91 overall by Rivals. Tharpe is an extremely important get as well, because after this coming season Al Nolen graduates (or loses eligibility at least) and that leaves the team with no real point guard unless you want to count Bryant Allen or Maverick Ahanmisi, and I really don't. There's really no other point guard on the radar either, although there is a combo guard I'll talk about in a minute, but I'd rather go to battle with a true point than a combo (plus we already have one of those in Devoe), and by all accounts Tharpe is a true point guard.
ESPN speaks glowingly of his skills in their scouting report, citing his "tight handle", "excellent court vision", and ability to run the offense and break and apply ball pressure. The Gophers are said to be at the top of his list following his visit September 17th, when he tweeted he had an excellent steak at Seven with Tubby, which should be good news but makes me nervous. He had only scheduled two visits, with the Gophers and with Rutgers, but ended up canceling the Rutgers visit after they signed a different point. With Minnesota the only team on the radar I was hopeful he would sign quickly after coming to Minneapolis, but despite telling everyone he had an excellent visit and that he connected with Tubby and really enjoyed himself, that didn't happen.
Tharpe has come out and said he won't make a decision until Spring, which gives more teams a chance to come sniffing around, and Kansas has now expressed interest after PG Josiah Turner signed with Arizona. Did he not make the Gophers his choice simply because he's a young kid who is enjoying the process and all the attention, or was there something he didn't like when he was here? Either way, you're going to have to hold your breath for a while and hope no other program worms its way into his heart. Gophers lead on him, for now.
SG Josh Oglesby - Cedar Rapids, IA - #36 SG and #119 overall on Rivals. Oglesby is an interesting one, because depending on the source he's either a pure shooter or a combo guard, and ESPN doesn't have him evaluated at all. It's also hard to get a read on where he's leaning, because he has apparently loved every school visit he's made (including his visit to Minnesota last weekend), and he hasn't really given anybody a pecking order, outside of his top four: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State - not in any particular order.
He's from the great Corn state, so I'm sure there is part of him that would love to become a Hawkeye and return that school to glory, but have you seen the mess that program is right now? It seems like a good player with other viable options might shy away, so that's the hope here. Ryan James of GopherIllustrated.com describes him as "the unselfish marksman" (sounds like a combo guard to me) and he's been called the best shooter in Iowa, which you know has a bunch of kids like Jimmy Chitwood, so that's not exactly faint praise. He will visit Illinois this weekend and then make his way down the Arizona State the following one, so we should know more by early October. I do know that the more I read about him, the more I like him. Seems very Blake Hoffarber-y.
SG Andre Hollins - Memphis, TN - #40 SG and #126 overall by Rivals. Andre is no relation to incoming Gopher freshman Austin Hollins, but he sounds pretty similar: a smart player with a good jump shot who can also put it on the floor and drive and plays good defense. Sign me up. He's also another nerd, like Moats, who is takes his academics very seriously, which is why he includes Harvard and Stanford in his top 5. Of course, he also has Ole Miss, so who knows how serious he is about it.
The Gophers are also in his top 5, and he will be making his official visit to the campus this weekend, having previously visited Auburn and Harvard and come away impressed. He still has future visits to Stanford and Ole Miss coming up and, similar to Oglesby, he has committed to making all of his official visits before making his decision. His final trip is to Stanford on October 15th, so we won't know more until then.
Also like Oglesby, Hollins is a combo guard but more of a two, so if the Gophers were to miss out on Tharpe and get Hollins (or Oglesby) they would at least have someone capable of running the point along with Devoe and those other two, even if it isn't his #1 skill set position. It sounds like Andre, his dad, and his coach are all very impressed with Tubby Smith, enough so to get the Gophers in his top five at a late date, and hopefully that will be enough to help pull him to the Gophers.
Now there are a few other guys who could be in play, but these four are pretty clearly the main targets and the main priorities, and they should be. If all four end up whiffs it could be another mediocre recruiting class for Tubby, and losing Coleman would especially hurt. So let's not let that happen. Agreed? Agreed.
SG Joe Coleman - Hopkins, MN - #34 SG and #116 overall by Rivals. He's rated even higher by ESPN, and there's no doubt he should be the #1 priority for Tubby and crew. Not because he plays the biggest position of need for 2011-2012, which is pretty clearly point guard, but because he's a highly rated player from Minnesota. Tubby did a great job getting Rodney Williams and Royce White, even though we're still kind of waiting for Rodney to arrive and obviously Royce never really did. Or, more accurately, he arrived wielding a sledgehammer, destroying everything around him before fleeing to Ames. But it's still important to keep Minnesota kids who are highly rated in state because it sends a message to future players.
Guys like Tyus Jones, class of 2014 PG already on everybody's radar, see top instate talent, guys they've played against and/or played with in camps and on all-star teams, heading to play for the Gophers and it creates a culture where that just becomes what you do. Obviously you can't solely recruit instate players, this isn't hockey in the 90s, but it can become almost automatic that a top flight instate player stays home, but that has to be built up, and Tubby has to continue that momentum and that means getting Coleman. The fact that his brother, Dan, played here cements it ever further that Coleman is the #1 most important player in this class.
All accounts I've read say he is going to be deciding soon, possibly as early as today, and he's basically narrowed it down to Santa Clara and the Gophers after eliminating Iowa State earlier this week following their signing of SG Tyus McGee. With the Broncos the Gophers only real competition it almost seems like a given, but don't underestimate the beautiful weather and the pretty girls in California. And don't forget Ray Cowels, formerly of Hopkins, is still out there to help sell Coleman on the West Coast. I know I was worried that he'd talk Rodney into it, and obviously that didn't happen, but it's still something to be concerned about.
PG Naadir Tharpe - Wolfeboro, NH - #20 PG and #91 overall by Rivals. Tharpe is an extremely important get as well, because after this coming season Al Nolen graduates (or loses eligibility at least) and that leaves the team with no real point guard unless you want to count Bryant Allen or Maverick Ahanmisi, and I really don't. There's really no other point guard on the radar either, although there is a combo guard I'll talk about in a minute, but I'd rather go to battle with a true point than a combo (plus we already have one of those in Devoe), and by all accounts Tharpe is a true point guard.
ESPN speaks glowingly of his skills in their scouting report, citing his "tight handle", "excellent court vision", and ability to run the offense and break and apply ball pressure. The Gophers are said to be at the top of his list following his visit September 17th, when he tweeted he had an excellent steak at Seven with Tubby, which should be good news but makes me nervous. He had only scheduled two visits, with the Gophers and with Rutgers, but ended up canceling the Rutgers visit after they signed a different point. With Minnesota the only team on the radar I was hopeful he would sign quickly after coming to Minneapolis, but despite telling everyone he had an excellent visit and that he connected with Tubby and really enjoyed himself, that didn't happen.
Tharpe has come out and said he won't make a decision until Spring, which gives more teams a chance to come sniffing around, and Kansas has now expressed interest after PG Josiah Turner signed with Arizona. Did he not make the Gophers his choice simply because he's a young kid who is enjoying the process and all the attention, or was there something he didn't like when he was here? Either way, you're going to have to hold your breath for a while and hope no other program worms its way into his heart. Gophers lead on him, for now.
SG Josh Oglesby - Cedar Rapids, IA - #36 SG and #119 overall on Rivals. Oglesby is an interesting one, because depending on the source he's either a pure shooter or a combo guard, and ESPN doesn't have him evaluated at all. It's also hard to get a read on where he's leaning, because he has apparently loved every school visit he's made (including his visit to Minnesota last weekend), and he hasn't really given anybody a pecking order, outside of his top four: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona State - not in any particular order.
He's from the great Corn state, so I'm sure there is part of him that would love to become a Hawkeye and return that school to glory, but have you seen the mess that program is right now? It seems like a good player with other viable options might shy away, so that's the hope here. Ryan James of GopherIllustrated.com describes him as "the unselfish marksman" (sounds like a combo guard to me) and he's been called the best shooter in Iowa, which you know has a bunch of kids like Jimmy Chitwood, so that's not exactly faint praise. He will visit Illinois this weekend and then make his way down the Arizona State the following one, so we should know more by early October. I do know that the more I read about him, the more I like him. Seems very Blake Hoffarber-y.
SG Andre Hollins - Memphis, TN - #40 SG and #126 overall by Rivals. Andre is no relation to incoming Gopher freshman Austin Hollins, but he sounds pretty similar: a smart player with a good jump shot who can also put it on the floor and drive and plays good defense. Sign me up. He's also another nerd, like Moats, who is takes his academics very seriously, which is why he includes Harvard and Stanford in his top 5. Of course, he also has Ole Miss, so who knows how serious he is about it.
The Gophers are also in his top 5, and he will be making his official visit to the campus this weekend, having previously visited Auburn and Harvard and come away impressed. He still has future visits to Stanford and Ole Miss coming up and, similar to Oglesby, he has committed to making all of his official visits before making his decision. His final trip is to Stanford on October 15th, so we won't know more until then.
Also like Oglesby, Hollins is a combo guard but more of a two, so if the Gophers were to miss out on Tharpe and get Hollins (or Oglesby) they would at least have someone capable of running the point along with Devoe and those other two, even if it isn't his #1 skill set position. It sounds like Andre, his dad, and his coach are all very impressed with Tubby Smith, enough so to get the Gophers in his top five at a late date, and hopefully that will be enough to help pull him to the Gophers.
Now there are a few other guys who could be in play, but these four are pretty clearly the main targets and the main priorities, and they should be. If all four end up whiffs it could be another mediocre recruiting class for Tubby, and losing Coleman would especially hurt. So let's not let that happen. Agreed? Agreed.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Gopher Hoops Recruiting Update
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm going to take a look at Gopher Basketball recruiting tonight. After they missed out on Jesperson, Tre Demps, and Uthoff, I relaized I didn't even know if I should be worried or not. How many other offers were out? Were they close on anybody? Seriously, I'm not even sure how many scholarships they have for sure (I think it's 3 for 2011, assuming Mbakwe ends up sticking around). So let's take a look together.
I am taking these "offer lists" from Rivals.com. No doubt they have inaccuracies as all recruiting sites do, but they are the one I have a membership to. The alternative would be to come through all the major sites to try to get the most up-to-date and accurate info, but seriously, I'm not a journalist I'm just bored and own a computer. So if you want to be more thorough, either do it yourself or go the the Gopher Hole. They have tons of info over there if you're willing to look for it.
I am not. And away we go:
As I said, according to Rivals the Gophers have offers out for 2011 to these players:
- Joe Coleman - 6-3 SG - Hopkins, MN - #32 SG/#111 overall. Might as well start with Coleman since as a home town boy he seems to be at the top of the "must get" list. He's really jumped up in the rankings this year, and it would behoove Tubby to get him to declare as early as possible before more attractive programs get him on their radar. Right now his other offers are from mid-tier programs, with Iowa State probably the tops, but there's no doubt other teams are starting to take notice since he's basically lit it up every time he's had a chance against top competition.
He's a "natural scorer" and a good athlete who has an improving jump shot, and would be an absolutely terrific addition to the team for 2011 and would be huge to keep the perception up that Tubby "has the borders locked down." Losing out on Coleman wouldn't be a disaster, but it would certainly shake the foundation, and there would have to be a seriously strong class to keep it from being a major disappointment.
- Josh Oglesby - 6-5 SG- Cedar Rapids, IA NR/NR - Other than Coleman this is the kid I keep hearing the most about, mainly because he's local-ish and mainly because the Gophers seem to be looking pretty good for him. He's a combo guard who sounds like he's more SG than PG, but supposedly he has pretty incredible range and is solid with the ball - like a more athletic Blake Hoffarber. The big wrinkle here is that Iowa just offered him, and there are some who think he's been waiting for that offer. Either way, there's midwestern teams involved here including Northern Iowa, so I'd say he's a longshot to be a Gopher at best.
- Naadir Tharpe - 5-11 PG - Wolfeboro, NH - #109 overall - He's not ranked as a PG on Rivals, but ESPN has him as their #8 point guard, and he had some good things to say about Tubby and the Gophers in this article at the Gopher Hole. I don't know what's going on with my former crush Ryan Boatright since Rivals doesn't list the Gophers as in his consideration set yet GopherIllustrated keeps covering him and Tubby keeps watching him, but if things don't work out with him I'll be just fine with Tharpe. I think I've been pretty clear that I love me a nice traditional point guard, and Tharpe fits the bill. In a story on ESPN.com they mention his phenomenal court vision and trademark playmaking skills. Yes please.
- Amir Williams - 6-9 C - Beverly Hills, MI - #3 C/#43 overall - He's a highly rated center from Michigan, which means the Gophers chances of landing him are extremely slim, but I'm including him because he still has the Gophers in consideration and it would be pretty freakin' sweet to actually land him. Of course by in consideration that means they are one of 19 teams he's still considering. Yes, 19. Gotta love those odds.
- Malcolm Brogdon - 6-5 SG - Norcross, GA - #35SG/#115 overall - The next highest ranked player on the list and another wing, I'd peg the Gophers' chances at landing Brogdon at fairly decent since I like Tubby's chances in Georgia. He's described as smooth and calm on the court and more of a shooter than an athlete, and as such sounds to me rather Devoe Joseph-y; as such, I 'm a big fan. However he recently landed an offer from Notre Dame, and when asked what he liked about the Irish he mentioned that the coach said he could "Come in and just play my game. I wouldn't really be put under any type of rules like a lot of college coaches do." If that's what he's looking for, stringent Tubby has no shot.
- Tommie McCune - 6-7 PF - Saginaw, MI - #29PF/#149 overall - The last of the Rivals Top 150 holding an offer from the Gophers, McCune is another Michigan kid so I don't know why Tubby is wasting his time. I mean, everything sounds good: athletic, range out to 20 feet, good rebounder, but if he's a Michigan kid he won't get out of the state unless Izzo doesn't want him. Although I guess with the way that program is going getting their leftovers might now be the worst thing in the world.
- Devin Coleman - 6-3 SG - Wynnewood, PA - NR/NR - A poor man's Rodney Williams, Coleman is described as an incredible athlete who can get to the rim whenever he wants, but isn't exactly known for his jump shot - which all sounds awfully familiar. At one point he was favoring Iowa, but recently he has said that Iowa seems awfully far from home and he might prefer some place like Rutgers (which doesn't exactly bode well for the Twin Cities). Although if your choices are Iowa or Rutgers, Minneapolis has got to look awfully good.
- Shelby Moats - 6-8 PF - Waconia, MN - NR/NR - Behind Joe Coleman and the two PGs I've mentioned Moats is my next biggest wish. Maybe not all that highly rated right now, but some of his descriptors turn me on: strong, good outside shot, cerebral, 4.0 GPA, textbook perfect left-handed shot. Drool. Apparently he's not that great an athlete and most of his offers come from smarty pants smaller schools (Ivy Leaguers, Bucknell, Lehigh, Holy Cross, etc.) but he sounds like the kind of player who takes a school like that to the next level and makes them a Cinderella threat. Why couldn't he help do that at the Barn?
So there's your update. I know there are probably other guys on the radar or whatever, and I will try to do a better job keeping up with all those rumors, but for now here's what you get. I don't have time to chase down every single link right now. Maybe you should go do it and stop being such a jerk all the time.
I am taking these "offer lists" from Rivals.com. No doubt they have inaccuracies as all recruiting sites do, but they are the one I have a membership to. The alternative would be to come through all the major sites to try to get the most up-to-date and accurate info, but seriously, I'm not a journalist I'm just bored and own a computer. So if you want to be more thorough, either do it yourself or go the the Gopher Hole. They have tons of info over there if you're willing to look for it.
I am not. And away we go:
As I said, according to Rivals the Gophers have offers out for 2011 to these players:
- Joe Coleman - 6-3 SG - Hopkins, MN - #32 SG/#111 overall. Might as well start with Coleman since as a home town boy he seems to be at the top of the "must get" list. He's really jumped up in the rankings this year, and it would behoove Tubby to get him to declare as early as possible before more attractive programs get him on their radar. Right now his other offers are from mid-tier programs, with Iowa State probably the tops, but there's no doubt other teams are starting to take notice since he's basically lit it up every time he's had a chance against top competition.
He's a "natural scorer" and a good athlete who has an improving jump shot, and would be an absolutely terrific addition to the team for 2011 and would be huge to keep the perception up that Tubby "has the borders locked down." Losing out on Coleman wouldn't be a disaster, but it would certainly shake the foundation, and there would have to be a seriously strong class to keep it from being a major disappointment.
- Josh Oglesby - 6-5 SG- Cedar Rapids, IA NR/NR - Other than Coleman this is the kid I keep hearing the most about, mainly because he's local-ish and mainly because the Gophers seem to be looking pretty good for him. He's a combo guard who sounds like he's more SG than PG, but supposedly he has pretty incredible range and is solid with the ball - like a more athletic Blake Hoffarber. The big wrinkle here is that Iowa just offered him, and there are some who think he's been waiting for that offer. Either way, there's midwestern teams involved here including Northern Iowa, so I'd say he's a longshot to be a Gopher at best.
- Naadir Tharpe - 5-11 PG - Wolfeboro, NH - #109 overall - He's not ranked as a PG on Rivals, but ESPN has him as their #8 point guard, and he had some good things to say about Tubby and the Gophers in this article at the Gopher Hole. I don't know what's going on with my former crush Ryan Boatright since Rivals doesn't list the Gophers as in his consideration set yet GopherIllustrated keeps covering him and Tubby keeps watching him, but if things don't work out with him I'll be just fine with Tharpe. I think I've been pretty clear that I love me a nice traditional point guard, and Tharpe fits the bill. In a story on ESPN.com they mention his phenomenal court vision and trademark playmaking skills. Yes please.
- Amir Williams - 6-9 C - Beverly Hills, MI - #3 C/#43 overall - He's a highly rated center from Michigan, which means the Gophers chances of landing him are extremely slim, but I'm including him because he still has the Gophers in consideration and it would be pretty freakin' sweet to actually land him. Of course by in consideration that means they are one of 19 teams he's still considering. Yes, 19. Gotta love those odds.
- Malcolm Brogdon - 6-5 SG - Norcross, GA - #35SG/#115 overall - The next highest ranked player on the list and another wing, I'd peg the Gophers' chances at landing Brogdon at fairly decent since I like Tubby's chances in Georgia. He's described as smooth and calm on the court and more of a shooter than an athlete, and as such sounds to me rather Devoe Joseph-y; as such, I 'm a big fan. However he recently landed an offer from Notre Dame, and when asked what he liked about the Irish he mentioned that the coach said he could "Come in and just play my game. I wouldn't really be put under any type of rules like a lot of college coaches do." If that's what he's looking for, stringent Tubby has no shot.
- Tommie McCune - 6-7 PF - Saginaw, MI - #29PF/#149 overall - The last of the Rivals Top 150 holding an offer from the Gophers, McCune is another Michigan kid so I don't know why Tubby is wasting his time. I mean, everything sounds good: athletic, range out to 20 feet, good rebounder, but if he's a Michigan kid he won't get out of the state unless Izzo doesn't want him. Although I guess with the way that program is going getting their leftovers might now be the worst thing in the world.
- Devin Coleman - 6-3 SG - Wynnewood, PA - NR/NR - A poor man's Rodney Williams, Coleman is described as an incredible athlete who can get to the rim whenever he wants, but isn't exactly known for his jump shot - which all sounds awfully familiar. At one point he was favoring Iowa, but recently he has said that Iowa seems awfully far from home and he might prefer some place like Rutgers (which doesn't exactly bode well for the Twin Cities). Although if your choices are Iowa or Rutgers, Minneapolis has got to look awfully good.
- Shelby Moats - 6-8 PF - Waconia, MN - NR/NR - Behind Joe Coleman and the two PGs I've mentioned Moats is my next biggest wish. Maybe not all that highly rated right now, but some of his descriptors turn me on: strong, good outside shot, cerebral, 4.0 GPA, textbook perfect left-handed shot. Drool. Apparently he's not that great an athlete and most of his offers come from smarty pants smaller schools (Ivy Leaguers, Bucknell, Lehigh, Holy Cross, etc.) but he sounds like the kind of player who takes a school like that to the next level and makes them a Cinderella threat. Why couldn't he help do that at the Barn?
So there's your update. I know there are probably other guys on the radar or whatever, and I will try to do a better job keeping up with all those rumors, but for now here's what you get. I don't have time to chase down every single link right now. Maybe you should go do it and stop being such a jerk all the time.
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