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Post by motorcitysam on Dec 30, 2014 16:02:48 GMT -5
One of the big surprises for me in the class of 2014 is the apparent ineffectiveness of Bik Gill at Ball State. I think most of us were high on him as a recruit. Commish did a nice job documenting that not only did have a very good season at JUCO, but he also finished the year very strong. I saw him as a nice piece to give us some help up front this year. I thought he'd do well at Ball State.
Surprisingly, he's off to a very slow start at Coach Ray's alma mater. Gill was getting good minutes early, playing at least 20 in three of the first four BSU games, but his minutes and production have plummeted since then. In the past seven games he's played a total of 14 minutes, and that includes not playing at all against Valpo and San Diego State. He's averaging three points and two rebounds, shooting 29% from the floor, in 11 minutes per game on the season. I really thought he'd be able to do more. Not sure if there is an injury or other factor involved.
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Post by motorcitysam on Feb 4, 2015 20:57:41 GMT -5
2014 targets and teammates power forward/center Justin Jamison and guard Devaugntah Williams both played well in their most recent JUCO game. Jamison scored twenty points and grabbed ten rebounds while Williams put up a line of 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Dev Williams is playing well for Texas Tech, averaging double figures and proving to be the best three point shooter on the team. On the other hand, Justin Jamison is in the dog house with Coach Tubby Smith. He was suspended for some games early in the season and since then he has struggled to get into the rotation, seeing action in only two games. To be fair, he also suffered a serious ankle injury in the preseason that has slowed his development. Tech has been boosted by the surprising strong play of freshman center Norense Odiase, who is getting some of the time I thought JJ would get. News out of Lubbock, Texas: Former Titan target Justin Jamison has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules. No further explanation was given. Based on the way the season went, Jamison must have had some sort of disciplinary issue early on and was punished by being held out of the rotation at the beginning of the year. Following that, he saw action in a few games, then was held out completely in recent contests, leading me to think he had another issue, or a continuation of the same one. His dismissal was announced just prior to the tip off of Tech's game against KSU tonight. Talent wise, this is a big loss for Tech, but given the apparent issues he had, it doesn't sound like he was going to be much of a contributor. Coach Smith isn't one to come down hard on a player for no reason, so my thought is the violation was serious. From Twitter: Matt Roberts @mattrobertsklbk · 9m 9 minutes ago According to Texas Tech and @tlhilburn forward Justin Jamison has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.
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Post by Commissioner on Feb 24, 2015 10:35:17 GMT -5
There's a few guys we follow a bit--Sam reports on Aaron Simpson at DePaul and Justin Jamison at Texas Tech, for example, and we see Kenny Carpenter and Terrell Hales when we play Cleveland State. Justin Tillman makes some news with VCU and Darryl Davis has played regularly at Dayton. We know that Jordan Nobles was redshirted at EMU, Marqyell Jackson at Duquesne, and Kenny Goins is a walk-on redshirt at MSU. A little follow up on a few others:
Daytona CC guard Ayinde Sprewell eventually signed with Western Kentucky. He won the dunk contest at the team's season kick-off event for fans, making him a bit of a fan favorite, but he played in just 3 of WKU's first 7 games, and then asked for his release, looking to transfer for more playing time. If he tries to stay D-I, he'll only have 1 more semester to play. He'll probably end-up NAIA. Once you figure out you're not going to the NBA, I suppose a lot of kids would prefer to play at that level than sit on end of a D-I bench. Word was that Sprewell didn't play defense.
Yante Maten is averaging 5 points and 4.1 rebounds for Georgia. Obviously it would have been nice to land Maten - he'd be playing where we now have Kane, and probably giving us some solid numbers.
DaRohn Scott has averaged 2.7 points and 2 rebounds in about 9 minutes per game for Central Michigan. I suspect that's about what he'd do this year had he signed with Detroit, where he would also have been signed in place of Kane. He should be a two-year starter for the Chips, I think. Not as good as Hogan, but would giving us something this year.
Bik Gill, yet another who was recruited for what essentially became the Yousoupha Kane spot, has been a non-factor at Ball State, averaging 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15 games.
Another big we recruited, Darreon Reddick of Illinois, is averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds for Tennessee State, getting over 25 minutes a game. How that would translate to the Horizon, who knows?
Mory Diane, whom we thought we had all but signed, played a few minutes in 4 of Buffalo's first 9 games, then was ruled academically ineligible for second semester. Coach Hurley says Diane when rejoin the team "when his academics are in order." If he can't handle the academics at Buffalo, I think he'd have problems at UD, although perhaps our support and monitoring is better and could have kept him eligible.
Andre Fredrick has played in 17 games for Robert Morris, averaging 1.8 ppg.
Carlos Morris, a juco from Florida, is averaging over 11 points per game for Minnesota. Not sure we ever had much shot at Morris.
Kyle Kuzma, another guy we were also a long shot to get, has played in 25 games for Utah. Averaging 3.4 ppg. Freshman minutes, but appearing in almost every game. He'll be a major rotation player as soon as next year.
James Palmer went to Miami of Florida, and averages 14 minutes and 4 points per game.
Jaylen Johnson, who may have been over-recruited, has played in 17 games for Louisville, averaging less than 5 minutes per game. I suspect he'll be a bench player throughout his career. As Tark the Shark said, you need 8 good players and 5 guys to wave towels and cheer like crazy.
Tarin Smith has been a rotation player at Nebraska, averaging 17 minutes and 4.3 points.
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Post by Commissioner on Feb 24, 2015 12:14:30 GMT -5
Two more: Darryl Bigham is averaging 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game at Mott CC. Pretty good numbers. Darelle Porter is averaging 8.8 points at Polk State JC in Florida.
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Post by motorcitysam on Feb 24, 2015 18:19:30 GMT -5
Thanks for the updates. Very interesting. I was wondering what happened to Mory Diane.
Bik Gill is the big surprise in that group for me. I really thought he would make an impact at Ball State. I thought he'd likely be starting there. I saw him as a potential starter at U of D. Looks like I was wrong. The Sprewell situation was a surprise, too.
Would we be interested in Jaylen Johnson if he was looking to come back home instead of riding the pine at the 'Ville? I thought he was a good mid major prospect when I saw him play live last year.
Scott is doing what I expected him to do as a freshman. Like you said, he's probably a two year starter for Central.
Bigham is really doing well at Mott. Did we ever find out how tall he really is? I remember him being listed anywhere from 6-4 to 6-8. If it's the latter, I hope we're still recruiting him. Of course, he's putting up better JUCO numbers than DeBerry, so he might be drawing some high major interest himself.
One thing that the list makes clear is that the choice a JUCO player makes on where to attend college is crucial. Can't afford to make a mistake there.
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Post by Commissioner on Feb 24, 2015 21:29:10 GMT -5
Bigham is really doing well at Mott. Did we ever find out how tall he really is? I remember him being listed anywhere from 6-4 to 6-8. If it's the latter, I hope we're still recruiting him. Of course, he's putting up better JUCO numbers than DeBerry, so he might be drawing some high major interest himself. Mott is listing him at 6-6, 207. In HS, it seemed 6-6 was his most common listing. So he's probably 6-5.
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Post by motorcitysam on Mar 4, 2015 19:17:04 GMT -5
Yante Maten had a very strong game last night against Kentucky, with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Ironically, his best two games of the season have come against Kentucky. He had 13 points and nine rebounds against them earlier in the year.
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Post by rbj on Mar 15, 2015 11:39:09 GMT -5
There's a few guys we follow a bit--Sam reports on Aaron Simpson at DePaul and Justin Jamison at Texas Tech, for example, and we see Kenny Carpenter and Terrell Hales when we play Cleveland State. Justin Tillman makes some news with VCU and Darryl Davis has played regularly at Dayton. We know that Jordan Nobles was redshirted at EMU, Marqyell Jackson at Duquesne, and Kenny Goins is a walk-on redshirt at MSU. A little follow up on a few others: Daytona CC guard Ayinde Sprewell eventually signed with Western Kentucky. He won the dunk contest at the team's season kick-off event for fans, making him a bit of a fan favorite, but he played in just 3 of WKU's first 7 games, and then asked for his release, looking to transfer for more playing time. If he tries to stay D-I, he'll only have 1 more semester to play. He'll probably end-up NAIA. Once you figure out you're not going to the NBA, I suppose a lot of kids would prefer to play at that level than sit on end of a D-I bench. Word was that Sprewell didn't play defense. Yante Maten is averaging 5 points and 4.1 rebounds for Georgia. Obviously it would have been nice to land Maten - he'd be playing where we now have Kane, and probably giving us some solid numbers. DaRohn Scott has averaged 2.7 points and 2 rebounds in about 9 minutes per game for Central Michigan. I suspect that's about what he'd do this year had he signed with Detroit, where he would also have been signed in place of Kane. He should be a two-year starter for the Chips, I think. Not as good as Hogan, but would giving us something this year. Bik Gill, yet another who was recruited for what essentially became the Yousoupha Kane spot, has been a non-factor at Ball State, averaging 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15 games. Another big we recruited, Darreon Reddick of Illinois, is averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds for Tennessee State, getting over 25 minutes a game. How that would translate to the Horizon, who knows? Mory Diane, whom we thought we had all but signed, played a few minutes in 4 of Buffalo's first 9 games, then was ruled academically ineligible for second semester. Coach Hurley says Diane when rejoin the team "when his academics are in order." If he can't handle the academics at Buffalo, I think he'd have problems at UD, although perhaps our support and monitoring is better and could have kept him eligible. Andre Fredrick has played in 17 games for Robert Morris, averaging 1.8 ppg. Carlos Morris, a juco from Florida, is averaging over 11 points per game for Minnesota. Not sure we ever had much shot at Morris. Kyle Kuzma, another guy we were also a long shot to get, has played in 25 games for Utah. Averaging 3.4 ppg. Freshman minutes, but appearing in almost every game. He'll be a major rotation player as soon as next year. James Palmer went to Miami of Florida, and averages 14 minutes and 4 points per game. Jaylen Johnson, who may have been over-recruited, has played in 17 games for Louisville, averaging less than 5 minutes per game. I suspect he'll be a bench player throughout his career. As Tark the Shark said, you need 8 good players and 5 guys to wave towels and cheer like crazy. Tarin Smith has been a rotation player at Nebraska, averaging 17 minutes and 4.3 points. Thanks for the updates, MCSam and Commish, I have always enjoyed following the progess of players that were recruited by us and chose to attend other schools. I agree on Jaylen Johnson, but I wonder if Louisville will run him off after next season? I think his talent level is slightly below Louisville, and that he would be an impact player in the horizon league.
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Post by motorcitysam on Mar 17, 2015 10:59:31 GMT -5
RBJ1, at one of the games where I saw Jaylen Johnson play live last year, I spoke to some Ypsi/Ann Arbor area coaches and the consensus seemed to be that Jalylen was not likely to play much at Louisville. One of the guys said that U of D would have been a good spot for him and the others agreed. At the time I remember being glad that the Titans were considered a suitable option for him by guys who were familiar with him. Who knows what happens down the line, but I would certainly be open to seeing him in a Titan uniform if he becomes available.
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Post by motorcitysam on Mar 21, 2015 10:19:19 GMT -5
Coreontae Deberry finally saw some meaningful action for Cincinnati. In their first game in the NCAA tournament, one of Cincy's frontcourt starters was kicked out of the game for a flagrant foul, and Deberry benefited in playing time. He played 26 minutes and scored 13 points, going 5-9 from the floor and 3-5 from the line. He's mentioned in this game article from one of the Cincinnati papers. www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/university-of-cincinnati/2015/03/20/takeaways-from-ucs-thrilling-ot-win-over-purdue/25065995/This excerpt from the article includes quotes from an assistant coach that shed some light on the reason for DeBerry's struggles at Cincy this year. "Coreontae DeBerry Comes Through" In a game where everybody contributed, the Bearcats' season essentially was saved by one of their most sparingly used players. Junior center DeBerry, averaging only 9.9 minutes and 3.8 points per game, produced a career-high 13 points against Purdue. Included was a reverse layup among DeBerry's four points in overtime. DeBerry joined UC this season as a junior college transfer. "I can't be prouder of a guy," UC associate coach Larry Davis said. "He's had an unbelievable attitude from the start. How hard we play, the pace we play, that was difficult for him. In the first month he really struggled, then he came on and began to listen and take more coaching. He had plenty of ability, and the last month of practice he's had unbelievable practices."
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Post by motorcitysam on Mar 24, 2015 13:19:18 GMT -5
Iakeem Alston taking an official visit to St. Bonnie in late September. Alston says goodbye to St. Bonnie. And apparently there is still confusion about what his name actually is. From the Twittersphere: Jeff Goodman @goodmanespn 3m3 minutes ago Lakeem Alston is leaving St. Bonaventure.
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Post by motorcitysam on Mar 31, 2015 18:22:42 GMT -5
Former Titan target Tarin Smith is leaving Nebraska. Verbal Commits @verbalcommits 51s52 seconds ago Nebraska G Tarin Smith is leaving the program. (HT @huskerextrabr) verbalcommits.com/players/tarin-smith …
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Post by motorcitysam on Apr 11, 2015 22:00:22 GMT -5
I thought this might happen with Smart leaving VCU.
From Twitter:
Brian Snow @bsnowscout 30s30 seconds ago Per his AAU coach Mike Allie, VCU freshman forward Justin Tillman has asked for his release. Tillman was a four-star recruit
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Post by Commissioner on Apr 12, 2015 10:51:40 GMT -5
I thought this might happen with Smart leaving VCU. From Twitter: Brian Snow @bsnowscout 30s30 seconds ago Per his AAU coach Mike Allie, VCU freshman forward Justin Tillman has asked for his release. Tillman was a four-star recruit That's one transfer I'd take, even though it means not getting that last scholarship filled this year. Three more years eligibility. A quick look shows Tillman averaged 12 minutes and about 3.5 point this year. I'm sure he'll have lots of options but I don't know that Duke is going to be calling, so perhaps it's a solid possibility.
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Post by motorcitysam on Apr 13, 2015 15:41:38 GMT -5
Oh, yes, I'd take Tillman in a second. I think he's a definite high level contributor in the HL and it would be good to have a Pershing kid on the roster, given the way they have been turning out players lately.
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