Ranking the recruiting classes

[Wufan]

Here's the whole list of WSU newcomers (including red shirts):

Corey Henderson; fr, 6-3, 180, 2.7*
Eric Hamilton; fr, 6-8, 200, 2.7*
Zach Brown; Prep fr, 6-7, 200, 3*
Rauno Nurger; Prep fr, 6-10, 240, 2*
Rashard Kelly; Prep fr; 6-7, 210, 3*
Ria'n Holland; RS fr, 6-0, 165, 2*
Shaquille Morris; RS fr, 6-8, 250, 2.5*
Tevin Glass; jr, 6-8, 215, 2.7*
Bush Wamukota; jr, 7-0, 230, 2*

What's the scoop on your 7 footer coming in? Project or immediate help?

Yes. . It is uncertain if he will be a good Valley center immediately due to inexperience, but he is athletic and has good instincts. He will likely play immediately, but production is anyone's guess.

I think he averaged 8 and 5 with a block in 20 mpg at JUCO if that helps.

[BEARZ77]

Started for Kilgore, averaging 6pts, 6.8rbs, shooting 44% fg, 62% ft, and slightly less than a block per game.

[Wufan]

Started for Kilgore, averaging 6pts, 6.8rbs, shooting 44% fg, 62% ft, and slightly less than a block per game.

Have you seen him play, or were you just helping me with the stats?

[Aargh]

Wamukota is probably comparable to Orukpe. Orukpe was more athletic and physical - quicker and faster. Wamukota appears to be a little more skilled.

Wamukota is fairly raw offensively, but appears to be similar in shot-blocking to Orukpe. Wamukota appears to be a better rebounder, a little better offensively, and almost certainly has better hands than Orukpe. Orukpe could neither catch nor pass a basketball effectively.

Wamukota will likely be used as a goalie if an opponent gets past the perimeter D.

Orukpe didn't have much in the way of stats, but without him the Shox don't sniff a F4. A shot-blocking 7' post player lets the perimeter defensive guys gamble - a LOT. That gambling perimeter D was probably worth 6 points a game when Orukpe was defending the goal.

Throw in disrupting anything around the basket and a low stats defender around the basket is worth 10 - 12 points a game There's a lot of basketball that doesn't appear in the stats.

[siudawgs]

SIU fans are pretty optimistic about the four newcomers coming in next year. All are high schoolers, three have signed already (Armon Fletcher, Jordan Caroline, Chaz Glotta), one has verbaled (Deion Lavender). There's a chance SIU will sign someone else during the spring period ... technically they're out of scholarships, but there are rumblings Mike Balogun likely won't be back. A much, much worse scenario would be Anthony Beane and his dad leaving town as a package deal ... hopefully not, that would be a huge setback to the rebuild. Aside from the four prep newcomers listed below, lightning-quick but small point guard KC Goodwin redshirted this year and Illinois transfer Ibby Djimbe sat out. Djimbe is a 6-8 bruiser who, along with Bola Olaniyan, should give SIU one of the most physically imposing (though offensively challenged) frontlines in the MVC. Anyway:

Armon Fletcher, 6-5 forward from Edwardsville, Ill. Top player on team that finished fourth place in Illinois' biggest high school class. A very rangy, athletic wing who should be an excellent defender and high-energy player. Has some offensive game but probably will initially be more effective defensively and as an energy guy.

Jordan Caroline, 6-6 forward from Montverde Academy in Florida via Champaign. A burly, undersized power forward who started on arguably the best prep school team in the country. Put up decent but not great numbers on a roster loaded with high-end talent. Is expected to add sorely needed depth to the frontcourt and be ready to help right away based on high level of competition at Montverde. Is son of former Illinois/NFL football player Simeon Rice.

Chaz Glotta, 6-1 guard from suburban St. Louis. Combo guard who scored more than 2,000 points in his high school career. Mostly a shooter but can score in other ways, too. A coach's son. Excellent free throw shooter ... I'm sure Barry has long-term visions of Blake Ahearn. Probably most likely of newcomers to redshirt based on position/body type.

Deion Lavender, 6-4 guard from Alton Marquette High in Illinois, near STL. Late-bloomer who scored like crazy as a senior, albeit against lesser competition than others in this recruiting class. Not supremely athletic but a big guard who is a very good shooter and has a strong scorer's mindset. Was AAU teammate of Armon Fletcher.

Just to update SIU recruiting: They Signed Austin Weiher a 6'8" prep SF-PF. 7'1" JUCO Center Deng Leek is visiting campus today looking for our final scholarship.

SIU is about to go from the smallest team in the MVC to one of the biggest in one offseason.
Brad Winton ‏@JucoRecruiting 24m
Deng Leek (7'1/C/2014) of Jacksonville College (TX) has committed to Southern Illinois, per his coach @CoachJodyBailey

[underdawg]

Deng and 6'8" 255 Djemde will NOT be any kind of Offensive force but now, finally, SIU has a couple of goal defenders when our guards get beat on the perimeter. Faulker was that sort for our good teams. Leek already has a ok jump hook so if he can make that consistent we'll be pretty good. Frankly I'm more worried about who will take up some of Dez Jackson's offensive slack

[Wufan]

Deng and 6'8" 255 Djemde will NOT be any kind of Offensive force but now, finally, SIU has a couple of goal defenders when our guards get beat on the perimeter. Faulker was that sort for our good teams. Leek already has a ok jump hook so if he can make that consistent we'll be pretty good. Frankly I'm more worried about who will take up some of Dez Jackson's offensive slack

SIU will have to be better defensively without Des. I like the top 3-5 guards in Carbondale, so if they can put appropriately sided players at the 3 and 4, they'll be okay.

[jturner38]

With so many unknowns from the sycamores this upcoming season thought I post this article as basis to get valley fans a little idea of the newcomers. Now it really doesn't mean anything since it was just one short practice but it's a start.

http://www.tribstar.com/toddgolden/x998 ... edir=false

[Aargh]

In the biggest recruiting class (in both size and numbers) I've ever seen, WSU's new players next year (including both incoming students and guys coming off red shirt years) go like this:

(Expected primary position listed first for combo players)

7'0" C- JuCo
*6'10" C, 240 - 1 year post-HS prep school - ranked #35 (nationally) at his position
6'9" PF - Recruiting BLEW UP late in the process - turned down offers from ACC, B1G, Pac12, SEC
6'8" - PF JuCo
6'7", 250 PF/C - Red shirt - dropped 30 pounds from the weight he played at in HS.
*6'7" SF/SG?? - PG on the post-HS prep team the 6'10" guy played on
6'7" PF - 1 year post-HS prep (Hargrave Military) - several national all-star teams, AAU - DC Assault
6'3" PG - His Dad was his HS coach in Dallas. Marshall expects he will be the #2 PG on the roster.
6'0" SG/PG - Red shirt

5 Fr who will be a year older than you'd expect Fr to be.

* These guys played 15 games against JuCo teams last year. They played for Sunrise Christian Academy, which is in a little suburb on the north edge of Wichita. Sunrise consistently puts most of their players in D1 ball - typically in leagues ranked above the Valley.

[Aargh]

Those of you good at math can see WSU has 9 players in addition to 5 returning that played last year. That has led many WSU fans to scratching their heads. This little tidbit was found while researching some NCAA rules.

Any player receiving financial aid who was recruited by an institution counts against the scholarship limit of 13, regardless of the source of the financial aid. The NCAA describes "recruited" as either 1) Contact with the recruit off-campus (watching or scouting is OK, just can't make contact) or 2) An official visit to the college. Any number of unofficial visits are allowed.

Rauno Nurger (6'10" post player) played for a prep school less than 5 miles from the WSU campus and had not been recruited by WSU because he had committed to Ole Miss. He was released from that commitment late, so there may not have been any off-campus contact. He was the roommate of a WSU commit who was on campus and working out with the team last summer, and then took a year at prep school so he wouldn't have to sit a year behind WSU's perimeter players.

Nurger could hit the loophole and not be counted against WSU's scholarship limit. Tht would still leave the issue of finding other financial aid (academic, etc.) that he could qualify for.