2015 Recruiting

I hope last year's attendance was an aberration, due to the odd scheduling that meant students were off campus for several of the games. We'll see.

up7587 wrote:I hope last year's attendance was an aberration, due to the odd scheduling that meant students were off campus for several of the games. We'll see.

In talking to several people involved with the basketball program it seems the WCC office got an earful from all the schools about last season's scheduling. Maybe they'll make some adjustments next season.

That earful was from several schools, including Gonzaga. It came up at a Meeting of the Presidents.

Not sure if the CA schools want to do any favors for GU in scheduling. And whatever they get, we get.

up7587 wrote:I hope last year's attendance was an aberration, due to the odd scheduling that meant students were off campus for several of the games. We'll see.

Well, let's  see... Here's the attendance at the 4 "normal" (i.e. not GU and BYU) conference home games before the students had returned from the holiday break, compared with the 3 "normal" conference home games with the students back on campus:

NO STUDENTS
12/28 vs. USF:  1486
12/30 vs. SCU:  1479
01/02 vs. UoP:  1173
01/04 vs. SMC:  2304 (including large SMC contingent due to Portland-area players)

WITH STUDENTS
01/25 vs. USD:  1589
02/13 vs. LMU:  2035
02/15 vs. PU:    2039

So yes, perhaps there is some merit to this explanation.

PurpleGeezer wrote:That earful was from several schools, including Gonzaga. It came up at a Meeting of the Presidents.

GU, Portland and all USD got hosed... last year... USD was the inverse of ours: on the road to begin the year, at home the 2nd half.

I don't think this will happen again.

I believe UP filed a complaint to the conference comparing the number of class days missed versus the rest of the conference... the differential was significant and unfair.

PurpleGeezer wrote:That earful was from several schools, including Gonzaga. It came up at a Meeting of the Presidents.

Gonzaga was irate over the scheduling, and legitimately so...and it was even worse for the Pilots, who had five straight home games before school was even in session (at least the student section was rocking for the Gonzaga win).

Two ways to solve this -

1) Open WCC sched with one conference game in late November against travel partner. That pushes the start of WCC play back a week to first week of January, so you're looking at a maximum of two home games without students instead of a possible FIVE as we saw in 2013-14 with UP.

2) Move the WCC tourney to the second weekend. Probably only an option after the 2015 and 2016 tournaments as last year was the first of the three-year extension, as far as I can tell.

Guess it comes down to how much the schedule makers want to avoid having barren student sections for the start of WCC play.

DeanMurdoch wrote: 2) Move the WCC tourney to the second weekend. Probably only an option after the 2015 and 2016 tournaments as last year was the first of the three-year extension, as far as I can tell.

ESPN would have a big say on this... scheduling of the TV games (semi finals and final, and women's final) has been the largest factor historically. Now, availability of a venue is also a concern.

I wonder if the conference has considered separating the men's & women's tournaments and not running them concurrently? Each one could be condensed by at least a day that way.... but then there is more time overall to have to rent/occupy the facilities, etc.

PilotNut wrote:

DeanMurdoch wrote: 2) Move the WCC tourney to the second weekend. Probably only an option after the 2015 and 2016 tournaments as last year was the first of the three-year extension, as far as I can tell.

ESPN would have a big say on this... scheduling of the TV games (semi finals and final, and women's final) has been the largest factor historically.  Now, availability of a venue is also a concern.

I wonder if the conference has considered separating the men's & women's tournaments and not running them concurrently?  Each one could be condensed by at least a day that way.... but then there is more time overall to have to rent/occupy the facilities, etc.

Espn Will always have a say, but this year the conference gave them carte Blanche and didn't give a damn about the schools.

That was unacceptable.

PurpleGeezer wrote:There is another guy we know available for the position besides Scott.

Ha-ha, yea, and I hope Larry does get the nod, this time......

DeanMurdoch wrote:According to the ever-handy Verbal Commits site, Pilots have offered 2015 SG Kenzo Nudo from Arizona. USF and a couple Big Sky schools have done the same.

Nudo off the board, committed to Grand Canyon University yesterday. Ended up with a total of 3 offers from WCC schools including UP, USF, and SCU.

And while I looked up Nudo on ESPN, a new name popped up to the top of the Oregon top 2015 prospects. Drew Eubanks (6-9, 210) out of Troutdale is now listed as a 3-star prospect for what little that's worth. Plays for the NorthWest Xpress team that features Dejounte Murray among others. ESPN has him as a SF but is listed as a C on the Xpress site.

Another name -

@HWHoopsCentral wrote:Per his coach, 2015 6'3 SG Tanner Eubank of Paw Paw HS (MI) has recently heard from Portland.

PS sorry for killing all the schedule griping in this thread with recruit chatter. My bad.

For 2014 we've got the Triple Ts: Taylor, Todd and Tyson.

For 2015, why not get a Eubank and a Eubanks?

According to West Coast Convo, UP seems to be a leading contender for SG Vinnie Safin:

http://westcoastconvo.com/2014/05/24/2015-recruiting-profile-vinnie-safins/

Hey, NPN, it was you who first brought Safin to our attention back on April 5th.....

NoPoNeighbor wrote:2015 SG Vinnie Safin (Rocklin, CA) is apparently in Portland this weekend... Perhaps visiting UP?
https://twitter.com/vinniesafin/status/452203198619459584

NoPoNeighbor wrote:According to West Coast Convo, UP seems to be a leading contender for SG Vinnie Safin:

http://westcoastconvo.com/2014/05/24/2015-recruiting-profile-vinnie-safins/

Hey Portland fans,

I hope you all liked my interview with Vinnie.

It seemed like Portland is in pretty good graces with Vinnie. I would expect an offer soon. Just speculation, but it's seems imminent.

Also, not mentioned in the article, but he also wants to visit UP.

DoubleDipper wrote:A recruit I've been keeping and eye on (and the coaching staff is too) is Robert Franks of Evergreen HS in Vancouver, USA.  At 6-7 205, it would appear Robert is still growing and developing and is a very smooth, athletic small forward.

Robert is averaging somewhere around 18 ppg on a team that is pretty well balanced.   UO, OSU, UW, WSU, and GU have been looking at him, but as far as I'm aware, UP is the only school to make an offer.

I recently saw Robert quoted as saying he'd been offered by UP and PSU, but that he'd like play in the PAC-12 and was attending a basketball camp at WSU and was expecting an offer from the Cougars.  OSU, UMass, Colorado, UO, GU, Cal Poly, Seattle U., and Boise St. are also in the mix, but have not offered him a scholarship.

4-star wing Jeremy Hemsley will apparently announce his college choice later today (Thursday).

Hemsley, from Southern California, apparently has offers from over 15 schools, including UP.  Most think he'll commit to SDSU, but USC, UW, UNLV, and Colorado are also in the mix.  All signs indicate he's considering only high-majors.

DoubleDipper wrote:4-star wing Jeremy Hemsley will apparently announce his college choice later today (Thursday).

Hemsley, from Southern California, apparently has offers from over 15 schools, including UP.  Most think he'll commit to SDSU, but USC, UW, UNLV, and Colorado are also in the mix.  All signs indicate he's considering only high-majors.

No surprise, it's SDSU for Hemsley!

Pilots have shown interest in Victoria big man Matt Neufeld, who recently reclassified to the 2015 class (which probably only heightens UP's interest in him).

He'll go to Sunrise Christian in Wichita this year along with fellow UP target Jauquin Bennett-Boire.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/04/16/matt-neufeld-lambricks-lion-king-takes-his-place-with-bcs-best-sunday-at-the-lec/

Just invited to Canadian jr. national team tryouts this week, too!

According to Scout.com, 3-star Nick Blair, a 6-5/185 wing out of Las Vegas, has been offered by a number of major programs and by mid-majors UP and USF.  LINK

DoubleDipper wrote:According to Scout.com, 3-star Nick Blair, a 6-5/185 wing out of Las Vegas, has been offered by a number of major programs and by mid-majors UP and USF.  LINK

You think he actually has an offer from ASU, though?

@Trigonis30 wrote:Recruiting interest in 6-5 2015 WF Nick Blair (Gorman/Las Vegas NV) is heating up. Will unofficially visit Arizona State later this month

Dinos Trigonis (director of Pangos camp) is usually pretty on the ball when it comes to offers for his players, but he's never actually said that Pac-12 Arizona State has an offer - so a little interesting, never really know what exactly is going on. (I suppose the Pilots fall into this non-confirmed offer category as well depending on how much you trust the list of offers from Scout)

I think we're all in agreement that just because we read something on one of the recruiting websites doesn't necessarily mean it's true.  It would seem in their frantic effort to get a report out quicker than the other sites many of these basement dwelling bloggers don't put a lot of effort into checking their facts.

Using only UP as an example, I know of a number of reported offers made to high school athletes over the last two years that were in fact NOT made.  But you are correct Deaner, the best source of such information is usually a baller's camp or team coach.....they like the publicity it brings to their program.  

Hoopsintel (Pittsburgh) is saying UP has made an offer to Reynolds High School/Northwest Xpress 6-9 210 C Drew Eubanks.

Like Jason Todd, Eubanks is a two sport athlete....he's also a pitcher, and was selected to the Oregon Class 6A second team at the end of the 2014 baseball season.

A few days ago Sammamish, WA native and Eastside Catholic/Northwest Xpress wing Matisse Thybulle had zero offers, but hoopreview.net is reporting that his summer play has now produced offers from UP, UW, WSU, Cal Poly, and Tulsa.

At 6-7/185 he's athletic with long arms and quickness....

Here he is on a breakaway dunk in a 3A playoff game earlier this year: