2015 Recruiting

Reading between the lines here, it would seem it was lacking on the bench this season with the Seniors... that was apparent at times (i.e. @LMU). Its one thing to talk about it and another to actually lead. I hope Alec and Bryce are up to the task!

Malik Fitts' team from Damien High School won the California Division III championship over the weekend. Fitts scored 9 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Here's an article about Fitts from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune: http://www.sgvtribune.com/sports/20150325/malik-fitts-gives-damien-more-star-power-heading-to-fridays-division-iii-state-championship-game

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Malik Fitts' team from Damien High School won the California Division III championship over the weekend. Fitts scored 9 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

As good as Fitts might be, I think we should consider his "offer" from UP no more than a "hey, how you doing?" phone call.

The link that Verbal Commits cites as the evidence of an "offer" is Fitts' AAU coach....and we all know AAU coaches tend to exaggerate when it comes to their players having offers as means of attracting players to their AAU team.  An example of that is the recent "news" from PG Juwan Anderson's coach that he had recently trimmed UP from his offer list....turns out UP didn't even know who Anderson was, let alone pay him a visit or make him an "offer."

A number of D1 schools have been in touch with Fitts, likely including UP after Xubi announced he was transferring, but I doubt very much he's received an "offer."   In the few remaining days before the LOI signings begin, UP and Fitts may have some discussions, but I strongly doubt he is the school's number one target, or even in the top five.

It has been reported that 7-0 center Conor Clifford took his official visit to WSU this past weekend, and that South Carolina coaches are at Saddleback to see him today....although he's apparently scheduled a visit with the Gamecocks in Columbia sometime in the near future.

IMO, if UP is going to take a final run at Clifford it's going to have to happen very, very soon.  As the recruiting "dead periods" are 4/2-4/9 & 4/13-4/16, and the NLI signings begin on 4/16.....there just aren't many day left to make an impression on the young man and get him to visit Portland.

Clifford would likely play right away at UP....don't know if that would be the situation at WSU or USC.

I read that NLI signing day is 4/15. nationalletter.org  So, two more weeks of speculative chatter. 

DoubleDipper wrote:It has been reported that 7-0 center Conor Clifford took his official visit to WSU this past weekend, and that South Carolina coaches are at Saddleback to see him today....although he's apparently scheduled a visit with the Gamecocks in Columbia sometime in the near future.

Yup!

Juco Recruiting wrote:South Carolina HC Frank Martin did an in-home visit last night with Conor Clifford (7'0/C/2015) of Saddleback College

At least one more swing through Southern California before NLI signings begin week after next.....

Coach Pfaff wrote: PDX-LAX-IND-Final 4. More Northwest coach's on this LA flight then I would have guessed.

I think it's a safe bet to say Coach Rev was also in Cali giving Conor Clifford another opportunity to visit Portland and compare it to his weekend in Pullman...

In what some are saying is his last college visit before the NLI period begins on April 15, Conor Clifford will be in Columbia, South Carolina on the weekend of April 11-12 to visit the Gamecocks.

Word is Clifford might still be considering other schools besides WSU and USC, but his dad is pretty insistent he attend a "big" program school.

It's less than two weeks until signings begin, but recruits have until May 20th, or whenever every team's roster is full, to make a decision or sign.

wrv wrote:Well at this point I would rather have Clark Clifford, who advised several presidents, join the Pilots, than our friend Connor Clifford--

I'm afraid Clark Clifford would have to be an extraordinary leaper to be a strong rebounder as he is currently 6 feet under in Arlington National Cemetery.

Yes, he was once Secretary of Defense, but for those of us serving in Vietnam at the time, he was a bit of a disappointment because he pretty much carried on the policies of his much hated (by we in the military) predecessor, Robert McNamara.  In Clifford's defense, however, he too had to work for President Johnson.

Although his heart was certainly in the right place (end the war and get the boys home), his agreeing to stop the bombing in North Vietnam resulted in many more supplies and NVA and Viet Cong soldiers heading south which in our military minds and in fact, meant that an increased number American and allied lives were lost before the US military involvement ceased 5 to 6 years later.

Regarding Barreno, I had an email from the coach in Alamogordo saying that he misspoke (or I misunderstood) when he said he'd be a good "mentor" for Philipp....what he meant was he'd be a good guy for Philipp to bang with in practice as that is an element that will be missing with all the other bigs graduating this year.  He's only seen Philipp on TV, but he said he really liked his improvement and his skill....and he's "probably already more skilled than Barreno, but Barreno takes up an immense amount of room around the basket."

wrv wrote: And, of course, there is DD's friend who endorses Ray as a player, which may be a stronger indication of ability than Ray's stats. Maybe Ray can play and benefit the Pilots.

Any news there?

Apparently the now fired Tennessee head coach, Donnie Tyndall, was in New Mexico to see Barreno on the day he was fired for numerous NCAA violations and running a "rogue" programs at Morehead St. and Southern Mississippi prior to coming to Tennessee.

Unknown whether "new" Tennessee coach Rick Barnes (recently hired from the other UT, Texas) has interest in Barreno.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Apparently the now fired Tennessee head coach, Donnie Tyndall, was in New Mexico to see Barreno on the day he was fired for numerous NCAA violations and running a "rogue" programs at Morehead St. and Southern Mississippi prior to coming to Tennessee.

Well, yeah, but what was his winning percentage?

NoPoNeighbor wrote:I wonder if UP has been looking at 6'10" Isaiah Robinson... He's just down the street at Jefferson High. And he's the son of Cliff Robinson. Per VerbalCommits, he just picked up his first scholarship offer, from CSU-Bakersfield.

It is being reported that Robinson committed to Houston Baptist a couple of days ago.

This just in....highlights of Jarrel Marshall's sophomore season:

DoubleDipper wrote:But an even more intriguing 6-8 freshman at NMMI could be Andre Berry, voted as a Top-10 prep player in Rhode Island last year at St. Andrews School.  From his picture, it would appear he can take up a lot of space:  

As the late Dean Murdoch once said, "As always, I'm just throwing spit balls at the ceiling to see what might stick," or words to that affect.

Besides the less-than-glowing report about Berry that I recently received from my Alamogordo friend, I've heard that Berry has made visits to UT-San Antonio and Prairie View A&M.

Still throwing spit balls, I've also heard an unconfirmed report that a very skilled 6-11/245 high school senior in England that a member of the staff may have seen last year has backed out of his verbal commitment (not NLI) to a D1 school on the east coast after a wholesale change of the coaching staff there.  This might be a good one to keep an eye on!

There are so many young students on campus this weekend that it would be very difficult to say which are the recruits Rev commented on.

This was Rock the Bluff weekend and many of the newest UP students, the Class of 2019, were on campus for a weekend of entertainment and orientation.  

If there were any 2015 recruits on campus, I'm sure they were impressed by the buzz of excitement all the students brought.

Portland group, Young The Giant, provided the headline entertainment in the Chiles Center into the late hours......

The Oregonian released its Prep Basketball Class 6A All-State selections today, and it's interesting how many have not garnered attention from D1 or D2 universities.  It's an old story, UP would like to have more Oregon student-athletes on the team, but there are not that many D1 athletes to choose from.

Only two 2015 grads on the first team:
Eli Lininger, Yale
Kadeem Strickland, no known college offers

Five class of 2015 members on the second team:
Anthony Mathis, New Mexico
Jazz Johnson, Portland
Drew Eubanks, OSU
Jake Spurgeon, Seattle U
Tristen Holmes, no known offers

Five Class of 2015 seniors on Honorable Mention team:
Isaiah Robinson, Houston Baptist, is the only one with a D1 offer

wrv wrote:Does Reveno’s comment imply that the Pilots will offer two more scholarships:

"Every weekend on The Bluff is fun but this one is turning out great for our 2 recruits visiting.”

Certainly suggests the Pilots are closing in on some recruits for next year.

Anyone know who might be visiting this weekend?

Barreno? Fitts?

I am guessing Rev's comment was about the already committed recruits, as the event was for all incoming students next Fall.

Today three New Mexico JC players, two guards and a forward, reportedly committed to D1 schools, but no word on Ray Barreno's plans.

Some have written that Barreno, like NMMI's Berry are getting interest from Texas-San Antonio.  UT-SA would certainly be much closer to Barreno's home in Mexico and his second home in El Paso.

Hard to say who else was on campus, but this weekend was for incoming freshman, the Class of 2019.

As Chiir, Colin, and Jazz are all incoming freshman, having signed NLIs, any of them could have been part of the festivities without a need to be on an "official visit."

There is no restriction on the number of "official visits" a school can host, only on the number an individual student-athlete can take.

There may well have been others taking their visits this weekend, but I for one, am skeptical any did.

The "Dead Period" begins at midnight, so no more visits until after NLI signings begin on Wednesday.

Maybe Telly Davenport from Idaho was one of the visitors.

@BonnevilleHoops wrote:Things heating up for @tellydav3 Telly Davenport.  3 official offers Portland, UVU, and Stetson(FL).@UtahProspects #Bigtimesteal" #idpreps

Terry Cahill wrote:Maybe Telly Davenport from Idaho was one of the visitors.

Ah yes, Telly Davenport, probably one of the best high school players in Idaho, and the one time teammate of Jared Stutzman, the UP recruit that got away to USF....and is now on his LDS mission.

I remember the mention of Telly as "gifted" last year when watching tape of Stutzman's play, but had heard nothing of him since.  I do remember he could flat-out score and rebound, but I have no idea what level of competition he saw this year.

With Xubi transferring, I don't think there's much doubt UP's priorities are a wing and a post.....

One might think Utah Valley would have the inside track for this 6-4 wing, but I don't see him heading to Stetson.