2015 Recruiting

DoubleDipper wrote:With UP's need for a huge presence in the middle, Ray Barreno is probably the recruit of focus right now, but if he visited UP as reported and is still taking visits to places like Denton, San Antonio, and Prairie View....all in Texas, he's probably looking more for geographic location instead of the better program and conference.

Found this North Texas blog - http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/04/wednesday-night-hoops-notes-barreno-on-visit-benford-on-johnson.html/ - with a bit of a clue on what Barreno might be looking for.

Barreno has visited Portland and also has an offer from UTSA. What he’s looking for is the right fit, which is understandable considering he started out his college career with a short stay at Tulane before transferring.

“I want to go somewhere I can come in and make an impact and help a team win,” Barreno said. “I want to go someplace I feel comfortable with the team and the coaches. I also want to go somewhere I fit the style of play, where they will throw it in the post and play inside out. North Texas is that kind of place, that is why I am visiting.”

Well, if he wants to go somewhere where they throw it into the post…you'd have to think the Pilots would be at the top of his list.

DoubleDipper wrote:But the game’s high scorer was future UP guard, Jazz Johnson, who came off the bench to score 35 points despite being double-teamed much of the second half.  Jazz shot 14 of 22 (5 of 8 on 3's).

From the Oregonian - http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/2239597578255219732/washington-repels-oregon-jazz-johnson-109-108-in-northwest-shootout-boys-basketball-recap/

Washington coach Bill Liley, who has had some summer run-ins with Johnson with his Eastside Catholic team, raved about him.

“We’ve never stopped him, and nothing was different today,” Liley said. “He missed, and I appreciated him missing for once. He is a fantastic player. (Portland coach Eric) Reveno is getting a really good player, and I’m going to look forward to following his career.”

Anyone else excited to see what this kid can do at UP next year?

Terry Cahill wrote:Found this North Texas blog - http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/04/wednesday-night-hoops-notes-barreno-on-visit-benford-on-johnson.html/ - with a bit of a clue on what Barreno might be looking for.

“I want to go somewhere I can come in and make an impact and help a team win,” Barreno said. “I want to go someplace I feel comfortable with the team and the coaches. I also want to go somewhere I fit the style of play, where they will throw it in the post and play inside out. North Texas is that kind of place, that is why I am visiting.”

Hmm, I'm not the one to adjudicate, but it seems like a clear violation of NCAA recruiting rules to have someone obviously close to the program conduct an interview of a potential recruit that was pointed out to the writer by the North Texas coach.  

UNT is probably not worried about the slap on the wrist compared to the potential of landing Barreno.

I would hope the NCAA has better things to do than to start dropping the hammer on the many sites and blogs that interview recruits, but I guess you never know with these guys.

As for Rashad Jackson, who visited this weekend according to the tweet posted a few days ago...he's a curious case. There's almost nothing on him from any sources in the last 12 months or so, and the Josh Gershon tweet about him visiting UP is the only thing I can see that associates him with any school. Who knows?

Terry Cahill wrote:As for Rashad Jackson, who visited this weekend according to the tweet posted a few days ago...he's a curious case. There's almost nothing on him from any sources in the last 12 months or so, and the Josh Gershon tweet about him visiting UP is the only thing I can see that associates him with any school. Who knows?

We know that he took a prep school year at Impact Academy in Las Vegas coming out of high school in Bakersfield because he was not being recruited by any school expect Cal State Bakersfield, perhaps.

Very quick/fast and a good rebounder at 6-3/160, he was no more than an average shooter a year ago, but now it would appear he has developed not only his shot, but his body.  I've been told he has a "great" body for a shooting guard and now weighs around 180.

Don't know UP's chances of getting him....but I'm optimistic.

Video: http://www.hudl.com/v/CccZc

Coach Reveno wrote:Been a great day for Pilot program! All the critical pieces are coming together. Hopefully, will have sweet dreams on this flight to London.

Let's hope Rashad Jackson has committed, and.....

Karolis Kundrotas played his final game for Barking Abbey in London today; could Barreno be off the board and Rev's taking a look at Kundrotas?

Overall thoughts on the 2015 recruiting class, and next year's roster:

- Excited about the offense coming in with Johnson, Maker and Marshall. We should be talented and have some depth at the 1-3 positions.
- Worried about the lack of depth and experience at the 4 and 5 positions. Therefore, I don't understand the effort to recruit another shooting guard in this class (e.g. Jackson or Davenport). Seems like we should use both remaining scholarships for front court players. We already have another shooter coming in next season (Monson).
- Wishing that we could land a transfer center to bring some experience and moxie to the front court, in addition to a freshman big guy. Even if Rev is going to London to go after Kundrotas, and even if he is successful, that would leave us with two underclassmen centers. This is exactly the situation we were in going into the dreadful 2011-12 season (VDM and Barker). Actually, it could be even worse than '11-'12: Barker played over twice as many minutes as a freshman in 2010-11 (241 total min, behind Knutson and Hannibal) as Hartwich played this past season (112 total min). And another incoming freshman center (e.g. Kundrotas) would presumably be even less experienced than van der Mars was when he showed up at UP (having played at the Canarias academny).
- The lack of depth and experience at the PF position is similarly alarming. It seems obvious to me that experience and depth down low must take priority over more perimeter shooting talent. I'd love to hear the coaching staff explain using either of the remaining scholarships for another guard, given this situation. Learn from past mistakes!

GregElite24 basketba
‏@TRDbizz
congrats to Elite 24 guard- 6'4-Rashad Jackson was on official visit and committed to University of Portland today! Huge get for Pilots

There ya go,

Also of note, Seems as if Telly Davenport has committed to Utah Valley

DoubleDipper wrote:I would guess the still unsigned Telly Davenport is the recruit that UP will go after to replace Xubi if Rashad Jackson decides to go elsewhere, but having him visit UP so late in the game is in my mind, a good sign.

As mentioned by DTLegend, Telly is off to Utah Valley.

I believe UP was Telly's first choice, but as Rashad Jackson has apparently committed and will sign a NLI, UP advised Telly to move on to his second choice.  Telly Davenport is an excellent student-athlete, so for UP to choose Jackson, Rashad must have been VERY impressive on his visit.  Just that one more year of balling and maturing while attending a prep school can make all the difference.

We'll just have to see if one year at prep school has done the same for Karolis Kundrotas.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:- Worried about the lack of depth and experience at the 4 and 5 positions. Therefore, I don't understand the effort to recruit another shooting guard in this class (e.g. Jackson or Davenport). Seems like we should use both remaining scholarships for front court players. We already have another shooter coming in next season (Monson).

Yeah, it's not really a secret that next year's team will have far less depth up front than in previous years. Maybe the coaching staff envisions a Pepperdine model? Waves had lots of success last year going with Raines (6-7/215) and Jesperson (6-8/210) at the 5 with Davis at the 4 - not exactly hulking.

We saw Todd utilized in a 3/4 role last year and I think Marshall will likely fit into that category as well, which will obviously help with front court depth.

Hard not to share about your concerns about depth at the 5, though…Taylor at 6-8/200 is the same body type as a few of the 5s that started around the WCC last year, maybe he could see some minutes there?

Great stuff, guys.  Love seeing this information.

I have to assume the coaches are taking the best players they can get.  For sure, you'd want more good big guys, but if you can get better smaller guys than the bigs available, I think you have to take them.  We need athletes to compete in the WCC, and there can't be too many scorers on the team.  Playing 4 on 5 on offense just doesn't work.

Go Pilots!

wrv wrote:Regarding Barreno, the Mean Green fan forum shows they are aware that we were recruiting him.....

With Rev in London, I think we have to assume Barreno has notified UP he's going elsewhere.

.....I suppose there's a chance Rev is looking at a prospect in the UK for NEXT year...

up7587 wrote:I have to assume the coaches are taking the best players they can get.  For sure, you'd want more good big guys, but if you can get better smaller guys than the bigs available, I think you have to take them.  We need athletes to compete in the WCC, and there can't be too many scorers on the team.  Playing 4 on 5 on offense just doesn't work.

Absolutely!

I'm just repeating what I've said before, but the Pilots need guys who can score!!  And the guys need to be shooters/scorers when they show up....if they show up with the right attitude and are ready to work hard and learn, the other technical aspects of the game can be taught.

Sure UP needs a couple of big guys, but what they really need, and I believe now have, are guys who can shoot from anywhere, slash to the rim while drawing fouls, and play some decent defense.  I know, "defense wins games and offense determines by how much," but tenacity, quickness, and attitude also wins games.  

I'm wondering how Rev is going to convince one or two guys to redshirt next year.  He's always left it to the s-a to make the decision, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Chiir or Rashad, or even Colin take another year to get ahead in their studies and develop their game.  From what we've seen of Jazz, he doesn't need another year.

It will be interesting to see who the last piece of the puzzle will be....we know Philipp can get out and run, let's just hope the final recruit will be able to run, rebound, pass, stretch defenses, and score on occasion....is that too much to ask?

DoubleDipper wrote:
I'm wondering how Rev is going to convince one or two guys to redshirt next year.  He's always left it to the s-a to make the decision, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Chiir or Rashad, or even Colin take another year to get ahead in their studies and develop their game.  From what we've seen of Jazz, he doesn't need another year.

From what I've heard, Maker may not get eligible to play this coming season. Apparently, he has been struggling a little getting his grades/test scores/whatever else into the acceptable range.

So that may answer that question.

cjacks14 wrote:From what I've heard, Maker may not get eligible to play this coming season. Apparently, he has been struggling a little getting his grades/test scores/whatever else into the acceptable range.

So that may answer that question.

Hey, thanks for checking-in, cjacks....we could use a bit more of your insight on PN from time-to-time.

Yeah, as you can imagine, Maker's situation is unique and complicated.  With only a few years of formal education since escaping the Sudan, it is difficult to quantify his classroom achievements and fully predict his academic success at UP, let alone pass the muster of the NCAA Clearinghouse.

The last I heard, it is expected that Chiir will attend UP beginning this summer, but it is not known if he will be required to sit a year or will be allowed to play immediately.....or just find it advantageous to simply take a redshirt year to "Americanize" and learn UP's academic ways.

Regardless of his initial basketball success, imagine what a heart-warming personal success story this will be when it eventually begins to play out.  Stay tuned!

DoubleDipper wrote:With Rev in London, I think we have to assume Barreno has notified UP he's going elsewhere.

.....I suppose there's a chance Rev is looking at a prospect in the UK for NEXT year...

Not so fast, DD....all the boards and tweets and Facebook pages indicate Barreno will make his decision sometime on Tuesday....

So, apparently Ray Barreno is still in play......and how about this for wild speculation: After hearing from NPN about the center situation, maybe Rev is in London looking for a third center and there will be a slight shift in the basketball scholarship situation to accommodate the addition.

Spitballs don't always stick....and this one may be a long shot, but it's something to think about until UP gets word from Ray Barreno where he'll be going to school the next two years.

Okay, so the total of 3 centers was too far out to actually consider, but UP did get its final commit today....7-0 Philipp will be joined at center by another student-athlete that "only" stands at about 6-11, or so.

My guess is the final two signees will be announced later today or tomorrow when the last NLI shows up at UP Basketball Headquarters.   Standby for details.....

Well, heck. I was kind of feeling greedy after reading your last post and was thinking how nice adding two posts would be!

Guess we'll wait to see who it is, though it appears to be Barreno at this point. Good fit considering positional need and scholarship situation!

Terry Cahill wrote:Guess we'll wait to see who it is, though it appears to be Barreno at this point. Good fit considering positional need and scholarship situation!

Agree with all of the above.  

Barreno would bring experience and SIZE and help the scholarship situation immensely.....allowing NPN to get more sleep at night by balancing out the classes at 2/3/4/4.....

DoubleDipper wrote:Barreno would bring experience and SIZE and help the scholarship situation immensely.....allowing NPN to get more sleep at night by balancing out the classes at 2/3/4/4.....

Thanks for your concern!

If it is Barreno... What is Rev doing in London, aside from hanging out with Kramer Knutson?

[A side note... Can a former member of the Pilots participate in recruiting? Could Knutson go visit a recruit with Rev and tell the story of how the UP program catapulted him to UK basketball superstardom?]