2016 Recruiting

And this would be the Pilots' first post player from the Northwest (U.S. northwest, anyway) since when? Seems like quite a while!

Kyle Stonehouse

The only "evidence" I have seen is a tweet from someone claiming to be Smoyer's cousin: https://twitter.com/patrickmyers20/status/612490840099786753

His physical resemblance to Riley Barker is uncanny:

I think his cousin might be a reliable source with some inside information . . .unlikely to post false info like that: nothing to gain.

An early commitment date for a future Pilot.

Coaches must have thought well of our pledge to offer this early.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:And this would be the Pilots' first post player from the Northwest (U.S. northwest, anyway) since when? Seems like quite a while!

Geezaldinho wrote:Kyle Stonehouse

Ben Sullivan, 2004-2007

NoPoNeighbor wrote:And this would be the Pilots' first post player from the Northwest (U.S. northwest, anyway) since when? Seems like quite a while!

Hmmm.  We probably should define "post player."

I always thought of a LOW post player as someone who plays close to the basket and "posts up" by having their back to the basket much of the time like Brad Waldow, Przemek Karnowski, or Thomas.  

Using that definition, Joseph Smoyer is not a LOW post player.

From the little I saw of him this past weekend, he works more from mid-range on offense and rarely works with his back to the basket, but can dribble-drive and shoot from distance.  So if he's a post, maybe he could be called a HIGH post.  The current Pilots player I compare him to is Gabe Taylor.  If Smoyer is a HIGH post player, than current Pilot Gabe Taylor should also be considered a HIGH post....the most recent from the Northwest!

So, you're sayin' he's a Dirk!

Just when we think recruiting for 2016 is completed, 5-10 PG Jacob Gilyard from Barstow High School in Kansas City, Missouri, is retweeting that he has received an offer from Portland and LIU.

What's the scholarship situation?

Pretty sure he's a 2017, looks like a mistake on the Verbal Commits site.

up7587 wrote:What's the scholarship situation?

If Alec Monson heads to UP from his LDS mission, and if Joseph Smoyer has actually committed and will sign in November, and if no one transfers, there are zero scholarships available for the 2016 high school graduating class.

A quick check does point to Gilyard as graduating from high school in 2017.  Verbal Commits has him as a 2017, but lists him as in UP's 2016 PG recruits column.....thanks TC.

Class of 2017 looks to have 3 slots available. And PG is a clear priority, hence the recent Lee and Gilyard offers.

For the 2017-18 season, our current roster projects out to include:

PG: Johnson (Jr.)
SG: Tyson (Sr.), Jackson (Jr.), Monson (So.)
SF: Todd (Sr.), Maker (RS So.)
PF: Taylor (Sr.), Russell (Jr.)
C: Hartwich (Sr.), Smoyer (So.)

So with three scholarships, seems like we should shoot for a PG, a C, and a F.

Hmmm but now various sources reporting the UP has offered a scholarship to 2016 PF Timothy Soares from Mt. Baker High School in Deming, WA (near Bellingham).

Perhaps the Smoyer reports are inaccurate?

Well, as we know, there has been no confirmation or even mention of Smoyer's commitment to UP except the tip from TC and the tweet from his cousin.  And although that tweet is still out there in cyberspace, it has actually been deleted from his cousin's account.

Regarding Timothy Soares (what a great name for a baller), he's apparently one of those very raw young kids who's had a quite a growth spurts in the last couple of years (now 6-10 in shoes), and may not have been on anyone's watch list until recently.

From what I can tell from the very little available on him, he's very much like Smoyer in that he's a good shooter out to around 15 feet, does not play with his back to the basket, and is very good with either hand around the basket.

Also, it would appear he has much more known interest from college coaches than does Smoyer.

This picture of Timothy and his mom was taken two years ago:

Either he has grown a lot or mom is a giant

I am hoping for giant so we can easily spot her at the games.

Timothy was probably about 6-6 when that picture was taken, and he's grown 3 or 4 inches since then.....

Timothy's mom, Susan, is 6-4 and a former starter on the University of Texas basketball team before playing professionally in Brazil.

Timothy's dad, Rogerio, is a couple of inches taller than his mom, and he too played some professional basketball in his native Brazil where the Soares have lived and served as missionaries since 1995, most recently for a church in Bellingham, I believe.

I've been told that Timothy has lived and played basketball in the US for only a year or two, and has been living with his grandparents in Bellingham. I haven't verified that.

Here's another name that popped up, Tim Fuller, 6-9, F/C from Gilbert, Arizona.  He's apparently not been offered by UP, but the coaches have apparently been in touch with him.

Although he will graduate in 2016, he's looking to take his two year mission before beginning college in the fall of 2018.

The Arizona Republic wrote:  No. 8 Tim Fuller, Gilbert Highland/Power Black, 6-9, F/C, Sr.

He will play on Power's elite team, showing off maybe the best back-to-the-basket game in the 2016 Arizona class. He is a legitimate post prospect, but a college may have to be willing to wait until 2018 to get him, because he is planning on taking a two-year church mission after graduating from high school. He has been in contact with Weber State, Portland, Southern Utah and Utah State.  

UP may have a difficult time competing with all the Utah school for Fuller, but it would be good to continue the precedence that has been set by Alec Monson.

Verbal Commits is stating he's received offers from Weber St., USF, and PSU......

The coaches are back on the road having spent a couple of days evaluating AAU players in Las Vegas.  There are now just two days left during the third of three July evaluation periods.....and it's my guess the staff is still looking for a big man for 2016 (and a point guard for 2017.)

As we have yet to see anything of substance indicating Joseph Smoyer's commitment to UP, do you suppose he's made up his mind that he'd like to attend UP, but UP has still not decided if the recruitment of Smoyer is the best use of the only available 2016 scholarship?  

Having seen Smoyer briefly during camp at UP, I wouldn't be surprised if UP isn't looking for better size and athleticism...but as big men seem to develop slower than your average teenager, it could be Smoyer will be exactly the beast UP is looking for 12 months from now.

DoubleDipper wrote:As we have yet to see anything of substance indicating Joseph Smoyer's commitment to UP, do you suppose he's made up his mind that he'd like to attend UP, but UP has still not decided if the recruitment of Smoyer is the best use of the only available 2016 scholarship?

A guess here, but if that was the case I doubt Coach Rev would have tweeted last month about a commitment.

Maybe he's the guy, maybe not...might have to wait until November to find out. Recent tweets about Smoyer in the last couple weeks -

@TRDbizz wrote:elite 24 wins pool at Bigfoot Las Vegas tournament- in final 16 of platinum bracket. @young_west11and joseph smoyer playing big.

@TRDbizz wrote:Bigtime tournament in Vegas- coaches- @young_west11, @markusgolder1 and Joseph Smoyer showed the type of impact college players they will be

Could it be that Smoyer has committed as a recruited walk-on? And therefore there is still an available scholarship (hence the apparent offer to Soares)?

@LC_Recruiting wrote:University of Portland has offered and received commitment from Elite 24 player- 6'11 Joseph Smoyer

There you have it...most reliable source yet.

Terry Cahill wrote:

@LC_Recruiting wrote:University of Portland has offered and received commitment from Elite 24 player- 6'11 Joseph Smoyer

There you have it...most reliable source yet.

You posted that about 3 minutes after Left Coast Recruiting did....that's very suspicious; did you tweet them with the tip?

We'll certainly have to keep an eye on him at Franklin HS this year and watch his development....

Haha. I have been crushing refresh on Twitter all night. Some serious storms here tonight, tornadoes to the east and massive wind gusts to the south.

LC's Smoyer tweet popped up in the middle of it all

So this reported offer to Soares is... Inaccurate? Now off the table? With Smoyer and Monson coming in next season, there are no further scholarships available.