2017 Recruiting

This from a couple of hours ago:

Ty Cockfield (@TyCockfield1) wrote:  Blessed to say I've received a Scholarship offer from The University of Portland    

Coach Cantu missed both games this past week while on the recruiting trail....and it is no surprise the Pilots are looking for an experienced point guard to run the ship and help in the development of JoJo Walker.

Ty Cockfield (6-1) appears to be such a person after one year at Stetson University in Florida and now at Georgia Highlands (Community) College.  As a high school senior in Gainesville, Georgia, Cockfield led the state in scoring and led his high school team to a 29-1 record and the #1 rank in the state.

All indications are Cockfield will be a junior next year, but as he played only the first 9 games of his one year at Stetson, he may be eligible for a medical redshirt year....but that's purely a guess!

wrv wrote:The U is committed to Ferguson for four years despite the late signing? He could not have signed an NLI, but a financial grant in aid of sorts. It likely makes no difference, and I assume he is returning.

I would not assume that...

Hmm, has been a while since a new name has popped up in here. Good catch, DD.

Other offers for Ty Cockfield since he transferred from Stetson - UT Martin, Eastern Michigan, Florida A&M. He's currently the leading scorer (16.9 PPG) for a 25-1 team and is shooting over 43% from three. Impressive numbers for sure, though he's described as a "combo guard" rather than a true PG.

I was skeptical that he'd be able to get that Stetson year back, but as usual you're right. Bylaw says not more than 30% of scheduled games, and Stetson played 31. Nine games is 29% so he would appear to be under that threshold.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I was skeptical that he'd be able to get that Stetson year back, but as usual you're right. Bylaw says not more than 30% of scheduled games, and Stetson played 31. Nine games is 29% so he would appear to be under that threshold.

After digging a little deeper it turns out Cockfield will be a junior next year and was NOT injured at Stetson, but instead he and a redshirt point guard voluntarily left the team.

In addition to the schools mentioned by Deaner, it appears Clemson, Auburn, and Utah have shown or are showing interest in Cockfield

Should I expect a Rex Walters style exodus at the end of this season?

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:Should I expect a Rex Walters style exodus at the end of this season?

The coaches have been preaching that they don't believe they have the talent on this team. Combined with the number of recruits out there, I don't see how we don't have a mass exodus. I guess I'm okay with it in Porter's first year, but I sure hope that doesn't become his MO.

I heard on the Dan Patrick show today that Ron Artest's (or is it still Meta World Peace) kid is visiting Portland. I couldn't find any corroborating evidence online.

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:Should I expect a Rex Walters style exodus at the end of this season?

That is a very poor analogy, IMO.

Walter's boorish behavior and abuse of his players were big factors in their early departure from the program....fortunately, Coach Porter does not have the same abhorrent behavioral traits.

The UP Athletic Department's policy is to honor a student-athlete's scholarship for as long as he or she is at UP and on track to graduate.  Athletic scholarships are only year-to-year, but UP's policy is to renew the scholarship each year unless there are academic or disciplinary issues.  (Examples: Cason and Reinfelds)

Because of UP's policy, the year-to-year "contract" can work in the student-athlete's favor as they can opt out of their scholarship at any time and transfer....and that is what has happened in the past and will happen at UP in the future.  As already mentioned in another thread, there will be an end-of-season assessment of each player on the basketball team and a discussion of how they fit in the program's future.  If a player realizes they no longer fit those plans, they can opt to transfer. (Example: Zubizarreta).  But they do not have to transfer....it is their decision. (A current member of the team is an example).

Yes, I think there will be some changes made, but players will NOT be "run off"....instead they will offered and afforded the opportunity to graduate from UP....it will be the player's decision to stay or go.

blacksheep wrote:I heard on the Dan Patrick show today that Ron Artest's (or is it still Meta World Peace) kid is visiting Portland.  I couldn't find any corroborating evidence online.  

Did Dan say why Artest III is visiting?  Is it possible he's visiting PSU?

From what I've read, Artest III's academic status would have to make a very positive upturn if he were to qualify to enter UP (or any other WCC school).

It has been suggested he spend a year at prep school to better prepare himself for college, but if there were ever 'uge raw talent, it is Artest III.  If he ends up playing college ball somewhere he'd definitely be a candidate for a redshirt year to develop his talent and his work ethic in the classroom.

DoubleDipper wrote:

blacksheep wrote:I heard on the Dan Patrick show today that Ron Artest's (or is it still Meta World Peace) kid is visiting Portland.  I couldn't find any corroborating evidence online.  

Did Dan say why Artest III is visiting?  Is it possible he's visiting PSU?

From what I've read, Artest III's academic status would have to make a very positive upturn if he were to qualify to enter UP (or any other WCC school).

It has been suggested he spend a year at prep school to better prepare himself for college, but if there were ever 'uge raw talent, it is Artest III.  If he ends up playing college ball somewhere he'd definitely be a candidate for a redshirt year to develop his talent and his work ethic in the classroom.

As you know, I don't hardly follow recruiting at all. Artest was a guest on the show and mentioned Portland as a place his son was visiting. He could have easily meant PSU when he said Portland.

DoubleDipper wrote:Yes, I think there will be some changes made, but players will NOT be "run off"....instead they will offered and afforded the opportunity to graduate from UP....it will be the player's decision to stay or go.

On the other hand, and it may just be semantics, could not playing certain players who have the ability to help the team win be called "running guys off?"

Could telling a player they can stay, but also telling them they would be better off going somewhere else, be called "running them off?"

Depending upon the perception of the student-athlete, I think the answer to both questions could be yes!

In the latter part of this season there have been three players languishing at the end of the bench with close to zero playing time even though it's obvious they could contribute something, even if it is just giving the "rotation players" some much needed rest.  

If these three, and others, depart this off-season, will it be because they simply chose to leave after their end-of-season assessment or were they "run off" because they were told they don't fit the coach's plan for the future?  

Regardless, the result will have a profound affect on the lives of young men who deserve the respect, honesty, and promise keeping of the adults who guide them.

Matt Williams - Assistant Coach Georgia Highlands College wrote:   The University of Portland offered Kyvon Davenport    

Davenport is a 6-8 forward who will be a junior next year.  He is a high school teammate and current Georgia Highlands College teammate of guard Ty Cockfield, offered earlier by UP. Davenport has a number of offers, including a couple from schools that have also offered Cockfield.

If Davenport were to eventually show up at UP it would probably mean Austin Stone (same position and both will be juniors) could get the redshirt year I think he would benefit from due his taking up basketball relatively late and his missing half the season this year due to a dislocated ankle.

(Of course all this is just conjecture, but if he does attend UP it could also mean a redshirt year for Diabate or Smoyer....both of whom could benefit greatly).

Scouting Report: http://www.jucorecruiting.com/news_article/show/755285?referrer_id=1424455

Holy crap, this Kyvon Davenport has got a highlight reel. 6'8" and can absolutely jump out of the gym!

FGCU, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, East Tennessee State, Valpo, Arkansas Little Rock, UTEP, Iona, UT-Rio Grande Valley, Murray State, Chattanooga, St. Bonaventure, and Illinois State

Plenty of competition for him, as could be expected. Cincinnati, Iowa State, St. John's in to see him in the past month, too.

Despite his 26 points (20 in the second half), JoJo Walker and his team are done for the year having lost the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA playoffs, ending their season with a 24-6 record.

Hit the books and the weight room, JoJo, see you this summer.....

http://santamariatimes.com/sports/high-school/basketball/knights-furious-rally-falls-short-against-colony/article_f1c4fb26-dc1c-5557-8ee9-985ad04aef01.html

JUCO Recruiting.com wrote: (Jeromy) Rodriguez has had over 60 plus schools from all levels contact him since July.  He has current offers from Wichita State, East Tennessee State, St. Bonaventure and Portland.  Iowa State, Pitt, East Carolina, and Houston have all called recently and are interested.  Expect more offers for Rodriguez to come as the season continues.  

Jeromy is originally from the Dominican Republic, went to high school in New Jersey, and is now a 6-7 or 6-8/225 sophomore PF at Northwest Florida State College.

Jeromy has started all 26 games for the 24-2 (10-0) Red Raiders and averages about 14 points per game.  

With so many suitors it's hard to say what Jeromy's chances of coming to UP are, but with Gabe already on the roster, Diabate and Stone coming to UP this summer, and UP apparently recruiting Kyvon Davenport for the same position, it could get pretty crowded at the PF position....

http://www.jucorecruiting.com/news_article/show/730691?referrer_id=1424455

There is a pretty glaring contradiction stemming from DD's recent posts...

DD confirms that that coaches are issuing new scholarship offers, yet also assures us that the current players have the unilateral option to stay on athletic scholarship and remain on the basketball team if they so choose, even if the coaches recommend that they give up their scholarship and move on.

Can both things be true? What do these reported scholarship offers actually entail? Because next year's 13 scholarship slots are already spoken for, logically there are three possible answers to these questions:

1. The new scholarship offers are contingent upon additional scholarship slots opening up after the end of this season due to current scholarship recipients deciding to leave the team.

2. Current scholarship players have already told the coaching staff that they plan to leave the team.

3. DD's assertion that the the renewal of a scholarship is the student-athlete's decision is false, and the coaches are offering up scholarships that they have decided they will not renew for current members of the team.

I don't see any other way out of this blatant contradiction.

NoPoNeighbor wrote:There is a pretty glaring contradiction stemming from DD's recent posts...

DD confirms that that coaches are issuing new scholarship offers, yet also assures us that the current players have the unilateral option to stay on athletic scholarship and remain on the basketball team if they so choose, even if the coaches recommend that they give up their scholarship and move on.

Can both things be true? What do these reported scholarship offers actually entail? Because next year's 13 scholarship slots are already spoken for, logically there are three possible answers to these questions:

1. The new scholarship offers are contingent upon additional scholarship slots opening up after the end of this season due to current scholarship recipients deciding to leave the team.

2. Current scholarship players have already told the coaching staff that they plan to leave the team.

3. DD's assertion that the the renewal of a scholarship is the student-athlete's decision is false, and the coaches are offering up scholarships that they have decided they will not renew for current members of the team.

I don't see any other way out of this blatant contradiction.

Seems quite a bit over the top, and i generally disagree.

Leading, coaching, and developing a player would take place consistently over time over years. The "fit" conversations would take place throughout a student athlete's tenure from start to finish (both athletically and academically) and a student can make a choice (caveat being behavior and academic performance) about fit at UP, and UP would honor that choice. For the guys on the team now, I imagine this is a very productive conversation about what they want to accomplish athletically and academically and where UP fits into that. Very different than the Rex Walters approach, and much more of a John Wooden, long term care of the individual approach.

One can assume the staff knows that new scholarships will be available because they've cared for their players and have had those productive, long term conversations to allow a young man to make an informed decision in real time rather than wait until an inopportune moment.

Rochin54 wrote:One can assume the staff knows that new scholarships will be available because they've cared for their players and have had those productive, long term conversations to allow a young man to make an informed decision in real time rather than wait until an inopportune moment.

So you're going with option #2, that some number of the current players have already decided (it is their choice after all, per DD) that they will give up their scholarships for next season.

Hope my separate posts on the subject on the 20th and 21st didn't cause undue confusion.  My post on the 20th was meant to talk about student-athletes transfers from UP's perspective, and the one on the 21st was meant to be the "devil's advocate" approach in case some players perceive they are being "run off."  

Except for the four recruits that signed in November, all subsequent offers have been "conditional" based upon scholarships availability. 

The "fit" conversations that Rochin54 mention are ongoing throughout the year, and for the most part, those players who decide to leave UP have already made their decision and have informed their coaches....so the coaches should have a good idea how many open scholarships will be available.

The spring signing period begins in mid-April....certainly by then the coaches, players, and fans will know which current Pilots will join the 600+ other D1 transfers.

DoubleDipper wrote:

JUCO Recruiting.com wrote: (Jeromy) Rodriguez has had over 60 plus schools from all levels contact him since July.  He has current offers from Wichita State, East Tennessee State, St. Bonaventure and Portland.  Iowa State, Pitt, East Carolina, and Houston have all called recently and are interested.  Expect more offers for Rodriguez to come as the season continues.  

JUCO Recruiting.com wrote that in mid-December, since then the interest in Rodriguez has increased, and he has dropped UP from his consideration.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Dean Murdoch wrote:Also he said there were TWO Australians committed for 2017, one ranked No. 2 in Australia (that would be Makuach Maluach) and the other ranked "top 20" - an educated guess could be the second commit was/is Grant Anticevich, also a Newington College guy. 6-6, 180 lb. forward ranked #19 by AUSA Hoops.

A reliable source has confirmed that Coach Porter initiated the release both Grant Anticevich and Makuach Maluach from their verbal commitments.

Grant Anticevich, making official and unofficial visits in the US, today received and offer from Cal....his next visit is Stephen Curry's school, Davidson.

Anticevich had made a verbal commitment to UP, and reportedly still wanted to come to Portland after the coaching change, but the new staff was apparently not interested.

DoubleDipper wrote:One offer, to SG Shawn Olden, does not make a lot of sense to me simply because the Pilots are very deep at shooting guard.  

Apparently the offer did not make a lot of sense to Olden either, as he did not include UP on his "Top Schools" list. (TCU, Mizzou, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, UNLV, Kansas, and UConn).

Let's see: KU or UP? Hmm.

@EvanDaniels wrote:Aussie forward Grant Anticevich just verbally committed to California, per sources. Had visited Georgia Tech & Davidson as well.

I guess this DoubleDipper guy knows what he's talking about!