Re: 2017 Recruiting

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:28 pm

SoundVoltex wrote:Wouldn't hurt to ask either Daschel (or Jackson if you run into him next time) for clarification. He does mention X, don't see why he wouldn't mention Jackson. With so many leaving, he could've just lost track. *shrug*

I just sent Daschel an email.

Probably just omitted Rashad's name, as staff doesn't know about him not returning.

At least he'll know someone reads his articles. Rolling Eyes

by Sound Voltex Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:40 pm

Aaaand it's fixed.

The only players remaining from last year's team are guard D'Marques Tyson and Rashad Jackson, forwards Joseph Smoyer and post Philipp Hartwich. Coach Terry Porter's sons, freshman Malcolm Porter and sophomore transfer Franklin Porter, are also back, but did not play last season.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:21 pm

With all the talk about Shaver and Cockfield and UP's need for another point guard, a name that has not been mentioned is that of Bryan Alberts, who plans to graduate from Gonzaga this summer and will have two years of immediate eligibility left.

Alberts is a heck of a player, but has been stuck behind upperclassmen and transfers at GU since his freshman year.

http://bustingbrackets.com/2017/04/18/gonzaga-basketball-bryan-alberts-transfer-zags/

IMO, having a winning Zag attitude and tradition at the point of a very young Pilots team would seem too good to pass up.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:41 pm

Another transfer who could help the team immediately in his one year of eligibility is 6-11/230 PF Kavell Bigby-Williams.

@VerbalCommits wrote:Oregon F Kavell Bigby-Williams (JR) has requested his release to transfer

Probably a long shot that he would consider UP, but his presence inside would make UP a much better team while waiting for the young UP bigs to develop.

From England, he would have fellow Brit Josh McSwiggan to confide in, and together they could talk a language that only Kramer might be able to understand.... Razz

by wrv Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:24 pm

Perhaps the Pilots believe they already have talent at the point. It may affect their approach to prospective JC point guards, in essence aiming high because if they do not get a highly sought after recruit the Pilots already have sufficient in house talent. That, of course, needs to be tempered by how young the Pilots will be next year if we do not sign a JC point, but the reality is that our youth will be across the board no matter who we sign. And, consider too that in making offers to transferring athletes, the Pilots will need to wait a year for their services. Marcus Shaver and Clark, for instance, will not be eligible next year, correct?

This is from the Taki Fahrensohn article on signing with the Pilots, who flat out state that Taki can play the point:

Taki Fahrensohn (6-5, 180) will bring athleticism, length and versatility to Portland's backcourt next season. Fahrensohn's diverse skill set was showcased as he was the team captain and leading scorer for Auckland Grammar School at the 2016 New Zealand Secondary Schools Basketball National Championships. He averaged 33.6 points over seven games, including a 47-point effort in a quarterfinals victory against top-ranked Christchurch Boys High School.

"Taki provides a lot of versatility as player," Porter said. "He can play the point or either wing position, which gives us as coaches a lot of options. He is a top notch scorer that can shoot it with range and also attack the rim off the bounce in the open court. Taki will continue to get physically stronger which will complement the diverse skill set he is bringing to the program."

Taki's videos reflect his good handle and ability to pass the ball like a point. And, of course, there is Jojo Walker, who can play a little point himself.

by Stonehouse Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:38 pm

Sure would be nice to have at least once experienced PG on the roster, especially for the absolutely insane tournament early in the season.

That said, I am feeling pretty good about this incoming group of players. I'm reminded of our 2007-08 incoming class... it was heading into Reveno's second year (so, his first class with having a full season to recruit), and that class - Stohl, Sikma, Raivio, Knutson, Hannibal - formed the back-bone of our most successful stretch of basketball in a looooong time. They had a bumpy freshman year, but had winning records every year after that.

by Dean Murdoch Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:02 pm

Stonehouse wrote:Sure would be nice to have at least once experienced PG on the roster, especially for the absolutely insane tournament early in the season.

Yes, I have to think the coaching staff thinks the same.

Last month there was a picture of literally the entire staff out at a Georgia Highlands game. They had a flyer out to Kyvon Davenport as well, but you have to think the target was Ty Cockfield. Since then, the Pilots have signed McSwiggan and Hogland but no guards, and Cockfield remains available - so from my outsider's perspective, literally nothing has changed. You'd have to think Cockfield is still the top priority or darn close to it.

by StudentPilot Thu Apr 20, 2017 7:42 pm

wrv wrote:And, consider too that in making offers to transferring athletes, the Pilots will need to wait a year for their services. Marcus Shaver and Clark, for instance, will not be eligible next year, correct?

This is from the Taki Fahrensohn article on signing with the Pilots, who flat out state that Taki can play the point...

Shaver is a high school student, but yes Clark would most likely have to sit a year, and depending upon his visit next week, the staff may decide having former high major shooting guard on the roster is a big plus.

But that's the big advantage of the possibility of two "extra" scholarships available if TP pays for Malcolm's and Franklin's education this coming year....TP will be able to legally "store" a couple of players for the future.

I read that quote about Taki being a combo guard, but I've also heard that it was a bit of an overstatement with regard to him being a WCC point guard...certainly as a freshman. If the coaches are looking to breakup the freshman class by redshirting a couple of players, I think there's a good possibility Taki and Hugh would be the prime candidates at this point.

I agree with Dean Murdoch and Stonehouse, the Pilots need an experienced point guard for next season, and it has to be the current focus of the coaching staff.

by wrv Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:32 pm

If our priority is to recruit an experienced point, then why limit offers to Cockfield, or even Shaver(who does not have the experience) as though it is all or nothing. The field quickly dwindles this time of year. True that one cannot be sure another point is not waiting in the wing, but you would think there would be news of the our interest in another point.

The Pilots may benefit from an experienced point: no one has suggested otherwise. It is the manner of recruiting the experienced point that makes me wonder.

To suggest that the coach's own words were an overstatement is a curious comment. I took his words at face value. Time obviously will tell.

by DoubleDipper Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:55 pm

Coach Cantu always teasing us:

@coachbobcantu wrote: We are excited to have signed 6'9 Hugh Hogland from Iolani HS in Hawaii. Very talented player.... that's 6 new players and more coming soon!

(BTW, I believe the family pronounces their name, Hoag-Land....long O)

by StudentPilot Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:15 pm

A lot of interest in 3-star point guard Marcus Shaver since his visit to Portland:

@VerbalCommits wrote:Northern Arizona offered 2017 Shadow Mountain (AZ) G Marcus Shaver, Jr

Also on Thursday it was announced the Stanford point guard is transferring to NAU.

@VerbalCommits wrote:Former Stanford G Malcolm Allen is transferring to Northern Arizona.

by Guest Fri Apr 21, 2017 12:42 pm

*delete for redundancy*

by StudentPilot Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:32 pm

It turns out Ty Cockfield has the same thought we do:

@TyCockfield1 wrote:Make it happen..

by wrv Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:00 pm

StudentPilot wrote:It turns out Ty Cockfield has the same thought we do:
@TyCockfield1 wrote:Make it happen..

Whether this is telling or not I am uncertain, but Verbal Commits no longer lists Ty Cockfield as being recruited by the Pilots.

Ty may well be making it happen elsewhere.

by Dean Murdoch Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:07 pm

wrv wrote:Whether this is telling or not I am uncertain, but Verbal Commits no longer lists Ty Cockfield as being recruited by the Pilots.

Well, I'll be...very curious. I've never seen Verbal Commits just change a recruit's interest level to "none" right out of the blue. Usually it happens when a recruit names a top five or whatever and doesn't include that school on its list.

No knowledge of the situation, but I'd guess that wasn't done by mistake or for no reason.

by wrv Sat Apr 22, 2017 4:10 am

DoubleDipper wrote:

Casper point guard Deante Strickland (16 ppg), a Portland Central Catholic grad, may have led the team in scoring this year and started 32 games, but he has apparently not received much interest from UP.

Any knowledge of a back up plan at point beyond Marcus Shaver?

by StudentPilot Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:58 am

DoubleDipper wrote:With all the talk about Shaver ~~and Cockfield~~ and UP's need for another point guard, a name that has not been mentioned is that of Bryan Alberts, who plans to graduate from Gonzaga this summer and will have two years of immediate eligibility left.

As virtually all my friends on the team are transferring, it is difficult to get any info lately, but it seems to me an experienced PG like Alberts would be right fit for UP....the trouble is, does GU have a proviso against transferring within the WCC?

Another PG that is available immediately, but for only one year, is one time SMC commit, one time UNM player and one time Ole Miss player, Cullen Neal. I'm told UP recruited him out of high school before he went elsewhere, but it seems that at 6-5/190 and learning from TP, it would be a win/win.

by Stonehouse Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:16 pm

StudentPilot wrote:As virtually all my friends on the team are transferring, it is difficult to get any info lately, but it seems to me an experienced PG like Alberts would be right fit for UP....the trouble is, does GU have a proviso against transferring within the WCC?

I'm not 100% sure, but I think grad transfers require a release from the previous school. Usually it's just a formality, but I remember there was a really controversial one where St. Joe's blocked a kid from leaving a few years ago.

As for intra-conference...a few years ago when this rule was pretty new, Jason Wahlberg left SMC and went to Pepperdine, and Derick Grubb left Pepperdine and went to LMU. So, at least at one point, intra-conference grad transfers were allowed without penalty in the WCC. But the WCC's rules may have changes a bit after the whole Rob Jones from USD to SMC fiasco - I know they did for regular transfers, but not sure about grad transfers.

by StudentPilot Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:30 pm

Stonehouse wrote:But the WCC's rules may have changes a bit after the whole Rob Jones from USD to SMC fiasco - I know they did for regular transfers, but not sure about grad transfers.

Alberts has gotten his release, but I understand individual institutions, not the WCC, can add restrictions to a release. When one of our better players got his release from UP a few weeks ago he was told he could not transfer to UO, OSU, or PSU....or that's what he told me.

Also, the rules regarding transferring within the WCC have been relaxed. A player no longer loses a year of eligibility They just have to abide by the NCAA rule of sitting a year if they were not otherwise immediately eligible. Franklin will not lose a year, and will have three years of eligibility....no appeal required!

by wrv Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:39 pm

Bryan Alberts is a 6'5" combo or shooting guard . . .other than that he is good he would play in an already crowded backcourt and probably not be a cure for the Pilots point guard needs. We want someone, I would think, who can dribble out of traffic and break the press and drive to the basket, ala Wintering.

Cullen Neal seems more suitable to the Pilot needs in that he plays more like a point, is an interesting player and does not have the disadvantage of coming from an in conference league member, if that complicates a transfer.

But then either would need to sit for a year.

Crisshawn Clark is visiting on Monday--combo guard skills as well I think.

by StudentPilot Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:41 pm

Both Neal and Alberts are point guards!

Neither Neal or Alberts would have to sit a year....both will be immediately eligible.

Clark, not a point guard, would have to sit a year, most likely.

by wrv Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:44 pm

StudentPilot wrote:Both Neal and Alberts are point guards!

Neither Neal or Alberts would have to sit a year....both will be immediately eligible.

Well, I am going by what I read about Alberts so I am guessing: generally stay away from the Zag game. Neal I have seen play.

If they are eligible all the better.

by Geezaldinho Sat Apr 22, 2017 3:17 pm

StudentPilot wrote:
Stonehouse wrote:But the WCC's rules may have changes a bit after the whole Rob Jones from USD to SMC fiasco - I know they did for regular transfers, but not sure about grad transfers.
Alberts has gotten his release, but I understand individual institutions, not the WCC, can add restrictions to a release. When one of our better players got his release from UP a few weeks ago he was told he could not transfer to UO, OSU, or PSU....or that's what he told me.

Also, the rules regarding transferring within the WCC have been relaxed. A player no longer loses a year of eligibility They just have to abide by the NCAA rule of sitting a year if they were not otherwise immediately eligible. Franklin will not lose a year, and will have three years of eligibility....no appeal required!

It's not just a relaxing of wcc rules, there are new rights to transfer without penalty for graduates with eligibility remaining under NCAA regulations.

If a graduate transfer's scholarship offer wasn't renewed at the old institution and he meets criteria under bylaw 14.5, the player can transfer without penalty.

(14.6.1)

It may be that Gonzaga had other plans for the scholarship money.

by Dean Murdoch Sat Apr 22, 2017 3:55 pm

@JucoRecruiting wrote:Deante Strickland (5'10, PG, 2017) of Casper CC has committed to Portland State

Mentioned a couple of posts ago by wrv as a possible backup plan. We'll see him in the Chiles at some point, but not in purple!

At this point I'm just assuming the staff is now 100% focused on Marcus Shaver, who would be an exceptional addition this late in the game.

by Sound Voltex Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:28 pm

Was wondering when was this going to happen given the general rarity of Hawaii players in DI basketball, but the local paper just put out an article on Hogland's signing. Even has a small mention of Shaver (as he did play in the islands at one point, and also has an offer from Hawaii)

http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/boys-basketball/iolanis-hogland-signs-with-portland/

Hogland was a rarity in Hawaii high school basketball — a 6-foot-9 shot-blocker who also displayed offensive nimbleness and deft passing ability.

Hogland’s mere presence on defense and his leadership were among his hallmarks. When he was in the game, even if he didn’t block a shot, opponents had to shoot around his large wingspan.

“I’m really excited for him,” [Iolani head coach Dean] Shimamoto said about Hogland, who is a two-time Honolulu Star-Advertiser All-State first teamer and the player of the year as a junior. “I think it’s going to be a good fit for him and hopefully for them. An added bonus, he’ll be playing for Terry Porter.”

Porter played in the NBA from 1985 to 2002 and was a two-time All-Star. He was also the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

“Incidentally, Terry Porter played for Dick Bennett (at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point), who was (former ‘Iolani star) Derrick Low‘s coach at Washington State,” Shimamoto said.

Shimamoto said Hogland was fortunate to get an offer quickly, since UCSB, another school that offered him a scholarship and a place he was counting on going, decided to go in a different direction with several of its recruits due to the hiring of a brand-new head coach to replace Bob Williams.

“The UCSB guys who were recruiting Hugh and others made some calls to schools to see if they had openings,” Shimamoto said. “That’s how (the Portland contact) originated. Before you knew it, they were calling Hugh for a workout. It happened pretty quickly.

“It must have been pretty tough for Hugh. Even though he didn’t sign with UCSB, Hugh was all set with a solid offer from them. He was going to be playing here against Hawaii in the Big West Conference. Then it fell through two weeks before signing day in April and he was able to pick up an offer right back. Pretty cool. To go from having a scholarship and not having one must have been a roller-coaster of emotions.”

Hogland’s type of game is not common in this day and age, according to Shimamoto.

“Beyond his height, which makes a difference in Hawaii, he was also a really good passer and really skilled with hands on post moves,” the coach said. “With his back to the basket, he can turn and score on both sides or pop out 15 feet to make great passes. On defense, he has great timing and blocked shots and had a big impact on that end. It’s almost like he has that old-school big-man skill-set, but he can move and do all those other things, too. I’m not sure what Terry Porter is going to run, but Hugh will come to him with an ability to be used in a lot of different ways.”

Shimamoto added that Hogland held his own for four years in the ‘Iolani Classic against some of the top mainland players who went on to play in the college D-I level.

“Every year, Hugh got physically better and matured a little bit more,” the coach said. “If he has that kind of growth over the next four years, the sky’s the limit.”