2019 Recruiting

DoubleDipper wrote:Guard Ryan Murphy, a sophomore at New Mexico JC has requested a release from his LOI to Washington State and has reportedly been offered by UP, LMU, UOP, and at least seven other schools....shooter!!

Murphy apparently never seriously considered UP before committing to Pitt today.

Hey, here we go.

@JonRothstein wrote:Source: VMI grad transfer Austin Vereen will visit Portland on Friday. Immediately eligible.

Didn't play at all last year due to wrist surgery, but was a big contributor on a not-so-good VMI team back in 2017-18 (10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds per game). 6-4, 190 with one season left and plays at a position of need for next year's Pilots. Looks like Siena is also targeting him, he visited there last weekend.

http://www.vmikeydets.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=210457708&DB_OEM_ID=9800&Q_SEASON=2018

And while I'm here...based on absolutely nothing at all, I wonder if Charles Jones, Jr. is being pursued? He's from Portland (Douglas HS) and was the NJCAA Player of the Year in 2018 with Southern Idaho but didn't really fit in at all with Utah last year and transferred out.

Not an ideal situation scholarship-wise as he'd be a sit one, play one guy but maybe this is someone you take a chance on? Seems destined to end up somewhere in the WCC, Big West, or Big Sky.

http://www.runninutes.com/players/jones_jr_charles.html

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2018/10/29/ute-guard-charles-jones/

Dean Murdoch wrote:Hey, here we go.

@JonRothstein wrote:Source: VMI grad transfer Austin Vereen will visit Portland on Friday. Immediately eligible.

I dunno, a year away from the game because of injury is a long time.  Apparently Crisshawn was a phenom at one point, but too much time away robbed him of so much.

It is certain the Pilots need a shooter who can defend, and Vereen could be the one-year guy who can do that, but there are still a lot of grad-transfers out there who could make an impact if TP (or "temporary assistant" Chris Buchanan) can identify them and reel them in.  

There appears to just one more scholarship remaining unless the rumor of Josh Phillips transferring proves true, then there will be two available...and there are at least that many recruits still scheduled to visit The Bluff.

@Elias_NPH wrote:BREAKING: Kitchener-Waterloo product, Adham Eleeda @baller_killer2 will be on a visit today to Portland. Elite shooter finished up JUCO career at @SCGeneralsMBB also had a strong finish at @TBA_MBB as a center piece. 41% 3pt shooter

@TBA_MBB wrote:2019 6'6 W - Adham Eleeda (@SCGeneralsMBB) was 3rd in @NJCAA for 3PM. Shot 41% from 3. Currently on a official visit to University of Portland (West Coast Conference). He has been offered a scholarship by Coach Porter & Staff! Congrats Adham! #FlyHigh #CanBall

Canadian? Shoots 41% from three? You can probably guess what I think about this guy! Adham visited Kent State a couple weeks ago and also has reported offers from Montana and Northern Colorado recently (and PSU, Idaho, Cal Poly, Cal Baptist, and Utah Valley earlier this season).

Dean Murdoch wrote:Canadian? Shoots 41% from three?

Like so many 3-point specialists, Eleeda is a VERY streaky shooter, and contrary to his mix-tape, his stats indicate he doesn't drive or cut to the basket resulting in him having just 13 free-throw attempts in 15 conference games this past season.

When I say streaky, I mean Eleeda was close to 50% from behind the arc until February, a month in which he hit 18/63, then went 8/12, 1/8, and 9/16 in March before closing out the final conference game and his only JUCO playoff game by hitting 6/23 while attempting only one shot from two point range....

Apparently a good student, he may be able to light-up the Chiles Center, but it would appear his time at Sheridan was limited to beyond the arc, which will likely be extended by 17 inches starting in November.

Another, inch taller (6-6) D'Marques, perhaps?

With a number of offers in hand, including one from UP, Eleeda is reportedly talking to his family and coaches before making a decision...

Meanwhile, this tape is from the first month of his one season at Sheridan...it doesn't appear the extra 17 inches will bother him a lot...

A new name in this thread is D.J. Rodman, who just committed to Kyle Smith at Wazzu.

The connection to the Pilots? According to Coach Cantu, Rodman wanted to come to UP.

@coachbobcantu wrote:I’m so happy to see DJ Rodman go to Wash St. I recruited him for 3 yrs and he visited Portland. I pushed for us to take him. He really wanted to come. Great kid with amazing talent and upside. He will be an NBA player. Write that down on your notepad everyone!!!

Dean Murdoch wrote:A new name in this thread is D.J. Rodman, who just committed to Kyle Smith at Wazzu.

The connection to the Pilots? According to Coach Cantu, Rodman wanted to come to UP.

The way I heard it, TP liked Rodman, but wanted "instant help" instead of developing another freshman.

It's not a surprise that Coach Cantu and Coach Porter butted heads on a number of issues, to include recruiting...and we know how that turned out.

DoubleDipper wrote:With a number of offers in hand, including one from UP, Eleeda is reportedly talking to his family and coaches before making a decision...

Still visiting schools, today Eleeda picked up an offer from Northern Kentucky.

It's been apparent the coaches have been attempting to bring some JUCO and grad transfers to The Bluff to go along with the three freshman that will be joining the team this summer, but I was told they'd go after another high school kid if they thought he could help the team in his first season, and it would appear that kid is Niven Glover, a 6-5 shooting guard from Orlando.

On Monday Wake Forest offered Given, and the next day he was offered by the Pilots.

Other known offers are from SMU, Kent St., Buffalo, and Florida Gulf Coast.

Glover has at least 20 videos of him in action because of his outrageous windmill dunks and because he plays for state champion Oak Ridge HS.  This is one of the tamer and shorter videos:

Hmm. Niven listed a top five in February which included Florida Atlantic, Fordham, Memphis, SMU, and South Florida. He reopened his recruitment a few weeks ago and the two offers mentioned by DD - Wake Forest and Portland - appeared to have been the only additional ones since then until Georgetown reportedly got into the game just in the past hour or so.

Not sure where he'd fit in with Georgetown. Seems like they not only bring back a ton from last year (Akinjo, McClung, Pickett, Mosley) but are also bringing in a pretty highly touted JUCO wing (Alexander). Looks like Wake Forest - or PORTLAND - would be a better fit if he wants to play right away!

Dean Murdoch wrote:Hmm.  Georgetown reportedly got into the game just in the past hour or so.

Glover gets an offer from Georgetown this morning, and this afternoon his brand new senior-year mixtape comes out...lots of views already!


(Please don't blame me for the "music." )

DoubleDipper wrote:

3-Star Chase Adams wrote:Thanks to everyone who stayed down with me through to process but it don’t stop here... Now let’s go turn the West Coast up!!

Not just a big day for Chase, but for his entire family....

Dean Murdoch wrote:Georgetown reportedly got into the game just in the past hour or so.

It's really heating up for Glover (too hot for UP, I'm afraid), as in just the last hour Oregon invites him to come to Eugene to play the next four years. UO has already signed Glover's teammate/classmate, C.J. Walker.

2019 Southwestern College (CA) G Quincy Ferebee has committed to Portland.

https://twitter.com/VerbalCommits/status/1133913998976569348

Sound Voltex wrote:

2019 Southwestern College (CA) G Quincy Ferebee has committed to Portland.

Another point guard...

I don't know anything about Quincy Ferebee except he's from San Diego, stayed close to home to attend Southwestern College, and has two years of eligibility remaining.

According to his stats page, he scored about 7 ppg. He was 32% from 3P range. And shot 67% on FTs. double

A pass-first point guard who was the starter at a wildly successful California JUCO school? Sure sounds a lot like Derrick Rodgers to me.

So I guess that's it, then? With Phillips apparently returning, I guess the 2019-20 lineup will shape up something like this?

PG - Walker, Ferebee, Adams
SG - Porter, McCaskill
SF - White, Fahrensohn
PF - Tryon, Diabate, Phillips
C - Hogland, Akwuba, Collinsworth

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:With a number of offers in hand, including one from UP, Eleeda is reportedly talking to his family and coaches before making a decision...

Still visiting schools, today Eleeda picked up an offer from Northern Kentucky.

Adham Eleeda committed to NKU yesterday. Not surprising after the Ferebee commitment to UP, I suppose.

@JucoRecruiting wrote:Adham Eleeda (6’4, SG, 2019) of Sheridan College has committed to Northern Kentucky

DoubleDipper wrote:It's really heating up for Glover (too hot for UP, I'm afraid), as in just the last hour Oregon invites him to come to Eugene to play the next four years.  UO has already signed Glover's teammate/classmate, C.J. Walker.

Well at least Niven had the courtesy to mention the Pilots on Saturday!

@IcebucketNep wrote:Georgia, Wake Forest, St. John's, Oregon, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Portland. Where should I go? 🤔 #Decisions

@IcebucketNep wrote:Georgia, Wake Forest, St. John's, Oregon, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Portland. Where should I go? 🤔 #Decisions

One of these is not like the others...

Lavar Harewood, a 6-3 grad-transfer guard from South Carolina State has committed to UP for his final year of eligibility.

Harewood, originally from Brooklyn, started at Maine, transferred to Cloud Community College and played last season at SC State where he participated in 21 games while averaging close to 10 points per game.

It would appear Harewood could be the shooter UP has been looking for, as according to the SC St. website, he shot 43% overall while converting 42% of his three-point attempts and 77% of his free throws playing 26 minutes per game.

With the acquisition of Harewood, the Pilots have 14 scholarship players...one over the limit!  Obviously someone is leaving, McCaskill is not coming, or Malcolm will have his education paid for by his dad...

Regardless, it would seem Harewood has the experience, athleticism and shooting ability to replace Shaver for one year, and he and Maine grad-transfer Isaiah White should bring much needed leadership to the team.

Hard to find any negatives about Lavar Harewood. Pilots are in dire need of help at that position and he was one of the better offensive players in the MEAC last season. Even more impressive, he sat out all of 2017-18 and the first month of last year because of injury but was able to step right in and shoot the lights out for the Bulldogs.

Harewood was one of several SC State players that were good offensively last year. The Bulldogs were only 6-26 though, and that's because they couldn't stop anyone - 348th rated defence out of 353 in the country.

I like it, good pickup.

Next year's wish list for the Pilots - JoJo is able to maintain or elevate his play with a new cast around him, Tryon gets healthy and stays healthy, and one or more of the other returning four contributors (Malcolm, Hogland, Diabate, Akwuba) takes some sort of giant leap forward. It's been a couple years since a UP player has made a big development step forward from one year to the next, and I'd love to see someone from that group step up.

DoubleDipper wrote:With the acquisition of Harewood, the Pilots have 14 scholarship players...one over the limit!  Obviously someone is leaving, McCaskill is not coming, or Malcolm will have his education paid for by his dad...

Oh, I think I see what you mean, McCaskill was with the Missouri Flight a couple weekends ago. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think it's standard for a recently graduated high school player committed to a D1 school to be playing at whatever level that is...AAU?