2020 Recruiting

DoubleDipper wrote: UP still has a few open offers out there, the newest of which is to 6-4/190 wing Dante Combs at Lincoln Trail Community College in Illinois.

Not really a surprise, but Dante will continue his education and basketball at a D2 school, U. of Illinois Springfield.

They just keep coming!

@cabrilloseahawk wrote:Sophomore forward Hunter Seymour has committed to play division one basketball for UPortland and coach Terry Porter next season. A ray of sunshine in these darks days! Way to go Hunter!! @jmreyes831 @Jim_Seimas

This is wild. Five commitments in the last three days now.

Hunter is 6-8, 215 and averaged a double-double for Cabrillo last year - 11 points, 10 rebounds per game.

Dean Murdoch wrote:They just keep coming!

@cabrilloseahawk wrote:Sophomore forward Hunter Seymour has committed to play division one basketball for UPortland and coach Terry Porter next season. A ray of sunshine in these darks days! Way to go Hunter!! @jmreyes831 @Jim_Seimas

This is wild. Five commitments in the last three days now.

Hunter is 6-8, 215 and averaged a double-double for Cabrillo last year - 11 points, 10 rebounds per game.

I checked on Hunter earlier and discovered he's another of those "under the radar" types who is very athletic, but is a very "late bloomer" who, as far as I could tell, had not previously received any D1 offers and has played very little organized basketball until recently.

Originally from Charlotte, NC, Seymour traveled west to Aptos/Santa Cruz to sharpen his game, and finally found success this past season.  With his outgoing and upbeat personality he should be good on the court and in the locker room...he has two years of eligibility remaining.  



Seymour is in many ways not your average recruit, as this article from 14 months ago indicates...

With just one year of organized basketball under Hunter Seymour’s belt, it’s no wonder the 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Charlotte, N.C., keeps revealing more and more of the driveway superstar awakening within him during Coast Conference South play.

https://pajaronian.com/mens-jc-basketball-seahawks-seymour-realizing-grand-potential/

Crazy day. So where is that roster breakdown now?

up7587 wrote:Crazy day. So where is that roster breakdown now?

Ordered by class. The addition of Seymour means there's no glaring holes in the depth chart.

PG/SG - Walker, Ferebee, Tipler, Adams
SG/SF - Fahrensohn, Jones, Triplett
PF/C - Diabate, Davis, Seymour, Phillips, Curtiss

https://www.jucorecruiting.com/2020-junior-college-basketball-player-rankings-top-100

Three of UP's four JUCO commits are in this top 100. Latrell Jones at #64, Eddie Davis at #76, and DeAnthony Tipler at #89. I think that's the first time they've had commits ranked on this list since Jarrel Marshall, so to get three of them in one year...the coaching staff must be pretty happy with this.

One scholarship left, I wonder if they'll maybe hang onto it for a bit and see if someone hits the portal that might be worth a look?

Dean Murdoch wrote:Ordered by class. The addition of Seymour means there's no glaring holes in the depth chart.

PG/SG - Walker, Ferebee, Tipler, Adams
SG/SF - Fahrensohn, Jones, Triplett
PF/C - Diabate, Davis, Seymour, Phillips, Curtiss

Freshmen: Triplett, Curtiss
Sophomores: Adams, Phillips (RS)
Juniors: Tipler, Fahrensohn (RS), Jones, Davis, Seymour
Seniors: Walker, Ferebee, Diabate

Ideally the roster should be spread a little better between upper and lower classmen, but 1) Ideally hasn’t worked for quite a while, and 2) With the advent of “free agency” in college, it’s going to be more and more difficult to keep recruiting classes together for four years.

Players that have left the team this year (so far) and their class this coming season:

Collinsworth – Sophomore
Akwuba – Junior
Hogland – Junior (RS)
Tryon – Senior
M. Porter – Senior (RS)

Dean Murdoch wrote:Three of UP's four JUCO commits are in this top 100. Latrell Jones at #64, Eddie Davis at #76, and DeAnthony Tipler at #89. I think that's the first time they've had commits ranked on this list since Jarrel Marshall, so to get three of them in one year...the coaching staff must be pretty happy with this.

The NJCAA All-America teams were announced yesterday, and new UP point guard DeAnthony Tipler is an Honorable Mention All-America.
https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2019-20/div1/all-americans/index

Also, here’s a list of some of players UP recruited this year and their ranking by JUCO.com as of March 1.
https://www.jucorecruiting.com/2020-junior-college-basketball-player-rankings-top-100

#8 Russell Harrison – undecided, but removed UP from his list (First Team All-America)
#23 RayQuawndis Mitchell – undecided, but removed UP from his list
#38 DeAndre Gholston – undecided
#64 Latrell Jones – committed to UP
#76 Eddie Davis – committed to UP
#81 Darius Harding – committed to Northern Kentucky
#89 DeAnthony Tipler – committed to UP (Honorable Mention All-America)
NR Hunter Seymour – committed to UP (may have the most potential)
NR Demarcus Sharp – committed to Missouri St. (First Team All-America)

Seems there is some disparity between the JUCO.com list and the NJCAA All-America selections, but JUCO.com usually releases their final list on June 1.

I wonder how Hoop Scoop will view this group…

Dean Murdoch wrote:One scholarship left, I wonder if they'll maybe hang onto it for a bit and see if someone hits the portal that might be worth a look?

I thought the same...see who pops-up in the portal, but on the other hand, if there is a kid who wants to commit now, and he can help the team...

I thought the coaching staff might take a breather, but I understand they're still grinding away looking for recruits...after all, even though there is only one scholarship left, another UP player could enter his name in the portal in the near-future, and maybe the staff is also recruiting beyond next season.  

Time to be patient...looks like they got a good nucleus of kids...kudos to the staff given the dire recruiting scenario! Wait and see what opens up with the last slot(s). Time to be a little stingy. It is exciting to see how well the team is shaping up!

DoubleDipper wrote:Bilal Shabazz is a 6-8/190 PF from Milwaukee, WI currently attending Trinidad State JC in Colorado. He has two remaining years of eligibility.

Shabazz received an offer from Montana St. yesterday, and today he committed to the Bobcats.

DoubleDipper wrote:DeAndre Gholston 6-5/210 SG from Gary, Indiana, and now attending Tallahassee Community College after transferring after 1 year at Kent State.  Two years remaining...

Gholston has trimmed his list to the Final-5, and UP is NOT on his list...

Portland was just one of 11 that he cut today.

DoubleDipper wrote:Russell Harrison 6-7/190 SF, and teammate of recruit Elijah Gonzalez (whom we’ve discussed at some length on PN), at Clarendon College in Texas.

Although Harrison eliminated UP from his list a while back (his final four were Georgia, Temple, UTSA and Louisiana- Monroe), I was still hoping the NJCAA First-Team All-America would change his mind and come to UP, but instead he committed to Louisiana-Monroe this morning.

Interesting that he made his commitment today as he had planned to wait awhile longer, but due to the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person recruiting, commitments are moving much faster this year because players are concerned with being shut out.

@247SportsPortal wrote:New to the hoops portal:

Kimani Binder, Portland State

This is interesting. Binder was a big-time scorer for Indian Hills CC in 2018-19 and ended up at Portland State, but missed the year with an achilles injury. If he's a sit one, play two guy I wonder if he's a guy the Pilots look at to help out at guard when Walker and Ferebee graduate? I mean, heck, he's already in Portland.

"Hunter is 6-8, 215 and averaged a double-double for Cabrillo last year - 11 points, 10 rebounds per game.
I checked on Hunter earlier and discovered he's another of those "under the radar" types who is very athletic, but is a very "late bloomer" who, as far as I could tell, had not previously received any D1 offers and has played very little organized basketball until recently. "

Yikes!  I really hope Hunter is a diamond in the rough, but it feels way too early to take a kid who didn't have anyone else looking at him.  We have clearly (surprisingly?) been able to get proven players who will help the team immediately. Patience! Patience! Patience!

optimist wrote: Patience! Patience! Patience!

After a flurry of commitments, I think the staff is now being patient, waiting for the one guy they really need, a post-player who can contribute immediately.

I'm impressed with Seymour's athleticism and Curtiss' ability under the basket, but both are in need of a redshirt year, IMO, even though the staff has apparently said otherwise.  Davis is ready to play now, and although he's listed most places as a PF, his body and athleticism, and his shooting and flying ability, suggest he's a 3.

With NLI signings beginning Wednesday, it's just a matter of waiting for a post-player who has perhaps waited too long to commit with his chosen team and finds himself shutout, or perhaps a post-player who decides to enter the transfer portal late because he realizes a new addition to his team will mean he'll get less playing time.

In any case, the Pilots need a post-player who can immediately contribute, not another guard.

LMU's 7'3" center who entered the transfer portal when Dunlap was let go, and had interest from some P5 and top mid-major schools, has returned to LMU.

LMU Lions Roar wrote:Excellent news for Lions fans as Mattias Markusson has chosen to remain at LMU. Markusson had entered the draft portal after the dismissal of Coach Dunlap and has garnered interest for a long list of school.

Is the door shut on any of the Pilots in the portal returning?

DoubleDipper wrote:Jaylon Holmes 6-6/185 PG from Merrillville, IN, and now attending Lincoln Trail College, IL...the same school that UP recruit Dante Combs attends.  Hmm, a 6-6 point guard! Jaylon will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Jaylon had seven offers in March (and a couple earlier in the year) and cut down to a top five today with the Pilots still under consideration. Albany, Towson, Western Michigan, and Wright State are the others.

It looks like he missed the entire back half of the year. Assuming he got injured, but I'm not sure what exactly kept him out.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Jaylon had seven offers in March (and a couple earlier in the year) and cut down to a top five today with the Pilots still under consideration. Albany, Towson, Western Michigan, and Wright State are the others.

I've been reading about all the commits, and because I'm now in self-quarantine with little else to do, I've even done some research on some of the recruits in this thread...and I stopped paying attention to Holmes when I saw he been offered by Wright State...a very, very good program.

I wouldn't pass on a 6-6 point guard (only a foot taller than Chase), but I too think we need an immediately available post.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Jaylon had seven offers in March (and a couple earlier in the year) and cut down to a top five today with the Pilots still under consideration. Albany, Towson, Western Michigan, and Wright State are the others.

Interesting that Jaylon Holmes is waiting until the first day of the signing period (4/15) to commit...hoping for his sake there are still some scholarships left at his school of choice.

Nice graphics!

StudentPilot wrote:I wouldn't pass on a 6-6 point guard (only a foot taller than Chase), but I too think we need an immediately available post.

Are we sure he's a point guard?

I just watched his tape his tape, and he sure didn't do any point guarding...instead he was flying all over the place dunking, swatting shots and making 3-pointers.

DoubleDipper wrote:...how about Elijah Gonzalez and his Clarendon College teammate Russ Harrison a small forward…

...their highlight tapes show that Harrison and Gonzalez already have a good basketball relationship…it would be nice to bring that relationship to UP.]

One time Oregon POY PG Elijah Gonzalez will be teaming with his Clarendon teammate Russ Harrison and bringing their basketball relationship to Louisiana-Monroe next season...Elijah announced his commitment earlier today.

Good for him...he's a great kid who deserves another D1 shot, however, UP dropped their interest in him when they got a commitment from DeAnthony Tipler.

DoubleDipper wrote:...he's a great kid who deserves another D1 shot, however, UP dropped their interest in him when they got a commitment from DeAnthony Tipler.

But now DeAnthony has decided decommit from UP...



Better to know now rather than half way through the school year...but interesting he used the term "over think" some things...

Dean Murdoch wrote:PG/SG - Walker, Ferebee, Tipler, Adams
SG/SF - Fahrensohn, Jones, Triplett
PF/C - Diabate, Davis, Seymour, Phillips, Curtiss

StudentPilot wrote:I wouldn't pass on a 6-6 point guard (only a foot taller than Chase), but I too think we need an immediately available post.

Dean Murdoch wrote:PG/SG - Walker, Ferebee, Tipler, Adams
SG/SF - Fahrensohn, Jones, Triplett
PF/C - Diabate, Davis, Seymour, Phillips, Curtiss

Hmm, now all of a sudden we're rooting for a point guard and a post-player to come to Portland.

I thought Holmes, the 6-6 PG was tall, but UOP and PSU have made offers to a BIG PG, JUCO freshman Josh Baker is reportedly 6-4/275.  

Lots of transfers still available...

StudentPilot wrote:I thought Holmes, the 6-6 PG was tall, but UOP and PSU have made offers to a BIG PG, JUCO freshman Josh Baker is reportedly 6-4/275.  

Lots of transfers still available...

Easy, tiger!

I've seen tape on Baker, from Tempe, and now playing a for the Hutchinson CC Blue Dragons, and believe me, he's not much more than 6-4/175...but I have also seen him listed at 275.

Yes, there are lots of transfers available, but I'm pretty sure the Pilots want someone who is immediately eligible to play and can immediate help the team while being academically qualified for UP...that shortens the list considerably, but there are still a number of point guards and posts looking for a place to land.

DoubleDipper wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:DeAndre Gholston 6-5/210 SG from Gary, Indiana, and now attending Tallahassee Community College after transferring after 1 year at Kent State.  Two years remaining...

Gholston has trimmed his list to the Final-5, and UP is NOT on his list...

Portland was just one of 11 that he cut today.

Gholston ends up at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.