Recruiting - 2017

[prebilliken]

Just now, hsmith19 said:

The Celtics were coming off a run of six or eight straight playoff appearances when he was hired. He had one rebuilding year, one year where they snuck into the playoffs and were bounced, and one legit good year when they were again bounced from the playoffs. I expect a step back from them this year, but the wunderkind reputation is not going away any time soon. Another first round loss and a lot of people will still be ready to throw him a parade.

Take a step back by adding Horford? If they do take a step back, this will be the year Stevens gets heat.

Also, I'm not sure he's going to get any heat for being bounced in the playoffs by LeBron and Company... Show me the man that can beat the Cavs in 7 games with that Celtics roster and I will show you literally the most incredible mind in the history of basketball or mankind.

They need to position themselves better this year going into the post-season so as to not face the Cavs in the first round. But that's about it.

[3star_recruit]

Edwardsville's point guard Mark Smith has been scoring and dropping dimes like a madman his first four games.  Looked like an Atlantic 10 level point guard in his 37 point outburst against Althoff. Very good shooter from the free throw line and from the three point line.  Built like a football safety.  Average speed but good hops. He can physically play at the college level right away.

Smith was considered a baseball recruit until this summer.  Changed his mind and now wants to play basketball in college.  Depaul just offered.  I'll be watching him closely during the Christmas tournaments to see if he can keep this up.  Wouldn't be surprised if SLU expresses interest soon.

[kmbilliken]

On 12/2/2016 at 0:29 PM, prebilliken said:

I will coach at Indiana before Stevens does.

Here is the thing about "making it" in the Pros... Once you have a decent amount of success, which Stevens has, you ride inertia to multiple HC positions until you either reestablish yourself or finally fade out. Also, everything I've heard is that he LOVES being a pro coach because it doesn't come with all the extra details being a college coach does: recruiting, glad handing boosters, so on and so forth.

And his success with the Celtics can't be understated. He's made the playoffs twice with an anemic roster.

So it will be Crean, then you, then Stevens?

[Westy03]

Considering this year is a complete disaster thanks to jim crews we might as well track our two recruits for next year. Goodwin had 30pts and 11rebs last night and Hasahn French 18pts and 14rebs on Friday night. This is all we have at this point. 

[kmbilliken]

1 hour ago, Westy03 said:

Considering this year is a complete disaster thanks to jim crews we might as well track our two recruits for next year. Goodwin had 30pts and 11rebs last night and Hasahn French 18pts and 14rebs on Friday night. This is all we have at this point. 

Goodwin's points were against the best team in Illinois. They lost 81-80 to the team that beat Tilmon and East. St. Louis by more the night before. I'll take Goodwin over Tilmon any day of the week. 

[Clock_Tower]

+1

And I will take a 4 year player over a short term player any day as well.

[cgeldmacher]

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2016 at 7:52 AM, Westy03 said:

Considering this year is a complete disaster thanks to jim crews we might as well track our two recruits for next year. Goodwin had 30pts and 11rebs last night and Hasahn French 18pts and 14rebs on Friday night. This is all we have at this point. 

I think that Athletic Department needs to show highlights from their high school games during timeouts of the games at Chaifetz just to keep reminding us.  Maybe throw in some highlights from the transfers from their games last year also.

[billikenfan05]

2 minutes ago, cgeldmacher said:

I think that Athletic Department needs to show highlights from their high school games during timeouts of the games at Chaifetz just to keep reminding us.  Maybe throw in some highlights from the transfers from their games last year also.

Would be better than anything they do during timeouts now 

[Cowboy]

2 hours ago, cgeldmacher said:

I think that Athletic Department needs to show highlights from their high school games during timeouts of the games at Chaifetz just to keep reminding us.  Maybe throw in some highlights from the transfers from their games last year also.

-that's a good idea, so probably against some arcane ncaa rule

[almaman]

On 12/3/2016 at 4:03 PM, kmbilliken said:

So it will be Crean, then you, then Stevens?

great one

[almaman]

hwho one the Edwardsville?Althoff game?

[kmbilliken]

10 hours ago, almaman said:

hwho one the Edwardsville?Althoff game?

Edwardsville in a close game. Goodwin had 34, but Edwardsville's point guard, Smith, had 37. Smith is worth looking at for our last scholarship. DePaul just offered.

[Pistol]

2017 updates:

Zach Gunn was in attendance for Ball State's home opener and Indiana's upset of UNC. Both have offered.

NC State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, and Mizzou are all showing interest in Teshaun Hightower.

Raynere Thornton continues to fill up the stat sheet at Gordon State College. UConn was the last program out to see him.

Tray Hollowell, Isaac Kante, and Isaiah Coleman-Lands round out the offer list. All have had nice starts to their HS seasons but there isn't much news to report.

I'm adding Edwardsville's Mark Smith to the interest list. I'll fill out his interest more as I can confirm - and it won't be tough, if his season keeps going like this - but here's what I've got for now:

Mark Smith

G, 6-4, 210

Edwardsville, IL (Edwardsville)

Offers: DePaul, Indiana State, Wright State, Oral Roberts, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Elon, SIUE.

Interest: SLU.

Latest News: Smith has had a massive start to the season, drawing a lot of attention. DePaul is his most recent – and biggest – offer to date.

Scouting Report: Smith committed to Mizzou for baseball but decommitted in July to reconsider his options now that basketball has taken off. A big combo guard, he averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals as a junior. He’s a good shooter and is lighting it up this season.

Twitter: @Mark_Smith_13

[CBFan]

23 minutes ago, Pistol said:

2017 updates:

Zach Gunn was in attendance for Ball State's home opener and Indiana's upset of UNC. Both have offered.

NC State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, and Mizzou are all showing interest in Teshaun Hightower.

Raynere Thornton continues to fill up the stat sheet at Gordon State College. UConn was the last program out to see him.

Tray Hollowell, Isaac Kante, and Isaiah Coleman-Lands round out the offer list. All have had nice starts to their HS seasons but there isn't much news to report.

I'm adding Edwardsville's Mark Smith to the interest list. I'll fill out his interest more as I can confirm - and it won't be tough, if his season keeps going like this - but here's what I've got for now:

Mark Smith

G, 6-4, 210

Edwardsville, IL (Edwardsville)

Offers: DePaul, Indiana State, Wright State, Oral Roberts, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Elon, SIUE.

Interest: SLU.

Latest News: Smith has had a massive start to the season, drawing a lot of attention. DePaul is his most recent – and biggest – offer to date.

Scouting Report: Smith committed to Mizzou for baseball but decommitted in July to reconsider his options now that basketball has taken off. A big combo guard, he averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals as a junior. He’s a good shooter and is lighting it up this season.

Twitter: @Mark_Smith_13

Would someone like Mark Smith be able to contribute as a ball handler for 2017 and is there anyone that has been offered a good ball handler?

Thank you for the recruiting updates.

[brianstl]

Goodwin is averaging almost 4 assists per game with less than two turnovers per so far this season. Henriquez only averaged 2 assists last season, but had a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio last season at UCF.

 

I think people need to realize that Goodwin is going to be the primary ball handler next season.  He has really developed into a much better distributor and he is not sloppy with the ball.  Adding another scorer like Henriquez will make Goodwin's job easier and Henriquez has been much better at not turning the ball over during his career than the guards we presently have on the roster.  Those two alone will fix a lot of the problems we have presently.

I will love to get another point guard from the 17 class, but Goodwin's presence makes that a lot harder.  That spot has been promised to Goodwin and it is going to be hard to convince a quality point guard recruit to come be a back up for four years.  I think the staff would be better off looking at twos and threes that have ball handling ability.  Or, try to find a fifth year transfer point from a smaller program that wants to play on a larger stage and have a shot at the post season. 

[kmbilliken]

Why would a good point guard need to be a back up? Goodwin is a player. He likes to push it and play all over the court with or without the ball. In the fast paced game we want to play you need multiple ball handlers.You can't have too many players capable of playing point guard and you can start more than one. Mitchell,McCall and Jett were great together.

[Pistol]

45 minutes ago, CBFan said:

Would someone like Mark Smith be able to contribute as a ball handler for 2017 and is there anyone that has been offered a good ball handler?

Thank you for the recruiting updates.

I haven't seen him play yet, but sure like everything I'm seeing about him so far. We're reportedly recruiting Teshaun Hightower pretty hard but that is an increasingly competitive situation. Smith is intriguing.

Regardless of Goodwin's role as the primary ballhandler next year, we need depth in the backcourt. Neither Smith nor Hightower are pure PGs but can handle the point and score. Both have good size, too.

[SShoe]

11 minutes ago, kmbilliken said:

Why would a good point guard need to be a back up? Goodwin is a player. He likes to push it and play all over the court with or without the ball. In the fast paced game we want to play you need multiple ball handlers.You can't have too many players capable of playing point guard and you can start more than one. Mitchell,McCall and Jett were great together.

This.  Plenty of room for multiple ball handlers and Henriequez is only here for 2 years. 

[Pistol]

I don't think Brian was suggesting that Henriquez will be a regular ball handler, but as a consistent perimeter threat, he takes pressure off Goodwin. Goodwin only works as a PG if you have legitimate scoring threats on the perimeter.

[slufan13]

I want the best player available regardless of position. I think despite Goodwin, French, and the transfers we will still be lacking for talent. 

[wgstl]

3 minutes ago, slufan13 said:

I want the best player available regardless of position. I think despite Goodwin, French, and the transfers we will still be lacking for talent. 

True, but thankfully you just named the starting 5. 

[brianstl]

13 minutes ago, kmbilliken said:

Why would a good point guard need to be a back up? Goodwin is a player. He likes to push it and play all over the court with or without the ball. In the fast paced game we want to play you need multiple ball handlers.You can't have too many players capable of playing point guard and you can start more than one. Mitchell,McCall and Jett were great together.

Because the biggest part of your sales pitch to Goodwin was that he was going to be your starting point guard.  You can't recruit another point guard in the same class and tell him he can compete for the starting point guard spot.  Do that and all the good will and momentum you have with the local recruiting scene will be stopped.  This stuff matters to the people that matter locally.  Go recruit high school kids that can handle the ball at the two and three spots, but you better tread carefully when with what exactly you try to sell to any pg in the 2017 high school class.

[wgstl]

Goodwin - Bishop  

Henriquez - Roby - Zeke

Bess - Johnson

French - Welmer

Foreman - 

 

So how many scholarships do we have to offer for next year? Because just like this season, next season we're still screwed at the 5

[CBFan]

Thank you pistol always appreciate your insight

[Pistol]

1 minute ago, wgstl said:

Goodwin - Bishop  

Henriquez - Roby - Zeke

Bess - Johnson

French - Welmer

Foreman - 

So how many scholarships do we have to offer for next year?

On paper, you're missing Gillmann and Neufeld. On paper, we have one open spot. In reality, we're going to have 2-4 scholarships available in the spring period.

Looking at it like that, a post player is the biggest hole. Other than that, I like a combo guard who can handle the ball and shoot it. I'd also like a slashing wing.