Recruiting - 2023

[Pistol]

2 new 2023 names on the interest list, and they've expressed interest in playing together at the next level:

Nazar Mahmoud - SG, 6-5, 185 - Leander, TX (Rouse) - AAU: JL3 Elite (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @NazarMahmoud4
Offers: TCU, Rice, Texas-San Antonio, Oakland, Sam Houston State.

Interest: Saint Louis, Duquesne, Illinois, Northwestern, Florida, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Houston, Stanford, Arizona State, Utah, Washington State, Wyoming, Colorado State, Air Force, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Tulsa, South Florida, Missouri State, Yale, Princeton, North Texas, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Florida International, Miami-Ohio, Western Michigan, Murray State, Georgia State, Texas-Arlington, Texas State, Oral Roberts, American, Northeastern, UMBC, Albany, Cal State-Northridge, Northern Colorado, Bryant, Longwood, Liberty, Nicholls State, Lamar, New Orleans, Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian, Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Texas A&M-Commerce, Grand Canyon, Texas Southern, Morgan State, Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State.

Latest News: Mahmoud received an offer from Rice. (12/13/21)

Scouting Report: Mahmoud is a confident, smart, instinctive shooting guard who scores on all three levels. He hits his jumper off the catch or the dribble and moves efficiently with and without the ball. He's an excellent three-point shooter with deep range. He's got a wide range of scoring moves going to the basket and penetrates easily. He's an excellent defender.

 

Bralyn Smith - G, 6-5, 185 - Dallas, TX (Homeschooled - Texas Alliance of Christian Athletes) - AAU: Texas Impact 4:13 (Under Armour Association) - Twitter: @bralynsmith2
Offers: LSU.

Interest: Saint Louis, Illinois, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Arizona State, Utah, Texas Tech, Colorado State, Wyoming, Yale, Princeton, Louisiana Tech, Rice, Oakland, Texas-Arlington, Georgia State, Louisiana, Central Arkansas, Iona, Oral Roberts, UC-San Diego, Liberty, Sam Houston State, Nicholls State, Prairie View A&M.

Latest News: Smith visited Sam Houston State. (12/16/21)

Scouting Report: Smith is a long, athletic, sharpshooting guard with a big tool set. He's an excellent shooter from 3 and can also be productive in the mid-range. He's a skilled passer who can make plays for his teammates and he's a good rebounder for a guard. He's a relentless defender. Smith moved to Texas from Kansas in 2017, he's homeschooled, and plays with the Texas Alliance of Christian Athletes, which is a program for homeschooled kids to play HS competition.

[3star_recruit]

1 hour ago, Pistol said:

I think they're pretty similar in terms of what they offer. I think either would be a great fit. Jimerson is the closest comp to either on this team, and I'd say both are a little more versatile overall coming out of HS and GJ is probably the purest shooter.

Just to piggyback on what you've said, both guys have legit court vision.  Steffe, according to the Texas recruiting gurus, is a pure shooter who can create his own shot.  He also has a nose for rebounds, despite being an average leaper.  Bizjack, while still a very good shooter, is a notch below Steffe.  He's also smaller, quicker and and more adept at breaking down defenders.  Either guy would be a great fit.

[TheA_Bomb]

3 hours ago, Pistol said:

2 new 2023 names on the interest list, and they've expressed interest in playing together at the next level:

Nazar Mahmoud - SG, 6-5, 185 - Leander, TX (Rouse) - AAU: JL3 Elite (Nike EYBL) - Twitter: @NazarMahmoud4
Offers: TCU, Rice, Texas-San Antonio, Oakland, Sam Houston State.

 

Bralyn Smith - G, 6-5, 185 - Dallas, TX (Homeschooled - Texas Alliance of Christian Athletes) - AAU: Texas Impact 4:13 (Under Armour Association) - Twitter: @bralynsmith2

Wonder why they've expressed interest in playing together?  Not on same AAU team.  Maybe attend some of the same camps.  Leander isn't too far from my house.   Dallas is 3.5 hour drive north. 

Package deals rarely work out. Maybe home school kid will want a Catholic Jesuit education.   Hope he qualifies that's been an issue in the past but it seems the home school programs have gotten better at being certified.

[Pistol]

3 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Wonder why they've expressed interest in playing together?  Not on same AAU team.  Maybe attend some of the same camps.  Leander isn't too far from my house.   Dallas is 3.5 hour drive north. 

Package deals rarely work out. Maybe home school kid will want a Catholic Jesuit education.   Hope he qualifies that's been an issue in the past but it seems the home school programs have gotten better at being certified.

It wasn't Mahmoud who brought it up on his own. The interviewer asked if there's anyone he'd like to play with at the next level, and Smith was his answer.

[TheA_Bomb]

Oh so not like they're trying to be a package deal just an interview question. 

 

If our pursuit heats up maybe I can get to a Leander game

[thetorch]

MacCaleb Rich will play AAU with MPJ Elite this coming season.

[seanwest]

We've got another top talent or two from the area to announce later on in the month as well. 

22 minutes ago, thetorch said:

MacCaleb Rich will play AAU with MPJ Elite this coming season.

 

[thetorch]

6 hours ago, seanwest said:

We've got another top talent or two from the area to announce later on in the month as well. 

 

While great for MPJ Elite its bad for the Billikens. Our pipeline is with the Eagles. We need more top local talent on that team.

[3star_recruit]

 

[Pistol]

Whoa, it seems like these guys were on to something: 

 

[seanwest]

Desmond White out of Helias HS in Missouri is the best PG in the state. He's 6'3 with great pace and shot making ability. His consistent development of skill and his frame will be hard to continue to ignore. In my opinion, a top 100 talent in the class nationally. 

[3star_recruit]

Local talent is pretty light in the next two classes other than Macaleab Rich, Jayden Nicholson and Kennard Davis (2023) and Bol (2024).  Highly recruited 7 footers don't sign at mid-majors so from our perspective it's really Rich, Nicholson and Davis.  Rich projects as a top 150 guy and the Vashon kids are mid-major+ talents.  That's not many options.  I can understand why the coaching staff made Texas our primary recruiting ground in the near term.

[cgeldmacher]

On 1/16/2022 at 8:28 AM, 3star_recruit said:

Local talent is pretty light in the next two classes other than Macaleab Rich, Jayden Nicholson and Kennard Davis (2023) and Bol (2024).  Highly recruited 7 footers don't sign at mid-majors so from our perspective it's really Rich, Nicholson and Davis.  Rich projects as a top 150 guy and the Vashon kids are mid-major+ talents.  That's not many options.  I can understand why the coaching staff made Texas our primary recruiting ground in the near term.

That makes sense.  It seemed as if there had been a shift in our recruiting focus, and this probably explains why.

[seanwest]

On 1/16/2022 at 8:28 AM, 3star_recruit said:

Local talent is pretty light in the next two classes other than Macaleab Rich, Jayden Nicholson and Kennard Davis (2023) and Bol (2024).  Highly recruited 7 footers don't sign at mid-majors so from our perspective it's really Rich, Nicholson and Davis.  Rich projects as a top 150 guy and the Vashon kids are mid-major+ talents.  That's not many options.  I can understand why the coaching staff made Texas our primary recruiting ground in the near term.

Rich and Davis are pretty underrated in my eyes. Both have developing skillsets and are strong, explosive athletes in a good frame. Davis has really improved his ball-handling, 3pt shot, and passing. He's without a doubt good enough and would be a good pickup for SLU if it were to happen. Rich is a Power 5 level athlete as a wing/forward. He's going to be showcased heavily by MPJ Elite this summer. We've also got a 6'11 center coming up from Texas that will be playing and is a mid-major type prospect in my eyes. Strong academic kid as well who can play at Ivy Leagues.

[ACE]

On 1/16/2022 at 8:28 AM, 3star_recruit said:

Local talent is pretty light in the next two classes other than Macaleab Rich, Jayden Nicholson and Kennard Davis (2023) and Bol (2024).  Highly recruited 7 footers don't sign at mid-majors so from our perspective it's really Rich, Nicholson and Davis.  Rich projects as a top 150 guy and the Vashon kids are mid-major+ talents.  That's not many options.  I can understand why the coaching staff made Texas our primary recruiting ground in the near term.

I'd rather see the staff make the East Coast our secondary recruiting area as opposed to Texas.  When Ford was hired he said that from his time in the A-10, it was essential to recruit the East Coast and he built his staff to reflect that with Macon and to a lesser extent Bailey, who was an assistant at LaSalle. That made a lot of sense.  I understand we're in Texas because of Forte, but I question how alluring playing in the A-10 will be to quality kids from Texas? I have no doubt we'll get some players from Texas, but will they be good players? Traditionally teams that have done well in the A-10 (Xavier, Dayton) have been able to recruit kids from urban East Coast areas.

[3star_recruit]

1 hour ago, ACE said:

I'd rather see the staff make the East Coast our secondary recruiting area as opposed to Texas.  When Ford was hired he said that from his time in the A-10, it was essential to recruit the East Coast and he built his staff to reflect that with Macon and to a lesser extent Bailey, who was an assistant at LaSalle. That made a lot of sense.  I understand we're in Texas because of Forte, but I question how alluring playing in the A-10 will be to quality kids from Texas? I have no doubt we'll get some players from Texas, but will they be good players? Traditionally teams that have done well in the A-10 (Xavier, Dayton) have been able to recruit kids from urban East Coast areas.

It's been tried.  We've offered multiple kids from the East Coast for the last five years.  Aside from French and Jimerson, there haven't been any takers.  Forte's connections at least deserve a shot.  And there are an unusual number of top 100-300 players in the next two Texas classes, which is right in our wheelhouse.

[ACE]

6 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

It's been tried.  We've offered multiple kids from the East Coast for the last five years.  Aside from French and Jimerson, there haven't been any takers.  Forte's connections at least deserve a shot.  And there are an unusual number of top 100-300 players in the next two Texas classes, which is right in our wheelhouse.

Personally, I'd rather see us have at least one assistant with strong East Coast ties. Ford himself said it when he was hired and it made a lot of sense. I know he has a strong personal connection with Forte, but this feels more like someone auditioning for a Big 12 gig, rather than building on a sustainable recruiting strategy. I think when we lost Macon or Bailey, we should have gotten another guy with East Coast connections. 

[HoosierPal]

I don’t care where our players come from. I want them to win games. 

[CBFan]

Drew Steffe lives in Texas and Reece Potter lives in Kentucky sign those 2 and that is a great beginning fo the 2023 class.  I really want these 2 players and there seems to be interest.

Potter would be the guy many posters have wanted, a big that can shoot.

 

[RUBillsFan]

15 hours ago, CBFan said:

Drew Steffe lives in Texas and Reece Potter lives in Kentucky sign those 2 and that is a great beginning fo the 2023 class.  I really want these 2 players and there seems to be interest.

Potter would be the guy many posters have wanted, a big that can shoot.

 

Steffe is supposed to visit Texas Tech this weekend, so we'll have to hold our breath that they don't pressure him into committing/

Steffe seems like a really good prospect based the reports (who would fit in well at SLU in a similar role to Jimerson) and he also seems like a really good person based on his social media.  He's always thanking people for tweeting about his games, etc.  I really hope SLU can get him.

[3star_recruit]

1 minute ago, RUBillsFan said:

Steffe is supposed to visit Texas Tech this weekend, so we'll have to hold our breath that they don't pressure him into committing/

Steffe seems like a really good prospect based the reports (who would fit in well at SLU in a similar role to Jimerson) and he also seems like a really good person based on his social media.  He's always thanking people for tweeting about his games, etc.  I really hope SLU can get him.

Practically every Texas kid we're after has Texas Tech on his list but they've only got so many spots.  Texas Tech is in the driver's seat here.  They get to choose who they want.  We're effectively a safety school.  If we offer enough Texas kids, we'll land one.

[RUBillsFan]

4 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

Practically every Texas kid we're after has Texas Tech on his list but they've only got so many spots.  Texas Tech is in the driver's seat here.  They get to choose who they want.  We're effectively a safety school.  If we offer enough Texas kids, we'll land one.

I get that Texas Tech is in the Big 12 which is a huge plus, but I don't understand why post Chris Beard SLU should be that far behind Texas Tech.

Lubbock's metro area is like 300k and it's in the middle of nowhere west Texas.  I've never been there, but I have to imagine St. Louis has more going on.  Lubbock can't even piggyback off other big cities in Texas with stuff to do.  St. Louis is closer to Chicago than Lubbock is to Dallas.

Other than Beard & Bobby Knight's tenures, Tech has largely been a Big 12 doormat in recent history.  They made 1 NCAA tournament in the 8 seasons between Knight & Beard.  They finished higher than 9th once during that time (9th place in Tubby's last year).  Even Knight's success there was marginal.  His best finish was 3rd in the conference.

Mark Adams is doing well this season with Beard's players & COVID year transfers, but I have doubts if that's sustainable.  Adams is 65 years old.  His only HC experience before this season was a pretty awful run with Texas-Pan Am in the mid 1990s.

[3star_recruit]

7 minutes ago, RUBillsFan said:

I get that Texas Tech is in the Big 12 which is a huge plus, but I don't understand why post Chris Beard SLU should be that far behind Texas Tech.

Lubbock's metro area is like 300k and it's in the middle of nowhere west Texas.  I've never been there, but I have to imagine St. Louis has more going on.  Lubbock can't even piggyback off other big cities in Texas with stuff to do.  St. Louis is closer to Chicago than Lubbock is to Dallas.

Other than Beard & Bobby Knight's tenures, Tech has largely been a Big 12 doormat in recent history.  They made 1 NCAA tournament in the 8 seasons between Knight & Beard.  They finished higher than 9th once during that time (9th place in Tubby's last year).  Even Knight's success there was marginal.  His best finish was 3rd in the conference.

Mark Adams is doing well this season with Beard's players & COVID year transfers, but I have doubts if that's sustainable.  Adams is 65 years old.  His only HC experience before this season was a pretty awful run with Texas-Pan Am in the mid 1990s.

The flip side of being in a mid-sized college town in the middle of nowhere is that college athletes are the gods of that town.  So there is that.

[AnkielBreakers]

4 minutes ago, 3star_recruit said:

The flip side of being in a mid-sized college town in the middle of nowhere is that college athletes are the gods of that town.  So there is that.

Really? I can guarantee that the Missouri State basketball players are not gods of Springfield, MO.

[slufan13]

I'm not sure location is anywhere near as big of a deal as it was maybe 10 years ago to kids/recruits.