Orange Julius Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Heels Scouting St. Louis Post Player Premium Story By Eric Bossi Posted Nov 10, 2006 As North Carolina appears to be taking a pass on the class of 2007 -- at least for the early signing period -- the Tar Heel staff has been hard at work scouting the class of 2008. The search has taken the Tar Heel staff all across the country and one of their stops has been Creve Couer (Mo.) DeSmet to check in on six-foot-eleven inch big man John Brandenburg. A long and mobile big who plays in the summer for the same St. Louis Eagles program that produced current Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough, Brandenburg has been targeted by several high profile programs. Having already drawn offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Missouri, Virginia, St. Louis, Stanford and Purdue, the agile big man has also received visits from the coaches representing North Carolina, Wake Forest, Florida and Kansas among others. “I think I’m pretty athletic and I can run really well,†Brandenburg told Inside Carolina. “I try to compete hard on every play and I think I have more skills than people know about.†Weighing in at 225 pounds, the long limbed big man does a good job of blocking shots and corralling rebounds at their highest points. He’s got good hands, can shoot the ball fairly well to 12 feet and has an expanding skill set that allows him to beat other big men off the dribble. In spending time working on his post game, he says that he tries to blend the games of Hansbrough and another highly touted ACC big man. “I strive to play a Josh McRoberts slash Tyler Hansbrough type of game,†says Brandenburg. “I like the athleticism of McRoberts’ game and the way he can face up the basket and I try to combine it with Tyler’s power game around the hoop.†According to Brandenburg, various members of the Tar Heels’ staff have already seen him play and are continuing to track his progress. “Coach Robinson came out to watch me in an open gym before practice started,†said Brandenburg. “Roy Williams saw me during the summer at the Peach Jam so that was good exposure for me.†Still early in the process, Brandenburg is far from deciding favorites. He feels good about the high level of offers he’s already received but wants to see if he can take his game to an elite level. “They (North Carolina coaches) said they are going to come out for a game but it seems like Florida is a little more interested,†said Brandenburg, who is planning on attending the Heels Dec. 22nd game at St. Louis University. “Schools like North Carolina, Florida and Kansas are interested, but they want to see me step it up before they start offering.†With plenty of time left to improve and a solid base, Brandenburg has a simple goal for his junior season. If he can do what he’s planning, he figures getting more offers won’t be much of a problem. “I’m trying to keep it simple,†said Brandenburg. “I just want to get at least five points and three rebounds a quarter. I think if I do that the rest will take care of itself.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majerus Magic Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 So many questions........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westy03 Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Nice knowing ya. Sounds like he is wanting to go to a big time program. Brad will have his work cut out for him, along with Kramer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 He sure mentioned UNC a lot. Keep your eyes open for him on 12/22 to see whose colors he's wearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted November 12, 2006 Share Posted November 12, 2006 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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