I've been debating if I wanted to make my rankings and scouting reports public. I decided to make the leap and do it. My rankings are a mix of potential and current ability just like college coaches have to do in order to determine who they want to recruit. So, here are my 2011 overall rankings.
2011 Class Rankings
H=High major H- = High major Stretch
M+ = Mid-major, higher possibly, M=Mid-major, M- =Mid-major stretch
L+ = Low major, higher possibly, L= Low-major, L- = Low-major stretch
1. Marquis Teague 6’2 Pike H One of the top players in the country for his class. Explosive, solid shooter, good handles. Can question his focus at times.
2. Michael Chandler 6’11 Lawrence North H Big man with solid hands, runs pretty well, aggressive for a young big man. Will he continue to work on his game or be happy for what he has got?
3. Mitch McGary 6’9 Chesterton H Great touch around the basket, good shooting form to 18 feet, quick/good feet. Grades are a question mark for him.
4. Branden Dawson 6’5 Gary Wallace H Athletic, good motor, okay shooter. Would like him to improve shooting.
5. Cody Zeller 6’8 Washington M+ A Zeller nuff said. Runs well, shoots well, passes well. If he adds a dribble game to his offense he will go high major.
6. Jeremiah Davis 6’3 Muncie Central H Power guard, athletic, solid set shot from the perimeter. Needs to improve his decision making.
7. Austin Etherington 6’6 Hamilton Heights M+ Shooter, long wingspan, still trying to get back to where he was before surgery. Lateral quickness is a question for the high majors.
8. Dee Davis 5’10 Bloomington South M+ Great decision maker, good handles, good outside shooter, quick but not lightning quick. Height might hold him back from being an elite PG.
9. Ryan Taylor 6’5 Lawrence North H- Strong and athletic right now. Needs to be more consistent from the outside.
10. Zac VanDeWater 6’5 Whitko M+ Good shooter, solid handles, good defender although not super quick. Some muscle might improve his game greatly.
11. Justin Gant 6’8 Terre Haute North M+ Solid set shooter from outside, good length, skilled. Needs to be more aggressive and improve handles.
12. Kendal Griffin 6’4 Avon M Good shooter, rebounds well from a SG/SF. Would like him to handle it better and make better decisions at times.
13. Tony Springmann 6’7 Fort Wayne Dwenger M+ Powerful big man, great motor and rebounder, solid shot to 14 feet. A face-up game would shoot him up the rankings.
14. Spencer Turner 6’2 Bloomington South M Best shooter in the class, strong, smart player. Would like him to develop into more of a PG unless he grows.
15. Rontray Chavis 6’4 Princeton M- Skilled tweener, quick, athletic, solid body. Gets a bit out of control at times.
16. Stevie Jamison 6’4 Broad Ripple M+ Long, streaky shooter, okay handles, good motor. More consistency from perimeter shooting would make him a great mid-major prospect.
17. Nic Moore 5’10 Warsaw M- Solid shooter, strong although small, finishes well in the lane. Needs to be a knock down shooter so he can run an offense and knock down 3’s if he is left open.
18. Jalen Packer 6’2 Princeton M Slashing point guard, long, leads well. Needs to get a little tighter with the ball and add a mid-range to long-range shooting game.
19. Kenny Enoch 6’3 M- Solid athlete, pretty long, good motor.
20. P.J. Boutee 5’10 Howe L+ Quick, flashy, decent shooter. Needs to make better decisions
21. Robert Pittman 6’7 Washington M- Athletic, can put it on the floor a little bit. Needs to improve all around game.
22. Tyler Greathouse 6’8 Columbus North M- Good outside shooter, good post moves. Needs to be more aggressive offensively and rebounding.
23. Isiah Hill 6’10 Howe M- Huge kid, doesn’t run too well. Has been out most of the spring
24. Chandler Thomas 6’5 Howe L+ Very good post player, good athlete, strong. Needs to become a wing.
25. Evan Blackmon 6’1 Fort Wayne Luers L+ Explosive athlete, streaky shooter. Needs to be better with the ball i.e. limit turnovers and run an offense more often
I do not want to make anything personal...these were just my observations.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Spring Recap Series-II
Continuing on with my recap from the spring season so far I will be listing my surprise players so far. Today will be from the class of 2010 in Indiana.
Chrishawn Hopkins 6'2 SG Indianapolis (Manual)-Combo guard that is a true combo and not just a shooting guard in a point guard's body. He can handle it efficiently, good quickness...laterally and first step, great springs (can jump out of the gym), consistent outside range. Very few people know about him and he doesn't play on good teams (high school or aau) so it's hard to criticize him for forcing things when he is the only option. He is a mid-major prospect in my eyes.
Brad Karp 6'2 SG Valparaiso-Consistent, good motor, does all the little things that help teams win. I don't think he is quite athletic enough for D1, but low D1's and D2/NAIA should take a look. Karp isn't flashy, but is a type of player I would want on my team.
Greg Miller 6'6 PF North Miami-Although I haven't seen him on the AAU circuit (I don't believe he is playing),Miller impressed me greatly at the Top 100 workout in April. Strong, skilled, good motor. Played very well against Travis Carrol at the work out.
Daniel Turner 6'6 PF/SF Mt. Vernon-Tweener, but strong and athletic enough to play the 4 spot at the low D1 level I believe. Good touch around the basket, worker, good rebounder.
Ronald Ross 6'3 SG-I like what I have seen from Ross so far but would like to see more of him before I have a good grasp on his capabilities. Strong body, athletic, finishes well in the lane, unsure of his range and ball handling...that's why I would like to see more of him.
Aaron Bluitt 6'1 PG Indianapolis (Chatard)-Flashes of a great player, but also will be lackadaisical at times and make poor decisions. Bluitt is more of a SG that can handle the ball right now and I would like him to get to the point where he is a PG that can score when he wants to. Ball handling against pressure and decision making against that pressure are my concerns about him being a PG at the D1 level. I think he can make that improvement if he works at it.
Erik Fromm 6'8 PF Bloomington South-I'm putting Fromm on here because I had not seen him a bunch before this spring and I'm really impressed with his footwork and skill around the basket. I rank him slightly higher than Donnie Hale which is crazy in some people's eyes but he is just so fundamental he rarely makes mistakes. He should fit into Butler's system very well.
Donnie Hale 6'7 PF New Albany-Athletic, solid motor. I wish he had a right hand (he is left handed) if he was able to score with his right hand then he would be higher than Fromm in my opinion but at the next level he will get a lot of shots blocked if he can't use both hands around the rim. He looks to be transitioning to more of a 3 but in order to do that he needs to be able to use both hands equally and he cannot right now. Other than that, I have no complaints about his game.
Ethan Jacobs 7'0 C Tipton-Jacobs was having a solid spring in both school work outs where college coaches were coming to watch him and on the AAU circuit. 7 footer with a good stroke is hard to find. He could be a star at Ohio before his career is over...it literally is up to him how hard he wants to go after making that a reality.
Chrishawn Hopkins 6'2 SG Indianapolis (Manual)-Combo guard that is a true combo and not just a shooting guard in a point guard's body. He can handle it efficiently, good quickness...laterally and first step, great springs (can jump out of the gym), consistent outside range. Very few people know about him and he doesn't play on good teams (high school or aau) so it's hard to criticize him for forcing things when he is the only option. He is a mid-major prospect in my eyes.
Brad Karp 6'2 SG Valparaiso-Consistent, good motor, does all the little things that help teams win. I don't think he is quite athletic enough for D1, but low D1's and D2/NAIA should take a look. Karp isn't flashy, but is a type of player I would want on my team.
Greg Miller 6'6 PF North Miami-Although I haven't seen him on the AAU circuit (I don't believe he is playing),Miller impressed me greatly at the Top 100 workout in April. Strong, skilled, good motor. Played very well against Travis Carrol at the work out.
Daniel Turner 6'6 PF/SF Mt. Vernon-Tweener, but strong and athletic enough to play the 4 spot at the low D1 level I believe. Good touch around the basket, worker, good rebounder.
Ronald Ross 6'3 SG-I like what I have seen from Ross so far but would like to see more of him before I have a good grasp on his capabilities. Strong body, athletic, finishes well in the lane, unsure of his range and ball handling...that's why I would like to see more of him.
Aaron Bluitt 6'1 PG Indianapolis (Chatard)-Flashes of a great player, but also will be lackadaisical at times and make poor decisions. Bluitt is more of a SG that can handle the ball right now and I would like him to get to the point where he is a PG that can score when he wants to. Ball handling against pressure and decision making against that pressure are my concerns about him being a PG at the D1 level. I think he can make that improvement if he works at it.
Erik Fromm 6'8 PF Bloomington South-I'm putting Fromm on here because I had not seen him a bunch before this spring and I'm really impressed with his footwork and skill around the basket. I rank him slightly higher than Donnie Hale which is crazy in some people's eyes but he is just so fundamental he rarely makes mistakes. He should fit into Butler's system very well.
Donnie Hale 6'7 PF New Albany-Athletic, solid motor. I wish he had a right hand (he is left handed) if he was able to score with his right hand then he would be higher than Fromm in my opinion but at the next level he will get a lot of shots blocked if he can't use both hands around the rim. He looks to be transitioning to more of a 3 but in order to do that he needs to be able to use both hands equally and he cannot right now. Other than that, I have no complaints about his game.
Ethan Jacobs 7'0 C Tipton-Jacobs was having a solid spring in both school work outs where college coaches were coming to watch him and on the AAU circuit. 7 footer with a good stroke is hard to find. He could be a star at Ohio before his career is over...it literally is up to him how hard he wants to go after making that a reality.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Spring Recap Series
With the break from AAU in the month of June, I wanted to recap some of the happenings that have transpired so far. I'm hoping to get to a team camp or two during June but my schedule may not allow that.
I'll start with some recruiting recap and news.
Dee Davis 5'9 PG Bloomington South has been picking up some solid offers early in the AAU season from Xavier and Purdue. He continues to impress me with what he accomplishes despite his small frame.
Justin Martin 6'5 SG Lawrence North has de-committed from the University of Louisville. He is a top 50 ranked player nationally and rumor is he may be looking at Arizona now although all options are open.
Donnie Hale 6'7 PF New Albany has reportedly picked up interest from Oklahoma State according to Jody Demling of Courier-Journal.com. I think that would be a stretch by Oklahoma State but not a crazy move if they were to offer.
Dominique Ferguson 6'9 SF Lawrence North de-committed from his verbal to University of Kentucky after the coaching change. Ferguson is a top 10 player nationally in his class and might have one and done potential.
Ethan Jacobs 7'0 C Tipton made a somewhat shocking commitment to Ohio University. Shocking because it was quick and his stock was really starting to rise. Plus, he had the July evaluation period coming up and big-time offers may have been there.
Marquis Teague 6'2 PG Pike has pushed back his decision date after originally saying he was going to decide by June. He says he will now wait until the July evaluation period to decide.
Jesse Berry 6'1 PG Lafayette Jeff picked up an offer from Kentucky after rumors were starting to appear that he was close to committing to Butler.
Rafael Davis 6'4 SG Fort Wayne North became the first 2012 commit from Indiana and he chose Purdue.
Erik Fromm 6'8 PF Bloomington South made his decision to go to Butler. Should be a good fit in the Butler system.
I'll start with some recruiting recap and news.
Dee Davis 5'9 PG Bloomington South has been picking up some solid offers early in the AAU season from Xavier and Purdue. He continues to impress me with what he accomplishes despite his small frame.
Justin Martin 6'5 SG Lawrence North has de-committed from the University of Louisville. He is a top 50 ranked player nationally and rumor is he may be looking at Arizona now although all options are open.
Donnie Hale 6'7 PF New Albany has reportedly picked up interest from Oklahoma State according to Jody Demling of Courier-Journal.com. I think that would be a stretch by Oklahoma State but not a crazy move if they were to offer.
Dominique Ferguson 6'9 SF Lawrence North de-committed from his verbal to University of Kentucky after the coaching change. Ferguson is a top 10 player nationally in his class and might have one and done potential.
Ethan Jacobs 7'0 C Tipton made a somewhat shocking commitment to Ohio University. Shocking because it was quick and his stock was really starting to rise. Plus, he had the July evaluation period coming up and big-time offers may have been there.
Marquis Teague 6'2 PG Pike has pushed back his decision date after originally saying he was going to decide by June. He says he will now wait until the July evaluation period to decide.
Jesse Berry 6'1 PG Lafayette Jeff picked up an offer from Kentucky after rumors were starting to appear that he was close to committing to Butler.
Rafael Davis 6'4 SG Fort Wayne North became the first 2012 commit from Indiana and he chose Purdue.
Erik Fromm 6'8 PF Bloomington South made his decision to go to Butler. Should be a good fit in the Butler system.
Officiating
Officiating is always a topic at AAU events for a number of reasons. For the most part, it is usually bad. I'm not blaming the refs though because they work so many games in a weekend...how could they be good when they are so tired. Some work 8-10 games in a day and 15-20 games in a weekend. I understand they can make some extra spending money by going to all the events. Secondly, the refs don't have to be licensed by anyone although most are licensed by their home state. That is not a huge concern to me though. Most have a fair amount of experience if they are licensed or not. One of the big points is that some tournaments have different rules concerning fouls and time-outs and a few other minor things that can throw off a referee. Some tournaments say they do not want to turn games into a free-throw shooting contest. I understand that tournament directors do not want games running over and messing up the court schedule because then a lot of people get restless waiting to play their games.
I rarely complain about officiating because of the things I stated above. I basically just want them to work hard, be in decent position, and not to mail in their performance like I wouldn't want one of my players going through the motions. I hate when refs come with attitude after I say one thing after being quiet for a quarter or a half or some decent amount of time. I see a lot of anticipation on the refs' part that they believe I am complaining just as much as all other coaches and won't hear me out. They need to be observant on how the coaches and players are acting in each game separately.
The main reason I do not complain much about officiating is that I do not want my players to complain and lose focus on the game. Officiating rarely decides a game unless you let it by focusing on the refs instead of controlling what you can control. Why get bent out of shape on something that you cannot control? It is a waste of time and energy and most importantly focus. I would rather just concentrate on what we need to do to adjust to the game and how we can play better as a team.
Control what you can control!
I rarely complain about officiating because of the things I stated above. I basically just want them to work hard, be in decent position, and not to mail in their performance like I wouldn't want one of my players going through the motions. I hate when refs come with attitude after I say one thing after being quiet for a quarter or a half or some decent amount of time. I see a lot of anticipation on the refs' part that they believe I am complaining just as much as all other coaches and won't hear me out. They need to be observant on how the coaches and players are acting in each game separately.
The main reason I do not complain much about officiating is that I do not want my players to complain and lose focus on the game. Officiating rarely decides a game unless you let it by focusing on the refs instead of controlling what you can control. Why get bent out of shape on something that you cannot control? It is a waste of time and energy and most importantly focus. I would rather just concentrate on what we need to do to adjust to the game and how we can play better as a team.
Control what you can control!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ethan Jacobs Verbally Commits
Ethan Jacobs, the 7 footer from Tipton Indiana, has verbally committed to play for John Groce and the Ohio University. I'm a fan of Jacobs especially with the upside I believe he has. The thing that most people recognize is his ability to shoot from 15-18 feet. He has a good looking shot. He has not played a ton of basketball in his life and he is still learning the game. This should be a huge pick-up for Ohio. If Ethan continues to work like he has the past two years then he will be dominate in the MAC and possibly in professional basketball. That being said, it is still a long road and he needs to be hungry to achieve those things and not settle for just getting a scholarship.
Good luck, Ethan!
Good luck, Ethan!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Magic-Cavs Series
I thought I would post some notes that I have noticed during the Magic and Cavs series. I have definitely been surprised that Orlando jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. Cleveland had a great regular season and they breezed through the first two rounds. Orlando poses a lot of match-up problems for the Cavs though. The Magic have a lot of height and length at each position. That can affect shooters greatly and most of the Cavs role players are shooters and they have struggled for the most part this series.
Lebron James is just ridiculous and that sums it up. When he shoots it well from 3 point range, he is impossible to guard. He is so fast, quick, strong, finishes strong, and then when he shoots the ball well...that is the nail in the coffin. One main criticism of Lebron is that he doesn't take and knock down the final shot of the game to win it. He proved that to be wrong in this series. Here is what concerns me in late game situations especially last shot situations...it is his decision making i.e. when to get to the rim, when to pull up, when to pass to open teammates, and when to force a shot. That is where he could use some work and those are very coachable things.
Dwight Howard is a beast. Patrick Ewing has been tutoring Howard in the post. Howard still needs a ton of work on his post moves. Although, it is mainly just finishing the moves now which is all repetition. I believe if Ewing stays with him another year then Howard will really take off next year. By that I mean that he will not rely on dunking for 60% of his points. He will be able to score on his hook and what not. It would be really fun to see him dominate then.
Mo Williams...hmmmm where are you? Mo had a great regular season and a bad/disappointing series to this point. Lebron needs him to help carry the Cavs especially with his outside shooting. If Mo had a good series then the outcome of the series is totally different.
Too bad Jameer Nelson isn't able to play in the playoffs. He was having a break out season when it was cut short by injury. He would add yet another option for the Magic and I believe Orlando would be a favorite to win the whole championship although they aren't far off without him in the lineup.
It has been an entertaining series and I think the Finals will be very good no matter who is playing in it. The Lakers are good, but they seem to lose focus at times. Anyone left could still claim the title. Hopefully, this means the NBA is on its way to being very good and fun to watch again.
Lebron James is just ridiculous and that sums it up. When he shoots it well from 3 point range, he is impossible to guard. He is so fast, quick, strong, finishes strong, and then when he shoots the ball well...that is the nail in the coffin. One main criticism of Lebron is that he doesn't take and knock down the final shot of the game to win it. He proved that to be wrong in this series. Here is what concerns me in late game situations especially last shot situations...it is his decision making i.e. when to get to the rim, when to pull up, when to pass to open teammates, and when to force a shot. That is where he could use some work and those are very coachable things.
Dwight Howard is a beast. Patrick Ewing has been tutoring Howard in the post. Howard still needs a ton of work on his post moves. Although, it is mainly just finishing the moves now which is all repetition. I believe if Ewing stays with him another year then Howard will really take off next year. By that I mean that he will not rely on dunking for 60% of his points. He will be able to score on his hook and what not. It would be really fun to see him dominate then.
Mo Williams...hmmmm where are you? Mo had a great regular season and a bad/disappointing series to this point. Lebron needs him to help carry the Cavs especially with his outside shooting. If Mo had a good series then the outcome of the series is totally different.
Too bad Jameer Nelson isn't able to play in the playoffs. He was having a break out season when it was cut short by injury. He would add yet another option for the Magic and I believe Orlando would be a favorite to win the whole championship although they aren't far off without him in the lineup.
It has been an entertaining series and I think the Finals will be very good no matter who is playing in it. The Lakers are good, but they seem to lose focus at times. Anyone left could still claim the title. Hopefully, this means the NBA is on its way to being very good and fun to watch again.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Memphis Basketball Scandal
Let's just state the obvious right now...everyone knew something would come out after Memphis' Final Four run and it was just a matter of time. Here is the story if you have no clue what I am talking about.
A few interesting points of interest from this scandal.
1. Memphis hired Josh Pastner without telling him that Memphis was under investigation by the NCAA. Memphis knew about this in January. It might have been assumed that John Calipari had told Pastner or something along those lines, but to hire a new coach and not at least mention the investigation is very shady. This has to be terms for a lawsuit if Pastner wanted to pursue it...no?
2. Calipari isn't directly named in the report and Kentucky is basically saying this will free him from any wrong doing. Well, coaches are not that dumb...coaches are rarely, if ever, directly named in reports of misconduct during recruiting. Coaches are not going to write a check from their own bank account and hand it to a recruit. Most coaches are fired in these circumstances without being named in reports. Calipari is at the helm of the whole program and he knows what is going on under him.
3. This point is dealing with Derrick Rose and the NBA forcing him to go to college. He had no business going to college. He didn't have the grades or the test scores to get into college. If the 1 year rule wasn't implemented then Rose wouldn't have to cheat. This 1 year rule is ridiculous...it is forced amateurism and is basically taking away people's right to work. If they are good enough to play in the NBA then let them go. NBA teams do not have to pick them if the NBA thinks drafting young players will hurt the overall league. Look at the teams left in the playoffs...who are the main stars? Lebron, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis...how many went to college?
NCAA wants pure student-athletes well Derrick Rose wouldn't have been a student if he wasn't an athlete so let him be what he truly is and that is a professional athlete. The NCAA wants to make billions of dollars but keep their athletes amateurs. That is just pure hypocrisy. Something needs to give...pay the athletes a stripend, let players go directly to the NBA if they are good enough, do something please.
A few interesting points of interest from this scandal.
1. Memphis hired Josh Pastner without telling him that Memphis was under investigation by the NCAA. Memphis knew about this in January. It might have been assumed that John Calipari had told Pastner or something along those lines, but to hire a new coach and not at least mention the investigation is very shady. This has to be terms for a lawsuit if Pastner wanted to pursue it...no?
2. Calipari isn't directly named in the report and Kentucky is basically saying this will free him from any wrong doing. Well, coaches are not that dumb...coaches are rarely, if ever, directly named in reports of misconduct during recruiting. Coaches are not going to write a check from their own bank account and hand it to a recruit. Most coaches are fired in these circumstances without being named in reports. Calipari is at the helm of the whole program and he knows what is going on under him.
3. This point is dealing with Derrick Rose and the NBA forcing him to go to college. He had no business going to college. He didn't have the grades or the test scores to get into college. If the 1 year rule wasn't implemented then Rose wouldn't have to cheat. This 1 year rule is ridiculous...it is forced amateurism and is basically taking away people's right to work. If they are good enough to play in the NBA then let them go. NBA teams do not have to pick them if the NBA thinks drafting young players will hurt the overall league. Look at the teams left in the playoffs...who are the main stars? Lebron, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis...how many went to college?
NCAA wants pure student-athletes well Derrick Rose wouldn't have been a student if he wasn't an athlete so let him be what he truly is and that is a professional athlete. The NCAA wants to make billions of dollars but keep their athletes amateurs. That is just pure hypocrisy. Something needs to give...pay the athletes a stripend, let players go directly to the NBA if they are good enough, do something please.
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