Here's a quick update on MU's 2008 recruits:
Tyshawn Taylor led the nation's best high school team with 21 points and seven boards in an 81-50 win over Neptune last night. With the win, St. Anthony improved to 15-0.
Down in Alabama, LeFlore High School remains the top ranked team in the state with a 26-2 record. Nick Williams had a huge night in the Rattlers' 87-61 win over McGill-Toolen earlier this week. The 6'4" shooting guard led LeFlore with 28 points, five rebounds and six steals. Williams is averaging 20 ppg this season, and like Tyshawn Taylor was recently named a finalist for the McDonald's High School All-American game.
Tyler JC won last night despite losing MU commit Joseph Fulce for the last six minutes of the game due to fouls. Tyler JC is now 17-1 on the season. Fulce was more impressive last week with a 20 point, 11 rebound performance in a win over Panola College. TC was in the house for that effort.
Over to Houston we go for some tidbits on 6'10" Chris Otule. It is difficult to track Fort Bend Bush on a game-by-game basis, but a quick rip through Jim Hicks' RCS Sports site indicates that the big fella is scoring in double figures consistently. Keep in mind that Otule only averaged 5ppg as a junior. One of FB Bush's biggest wins this season came over perennial power Sugarland Willowridge, 63-51. Otule led Bush with 15 points in that game, and had 16 points in a 46-44 win over Travis High School earlier this week. Bush is now 20-7 on the season and ranked #7 in the state by MaxPreps.
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
MU recruits lighting it up
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16 comments:
Nice work CS. Been dying for an update on these guys.
Let's hope the big guys keep improving and turn into great contributors to the program.
Taylor and Williams are superb unforunately they are guards. Next year if DJ comes back we will have 7 guards that could start on good D1 teams 8 if you include Lazar. Here's what we have inside Burke(a proven disaster), Otule a project, Fulce a total unkown, and Mbakwe who is our only hope. My prediction is that Taylor and Williams will be better than McNeal and Matthews. All we need is to land 2 serviceable inside players. Mbakwe may fill that void and Williams is a possibility in 2009-10, but it is freakin unreal that we can't get a single post player to come to MU. Can someone explain this to me? Lack of development? Assistant coach turnover? History of transfers? Only 2 players in the Crean era that have played inside? All of the above? It's really too bad cause these two kids coming next year are gonna make everyone forget the name Shumpert. Trust me.
I think things are starting to shape up on the front court. Trevor, Fulce and Lazar I believe will be solid contributors and then we will have Burke for his senior year, Otule and Patrick Hazel. And Erik Williams already committed for 2009. But lets face it, its tough to compare it to our frontcourt. But still I am not going to rag about it. I am happy. Go MU!
Shouldn't we be assuming that Hazel is going to have to transfer after this year?
Unless DJ really turns it on come tourney time, there is no way he should be thinking about going pro this year, not in a class with Gordon, Mayo, Rose et al.
Why will Hazel have to transfer? Are we overcommitted?
Naw, why assume wrong.
I was under the impression that Williams was good, but not outstanding during his team's visit to the Al McGuire Center. Is that incorrect?
I am very excited about Taylor.
Right now Dominic James is not projected to be drafted at all in either 2008 or 2009. His stock is plummeting, but he may skip his senior year and play in Europe. It would be a loss for us, but Taylor would step in and it may be better in the long run cause Nick and Tayshawn will play more mins their freshman year.
When compared to our classes of the past years, next year's class is outstanding for MU.
Yes, we lack proven low post guys going into next year. But w/Mbakwe stronger (you would assume), Hayward being an inside/outside presence, you would think we'll be better.
The good thing in college hoops is that other teams are gonna be losing their best bigs (at least in the B.East). Put into perspective, this is looking to be the best five year run of recruits we've had at MU for some time (big three - 2009).
Brewcrew:
Yes, we are overcommitted by 1 spot for next year's class. How James could turn pro after this year would be beyond me: he has to know that he'd be a mid-low 2nd rounder at this point - I'd say he's about the 10-12th best PG.
Why would James skip his Senior year to play in Europe? Does he hate it at MU? Is he that desperate for cash? I find that theory really hard to believe.
The truth is we are banking on Mbakwe cause we have nothing else unless Otule and Fulce are grossly underrated. Lazar is not an inside presence he is 6'5. It would suck to have our best player this year have to guard big men next year. Can you say foul trouble? projected starters:
James/Taylor/Acker
McNeal/Williams/Cubillan
Matthews/Fulce
Hayward/Burke
Mbakwe/Otule
Hazel will transfer and Cristopherson might also.
We desperately need a big. Just a guy who can make a layup, defend a little, rebound, and set screens.
Crean has to play our bigs more this year despite their ineptitude.
I would start James,McNeal,Hayward,Blackledge, and Barro. Wes gets heavy mins and is a spark off the bench w/ Burke,Cubillian,Acker and Fitz getting a lot of playing time. If our bigs can't rebound then bench them. Let Ooze run the floor like he did last year. Rebounding starts transtion and this gives us our best chance.
Realistically, though, don't all college programs "bank" on at least one or two players carrying them through one position or another.
In our case, we're heavy at guard, leaving us less wiggle room for a bonafied big man. Other teams have a good big, but lack guard depth. Obviously, the perfect mix is quality everywhere. But in today's NCAA, it's tough to have a fully balanced team...unless you are Duke, UNC, Kansas, MSU, UCLA, etc.
Anybody know anything about Kyle Rowley? He's a 7 footer from Lake Forest Academy. Apparently he has been reclassified as a 2008 graduate and MU has offered him a scholarship among 5-6 schools. Another Kinsella perhaps?
Rivals.com has an update that as of 1/30/08, Lowery is going to be an '09 grad.
Lake Forest Academy star 7'0" center Kyle Rowley confirms with Rivals.com that he has decided to remain in the Class of 2009 to develop his game, becoming a better player and student. Read on about his decision, as well as who has offered the 7'0" center.
James isn't gonna be drafted period. He won't be drafted if he stays his senior year.
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