2019 Recruiting

[uz2b-len]

Any opinions on the game links? I probably won't get too have a look until Thursday night (when my wife works late ).

[69MG]

Any opinions on the game links? I probably won't get too have a look until Thursday night (when my wife works late ).

Here's my very uneducated take. I have also watched 2 or 3 Woodstock games and saw Noah Fernandes as their PG. It pains me to say that I wasn't overly impressed with MAW in either game. Maybe he just had bad games, I don't know. Also, maybe comparing him to Fernandes isn't fair due to the team's style of play and the surrounding cast.

When you watch Woodstock, Fernandes absolutely runs the offense. MAW is just another player in these 2 games. Another guard often brings the ball up court, but generally gets it to MAW in half court sets. He doesn't make spectacular plays, just steady and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He did not shoot well from the outside in either game. I hope he's better than what I saw because he didn't do anything to stand out in my eyes. Fernandes, on the other hand, jumps right out at you.

Anybody else watch the games?

[Battle Ax]

Any opinions on the game links? I probably won't get too have a look until Thursday night (when my wife works late ).

Here's my very uneducated take. I have also watched 2 or 3 Woodstock games and saw Noah Fernandes as their PG. It pains me to say that I wasn't overly impressed with MAW in either game. Maybe he just had bad games, I don't know. Also, maybe comparing him to Fernandes isn't fair due to the team's style of play and the surrounding cast.

When you watch Woodstock, Fernandes absolutely runs the offense. MAW is just another player in these 2 games. Another guard often brings the ball up court, but generally gets it to MAW in half court sets. He doesn't make spectacular plays, just steady and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He did not shoot well from the outside in either game. I hope he's better than what I saw because he didn't do anything to stand out in my eyes. Fernandes, on the other hand, jumps right out at you.

Anybody else watch the games?

I came away with a similar opinion. He didn’t have any flashy plays but he was solid. Mistakes were minimal if any. He did however step up whenever his team needed him. He didn’t force things.

[Jackson96]

So pretty much the opposite of cool hand’s “scouting report” — I don’t know about anyone else but I do not find this very surprising at all...

[69MG]

So pretty much the opposite of cool hand’s “scouting report” — I don’t know about anyone else but I do not find this very surprising at all...

Actually, I'm closer to cool hand than I am to my original thought that MAW would be our savior at PG. I just didn't come away from those 2 games thinking that MAW was a world class PG. I need to find more video on Buggs, East and Hutchins. I'm not sure if there is anyone else we are actively looking at. I'm still hoping for Fernandes to ask for his release.

[UMassfan_19]

So pretty much the opposite of cool hand’s “scouting report” — I don’t know about anyone else but I do not find this very surprising at all...

Actually, I'm closer to cool hand than I am to my original thought that MAW would be our savior at PG. I just didn't come away from those 2 games thinking that MAW was a world class PG. I need to find more video on Buggs, East and Hutchins. I'm not sure if there is anyone else we are actively looking at. I'm still hoping for Fernandes to ask for his release.

I honestly think steady and mistake-free is what we need and have not had for a while. We need someone who can keep the ball moving initiate the offense and get a bucket every once in a while. That seems like MAW to me

[Jackson96]

Maybe in terms of ability to help right away, 69MG, but the playing style you folks that watched full games described are not anything like cool hand’s...

[Roadtrip]

I'm getting a sinking feeling. The team may be fine at the wings, but very vulnerable at the 4/5 with just Chatman/Mitchell (still not sure why coach hung on to both KTM and Baptiste, who I see as backups); and critical at point, with no one I see as a competent starter. McCall needs to break .500 this year, and be developing talent to improve upon that in following years. As of right now, I don't see either of those things happening.

[UMassfan_19]

I'm getting a sinking feeling. The team may be fine at the wings, but very vulnerable at the 4/5 with just Chatman/Mitchell (still not sure why coach hung on to both KTM and Baptiste, who I see as backups); and critical at point, with no one I see as a competent starter. McCall needs to break .500 this year, and be developing talent to improve upon that in following years. As of right now, I don't see either of those things happening.

I disagree baptiste is more than capable defensively at the 5 and can do some nice things offensively. We also have samba who can play the 4 and I fully expect another player be it a 3/4 combo like samba or a 4/5 combo like chatman to come in

[Cool_Hand]

For the record, the two people who watched the clip confirm what I saw. I'm all for recruiting the best talent available
My comment wasn't about MAW as much as it was about the culture of overhyping the next thing and fairweather support for those who bought into the program. MAW is no PG savior, and I hardly seem him as someone who is an upgrade over Buggs. They are probably similar level recruits but Buggs has been cheering this program through thick and thin and looks more explosive to me on tape and I think has more upside due his athleticism and ability to penetrate and create his own shot.

[Berkman]

I am confused. I have been reading all of the posts however did we receive LOI from all of the recruits that had given us verbals?

[tdmass]

^ Yes!

[Cool_Hand]

I am confused. I have been reading all of the posts however did we receive LOI from all of the recruits that had given us verbals?

Yes. Buggs and Santos in the fall. Mitchell and Weeks in the spring.

The big man from Detroit, Jalen Thomas, bailed.

All others names are still recruits/ speculation.

[Jackson96]

My dearest cool hand,

I don’t think anyone thinks Adams-Woods is a “savior” — we need a point guard. Adams-Woods is a point guard. Buggs is not (source: Buggs himself) — and no one is offering “fairweather support” for Buggs. He signed in the fall. So did Santos and guess what? People are talking less about Santos and moreso about Weeks. Doesn’t mean anyone is burying Buggs.

And you still haven’t answered if your “scouting report” on Adams-Woods was based off two minutes of highlight videos or full game footage. If it’s the videos, we can stop debating this right now because well, that’s really stupid. If it’s the full game footage, we can stop debating this right now because well, the two other guys who watched that footage said the opposite about Adams-Woods and his shot selection than what you said. I’m gonna go with those guys. Did they fall in love with Adams-Woods? Nope, but they said he was steady and not a chucker, which seems to be your opinion. I don’t know what planet that is considered the same but wherever it is I would like to go there because they must have great weed.

For my closing remarks, let me be very clear: I just want a point guard. No one is saying that Adams-Woods is the next coming of Chaz Padilla. He’s just a kid who plays a position that we have a need at and is pretty well regarded by folks who watch a lot more “tape” than anyone in here. He might be the answer in time. He might not.

I too think John Buggs III seems like a fine young man and really has a lot of spunk and school spirit. I don’t have any idea about his ability to create his own shot at this level. No amount of dunking videos in an open gym or against competition that I don’t know is gonna change that. I hope he becomes a big fan favorite at The Mullins.

[NilesGold]

Any opinions on the game links? I probably won't get too have a look until Thursday night (when my wife works late ).

I'd caution people about drawing conclusions based on watching highlights, or even full games. Without a large sample size of games to watch you may not be seeing an accurate representation of the player. Also good to keep in mind that you're watching a player play in high school/prep, with high school/prep teammates & coaches, against high school/prep players... it's simply not the same as playing in college.

Mika Adams-Woods is held in high regard by scouts who cover the Northeast, he amassed impressive stats and accolades playing for a team that did very well in the NEPSAC, against teams with a lot of D1 recruits. He played on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit and while he didn't put up huge numbers, he was very efficient.

I haven't watched a lot of high school basketball, but I've watched some, including a fair amount of Woodstock games... and with what I saw, combined with what I've heard of him, I have a reasonable comfort level with Mika Adams-Woods being our starting PG next season. My impression of him is that he's not flashy, super fast, athletic, or a dead-eye shooter, but he's got good size, he plays under-control, he takes care of the ball, he's adept at running a PnR, and he's a plus defender and rebounder. I've been wanting someone like that to be our PG for several years now.