2016 Recruiting needs and potential recruits

[Kosty]

I I think a team can definitely go far if it has the right core of smaller players - but a solid big changes (I thought Space was supposed to be the anwer here)the complexion of the game and is still a big component to a winning formula.

If we are going to go the way of Villanova with three guard sets, that's great and I'm all for it. . .but I don't think "small ball" has really changed much in terms of how frequently it is used in the NCAA.

[69MG]

Random thought, I hope UMass gets commitments during the early signing period for all 5 of their open scholarships. When you're a program like UMass, waiting to fill scholarships until the late signing period will often result in getting lesser players or leaving a scholarship open entirely (i.e. this year). Furthermore, the chances are that 1+ scholarship will open up due to a departing player between now and the late signing period.

Niles, I think for maybe the first time nobody will disagree with you. Much better to get early commitments. As it stands now, I think we'll get some guards, but I worry that we'll have to take flyers on some unknown bigs. We just don't have enough bigs in the pipeline for 2016.

[eldonabe]

Random thought, I hope UMass gets commitments during the early signing period for all 5 of their open scholarships. When you're a program like UMass, waiting to fill scholarships until the late signing period will often result in getting lesser players or leaving a scholarship open entirely (i.e. this year). Furthermore, the chances are that 1+ scholarship will open up due to a departing player between now and the late signing period.

Niles, I think for maybe the first time nobody will disagree with you. Much better to get early commitments. As it stands now, I think we'll get some guards, but I worry that we'll have to take flyers on some unknown bigs. We just don't have enough bigs in the pipeline for 2016.

Your analysis speweth over.... you could have stopped that last sentence after bigs, and is "We just don't have enough bigs"...

[xlgman]

I don't think we can understate how important this recruiting class is for DK and the program. Not only are we going to need to replace 4 players, but three of them are projected to be really key players (Hinds, Davis, Space) and even Bergantino might start. Also, more importantly, we're not going to have another chance to add a group of players the following year. That's because our current roster has zero juniors from an eligibility standpoint. Of course we all know that there will probably be an open scholarship at some point due to transfers, but you can't bank on that or predict the timing of it AND expect to get a top notch recruit late in the spring.

To put it another way, we can't afford another typical recruiting class where we only get between 0 and 2 true impact players and 1 or more of those take a couple years to either get eligible or make a significant impact. If we need to wait for young talent to become solid A10 players, we're going to be in for a prolonged slide. Over the last 6 years, the only true freshman that has contributed anything meaningful in their first year on campus is Trey Davis.

IMO, we need to have at least 3 of the 5 kids in the class of 2016 eligible immediately, show up for the summer before their freshman year, and look good in their freshman year (think Riley, Vinson, Sampson, Farrell). Not necessarily be major impact players next year but look good so they are ready to really help us return to the postseason the following year. Anything short of that means we're going to be in a prolonged rebuilding phase that we may never get out of with this coaching staff. We'll slip into possibly back to back to back mediocre or losing seasons and the recruiting would suffer further as a result. It'll become a hole they can't get out of.

This recruiting class is a make or break class for DK. Thankfully, we're in the running to get some really promising recruits. I just hope DK and his staff can pull it off over the coming weeks and months. I truly think their long term future here depends on it.

[69MG]

Here is the same list I did two posts above, but this time I removed anyone that I have a feeling the mutual interest between UMass and player is not very strong. I shouldn't have to say this, but these are nothing more than slightly educated guesses based on public information.

PG
Alani Moore (visited unofficially)
Maliek White
Breein Tyree (plans to visit)

SG/Wing Forward
Bruce Brown (visited unofficially)
DeJon Jarreau (plans to visit)
Raquan Wilkins
Saul Phiri (visited unofficially)
Chuba Ohams
Tyrn Flowers

PF/C
Brison Gresham (plans to visit)
Chris Baldwin (visited unofficially)
Emmanuel Ugboh (plans to visit)
Darius Hicks (plans to visit)

Time to revisit Niles' list. It seems like the names most often associated with us recently are:
Moore
Tyree
Brown
Jarreau
Gresham
Baldwin

I'll add Kevin Marfo and Unique McLean (because we only have a verbal).

We have 5 scholarships available and it's not likely we'll get 5 of these 8 (or 4 out of 7 if you prefer). With the recent lack of news on Moore and Pipkins, I am starting to have serious concerns over what this program might look like next year. This year might look good compared to next year if we whiff on most or all of these guys.

Since this is all speculation, how many of the above do you think we need to call it a successful recruiting class, and how many do you think we might actually get? My assumption is that everyone in this group is good enough to get 10-15 minutes a game (some much more than that) and that they can all contribute right away.

[NilesGold]

^ I have a gut feeling (not knowledge) that they'll get:

1 of Moore/Tyree
1 of Baldwin/Marfo
Bruce Brown
Tyrn Flowers

Part of this is because I've heard pretty much nothing lately connecting UMass with anyone outside of about 10 kids, which makes me think they're in pretty good with those 10 kids. Brown would obviously be a huge steal, the rest are very good and probably under-ranked in my book, but none are top 125 guys, so it's reasonable to think UMass could get them.

[uz2b-len]

That would be sick

[69MG]

Long day for the coaches. 6AM at VT Academy to see Bruce Brown, then off to PSA (Putnam Science Academy) in CT. Lots of familiar names on their roster.
https://twitter.com/AdamFinkelstein/sta ... 9109506048
https://twitter.com/SeanDelaney_10/stat ... 4699897857

[eldonabe]

^ I have a gut feeling (not knowledge) that they'll get:

1 of Moore/Tyree
1 of Baldwin/Marfo
Bruce Brown
Tyrn Flowers

Part of this is because I've heard pretty much nothing lately connecting UMass with anyone outside of about 10 kids, which makes me think they're in pretty good with those 10 kids. Brown would obviously be a huge steal, the rest are very good and probably under-ranked in my book, but none are top 125 guys, so it's reasonable to think UMass could get them.

I hope you are right, but Umass has had so little success signing almost anyone, now your gut feeling is that they will have one of the best recruiting classes Umass has EVER had...? Put down the funny brownies man...

[MJatUM]

If UMass gets Bruce Brown the rest of the class more or less doesn't matter (obviously it does, but you know what I mean). Top 50 kids don't come here (often).

[uz2b-len]

Top 50 kids don't come here (often).

Yeah, like maybe once ever (Donta Bright).

[inthescoop]

Top 50 kids don't come here (often).

Yeah, like maybe once ever (Donta Bright).

Terrell Vinson was Top 50.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/baske ... ell-vinson

[kdogg8173]

Believe it or not, Artie Bowers was too.

[Floyd]

That would be sick

And if we don't get any, we'll all be sick

[TheInsider]

Given our recent history of H.S. recruiting, there's a chance we only get one or 2 of the lower rated guys and then some guys we've never heard of. I hope that doesn't happen but it's a real possibility.