By the way…

This blog is a two-way street. If you have a question regarding SEC hoops, feel free to leave a comment with it, and I will post a response as quickly as possible.

Recruiting…children?

Lately, there’s been constant buzz encircling Ryan Boatright’s recent commitment to USC. Not that he’s not allowed to, but at 14 – yes, 14 – the idea seems a bit, well, perverse.

But perversion is simply a societal norm gone awry.

Nothing in the NCAA’s handbook limits the age of which a young man can make his decision on where he attends college – even if it’s before he’s decided on a high-school. Neither legally, nor according to the NCAA, is the recruitment of these middle-schoolers technically wrong.

However, the question often asked is: Is it moral?

My answer: Why not?

A verbal commitment is just that – it’s verbal. This quite obviously leaves the door wide open for the young man to grow as a child, no doubt still under heavy recruiting, and to change his mind later in his life.

If accepted and embraced by the child and his family, which was the case in Boatright’s recruitment, this act in no way harms the child.

This is, however, a gigantic risk for a coach. Boatright was listed at 5′9″ and 135lbs at the time of commitment. What if he stops growing? What if he is injured? What if he backs out? Leave the “What ifs” to the coaches.

Plainly put, if the coaches are willing to take the risk in extending offers to 7th and 8th graders and the children and their families are accepting of the recruitment, there is absolutely no harm done. Let the coaches make their mistakes, and quickly realize there’s simply no point in recruiting children that young.

Until then, the nation lies in waiting to see how, or if, this fad will end. But let’s not senselessly ban a process which harms noone involved but those willing to take the risk.

Florida’s schedule released…

Here’s how it looks.

vs. North Dakota State
vs. Tennessee Tech
vs. UNC-Central
vs. Rutgers
vs. North Florida
vs. Florida State
vs. Stetson
vs. Vermont – in Tampa, FL
vs. Jacksonville
vs. Florida A&M
vs. Georgia Southern – in Jacksonville, FL
@ Ohio State
vs. Temple – in Sunrise, FL
vs. High Point
————————————–
vs. Auburn
vs. LSU
vs. Mississippi State
@ Alabama
@ Arkansas
@ Ole Miss

Now, I’ll be the first to tell you the value of playing an easier schedule when you’re rebuilding. But this is absolutely shameful. The Gators will play only one true road-game during the non-conference slate, and that game will be the team’s only trip outside their home state. Florida State and Vermont should be decently challenging games, and Ohio State will pose a heavy challenge despite losing a great deal themselves. If Billy Donovan’s squad has any NCAA hopes whatsoever, the Gators can’t afford to lose more than one game before SEC play, and likely will need a 9-7 record in the conference.

As for the schedule versus the West, this year’s draw isn’t particularly favorable. Florida must travel to both Alabama and Arkansas, but is afforded the opportunity to avoid the Hump in Starkville.

More schedule updates as they are released.

Link now working…

http://collegehoopsnet.com/new/story/alabama_the_nations_most_overrated_team

That’s where you can find the bold – and accurate – prediction from last season.

Schedules seeping through the cracks…

This time of year is that exciting (okay, maybe not entirely exciting) phase in college basketball when the recruiting period is wrapping up and schedules for the upcoming season begin to filter out of the programs.

Here is a look at some SEC schedules that have been released. Particularly interesting games have been bolded, and only schedules versus the opposite division have been included, because all inter-division teams play home-and-home series.

 KENTUCKY

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2K Sports College Hoops Classic – Final 2 rounds in NYC
vs. Liberty
vs. Texas Southern
vs. Stony Brook
vs. North Carolina
@ Indiana
vs. UAB – In Louisville
@ Houston
vs. Tennessee Tech
vs. San Diego
vs. Florida International
vs. Louisville
————————–
vs. Alabama
vs. Arkansas
vs. Ole Miss
@ Auburn
@ LSU
@ Miss. State

Kentucky’s schedule is relatively challenging. Most of the non-conference consists of cupcakes, but the three “big games” could all end up being Top-10 opponents. Their SEC West schedule is favorable, with both Alabama and Arkansas at home. At Mississippi State and at Tennessee could be the two toughest games in their conference schedule.

OLE MISS

vs. Mississippi Valley State
vs. South Alabama
vs. Lamar
vs. Louisiana-Monroe
vs. Troy
vs. New Mexico
@ UCF
vs. Winthrop – In Jackson, Miss.
@ New Orleans
San Juan Shootout
vs. Southern Miss
vs. Alabama A&M
——————————-
vs. Florida – Home
vs. South Carolina – Home
vs. Vanderbilt – Home
@ Kentucky
@ Georgia
@ Tennessee

Ole Miss’ non-conference schedule is a complete joke. With only two true road-games versus nobodys, their only challenge will be against Winthrop and at the San Juan Shootout. Their schedule versus the East is brutal, however. All three teams they must travel to should be the top 3 teams from the division. Look for the Rebels to have a gaudy record approaching conference play before slamming back down to Earth come January.

These are the only two teams to release their schedules at the moment. Look for updates throughout the off-season.

Crunch Time

Although the nation is still 3+ months away from the 2007-2008 season, many of the big-named freshmen for the 2008-2009 season have already committed to their future school.

With most of the media attention going to the upcoming freshmen, now is a good time to take a sneak preview of what’s to come next season for the SEC. Here’s a quick initial – and effectively meaningless – ranking, along with a quick description of each team’s class.

Sidenote: All stars are derived from Rivals.com.

1. Mississippi State: 1 5-star, 1 4-star, 1 3-star

(5 star, #20 overall): Scotty Hopson. 6′5″, 185lbs.  Turning down offers from the likes of Ohio State, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Louisville, Hopson is a ”bouncy wing with a ton of upside” known for his mid-range game. Hopson impressed at the recent Nike camp, and averaged 14 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during his sophomore season.

(4 star, #50 overall): Romero Osby. 6′8″, 230lbs. Osby chose MSU over schools like Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, and Memphis, and is described as a “distributing point forward” by Rivals. Osby averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks during his junior campaign.

(3 star, #115 overall): Demarquis Bost. 6′2″, 170lbs. Bost had offers from Virginia, Cincinatti, and Florida State, and is an “explosive guard who defends”.

2. Florida: 1 5-star, 2 3-stars

(5 star, #15 overall): Kenny Kadji. 6′10″, 240lbs. Kadji was offered by schools like Kansas State, Memphis, and Connecticut and is described as a “long, athletic forward”.

(3 star, #123 overall): Ray Shipman. 6′3″, 180lbs. Shipman turned down offers from Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Clemson among others, and is a “solid wing who can score”.

(3 star, #128 overall): Erving Walker. 5′6″, 140lbs. Walker chose Florida over Villanova, and is known as a “dynamic undersized guard”.

3. Georgia: 1 5-star, 1 3-star

(5 star, #24 overall): Howard Thompkins. 6′8″, 225lbs. Thompkins was also offered by Georgia Tech, Florida, and Florida State and is “a very skilled power forward”.

(3 star, not ranked): Dustin Ware. 6′0″, 155lbs. Ware’s only other offer was SE Missouri State.

4. Kentucky: 1 5-star

(5 star, #19 overall): DeAndre Liggins. 6′5″, 190lbs. Liggins was offered by the likes of Illinois, Memphis, and Kansas, and is described as a “point-forward with strong passing skills”.

5. Alabama: 1 4-star

(4 star, #43 overall): Tony Mitchell. 6′6″, 185lbs. Mitchell was also offered by Clemson, Georgia, and South Carolina as an “athletic forward who puts up numers”.

6. Tennessee: 1 4-star

(4 star, #63 overall): Phillip Jurick. 6′10″, 250lbs. Turning down offers from Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan, Jurick is an “athletic post with upside”.

7. Arkansas: 1 3-star

(3 star, #131 overall): Terrance Joyner. 6′2″, 170lbs. Joyner also received offers from Washington State, New Mexico, and Oregon State and is described as an “intruiging point guard with a feel for the game”.

8. Ole Miss: 1 3-star

(3 star, not ranked): Brandon Wilson. 6′5″, 205 lbs. Wilson turned down offers from Louisiana Tech and Louisiana-Monroe.

9-12. LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, Vanderbilt: None

Now that we’ve taken a look at those committed, how about those big-named recruits with interest in SEC schools yet to commit?

(5 star, #1 overall): Greg Monroe. 6′10″, 226lbs. Obviously one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, Monroe has been offered by 12 of the highest-profile schools in the country, and currently maintains “medium” interest (his highest in any school) in Duke, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas, LSU, Louisville, Southern Cal, and Texas. In his junior campaign, Monroe averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

(5 star, #13 overall): Willie Warren. 6′3″, 195lbs. Holds “medium” interest in offers received from Arizona, Cincinatti, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas.

(5 star, #14 overall): Tyler Zeller. 6′11″, 215lbs. Has been offered by 10 schools, and lists “medium” interest in Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Purdue, and Tennessee. Zeller shot 68.0% from the floor during his junior year while averaging 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

(5 star, #16 overall): Elliot Williams. 6′4″, 175lbs. Claims “medium” interest in each of his offered schools, incuding Duke, Memphis, Tennessee, and Virginia. Williams averaged 22 points and 6 rebounds per game in his junior year.

(5 star, #21 overall): Jamychal Green. 6′8″, 225lbs. Holds offers, and “medium” interest, in Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Marquette, Ole Miss, and Virginia. In his junior year, Green averaged 25 points, 16 rebounds, and an impressive 8 blocks per game.

(5 star, #22 overall): Angel Garcia. 6′10″, 210lbs. Maintains “high” interest in, and offers from, Florida, Indiana, and Memphis. Garcia averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds in his junior year.

So there ya have it, the big names to remember in 2008-2009. Obviously this list will change a great deal, so keep updated for the latest.

Skip Prosser passes away

According to multiple sources, including http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=694962, the six-year coach of Wake Forest has passed away after collapsing during a morning jog on campus.

Despite an impressive 291-146 overall record, including 126-68 at Wake Forest, Prosser was more than a great coach. He was the perfect example of class and dignity, and achieved his success the right way. The entire college basketball community will mourn the loss of such an incredible man.

Although this seems in poor taste, one must wonder what the sudden coaching change means for the program. This being one of the worst times for the loss of a coach, who will Wake Forest find to step into this role, and will the school be able to find an equally talented coach? In addition, Prosser had an absolutely sick recruiting class lined up for 2008, including the 3rd, 10th, and 18th overall recruits in the nation. How this event will affect these players and their early decisions will be something to watch.

2007-2008 Preseason SEC Power Poll

You heard the title right, it’s time for the first edition of the Official 2007-2008 Preseason SEC Power Poll. The poll could, and very possibly will, change due to inelligibilities, injuries, etc when the second version is released closer to the beginning of the season. Until then, here ya go.

Side note: Overall records are assuming 29 regular-season games played.

Clearly the best…

1. Tennessee – Obvious first choice here. Chris Lofton (solid pick for National Player of the year) should do nothing but improve, and Tyler Smith’s immediate elligibility will help round out this talented, deep squad. Pearl has proven he can do everything else, now is his best chance to make a run in the tournament. A weak(er) Eastern Division should help.

Overall Record: 25-4
SEC Record: 13-3
Postseason: NCAA 1 seed, Final Four

Take your pick, 2-5…

2. Kentucky – With very little inside presence, Patterson was just what the doctor ordered. Billy Gillespie has had amazing success at every school he’s led, and despite the Blue being a different crowd, I see no reason he won’t get off on the right foot in his first year. A lack of balance could be the Achille’s Heel for this squad.

Overall Record: 21-8
SEC Record: 11-5
Postseason: NCAA 4 seed, Elite Eight

3. Mississippi State – The loss of the Delk twins will hurt depth a small bit, but not talent. Both will easily be replaced by last season’s All-SEC freshman Hansbrough and Stewart. Jamont Gordon is one of the most talented players in the country, and this team could have a shot at a run in the tournament barring injuries, etc.

Overall Record: 22-7
SEC Record: 11-5
Postseason: NCAA 5 seed, Sweet Sixteen

4. Arkansas – An amazing amount of talent returning, but led by an unproven coach. Ervin is too inconsistent to lead the team every game, and Hill needs more offense to be a constant threat. Expect Beverly to be consensus First-Team All-SEC this season.

Overall Record: 21-8
SEC Record: 10-6
Postseason: NCAA 7 seed, 2nd Round

5. Alabama – Talented, balanced depth continues to challenge Gottfried. Despite a very talented starting five, last year’s bench will be asked to step up this year despite seeing little playing time last season. Don’t expect Steele’s injury to simply “go away” – knee injuries linger. Torrence must step up in a big way, and look for Hendrix to be one of the most dominant big-men in the conference.

Overall Record: 20-9
SEC Record: 9-7
Postseason: NCAA 8 seed, 1 and done

Potential darkhorses…

6. Auburn – Losing practically noone from a squad a game away from winning a share of the divisional championship, the Tigers seem to be poised for a potentially big year. While this year will be Lebo’s opportunity to prove his worth, Quantez Robertson’s amazingly underrated talent could be enough to get this squad to the NCAA’s.

Overall Record: 19-10
SEC Record: 8-8
Postseason: NCAA 11 seed, 1 and done

7. Florida – After losing its’ top 6 scorers and rebounders leave to graduation or the NBA, new (technically) head coach Donovan brings in the nation’s top recruiting class including a couple of 5-stars and three 4-stars. With that much talent on the roster, it’s hard to count out the Gators regardless of youth.

Overall Record: 19-10
SEC Record: 8-8
Postseason: NIT 2 seed, Semifinals/Final Four

8. Georgia – Tons of “potential”, but is this the year the Bulldogs finally realize it? 2007-2008 is certainly Felton’s put-up-or-shut-up year, with the most raw talent and balance he’s seen since taking over the program. Providing Mercer can stay healthy, the Bulldogs could surprise a team or two.

Overall Record: 18-11
SEC Record: 7-9
Postseason: NIT 4 seed, 2nd Round

9. Vanderbilt – Ogilvy is the blaring question. The Australian standout has been grabbing a lot of attention here in the States, where he is preparing to attend Vanderbilt University. My gut tells me the guy will prove overrated when facing SEC-caliber competition, but I’m also hungry. Could be it. Either way, Foster will have to become the go-to guy this year, or it could be a long one for the Commodores.

Overall Record: 18-11
SEC Record: 7-9
Postseason: NIT 5 seed, 1 and done

The rest…

10. LSU – The bottom of the SEC is particularly ugly this season. LSU is suffering from a complete lack of talent and will suffer hugely from the loss of Big Baby Davis. No point guard, no shooting – John Brady could be looking for a new job two years after a Final Four appearance.

Overall Record: 16-13
SEC Record: 6-10
Postseason: None

11. South Carolina – Finally a decent recruiting class for Odom, but it won’t be enough to lift the Gamecocks very high. With very little proven talent, the loss of Tre’ Kelley will sting that much more. Look for Odom to conveniently “retire” at the end of the season.

Overall Record: 15-14
SEC Record: 5-11
Postseason: None

12. Ole Miss – Effectively rebuilding a team from scratch, Kennedy returns from an impressive turnaround-year to a rebuilding year. Despite their lumps, the Rebels are headed in the right direction under the right coach.

Overall Record: 15-14
SEC Record: 5-11
Postseason: None

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.

Speaking of predictions…

Time to brag a little.

Last season about this time of year, I was contributing to CollegeHoopsNet.com. As the main SEC correspondent, I first predicted the SEC and came out with a second article (which is not viewable at the moment due to CHN’s site maintenence) focused solely on the most overrated team in the country – Alabama.

Despite arguing my case well, supported by a wealth of statistics from across the board, the article became one of the site’s hottest at the moment. Most, if not all, were highly critical and even personal.

Need I say more? After being predicted to reach the Final Four and receiving pre-season rankings as high as fifth, the Tide finished fifth in the West and was booted in the first round of the NIT.

 Argue Steele’s health, but your argument is weaker than the Tide’s season. Steele was coincidentally the most overrated player in the nation (and still competes for the spot, despite averaging less than 9ppg last season), and his health simply wouldn’t have accounted for five or more games.

Either way, it’s one of those calls that never gets made, and when it does – people pay attention. I continue to chug along the blog, with my ego that much bigger.

2007-2008 Preseason Top 25 + 10

Hold your breath…it’s another one. Yep, another preseason poll swearing it correctly picks and chooses the sleepers and the flops. With that said, try to not fall out of your chair – I’m a rare breed in that I’m not afraid to venture a radical prediction (as compared to the “other guys”).

 Without further ado…

1. Memphis
2. Tennessee
3. UCLA
4. Kansas
5. North Carolina
6. Michigan State
7. Georgetown
8. Louisville
9. Marquette
10. Duke
11. Pittsburgh
12. Oregon
13. Texas
14. N.C. State
15. Connecticut
16. Clemson
17. Mississippi State
18. Arkansas
19. Washington State
20. Stanford
21. Davidson
22. Alabama
23. Southern Illinois
24. Kentucky
25. Oklahoma State
—
26. Georgia Tech
27. Texas A&M
28. Notre Dame
29. Gonzaga
30. Ohio State
31. Arizona
32. Kansas State
33. Villanova
34. Indiana
35. USC

So there ya go, 1-35. I retain my right to shake things up a bit before the season actually arrives (it always seems so far away). Until next time.

Small archive

If any of you are interested, there is a small archive of my posts at http://rebounder.livejournal.com. I am about to shift a few posts over here to get this one up and started. Look for more posts to come!