Bball Recruiting Megathread: Devin Mitchell on campus

[tigerswood]

Also (apologies if Haas), but Bzz and co. offered another 2014 PG:





Austin is a 6'1, 160 pound PG from Illinois. In addition to Wake, Austin holds offers from Missouri, Illinois, Memphis, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, DePaul, SMU and Bradley with interest from Ohio State, Xavier, and Tennessee.

ESPN - 89/4* (#26 overall/#6 PG)
Scout - 4* (#46 overall/#10 PG)
Rivals - 4* (#45 overall)

Would anybody be able to c/p a scouting report?

Will this impact our recruitment of Mitchell at all?

No. If anything I'd hope it would help urge him to commit earlier, as it shows we are committed to going after talent. Now let's go after some more big man talent in 2013/14.

 

[Fusiondad10]

I am sure the buzzouters will flame you for this, but I can totally seem some kid's parents liking what Buzz brings to the table.

Cautiously optimistic about the direction of this team at this point.

As a generally consistent Buzzouter, I'll say I think it's great that a recruit's parents like Buzz. But for me to be a Buzz-inner, he has to prove he can coach and win.

 

[Strickland33]

No. If anything I'd hope it would help urge him to commit earlier, as it shows we are committed to going after talent. Now let's go after some more big man talent in 2013/14.

Good to know. Thanks, tw.

A brief take on our big men prospects:

According to Scout, we're not even interested in a 2014 big man and haven't offered anybody over 6'6 in 2013 (but we're still "interested" in Kyle Washington, 6'9 C - 4*).

ESPN, on the other hand, says that we've offered Kennedy Meeks 6'9 C 2013 - 4*, but considering his offer sheet and the fact that it was rumored that he is holding out for a UNC or UK offer I don't think he's a serious prospect at this point. ESPN does say that we're interested in a new guy, Tosin Mehinti.

Tosin Mehinti is a 6'9 PF is NR in the class of 2013, but has offers from Georgia, Mississippi State, Minnesota, Stanford, Miami, Murray State, Duquesne, and Furman with interest from Wake, UCLA, and Georgia Tech. He sounds like a sleeper.

According to ESPN, Jacob Hammond is the only 2014 big that we're interested in. Like I wrote awhile back, the 6'9 homeschooler from OK has interest from Wake, Oklahoma, Creighton, and Navy.

Why the hold up on offering bigs? Even if there aren't 2013/2014 big men available, it seems like we could get a DG type, simply to get some bulk or size behind our shallow frontcourt... Unless, of course, [Redacted] is pulling an Air Force 2.0. (aka not trying because he's envisioning jumping ship, etc.)

 

[Strickland33]

More on Tosin Mehinti:

ESPN - 6'9, 220 with offers from Stanford, Miami, Murray State, Duquesne, and Furman.

Rivals - UR, but listed at 6'10, 210.

24/7 has him at 6'9, 2013 with additional offers from Georgia, Mississippi State, and Minnesota.

 

[Strickland33]

Another recruiting tidbit from Twitter:

James Lucas ‏@CUGoose
Two top CU prospects. #RollTad RT @William_Whelan: Jeff [Redacted] and Tad Boyle are front & center to watch Josh Perkins vs. Tre'shaun Lexing.

Eric Christensen ‏@cbseric
@William_Whelan Boyle better b able 2 outrecruit [Redacted]. #no contest

Josh Perkins - 2014 6'3 185 PG 4* (#52 overall/#11 PG on Scout [ESPN profile hasn't been updated])
-Only offer is from Colorado. Wake, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Stanford, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, and Northern Colorado are interested.

Tre'Shaun Lexing - 2014 6'6 195 SF 3/4* (4*/80 UR overall/#17 SF - ESPN and 3* Scout)
-Gonzaga, Oregon State, Washington State and Cal Poly have offered. Wake, UCLA, NC State, Washington, Oregon, Cal, Colorado, and Santa Clara are interested.

 

[Deacsfan27]

I really like what I keep hearing about Mitchell and hopefully he commits to us soon. Talking with his parents at the Carolina Challenge this year I got the same impression as the comments that tw is posting.

 

[dalbertthekid]

As far big men are concerned, keep an eye on 2014 PF Isaac Copeland. Long 6'9" with a high ceiling. Has been offered by NC State, VT, UVA, and BC, with Wake showing interest.

 

[dalbertthekid]

Barring transfers, Wake has 4 scholarships available over the next two years.

If you're the coaching staff, what's the best way to divvy them up?

Do you go 2 and 2?
2013 - SF (McClinton) and SG (Reed, Williams, Overton, Quarterman)
2014 - PG (hopefully Mitchell) and PF

Or do you go for 3 in 2013 and assume another scholarship opens up for 2014?

 

[PhDeac]

Go for 3.

I consider 6-9 players to be bigs. We wouldn't get anyone taller who isn't a major sleeper anyway.

 

[tau06]

As far big men are concerned, keep an eye on 2014 PF Isaac Copeland. Long 6'9" with a high ceiling. Has been offered by NC State, VT, UVA, and BC, with Wake showing interest.

Recent NCSU artilce makes it seem like he's been waiting on an offer from State. I'd catogorize him more of a 3/4 who prefers the 3. Will be intertesting to see if he commmits to State soon or if he keeps it open. Also will be interested to see where he ends up ranked, I agree that he seems to have a ton of upside and is just scratching the surface of his potential.

 

[Strickland33]

Go for 3.

I consider 6-9 players to be bigs. We wouldn't get anyone taller who isn't a major sleeper anyway.

I agree with Ph: you go for three.

Like tau, I've heard that Copeland is NC State's to lose.

While it's great that we're looking to the future and finding a back-up/successor Codi and, arguably, for Travis, our inability and seeming unwillingness to even take a stab at big men prospects in 2013 and 2014 could be a problem.

 

[pegrcc9]

Copeland is definitely a guy who likes to play on the perimeter and is more of a 3 than a 4 at this point, but he'd be tough to turn down if we had the chance to take him. Like you guys said, he's got big time upside. He can shoot it, handle it, and is very athletic. Makes plays on defense too with his activity and length- blocks shots.

We definitely need a banger down low but a 2014 class of Shelton Mitchell, Gary Clark, and Isaac Copeland would be legit. Not exactly what we need though, and it's probably unlikely we could get all three, as Copeland and Clark are starting to blow up. Another possibility in that 2014 class is Josh Perkins, who was mentioned earlier. He came out to Wake's elite camp all the way from Colorado and put on a show in a couple games. He's listed as a PG but can also play a little off the ball if need be. Either way though he is a playmaker for himself and others.

One big in the 2013 class that we have offered (I believe) is PF Schuyler Rimmer. But he is blowing up too and Florida and other SEC schools are all over him

 

[Strickland33]

One big in the 2013 class that we have offered (I believe) is PF Schuyler Rimmer. But he is blowing up too and Florida and other SEC schools are all over him

I totally forgot about him. I remember the tweets that said we were interested in Rimmer. Any idea why we're not listed as having offered him anywhere? Or even listed as interested?

Is Clark a James Johnson-type? If so, then he might not be a bad pick-up. Or, does he fashion himself, like Copeland (and, similarly to AFA), as a 3? I know very little about Clark compared to some of these other guys.

 

[Strickland33]

[Redacted] finally making a legitimate move on a big man. Has anybody seen anything beyond his mediocre ratings? The profile I'm seeing seems a bit stale.



Rimmer has offers from Wake, Florida, Marquette, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Miami, Harvard, Tennessee, Georgia, BC, South Florida, USC, Virginia Tech, UCF, Houston, UAB, and Southern Miss.



ESPN - 70/3* - 28th ranked PF
Rivals - 3*
Scout - 3*

Buzz around the web suggests that he's going to rise. Considering that we need bulk and haven't made a ton of progress on a 2013 big man (what's up with Kane, btw?), Rimmer could turn out to be our best option...

I checked. We did offer Rimmer.

 

[pegrcc9]

I totally forgot about him. I remember the tweets that said we were interested in Rimmer. Any idea why we're not listed as having offered him anywhere? Or even listed as interested?

Is Clark a James Johnson-type? If so, then he might not be a bad pick-up. Or, does he fashion himself, like Copeland (and, similarly to AFA), as a 3? I know very little about Clark compared to some of these other guys.

Clark plays down low for his high school team but plays a mixture of inside and outside for his AAU squad, the NC Red Storm, who just finished 5th at AAU Nationals by the way (part of the reason why he is blowing up- coaches saw him down in Florida). Basically, he's a 6'7" hybrid forward who is transitioning into more of a 3 but also has huge feet so could add an inch or two. He's very versatile and very talented. James Johnson isn't a bad comparison, although I'd say Clark is a little less athletic (although Clark is a good athlete- deceptive athleticism almost) but more skilled than JJ would have been at this age. Clark also is not as heavy set- he's long and wiry strong, instead of that bulky build that JJ had. So it may be better to compare Clark to an Aminu type. Regardless, he is a great prospect. This is the write-up I did on him for my blog the last time I saw him play a few weeks ago at CP3 Invitational:

Gary Clark; 2014 SF- NC Red Storm 16U
Clark has the potential to be a big time player. He is oozing with talent and is already very skilled for his age. The 6’7” forward can play down low but has also developed his perimeter skills to the point where he can play on the perimeter, as well. His ball handling ability for his size is advanced, and his passing and court vision are equally impressive. While he did force a few passes in the game I saw that resulted in turnovers, Clark had a few bounce passes in transition that could have left people thinking he was a guard. Clark’s outside shooting ability and rebounding prowess add even more to his versatility. He has a good stroke with good rotation and can knock down the long ball when left open. Clark also has very quick and strong hands, allowing him to corral rebounds in and out of his area. His length doesn’t hurt him on the boards, either. As you can see, he is turning into a very complete player. He’s an interesting player to watch, too. Clark’s laid back demeanor on the court gives off an air of calm confidence, and it is somewhat surprising when he shows off his athleticism by exploding for a transition jam, just as he did twice at the end of a Saturday morning game to put the exclamation point on the win. It should also be added that Clark’s feet are massive. Maybe he has a couple more inches left in him? Whether this is the case or not, he is definitely tracking as a high major prospect.

 

[Deacsfan27]

Go for 3.

I consider 6-9 players to be bigs. We wouldn't get anyone taller who isn't a major sleeper anyway.

Agreed.

I will go on record saying that I think we might be ok on big men as long as we keep bringing in guys at 6'7/6'8 that can rebound. The center position for us is something that is not a huge concern (especially with the type of basketball that we want to play where nearly everybody can move around). If we can land one more PF this year, with Thomas, AW, Cav, Rountree, Moto and Green hitting the boards the next 3-4 years then I think we will be ok.

 

[PhDeac]

Yep. Wake has been spoiled by the height we've had over the last several years. Obviously, I'd love to have more guys 6-10+ but not having them isn't going to keep us from winning games if the talent and coaching is there.

 

[Psydeac]

Wasn't the staff watching Chinoso Oboko and Yousepha Kane? Both were 2013 bigs if I recall. The former is pretty well regarded and has a connection with Cavanaugh.

 

[Fuck Your Couch]

@HOOPSrecruits
2014 Miller Grove HS PG @KEITHPINCKNEY5 says Wake Forest, Stanford, and Miami are recruiting him hardest per @GCRivalsGlenn

Keith Pinkney, 2014
ESPN 84, 4-star, #17 PG
Scout 4-star, #16 PG

ESPN 9/27/2011

Strengths:
This young, savvy, smooth leader is under control and is impressive pushing the ball with adequate speed, but more impressive is how he surveys the court. He will make the throw-ahead pass to an open teammate or continue to push it to the basket. Plus, he displays the knowledge of when to pull up off the bounce and shoot and the skill to knock it down. He also displayed the all-important floater in the lane, the ability to set up his teammates, good decision-making offensively and commitment to defending his man.

Weaknesses:
As he develops a consistent long-range jumper to the arc and beyond that will enhance his game.

Bottom Line:
When playing the point guard position there are many necessary attributes to be successful because of the demands of the position. The ability to handle the ball, change speeds and direction with the ball, while not overdribbling, is essential to being efficient as the primary handler. Pinkney does all that and a lot more.

 

[Fuck Your Couch]

Tim Quarterman, 2013 SG the staff is recruiting (via ESPN):

Who is likely to rise in the rankings (or make his debut) after his performance this summer?

Tim Quarterman, SG
(Savannah, Ga./Johnson)
Currently No. 84 on the ESPN 100, Quarterman displayed great skill and versatility at the adidas Invitational. He can easily play and defend all three perimeter positions at a high level. He can score on break by slashing to the rim or knocking down the open jumper in addition to running the team and getting teammates involved. Quarterman is a good perimeter rebounder as well and competes on both ends with toughness. He has taken over games for long periods of time and simply has all the tools to help his team on both ends of the floor. Quarterman must add strength, and when he does, look out for even more well-rounded production.