TheIshThatSaved WakeForest
TITSWF
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- Mar 15, 2011
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The Field House grand opening was an hour before an ACC home game. That's a strange complaint.
I would say face time with donors should definitely be one of his responsibilities, at least at certain times of the year.
Recruiting dead periods during the offseason when the team isn't practicing and he isn't running camps or reaching out to NBA alumni. That's when he should be giving facetime to donors, and even then I couldn't really care less.
You may not care, and I may not care, but I would assume donors care. I really don't know whether he actually puts in some time with donors or not; was just a little surprised by the notion that people think that's not at least some aspect of his work duties.
Do you think Skip would have showed up whenever possible ?
Our offers:
--------- 5-star:
#3 - Wendell Carter
#4 - Mohamed Bamba
#5 - Trevon Duval
#6 - Kevin Knox
#7 - Hamidou Diallo
#9 - Brandon McCoy
--------- 4-star:
#33 - Paul Scruggs
#35 - Malik Williams
#39 - Tremont Waters
#42 - D.J. Harvey
#46 - Kimani Lawrence
#54 - Brandon Randolph
#61 - Savion Flagg
#64 - Chaundee Brown
#75 - Nate Watson
#79 - Devontae Shuler
#87 - Darius Perry
#95 - Lavar Batts
#97 - Jamal Johnson
#99 - Brandon Rachal
#104 - Justin Smith
-------- 3-star:
#111 - Lance Thomas
#118 - Nicolas Claxton
#145 - Blake Harris
I hear we have a great shot at Lance Thomas unless Duke offers.
Two questions. Which of these recruits seen to be 'high priority' to the coaching staff? Are any of these recruits showing strong interest in Wake? Thanks.
I hear we have a great shot at Lance Thomas unless Duke offers.
Strick, are you optimistic that Manning can breakthrough in recruiting with a Top 75.
I'm not sure if I'll ever be optimistic about Wake recruiting again, but Manning should be able to consistently land top-75 recruits. He's done it once before with Doral Moore (#69) and he's technically already out-recruited [name redacted] whose best recruit was CMM (#77).
Expectations should be to return to Prosser-caliber recruiting, but the 2016 class was a pretty clear step in the opposite direction, IMO. It remains to be seen whether Manning can right the ship, seeing as good recruiting tends to go hand in hand with winning, but winning games in the ACC requires at least adequate recruiting.
So, to answer your question: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
At this point I would settle for Dave Odum caliber recruiting. Bottom line we will never be competitive again getting 3 star 150 plus rated players.
Twenty-three of the top high school players and a group of 10 college counselors (made up of current collegiate players and incoming freshmen) competed and learned the game from well-respected coaches and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry at his annual Select Camp in Walnut Creek, CA.
Trevon Duval – PG – 2017 – Uncommitted
Duval proved to be one of the best point guard prospects in attendance both in terms of his play and his physical profile. From a purely physical standpoint, Duval looks the part of an NBA point guard at 6'2” with a very mature 190-plus pound frame, and at least a 6' 7” wingspan. He possesses a tremendous first step and an ability to shift gears with force as well as the vertical explosiveness to play above the rim in space.
Maybe the most positive development for Duval revolves around the progression he appears to have made with his jump shot. While he still has a ways to go and the mechanics are a bit rigid, Duval has found some semblance of consistency as he's shooting the ball the same way every time both off the catch and on his mid-range pull up. Having shot only 2-of-27 from 3 (7.4%) and 50-for-94 from the free throw line (53.2%) according to our database, any signs of growth are a positive for Duval. His upper body is a bit locked and robotic but he's getting solid rotation and shooting a set shot every time. Duval appears to be adding more ways to get to his pull up game, using his quickness and strong footwork to create some space, it's just a matter of finding ways to use those developing skills in game play.
As for the rest of his game, Duval is still at his best when he's getting a piece of the paint. He can get into the teeth of the defense without a ball screen (or split the pick and roll instinctually) thanks to his burst and elite ball skills, and has the tools to finish acrobatically around the rim, although he oftentimes unnecessarily heightens the degree of difficulty at the cup. He does a great job of spoon-feeding big men around the rim, oftentimes in highlight fashion with no-looks or creative drop offs, which can also result in ‘flash over substance' turnovers as well.
Duval is still improving his overall pick and roll play and knack for making his teammates better without getting into the teeth of the defense. While he's very good in penetration situations, he can sharpen his ability to read the game from the perimeter and make advanced passes – 18.9 assist percentage and a 16.7 turnover percentage according to 30 games in our database.
The New Castle, Delaware native is still searching for more ways to score in the half court – 14.8 points per 40 minutes on 48.8% from two-point range – but continuing to improve his jumper should open things up for him. Not the most vocal guard on the floor, Duval did have a tendency to fade in and out of scrimmages, but that's partially due to the nature of the camp.
On the defensive end Duval shows flashes of brilliance when the game got tight thanks to quick feet, strong frame, long arms and solid instincts. All in all Duval could still use some polish as a scorer, shooter and decision maker, but the groundwork is most certainly there for him to continuing to develop into a high-level lead guard prospect.
Paul Scruggs – PG/SG – 2017 – Uncommitted
If you put Scruggs next to Stephen Curry and ask a non-basketball follower who the two-time NBA MVP is, they would likely opt for the wide-shouldered, 6' 3.5” 200-pounder with a 6' 10” wingspan rather than Curry.
Scruggs is as physically impressive of a combo guard prospect as you'll find in the 2017 class, which directly translates to his defensive potential and ability to get into the paint at will once he gets downhill.
Defense figures to be Scruggs' initial calling card at the collegiate level, as he's strong and long enough to guard twos, yet has the quickness to guard ones when motivated. The Indianapolis native is also able to use that big body and quickness to get going downhill in transition, where he scored 1.297 points per possession in 12 games for the Indy Hoosiers 17U, as well as the half court. He changes speeds impressively for his size and is a load going to the rim as he doesn't shy away from contact, seen by his 57% conversion rate at the rim. Scruggs isn't overly explosive vertically but his power helps him make up for some of those limitations, at least at the high school level.
Aside from his physical profile, defensive potential and aggressive driving ability, Scruggs' game is still a work in progress. The key to maximizing his potential likely revolves around Scruggs' development as a shooter. While he has some touch and gets solid rotation on the ball, his lower body mechanics leave much to be desired and his confidence seems to waver a bit. Scruggs isn't a non-shooter by any means as he even shows flashes of crisp step backs going to his left, but the overall speed at which he gets to his jumper could use improvement as he tends to squat prior to his release.
Becoming a more dynamic shot-maker will also be aided by improving his handle, which can be a bit loose and rigid. He's not the most naturally shifty player and becoming tighter with the ball will allow him to get to the rim more frequently in the half court.
As a playmaker, Scruggs is more combo than lead guard right now. He can make the majority of basic passes and is unselfish in nature, but he's not quite an instinctual floor general and can do a better job finding a balance between over dribbling and killing his dribble too early. Scruggs can be a bit aloof as a decision maker – and in general – so it will be interesting to see if he can develop into a point guard in time or operate more as a physical, downhill slashing combo.
Even with some areas to work on, all in all there's a lot to like about Scruggs long term. He's a grown man physically, has tremendous defensive potential, sticks his nose in on the glass regularly, can get to the rim at will and shows potential as a shooter and playmaker. The 18-year-old should most certainly be considered a high major prospect and one worth tracking from an NBA perspective.