2014 Basketball Recruiting thread

[superdave]

I'd be ok with Looney, Okafor and Jones since we have some depth at the 3. But I hope the coaches stay after Winslow until the end. These things can be pretty fluid.

[wilko]

Maybe just that we should lighten up while we still can.

edit: see I was beaten to the punch here--possibly I let the sound of my own wheels drive me crazy.

Oh my lord, I think we need some girls in flat-bed Ford.

[AAA1980]

Taking a cue from Jones and Okafor, Justice Winslow and Stanley Johnson are talking about trying to play at the same school. Duke is in the mix, but it seems like they are leaning elsewhere...



-Jason "I thought we were doing well with Winslow, seems like we might be lower on his list than previously thought" Evans

Thats a weird combo deal consdiering they both have similliar games at the same position

[devildeac]

Oh my lord, I think we need some girls in flat-bed Ford.

Slowing down to take a look at me.

[jimsumner]

Seems like Johnson is talking about it. Winslow, only hearsay, inadmissible in court.

The Jones/Okafor/player-to-be-named-later package deal has had a curious life. At first, Theo Pinson was the putative third wheel. Then it was Cliff Alexander, then Winslow, now maybe Looney.

In other words, Jones and Okafor might be a package deal. But as a package deal, I suspect it stops at those two. Any others will be making independent decisions that may or may not coincide with those of Jones and Okafor.

[ricks68]

The big question that no one has yet to ask is: How many times have decently ranked players ever gone to a school as a "true" package deal (other than brothers)?



ricks

[BD80]

The big question that no one has yet to ask is: How many times have decently ranked players ever gone to a school as a "true" package deal (other than brothers)?



ricks

Ivan Renko committed to IU as part of a package deal way back before such things even existed. Can't remember the other kid's name, but he was about 6'11" and could dribble and shoot like a guard.

[BlueDevilBrowns]

The big question that no one has yet to ask is: How many times have decently ranked players ever gone to a school as a "true" package deal (other than brothers)?



ricks

I could be wrong, but I think Mike Conley and Greg Oden were a "package" at Ohio State.

[jimsumner]

The big question that no one has yet to ask is: How many times have decently ranked players ever gone to a school as a "true" package deal (other than brothers)?



ricks

Because there's no answer? It does happen. I believe Greg Oden and Mike Conley might qualify. Paul Westphal convinced some fellow California prepsters to go with him to Southern Cal and end UCLA's dynasty. A worthy but futile effort. I believe some of Lucas-Havlicek-Nowell-Sigfried wanted to go to OSU together. Is that a package deal?

The problem is defining the term. Lowe and Whittenberg were high-school teammates. Were they a package deal? Were Bill Walton and Greg Lee? Lots of guys know each other from high school, especially in today's AAU culture and they talk about playing together all the time. In numerous combinations. Most don't. Some do. How many of the latter group are package deals? What does it actually mean? Is it a package deal when a group decides to attend a specific school? Or only when they determine before hand that they will all go to the same school, they just don't know what it is?

I keep thinking back to that Kevin Love-Kyle Singler package deal we heard so much about. Turns out Love was the one talking about it. Singler was never interested.

Jones and Okafor seem sincere. They've been pretty consistent over a decent period of time, so this may be the rare example that's not an innocent flirtation.

The term "package deal" in this context just seems so inexact.

My two cents.

[roywhite]

Ivan Renko committed to IU as part of a package deal way back before such things even existed. Can't remember the other kid's name, but he was about 6'11" and could dribble and shoot like a guard.

Yeah, and don't forget the package deal that Western University pulled off with the class of Neon Bordeaux, Butch McRae, and Ricky Roe.

[gam7]

The problem is defining the term. Lowe and Whittenberg were high-school teammates. Were they a package deal? Were Bill Walton and Greg Lee? Lots of guys know each other from high school, especially in today's AAU culture and they talk about playing together all the time. In numerous combinations. Most don't. Some do. How many of the latter group are package deals? What does it actually mean? Is it a package deal when a group decides to attend a specific school? Or only when they determine before hand that they will all go to the same school, they just don't know what it is?


My two cents.

Greg Lee is a great guy. He was my tennis coach for a while when I was growing up in San Diego. My regular court (where Greg coached) was at Bill Walton's house. Bill would stop by occasionally to watch. Fun times.

[bradvinjack]

The big question that no one has yet to ask is: How many times have decently ranked players ever gone to a school as a "true" package deal (other than brothers)?



ricks

Not sure but I believe Quincy Miller and Duece Bello to Baylor a couple of years ago was a package deal.

[jimsumner]

Greg Lee is a great guy. He was my tennis coach for a while when I was growing up in San Diego. My regular court (where Greg coached) was at Bill Walton's house. Bill would stop by occasionally to watch. Fun times.

Bucky Waters recruited both Lee and Walton for Duke. Both visited, at the same time, IIRC. Not sure if either was ever going to leave the Left Coast. But still.

Waters also was close-but-no-cigar on David Thompson, John Lucas, Mitch Kupchak, Brian Taylor and others. Whatever his faults, you can't say Waters didn't aim high.

[UrinalCake]

Yeah, and don't forget the package deal that Western University pulled off with the class of Neon Bordeaux, Butch McRae, and Ricky Roe.

Blue Chips was and is one of my favorite movies... but even in that fictional realm, I think that was more a case of multiple players choosing a school independently. That happens all the time, and may happen in 2014, but doesn't necessarily constitute a "package." As others have stated, the definition of a package is somewhat arbitrary. The top high school players now all seem to know each other for the most part, and I'm sure they think and talk all the time about playing together at the next level.

[MCFinARL]

Because there's no answer? It does happen. I believe Greg Oden and Mike Conley might qualify. Paul Westphal convinced some fellow California prepsters to go with him to Southern Cal and end UCLA's dynasty. A worthy but futile effort. I believe some of Lucas-Havlicek-Nowell-Sigfried wanted to go to OSU together. Is that a package deal?

The problem is defining the term. Lowe and Whittenberg were high-school teammates. Were they a package deal? Were Bill Walton and Greg Lee? Lots of guys know each other from high school, especially in today's AAU culture and they talk about playing together all the time. In numerous combinations. Most don't. Some do. How many of the latter group are package deals? What does it actually mean? Is it a package deal when a group decides to attend a specific school? Or only when they determine before hand that they will all go to the same school, they just don't know what it is?

I keep thinking back to that Kevin Love-Kyle Singler package deal we heard so much about. Turns out Love was the one talking about it. Singler was never interested.

Jones and Okafor seem sincere. They've been pretty consistent over a decent period of time, so this may be the rare example that's not an innocent flirtation.

The term "package deal" in this context just seems so inexact.

My two cents.

I think David Thompson and Monte Towe might qualify as well--although you are right that the term is hard to pin down. If "package deal" means the players absolutely will not go to a school unless the other one goes too, then package deals are probably rare as hens' teeth.

[superdave]

A twist on the "package deal" scenario, OJ Mayo told Tim Floyd "I'll take care of it [recruiting]".

Not sure who he actually brought along with him, besides Davin Jefferson who averaged 12 and 6 as a freshman, went pro, and is now in Europe.

The rest, as they say, is sanctions...

[BD80]

Well, when Eddie Sutton was at UK, there were plenty of FedEx "package deals"

[Class of '94]

Saw this on espn.com this afternoon about Dante: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...llege-december .

Don't know how serious Duke was in recruiting him and if the fact that is father played for UNC hurt Duke's chances with him; but he listed his 5 finalists in the article as IN, KY< UNC, OR, and MI. All 5 schools are good schools; but I was surprised to see that Oregon and Michigan made the cut for his final 5.

Does anyone have any thoughts on his final 5 list and where how interested Duke was in him?

[JasonEvans]

Saw this on espn.com this afternoon about Dante: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...llege-december .

Don't know how serious Duke was in recruiting him and if the fact that is father played for UNC hurt Duke's chances with him; but he listed his 5 finalists in the article as IN, KY< UNC, OR, and MI. All 5 schools are good schools; but I was surprised to see that Oregon and Michigan made the cut for his final 5.

Does anyone have any thoughts on his final 5 list and where how interested Duke was in him?

There was a good bit of chatter about Exum a month or so ago when we first started hearing that he might play in December. The idea at the time was that he could look at how teams were doing in December and pick a program that seemed to be in national title contention but just needed one more piece to put them over the top... and he could be that piece. The thread I linked above discusses this a bit more.

Anyway, I am glad to hear he is not going to do that, as it felt all kinds of strange. Personally, I think he will see what his draft stock looks like and, if it appears he is a likely lottery pick, he will turn pro and not go to college at all.

--Jason "I don't think Duke ever recruited him in any meaningful way" Evans

[Olympic Fan]

I think David Thompson and Monte Towe might qualify as well--although you are right that the term is hard to pin down. If "package deal" means the players absolutely will not go to a school unless the other one goes too, then package deals are probably rare as hens' teeth.

Don't see Thompson and Towe as a package deal ... they didn't know each other before arriving in Raleigh. That was before the AAU circuit and a kid from western North Carolina and a kid from Indiana would have had little opportunity to know each other. They just happened to be in the same class (along with future Orioles' pitcher Tim Stoddard).

There WAS a connection between Thompson and Tommy Burleson. They got to know each other playing high school basketball against each other. At the time, most North Carolina high schools played in the state association, based in Chapel Hill (the director, Simon Terrell's wife was Dean Smith's personal secretary). A few dozen schools belonged to the Western Association. It was a smaller group and that allowed Thompson and Burleson to get to know -- and like -- each other. They talked about playing together in college -- although they never had a package deal. Burleson was one year older and it did help State when he committed. But Eddie Biedenback still had to move heaven and earth to get DT away from UNC.

Towe was an unknown prospect from Converse, Ind. Norm Sloan learned of him from former Wolfpack star Doug Dickey. But when Sloan found out that Towe was 5-7, he refused to recruit him. His famous quote was that "It's Florida State that has the circus, not us." But Dickey persisted and got under Sloan's skin by reminding him that Sloan had ignored his tip on John Mengelt, another unknown Indiana kid who was an All-American at Auburn. If there had been recruiting class limits at the time, Sloan never would have taken Towe ... but he ended up signing seven guys in the Thompson-Towe-Stoddard class.

One ACC package deal that I know of was Jeff Lamp and Lee Raker of Virginia... Terry Holland hired their prep coach to get them. I've seen a lot of package deals fall apart ... not too many have worked out. I think there is a good chance that Jones and Okafor follow through ... not too sure about Johnson-Winslow.

PS -- Jim, you are right about Bucky having a lot of near misses. He always said that if Walton had not gone to UCLA, he would have gone to Duke ... but added that there was never any real chance that he wasn't going to UCLA. But I wouldn't count John Lucas. Neither Bucky nor Dean thought much of the Hillside star. Both made token recruiting efforts becaise he was a local star, but neither wanted him.