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Patrick Yates
07-12-2007, 12:57 PM
Rivals is reporting that Aminu (PF) and Woods (C) are committed to WFU. The aau teammates are both top 25 or so (with aminu being top 5).

This could be huge for WFU, their competition, and coaches accross the league.

First, Neener-Neener-Neener to UNC, on yet another miss. Suck on it holes. Probably. On the downside, this has to affect Ty Walker, the Wilminton player, a C, committed already to WFU. Maybe he comes anyway, but UNC was reportedly gaining fast when TW commited to WFU. It could be that TW now ends up at UNC, but that is groundless speculation on my part.

Second, this is a huge blow to Ga Tech. Aminu's less talented brother (hello, loss leader) is already at GT, and Hewitt's inability to corral the younger brother, from Techs back yard, as well as Woods, another talented Ga Player, has to hurt. Coupled with a bad year last year, and a horrible year to follow, that seat down in the ATL will start to get warm. That FF run is starting to look like a fluke more than a sign of the future.

Also, WFU will soon be a power. If all 3 commits hold up, WFU will be loaded in the post for the next 1-3 years. If WFU can get steady PG play, they could be a dominant team in the near future.

Congrats to WFU, and again, suck on it UNC.

Patrick Yates

houstondukie
07-12-2007, 03:45 PM
Think anyone is starting to panic down in Chapel Hill? Add Aminu to the list of near misses for UNC. Off the top of my head, the list already includes Samuels, Roe, Derozen, and Holiday.

From what I've read, Ty Walker can play the power forward position. In fact, his Boo Williams teammate Ed Davis usually plays down low, with Walker spending a lot of time in the high post.

happydays1949
07-12-2007, 03:53 PM
Prosser has got to learn defense, or Wake will never get to the promised land...even with high ranked ecruits.

JasonEvans
07-12-2007, 04:51 PM
Aminu, Walker, and Woods (Walker will not decommit-- where did that come from, PY?) give Wake their best class in many years. This is a huge haul for Prosser.

Of course, it is worth noting that it comes in a year in which the recuriting talent is waaay down from what it has been lately. I mean, Aminu is probably the only one of these kids who would have been even under consideration as a Mickie Dee in the 2007 class.

Still, a great class for Skip and these are guys who go well with Skip already has on board. Ismael Smith, LD Williams, and Anthony Gurley will all be juniors when these guys arrive on campus. Jeff Teague will be a soph. That's a nice nucleus. Wake could be a real challenger for the top-third of the ACC in a couple years.

-Jason "I find it kinda funny when PY gets all excited about Wake getting kids from a class that he keeps on putting down, but I understand it" Evans

snowdenscold
07-13-2007, 02:09 AM
That FF run is starting to look like a fluke more than a sign of the future.
Am I the only who thought it was a fluke during the 2004 season? Obviously not, since everyone took the Duke/UConn game as the de facto championship, and GaTech getting down by like a thousand points in the first half only cemented that idea.

I'm not really shocked at all at how things have turned out...

Patrick Yates
07-13-2007, 08:25 AM
Am I the only who thought it was a fluke during the 2004 season? Obviously not, since everyone took the Duke/UConn game as the de facto championship, and GaTech getting down by like a thousand points in the first half only cemented that idea.

I'm not really shocked at all at how things have turned out...

I think the run was surprising that year, but there was talent in the program, and most of that year's squad returned the next year, so there was at least optimism that the team was turning a corner. Also, Hewitt was, at the time, a hot, young coach who had proven that he could haul in recruits. That has not lead to any sustained winning.

When I said people are starting to realize it was a fluke, I am talking about Ga. Tech fans, not outsiders like us. If Hewitt doesn't start delivering more post season wins, that seat will get hot. I personally think that the Woods and Aminu misses are indicative that some players are starting to question whether or not Hewitt can field a winning team.

As for the Walker committ/waiver, that was POOMA (pulled out of my I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.). I am just thinking out loud that UNC rarely misses on a player in-state that they really go after. I know that UNC was late on Walker, but his committment to WFU means nothing until he signs a LOI.

You gotta think Ol' Roy is in panic mode as far as recruiting, cause he could/should suffer big personell losses this year. (If he wins a NC, not out of the question, fans will forgive a down year next year as a NC will probably lead to a big haul from a loaded 09 class). With all these misses, UNC will really put the press on Ed Davis, but UVA and Uconn will be tough outs. I gotta think Roy will turn the heat up on Walker, as an in state prospect, to flip on Skip and come to UNC. Roy will no doubt argue that the WFU front court will be crowded. I have no reason to think or know that Walker is flipping, but I would not be shocked if he did.

As for being excited about Wake pulling some recruits in a weak year, JE is right. Only Aminu would have made the McD's AA in 07, and probably wouldn't have made it in 06. That said, the three posts represent a huge upgrade for WFU over the last couple of years, and this year, which promises to be one of the worst in recent memory at WFU as they try to avoid being the worst team in the ACC. These three committs will not be world changers, unless they stick arround for 2-3 years as a group, but they are a huge upgrade for WFU. In fact, I cannot recall a program that has seen such a huge upgrade in talent, from truly awful to pretty good, in my life. Prosser hasn't had a good recruit since Paul left, and now he locks up 3 probable McD's AAs. Great day at Wake. (also saves Prosser's job because he can say wait till next year during a season where WFU will be horrendous). Next year WFU will be relevant in conference, and the year after, nationally.

Patrick Yates

ACCBBallFan
07-13-2007, 08:41 AM
Wake getting some good players is good for the ACC, and probably saved Skip Prosser's job.

Playing them was a lose-lose, if you win no big deal because you were supposed to and if you lose, big demerits.

Now the ACC games will be more competitive and winner has a true accomplishment. rather than a game where the only question was the over/under on margin of victory.

Indoor66
07-13-2007, 10:58 AM
As for being excited about Wake pulling some recruits in a weak year, JE is right.

All due respect, who the heck is JE in this quote? Please use names. :confused:

snowdenscold
07-13-2007, 11:53 AM
All due respect, who the heck is JE in this quote? Please use names. :confused:

Jason Evans.

JasonEvans
07-13-2007, 02:06 PM
As for the Walker committ/waiver, that was POOMA (pulled out of my I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.). I am just thinking out loud that UNC rarely misses on a player in-state that they really go after. I know that UNC was late on Walker, but his committment to WFU means nothing until he signs a LOI.

You gotta think Ol' Roy is in panic mode as far as recruiting, cause he could/should suffer big personell losses this year. (If he wins a NC, not out of the question, fans will forgive a down year next year as a NC will probably lead to a big haul from a loaded 09 class). With all these misses, UNC will really put the press on Ed Davis, but UVA and Uconn will be tough outs. I gotta think Roy will turn the heat up on Walker, as an in state prospect, to flip on Skip and come to UNC. Roy will no doubt argue that the WFU front court will be crowded. I have no reason to think or know that Walker is flipping, but I would not be shocked if he did.


First of all, Roy may be a lot of things we do not like but I don't think he would continue to recruit, even secretly recruit, a kid who had committed to Wake. I know some folks think UNC did this with Ron Curry but Curry always indicated that his committment to UVA was "soft."

Secondly, I am not sure where this notion comes from that UNC is going into panic mode when it comes to recruiting and that the team will be waaay down in 2008-09.

It is true that Carolina got no one last year and seems like they may only get a couple kids this year (they already have Larry Drew Jr as insurance in case Lawson leaves). To have back-to-back classes with so few recruits is troubling because it creastes experience gaps down the road. In other words, even if they load up on the 2009 class, they don't have any upperclassmen to really lead those kids and teach them the ropes.

Still, I think it is waaay premature to burry Carolina in 08-09.

Lawson is gone after this year, unless he has a really bad season. but aside from him, I think it is reasonable to expect them to bring the rest of the team back. Hasbro seems more and like a 4-year player and has begun talking that way in interviews. Ellington is going to have to show me a lot more before I am convinced he would have the kind of draft stock that would demand his departure.

But even taking Ellington and Hasbo out of the mix, Green, Thompson, Frasor, Ginyard, and Stephenson would all be seniors in 08-09. Those guys are not that bad and they would be extremely experienced. And that is Carolina's worst-case scenario.

I agree that those guys would not be ACC champs, but I think they would have a decent chance at making the NCAA tourney. Again, that is their worst-case scenario, IMHO.

-Jason "still, it is nice to see the Tarheels miss out on so many desireable recruits-- especially to lose out on in-state kids" Evans

Patrick Yates
07-13-2007, 03:20 PM
Jason, you are right about that group of UNC players not being bad, but not being real threats to win the ACC either. From a UNC fans POV, that is sky is falling type stuff.

Many on this board (me first and foremost) whine like all get out when Duke is not an elite team. As virtually every media site has pointed out, many teams would love to occaisionally have a year as good as Duke had last year, when Duke had a very down year by our standards.

Roy has heard yelps about his recruiting in the past. Sure, last year's class was good, but they didn't even make the FF. UNC fans, like us, are never content to merely be happy with what we have. We always keep a wary eye on the horizon.

As for going after Walker, you are right. I doubt Roy would call. But it would be the easies thing in the world to make sure that Walker saw you at any of the myriad of events this summer. Enough so that Walker would know that Roy was available should Walker want to talk. And if Walker called Roy first, well, that's not really wrong, is it. Again, POOMA. I just cannot remember UNC missing on a kid, in-state, at a position where there is sbstantial (potential) need.

Patrick Yates

sandinmyshoes
07-13-2007, 04:21 PM
UNC was very late on Walker and seemed uncertain even to the point that the kid picked Wake.

As for their misses, with guys like Davis, Zeller, Shumpert and others still on the table, I refuse to celebrate too early. They could get just two more guys to go with that Drew kid, and then rack up on the more talented '09 class and hopes of UNC slipping would evaporate. Who needs to set themselves up for that?

But for Wake, this is a nice haul. I've also been told that from one IC story there was a hint that Elliot might be leaning to UVA. Supposedly it was from a Davis story. If Davis and Elliot went to UVA, along with UNC and Duke whiffing on some prospects, it could create quite a shift in the power dynamics of the conference. Not that Duke or UNC would go slide away, but the other programs would have a chance at drawing even, or better.

ACCBBallFan
07-18-2007, 01:51 PM
Did not realize this until I read it on Mummy's article linked on Front Page

"Wake Forest currently has 12 scholarship players on its basketball roster, one short of the limit. None are seniors, meaning that with three freshmen joining the team in the fall of 2008, the Deacons would be two players over the maximum.

So, something would have to give."

cato
07-18-2007, 02:05 PM
I just cannot remember UNC missing on a kid, in-state, at a position where there is sbstantial (potential) need.


What about Shav? IIRC, the Heels hadn't landed anyone up front when Shav chose Duke over State and Carolina.

Patrick Yates
07-18-2007, 02:50 PM
Keep in mind that Shav decided during the Doherty Collapse, thus making UNC temporarily unattractive (the speculation as to the length of Doh's tenure began). Also, the same year that Shav Decided, UNC brought in Sean May. I think May decided before Shav. But, basically, it worked out OK for UNC.

But, fair point about Shav.

Patrick Yates

sandinmyshoes
07-18-2007, 04:53 PM
Well, according to a link sent to me by a UNC "friend", they just landed Ed Davis. :mad:

That's what happens when you get your hopes up.

houstondukie
07-18-2007, 05:26 PM
Did not realize this until I read it on Mummy's article linked on Front Page

"Wake Forest currently has 12 scholarship players on its basketball roster, one short of the limit. None are seniors, meaning that with three freshmen joining the team in the fall of 2008, the Deacons would be two players over the maximum.

So, something would have to give."

The Mummy article is wrong. The Deacs have 11 scholarship players after Kevin Swinton, Shamaine Dukes, and Casey Crawford transferred this offseason (Mike Drum and Kyle Visser graduated). That gives them 2 scholarships to give to their 3 recruits. However, even though Wake has no seniors, Cameron Stanley (RS Jr)is expected to graduate after this season and forgoe what would of been his RS Sr. yr.