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mat1992

Mid-year update on recruits

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What can I say. This is the most difficult time I've ever head in finding stats or info on our recruits. We signed three for the early signing period in F Chris Biekeu (6-7, 210), G Cory Barnes Jr. (6-1, 185), and wing Darrick Jones Jr. (6-5, 200). Biekeu is No. 22 in these highlights below. Long and athletic. The competition looks scary bad. Biekeu is coming in with two years left, so he's a two-year college player. So much for my misconception that he could redshirt. I mean he could, but most likely, he's going to play. He should be physically ready, but the competition will be so much more difficult. From college juco in Canada to D1 hoops. I've already posted some videos of Darrick Jones. My assumption after watching how talented that team is, that he's probably the 4th or 5th option on a squad with a lot of high D1 players. Bottom line is that I think our last ship goes to a grad transfer who can help right away. Preferably a guard or combo forward who can score off the dribble. Or even a four-man who can score. 

https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/archbishop-carroll-lions-(washington,dc)/basketball/stats.htm

 

Barnes is only averaging around 8.5ppg for Carroll HS in D.C. Barnes wears No. 2.

 

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So looking at next year's lineup again assuming this is who we have coming back and coming in. Of course, if the best lineup has Betrand at the 3 and Timberlake at the 2, they'll go there. 

PG Gibson, Dottin

SG Betrand, Timberlake, Barnes

SF Demetrius Mims, Darrick Jones

PF Gray, Solomon, Biekeu

C Victor, C. Thompson

While I haven't seem much of Mims in practice, let's not forget the potential he showed at Poly before heading out West. Mims wore No. 1

 

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Verbalcommits.com lists Biekeu as a HS senior. There is some difference between the Canadian & U.S. educational systems. I’m not saying you’re wrong, just wondering if he might have more than 2 years of eligibility.

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Verbal Commits has been wrong in the past. The roster here says he's a second-year player at Vanier College. I think they have three-year guys, though again, it's not a typical juco in Canada. Could he have more than two years? I guess. Assuming he didn't play in his first season but I think he did.

https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/athletics/division-1-men-improve-to-13-0-after-clutch-win/

https://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/athletics/teams/men/basketball-division-1/2019-20-mens-division-1-basketball-cheetahs/2019-20-mens-div-1-basketball-roster/

About Us
Vanier College sponsors a wide range of intercollegiate teams that provide high-calibre competition for skilled athletes. The Cheetahs represent Vanier College in the following ten varsity sports:

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Barnes is 2-15 on the season shooting 3’s, though he does shoot 60% (48-80) on 2-point shots. 

Would be nice to know Jones’ stats, but I can’t find them online.

 


 

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10 minutes ago, TSU88 said:

Barnes is 2-15 on the season shooting 3’s, though he does shoot 60% (48-80) on 2-point shots. 

Would be nice to know Jones’ stats, but I can’t find them online.

 


 

They have the first seven games for Jones and he was struggling from three. I think they've played a college-type schedule, so I know it's close to 30 games if not more. But I doubt he's putting up big numbers on that team and sure, he's going to have to work on his three-point shot along with Barnes. Fortunately, we have Mims coming in so Jones won't have to start. Not saying he can't shoot the three, because he shot 44% in limited time in his first season.

My guess is Barnes is a combo guard that is physically ready and probably similar to Dottin. Good defender and who knows about the rest. A rotation player most likely down the road. He might play if they move Betrand to the 3, but my assumption is he won't his first year. We're not going to have a 13-man rotation. Hopefully, though, we have at least 12 players on ship that are active and not hurt/redshirt/leave the team in middle of the year.

https://phenomhoopreport.com/commitment-alert-2020-darrick-jones-on-the-same-page-with-towson-coaches/

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FWIW, I’m not sure how accurate the Maxpreps website stats are on Barnes. They say he’s scored 177 points on the season, on 48 made 2’s (96 points); 2 made 3’s (6 points) and 30 made foul shots. That would only add up to 132 points, not 177 🤷‍♂️

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Assuming the last ship goes to a JUCO or grad transfer (as opposed to a sit one transfer) that guy better have a scoring pedigree, regardless of what position he plays. We’re losing our leading scorer off this years team and, let’s face it, when it comes to scoring, we don’t know what we’re getting at the D1 level from any of the 5 newcomers next season (Biekeu, Barnes, Jones, Mims & Victor U). 

This also assumes no one transfers out after this season. In the last several years we’ve had 6 guys, for various reasons, transfer (ZM, Gorham, Matthews, Prophete, Drayton & Selcuk). That doesn’t count the kids who quit (Ingram) or were kicked off (Howard & Morman) or the guys who didn’t finish out the season due to basketball or non-basketball injuries (Davis, Solomon U and now possibly Gray)
 

 

 

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3 hours ago, TSU88 said:

Assuming the last ship goes to a JUCO or grad transfer (as opposed to a sit one transfer) that guy better have a scoring pedigree, regardless of what position he plays. We’re losing our leading scorer off this years team and, let’s face it, when it comes to scoring, we don’t know what we’re getting at the D1 level from any of the 5 newcomers next season (Biekeu, Barnes, Jones, Mims & Victor U). 

This also assumes no one transfers out after this season. In the last several years we’ve had 6 guys, for various reasons, transfer (ZM, Gorham, Matthews, Prophete, Drayton & Selcuk). That doesn’t count the kids who quit (Ingram) or were kicked off (Howard & Morman) or the guys who didn’t finish out the season due to basketball or non-basketball injuries (Davis, Solomon U and now possibly Gray)
 

 

 

Interesting as some other poster would say. Of course, somebody will likely transfer out this season. It's not like we're the only school that has players entering the transfer portal. This is an epidemic across the country. But there was one year where a key guy transferred out that wasn't shall we say pushed away and that was Zane. So this entire board is worried about every key player leaving. If it happens, it happens. That's why recruiting is year-round. Instead of just working on 2021, they are also working on 2020. Most mid-majors do. High majors do as well because guys f-ing leave either to the NBA or to the transfer portal. It's just part of the game. Does anybody really care about who left the program? Most were a non-contributor, underachieved or was a non-contributor at their transfer school because they shot for the moon (JG). 

Ingram was a different issue due to some personal circumstances. He actually wanted to return, but we moved on. 

As for scoring, when Zane left, didn't we pick up Brian Fobbs? The problem was we were depending on Jordan McNeill to step up and several freshmen who weren't ready. Of course, PS knows we need a scorer, but what about Mims? Can he score like Fobbs? He was never given a chance at Long Beach. But I don't think he can create his own shot. He can shoot the three. That's pretty much all I've seen from him. Even at Long Beach, he took just 6 threes, but made three of them. We do need more than a shooter, but a shot creator. Darrick Jones might be really good, how the hell we do we know? If you watch his videos and I guess I was the only one that watched that ESPN game, he was sitting there watching Cam Thomas shoot pretty much every shot. Thomas is a 5* going to LSU and might be one-and-done.

So to me, it's all about Mims playing the 3. Fobbs is not irreplaceable just like Zane wasn't. Not saying we didn't miss his 20ppg. But was he a winner? A defender? A passer? An efficient scorer? A clutch player? Maybe he's learning how to be one at New Mexico. He definitely had talent. Though I just checked his numbers again and he's struggling from the three-point line.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4067320/zane-martin

I tend to see next year as glass-half-full, even if this class is shall we say, "iffy"? Because we don't know what we're getting, especially in Biekeu and Jones. Mims didn't play at Long Beach and Victor didn't play at USC. But again, what are we losing on offense other than Fobbs? Do you think we can replace Dennis Tunstall's incredible 4.4 points per game? Juwan Gray, in a down year, averaged 7.0 points per game off the bench. Is it possible he can average 10ppg as a starter? Sure, you might be missing out on DT's rebounding and paint D, but Victor will make up for that.

And what about Victor? He's replacing Sanders' 9ppg and 6.5rpg. Maybe he will match that, but let's say he averages 8ppg, 6rpg and 2bpg. But what if Charles Thompson improves his game and averages 6ppg and 5rpg off the bench, assuming he plays around 15-20mpg at the 5 and 4. Needs a whole summer to work on that shot, but he'll put on 10 pounds of muscle and will hold his own in the paint. Solomon could be the X-factor because he has potential as a scorer and is a good athlete. 

I could talk all day about next season but for the upteenth time, do you know who holds it together and gives us a bright future? Jason Gibson. He's averaging 8ppg. Put another 10 pounds on him and with a summer of getting stronger, he'll start finishing those drives to the rim. He'll get a tad more athletic. Do you realize since conference play started, Jason Gibson is shooting 42% from beyond the arc in 14 games. He's averaging 9.3 points and shooting 87.1% from the line. That's freaking impressive considering he had that rough patch in conference play for about seven games and went scoreless in three straight. Most freshmen hit the wall later; he hit his in December. I can easily see him average 12ppg and here's a kid I thought would average ultimately 4-5 assists per game, but he's more of a scorer than I thought. But he can be a playmaker as well and make guys better. Is there a correlation with this offense since Gibson became a starter and began playing close to 30 minutes a game? Yes there is. As long as we have him, he'll help Betrand, Mims and hopefull Timberlake. Even Darrick Jones, assuming we run more.

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I wonder if Gorham had to do it over again if he would transfer to Houston, where he’s averaging 3.4 ppg. Anyway, water under the bridge. Martin is averaging 11ppg at New Mexico, but that needs to be put in context-he was coming off the bench until the Lobo’s lost 4 players to a combo of injuries & suspensions. It was only at that point that his minutes & scoring avg went up. 

None of the recent transfers are setting the world on fire. JJ Matthews’ numbers are meh-8.6 ppg & 4 rpg 
 

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