Duke Crews or Lithuanian Player?

[hoyarooter]

Way back on page 5 of the board is the thread about the Lithuanian player who joined Rudy Gay and Kevin Durrant on the all-tournament team for the junior world championships. He will supposedly be visiting GU this month.

There is much love being given to Duke Crews on the board, but my question is, who would be a better fit for our team, Crews or the Lithuanian kid, who, depending on reports, goes between 6'9" and 6'11"? I'm not sure anyone can answer this, but a kid who can make that all tournament team must have a pretty high level of skills.

Any comments?

[GUHoya07]

I'd like to hear some more about this kid before I make an answer like that. However, I think people are putting way too much emphasis on height. who really cares about a couple of inches. 6'7" is plenty to be a very good PF in the Big East and I dont mind a slightly shorter guy as long as he plays hard and is skilled. I've seen plenty of undersized guys who have been great players even though everybody doubted them coming out of high school.

I also remember people questioning Jeff Green's height before he got here. He has grown since then as well, but I remember reports on his height being anywhere from 6'6"-6'8" and people saying that he'd have to develop into a SF in order to play in the Big East. Basically, if Crews wants to committ we have to take him, he's just too skilled to pass up.

[nychoya3]

Crews is 6'7'', and he has a huge wingspan. He's also a great athlete. I don't think size is really an issue in college for him. Moreover, he could well be a McD's all-american.

Lots of skilled foreigners haven't panned out in the rougher, more defensively oriented style of US basketball, and that tendency is magnified in the BE. Like you said, the other guy is a total unknown, so it's POSSIBLE that he's the real deal. More likely, based on the other schools interested, he's a project. Crews is a monster, and if he wants to come, we're taking him.

[SirSaxa]

It seems we know more about Crews and he is very highly rated. The teams pursuing him are among the top programs in America. In addition, he is close friends with Macklin and it appears that AI is helping on this one too. IF all that is the case, we can't pull the plug on this kid to pursue someone else -- especially a European dude.

Finally, I really like the idea of solidifying our base in the DC/Balto/MD/VA areas. And getting ANOTHER studdly dude from Hampton --- WOW!

Now if we DON'T get Crews... well, OK, maybe the Lithuanian dude is the truth.

I am sure JT3 is way ahead of all of us on this. Given the job he and the staff are doing, leave it all in their hands and say "THANK YOU"!

[prhoya]

I agree with you all on all points made (toughness of BE, Macklin-AI-Crews connetion, height vs. skills, solid recruiting in the DC area, etc...).

But, I have to add that I followed the world championships and the kid is a very good player with skills. It seems to me that European teams had more height than American (and I mean all the Americas) teams. A player with the height and the European-style game of passing and finding the open player could easily fit the PrinceTown offense.

I'll trust JTIII's call.

[SFHoya99]

Can we lose here?

Crews is old-school Hoya -- athletic, defensive-minded and cleans the glass. Perry mcDonald and Anthony Glover were shorter. 'Nuff said. What he might lack in offensive polish the staff will teach,

International Players are a crapshoot, regardless of All-tournament teams. But I trust in our staff's evaluation skills (Jon Wallace). A European-Style center if obviously a fit for our offense, but that is only 50% of the game!

And if we whiff on both, we've got a lot of big interest in '07 as well.

[SirSaxa]

prhoya said:

A player with the height and the European-style game of passing and finding the open player could easily fit the PrinceTown offense.

Yes, I agree with that. But in this case, given the pre-existing circumstances, sticking with Crews is the better option, IMHO.

[prhoya]

SirSaxa Thompson III?!

[theEDGEfactor]

Yeah, i think of Crews as an Ike Diogu, but with more hops. Ike is only 6'7 but a huge wingspan. He got a couple more pounds, but he played center somewhat at 6'7 in the pac10. I would take Crews, and if we whiff on him (which i dont see us doing), i would want bawinkel next. We need that combo guard, and he would be perfect. He could play the 1,2,3. Then if we whiff on both, try to get the Euro. I think McClaine is destined for Gtown in 07, so i dont really wana see us get 2 centers back to back years who are fairly good because one of them wont get as much playing time with them being behind Roy, and one would likely transfer.