Assuming three schollies for '07????

[ColumbiaHeightsHoya]

Who are our top priorities? Not by position, but by player. Assuming we don't get Crews and if Jeff were to go pro after his Junior year (toes & fingers crossed), then who would we want?

[prhoya]

Good question... I don't follow recruiting that closely, but a top 5 point guard should be among the priorities. Sorry, but I don't have a name.

[PopeJohn2]

vaughn, mclain and popejohn2

[RBHoya]

Freeman, Wright, McClain and Hickson are probably the top priorities. There are some other wings who may be priorities as well. McClain is a very high priority because we need to bring along a center to replace Big Roy when the time comes, and McClain is a great fit for that role. He can spend one year as Roy's backup, and then move into the starting 5 spot as a Soph.

Wright and Freeman are high on the priority list because they're both local and both top notch players. JerseyHoya refers to them as "Franchise guards". I'd say we're the leader for McClain, but probably fighting an uphill battle for Wright and Freeman, but still very much in the race.

Hickson would be great if we find out Jeff or Vernon is leaving after '06, which is very possible. He's about 6'8 and very athletic. Would be a great fit at 4 IMO, but will be tough to land because there are a ton of teams recruiting him and no clear leader for now. The down side with him, also, is that if we landed him it would really hurt our chances with '08 recruit Chris Braswell who is a top 10 type player in his class and also a local, who we obviously would love to land.

My guess is that we'll take a Center to replace Roy (McClain, hopefully) and the best guard we can get (Freeman?), and then just use the last scholarship on BPA, reevaluating needs at the end of this season when we have a better idea what'll happen with Jeff.

[HoyaChris]

I think it is unlikely that Jeff will leave after this season. I anticipate that his eventual role will be as a pro power frward, and he will need to demonstrate a wider collection of low post moves to be ready to move up to the next level. Consequently, I see us looking to sign a center (McClain) and a guard.

[nychoya3]

At the very least, we have to plan for Jeff leaving after this season. He's likely to go through the process of assessing his position. You watched Jeff last year, I assume. Look at the other draft eligible players on Draftexpress.com and find me 15 you really think will be better pros. It's tough to do. He's not a finished product by a longshot, but he's a hell of a basketball player who can still get way better. Even without him, we'll be fine for 2006 assuming Macklin is as good as advertised and can start right away. The nature of the beast nowadays is you have to constantly be reloading if you want to stay consistently strong.

[HoyaChris]

We will obviously plan for the contingency that Jeff might leave, but you can't (or at least shouldn't) give out a scholarship until it is available. As to how good he wll be as a pro, I think he will be awesome but he's not there yet.

[idhoya]

I think Biggie is alot better than people think. He's already ranked top 100 and is better than Roy at the same stage, from what I've heard. I think Freeman and Wright are the other two we're hot on. Vaughn don't know much about. Braswell is a kid that we need to get and may have an inside track on. Don't forget about riser Andrian Bowie.

[theEDGEfactor]

can every1 tell me who biggie is?

[idhoya]

McLain-because his 7'0 and facially resembles Christopher Wallace.

[SFHoya99]

Some thoughts:

1) Biggie is Anthony McClain, a 7' at National Christian Academy (Sapp's school) who has expressed that GU is his leader.

2) We will more than likely have three scholarships for '07. Remember, if Jeff leaves after THIS year, the scholarship would have been available for the Macklin, Rivers, Summers class. All Jeff has to do to open up an '07 scholarship is leave after his Junior year. Or have Macklin be a one and done. Or have a player transfer for any reason over the next two years.

[theEDGEfactor]

ok i thot so, ya i would luv 2 have him and i heard that he possessed great skills than roy (LAST YEAR)

[JohnJacquesLayup]

Julian Vaughn! Trust the South Lakes products! We all remember what happened last time . . . some guy who stayed four years at Duke and ended up in Sprite commercials.

[nychoya3]

Vaugn has a really bad case of ACC-itis. Possibly incurable. So bad in fact that NC State is considered his leader.

[JohnJacquesLayup]

Ouch. But I'll be at a couple Seahawks games this winter with my GU gear on to try and sway his decision.

South Lakes produced Michael Jackson though, so there's some vague connection there. But G. Hill did go to the ACC obviously. Dennis Scott was from Reston as well but went to Flint Hill, where'd he go to college?

[SFHoya99]

Georgia Tech.

[RBHoya]

johnjacqueslayup said:

Julian Vaughn! Trust the South Lakes products! We all remember what happened last time . . . some guy who stayed four years at Duke and ended up in Sprite commercials.

I don't think we're particularly high on Vaughns list, and I've also heard some rumors that he is an extremely selfish player and "not somebody we'd want any part of", though I really don't know for myself and this is just hearsay.

Braswell is still Target #A1 as far the frontcourt goes, it's just a matter of trying to make sure we have enough depth at the 4 spot to last us until 2008. If Jeff stays 4 years or Vernon stays two we'll probably be fine, with Dajuan and/or PE Jr. spending minutes at 4 if necessary, but if both go to the league early, it could be bad news. I wouldn't be surprised if someone who can play the 4 was brought in in the '07 class, someone who can hold the position down if necessary but who wouldn't be someone that Braswell would look at and decide he oughta go elsewhere (which Hickson might be).