Last Two Scholarships

[UNTLifer]

Jamaal Trice

Originally siged with UConn.

Niko Stojiljkovio

Philip Jurick

Lorenzo Freeman

[untgeorge]

Jamaal Trice

Originally siged with UConn.

Niko Stojiljkovio

Philip Jurick

Lorenzo Freeman

no to Trice, we need size.

Yes to the other three.

[UNTLifer]

no to Trice, we need size.

Yes to the other three.

I agree, but Trice was a UConn signee that transfered to Midland this year. Midland has historically had great teams and are ranked #3 this year heading to the national tournament. He is an outstanding player and would fill Shorter's role as that glue guy everyone loves to have while providing leadership to what is going to be a young squad.

Midland Reporter Telegram article on Trice

[Censored by Laurie]

We need a guard and a big, so I'd be OK with going after Trice.

Jurick is the second leading JUCO rebounder in the country...send an offer, but let's look down that offer list and be serious.

Freeman averaged 7.8ppg (5th on team), 6.0rpg (3rd on team)...Alonzo Edwards-like numbers. I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

Stojiljkovic wasn't much better than Freeman, 9.2ppg (4th), 6.3rpg (1st...wow). Also, at 6'10" he had 5 blocks...

If we're just doing a Rivals JUCO search wish-list, the names that stand out to me are Kader Tapsoba at Tyler and Cheikh Mbodji at Graeyson.

Tapsoba - 6'10" from Burkina Faso, 6.7ppg (7th), 8.0rpb (1st), and 104 blocks, 3.5bpg (4th in country)...think of adding Jeffery Simpson to next year's team.

Mbodji - 6'10" from Senegal, 14.7ppg (1st), 7.3rpg (1st), 68 blocks (1st)...and he can step back and knock down the occassional 3 (10-31, 32%)...think of adding a taller Michael DeGrate to next year's team

[untgeorge]

we need two bigs. Or three.

[Marty]

How about Hondo Webb, a 6'2" 215 lb. PG from 2A Melissa? Averaged 13.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists during the regular season. In leading his top ranked team to the 2A semi-finals, he averaged 13.4 points and almost 15 rebounds per game during their playoff run. Plays AAU ball for Triumph Select Gold. I've watched this kid play since his freshman year, he makes everyone around him a better player. Great basketball sense and incredible vision. Last I heard, was getting looks from UA-LR, Louisiana-Lafayette,& Colorado St.

[Censored by Laurie]

we need two bigs. Or three.

Not unless 1 or 2 on the current roster or recruiting class don't make it.

Backcourt (1-2-3 spots) next year:

Alzee Williams

Trey Norris

Chris Jones

Brandon Walton

Jordan Williams

(reluctantly) Jacob Holman

1 sophomore returning from injury, 3 freshmen, one JUCO and one who should probably be seeing no more than 5 minutes a night at the 3. We still need a guard...6 guards, 1 swing forward, 6 players for the 4 or 5.

[risinggreen]

If we're just doing a Rivals JUCO search wish-list, the names that stand out to me are Kader Topsoba at Tyler and Cheikh Mbodji at Graeyson.

Topsoba - 6'10" from Burkina Faso, 6.7ppg (7th), 8.0rpb (1st), and 104 blocks, 3.5bpg (4th in country)...think of adding Jeffery Simpson to next year's team.

Mbodji - 6'10" from Senegal, 14.7ppg (1st), 7.3rpg (1st), 68 blocks (1st)...and he can step back and knock down the occassional 3 (10-31, 32%)...think of adding a taller Michael DeGrate to next year's team

I'd love to have one of those two. We need someone with a serious defensive presence down low, and although I'm sure he could handle it in most cases, I'd hate to see TM (or Hogans) spend too much time guarding the opponents main big. One of those guys might also make a nice practice matchup for Knox, and it wouldn't hurt to open up that foreign player pipeline just a little bit.

[untgeorge]

Not unless 1 or 2 on the current roster or recruiting class don't make it.

Backcourt (1-2-3 spots) next year:

Alzee Williams

Trey Norris

Chris Jones

Brandon Walton

Jordan Williams

(reluctantly) Jacob Holman

1 sophomore returning from injury, 3 freshmen, one JUCO and one who should probably be seeing no more than 5 minutes a night at the 3. We still need a guard...6 guards, 1 swing forward, 6 players for the 4 or 5.

As for the 4-5 positions, we have Knox. Edwards and Robinson, a frosh who is a face-the-bucket guy not a back-to-the-bucket guy and we may have Mitchell - or maybe not. Hogans is the only proven commodity and he is hardly a big. So we have only one guy who we know can play and he is only 6-7, two who have yet to prove they can handle extended minutes, a freshman, and an academic question.

Am I missing someone? Maybe I am. If not, we need bigs. You never have too many bigs.

[UNTLifer]

I'd love to have one of those two. We need someone with a serious defensive presence down low, and although I'm sure he could handle it in most cases, I'd hate to see TM (or Hogans) spend too much time guarding the opponents main big. One of those guys might also make a nice practice matchup for Knox, and it wouldn't hurt to open up that foreign player pipeline just a little bit.

Who is TM?

[foutsrouts]

Who is TM?

Thomas Magnum?

[Censored by Laurie]

You never have too many bigs.

Tell that to Scott Drew.

You can't rob Peter to pay Paul when it comes to recruiting. If we don't have capable distributors and solid perimeter shooting then we can't efficiently feed the post. If the opponent can keep 5 players with a foot in the paint, it won't matter how many or how good our bigs are. I'd contend that a backcourt of Alzee, Jones, Norris, Jordan Williams and Walton needs one more piece....I'd say the best available wing, be it freshman or transfer.

If we can find a JUCO post...preferably defensive minded and a solid rebounder and big enough for the 5...then I'd say the team is in good shape with Hogans and (hopefully) the Holmen we saw right before his injury seeing the bulk of the minutes at the 4 until Mitchell is on board.

[UNT90]

Tell that to Scott Drew.

You can't rob Peter to pay Paul when it comes to recruiting. If we don't have capable distributors and solid perimeter shooting then we can't efficiently feed the post. If the opponent can keep 5 players with a foot in the paint, it won't matter how many or how good our bigs are. I'd contend that a backcourt of Alzee, Jones, Norris, Jordan Williams and Walton needs one more piece....I'd say the best available wing, be it freshman or transfer.

If we can find a JUCO post...preferably defensive minded and a solid rebounder and big enough for the 5...then I'd say the team is in good shape with Hogans and (hopefully) the Holmen we saw right before his injury seeing the bulk of the minutes at the 4 until Mitchell is on board.

Agree with everything you said except for this. Yes, I do think the big needs to be defensive minded and a good rebounder, but this team really missed Tramiel's low post game this past year. Now with George gone, and Hogans being mainly a defensive 4, this team sorely needs a low post scoring option, especially with the offense this team runs. Mitchell may be able to do it, but it is not his natural position and one that he may not want to play.

That whole defensive philosophy works both ways. If you don't have a low post scorer, the defense doesn't have to sag offf your guards, leaving the guards very little room to operate.

And yes, I know asking for a big man who can do it all is asking a lot, but that really is the final piece to this incoming class next year.

[Censored by Laurie]

Agree with everything you said except for this. Yes, I do think the big needs to be defensive minded and a good rebounder, but this team really missed Tramiel's low post game this past year. Now with George gone, and Hogans being mainly a defensive 4, this team sorely needs a low post scoring option, especially with the offense this team runs. Mitchell may be able to do it, but it is not his natural position and one that he may not want to play.

That whole defensive philosophy works both ways. If you don't have a low post scorer, the defense doesn't have to sag offf your guards, leaving the guards very little room to operate.

And yes, I know asking for a big man who can do it all is asking a lot, but that really is the final piece to this incoming class next year.

I do agree that we missed Tramiel's offensive presence...however this team still finished 28th in the country in scoring and more importantly 11th in field goal percentage.

If that magical post is still out there, by all means snatch him up. But given the option between a post who puts up 12/5 and accidentally blocks a shot once every three games and counting on the returnees to provide the defensive presence or one who goes for 6/8 with a block or two a night and counting on continued development from Hogans/Holmen/Robinson and eventually Mitchell for your interior offense, IMO the better option is the latter.

[untgeorge]

Tell that to Scott Drew.

What you might tell Scott Drew is that Kansas, Kst, TxA&M, Missouri, Colorado all had as many or more bigs (6-8 plus) than did Baylor. If there us a message there it is not that Baylor had too many, but other than Jones, he had the wrong ones.

[All About UNT]

Yes to Mbodji.... check his stats

DAkStats

he started averaging double doubles towards the end of this year in conference play.

[untlynchka]

I hope you guys aren't expecting t mitch to be a low post guy. I mean, I'm sure he can do it, but this is a guy you are gonna want to facilitate the offense all the time. Having him play the post would kind of be like the old cavs having lebron do the same thing.

[foutsrouts]

We've got to have some serious muscle down low to compete in The Dance. Sure, some teams can get by without a monster in the middle, but all you have to do is look at Geo Mason vs. OH State to see how much of a difference that powerful offensive rebounding and defense in the paint can make in a "playoff" situation. If we can't come up with a big transfer, then I sure hope that Spencer's appeal comes through. The dominant big man has been down a bit until recently on both the NBA and big-time NCAA stage, but I suspect that he is beginning to make a comeback.