2014 Recruits

[gtmoBlue]

Thanks Duke.

I just think that the staff is not yet done for 2014... I have no information, nor insider's access to the coaching staff. We were scouring the landscape for a PF and a PG, and several candidates have reopened their recruitments. Cole Huff is a combo fwd (wants to play the 3) and Watson is a PG. Both are great for 2015, however, neither player can/will contribute this coming season. AA has opined this is a great class. I agree...I just don't think it is complete yet.

[vivid_dude]

Sometimes, for fun, I think that Gtmo's posts are simply catchy-misleading headlines for some college hoops tabloid mag. I still appreciate his presence here though.

Sometimes, gtmo's posts make me shake my head and laugh. But at the same time, if the BJU ever had a Hall of Fame, I'd nominate gtmo as one of the first inductees.

[Jet915]

ESPN final grades for the Big East recruiting classes:

Big East Final Recruiting Grades
By Adam Finkelstein | ESPN.com

The Big East might not be college basketball's pre-eminent power conference anymore, but many of its programs are still recruiting at a very high level. Here are the final class rankings for the conference's 10 schools.

Georgetown Hoyas Grade A
Georgetown
John Thompson III has a highly talented incoming freshman class, led by a trio of ESPN 100 forwards. Isaac Copeland is a versatile forward full of upside. He continued to climb the rankings throughout his high school career. His combination of athleticism, skill and basketball acumen will give him a chance to develop into a star for the Hoyas, and he won't be the only incoming freshman to make an immediate impact. Paul White is a skilled and cerebral forward who will be well-utilized within the team's Princeton-style offense. L.J. Peak is a scoring swingman who brings elements of power and athleticism to the lineup. Three-star point guard Tre Campbell rounds out the class and solidifies Georgetown's backcourt depth.

Seton Hall Pirates Grade A
Seton Hall
Kevin Willard needed to make a splash with his 2014 recruiting class and he did, signing five prospects from the local tri-state area, including a pair of ESPN 100 players and a McDonald's All American in Isaiah Whitehead. The 6-foot-4 guard is the top prospect to come out of New York City this year and one of the most dangerous scoring guards in the class. He'll have the green light from day one in the Big East. Angel Delgado should be an equally impactful newcomer and one of the top rebounding freshmen in the country. Whitehead's teammate from Lincoln High School, Desi Rodriguez, is a 6-5 point-forward type in the mold of a poor man's Anthony Mason. Khadeen Carrington is a scoring 2-guard and Ismael Sanogo is a potential defensive stopper on the wing.

Xavier Musketeers Grade A-
Xavier
The Musketeers are coming off their first season in the Big East, but this is only their latest in a long line of high-major-caliber recruiting classes. Chris Mack has his very own version of the Fab Five coming to Xavier, beginning with Trevon Bluiett, a 6-5 forward who could be one of the Big East's top scoring freshmen next season. Fellow ESPN 100 prospect Edmond Sumner is a big, 6-3 lead guard with a world of upside, and 6-5 sniper J.P. Macura rounds out the backcourt trio. Makinde London is another player with a high ceiling, as the 6-9 4-man has a long and athletic build with a soft touch from long range. At 6-9, Sean O'Mara is a wide-bodied center who rounds out the class.

Providence Friars Grade A-
Providence
Ed Cooley has recruited perhaps the Big East's best incoming frontcourt, led by ESPN 100 center Paschal Chukwu. The 7-1 big man is going to be a work in progress offensively for a season or two, but he'll be an immediate game-changer on the defensive end next season. Fellow ESPN 100 prospect Jalen Lindsey is an athletic and versatile combo forward, and Ben Bentil provides a nice complement with his powerful body, ability to rebound in high volume and some inside-out offensive tools. Former Loyola Marymount pledge Kyron Cartwright gives the Friars a left-handed ball handler in the backcourt, but don't be surprised if Cooley pulls out one more 11th-hour commitment in the backcourt before everything is said and done.

Villanova Wildcats Grade B+
Villanova
Jay Wright's grade likely deserves a curve, as he filled both of his available scholarships with ESPN 100 prospects while continuing to solidify Villanova's recent dominance in the Mid-Atlantic region. Phil Booth fits the program's prototype as a playmaking combo guard who is capable of playing on or off the ball, and 6-7 swingman Mikal Bridges is a late bloomer who is only just beginning to realize his true talent. Bridges will benefit from Villanova's daily emphasis on skill development as he continues to develop and polish his offensive tools. He has a chance to become one of the program's premier defenders.

Creighton Bluejays Grade B
Creignton
The post-Doug McDermott era has begun at Creighton, and head coach Greg McDermott has a pair of big and versatile wings coming in to help ease the transition. Small forward Ronnie Harrell is a 6-7, late-blooming ESPN 100 prospect with a big-time shooting stroke. He'll make immediate contributions next season, and then have a chance to develop into a Kyle Korver-type star for the Bluejays down the road. Leon Gilmore is a nice complement as a powerful, 6-7 lefty with a bulldozer-style driving game. His strong body and ability to produce in the paint will also allow him to slide over to the power forward position in smaller lineups. Creighton also has former Boston University point guard Maurice Watson transferring in. He will have two seasons of eligibility beginning in 2015-16.

Butler Bulldogs Grade B-
Butler
Brandon Miller's incoming class might not win any recruiting awards, but what it will likely do is solidify the program's frontcourt for the next four years. While there isn't anybody bigger than 6-8. there are three unique frontcourt players, all of whom are difficult matchups in their own right. Tyler Wideman is a wide-bodied, 6-7 big man with deceptive athleticism and good interior tools, and 6-6 Kelan Martin is a highly versatile scorer who can go inside and out with strength, toughness and some skill. Jackson Davis is a 6-8 athletic and active combo forward who can play multiple positions and fill a lot of holes. He has a chance to develop into one of the team's better defenders.

DePaul Blue Demons Grade C
DePaul
The Blue Demons need to win and win right now, so Oliver Purnell elected to swing big with highly talented high school prospects in the greater Chicago area while going the junior college route to land some potential immediate-impact talent. He ended up pulling three commitments out of the juco ranks, which should collaboratively help to spark the team on the perimeter with size and length to match their experience. Rashaun Stimage is a big and athletic 6-7 wing, and Darrick Wood is a 6-5 shot-maker at the 2-guard spot. Aaron Simpson is a smaller lead guard. Ray Doby is the lone signee out of the high school ranks. He's an undersized but athletic power forward with a low center of gravity.

St. John's Red Storm Grade C
St. John's
Steve Lavin has proven himself to be one of the best spring recruiters in the country in each of the past two seasons. This year, however, has not yet proven to be quite as successful. While Lavin was successful in convincing Chris Obekpa to return to the program after the rising junior initially asked for his release, that took time away from the recruiting trail and prevented him from making the type of 11th-hour scores we saw in both the 2012 and 2013 classes. Adonis DeLaRosa is a wide-bodied big man who provides an immediate presence in the paint, but will need to continue to improve his conditioning. Keith Thomas is a versatile 6-7 forward out of the local junior college ranks.

Marquette Golden Eagles Grade Incomplete
Marquette
Steve Wojciechowski's first task upon arriving at Marquette was to recruit the team's returning players, which wasn't necessarily an easy task coming off both an underachieving season and the unexpected departure of former head coach Buzz Williams. While Wojciechowski succeeded in securing the return of a talented core, three of the four players who had signed with Marquette during the early signing period asked for, and received, their releases, with Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce both electing to follow Williams to Virginia Tech. That leaves this class incomplete. The lone holdover, ESPN 100 small forward Sandy Cohen, is still an important addition as a playmaking wing with good size on the perimeter. With multiple scholarships still left to use, Wojo is negotiating between three positions -- recruiting the little talent left available in the 2014 class, holding on to spots for potential transfers and starting early on the 2015 class.

[LJay]

That was before landed Cole Huff. I think we move up with him. That is four high-contribution potential kids in our first year out of the Valley when half the effort was to land mid-major kids as a Valley school.

No knock on Nick Norton (UAB) or Ezra Talbert (Liberty) but the before and after of this class is really something.

[LynchMob]

With or without Huff it's hilarious that our best recruiting class in the modern era is a B. Welcome to the Big East for sure.

[Jaysker12]

With or without Huff it's hilarious that our best recruiting class in the modern era is a B. Welcome to the Big East for sure.

We'll probably stay in the B to B+ range most years until we start getting "high end" talent (top 30-40)

[cujaysfan]

"B" grades should keep us competitive in the BE and in the NCAAs

[Chicagojayfan]

"B" grades should keep us competitive in the BE and in the NCAAs

I think you are correct. B grades might go up if we have larger classes, but then we are likely looking to fill spots due to a rash of wash-outs and/or transfers. I'd rather look to minimize our mistakes and keep building.

Additionally, we recruit a bit west of where ESPN tends to focus their attention. Perfect example is Zach Hanson. Obviously a legit target given his Zaga, AZ State, Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico offers, but they couldn't be bothered to scout or grade him. Hard to build up a highly ranked class when the service doesn't give them a grade. Not everyone we get is going to be a household name for ESPN (nor should that be our primary focus). If we can get a guy like Hanson in the future we darned well better be trying to land him. We are also going to look for some high skill guys who fit our offense who aren't going to go as high on a list that is looking for physical characteristics.

All of this points to the fact that we have to win some highly ranked kids, but that we also have to do things a bit differently (find some diamonds in the rough and run an offense that gives us a leg up on teams that might be a bit more conventional in their approach)

[D Jay Fan]

I do believe our recruits will start getting graded higher though, for no other reason as we are in the Big East. Power conferences get an extra push up the top 150. More attention is paid to them at AAU events

[Jet915]

Interesting article on how star ratings actually do matter generally speaking.

http://basketball.realgm.com/article/229173/Star-Ratings-In-Depth