Ole Roy ain't that good?

In the "what have you done for me lately" world of sports, Ole Roy is in trouble. Part of it maybe a spillover from the meltdown against Georgetown in the Elite 8, part of it is because he signed no one in 2007, and part of it is because he hasn't signed many and lost a handful of high profile verbals for 2008. So, the sky is falling... Or is it?

I'm sure Ole Roy knew that at least one of his prized freshmen would have bolted out. I mean, you didn't need to be a rocket scientist or Marty Blake to figure out that Branda Wright was a top 10 lottery pick. He also had one scholarship to give from graduating senior (Rayshawn Terry). Wes Miller was not on a scholarship in 2006-2007. But in typical Ole Roy fashion, he earmarked just a few players and that was it. Kevin Love went to UCLA (good personality match with Ben Howland, Kevin Love actually enjoys playing in slugfests). So that was it for 2007 for Ole Roy. He's done this at Kansas as well, and that frustrated Jayhawks fans even when they were madly in love with Ole Roy.

Bob Gibbons is quoted in the story below saying: "Blue heaven is a bit cloudy in recruiting". Superscout Dave Telep says "it creates a sense of urgency". Let's not forget the last time Ole Roy had an atypical roster talent-wise he did one of the best coaching jobs of his career.

So what happened? Has the Georgetown meltdown exposed Ole Roy to potential recruits? Or is this just cyclical stuff, accenuated (I was told to use this word, I don't know what it means or how to spell it) by Ole Roy's practice of only selecting a handful of players to recruit and that's it?

I think it's more the latter than the former, but reasonable minds can differ. But I'm not the one drunk or high ;-)

Story in the Charlotte Observer by Ken Tysiac.

Al-Farouq Aminu commits to.... a surprise!

So where did Al-Farouq Aminu commit to? Was it Georgia Tech where his older brother plays? Was it North Carolina having the breakfast of champions? Or was it perhaps where he was needed the most, at Wake Forest?

According to the latest post at the Hodge Report of CSTV he (along with center Tony Woods) have committed to Wake Forest. Yes, Wake Forest!

Scout.com player profile

Sporting News story

InsideCarolina.com reaction: premium story (meaning paying membership required)

Story on him at USA Today from 30 days ago.

Upcoming reactions by UNC wordpress bloggers.

Decision Day

The latest Hodge Report on CSTV reveals something's not right (intentional typo) at Clemson, Rick Stansbury gets a Bo(o)st, and Quinnipiac gets a new pollster to handle the extra work given the early start of the election cycle. Ooops, I mean they get a new basketball recruit!

Al-Farouq Aminu decision day Today is the day AFA will make his decision known. According to Goodman the three front runners are Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Ole Roy of North Carolina.

Mike DeCourcy boldly goes where very few national writers dare to go: Say something really negative without sugar coating: Class of 2008 stinks


Thanks for the links!

Thanks for the link to this blog to John Clay's Sidelines Report

Also thanks to the link to this blog goes to the Wildcat Mania ProBoard, discussing and debating college sports with emphasis on UK.

Every 2007 NCAA College Basketball Tournament game on DVD!

Transferology Part #2

From Goodman's blog, Al Farouq Aminu, one of the nation’s top players, told FOXSports.com that he intends to make his college decision Thursday between Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Ga Tech has his older brother, Wake would be more lowkey, and Carolina is, well, Carolana.

Tyree Evans decided on a college but it's not who you think. Not Tyreke Evans, the coveted prospect,but former Huggins guard now at JuCo. (Hodge Report at CSTV)

It's not 2010 yet, but it feels like it at Syracuse. Boeheim along with the Silver Fox at Arizona have picked up big recruit after big recruit. Must be catching their 3rd wind :) (Hodge Report at CSTV)

Following the example of Daniel Hackett (USC), a Cincinatti player arrives a year earlier (Hodge Report at CSTV)

The Hodge Report of CSTV reports that the Virginia Tech big forward goes pro in Europe.

CAA Hoops has a mini-essay on recruiting

Should I stay or should I go? Seven footer John Riek may be transferring to Winchendon according to Goodman's blog. He has reclassified for the class of 2009 and he is becoming one of the hottest names in recruiting circles. He is actually 7'2" but everyone over 7 feet is a seven footer :)

A Sea of Blue blogs about the interview of 2009 GJ Villarino, one of the first 300 verbals to Billy Gillispie. As you may recall, Gillispie went all out getting new players at Texas A&M, including players walking on that could have had scholarships at other schools. Being able to recruit from a much bigger stage than A&M should allow Gillispie to pick up even more players.

The new Santa Clara head coach gets his first commitment


Thanks for the links!

Thanks for the link here from A Sea of Blue, a UK website with lots and lots of recruiting information of national interest.

Every 2007 NCAA College Basketball Tournament game on DVD!

Transferology

The latest Hodge Report update on CSTV has a recap of some of the recent transfers. Find out the new destinations for Reginald Delk, 7-footer Jason Bennett, Wisconsin's DeAaron Williams, Rutgers's Ollie Bailey and more...

Jason Bennett's move just made him one of the most coveted JuCos of the 2008-2009 season. He will have two years remaining, and perhaps the JuCo route would be a clean(er) way for him to follow Huggie-bear to West Virginia. Bennett played high school in Florida (Arlington County Day) so one could assume that the Florida schools may have an advantage. Also look at where his high school teammates are now in college, that may be another possible direction. Or perhaps Marshall, since Donnie Jones managed to pick up three high profile D1 transfers in just a matter of weeks on the job. Donnie Jones probably did the best job in assembling a cast of transfers since Reggie Theus took over New Mexico State, a couple of Sacramento Kings seasons ago :)

Never too early for a 2007-2008 season preview

Gigantic 2007-2008 preview via links to many other websites and blogs. That post is a work in progress and will continue to grow as times goes by. If you have any links you want to see added (your blog/site or your favorite site) just let me know!

Can't stop the Majerus Train!

The only new coach that can probably compete with Kentucky's Billy Gillispie in recruiting impact at his new school is none other than Rick Majerus at Saint Louis. According to CSTV's Hodge Report, Majerus got his fifth commitment, this time from the state of Oregon.