As long as Murphy doesn't try to play Minnie at center, we should be ok. Having a drive-and-kick guard like Jackson will hopefully do wonders for Nobles and Minnie, in terms of creating shots for them.

Jackson was an advanced stat dream at Eastern Kentucky. He scored very efficiently on a low volume of shots, and had a great A/TO ratio. Theoretically, he wasn't used enough there. We all know how much freedom Murphy gives his guards. If Jackson can bring that efficiency with him, then he should be a very good player for us.

(03-31-2017 11:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  As long as Murphy doesn't try to play Minnie at center, we should be ok. Having a drive-and-kick guard like Jackson will hopefully do wonders for Nobles and Minnie, in terms of creating shots for them.

Jackson was an advanced stat dream at Eastern Kentucky. He scored very efficiently on a low volume of shots, and had a great A/TO ratio. Theoretically, he wasn't used enough there. We all know how much freedom Murphy gives his guards. If Jackson can bring that efficiency with him, then he should be a very good player for us.

Ellison also should be a drive-and-kick guard.

Should be nice to have two on the squad.

They could lead to some easy buckets for JT4.

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/a...k-ellison/

(03-31-2017 09:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 09:36 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 06:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  One thing we haven't discussed is leadership.

From what I've seen Ellison is a leader on the court and probably off too. I watched all of the Tweets and likes and re-tweets last night for/to Ellison and he seems like a very popular, well liked athlete. There is a lot of 'buzz' around him. I view that as a + indicating that he is well liked.

We sometimes forget that athletes are people and they may be liked or disliked, leader or follower, etc.

A player who is well liked, natural leader is a real plus for a team.

Going back to the great EMU teams. We had great leadership from Tolbert, Boykins, Dial, etc.

One thing missing from our talented team this past season was a leader.

I believe that to be the case.

Steve, I watched Epps play and he is physically talented enough to play in the MAC. Since he played out of position, I could not project how good he might be at SG or small forward. One prediction I will make is Epps will eventually be a leader....I witnessed that first hand.

(03-31-2017 02:04 PM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 09:58 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 09:36 AM)Luckeyone Wrote:  

(03-31-2017 06:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  One thing we haven't discussed is leadership.

From what I've seen Ellison is a leader on the court and probably off too. I watched all of the Tweets and likes and re-tweets last night for/to Ellison and he seems like a very popular, well liked athlete. There is a lot of 'buzz' around him. I view that as a + indicating that he is well liked.

We sometimes forget that athletes are people and they may be liked or disliked, leader or follower, etc.

A player who is well liked, natural leader is a real plus for a team.

Going back to the great EMU teams. We had great leadership from Tolbert, Boykins, Dial, etc.

One thing missing from our talented team this past season was a leader.

I believe that to be the case.

Steve, I watched Epps play and he is physically talented enough to play in the MAC. Since he played out of position, I could not project how good he might be at SG or small forward. One prediction I will make is Epps will eventually be a leader....I witnessed that first hand.

Good.

As I and others indicate, scouting high school ball is very tricky. There are different levels of competition, players (mostly tall) playing out of position, different coaching competencies, etc. etc.

As I have suggested before, the spring and summer AAU ball goes a long way to put everyone on the same stage at the same time. Kind of comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

One caveat: players who are very good playmakers, very good defensively, etc. will not show well in AAU ball which can be run and gun.

Game story on the "Mitten Classic" tomorrow. Epps and Ellison will be on opposing teams.

Epps will be in the dunk competition while Ellison will be in the 3-point shooting competition.


http://www.mlive.com/sports/2017/03/meet...rs_in.html

Just a quick note on recruiting 'timeline'.

Coaches, including Murphy (he Tweeted) are in Phoenix for the NCAA Final Four. After the coaches return home there will be about a week (April 12) before the beginning of the spring signing period.

There are still a fairly large number of good unsigned MI h.s. players as well as JUCOs and transfers. Good time to have a free scholarship or two...

Some of the best MI h.s. uncommitted seniors are:

Gregory Elliott, Jermaine Jackson Jr., Jack Ballantyne, Eric Williams, Darian Owens-White.

I believe Eric Williams has moved up in the rankings (as did Ellison who committed this past week to EMU).

Owens-White could be D-I or II. I know little about Ballantyne other than he is a solid, mid-major '4' prospect (offered a few days ago by Duquesne) and holds a number of offers.

Amauri Hardy, whom we offered, re-opened his recruitment as well.

(04-02-2017 05:57 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Just a quick note on recruiting 'timeline'.

Coaches, including Murphy (he Tweeted) are in Phoenix for the NCAA Final Four. After the coaches return home there will be about a week (April 12) before the beginning of the spring signing period.

There are still a fairly large number of good unsigned MI h.s. players as well as JUCOs and transfers. Good time to have a free scholarship or two...

Some of the best MI h.s. uncommitted seniors are:

Gregory Elliott, Jermaine Jackson Jr., Jack Ballantyne, Eric Williams, Darian Owens-White.

I believe Eric Williams has moved up in the rankings (as did Ellison who committed this past week to EMU).

Owens-White could be D-I or II. I know little about Ballantyne other than he is a solid, mid-major '4' prospect (offered a few days ago by Duquesne) and holds a number of offers.

EMU has plenty of PGs, SGs,and SFs, already. They could use another 4 or 5 though. I say Murphy should only go after a young big unless an elite talent at another position falls in his lap. That or just keep the open schollie.

(04-02-2017 07:21 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  Amauri Hardy, whom we offered, re-opened his recruitment as well.

Is he 'flipping' from Okla State to Michigan State?

Interesting list...

http://statechampsnetwork.com/index.cfm/...ders-best/

And Steve Bell:

http://bankhoops.com/bank-hoops-2017-all-state/

http://bankhoops.com/bank-hoops-class-c-all-state-2/

It's crazy to see Ellison listed with guys like Tillman, Loyer, Livers, and Johns, who are all going to top, high major programs. Why on earth wasn't this kid offered by anyone else? I just can't wrap my head around it. Glad to have someone that dominated his entire class, and is mentioned in the same breath with players going to Michigan State, Michigan, etc.

(04-04-2017 03:10 PM)EagleSam Wrote:  It's crazy to see Ellison listed with guys like Tillman, Loyer, Livers, and Johns, who are all going to top, high major programs. Why on earth wasn't this kid offered by anyone else? I just can't wrap my head around it. Glad to have someone that dominated his entire class, and is mentioned in the same breath with players going to Michigan State, Michigan, etc.

Poor man's Earl Boykins?

I have him with a reasonably high ceiling. His size does not worry me.

P.S. I did NOT say this about Lamonta Stone. He had the potential to play D-I ball but didn't have a high ceiling. I saw him mostly as a back up PG.

I do love players like Boykins, Muggsy Bogues, etc.

Now (!), I would not like them if our center was 7 foot, 300 lbs. 260 lbs power forward, etc.

But on a team with Bond, JT4, etc. we have players who have good quicks and Ellison should blend well with them.

Get the stop watch out!!

Dear EagleSam,
I think it's his size. I don't think other teams are interested in someone who is that short. If, he is as good as some of the reports that I have read, then I will be glad he is coming to Eastern.

Not that we had a chance, but Greg Elliot to Marquette.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/colleg...100059486/

BUT, the big story is that Marquette is making a big move on Detroit and "The Family" AAU team.

"Elliott said there were numerous reasons he chose the Golden Eagles, including the school's other incoming freshmen. Detroit Cornerstone's Jamal Cain, another Mr. Basketball finalist, and University of Detroit Jesuit forward Ike Eke also are headed to Marquette.

Elliott, Cain and Eke played for the same AAU team -- The Family -- last summer. Elliott and Cain are close buddies."

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-s.../98822482/

quote and unquote:

"He views Ellison as a special talent and admires his toughness.

“They say he’s too small, but you look at guys like Kay Felder, Earl Boykins and those guys that have played,” Morris said, referring to a pair of undersized players formerly at Oakland and EMU. “Size really doesn’t matter when you’ve got heart, and that kid has heart. He can score the basketball.”

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/a...-the-year/

Just seeing this. It is dated tomorrow. Lol.

Don't know what it means other than it is an offer.

Guess he redshirted a year at North Florida and then went to Ty Toney's school and is now being recruited by us. Three to play three?

Same school as Cockfield.

http://verbalcommits.com/players/d-andre-bernard

https://twitter.com/CoachJJ12/status/849808456358002688

His highlights show him 6' 8" and playing way above the rim. A Murphy player.

https://twitter.com/Mike_KingNation/stat...6983944197

"Lazy man's guide to best mid-major transfers"... Just pick them off a list... :)

https://collegecourtreport.com/2017/04/0...s-in-2017/

This is a kid I'd love to have as a graduate transfer. We played vs. him and his team to start the season.

He is a nice tall 3-point shooting SG. Just what we'd need while the newcomers gain experience.

That said, with TWO seasons of elig. remaining, I think he can go to a power conference.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketb...on-johnson

EDIT: UofM reportedly have offered. So much for that fantasy.

http://www.scout.com/college/michigan/st...on-johnson

Unfortunately, we have no chance Steve. He's going to get tons of high major interest, even if he only had ONE year remaining. Put up good numbers in a good conference. He'll be quite sought after.

The Grad transfer market isn't something that benefits mid major basketball. If anything, it hurts us, because it's usually our players doing the transferring. It's essentially college basketball "free agency", and we would never be able to compete with the Big Ten's and ACC's of the world.