Belmont's point guard recruit, 6'1" Kerron Johnson from Madison, Al has been named "Mr. Basketball" in Alabama..Class 3A..Looks like they got a replacement for Renfro

They've also got Ian Clark, a 6'3" guard reputed to be the best shooter in Memphis and quite an athlete. They'll have Scott Saunders, a 6'10" 250 transfer from Rice becoming eligible. And they'll expect a healthy Jordan Campbell coming back.

Losing so many to graduation (Harris, Wicke, Dotson, Renfro, Dansby), they may still have a scholarship to give, yes???

They should still have some good talent for Rick Byrd to work with.

They also just signed a 3-star recruit from right under our nose at Bearden High School. His name is Blake Jenkins. He originally committed to Va.Tech, so he must be a pretty solid player.

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/27...s-belmont/

Blake Jenkins is a skinny, long armed, athletic 6'7" (see above). A Shane Dansby replacement?

This is Kerron Johnson's second year as 3A player of the year in Alabama. (That's a small school division - 6A is the biggest. But Johnson has also been named on various people's "top five" lists encompassing all divisions.)

Rick Byrd calls Ian Clark a "program changing" athlete.

Belmont always puts out a quality product. We know where the competition is.

I like this. We (ETSU and the ASUN) need Belmont to stay good. I remember Jenkins' father.

Rick Byrd's season review from the Belmont website:
http://belmontbruins.cstv.com/sports/m-b...09aae.html

Perhaps the most interesting Q&A is this:
"Q. The 2009-10 Belmont Bruins will take on a different look, with plenty of fresh faces to get to know. What are you most looking forward to next season and what should fans look for?

A. I am looking forward to the enthusiasm that a young team brings to the practice floor and to games. Our team will likely play with a different style on offense as it looks like our team will be bigger, stronger and more athletic but without the perimeter scoring ability that we have enjoyed with Justin Hare, Alex Renfroe, Andy Wicke and Matthew Dotson over the past few years. "

I have to question the "more athletic" part since Dansby, Renfro, Henry Harris, Wicke and Dotson are gone. The last two years and especially this last season Belmont was the most athletic that I've seen them, and most of those guys are now gone. Byrd has clearly recruited 3 superior athletes in Clark, Johnson and Jenkins, but it's unclear how much of a role that they will actually play. Interesting that he thinks so, though. Like Murry, and unlike many coaches who love to blow smoke, Byrd usually tells you flat out what he thinks about a player and a team.

SWVABUCS:

Interesting that Byrd would recruit more athletic/less perimeter-oriented players. Though that seems counter to his philoshophy and style of coaching, like you said, I have no reason to doubt what he says given his track record of candor. I remember hearing Davidson's coach saying that if a kid could not shoot, he wasn't coming to Davidson. That always seemed to be Byrd's MO too?

I wonder if that these signees are a direct or indirect result of the distinctly better athletes at ETSU and JU. It was clear how much trouble this year's Belmont team, with the exception of Renfroe and Dansby, had running up and down the floor with us and JU. I recall Byrd's quote of after our first thrashing of them: "...ETSU is so devastating in transition because of their athleticism.

Bucfaithful,

It could be. Our first two years in the A-Sun we didn't play well as a team despite our athletic superiority - we didn't even pose enough of a threat to Belmont to piss off their fans. Last year's A-Sun tournament play, and this year's may have sent a bit of a message regarding the kind of threat that better athletes who are also well coached could pose.

Or Rick could have decided the last 2 years that he actually likes coaching fast athletic players, who can beat the other guy up the floor.

And it's possible that 3 NCAA tournament berths in a row plus the fame of almost beating Duke, with Coach 'K' admitting that he had been outcoached - this might have made it easier for Byrd to sell Belmont to better athletes than before. He called Jordan Campbell 'the best athlete that I've ever recruited' a couple of years ago, and now calls Ian Clark a 'program changer'.

I don't think that Byrd is a prisoner of a rigid system. He changes his style to accomodate his athletes, whether it's big guys like Boomer and Preston, or fast guys like Renfro, Harris and Dansby. He'd rather run a deep bench, but he's realistic enough to stick to his starters if the circumstances require it. He's got a preferred style, but he does adjust.

Byrd was on the Colin Cowherd radio show last Friday and sounded very exciting about the point guard from Alabama.

(04-09-2009 03:25 PM)Meanmike0001 Wrote:  Byrd was on the Colin Cowherd radio show last Friday and sounded very exciting about the point guard from Alabama.

You are kidding me? I can't believe he was on there!

(04-09-2009 03:33 PM)Bucfaithful Wrote:  

(04-09-2009 03:25 PM)Meanmike0001 Wrote:  Byrd was on the Colin Cowherd radio show last Friday and sounded very exciting about the point guard from Alabama.

You are kidding me? I can't believe he was on there!

The day before Cowherd made a semi-disparaging remark about Belmont so they invited Byrd on the show to make ammends.

They were talking about the lady player from UConn that is so good (Moore is her last name, maybe -- I don't follow women's hoops). Colin said she was so good she could play D1 men's basketball. He said she couldn't play for Duke but she could play for a lesser team like Belmont (I'm paraphrasing).

Byrd was very gracious and actually gave a good interview. He seems like a nice guy. I still hate Belmont, though.

We should get paid for this scouting! Here is what ESPN says about Belmont's signees. Coach Byrd et al have obviously done a great job of recruiting this season. All of these players have tremendous potential or upside in the basketball-coaching vernacular. It's obvious that Belmont's recent success is paying dividends for them.

Ian Clark | SG

Hometown Germantown, TN
High School Germantown High School
Position rank Shooting Guard # 118
Height 6'3"
Weight 195 lbs.
Last Updated: 4/8/2009 Data provided by Scouts, Inc.
Evaluation / Notes On the Trail / Features
Status

Signed

Scouts Grade

83

Considering: No schools at this time.
Evaluation

October, 2008: Ian is a perfect fit for the Belmont system. A deadeye shooter who understands the game and has been very well coached on the high school level. He has good size and better than average athleticism which will serve him well on the next level. He will become a more complete player for Coach Byrd as he develops more off the bounce and utilizes his deadly marksmanship as a more complete weapon.
Notes


Kerron Johnson | PG

Hometown Madison, AL
High School Madison Academy
Position rank Point Guard # 92
Height 5'11"
Weight 170 lbs.
Last Updated: 4/9/2009 Data provided by Scouts, Inc.
Evaluation / Notes On the Trail / Features
Status

Signed

Scouts Grade

82
Also Considered:

*
*
*

Evaluation

March, 2009: Johnson is a great get for Belmont. He is a kid that was operating under the radar and will continue the stellar guard play that has been the Bruins strength over the last few years. Kerron is a pure point guard that understands how to run a team. His strong body should make his transition to the college level a smooth one. His ability to get into the paint where he can draw the defense and kick to an open teammate or show his consistent mid-range game will be his strength. He is a good defender that can put tremendous pressure on the basketball.
Notes

No notes available at this time.


Blake Jenkins | SF

Hometown Knoxville, TN
High School Bearden High School
Position rank Small Forward # 148
Height 6'5"
Weight 170 lbs.
Last Updated: 4/9/2009 Data provided by Scouts, Inc.
Evaluation / Notes On the Trail / Features
Status

Verbal

Scouts Grade

78

Considering: No schools at this time.
Evaluation

November, 2007: Long slashing athlete is oozing with talent but lacks the physical strength to move into the upper echelon. Jenkins has solid ball-handling skills, can shoot the three, and yet despite his long arms is a liability on defense because of his lack of strength. He has grown a couple inches over the past season and has good bloodlines; father was a former college athlete. If Jenkins continues to get his physicality in order he will be a top priority recruit.
Notes

No notes available at this time.
Send Feedback


Trevor Noack | PF

Hometown Keller, TX
High School Central High School
Position rank Power Forward # 178
Height 6'7"
Weight 205 lbs.
Last Updated: 4/9/2009 Data provided by Scouts, Inc.
Evaluation / Notes On the Trail / Features
Status

Signed

Scouts Grade

77
Also Considered:

*
*
*
*
*

Evaluation

November, 2008: Noack is a power forward that is most comfortable on the perimeter. He has shooting range to the arc mostly off the catch. He is good in pick and pop situations and benefiting from guard penetration. Although an average athlete Noack is tough, physical and competes at all times. Other assets of Noack's are his ability to handle and pass the ball. He must work to be a better rebounder and become better at attacking off the dribble which will come after a few college workouts.
Notes

No notes available at this time.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recruitin...son%3d2009

Who knows how these players will develop and adust to D1 hoops?

Below is the matchups that we'll be talking about in the years to come:
Bruce Grimm v. Kerron Johnson
Sheldon Cooley v. Ian Clark
Lucas Poderis v. Trevor Novak
Justin Tubbs v. Blake Jenkins (Jenkins is a SF, and I see Tubbs as more of pure 2, so this is really an apples to oranges comparison)

(04-09-2009 12:49 PM)Bucfaithful Wrote:  SWVABUCS:

Interesting that Byrd would recruit more athletic/less perimeter-oriented players. Though that seems counter to his philoshophy and style of coaching, like you said, I have no reason to doubt what he says given his track record of candor. I remember hearing Davidson's coach saying that if a kid could not shoot, he wasn't coming to Davidson. That always seemed to be Byrd's MO too?

I wonder if that these signees are a direct or indirect result of the distinctly better athletes at ETSU and JU. It was clear how much trouble this year's Belmont team, with the exception of Renfroe and Dansby, had running up and down the floor with us and JU. I recall Byrd's quote of after our first thrashing of them: "...ETSU is so devastating in transition because of their athleticism.

I think ETSU and Jacksonville athleticism has changed Belmont's approach to recruiting. Byrd isn't an idiot, I wouldn't expect him to sit around and let other teams past him by.

Also we (Belmont) have Scott Saunders coming in next year as a redshirt sophomore with redshirt freshman Adam Barnes (6'2 PG) and Brandon Baker (6'6 SF) who was our highest rated recruit from last year. A lot of new faces for the Bruins next year and I'll be interested to see who gets redshirted (my money is on Noack)

Oh and on a side note, I've seen Noack play in high school and he is a power forward on his team only because he is taller than everyone else but he would rather come off perimeter screens and shoot. Ian Clark is said to be the best pure shooter in Memphis and in a Blake Jenkins interview he said he chose Belmont because "Their (Belmont's) main system is shooting 3s. I fit the system." I've never seen Jenkins play, seen his stats, or heard anything other than what I've found out the last few days but this leads me to believe he is at least confident in his 3 point shot.

It will be a real contest between Byrd and Bartow to see who can assemble a solid team after losing their team leaders and key performers (Renfro, Wicke, Dansby and Dotson vs Tiggs, Pigram and Hamlin).

I think ETSU has some advantages: the best proven player (Mike Smith) and the one with the most upside potential (Justin Tubbs). Belmont will be looking for leadership and star production from players who have been mostly complimentary players (Jon House, Keeton Belcher, Jordan Campbell).

Underneath the basket, 6'4" Tommy Hubbard and 6'8" Isiah Brown probably have an edge due to athleticism and speed over the superior size of 6'9" Mick Hedgepeth and 6'10" 250 Rice transfer Scott Saunders.
We'll probably need a big assist from 6'11" rising sophomore Seth Coy to help counter that size. His freshman season had the opposite trajectory from Mick Hedgepeth - solid early season production and promise derailed by injury and lost behind Hamlin and Brown. Meanwhile Hedgepeth was a nonfactor the first half of the season, who had some really nice games late and in the tournament. Dejworak with 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 points as a redshirt Junior is barely worth mentioning.

All of the other returning players, for both teams, have some upside, but also some flaws. Would you rather have Jon Rice, Drew Hanlen and David Stanley or Adam Sollazzo, Jocolby Davis, Micah Williams and Jarvis Jones? I think the latter four (and especially Sollazzo) clearly have the superior upside.

I can't credit the redshirts for much either way at this point - I would be very surprised if J.C. Ward or Belmont's Adam Barnes and Brandon Baker become anything more than occasionally useful complimentary players next year.
Credit Baker as the heralded recruit with the greater upside.

As for the freshmen - I'd bet on redshirts for Poderis, Belmont's Blake Jenkins and Trevor Noack. One or two of the new guards could very well make a splash in the A-Sun. But which ones? The incoming point guards are Grimm and Johnson - they sound like very different types. Everybody has been raving about Grimm's shooting in the Indiana tournament. With Johnson people first mention quickness, ball handling, strength and penetration. If you just heard that description, wouldn't you expect that they'd be going to the opposite school that in fact recruited them: the great shooter to Belmont and the superior athlete to ETSU?? Both sailed under the radar and have come roaring through in the end of season pressure. Johnson has the clearer path to playing time since rising sophomore Drew Hanlen is the only 'experienced' point guard for Belmont, and his playing time and production as a freshman was quite modest this year. Grimm will have to struggle for playing time against an experienced senior coming back from injury in Davis, and rising sophomore Sollazzo who was uneven but has a freakishly high upside. I think that Murry will give Adam every chance to cash in on that upside.

Cooley and Clark are the off guards, but again sound like different types. Clark is reputed to be the best shooter in Memphis, although supposedly a 'program changing' athlete as well. With Cooley people mention the rebounds and steals before the shooting. Again, Clark has the clearer path with the loss of Wicke, Renfro and Harris. Jon Rice is the main returning shooting guard, averaging 4.8 minutes a game in conference - Belmont loves Rice, but Clark sounds like a much better prospect to me. The Bucs primary need at guard is more shooting and, oddly enough, 'point guard' Grimm may be able to provide better shooting than 'off guard' Cooley.

I agree with Afro4 that Byrd seems to have continued his focus on 3 point shooting in corralling his 4 freshmen, but this crew is MUCH more athletic than a stereotypical Belmont haul. Still, if you can't shoot, you're not going to Belmont.

It'll be an interesting year - lot's of unknowns and guarranteed surprises. But even after the recruiting haul, I like the Bucs chances.

And, hey, Lipscomb, Jacksonville and even Campbell are returning way more players - we should probably both be worrying more about them!

For those of us who can't help obsessing about every little tweak in the developing Belmont-ETSU rivalry:

Belmont poster BluBare, while praising recruit Blake Jenkins for finishing second in the dunk contest at the TSAA East/West Allstar game notes that: "[Prize Belmont recruit] Ian Clark wasn't even invited [to the Allstar game]. I don't think his senior season was as stellar as everyone had hoped. I heard he injured an ankle and that may have contributed to that. He may not have had much help on his team either."

Predicting how high school seniors will do on the next level is a crap shoot. Like quarterbacks drafted in the 1st round, some will exceed all expectations, and a surprising number will wash out.

(04-14-2009 11:26 AM)swvabucsfan Wrote:  Predicting how high school seniors will do on the next level is a crap shoot. Like quarterbacks drafted in the 1st round, some will exceed all expectations, and a surprising number will wash out.

If you think about our most recent class--Jones, Sollazzo, Coy, and Ward--I would have expected Jones to make the biggest splash given his '3-star' ranking and level of recruiting interest. While Jones had a modest year and will IMHO become a weapon, esp. on offense, I would say Sollazzo had the biggest impact. In fairness to Jarvis, Adam simply had more of an opportunity for minutes given our PG situation, while Jarvis was playing behind a 2000-pt guard. J.C. Ward also garnered several scholarship offers, but simply wasn't ready. Early on, Coy looked like he would be in the running for freshman of the year, but his inexperience as a D1 big man proved too much to overcome.

Your point is right on, swvabucs. Recruiting is one of my favorite topics, and I'm eager to see what we'll be talking about this time next year with Cooley, Grimm, Poderis, and even Tubbs for that matter. Who knows how Tubbs will acclimate to our system? Granted, he has 2-years of SEC experience under his belt and has NBA athleticism, but you just never know. That said, I'd be amazed if Tubbs was not the topic of many conversations next year. As for the freshman, based on what I've read, I think Cooley is perhaps the most college-ready, especially physically, but he'll be down the depth chart unless he comes in and turns some heads. I also wonder about Poderis. We do not have anyone like him right now. He's a "pick and pop" forward who may give us a unique element to this team. That's intriguing to me. As for Bruce Grimm, I could also see him getting minutes for his moxy, shooting ability, and basketball IQ.

Lots and lots of questions for next year, but I think we have the raw materials to make another run.

(04-10-2009 02:18 AM)swvabucsfan Wrote:  It will be a real contest between Byrd and Bartow to see who can assemble a solid team after losing their team leaders and key performers (Renfro, Wicke, Dansby and Dotson vs Tiggs, Pigram and Hamlin).

I think ETSU has some advantages: the best proven player (Mike Smith) and the one with the most upside potential (Justin Tubbs). Belmont will be looking for leadership and star production from players who have been mostly complimentary players (Jon House, Keeton Belcher, Jordan Campbell).

Underneath the basket, 6'4" Tommy Hubbard and 6'8" Isiah Brown probably have an edge due to athleticism and speed over the superior size of 6'9" Mick Hedgepeth and 6'10" 250 Rice transfer Scott Saunders.
We'll probably need a big assist from 6'11" rising sophomore Seth Coy to help counter that size. His freshman season had the opposite trajectory from Mick Hedgepeth - solid early season production and promise derailed by injury and lost behind Hamlin and Brown. Meanwhile Hedgepeth was a nonfactor the first half of the season, who had some really nice games late and in the tournament. Dejworak with 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 points as a redshirt Junior is barely worth mentioning.

All of the other returning players, for both teams, have some upside, but also some flaws. Would you rather have Jon Rice, Drew Hanlen and David Stanley or Adam Sollazzo, Jocolby Davis, Micah Williams and Jarvis Jones? I think the latter four (and especially Sollazzo) clearly have the superior upside.

I can't credit the redshirts for much either way at this point - I would be very surprised if J.C. Ward or Belmont's Adam Barnes and Brandon Baker become anything more than occasionally useful complimentary players next year.
Credit Baker as the heralded recruit with the greater upside.

As for the freshmen - I'd bet on redshirts for Poderis, Belmont's Blake Jenkins and Trevor Noack. One or two of the new guards could very well make a splash in the A-Sun. But which ones? The incoming point guards are Grimm and Johnson - they sound like very different types. Everybody has been raving about Grimm's shooting in the Indiana tournament. With Johnson people first mention quickness, ball handling, strength and penetration. If you just heard that description, wouldn't you expect that they'd be going to the opposite school that in fact recruited them: the great shooter to Belmont and the superior athlete to ETSU?? Both sailed under the radar and have come roaring through in the end of season pressure. Johnson has the clearer path to playing time since rising sophomore Drew Hanlen is the only 'experienced' point guard for Belmont, and his playing time and production as a freshman was quite modest this year. Grimm will have to struggle for playing time against an experienced senior coming back from injury in Davis, and rising sophomore Sollazzo who was uneven but has a freakishly high upside. I think that Murry will give Adam every chance to cash in on that upside.

Cooley and Clark are the off guards, but again sound like different types. Clark is reputed to be the best shooter in Memphis, although supposedly a 'program changing' athlete as well. With Cooley people mention the rebounds and steals before the shooting. Again, Clark has the clearer path with the loss of Wicke, Renfro and Harris. Jon Rice is the main returning shooting guard, averaging 4.8 minutes a game in conference - Belmont loves Rice, but Clark sounds like a much better prospect to me. The Bucs primary need at guard is more shooting and, oddly enough, 'point guard' Grimm may be able to provide better shooting than 'off guard' Cooley.

I agree with Afro4 that Byrd seems to have continued his focus on 3 point shooting in corralling his 4 freshmen, but this crew is MUCH more athletic than a stereotypical Belmont haul. Still, if you can't shoot, you're not going to Belmont.

It'll be an interesting year - lot's of unknowns and guarranteed surprises. But even after the recruiting haul, I like the Bucs chances.

And, hey, Lipscomb, Jacksonville and even Campbell are returning way more players - we should probably both be worrying more about them!

Excellent analysis. Thanks for posting.