I feel confident that he can get it done if need be.

This started out as an interesting thread. Sorry to see it get high-jacked.

(01-23-2015 08:15 AM)Osprey#1 Wrote:  This started out as an interesting thread. Sorry to see it get high-jacked.

Me too. 3 solid posts until this happened:

(01-20-2015 08:27 AM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  Maybe he cuts another player and adds somebody else?

I guess it was just not that strong to hold interest guys.

(01-23-2015 08:55 AM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  I guess it was just not that strong to hold interest guys.

It's definitely more fun to have mullet-bashing sessions, but an incoming freshman averaging 26 a game his senior year and showing nice handles (plus growing 2 inches since committing) is most definitely of interest.

If updates on the other freshmen are available we can get this thread back on track. Otherwise, I suppose a "Mark Matthews is awesome" thread just can't last too long, even if its true.

HUNTERSVILLE – C.J. Bryce scored 30 points as the North Mecklenburg High boys’ basketball team routed Hough 81-56 in a MECKA 4A conference game Jan. 16.

The Vikings improved to 15-1 overall and 5-1 in the conference, tied for first with West Charlotte.

North Mecklenburg led by 20 points at halftime and by as many as 30 in the fourth quarter. Hough fell 11-5, 4-2. North Meck’s Taj Middleton and Derrick Maxwell scored 13 points each.

Our Players to Watch articles give an insight to some of the very talented players who will be at the #BCBMLK Showcase on January 19th at Peachtree Ridge High School. You can find full #BCBMLK Showcase information here

By: Sam Allen Follow @CoachSamAllen

Davontae Cacok, 6’6 Forward, Alpharetta HS, Class of 2015
Davontae Cacok has been a double-double machine since he arrived at Alpharetta HS prior to his junior season (21ppg, 12rpg). The UNC-Wilmington signee is a tough match-up for opponents. He is quick and explosive off the floor. The senior forward runs the floor as well as any big in the state of Georgia. Those type of attributes have helped lead to an astonishing statistic in his last three games. Cacok has gone 29-29 from the floor. Alpharetta is currently 14-3 and positioning themselves for a third straight region title. Event Director, Sam Allen, who has worked on the floor with Davontae the last couple years, has seen his growth steadily improve. “Davontae is as enjoyable a kid to coach as you will find. He has a thirst to learn, get better, and gives great effort. What I really have been impressed with in the last year particularly is his focus on making others around him better and being more vocal.” It will be interesting to see if Cacok can keep pace with his season numbers of 18.2ppg and 11.4rpg against Milton’s 6’8 Chris Lewis.

Leading the way again is 6-foot-7 senior post player Devontae Cacok, a UNC-Wilmington signee who leads the Raiders in scoring.

“He’s bringing the same things he brings every night,” Hurt said. “He brings athleticism. He will try to rebound every ball that is possible. He’s a great leader. [In the win over Johns Creek last Saturday] he was 7-for-7 from the floor and [in the win over Northview last Tuesday] he was 12-for-15 from the floor, so he gets the high-percentage shots.”

Raiders enter new year with region lead

IMO, high school stats are for the most part resume fillers. The handful of top tier athletes rarely sees "competition" game after game in high school. Elite Team and AAU stats are more insightful.....to me. I wouldn't recruit a kid without considering both.

Nate Anderson was a dominant factor on his private high school team and a non-factor when he was thrown in with the big boys.
CJ Getty's may have faced one or two opponents in high school that could see over his shoulders but no one could handle his size (250lb +).

Of the 4 freshman, I've seen 2 play this past summer, Bryce and Mathews. Both strike me as having the potential to be All CAA at some point in their career at UNCW.

Remember when James Worthy steam rolled thru the State his senior year. Seems like he scored 40 or 50 a game. Dean Smith knew pretty much what he was getting. It would be awesome if one of these Freshman arrived with huge upside potential and there high school stats are an accurate preview.

High school basketball in NC and most states is really not the same deal these days as compared to the Worthy days.Most of the top prospects end up in some sort of a private school setting to get better grades while being tudored and spoon fed classes and grades.
I also have been saying that AAU or travel is a total joke and has ruined basketball players for years.Very few players come into college with a real knowledge of how to play the game.In short,AAU is a cancer to the game.I know some guys are in it for the right reason but the top shelve players are surrounded by handlers/agents who are just in it for personal gain.

High School or not, I've never heard of a UNCW recruit who has ever hit 29 straight shots from the field.

29 in a row is amazing in rec league, church league, AAU, High School, pick up ball on 9 foot goals, Little Tykes, it doesn't matter. Hell, hitting 29 in a row by yourself, standing under the basket is somewhat challenging.

And Mark Matthews handling the ball as a point guard at 6'6", along with hitting 62% of his 2 point shots as a guard is pretty amazing at any level as well.

Although HS may not matter as much, don't forget who the recruiter is. Keatts built a career identifying talent, convincing them to come to a military academy, and sending them off to gain college scholarships.

We all knew Luke Hancock was a pretty good player, but who knew he was a Louisville caliber player, and one that ended up leading a team to a national championship. Keatts knew, that's who. I trust the guy has a very good eye for HS talent.

(01-23-2015 03:17 PM)82hawk Wrote:  29 in a row is amazing in rec league, church league, AAU, High School, pick up ball on 9 foot goals, Little Tykes, it doesn't matter. Hell, hitting 29 in a row by yourself, standing under the basket is somewhat challenging.

And Mark Matthews handling the ball as a point guard at 6'6", along with hitting 62% of his 2 point shots as a guard is pretty amazing at any level as well.

Although HS may not matter as much, don't forget who the recruiter is. Keatts built a career identifying talent, convincing them to come to a military academy, and sending them off to gain college scholarships.

We all knew Luke Hancock was a pretty good player, but who knew he was a Louisville caliber player, and one that ended up leading a team to a national championship. Keatts knew, that's who. I trust the guy has a very good eye for HS talent.

And he's already proving this with Jordan Talley. The exciting times aren't just ahead, they've already arrived. Except for the Mullet.

For the record I like Talley a lot.This team has a real chance to win this league and they are a big time threat ti win the tourney.Do I give Keatts credit?He is the coach and they are getting it done.Do I think he is a standup guy?Not a chance in hell.I also happen to think doing the right thing matters, even if it cost a little more.

(01-23-2015 05:45 PM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  Do I think he is a standup guy?Not a chance in hell.

I wonder. Would the world be a place if EVERYONE was as "standup" as The Mullet?

Thanks to all for the info on our new recruits. Things should get incredibly exciting next year if we can hold on to Keatts and these incoming players! Of course, things are already pretty exciting....

(01-23-2015 05:45 PM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  For the record I like Talley a lot.This team has a real chance to win this league and they are a big time threat ti win the tourney.Do I give Keatts credit?He is the coach and they are getting it done.Do I think he is a standup guy?Not a chance in hell.I also happen to think doing the right thing matters, even if it cost a little more.

Keatts is a stand up guy, and he did do the right thing for all involved.

1. He was implementing a whole new system, to a group of guys that had not been on an even remotely good team in their career.
2. This team had 3 seniors in Freddie, Spruill and Ced. Easily the best three players on the team(when he arrived, who knew Talley would step up). This means they would take up starters minutes, and take their experience in the new system with them.
3. If Keatts had kept Nate and Luke, next year we would have a roster with Luke, Nate, Sherwood, Ponder and Yemi as Seniors. Ogobdo and Gettys as Juniors, Pugh and Talley as Sophomores, and Bryce, Cacok, Matthews and Grundy as Freshmen.
That is an incredibly unbalanced mix, and it can be blamed on Buzz, who foolishly brought in 8 freshman recruits at one time. Furthermore, Nate and Luke would have set on the bench and been of almost no value the following year.
4. Had Yemi not been suspended, with the changes, next year we would have had Yemi, Ponder and Sherwood as Sr's. CJ, Ogbodo, Haywood and Ingram as Juniors. Talley and Pugh as Sophomores and Bryce, Cacok, Matthews and Grundy as Freshmen. A far more balanced mix, and better overall players on the roster. In other words, his decision was smart, and it was the best for the future and the team. Plus, these transfers get to spend a whole year practicing in the new system, so they can step on the court ready to play next year.

Keatts is cleaning up the mess Buzz made, and doing a damned fine job. Enough of the idiotic bashing already.

82 - The only thing I would change in what you said is to add Moss along with Buzz. IMHO it took both of them to take the program to the depths it is rising from.

(01-23-2015 07:21 PM)82hawk Wrote:  Keatts is a stand up guy, and he did do the right thing for all involved.

Look. Luke and Nate both had one year athletic scholarships that weren't renewed. Both were given the choice of transferring to another school where they could play, or given academic scholarships to allow them to get their degrees. They weren't thrown into the street. They weren't even thrown to the financial wolves as far as completing their degrees. They were just cut from the team. If every athlete who was ever cut from a team pissed and moaned about it as much as The Mullet, the world would be filled with nothing but blubbering would-be Michael Jordans.

Anderson chose to finish out his degree at UNCW as I understand it. Hager probably had a more valid complaint about being cut later, which limited his options due to the timing.

So how did that work out for Hager? He is a scholarship player in HAWAII where he LEADS HIS TEAM in scoring and minutes played.

Boo-Hoo Mullet. Tell me again how terrible things are....

That is how you see it and you a fanatic for UNCW basketball.If he was 0-10 right now your take on the deal would be just the opposite.I don't give a damn about his system or what is good for him or you for that matter.Yemi is also another pet of yours and I would have to say that anybody looking at his situation from the outside would say-you are out of here.I am not bashing the guy from a basketball point of view-he is winning but from a general life point of view.What does it teach to cut players that had an agreement with UNCW?You are 100% biased and have zero ground to stand on with this.Just because you yell it louder does not make you right.

(01-23-2015 07:21 PM)82hawk Wrote:  

(01-23-2015 05:45 PM)jumpinmullet Wrote:  For the record I like Talley a lot.This team has a real chance to win this league and they are a big time threat ti win the tourney.Do I give Keatts credit?He is the coach and they are getting it done.Do I think he is a standup guy?Not a chance in hell.I also happen to think doing the right thing matters, even if it cost a little more.

Keatts is a stand up guy, and he did do the right thing for all involved.

1. He was implementing a whole new system, to a group of guys that had not been on an even remotely good team in their career.
2. This team had 3 seniors in Freddie, Spruill and Ced. Easily the best three players on the team(when he arrived, who knew Talley would step up). This means they would take up starters minutes, and take their experience in the new system with them.
3. If Keatts had kept Nate and Luke, next year we would have a roster with Luke, Nate, Sherwood, Ponder and Yemi as Seniors. Ogobdo and Gettys as Juniors, Pugh and Talley as Sophomores, and Bryce, Cacok, Matthews and Grundy as Freshmen.
That is an incredibly unbalanced mix, and it can be blamed on Buzz, who foolishly brought in 8 freshman recruits at one time. Furthermore, Nate and Luke would have set on the bench and been of almost no value the following year.
4. Had Yemi not been suspended, with the changes, next year we would have had Yemi, Ponder and Sherwood as Sr's. CJ, Ogbodo, Haywood and Ingram as Juniors. Talley and Pugh as Sophomores and Bryce, Cacok, Matthews and Grundy as Freshmen. A far more balanced mix, and better overall players on the roster. In other words, his decision was smart, and it was the best for the future and the team. Plus, these transfers get to spend a whole year practicing in the new system, so they can step on the court ready to play next year.

Keatts is cleaning up the mess Buzz made, and doing a damned fine job. Enough of the idiotic bashing already.