According to Brian Buckey at the blade at the bottom of a story about Walsh transfer JT Shumate...
"VERBAL COMMIT: Toledo received a verbal commitment from 2020 three-star wing Norance Berry on Thursday night. Berry (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) played most recently at Scotland Campus in Scotland, Penn. Berry also has offers from Power Five schools Auburn, West Virginia, and Tennessee."
Certainly had some good looks from better programs, so that's a nice sign...but, why can't this program land more players who play down low or in the paint? Maybe Shumate will surprise me and be able to hold his own down there and not just be a wing player. Do we still have a scholly left if we can get the Coppin State guy? Even then, he has to sit a year, correct?
(04-03-2020 04:22 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote: Certainly had some good looks from better programs, so that's a nice sign...but, why can't this program land more players who play down low or in the paint? Maybe Shumate will surprise me and be able to hold his own down there and not just be a wing player. Do we still have a scholly left if we can get the Coppin State guy? Even then, he has to sit a year, correct?
Class of 2020 Scotland Campus guard Norance Berry will visit West Virginia University unofficially this weekend.
The athletic, defensive minded 6-foot-3 guard from Cleveland, Tenn. has seen his stock rise since averaging 15 points and nine rebounds for BMAZE Elite 17U on the Under Armour circuit this summer.
“Cal and Kansas State are recruiting me the hardest right now,” said Berry, who was recently offered by Tulsa and Toledo and also holds offers from Tennessee, Auburn, LIU-Brooklyn and several others.
(04-03-2020 04:22 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote: Certainly had some good looks from better programs, so that's a nice sign...but, why can't this program land more players who play down low or in the paint? Maybe Shumate will surprise me and be able to hold his own down there and not just be a wing player. Do we still have a scholly left if we can get the Coppin State guy? Even then, he has to sit a year, correct?
Class of 2020 Scotland Campus guard Norance Berry will visit West Virginia University unofficially this weekend.
The athletic, defensive minded 6-foot-3 guard from Cleveland, Tenn. has seen his stock rise since averaging 15 points and nine rebounds for BMAZE Elite 17U on the Under Armour circuit this summer.
“Cal and Kansas State are recruiting me the hardest right now,” said Berry, who was recently offered by Tulsa and Toledo and also holds offers from Tennessee, Auburn, LIU-Brooklyn and several others.
(04-03-2020 04:22 PM)bcunn3128 Wrote: Certainly had some good looks from better programs, so that's a nice sign...but, why can't this program land more players who play down low or in the paint? Maybe Shumate will surprise me and be able to hold his own down there and not just be a wing player. Do we still have a scholly left if we can get the Coppin State guy? Even then, he has to sit a year, correct?
Class of 2020 Scotland Campus guard Norance Berry will visit West Virginia University unofficially this weekend.
The athletic, defensive minded 6-foot-3 guard from Cleveland, Tenn. has seen his stock rise since averaging 15 points and nine rebounds for BMAZE Elite 17U on the Under Armour circuit this summer.
“Cal and Kansas State are recruiting me the hardest right now,” said Berry, who was recently offered by Tulsa and Toledo and also holds offers from Tennessee, Auburn, LIU-Brooklyn and several others.
Not very often a Three Star Commits to a MAC School and in Toledo's case, I can' remember the last. In looking at some past articles, it seems Berry has been known as a "defensive specialist" with a tremendous wing span for a player 6-4 who needed to improve on his jump shot. It looks like that is what happened in Prep School this past season in Pennsylvania. While the SEC Schools like Auburn and Tennessee fell off his radar in the past year, other teams like West Virginia, Rhode Island and Bradley offered. Toledo was the first school to host him last October, so that obviously made a big impression on him. As for the now with 1 available scholarship remaining, 6-9 Centerville OH Senior Big Man, Mo Njie is still available and will choose between Toledo, Xavier, Dayton, VCU, St. Bonaventure and Illinois State. He is still developing as a player but Toledo's Coaching Staff has done a great job with developing Big Men like Boothe, Knapke and hopefully Edu and Markenka in the next 3 seasons. Will Njie be the next?
(04-03-2020 10:00 PM)Basketball Jones Wrote: Not very often a Three Star Commits to a MAC School and in Toledo's case, I can' remember the last. In looking at some past articles, it seems Berry has been known as a "defensive specialist" with a tremendous wing span for a player 6-4 who needed to improve on his jump shot. It looks like that is what happened in Prep School this past season in Pennsylvania. While the SEC Schools like Auburn and Tennessee fell off his radar in the past year, other teams like West Virginia, Rhode Island and Bradley offered. Toledo was the first school to host him last October, so that obviously made a big impression on him. As for the now with 1 available scholarship remaining, 6-9 Centerville OH Senior Big Man, Mo Njie is still available and will choose between Toledo, Xavier, Dayton, VCU, St. Bonaventure and Illinois State. He is still developing as a player but Toledo's Coaching Staff has done a great job with developing Big Men like Boothe, Knapke and hopefully Edu and Markenka in the next 3 seasons. Will Njie be the next?
TK may be holding a scholarhip in the possibility Willie gets an exception and another year of eligibility and/or for a transfer who is immediately eligible.
well, i think they'll give it to the 7-1 kid from coppin if he wants to come here and sit 1 play 2. the year he sits, he will get a lot better. and he will also really push the other bigs. we got a lot of mileage out of taylor and fletcher being practice players for a year and then coming in having really worked on their games. i've been that guy calling for willie to get that fourth year of eligibility he should have had all along. with so many kids getting to transfer and play right away, you can't make a kid sit out a whole year and lose his eligibility for that time. it would seem to be something the staff would want to expedite in terms of an ncaa ruling, because the transfer kids will be deciding over the next month or so.
either way, next year's team should be fun if marreon comes back. shhtt, it'll be fun if basketball comes back. we're gonna be a pretty exciting team that will be able to do a lot of things on defense. you never know about freshman, but millner can contribute right away and the frosh class is very good. one of the top recruits is really acunzo. if he's got 2 good feet that will give us a lot of lineup flexibility. he's an offensive playmaker who is big enough to guard most power forwards and smaller centers.
(This post was last modified: 04-04-2020 12:07 AM by pono.)
if it hadn't been 1) a disappointing season and 2) a frickin pandemic, we would all be gushing about this class. a program that was mostly very good in recent years but seemingly not quite athletic enough the past few has hauled in 4 big athletic high upside guards, 3 of which had plenty of other solid options and the 4th of whom was the most improved player in illinois as a senior and plays the point. i don't know where they will all play, but if 2 or 3 work out we will have a big athletic capable backcourt moving forward.
berry sort of fits into the best available cliche. sure, you hope you can get the 7 footer from coppin st who has proven he can rebound well and defend a bit. but toledorecruited berry for a long time. knew his game and personality. stuck with him when bigger programs moved in and was still there when a couple of em backed off. i have only seen a little video on berry and have no other real insights beyond 6-3/6-4, lanky with a reputation as a good defender, played with good competition, developed confidence in his jumper as a senior, has a bit of a edge and cockiness.
beyond him we already got commits from rollins who can do a lot of things well, has similar height and length, natural quickness, played pretty good competition (especially in AAU) and can play any guard position.
moss is now more of a wildcard, but he had lots of options in 2 hoops and football. he's an even better athlete than berry and rollins, played good competition, 6-3/6-4, and has a lot of confidence. moss may have guard skills on offense, but he may develop into a guy who can defend small forwards and physical guards if he taps into his strength and football mentality.
the illinois kid is gonna have a shot to be pg of the future, but the ideal is that
But can't you also over recruit a position? Better two great guards and two great forwards over four great guard positions? If they want playing time, some of these four are going to have to play out of position in which they do not match up as well, presuming they can win that position over whoever is already on roster.
(04-04-2020 08:13 AM)eastisbest Wrote: But can't you also over recruit a position? Better two great guards and two great forwards over four great guard positions? If they want playing time, some of these four are going to have to play out of position in which they do not match up as well, presuming they can win that position over whoever is already on roster.
I agree, but there's more guards in the recruiting pool. I think if we got 4 forwards who all had big upsides we'd be happy even though there was an imbalance. Shumate and millner and presumably acunzo Cover the forward position pretty well for the next couple years. I imagine the last spot is either held for a possible Willie return or a big man.
(04-04-2020 08:13 AM)eastisbest Wrote: But can't you also over recruit a position? Better two great guards and two great forwards over four great guard positions? If they want playing time, some of these four are going to have to play out of position in which they do not match up as well, presuming they can win that position over whoever is already on roster.
With the size of these guards they are almost forwards in the MAC very that play the 3 are over 6' 6 so they can get any with playing 2 of then at a time so I am find with that especially since Ryan and Barry are both have to have long wingspans. Better to be a little undersized and athletic then be oversized and not athletic
(04-04-2020 08:13 AM)eastisbest Wrote: But can't you also over recruit a position? Better two great guards and two great forwards over four great guard positions? If they want playing time, some of these four are going to have to play out of position in which they do not match up as well, presuming they can win that position over whoever is already on roster.
With the size of these guards they are almost forwards in the MAC very that play the 3 are over 6' 6 so they can get any with playing 2 of then at a time so I am find with that especially since Ryan and Barry are both have to have long wingspans. Better to be a little undersized and athletic then be oversized and not athletic
Athleticism & quickness haven’t been our strong suit for awhile. I agree that it will be nice if we field a team that has more than 1 “athlete” and more than 1 quick guy.
I wonder where The Blade's Buckey got his information that Berry has verballed to UT. I can't find it anywhere on the internet. No one connected to the program is supposed to give out that information.
(04-04-2020 04:05 PM)Dwight Wrote: I wonder where The Blade's Buckey got his information that Berry has verballed to UT. I can't find it anywhere on the internet. No one connected to the program is supposed to give out that information.
Coaches do that all the time They use reporters to get out information they want out.
with the transfer portal putting a lot of quality players into the recruiting mix now I imagine most HS unsigned kids want to lock up a good option soon.
(04-04-2020 08:13 AM)eastisbest Wrote: But can't you also over recruit a position? Better two great guards and two great forwards over four great guard positions? If they want playing time, some of these four are going to have to play out of position in which they do not match up as well, presuming they can win that position over whoever is already on roster.
With the size of these guards they are almost forwards in the MAC very that play the 3 are over 6' 6 so they can get any with playing 2 of then at a time so I am find with that especially since Ryan and Barry are both have to have long wingspans. Better to be a little undersized and athletic then be oversized and not athletic
Athleticism & quickness haven’t been our strong suit for awhile. I agree that it will be nice if we field a team that has more than 1 “athlete” and more than 1 quick guy.
(04-04-2020 04:05 PM)Dwight Wrote: I wonder where The Blade's Buckey got his information that Berry has verballed to UT. I can't find it anywhere on the internet. No one connected to the program is supposed to give out that information.
