http://www.insidethehall.com/2007/08/27/...rediction/
Emails --
Quote:Dan-
As an Indiana guy I think you are way off on the Garcia prediction. IU has no one at his position after this year and the style of play will vastly change given the type of players we have in this year’s class and next year. With Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis and other “transition type” players, the days of the motion offense are gone. Yes Calipari produces NBA guys…lets not forget Dajuan Wagner! I think Memphis has a shot but the reasons you are stating really don’t hold the weight. I am for certain Indiana will receive far more national exposure than Memphis over the next few years, including this year. Being an Indiana kid, I think Angel knows that.
And here’s the response Wolken gave with his rationale:
Thanks for your note.
Every fan of every school thinks every recruit should come there and can give a list of reasons why, and I’m fine with that. I’m not a fan, so I base all my commentary on what I observe and what I’m told from my sources. I based my prediction about Garcia on the following factors:
1) Calipari has gotten many players from Puerto Rico over the years, both at UMass and Memphis. This is not a coincidence. If Garcia comes to Memphis, he’ll also be playing for an assistant coach who is Puerto Rican.
2) There is a pretty stark difference between Memphis and Indiana in style of play. Memphis is selling that hard.
3) Whether you think it’s true or not, Calipari is perceived in the basketball/recruiting world as a coach who gets players ready to go to the NBA.
4) Angel isn’t an Indiana kid. He’s from Puerto Rico.
5) Memphis is on ESPN/ESPN2/CBS 10-15 times per year, which is about as many as any program outside of Duke. They’re No. 1 or No. 2 this year in every preseason poll. Outside of Duke, Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA and Florida, Memphis gets about as much national exposure as any.
Numerious 'comments' follow -
Wow!!
Quite an endorsement.
TigerPat Wrote:Wow!!
Quite an endorsement.
Great find. The Indiana fans must have done a 'cut and paste' from the Rose threads on the Illinois Board. Talk about Rose colored glasses. They talk about us as if we're nothing. Quick.....name three starters from last years Indiana squad. They know all of our players by name and yet they say we have no national exposure. Oh well I guess they're still living in the past.
Excellent. I think Dozier leaves after this season (ready or not) and that leaves PF wide open.
Good for Wolken. His points are valid. A Tiger never changes his stripes. True Cal plays a greater tempo than he used to but players were coming to Cal before he went uptempo. Kelvin Sampson has NEVER played uptempo. His Oklahoma bball teams averaged less points than the Oklahoma football team did.
As one who played against many Big Ten teams in college, their style of play is rougher and even the more transition teams like Michgan State have a methodical approach. The style the tigers play is distinct and uncommon.
It will really show this year because teams will not be able to match for 40 minutes the speed alone of this team. Not including the talent level.
Bloomington, Ind. – The question surrounding Angel Garcia is who’s going to get him. But after he picks either IU or Memphis in the coming weeks, there’s another question that will be quick to follow.
How long will they have him?
Like many talented high schoolers these days, the 6’11”, 200-pound Puerto Rico native has visions of one day playing in the NBA. Unlike most of his counterparts, though, Garcia has an assortment of basketball tools that make the jump more than just a pipe dream for the East Chicago (Ind.) H.S. standout.
“There aren’t many 6’11” skilled guys like him that can do the things that he can do,” said his AAU Coach Eric Cole.
Those skills have him ranked No. 36 in the class of 2008 according to Scout.com and the 11th-ranked power forward. His ranking is probably hurt by the fact that he’s much more comfortable playing on the perimeter than on the interior, but his ability to shoot from the perimeter, run the floor and put the ball on the floor will make a professional scout or two do a double-take when they see him play.
That’s why Cole thinks it’s within the realm of possibility that Garcia’s stay in the college could be an abbreviated one.
“I’d venture to say in a perfect world, he’s probably going to be in college a year or two,” Cole said. “I don’t know if he’s a one-and-done kid, who knows.”
Cole points out that few expected Ohio State’s Mike Conley to spend only one year in Columbus. While most assumed his high school and college teammate Greg Oden would make a quick exit to the NBA, few thought Conley would be able to follow suit.
But Conley’s debut season was an impressive one, and he found himself at the right place at the right time and wound up going No. 4 in this spring’s draft.
“Who would have ever thought he’d be one and done,” said Cole. “But he had a great year, the draft was kind of devoid of good point guards, and the kid ends up going No. 4.”
While Conley’s case is a best-case scenario, Cole is well aware that the path to the pros isn’t always as quick or as smooth. But he thinks Garcia has a chance to be an impact player immediately and then will have options to consider.
“Anything can happen,” Cole said. “He could go to school and be a bust. I don’t think he will, but you never know.
“I don’t want to put a tag on a kid and say he’s one-and-done or two-and-done. Whenever the time is right and he feels it, when the right people are telling him the right things about where he could potentially go in the draft, that’s probably when he’d make the jump.”
First, Garcia has to decide if Indiana or Memphis provides the best launching pad. Cole said Memphis’ system might be the best fit because of Coach John Calipari’s up-and-down style, although IU has talked about using Garcia in a way similar to how Lance Stemler plays.
“He’d fit right in at both places really well,” Cole said.
btigers12 Wrote:Bloomington, Ind. – The question surrounding Angel Garcia is who’s going to get him. But after he picks either IU or Memphis in the coming weeks, there’s another question that will be quick to follow.
How long will they have him?
Like many talented high schoolers these days, the 6’11”, 200-pound Puerto Rico native has visions of one day playing in the NBA. Unlike most of his counterparts, though, Garcia has an assortment of basketball tools that make the jump more than just a pipe dream for the East Chicago (Ind.) H.S. standout.
“There aren’t many 6’11” skilled guys like him that can do the things that he can do,” said his AAU Coach Eric Cole.
Those skills have him ranked No. 36 in the class of 2008 according to Scout.com and the 11th-ranked power forward. His ranking is probably hurt by the fact that he’s much more comfortable playing on the perimeter than on the interior, but his ability to shoot from the perimeter, run the floor and put the ball on the floor will make a professional scout or two do a double-take when they see him play.
That’s why Cole thinks it’s within the realm of possibility that Garcia’s stay in the college could be an abbreviated one.
“I’d venture to say in a perfect world, he’s probably going to be in college a year or two,” Cole said. “I don’t know if he’s a one-and-done kid, who knows.”
Cole points out that few expected Ohio State’s Mike Conley to spend only one year in Columbus. While most assumed his high school and college teammate Greg Oden would make a quick exit to the NBA, few thought Conley would be able to follow suit.
But Conley’s debut season was an impressive one, and he found himself at the right place at the right time and wound up going No. 4 in this spring’s draft.
“Who would have ever thought he’d be one and done,” said Cole. “But he had a great year, the draft was kind of devoid of good point guards, and the kid ends up going No. 4.”
While Conley’s case is a best-case scenario, Cole is well aware that the path to the pros isn’t always as quick or as smooth. But he thinks Garcia has a chance to be an impact player immediately and then will have options to consider.
“Anything can happen,” Cole said. “He could go to school and be a bust. I don’t think he will, but you never know.
“I don’t want to put a tag on a kid and say he’s one-and-done or two-and-done. Whenever the time is right and he feels it, when the right people are telling him the right things about where he could potentially go in the draft, that’s probably when he’d make the jump.”
First, Garcia has to decide if Indiana or Memphis provides the best launching pad. Cole said Memphis’ system might be the best fit because of Coach John Calipari’s up-and-down style, although IU has talked about using Garcia in a way similar to how Lance Stemler [u]plays.
“He’d fit right in at both places really well,” Cole said.
Uhhhh...........Lance Stemler???????
Surely, they are joking!
Uhhhh..........., and don't call me Shirley!
Fast Facts:
- Indiana loses 5 of their top 6 scorers after this year. The only returning player will be Armon Basset (4th, 9.5 ppg)
- The leading scorer that will return in 2008 from among this year's forwards is Ben Allen who averaged 0.8 ppg last year.
- Garcia is hardly a banger at 6'11, 200 pounds. If he goes to Indiana he will be getting clobbered Big Ten style every night with little help.
Indiana Returning Frontline For 2008-2009 (last year's stats)
Ben Allen .8 ppg
Kyle Taber .3 ppg
DeAndre Thomas 0 ppg
Jamarcus Ellis 0 ppg
Brandon McGee - Fr.
Eli Holman - Fr.
Xavier Keeling - Fr.
- No Big Ten team ranked in the top 50 in the NCAA in scoring. Ohio State came closest at 65th, but they lost Oden, Conley, and Cook.
- Kelvin Sampson is entering his 21st season as a head coach. In his entire coaching career he has recruited exactly 1 player that was picked in the NBA draft. That was Eduardo Najera who was taken in the 2nd round in 2000. Even this is tainted as Najera left Oklahoma and finished his eligibility at Notre Dame.
- Kelvin Sampson is a documented, convicted cheater.
Here's the facts. For the first time in the history of the world. Indiana fans are worried about our perception versus their's. And they have very good reason to be!!!!!
GO TIGERS! Kick Ole Miss' a$$ over and over again!
A very respected poster and insider on Inside the Hall (IU's Scout board) said that Garcia is going to announce in two weeks. Take it for what it's worth.
He says he is going to annouce in 2 weeks for IU or announce his choice? Clarify please. Thanks!
tigerbham Wrote:A very respected poster and insider on Inside the Hall (IU's Scout board) said that Garcia is going to announce in two weeks. Take it for what it's worth.
I suppose you're talking about the guy who goes by "Birdman" ---- I hope you recall the very respected poster on that board, one "Dcudds," who claimed inside contacts and sworn it was Derrick Rose to Indiana. Weird dude - but had a huge following on the Indiana board.
EDIT: And BTW, Garcia himself has said he will announce WITHIN the next month -- so the "two weeks" insider info seems to split the difference.
mfan Wrote:He says he is going to annouce in 2 weeks for IU or announce his choice? Clarify please. Thanks!
Just announce, period. Not a clarification one way or another. The question was asked when he was supposed to announce one way or the other and the answer was 2 weeks.
Come on down to Memphis Garcia!
In two years with some weight and enhanced skill set you will be ready playing everyday with future peers of the NBA. No greater player to test and ready yourself than Memphis.
See U Soon Big Man!
TigerBabbler Wrote:Come on down to Memphis Garcia!
In two years with some weight and enhanced skill set you will be ready playing everyday with future peers of the NBA. No greater player to test and ready yourself than Memphis.
See U Soon Big Man!
That could give us a very long athletic front line in 08-09 with
C - Taggart/Mark Morris
PF - Garcia
SF - Marcus Morris
Talk about a BIG running team... wow!
tigers1985 Wrote:TigerBabbler Wrote:Come on down to Memphis Garcia!
In two years with some weight and enhanced skill set you will be ready playing everyday with future peers of the NBA. No greater player to test and ready yourself than Memphis.
See U Soon Big Man!
That could give us a very long athletic front line in 08-09 with
C - Taggart/Mark Morris
PF - Garcia
SF - Marcus Morris
Talk about a BIG running team... wow!
Don't forget Robinson, Dozier isn't going anywhere and don't write off Niles.
Stammers Wrote:tigers1985 Wrote:TigerBabbler Wrote:Come on down to Memphis Garcia!
In two years with some weight and enhanced skill set you will be ready playing everyday with future peers of the NBA. No greater player to test and ready yourself than Memphis.
See U Soon Big Man!
That could give us a very long athletic front line in 08-09 with
C - Taggart/Mark Morris
PF - Garcia
SF - Marcus Morris
Talk about a BIG running team... wow!
Don't forget Robinson, Dozier isn't going anywhere and don't write off Niles.
I agree. Before its over Niles will be a factor. And the college game is all about matchups. Sometimes you'll need bangers, sometimes finesse players. Depends on the opposition and what is going on in the game.
