Has any MAC team done very well in early recruiting? Any players of note given verbal commits. Like FB, I know those verbals are ??? until signed but at least it shows interest.
(10-23-2018 02:07 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote: [ -> ]Toledo:
Donavan Moore 6'3" SG
Aaron Etherington 6'6" SF
Luke Maranka 6'10" PF
Moore is a Big10 type athlete, rebounder and defender who is neither a strong enough ballhandler to be an elite pg prospect nor good enough shooter to be an elite 2. Toledo betting on a great athlete with good work ethic who can tighten up his perimeter skills.
Etherington is another bouncy athlete whose jump shot has improved a lot which made his recruiting pick up.
Maranka is an interesting recruit. Home schooled kid who plays a low level of HS ball but high level AAU. Ranked very high by some scouts and low by others. Big, athletic, great stroke and range, huge potential but might need time to grow into it at the college level of competition.
UT also got a recent commit from Mattia Acunzo an Italian 6-8 forward who spent a prep year in the states and picked up nearly 20 D1 offers. Skilled competitive kid who doesn't have speed or hops but lots of game.
Kent State has 3 commits for 2019 -
Jeremiah Hernandez, 6'4" from St Viator High School in Arlington Heights, IL. He's listed as a SF, but his goal is to be a PG
Evan Bainbridge, 6'8" PF from Stow-Munroe Falls High School.
Kalin Bennett, 6'10" C from Link Year Prep in Arkansas
With the players on our roster now, we could use the inside players
(10-24-2018 09:48 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]I can't remember the last time EMU had an early signee in November, generally they wait until the spring signing.
EMU's approach is fairly unique but makes sense for them. While Toledo mostly goes after solid mid major recruits earlier in their high school years and works to get them on campus, sell their academic successes, facilities, fan support, campus, EMU looks mostly for high level talents that kinda fell through the cracks, D1 transfers and jucos, who wouldn't likely pick EMU with 10 other offers in their pockets but see it as a good fit when options are limited. Not a criticism just the way each school recruits.
(10-24-2018 09:48 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]I can't remember the last time EMU had an early signee in November, generally they wait until the spring signing.
EMU's approach is fairly unique but makes sense for them. While Toledo mostly goes after solid mid major recruits earlier in their high school years and works to get them on campus, sell their academic successes, facilities, fan support, campus, EMU looks mostly for high level talents that kinda fell through the cracks, D1 transfers and jucos, who wouldn't likely pick EMU with 10 other offers in their pockets but see it as a good fit when options are limited. Not a criticism just the way each school recruits.
Agree.
And EMU had a very strong senior class coming back this year so they didn't need to rush and reach in November (2017).
EMU will have a fairly strong returning lineup for 2019, and again no need to rush and reach in November (2018).
We picked up potential star Rafus during summer and might have been able to pick up a good transfer if we had another scholarship to give.
We're benefiting significantly from having a 'recruiting coach', Wooten, who has very solid relationships on the East Coast. He has been finding those late prospects there.
One other thought: Someone on the staff is a really good talent evaluator. They can apparently watch tape on those D-I players who ave 5 ppg and see a potential starter. Ditto with the JUCO bounce back kids. They do a very good job of evaluating potential.
(10-24-2018 09:48 AM)emu79 Wrote: [ -> ]I can't remember the last time EMU had an early signee in November, generally they wait until the spring signing.
EMU's approach is fairly unique but makes sense for them. While Toledo mostly goes after solid mid major recruits earlier in their high school years and works to get them on campus, sell their academic successes, facilities, fan support, campus, EMU looks mostly for high level talents that kinda fell through the cracks, D1 transfers and jucos, who wouldn't likely pick EMU with 10 other offers in their pockets but see it as a good fit when options are limited. Not a criticism just the way each school recruits.
Agree.
And EMU had a very strong senior class coming back this year so they didn't need to rush and reach in November (2017).
EMU will have a fairly strong returning lineup for 2019, and again no need to rush and reach in November (2018).
We picked up potential star Rafus during summer and might have been able to pick up a good transfer if we had another scholarship to give.
We're benefiting significantly from having a 'recruiting coach', Wooten, who has very solid relationships on the East Coast. He has been finding those late prospects there.
One other thought: Someone on the staff is a really good talent evaluator. They can apparently watch tape on those D-I players who ave 5 ppg and see a potential starter. Ditto with the JUCO bounce back kids. They do a very good job of evaluating potential.
More and more teams in the MAC are not only recruiting JUCOS, but have a former JUCO coach on the staff as an assistant, ... including EMU. At one point in the not too distant past Marshall, and to a lesser degree Kent State were the only teams consistently recruiting JUCOS.
Now Buffalo, EMU, CMU, Akron, and Kent all aggressively recruit JUCOS while the likes of Toledo, Miami, OU do it a bit more selectively ... but they do it.
Toledo doesn't really recruit JUCOs but they do go after D1 transfers with particular success bringing in guys from major programs with only 1 year left.
EMU has an eye for talent for sure. Toure looks like a very clever pickup and Rafus is a brilliant talent if he can hang around and grow there.
(10-23-2018 09:38 AM)Slinkin Street Flash Wrote: [ -> ]Kent State has 3 commits for 2019 - ... Evan Bainbridge, 6'8" PF from Stow-Munroe Falls High School. ...
... talk about a local recruit ... the PARTA interurban bus from the county seat Ravenna to Kent continues over the county line right into the Stow-Munroe school district.
{Normally in Ohio county bus services jealously guard their county boundaries, but the bus service for Kent's county is a merger of the county and campus bus service, so it's allowed to go over the county line to go to the Kent State University airport.}