CSNbbs

In the past few years, the Big East has signed a lot more National Top 250 recruits than the American. This year, we have begun to catch up thanks in large part to Penny.

With a strong finish (e.g., Tyreek Smith is visiting Houston this weekend), we might even catch their total of 16.

Per 247 Composite:

American - 15, Potentially 19

Memphis
#2 Wiseman
#32 Ellis
$49 Quinones
#75 Jeffries
#93 Baugh
#144 Dandridge


And potentially:
#5 Hampton
#9 Achieuwa
#19 Watford


UConn
#21 Akok
#51 Bouknight
#122 Gaffney

And potentially:
#9 Achieuwa

Wichita St
#131 Etienne
#188 Sherfield
#198 Fernandes
#249 Gordon

Houston
#140 Mills
#209 Roberts

And Potentially:
#154 Smith


Big East - 18

Villanova
#18 Robinson-Earle
#20 Antoine
#55 Moore
#70 Dixon

DePaul
#68 Weems
#145 Jacobs

Providence
#79 Gantt

Xavier
#76 Tandy
#98 Freemantle
#107 Bishop
#136 Miles
#159 Ramsey

Georgetown
#113 Wahab
#224 Wilson
#231 Gardner

Butler
#126 Battle

Seton Hall
#111 Samuel
#237 Davis
.

Eh...Top 150 and a 4 star on either rivals or 24/7 would be a better list.

Only schools who can pull multiple guys like that consistently are UConn and now Memphis. That may change to include more schools if the AAC keeps balling out and starts winning more in the tourney.

Akok's composite getting disrespected since enrolling early. Rivals has him unranked. 247 has him at #23.

The average ranking (the lower the better) of signed players follows:
BE 107.5
AAC 115.9

The average ranking including all potential signings (when adding Boogie Ellis) follows:
AAC 95.2
BE 107.5

I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

(05-04-2019 10:19 AM)HuskyU Wrote: [ -> ]Akok's composite getting disrespected since enrolling early. Rivals has him unranked. 247 has him at #23.

Funny how that happens isn't it.

(05-04-2019 10:19 AM)HuskyU Wrote: [ -> ]Akok's composite getting disrespected since enrolling early. Rivals has him unranked. 247 has him at #23.

Rivals goes into the "not to be trusted" file.

(05-04-2019 10:19 AM)HuskyU Wrote: [ -> ]Akok's composite getting disrespected since enrolling early. Rivals has him unranked. 247 has him at #23.

Same for Caleb Mills, who was composite Top 125 when committing and signing. Now unranked by Rivals after enrolling early.

I do not think UConn receives enough credit for their recruiting class. UConn has the 21st ranked class in the nation.

IMO, the AAC will not solidify top tier recognition from the pundits and the public without a strong UConn (the best performing AAC school historically).


https://247sports.com/college/uconn/Seas...l/Commits/

(05-04-2019 10:22 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: [ -> ]I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

How much room does Memphis have left?

And as a follow up, how many basketballs is Memphis going to play with?

Rivals dropped Wiseman to #3 after he signed with Memphis. He's still #1 on 247. Had he signed with Kentucky would that have happened?

OP omitted #34 Boogie Ellis for Memphis.

(05-04-2019 10:32 AM)CougarRed Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-04-2019 10:22 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: [ -> ]I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

How much room does Memphis have left?

And as a follow up, how many basketballs is Memphis going to play with?

Memphis can sign 5 more, assuming Wingett transfers and Hardaway walks on.

As for basketballs, that would be a good problem to have.

(05-04-2019 10:32 AM)CougarRed Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-04-2019 10:22 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: [ -> ]I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

How much room does Memphis have left?

And as a follow up, how many basketballs is Memphis going to play with?

Three spots for sure, could probably make room for five. I personally don't thinks there's enough PT for 5 of those guys though.

(05-04-2019 10:32 AM)CougarRed Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-04-2019 10:22 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: [ -> ]I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

How much room does Memphis have left?

And as a follow up, how many basketballs is Memphis going to play with?

The Tigers presently have three scholarships available. Penny recently mentioned four will be available.

Penny and staff will need to figure out how to keep everyone productive and sufficiently satisfied. I think blow outs and Penny's plan to push tempo and freely sub will help distribute minutes.

It is a good problem compared to the issues facing the Tigers just two years ago.

(05-04-2019 10:33 AM)TripleA Wrote: [ -> ]OP omitted #34 Boogie Ellis for Memphis.

Yeah, rumor is Ellis is a done deal.

(05-04-2019 10:34 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-04-2019 10:32 AM)CougarRed Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-04-2019 10:22 AM)Tiger1983 Wrote: [ -> ]I doubt very seriously Memphis will sign all targets, but it is fun to speculate.

How much room does Memphis have left?

And as a follow up, how many basketballs is Memphis going to play with?

Three spots for sure, could probably make room for five. I personally don't thinks there's enough PT for 5 of those guys though.

Four if Hardaway walks on, and 5 if Wingett transfers. I don't think Penny would have an issue with PT, signing 4 or 5. He would simply speed up the pace and play at least 10 deep.

Hypothetical (adding Quinones, Achiuwa, Hampton, Ellis, Watford):

Center: Wiseman, Dandridge (injured until January), Maurice

PF: Watford, Thomas

SF: Achiuwa, Jeffries

SG: Ellis, Quinones, Harris

PG: Hampton, Lomax, Baugh

Watford can play the 3, 4, 5.

Achiuwa can play the 3, 4, 5.

Jeffries can play 2, 3, 4.

All the guards except Lomax can play the 1 or 2.

I think Harris would get spot minutes when he's hot, and Lomax and Baugh would do a lot of bench sitting. When Dandridge is healthy, Maurice's minutes would disappear. Heck, they might, anyway.

P.S. Not sure Watford is even an option. I think we sign 4 more.

Updated 247 Class Rankings

Our top five classes are pretty much tit for tat with the Big East top five classes.

Surprisingly, our next five classes are unquestionably ranked better than their next five.

American
4 Memphis
19 UConn
37 Wichita St
55 Houston
63 SMU
79 UCF
82 East Carolina
83 Tulsa
96 USF
104 Temple
109 Tulane
131 Cincy

Big East
5 Villanova
22 Xavier
33 DePaul
47 Georgetown
67 Butler
94 Seton Hall
96 Creighton
112 Providence
143 St John's
150 Marquette

^ Very solid. Definitely more in line with what we thought the conference could/would be.

(05-04-2019 10:48 AM)HuskyU Wrote: [ -> ]^ Very solid. Definitely more in line with what we thought the conference could/would be.

We had a better year on the court in 2018-19.

We opened two new arenas at Cincy and Houston.

We just signed a richer TV deal than they've got.

And now we've kept pace with them in recruiting for 2019.

We'll need to keep proving it on the court but things are looking positive.

I honestly think Memphis' class is going to wind up being number one in the country. If you look at the OP and the listed potential recruits for Memphis you'll notice that the crystal ball predictions have Memphis leading for every one of them except for Trendon Watford now. Penny said we have four scholarships open for these guys. He also said he expects to sign four studs.