(12-19-2012 02:45 PM)BrianPersky Wrote: (12-19-2012 02:41 PM)Chipdip Wrote: Quote:I think he is a high major talent but because his high school is not playing with the "big boys" he doesn't get the recognition.
He plays in the SMACC................you know, Kalamazoo Central, two time state champs in the last 5 years, three times in the finals in the last 5 years. Yeah, not playing with the big boys.
Starting center from Utah from Battle Creek Central. Starting SF from Dayton, Kalamazoo Central. Redshirt freshmen center at Ohio State, from Battle Creek Central. Three other players from K-Central in playing D-1 hoops. Right, he's not playing with the big boys.
Klein is not a PG, he's a combo guard. Spent his time in AAU learning to dish first and shoot second. Spent his time in HS carrying the load. Needed to be more selfish when he played with his big brother.
Check, and mate.
.... in the meantime... waiting for Steve Bell to come on here and defend Highsmith...
What is a traditional PG? A player that passes first and shoots second, correct? A PG will do what his team needs to win. Klein is not a combo, he is a PG. As YOU said, pass first, shoot second. With a more talented team, a PG doesn't have to score as much (ala AAU team) compared to a basic high school team where a D1 recruit has to do a lot more.
Chris Paul is a PG, but he CAN score when needed and he does. Keith Appling at MSU is a combo, he is a scorer that has to play PG because of his size. Combo guards is a recent facet of basketball, they are scorers that can suffer through bringing the ball up the court as a so-called PG if they have to; shoot first, pass second. Basically, they are SG's that aren't tall enough to be labeled as such at higher levels so this hybrid was created called "combo". It should just be about playing the game but it's not.
If your only reference for big boys is being in the same conference as a basketball power, this is a moot argument. Dowagiac may have Kazoo on their schedule 1 or 2 times a year but, that doesn't make it a game college recruiters will circle. If you only look at the past 5 years, you would believe Ann Arbor Huron was a basketball power and give credit to Dexter plays with the big boys because they play Huron and Huron played Saginaw. Detroit Kettering plays in the PSL but that doesn't get them recognition as playing the big boys such that college recruiters are going to circle that date to come see them play. Midland Dow plays in the SVL along with Saginaw high who is has most wins in MHSAA history so, does that give credence to Midland Dow as a team worth recruiting at? Playing with the big boys is playing against more than 1 or 2 top teams in your season and the game being one which will attract college coaches.
Actually, Highsmith deserves tons of credit for remaining at Dowagiac instead of transferring to a higher profile basketball school. Jackson Lamb did the same at Temperance Bedford. In this era where players jump from team to team or school to school that is stellar that those two young men did that. Kudos to those that still achieve their dream despite the way the system is set up.
You can't be angry with him for choosing a different school. It's part of the recruiting game. Colleges don't apologize when a recruit commits and they strip the offer they made to you or when they fire the coach that recruits you and the new coach pushes you out to get his own players in.