Yes I absolutely love pick up and had feeling he was going he first signing. On side of cautious though he has knee problems/surgery so don’t know how soon he can play this upcoming season if he plays at all. Also IMPACT probably been training program than Monster factory. They actually have real pros of pros training year round.
I think we land still land 2/3 more local kids for next year class. Jones, Paul, Phillips, Evan, and it’s like two kids that’s not local but born in Cincinnati who on our radar also. Once Bond announces where he going soon I think that open things up for others to commit.
I am thinking SF wing is the next priority. If we can get Jones he's a take for PG but we can wait a year on PG if we need to. Paul M. hasn't exactly been lighting things up lately...so what he did in his younger years vs now has to be considered. Other kids are catching up to him and possibly passing him by.
Bond would be a great catch and after that I would still lean towards a wing more than a point. Obviously you take any high level recruit you can get but focus should be wing right now. If we can land Jones we still need a wing.
Glad to snag this kid. We definitely need some size for next season and I'll always take a top 150 kid. The fact he was commited to Auburn is reassuring too; obviously Bruce Pearl saw enough in him.
With this said, it does appear to be he needs a ton of work and is going to take some time. I don't understand how a 7 footer, who is legitimate D1 prospect, can average 9 and 3 at Hamilton. I don't care if it's a new school or not. A 7 foot Jr should be grabbing more boards a game than 3 in High School.
Hopefully we can get some weight on him and he'll end up being a nice player in a couple of years. I just have a feeling he's nowhere near ready, and will get absolutely bodied until Rehfeldt has some time to work with him.
The guy on the podcast said most teams in the league play a 6'6"-6'8" football player at center and Tolentino gets pushed around a lot.
As most centers are, he's a recruit with potential who needs a lot of work. I guess he gets the higher rating because he has more offensive ability than most other centers and above average athleticism/mobility.
What scares me is in some of the longer videos of him he seems to shy away from contact. Plus he states he wants to play forward. Rebounding and defense are as much about mindset as about actual ability. Bruce Pearl and Wes seem to believe in him, so that's a good sign.
Thought I'd see if anyone has any recruits to keep an eye out for our 2022 class.
Mahaffey commited to Penn State yesterday. He was one of the remaining guys I thought we had a pretty good shot at. The last I heard Sean Jones is unlikely, and it doesn't sound like McMillian is someone we have a great shot at either.
It seems like we offered a TON of kids and keep striking out. Not sure who is left that we're in on. Anyone got any names of guys I should check out?
I'm not all that worried about next year. We've filled one spot with Sage, there may only be one more spot opening up.
Newman has already stated he's planning to play two years here, DDJ may also use his extra year. We only have one for sure open scholarship to use next year. We can afford to shoot big and if we miss, hold onto it for transfers or for a high-ceiling developmental prospect. Regardless of who we add, he's probably not going to impact us much next year (unless it's a transfer center).
When Koval/Ado leave, I expect Ody to move over to start at center. Hopefully, Lakhin is ready to back him up (if he isn't, he probably transfers out and we get a replacement). Every starter for 2022 is probably on our current roster, as are most of the backups.
DeMarr Johnson was on the Cincy Slangin podcast recently. Great listen. Some of his updates on the team were:
-The team is full of gym rats. Lots of players putting in hours beyond what's scheduled.
-The UNCG transfers and UC returnees have meshed great.
-Reiterated how the returning players did not have a good experience last season and how they're enjoying their basketball now. Insinuated how this will be reflected in improved player performance on the court (e.g. DeJulius's shooting)
-Abdul Ado is a beast and actually has some impressive footwork/offensive post moves
-Jarrett Hensley is going to "surprise a lot of people". DJ is a big fan of his physical tools and work ethic.
-Koval and Ado are #1 and #2 in NCAA career block leaders for active players according to DJ
-"I'm gonna tell you one thing we're gonna do, and that's defend."
