Terrence Jones and Terrence Ross commit to the Huskies. Bow down to Lorenzo Romar!
Unbelievable, and more later from our recruiting beat writer.
Insane.
It’s gonna be a fun year!
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Go Dawgs!
Deep breaths. . . Deep breaths. . .
Quick note about Friday’s big announcements from Terrence Jones and Terrence Ross.
According to the Oregon Live website, you can go to this page tomorrow for video and a live chat from Jefferson High School.
The ceremony, which will include Jones, Ross and two of their teammates announcing their college choices, will take place at 3:30 PST.
Come back here tomorrow night for more coverage!
Thanks for coming!
In advance of what he hope will be even bigger news on Friday, Staff Writer Griffin Bennett profiles Terrence Ross, who we more-or-less believe is certain to announce his commitment to attend UW on Friday. His high school teammate, Terrence Jones? We’re not so sure, but we’re posting the Ross piece today in hopes that we’ll be Jonesing it up tomorrow!
Terrence Ross commits/ leans / signs / announces he’s a Dawg (right?)
by Griffin Bennett — Staff Writer
It’s no secret that we’ve been praying to get both Terrences from Jefferson High in Portland for some time now. According to Terrence Ross’ post on his Facebook page he has “a BIG suprise for the skool [he’s] taken a visit to…” That school was UW on Monday.
If that wasn’t enough of a sign, in a Facebook message to Zagsblog.com (http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/04/25/terrence-ross-leaning-toward-washington/) he wrote “I am going to Washington because of the great relationship I have with the team and coaches. I thought it would be the best choice for me and I would fit in with the team.” Scout.com also has reported that Ross actually signed his letter of intent while in Seattle and wants to wait until Friday to officially announce his decision at his high school.
Ross’ Journey to Montlake:
Terrence Ross is a 6’5’’ Portland, Oregon native who began his high school career at Jefferson High School. After getting into some academic trouble at Jefferson, he and his mother became worried that Ross’ college career might be in jeopardy. They made the decision to homeschool Ross for his sophomore year while still being able to play for Jefferson. Terrence Ross and his Democrat teammate Terrence Jones dominated the Oregon basketball scene their first two years and won the state championship in only their sophomore year. Ross was awarded Oregon’s 5A State Player of the Year Award after his amazing performance.
With continued academic struggles, Ross transferred schools to Montrose Christian, a boarding school in Phoenix. Ross continued his basketball dominance while playing at Montrose with other future stars like Duke-commit Josh Hairston and 2012 top prospect Justin Anderson. Montrose became a nationally ranked team and with their success went Ross’ college prospects.
Early in his senior year, Ross verbally committed to play for Gary Williams at Maryland. He was ranked as one of the top shooting guards in the country and is widely regarded as having one of the “most pure” three-point shots in his class. The honeymoon with the Terrapins ended badly on New Year’s Eve as Ross informed Coach Williams that he would be re-opening his recruitment. When asked why he de-committed from Maryland, Ross said “I didn’t think that Maryland would be a good fit for me. Once I really took the time and thought about it, I thought that I should view all of my options.”
Shortly after that, on a trip home to Portland for the holidays, Ross shockingly decided to leave Montrose and go back to Jefferson High to finish out his senior year where it all started. Ross transferred back because his “mother thought it would be better if she could oversee [his] school work. She wanted to make sure that everything was going well.” Ross tried to re-join the Jefferson basketball team to help his old teammate Terrence Jones finish their senior year strong. Unfortunately for Ross, the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) has a strict policy that states that all mid-year transfers are ineligible, no exceptions. His high school basketball career ended right there but his recruitment only picked up steam.
While at Montrose, former teammate Terrence Jones had become the prized gem of the west coast for many college programs. Naturally both Ross and Jones began to shop themselves around as a package deal starting in late January. Ross quickly shortened his list of suitors to five: Washington, Oregon, Kentucky, Kansas and Oklahoma. These just happen to be almost identical to Terrence Jones’ final five list as well. As time began to progress, Ross and Jones started to influence each other in their own preferences. While never verbally, Jones seemingly eliminated Oklahoma and Oregon and Ross followed suit. This is about the time that Husky Nation started nervously checking every blog for any news about where these two were leaning. The game of tug-o-war over Ross has apparently ended as Ross fell in love with Romar and the rest of the team.
What this means for teammate Terrence Jones:
Ross’s commitment can only help and since we have one scholarship left we are all connecting the dots in our minds. They were always considered a semi-package deal, but lately Kansas’ Josh Selby has tried to convince that Rock, Chalk, Jayhawkin’ is better than Bowing Down. Since we all know that this is crazy talk, it is a good sign that one of his best friends, who has him on speed dial, now wears the purple and gold. Also, you can never discount Darth Calipari. Speculation had said that if C.J. Leslie, who was thought to be a heavy UK lean, committed to Kentucky then Jones would look elsewhere. However, Leslie committed to N.C. State this week, stating that he wants to stay closer to home and play with his friend (take notes Mr. Jones).
While conventional wisdom would say that this is a bad sign, but I think Jones has already made up his mind and this decision came a little late to actually matter. Multiple sources have predicted that Jones will commit to UW on Friday with Ross, but you’ll have to excuse me for not being overly confident. Since saying “I have a good feeling” is no longer enough analysis, I’d have to say I’m 60% sure we will have more than one Jefferson star named Terrence on the roster next year.
What to expect from Ross in 2010/2011:
Ross’ skills could warrant him more playing time than most freshmen that come into UW. His skill behind the arc is said to be very strong, but it’s his athleticism at the SG position that makes your mouth drool. If that last video isn’t enough, this one might make you miss Clarence Trent a little less. Regardless, our SG position is currently being filled by I.T. That doesn’t mean that Ross won’t be in the rotation. I’d expect to see him battle with C.J. Wilcox and Scott Suggs for minutes at the 2/3 spot. Coach Romar loves to ride the hot hand, so I’ll refrain from speculating on his minutes or averages because it could be as high as 15 minutes or as low as five per game.
Maybe more importantly, there has been speculation that Ross might be ineligible next year due to his academic problems from his past. However, according to Ross himself, he says that he will be completely eligible and there are no other reports that state otherwise. Until I hear something to the contrary, I’d say I’m 95% sure he’ll be enrolled at Montlake next year. Beyond ‘10/’11 though? His ceiling is incredibly high. The Dawgs haven’t had a guard with this much NBA potential since Brandon Roy. As some have said, he could end up becoming a better pro-prospect than Terrence Jones.
This last part here is for Terrence Jones only. Everybody else can stop reading:
Ok, Terrence it’s just you and me. Now I know I’m just some guy who writes for free on a blog that’s not even mine, but I just want you to hear me out. I know going to Kentucky or Kansas is a “sexier” pick than coming to UW but you could be the missing piece here. A Final Four run is completely possible with you in our starting line-up. The city of Seattle (which is about 1,000 times better than Lawrence and Lexington combined) and all of Husky Nation has desperately wanted a team that can bring a national championship in a major sport to the area. All of the pieces are assembled and all that is needed is to add one more Husky warrior who wants to finally put the Northwest on the map. Will you be that man? Will you stand-up and lead us to the promised land? Show the nation that there is more to life than flashy coaches and ESPN hype. Terrence, do you know what’s there beyond that court? IMMORTALITY! TAKE IT! IT’S YOURS!
Thanks for coming!
Tags: Griffin Bennett
What a week-and-a-half it’s been in Husky hoops! First, a teary goodbye to Elston Turner. Then, a we-hardly-knew-ya farewell to Clarence Trent. And, in the midst of it all, enough recruiting drama to fill the pool outside of Melrose Place.
Staff writer Craig Yamada takes a look at where the last 10 or so days have left the Huskies when it comes to their two most prized targets remaining on the board: Terrence Ross and Terrence Jones.
by Craig Yamada – Staff Writer
In case you missed this past week, let me get you caught up on the roller coaster known as UW recruiting:
- 4/14: UW signs Aziz N’Diaye for the 2010 class
- 4/15: Elston Turner Transfers, opening 1 scholarship for UW
- 4/17: Josh Selby chooses Kansas
- 4/17: Doron Lamb chooses Kentucky
- 4/17: Terrence Jones drops 18 in a win for the West in the Jordan Brand Classic
- 4/17: Terrence Jones claims he is visiting Kansas for an official visit
- 4/18: Mike Anderson just says NO to UO coaching position opening
- 4/19: CJ Leslie cancels his recruiting trip to Florida
- 4/19: Rumors are spread about TJ’s mom claiming Kansas is not in the hunt
- 4/19: Romar gets a 10-year extension on his contract
- 4/20: Romar has an in-home visit with 6’7″ French forward Remi Barry in Los Angeles
- 4/21: Coach Calipari cancels his trip to visit Ross and Jones to go visit a UK 2011 recruit
- 4/21 (10:40AM): Clarence Trent Transfers to Seattle U, leaving two open scholarships for UW
- 4/21 (11:00 AM): Terrence Ross announces on FB “he knows where he’s going to college.”
- 4/21 (11:02 AM): Terrence Ross says he will announce on Sunday, 4/25
- 4/21 (11:51 PM): Terrence Ross says he will announce on Monday, 4/26 instead
- 4/22: Terrence Jones announced on Twitter he is announcing on Friday, 4/30
Out of breath reading this yet? No? Ok I’ll go on…
The first of many recruiting dominoes have already fallen. At the end of the day, these are the facts: UW has two scholarships available and Jones/Ross need two scholarships to play together.
Twitter me this, twitter me that. I have drafted this tweet for all of Dawg Nation, pending your approval of course.
@Terrence Jones/Terrence Ross – Can we book our tickets to Houston in 2011 or not?
The Final Four is 11 months away and I am holding my tickets on standby until I see some signed LOI’s. Let’s take a look on how we stand with each:
Terrence Ross – ESPN’s #30-ranked 2010 prospect
The Facts: Facebook is a wondrous invention and it proved so when Terrence Ross, the highly touted 6-5 guard from Portland, stated that he knows now where he is going to college. His status update read: “Ima announce in On Sunday…” This breaking update came just moments after the news of the Clarence Trent transfer and through the entire WWW (Washington Wide Web) into a blogging frenzy.
Analysis: Coincidence? Perhaps? He has been reported to be visiting UW on Saturday and will make his final decision on Monday. The Trent transfer may have been the missing piece to the puzzle that Ross may have been waiting for.
Best Guess: He’s A Dawg. (And this encouraging article from earlier today only makes me more confident!)
Terrence Jones – ESPN’s #9-ranked 2010 prospect
The Facts: He is still maintaining that Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky, UCLA and Washington are his final five. He has stated that he wants to visit Kansas to see what it is like on his last official visit. Josh Selby is using the classic peer pressure move to try and recruit Jones over to KU. CJ Leslie is still rumored to be leaning heavily toward UK which will have large implications on TJ if he decides to attend UK. TJ’s High School Coach, Pat Strickland, claims that Terrence Jones is “all over the place” in regards to his decision and “is not telling anyone.”
Several publications have suggested that Terrence is a UW lean and several have suggested he is a UK lean. Coach Calipari was scheduled to have a meeting with Jones and Ross today, but cancelled suddenly as he was hot on the trail on his way to talk to Marquis Teague, a 2011 recruit, before he announces his decision on Thursday. Terrence will be playing the waiting game as he is announcing next Friday.
Analysis: No one really has an accurate gauge of his interest. The Twitter universe is adding more fuel to speculation that he is becoming more of a UW lean as the days go by. Rock Chalk… I think not. In my opinion, Jones will not land at KU because he had already previously removed KU from his list months ago. Selby is a great player and could “do great things” with TJ, but KU already has enough personnel at TJ’s size and position. He would have to battle mightily with the Morris twins for playing time.
Best Guess: He’s a Dawg.
Thanks for coming! And now, we want your opinion!
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Tags: Craig Yamada
Staff writer Craig Yamada takes a look at today’s sad news that Elston Turner has decided to transfer.
by Craig Yamada – Staff Writer
At 10:00 AM this morning, Softy Mahler delivered news that placed a major blemish on UW’s big recruiting week. Elston Turner has filed for a transfer out of UW. After reading Romar’s interview with Percy Allen, it was apparent that something was brewing around a player leaving the team this year. ET was not the player most had pegged to transfer.
No Romar math was needed here. ET had been mulling this over for months and came to the conclusion after speaking with his father about his future. He dropped the news on Romar two days ago and it was officially announced today. ET felt like the situation at UW “slowed down his development as an individual player.” He is looking for an opportunity where he can showcase different dimensions of his game, “not just spot-up shooting.”
Make no mistake about it, this decision did not come easy for Elston. “Romar has been like a father and this team was a bunch of brothers to me.” He is simply looking for an opportunity that allows him to “be the best he could be.”
The general feeling around most of Dawg Nation today was a mixed feeling of sadness and shock. Given the big finish Elston had to close out the season, many pinned ET as a possible filler for Q-Pon’s production next season. Apparently, ET just did not see it that way.
Analysis
Q: Why ET, Why?
A: Romar’s offensive system didn’t exactly lend itself to an opportunity for Elston to showcase all of his abilities. And with the possible emergence of C.J. Wilcox next year, Turner must have felt an increase in playing time was far from a sure thing.
Much like Scott Suggs, ET’s role seemed to be reduced to being a spot-up shooter. As a result, he became labeled as one-dimensional in the offensive scheme. He‘d rather be labeled as a complete player and become a central focus for a team that can get him to the next level.
Q: Where is he going?
A: He has not been officially contacted yet, but did make mention of Texas A&M given his many friends playing for that team and its close proximity to Houston. This would be intriguing as Washington and A&M will play again in 2010/2011 as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
Q: How does UW replace the hole that ET has left?
A: I have the utmost confidence Suggs and Wilcox will fill this void in the future, but the experience and confidence that ET showcased will be severely missed. ET proved to be more of a complete player during the latter stages of the season not only on the offensive end, but on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Q: What is the immediate impact?
A: Romar has a new scholarship at his disposal for this year’s recruiting class. We wouldn’t need any Romar Math for either Terrence Jones or Terrence Ross to come to Montlake. Now, if both choose the Huskies, that’s a different story. . .
Q: What is the long-term impact?
A: UW loses its most clutch three-point shooter who has proven to be a bigtime player during high pressure situations. ‘Tourney Turner’ will not be easily replaced.
Top three memories for ET as a Husky:
- Hitting a clutch three pointers down the stretch to help lift UW over Marquette in this year’s tourney
- The spin and step back three drained against Purdue in the second round last year
- The barrage of three balls unleashed in the Pac-10 tourney championship this year to help lift UW over Cal.
Best of luck to you ET. You will always be a Dawg to me.
Thanks for coming. And thanks, Elston for being supportive of the fan community at Montlake Madness when we’ve had the opportunity to speak.
Tags: Craig Yamada
Staff Writer Griffin Bennett takes a look at Aziz N’Diaye, the new Husky commit who will bring his seven-foot frame to Montlake next year. Next up, Terrence Jones?
by Griffin Bennett – Staff Writer
After weeks of conjecture and speculation by all of Husky Nation, the first recruiting block tumbled our way on Tuesday night as Aziz N’diaye, the College of Southern Idaho center, announced his decision to attend UW.
Getting to know Aziz:
Most of us who read this site daily should already know who this guy is, but just in case you don’t, here’s a little background on N’diaye. He grew up in Dakar, Senegal, and was first scouted by Southern Idaho’s coach Steve Gosar at a basketball camp in Africa when he was 17.
“When I saw him that young, he was about 6’10” and he was thin,” Gosar said, “but he had this passion to get better and passion to win and it was so evident that the kid had a motor, that you wanted to work with him around the clock.”
After earning the MVP of Basketball Without Borders in 2005, he committed to Southern Idaho where he led the conference in rebounds and was second in blocked shots during his freshman year. Going into his sophomore year he blew out his ACL and received a medical redshirt. “If he [was] available then we’re 16-0 right now,” Gosar said. “He’s a difference maker at our level that nobody has because he’s got good hands and there aren’t guys like him at this level.”
Naturally, Gosar thinks very highly of the Senegal native but will be the first to tell you that he’s not the prototypical African center. “He’s looking pretty good right now and I’d be shocked if there’s a better (JC big man) now. He’s a little different than most African bigs. He’s got a feel, he’s really aggressive and for a seven-footer he’s pretty skilled.”
The Huskies weren’t the only school after Aziz, as Colorado, Loyala Marymount, Oklahoma, and Oregon State had all offered scholarships to the athletic big man.
Impact for the Dawgs:
I’ve searched high and low for videos on Aziz, but I don’t think they exist. I’d like to take a look at this kid before I really try to determine his impact, but for time’s sake I’m going to have to just go off of quotes that I’ve heard from people in the know.
Bottom line: we now have a true center. He will allow MBA and Breshers to work from the 4 spot in certain line-ups. This makes my mouth water just thinking about it. One of our weaknesses this year was trying to match up with larger power-forward types (think Derrick Williams, Devin Ebanks, Jamal Boykin, Reeves Nelson). Aziz’s presence allows us to “go big” when we feel we need MBA’s defense at the 4 spot instead of the 5.
We all realized this year that if Romar and the Huskies are going to make a leap into the Elite 8 and beyond they need to get bigger. Adding a seven-footer is a big step in the right direction, but will it push us over the edge? That’s yet to be seen.
His ACL injury is a scary thought, no doubt about it. (Remember, it took Tyreese Breshers an entire season, and he still didn’t look to be in shape by the end.)
Knee injuries to big men have been UW’s nightmare for the past decade. The list is scary and it makes me cringe just thinking about it. Zach Johnson, Joe Wolfinger, and Artem Wallace might not be names that you think of as “game changers” but before their injuries they were each supposed to become impact players. By all accounts, however, Aziz is fully healed and has been cleared to play ball. He is going to have to wear a knee brace all of next year which makes me think that this will not be the last time we hear about his knee.
I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer, of course. Realistically, having bad knees is a natural occurrence for a seven-foot human who runs and jumps. His injury does give him a third year of eligibility since he redshirted this year. While his full impact might not be noticed this year, his true impact could be felt in the 2011-2012 season as he fills the void for the departed MBA and Holiday. Breshers has shown flashes of brilliance down low, and having him play his natural position at the 4 will only help his game.
2010-2011 Prediction:
We won’t know what Romar has planned for him until the summer. However, what is the off season for if not speculation? My bet: Don’t expect huge things from Aziz this year.
(Quick Tangent: Please post your ideas for nicknames for Aziz. Pronouncing N’diaye is fun, I agree, but he is nicknamer’s dream!)
I expect Aziz to come off the bench and average 8-12 minutes a game. His playing time game-to-game will probably differ greatly as Romar loves to play the matchups. If we go against a team like ‘09/’10 Cal, don’t expect to see Aziz much (although Zhang vs. N’diaye will be glorious). My guess is he averages 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block per game to 2010/11.
Scholarship situation:
In no way whatsoever does this mean the two Terrences (Jones and Ross) wouldn’t have spots left for them if they both opted to come to Montlake. Although no one is likely to transfer, there are other options that we have discussed here on MM before.
Romar can “politely” ask a player to pay his way through school for a year which would open up a spot. While I won’t speculate on who Romar would ask, a certain player has a father that played in the NBA for multiple years, and might have that type of financial security.
Hold on to your seats, folks. These next couple weeks of the signing period are going to be exciting. I’m not one to beg, but PLEASE TERRENCE JONES! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, COME TO UW!
Thanks for coming!
Tags: Griffin Bennett
Add another player to the 2010/2011 roster. Aziz N’Diaye, a seven-footer from Senegal will be a Husky next season.
Here’s a link to a video of Aziz talking about his decision.
This is great news. Aziz chose the UW over Oklahoma and others. The middle should be a lot more solid next year at Montlake!
Staff Writer Alex Tuttle takes a look at who’s leaving the Pac-10, and who’s coming, for the 2010/2011 season. Alex also takes an early shot at ranking the 10 teams going into next year.
Sure, it’s a little early, but here at Montlake Madness we’re already counting the days. (In case you were wondering, if the Huskies play their first game on the same day next season, we’re just a mere 216 days away from tip-off. The fact that I (Themod) will be a father by then is freakier than I can convey in a short intro.
by Alex Tuttle - Staff Writer
(1) Washington
Who’s out: Quincy Pondexter (graduation)
Who’s in: Desmond Simmons (#25-ranked PF), C.J. Wilcox (redshirt), possibly a Terrence of some kind?
What to expect: The emergence of Justin Holiday and Matthew Bryan-Amaning down the stretch in 2010 means that the bulk of the Dawgs’ rotation will be filled with solid, experienced upperclassmen in 2011. If a few things go right (the team gels quickly in the Maui tournament, Abdul Gaddy makes big off-season improvements, help comes on the recruiting recruiting front), UW may be able to turn their attention to even bigger aspirations than this year’s oh-so-Sweet 16 finish.
(2) Arizona
Who’s out: Nic Wise (graduation), Garland Judkins, D.J. Shumpert (transfers)
Who’s in: Jordin Mayes (#30 PG), Daniel Bejarano (#8 SG), Jesse Perry (JC)
What to expect: The Wildcats look like the team most ready to take the leap next season. Nic Wise is a huge loss for Arizona, which hasn’t recruited particularly well in the backcourt. (cue chant: Who’s your Gaddy?) But Olson/O’Neill/Pennell/Miller have recruited a lot of size, and if forward Derrick Williams eschews the NBA for a year, the Wildcats will present difficult matchup problems for a small conference next season.
(3) U$C
Who’s out: Dwight Lewis, Mike Gerrity (graduation), Leonard Washington (transfer)
Who’s in: Bryce Jones (#14 SF), Dwayne Polee (#27 PF), Garrett Jackson (#39 SF), Maurice Jones, and Curtis Washington (unranked)
What to expect: The USC team I saw this season was a long, athletic, talented squad that can afford a couple of losses to graduation. Immediately after the sanctions were announced, Kevin O’Neill’s team hit a big skid. But before that, and then again toward the end of the season, the Trojans looked like they could compete for the Pac-10 title. Certainly there are two big pairs of shoes to fill with the loses of Gerrity and Lewis, but in comparison to the rest of the conference, the Trojans will be relatively experienced. Plus, 2011 will be their second season in O’Neill’s system.
(4) UCLA
Who’s out: Nikola Dragovic, Michael Roll, James Keefe (graduation), Drew Gordon, Mike Moser, J’mison Morgan (transfers)
Who’s in: Josh Smith (#3 C), Tyler Lamb (#14 SG), Lazeric Jones (JC PG)
What to expect: The Bruins will be a new team in 2010-11, with a lot of new faces. Reeves Nelson, Malcom Lee, and Tyler Honeycutt form a new core around which coach Ben Howland can build. But no matter how talented their newcomers may be, the Bruins will need to eventually get back to their suffocating man-to-man defense to have any chance at the conference title. And incoming JC transfer Lazeric Jones will need to learn quickly for the Bruin backcourt to get back to where it needs to be. Enjoy your four months of Josh Smith, Bruin fans.
(5) Arizona State
Who’s out: Eric Boateng, Derek Glasser (graduation), Demetrius Walker (transfer)
Who’s in: Keala King (#13 SF), Chanse Creekmur (#40 SF), Brandon Dunson (JC), Corey Hawkins, Jordan Bachynski (unranked)
What to expect: The surprise darlings of the 2010 Pac-10 season won’t be so fortunate in 2011. Yes, the Sun Devils have a top-notch coach and some returning talent, but they have lost four quality players to graduation and the NBA in two years. At some point those losses will catch up with them. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference is growing up. That’s not to say ASU can’t possibly make an NCAA tournament appearance, but they are under-talented compared to the top four teams in the conference.
(6) California
Who’s out: Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Theo Robertson, Jamal Boykin (graduation), and D.J. Seeley (transfer).
Who’s in: Gary Franklin (#16 PG), Richard Solomon (#21 PF), Alex Rossi (#24 SF), Allen Crabbe (#25 SG)
What to expect: Picking the bottom half in this conference next year is not easy. But coach Mike Montgomery usually finds a way to get more out of his teams than most coaches, and he has a strong incoming recruiting class to offset their heavy losses to graduation (the Bears only returning rotation player is G Jorge Gutierrez). I bet Monty will keep the Bears respectable while they rebuild.
(7) Washington State
Who’s out: Nikola Koprivica (graduation), Xavier Thames, Machael Harthun, and Anthony Brown (transfers)
Who’s in: Patrick Simon (#43 SF), Faisal Aden (JC SG)
What to expect: The Cougars will probably be the trendy media pick for making a move up in the conference next year (how’d that work for Oregon State in 2009/10?) and with the quality of some of their returning players (DeAngelo Casto, Klay Thompson), that may be justified. But making the transition from Tony Bennett’s style of basketball to Ken Bone’s is going to take more than one season. WSU has no choice but to replace their outgoing transfers with more youth and inexperience. Next season will be a nice step up from the cellar, but the Cougs are at least another year from returning to the bubble discussion.
(8) Oregon State
Who’s out: Roeland Schaftenaar, Seth Tarver, Josh Tarver, Calvin Hampton (graduation)
Who’s in: Devon Collier (#16 PF), Ahmad Starks (#25 PG)
What to expect: The Beavers have made huge strides under coach Craig Robinson, but they still lack the overall depth of talent on the roster necessary to compete every week in the Pac-10. Losing Tarver and Schaftenaar means another year of rebuilding, unless true freshman Devon Collier and sophomore Roberto Nelson come along really quickly.
(9) Stanford
Who’s out: Landry Fields, Chris Ebersole, Drew Shiller, Emmanuel Igbinosa (graduation)
Who’s in: Anthony Brown (#7 SF), Dwight Powell (#11 C), John Gage (#17 C), Josh Huestis (#21 SF), Aaron Bright (#40 PG), Stefan Nastic (#49 PF)
What to expect: Landry Fields was statistically the best player in the Pac-10 in 2010, and his graduation is crushing for a team that was already lacking talent in its surrounding role players. The Cardinal’s recruiting class is deep, but lacks the impact players that could help them climb up the standings immediately.
(10) Oregon
Who’s out: Tajuan Porter (graduation), Ernie Kent (Mexico, presumably)
Who’s in: A Phil-Knight-endorsed coach to be named later, probably recruit or two.
What to expect: There really isn’t any way to know until the Ducks name a coach. Oregon will return a lot of players in 2011, including a few with real talent, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them as high as sixth after it’s all said and done. But this team didn’t exactly rally around Ernie Kent, so it’s tough to predict that they will gel quickly in a brand new system in 2011.
(rankings by Scout.com)
Thanks for coming!
Tags: Alex Tuttle
It’s amazing what qualifies as “news” when it comes to recruiting. Just today, Terrence Jones announced that on EITHER April 23 or April 30, he’ll announce his decision about where to go to school. To say this news reverberated around Husky Nation would be an understatement.
Staff Writer Craig Yamada attempts to make some sense of all the pre-signing-period hullabaloo and takes a look at where the Huskies stand with several top recruiting targets with less than a week until the spring signing period begins.
by Craig Yamada – Staff Writer
National Letter of Intent
Name of Recruit: Terrence Jones/Terrence Ross/Aziz N’diaye
Sport (Men’s): Basketball Date Issued to Prospect: April 14, 2010
This is to certify that my decision to enroll at University of Washington (Name of Institution)
Signed (Prospect Signature) ________________ (This is your cue Terrence, Terrence and Aziz)
-“He’s going to Kentucky. Calipari has this one in the bag”
- “They are going to UW in a packaged deal”
- “He is Oregon’s to lose”
These statements represent just a small snipit of the conversations circling on the blogs and pay sites during the last seven months of UW’s basketball recruiting efforts. Who’s right? Who’s wrong?
Thankfully the rumors, debates, theories and predictions regarding recruiting will finally be laid to rest between April 14th and May 19th. The beginning of the spring signing period for NCAA men’s basketball is but five days away and it can’t come soon enough for Dawg fans.
The only signed LOI we have right now is Desmond Simmons, who signed with UW during the early signing period in the fall. This leaves just one guaranteed scholarship available, as Clarence Trent has apparently decided not to join the football team. But as we all know, Romar math has a way of working in his favor if the professor is called upon to do some funny arithmetic.
A handful of unsigned recruiting targets remain for the Huskies. Let’s take a look at our prospects and examine my read* on the likelihood of each of them playing on Montlake next year:
*My read = a combination of gut feeling and the swirling rumors and reports that abound around Husky Nation.
Terrence Jones- Schools interested: UW, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma and UCLA
This man needs no introduction as any avid Dawg fan has been salivating over Terrence wearing purple and gold since 2008. The 6’9” prized prospect from Jefferson High School in Portland is UW’s primary recruiting target this offseason.
Terrence, a top-20 recruit nationally, was most recently featured on the West Team in the McDonald’s All American game where he put up 14 points (second total on the West squad). He recently led his team to the 5A State Championship in Oregon for the third straight season and was recently decorated with his second straight 5A Player of the Year award.
Terrence is an inside-and-out style player who has drawn comparisons to Lamar Odom. He has a long and quick first step and can take players off the dribble. Several skeptics have attacked his tendency to settle for outside jumpers instead of trying to draw fouls and score from the stripe.
If the McDonald’s All American game taught us anything, it’s that TJ can score inside and will do so if necessary. He showed flashes of brilliance in drawing contact down low and getting putbacks off the offensive glass. Sound like anyone we know? He can play the 1-4 spot on the floor, but UW will look for him to be Quincy-style presence, working inside and out. He’s also an excellent ballhandler and could work well if he has to in an isolation-style offense for a final score.
A month ago it was noted that this would undoubtedly be a two-horse race between UK and UW for his services. However, Oregon has snuck back onto the radar and will look to play the role of spoiler if they can get a good coaching hire to lure in Jones. Chances are this will not happen as the new coach will have about a week to establish a relationship with Terrence before he has to decide. Terrence has remained pretty tight-lipped about his recruiting as he has not released much information about which way he is leaning.
Outlook by School:
UW (35% Likely): Terrence has reinforced that he loves “the family atmosphere” that Romar instills in the program. He also is a big fan of the Huskies’ current style of play. Romar has been recruiting him since 2008 and has the best foundation of all coaches in the running, particularly now that Ernie Kent is no longer in the picture.
With Quincy’s departure, TJ has an opportunity to fill the scoring hole that Pondexter leaves. Academics are the only issue that cast a shadow on his UW recruitment. With the close proximity to Portland, Terrence could still have his family close with a three-hour drive down I-5.
Kentucky (35% Likely): As Calipari is selling his recruits on “nine available scholarships” for next season, there’s clearly plenty of room for TJ on this team. UK also recently declared that 5 of their players (4 freshman) will declare for the NBA. In my opinion, the decision of CJ Leslie will be a major factor for Terrence as they both play the same position. Rumors suggest this could be an either/or scenario for Kentucky. But knowing Calipari, he will look to stock his team with depth and youth as he only has only six confirmed returning players.
UW nation is definitely on pins and needles about how, and what, Calipari will be offering TJ to lure him in. The allure of churning out NBA players definitely makes UK a major attraction for Jones.
Oregon (20% Likely): Ernie Kent is out. No replacement has been named. Jones has been keeping in close contact with the assistant coaches at UO this past month as they try to find their new head coach. Jones is rumored to be putting off his decision until Oregon hires a coach. Will a new basketball facility, playing in his home state, and 50 different wardrobe changes be enough to snag Terrence?
UCLA (5%) – Mike Moser, TJ’s friend from Portland, has asked for a transfer. Josh Smith has been lobbying for TJ to play for UCLA ever since he declared. I don’t see TJ fitting into Howland’s style of play, especially with Tyler Honeycutt showing flashes of stardom for next year.
Oklahoma (5%) – Given the rumored violations from this year over “Tiny Gallon,” this program seems to be in a lot of turmoil and should be losing its luster for TJ.
Terrence RossSchools Interested: UW, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Kansas
Another Portland native has been drawing more national interest of late. Terrence Ross, a high school teammate of Terrence Jones, recently made the move from Montrose Christian (Maryland) back to Jefferson High in Portland.
Ross verbally decommitted from Maryland back in December and opened his recruitment back up. UW was one school that got back onto his recruiting radar, as they’d been eyeing Ross since he originally played for Jefferson two years ago.
The 6’5” shooting guard looks to have the complete package. He is known mostly for his range from the arc, but has recently developed his midrange game. His highlight reels definitely display his quickness and agility as he looks to be a good fit for Romar’s transition game. Though he was snubbed for the McDonald’s All American game, he is still one of the best shooting guard prospects in the country. He rates as a four-star athlete on Rivals and Scout.
The only clouds over Ross’s head right now are his academics. There have been rumors that he may choose to go to a prep school next year if he can’t qualify and sign with a school next year (similar to Kevin Davis’s situation).
It is no coincidence that Ross and Jones have a similar group of college teams recruiting them. Jones went on record saying that he and Ross have discussed the possibility of going as a “package deal” to a school. But ultimately, they’ll each choose the best fit for themselves.
Ross has not led on much about his recruiting as of late as he’s been busy getting his academics in order. Thus, it is difficult to gauge his interest at this point. But here is my best guess:
Kansas (25% Likely): Xavier Henry and Sherron Collins are gone to the NBA. Ideally, this move would make sense for Ross given the needs of the Jayhawks. But who wants to live in Kansas?
Kentucky (25% Likely): Much of the same goes for Ross here as it does for Jones. Plenty of scholarships are open, but is Ross open to being a role player for a potential five-star average freshman class? One has to believe that if Josh Selby and Brandon Knight go to UK, the backcourt will be overcrowded. Academically, UK has an advantage here as academic standards are lower at UK than UW.
UW (25% Likely): Romar knows Ross’s game well as he’s been scouting him for years. He’s a good fit for the system, however there will be a load of guards on the 2010 roster. Based on Ross’s talent, he definitely offers a dimension to his game that Suggs and Turner lack. He has proven to be a slasher and can take his man off the dribble to create his own shot.
Oregon (20% Likely): With Tajuan Porter graduating, there is definitely an opening for a shooter on this team. Again, the coaching vacancy definitely warrants attention for any incoming recruit. He may wait on a coaching hire before making a decision.
Oklahoma (5%) – Not likely given the program’s recent turmoil.
Aziz N’diaye
Schools Interested: UW, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Colorado and Loyola Marymount
The 7’1” center from Senegal had to sit out the entire year at Southern Idaho with a leg injury. He’s been reported to be a very mobile big man with a highly touted defensive mindset. And, he still has three years of collegiate eligibility. He could prove to be a good option for UW if Angelo Chol or Norvel Pelle do not commit for 2011.
Word on the street is that he has narrowed his top two choices down to UW and Oklahoma. However, Kansas and Oregon State have been showing more interest of late. This could be UW’s best chance of landing a recruit given the amount of competition for Ross and Jones.
UW (40% Likely): Aziz has been cited by multiple sources to be a strong UW lean and I would be surprised if he ends up elsewhere. Given UW’s lack of size, the opportunity for Aziz to flourish as a true center is available on Romar’s team. Together, MBA and Aziz could dominate the post on both sides of the ball. Coach Chillous is the closest to him on UW’s end and Romar is definitely growing in favor with Aziz as well.
Oklahoma (30% Likely): Aziz had a good visit to Oklahoma and has a good relationship with Coach Capel. Oklahoma is in need of a big man with all the uncertainty of “Tiny” Gallon’s future with the Sooners.
Kansas (10% Likely): Since Cole Aldrich declared for the NBA Draft, the opportunity for significant playing time rose for Aziz.
Oregon State (10% Likely): The departure of senior Roeland Schaftenaar definitely leaves room for Aziz on Coach Robinson’s squad. He would be a good man to have next to Joe Burton on the glass.
Colorado/ Loyola (5% each) – Both have offers out to Aziz, but the buzz is not suggesting that either of these two teams have a great shot at the big man.
Other prospects that have been mentioned this season, but have not been offered by UW are: Dwayne Polee, Deonte Burton, DeAndre Daniels, Avery Johnson and Danny Lawhorn.
If you have any news that we missed, please chime in!
Thanks for coming!
Tags: Craig Yamada
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