Recruiting - 2020

[Dane Pound]

Shane O'dell will be playing his college basketball at a school on Western Ave. but it will be a little further downtown. He recently committed to St. Rose.

[godanesgo99]

As of 4/29

Sr.

• Champion
• Anderson

Junior

• Kelly
• Shafer
• Horton
• Healy
• Rizuto
• Gates
• Hank
• Lulka

Sophomore

• Hutcheson

Freshman

• Amica

12 Scholarships Used - 1 Remain

PG 

• Anderson
• Amica
• Champion

SG

• Healy
• Rizzuto
• Horton

Wing

• Kelly
• Shafer
• Hutcheson

PF

• Lulka
• Gates

C

• Hank

 

My observations:

• Desperately need another big. Hutch and Kelly could play the 4, but both are more suited and sized for the 3.
• Team will likely play much smaller this year with such a talented guard heavy lineup. I'd love to see either Hank develop further in his rim protection or another 6'11 or 7 footer to be recruited - but that is probably only a wild dream at this point. I wouldn't be so afraid of the teams size playing 4 guys under 6'5" if there was someone who could consistently block/alter shots at the rim.
• Next off-season will be huge. Only 2 graduating, but the majority of the team will be moving into their senior year. We can assume that there will be a transfer or 2 like always, or even the early graduation of Healy or Lulka, but getting 4-year players next off season will be of the highest importance. They can have one year on a senior laden team then the show will be theirs. 
• Like always, on paper, the team looks talented enough to be very deep and have playing time issues, but I say that every year and it always comes down to a rotation of 7-9 players
• Team can withstand a few injuries to the guards, but if a big goes down for extended time it will be a rough season
• On paper, I will guess that the team gets no love in the pre-season nationally and starts the year in the #200 range. Exceeds those expectations and finishes around #140.
• Will be picked 4th once again in the AE, but finishes 2nd or 3rd. Has a realistic chance to win the league with no Lamb at UVM (who still ends up being picked #1 pre-season) in the championship game played at Patrick once again.
• The above can change in the blink of an eye if the team can find a play now talented big that is 6'9" or taller, but those are few and far between

[Dane Pound]

Shaker was a freshman last year so he'll only be a sophomore. Still that's a lot of juniors.

Was thinking the instant transfer rule better be a lock. Otherwise our only other incoming front court player (Gates) would have to sit a year.

[Bball2020]

Nervous about center spot but rest of roster looks amazing, lets hope they land one or they will be playing small ball!

[godanesgo99]

18 hours ago, Dane Pound said:

Shaker was a freshman last year so he'll only be a sophomore. Still that's a lot of juniors.

Was thinking the instant transfer rule better be a lock. Otherwise our only other incoming front court player (Gates) would have to sit a year.

I could have sworn he was a Redshirt Freshman last year myself. I was pulling my data from verbalcommits, and they have him listed as a sophomore, which is why I put him there. Either way, he still has 2 or 3 years with the program if he sticks. He has talent and was highly touted out of high school. If he can come back from injury at 100% healthy he really could be a wildcard and make an impact.

Right now, he has me thinking of Phil Flory. Flory could never recover from injury, and I don't think he played anywhere last year after leaving us. So sad from being a Marquette commit to a walk-on who got some PT at Seton Hall, to a lost season at UA with more injuries, to not playing, although I think he has an offer from a D2 school now. Hopefully Schafer can be 100%. 

[jimbo]

On 4/28/2020 at 12:55 PM, Dane Pound said:

Shane O'dell will be playing his college basketball at a school on Western Ave. but it will be a little further downtown. He recently committed to St. Rose.

The Gazette story on O’dell made no mention of a UA offer or interest. They made it seem that there were no D1 offers at all, just some conversations. 

[Bball2020]

Pretty sure Albany stopped recruitng the odell from schalmont hs when they realized he was a 4-5. As for Shafer, didnt show much and didnt get much of an opportunity, with the stacked backcourt he is low man on the poll coming in and would think he may look to move out just like desousa. If he left it would allow ua to get two more bigs. They need two more but with the amazing guards if we had to settle for one it is what it is at the low level division one schools. Not judging shafer but question how much playing time there will be at the 2-3 when you consider champion, healy, horton, kelly, rizzuto and hutch may slide over from the four.

[Dane Pound]

Sounds like the one time waiver went from "lock" to "shaky". NCAA board of governors recommended against it today. 

If it doesn't pass, I wonder where this leaves us with Gates if he has to sit a year.

[Clickclack]

5 hours ago, Dane Pound said:

Sounds like the one time waiver went from "lock" to "shaky". NCAA board of governors recommended against it today. 

If it doesn't pass, I wonder where this leaves us with Gates if he has to sit a year.

This is a problem for gates...and our front court depth. There will ABSOLUTELY be one more big joining. One transfer down from a bcs program fell through. Darn...

[Michael Henry]

Gates has decommitted . Now going to Holy Cross.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Michael Henry

[UA1882]

Unfortunate but you don't want anyone here so doesnt want to be. We have a ton of minutes available for a big man to come in and play right away. Hopefully a grad transfer and something else. 

I'm not a recruiting expert but I seems that there are several, several players still available.  

[Clickclack]

This is what happens when you think kids will be immediately available and NCAA stalls the by laws change. Kid would have to sit and we have zero depth at the forward spot so can't afford to tie up a ship in a kid that needs to sit.

Back to two available...

[cwdickens]

"Easy come, easy go", a player reversing a commitment to a school from the Transfer Portal should come as no surprise, these are not normal times.  I see no certainty in the current basketball 🏀recruitment period. Perhaps, next year will be the "Year of Retention" .

[godanesgo99]

Need to look at Taurean Thompson - 6'11" Grad Transfer from Seton Hall. I am thinking he could be a major steal in the AE

[Dane Pound]

According to twitter, we've offered Isiah Jones, a 6'8 grad transfer from Southern Miss of Conference USA. Sounds like he'd have two years of eligibility.