Sunday, May 4, 2008
A Few Random Thoughts
It's nice to see comments on this blog. What's even better is I would bet the few folks who comment are extremely knowledgeable by the comments they leave. I also think one in particular is extremely connected by alot of what he shares. Thanks to all that leave comments. And please, it is fine to disagree with me. I definitely am not a person who knows it all lol.
Ok the Ebanks visit is over and he will be off to Fed Expr....... oops I mean Memphis next. This will be a hard program to beat for a player such as Ebanks. My gut, and I do not know him or his AAU Coach even though I do know his Dad, is he wants a big time program with great atmosphere where he will be king in the neighborhood and city for 1 year before heading to the NBA. I still say he and other players like him fail to look at the larger picture. One day AAU types, HS Coaches, and others will teach kids they have to look at where they will be 20 years from now. They will also be taught about being loved and not wanted. Hopefully Ebanks and his advisers including his Family will recognize what a great opportunity awaits him at Rutgers especially with the other recruits who are going there. But as I said, Memphis will be hard to beat in more ways than one.
Jonathan Mitchell was at SHU this weekend. Hope he had a great time. But what I fail to understand is how they take a kid from Mt. Vernon to NYC to eat? That is crazy because I am sure he has been in Manhattan 1000 times if not more. Why not sell him on attending school in NJ by showing off NJ? Kids are not stupid!!! They know once they attend SHU or SJU they will not be venturing to Manhattan much for eating unless they are going with someone outside the basketball program. Personally I would have kept him around South Orange where he would have been admired as he entered places with Bobby G, taken him to Codeys ofice for a meet and greet, asked the Gov. if he was available, and even taken him through East Orange at night to show him there were clubs that hip hop young African Americans attend, as well as showing there is a hood nearby in case that is his thing. Yes as opposed to hiding the fact it is close to SHU (I know how they drive kids to SHU lol) I would make it a positive so that it can not be used against SHU. I would have even taken him to Montclair and South Orange and other areas to see how many African Americans, some of which attended SHU, are living in great homes. Anyway, I think he has 2 great school opportunities. Too bad he eliminated SJU because that could have been a great location for him.
Norm Roberts has his hands full and will have a very difficult job recruiting in the future. Every kid thinks he will be fired after next season so they are reluctant to commit there. Truth be told they could be right. SJU did not help anything by refusing to give him an extention. Seems to me they have their sites on someone and maybe they are just allowing Roberts to finish out next season. Very hard to be successful the way it is now at SJU.
Posted by LFBall
As many have noticed, I have not posted much since the HS and College season has ended. Honestly I did not have much to say and did not want to bore folks with the same information they receive from other sources. So at the least I will post two days a week unless something happens that needs to be posted.
Seton Hall has Oliver and Mitchell visiting this weekend. That should be a great visit for both kids and Mitchell should look very closely at available playing time at the position he really wants to play. Honestly, Seton hall is not a bad choice for him. Just wonder if Rutgers 6th Assistant and head of Westchester County recruiting, Mike Coburn, is working this kid so hard it will be hard for him to say no to RU? One thing that is very interesting and worthy of discussing is the fact Mount Vernon rarely if ever has had twp players at the same college. Could be a coincidence or just a plan so they can establish their own identities. From what I can see Mount Vernon has no favorites when it comes to recruiting Mount Vernon Players.
Watching Samuel Delembert (sp) play a bit last night reminds me of the first time I saw him. He and Herve' L were carrying the team bags for St. Patricks into a St. Patricks game at Elizabeth High School. Both were so happy to sit on the bench and cheer. They seemed to be just two very nice kids. I bring this up because it just proves how good Kevin Boyle is as a Teacher and Coach. He did a great job developing both kids and others. Heck, he has two guys playing huge roles in the NBA with Samuel and Al. Not to mention all the others who had or is having great college careers.
Great to see SHU and others recruiting Noel Johnson from Atlanta. But truth be told, he has alot of NYC in him because he spends alot of time in Harlem over the summers visiting family. For those who do not know, he is the son of Lymbert "Cheese" Johnson, ex Wichita State star who was a great NYC HS player and top 100 player nationally. Just wonder if Dermon Player should not be more involved since he has known "Cheese" for a long time. I spoke with "Cheese" Johnson a few months back and he told me his son is wide open but spends alot of time on the Georgia Tech campus. Did not mention SHU at the time.
Lots of folks continue to be excited about Rutgers recruiting. They seem to be doing a great job. But. Ebanks would be the most significant recruit at sign at Rutgers since Phil Sellers. He is that good! I just hope folks are not in his ear giving him bad advice. He will make alot of money in the near future so all he needs right now is a platform to perform. A place to develop. and a place where he can feel comfortable. Rutgers would be a GREAT CHOICE!!!!!!!!
Imagine Rosario, Enchique (sp), Ebanks, Jackson, Morris, Chandler, The big Fella, Coburn, and three seniors who MUST come back ready for war? Though I am not ready to do flips over the recruits other than Ebanks, I do feel all are very good additions and legit BE players. Together this would be a very good unit. Must be exciting on the banks!!!
AAU and Travel team basketball is in full swing. I am looking forward to the Charlie Weber Tournament in Chapel Hill and Durham. Also looking forward to the huge event at Fordham. But if kids want a place to develop quickly, they need to contact Jim Couch, who runs a great Saturday workout program and does not charge a dime. he does it on donations from current and retired NBA players who have been through his program. If anyone is interested they can call Mr. Couch at 212 942-5193. The only requirement is a good attitude and willingness to work hard. Be prepared to see folks who cannot play a lick as well as potential professionals. In his eyes everyone deserves to play. I worked/ran this program with Mr. Couch for over 20 years.
I have been getting a few requests for my shoulder up boot camp for players. I have identifies a place in the Pocono Mountains for this weekend event. We will only have 15-20 participants from College's and HS taking part. For this camp you must have some game but also lacking something that would make you more complete. The two coaches who will run the camp are great teachers and motivators who have worked in Division 1. Both are no nonsense but very understanding and nurturing. More on this camp in a week or so. Reach me at LFBall@aol.com to participate. It will be a sleep over camp for the 3 days.
Tidbits
I wish The University of Delaware would recruit Sofman. He could be outstanding there.
Chucky Martin a Head Coach? Wow! I think he will do a very good job.
Did anyone notice that Rod Strickland is on the staff at Memphis U? Hope he gets Chucky's Job! Or at the least Chucky brings him to Marist with him.
What is the deal with Gary DeCaeser? he deserves a Head Coaching job as well. Wonder why schools have not contacted him?
AAU and Travel Team guys are very powerful. I know at least 3 guys who recently got jobs based on recommendations from AAU guys.
Just remembered. Chucky is hiring a guy recommended by Calipari, and a guy recommended by Bruiser Flint. I guess thats how it works. He HAD TO HIRE those guys because he was given an opportunity by both coaches mentioned.
6 comments:
I would make it a positive so that it can not be used against SHU
This is a very wise comment, LF.
who are the coaches running the boot camp? when is it? how much?
will mention coaches later. But costs will only reflect what room and board and instruction is. I honestly cannot see it being more than two hundred dollars depending on what the two coaches want. I personally do not want 1 cent. But facility food and sleeping rooms are what the main costs will be. If we pull it off it will be for only 15-20 players on HS and College level.
LF,
As you know, I am a Seton Hall fan (family is there), but I am also proud of our state university from an NJ perspective - Rutgers is an exceptionally good state university and academically may be already in the top ten or top five. More and more people are recognizing this, which is a great thing for "learning in NJ". I know that landing Ebanks would be a fantastic coup for Rutgers and would help the image of the school and state nationally. So - that part of me hopes that Ebanks finally chooses Rutgers.
The thing that bothers me is a growing sense that the "SHU recruiting is welcome here" sign has been discarded for years by the key high school programs in this state - almost like: we'll never say it out loud, but you will never be welcome here.....
I am not a person in the know. But, I read the papers and go back in my mind thinking about what reporters report for recruits from St. Anthony's and St. Patrick's and other similar schools - and I sense a huge black hole where Seton Hall is concerned.
I will congratulate Rugters - I hope the program continues to be successful for the good of basketball in this area - but I definitely feel like "lack of recruiting success" is a two-way street - if the target schools have shunned an institution (albeit in silence). I hope that such a situation does not exist. I hope that the tables are even and level (we all prefer to accept failures of our own making rather than failures from a history we simple cannot control).
Can you shed any light (without compromising any privilege) about the difficulties faced by SHU and SJU in this regard? Is there anything those two schools could do differently that would open doors that seem totally shut?
I've been pondering this a lot. It seems like there's a missing factor here that explains the imbalance in recruiting success among the three schools.
Thanks for your thoughts and opinions - perhaps this is a subject for a separate blog entry for you.
Check out my latest post. It answers a few things. Thanks for asking.
Nice, respectful post concerning your thoughts on Rutgers john. Kudos to you.
I'll be honest here and now: I've been Rutgers since the late sixties, and I rooted for SHU in the final four championship quest as a NJ fan first and foremost. And, it wasn't until I "met" some of the Pirates Plank fans on the internet that I completely turned against Shu.
It's actually quite sad, considering we R all the same people....and almost ALL from New Jersey. And yet, I can't get over the hatred spewing from some over in SO. I try, but I can't. It's changed my thought process forever. But you are like a breath of fresh air. And, I'll be honest. IF SHU ever gets that far again, I do believe that deep down I'll be rooting for NJ...and Seton Hall. I'm not sure anymore, but I'll let you know if it ever happens.
;)
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