News from Charleston, WV: http://sundaygazettemail.com/Sports/201001260752
Let's hope Buzz can out recruit (yuck) Huggins.
From the article:
There is a player, however, that Huggins has seen of late.
Followers of the coach's radio show may have noticed the broadcast was moved last Monday from its regular slot.
That's because the coach was in Alabama checking out a 2010 prospect somewhat under the radar. And there's a return trip, either from Huggins or one of his assistants, scheduled for today, according to the prospect's coach.
The recruit is Josh Langford, who plays for Lee High in Huntsville, Ala. And, apparently, the Mountaineers are putting on the full-court press for his services.
"Coach Huggins is coming with it,'' Lee coach Greg Brown said with a laugh, "and I'm glad.''
Langford is a 6-6, 210-pound wing man with interest or offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Clemson, Marquette and UNLV.
"Huggins and [Marquette coach] Buzz Williams were here the other night,'' Brown said. "Buzz wants [Langford] bad too. Georgetown is coming [tonight].''
According to Brown, Langford is a deadly shooter, connecting on 53.4 percent of his shots from the floor for the Generals this season. The coach said his standout is hitting 38 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He is one of many nominated for the McDonald's All-American game.
"Josh doesn't miss anything from mid-range,'' Brown said.
The Mountaineers, of course, are in desperate need of deadeye shooters, and Langford apparently is interested.
"Oh yeah,'' Brown said. "He definitely has interest. He was excited about [Huggins] being here. He didn't know until near the end [of Monday's game], but he was excited.''
Thus, perhaps, the scheduled return trip.
Brown, however, also said Huggins was taken by another Lee High General: Langford's cousin, Devin, a 6-6, 180-pound shooting guard in the 2011 class.
"He's been compared to Penny Hardaway,'' Brown said.
The Lee High coach said Marquette's Williams has already offered both Langfords. It's been reported other schools like Alabama, Maryland, Wake Forest and Georgia have also already offered Devin Langford.
"Most of the ACC schools have,'' Brown said.
The coach said Devin Langford, like his cousin, is keen on Huggins.
For now, though, keep an eye on Huggins and Josh Langford. Brown said the older Langford had a nice selection of offers, but the Mountaineer coach's appearance made an impact.
"Huggins,'' Brown laughed, "has kind of changed the game.''
Something to keep an eye on.
Huggins can keep Josh. We need a big man.
This is Haywards height and I have no problem going after him and getting him. But it sounds as if WV beat us too the punch here.
He originally committed to Louisville and backed out. If he ends up at West Virginia it would appear that he likes the sleezeball, A-hole coaches.
As much as I'd love to have a 6-6 guy who could shot like that we MUST recruit some size and some bulk and since we're likely to be taking a flyer on some guys that might not work out we probably need two interior players betting that one will work out.
Keep in mind its not just height its SIZE and STRENGHT. Lazar is 215 lbs and strong as an Ox so he is able to play much bigger than 6-6. And even Lazar is often terribly overmatched. Jimmy B who is about the same height has a different body type than Lazar is going to have a much more difficult time playing on the block and defending on the block.
Seems like a nice SF, but we need a PF or C, or both.
Quote from: NotAnAlum on January 27, 2010, 05:00:51 PM
As much as I'd love to have a 6-6 guy who could shot like that we MUST recruit some size and some bulk and since we're likely to be taking a flyer on some guys that might not work out we probably need two interior players betting that one will work out.
Keep in mind its not just height its SIZE and STRENGHT. Lazar is 215 lbs and strong as an Ox so he is able to play much bigger than 6-6. And even Lazar is often terribly overmatched. Jimmy B who is about the same height has a different body type than Lazar is going to have a much more difficult time playing on the block and defending on the block.
Why? If you are taller than Butler you are not going to get off the bench at MU.
If he/they can score AND defend,
WELCOME TO MU, JOSH and/or DEVIN! :)
Said it on the other board and I'll say it here, no disrespect intended to either of the Langfords, but no thanks. This team is in need of a couple of things next year, neither of which include a 6'6 swingman that is just now learning to be a perimeter player.
We need another true center and a power forward of what you might call more normal size. Langford's a talented kid, but this team simply can't continue to roll out 6'6 200lb guys at the 4 and expect to have a chance to compete with the upper echelon teams in the Big East. The only way we should be taking a swing man this year is if he's one of those rare 6'9 guys that is offensively more of a 3 but big enough defensively to play inside.
But, Buzz says he'd never turn away a good player.
Translation:
This kid is better than any available big man. Thus, the offer.
We already have a glut of perimeter types. Why unnecessarily muddy the waters w/another?
We don't need a great scorer down low (would be nice, but that's gravy), but we need someone who can defend and rebound. Surely, there must be a Marcus Jackson type out there somewhere.
funny thing about it is am sitting here watching the undefeated in the BE Villanova Wildcats and the announcers keep saying hey might be rated #1 next week. Thye have a 6'8 center and 4 guards in the starting lineup and typically bring in two guards first off the bench.
we have 3 centers on the roster next year and two PF's se know reason we cannot sign a SF and then a 4 or 5. I will leave it to Buzz i trust his opinions over yours.
Where the heck are you finding 3 centers are next year's roster? Otule, Mbao.....
Quote from: bma725 on January 27, 2010, 07:10:58 PM
Where the heck are you finding 3 centers are next year's roster? Otule, Mbao.....
Two project centers and NO PFs.
Yeah, why the need to upgrade when we've got Mbao, Otule, Fulce and EW manning the inside?
my bad wrong key 2 centers Ewill and Butler are PF's and i would take Butler at 6'8" over Pena any day of the week.
Quote from: Boone on January 27, 2010, 07:32:24 PM
Yeah, why the need to upgrade when we've got Mbao, Otule, Fulce and EW manning the inside?
interesting you left out Butler. Not saying we dont need to upgrade but if Buzz feels a particaulr wing could play the 4 or is good enough to warrant only signing 1 big ten i will defer to Buzz
Thanks for clearing that up. I feel so much better about the future of our inside game now ::)
Quote from: nyg on January 27, 2010, 07:14:29 PM
Two project centers and NO PFs.
Exactly. Both are projects at best.
I'd like to see DJO improve to a point where he plays 35 mins a game. If he is playing those kinds of minutes for 2 more years, we do not need any more wings. Especially if Blue is for real too and could get to 30-35 mins/game. Unless Buzz lands a one and done type of talent, I don't see a reason to recruit another guard/wing for 2010.
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on January 27, 2010, 07:34:13 PM
my bad wrong key 2 centers Ewill and Butler are PF's and i would take Butler at 6'8" over Pena any day of the week.
OK, maybe, just maybe Ewill can convert to a PF sometime down to road, but unless Butler has grown two inches in the last few days, he is a 6ft 6in SF/G. No way can he be classified as a PF.
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on January 27, 2010, 07:34:13 PM
my bad wrong key 2 centers Ewill and Butler are PF's and i would take Butler at 6'8" over Pena any day of the week.
Butler is a 3, not a 4. He plays there now out of necessity, but ideally you'd have a natural 4 playing there so that Jimmy can use his perimeter and mid range game more often as well as drive to the hole.
Plus, as good of a defender as Jimmy is, he simply isn't big enough to go against some of the larger power forwards that MU faces every year. He'd have to add quite a bit of weight to be able to bang in the post with them, and that would probably be detrimental to his offensive game.
Butler agrees w/you, BMA. He says it all.
"Too big," said 6-foot-6, 215-pound Jimmy Butler, who spent most of his 37 minutes butting heads with the likes of 6-9, 261-pound Arinze Onuaku and 6-9, 240-pound Rick Jackson in the lane.
"I mean, I'm height-big, but I'm not going to say I'm weight-big. They were just big. You know they're big when they're giving Lazar (Hayward) problems down there. You can definitely tell when you've got two guys like that in the paint challenging your shots and having to guard them on the defensive end.
"It's really hard."
butler is every bit of 6'8" i ahve stood next to him anumber times he taller than fulce and signifciantly taller than lazar. not arguing naything about the weight, simply saying he is not 6'6
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on January 27, 2010, 08:02:03 PM
butler is every bit of 6'8" i ahve stood next to him anumber times he taller than fulce and signifciantly taller than lazar. not arguing naything about the weight, simply saying he is not 6'6
He is significantly taller than both, but Buzz has talked in the past how the listed heights for both players are incorrect. According to what Buzz said last year, Hayward and Fulce are actually 6'4 and 6'5 respectively, not their listed heights. So while Butler is in fact taller than both, he's not 6'8.
Buzz was kidding about Hayward being 6'4.
Hayward was asked about it and just laughed and said something like "thats just Buzz being Buzz".
He is in the 6'5 to 6'6 range and Butler is taller.
None of that really matters though. We still need to get recruit a 4 man with some bulk to defend the paint.
I've seen the Langford play several times this year and Josh gets better everytime I see him.
I'd kind of be surprised if Josh went to WVU... I think UGA is his leader unless Georgetown really impressed him
Quote from: bma725 on January 27, 2010, 08:06:37 PM
He is significantly taller than both, but Buzz has talked in the past how the listed heights for both players are incorrect. According to what Buzz said last year, Hayward and Fulce are actually 6'4 and 6'5 respectively, not their listed heights. So while Butler is in fact taller than both, he's not 6'8.
not only have i stood next to him a number of times and laughed about his listed height he was alos recently on Homers show where they measured him at 6'8"
Quote from: bma725 on January 27, 2010, 08:06:37 PM
He is significantly taller than both, but Buzz has talked in the past how the listed heights for both players are incorrect. According to what Buzz said last year, Hayward and Fulce are actually 6'4 and 6'5 respectively, not their listed heights. So while Butler is in fact taller than both, he's not 6'8.
On the overhead scoreboard Tuesday prior to the game, there was a clip with Jimmy speaking. We heard him to say he was 6'8" now. FWIW.
Butler is a 3, not a 4. He plays there now out of necessity, but ideally you'd have a natural 4 playing there so that Jimmy can use his perimeter and mid range game more often as well as drive to the hole.
BMA not disagreeing with you but he has done pretty well at the 4 as he scores well when contested hit Fts defends pretty well and rebounds well. My whole point was Villanova is undefeated in the BE and possibly #1 in the country and they play one guy who is listed at 6'8" and 4 guards my point simply was we dont need to have 3 centers and 4 power forwards next year.
to which the responses are Butler is not a 4 and butler is not 6'8" ...meanwhile the point goes directly over everyones head.
Personally ithink we can be really good next year with Butler, Blue, Junior, Djo and Buycks on the court. Or if capable throw Otule in there and slide Butler to the 4 to go big. My point to those clamoring for 2 bigs is villanova is currently pasting ND who goes 6'8, 6'8, 6'10 accross the front line with a 3/4 listed at 6'8 and 4 guards. if Buzz thinks and can get a 6'6 Sf that he feels will help the team more down the road or immediately than another big then i have faith in him. The depth is there at the 4 and 5 justnot the experience and maturity
Quote from: MR.HAYWARD on January 28, 2010, 11:13:08 AM
Butler is a 3, not a 4. He plays there now out of necessity, but ideally you'd have a natural 4 playing there so that Jimmy can use his perimeter and mid range game more often as well as drive to the hole.
But what does Jimmy's dad think? Is he Ok with Butler not playing the 3?
Villanova is the exception to the rule, and even they are only playing that way right now due to the fact that Yarou was out so long due to illness. Ideally, they don't want to play 4 guards, and Jay Wright has shown that multiple times in what he's trying to recruit over the last few years.
Further, look at the rest of the top teams in the country. No one outside of Villanova is playing with 4 guards and small forward in the post, and there's a reason for that. Playing that way simply limits your over all effectiveness.
Which one of ND's starters is 6'10?
Answer none of them. In truth Harangody is more like 6'6 if you read the ND boards.
2 of Nova's 4 guards are 6'5(Stokes and Redding) which helps on both defense and on the boards. They are really small forwards. Pena also has 20 pounds or so on Butler.
If we had a bunch of 6'5 or 6'6 guys I would agree we might be able to get away with it but you are talking about playing 6'8(but skinny)6'1, 6'2, 6'3 and 6'3.
I think that lineup could work in spots but i wouldn't want to defend with it game in and game out.
Our rebounding is bad enough now.....I shudder to think how many second chance points that lineup would give up.
No rebounding, no shotblocking, no thanks..............
tim abromaitis...
Agree about Nova. You simply can't field a team with all guards and perimeter oriented forwards. You have to match up with the other team at some point. And if you end up conceeding the paint "your margin for error is so low" to borrow a Buzz phrase that the odds will eventually catch up with you and you will lose enough games to stop you from being a truly elite team.
Quote from: bma725 on January 28, 2010, 11:55:52 AM
Villanova is the exception to the rule, and even they are only playing that way right now due to the fact that Yarou was out so long due to illness. Ideally, they don't want to play 4 guards, and Jay Wright has shown that multiple times in what he's trying to recruit over the last few years.
Further, look at the rest of the top teams in the country. No one outside of Villanova is playing with 4 guards and small forward in the post, and there's a reason for that. Playing that way simply limits your over all effectiveness.
BMA ... beleive me i am not disagreeing with you. My entire point is while Villanovas blue print may not be ideal it has served them pretty freaking well even dating back to the foye, NArdi, etc. years.
My issue is with the people that are discussing in this thread which adresses Buzz recruiting a Sf that state we have to have 2 bigs. We dont especially if this guy is that good. W ehave 2 centers and depending on how you want to argue it between 2 and 4 PF's. I beleive Butler is a as good as Pena and Nova has proven if you surround Pena with 4 really good guards you can be one of the best teams in the country.
In aperfect world you have more size but even if Buzz recruits 2 eight footer they probably are not going to help us next year. If this kid can help us next year might it not be ok if he only signes 1 8 footer and we go into next year with egads only 3 centers?
Langford is the classic case of a kid who grew earlier than everyone else, so he was highly ranked when he was young just because he was taller. Then he stopped growing, but didn't develop the game someone his size should have. He's just now becoming a perimeter player, despite the fact that he's far to small to play inside at all in college.
Buzz made a point of mentioning on Monday that he wants to sign guys that are ready to come in an contribute right away....but Langford would have a tough time beating out the guys we've got. Erik and Jamail are far more polished offensive players on the perimeter than he is. Joe and Jimmy are more polished in the post and provide better skills in terms of defense and rebounding. So you'd be signing a kid that would be your 5th option at that spot.
No offense intended to those players, but we can't afford to count on everything working perfectly for Yous and Chris next year. Otule is coming off his second broken foot in two years, and when big men's feet start to go bad, they generally don't stop. Yous will still be a project, and while he may contribute slightly more, to expect much from him before his junior and senior year is asking a lot. We may have two guys that are big, but putting all of our eggs in that basket isn't going to work.
Playing small is something you do when you are forced to because of injuries and transfers, not something you do by choice.
Abromaitis is 6'8......
http://www.und.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/abromaitis_tim00.html
It would also be really good to redshirt Mbao somewhere along the way if at all possible. If you recruit a couple post players this year you have a shot at redshirting Mbao before his junior year. Given our inability to bring in elite bigs we've got to plan on using redshirts to let these guys develop but to do that you've got to have more guys in the program than you need.
What seems to be overlooked by many here is that Devin is in the class of '11. We have 2 scholarships available for next season, so even if Josh would accept the offer we would still have one available for a big man. I'm ok with that if Josh is as good as advertised.
Quote from: OhioGoldenEagle on January 28, 2010, 07:04:38 PM
What seems to be overlooked by many here is that Devin is in the class of '11. We have 2 scholarships available for next season, so even if Josh would accept the offer we would still have one available for a big man. I'm ok with that if Josh is as good as advertised.
+1 BILLION MY POINT ALL ALONG
The offense will run through Jimmy next year or else! Jimmy Sr has insisted
Why don't we just redshirt Mbao after the inevitable foot injury!?! ;D
Quote from: KC2016 on January 28, 2010, 07:49:03 PM
Why don't we just redshirt Mbao after the inevitable foot injury!?! ;D
This wouldn't be happening if we brought back karate lessons!
Quote from: smellofhotbeeftips on January 28, 2010, 07:41:36 PM
The offense will run through Jimmy next year or else! Jimmy Sr has insisted
this made me think. . .I hope jimmy is jimmy and the offense goes through DJO.
what say you?
Quote from: NotAnAlum on January 28, 2010, 01:24:19 PM
It would also be really good to redshirt Mbao somewhere along the way if at all possible. If you recruit a couple post players this year you have a shot at redshirting Mbao before his junior year. Given our inability to bring in elite bigs we've got to plan on using redshirts to let these guys develop but to do that you've got to have more guys in the program than you need.
That may be a good thought.
I think a year to hone the game and be under the supervision of the strength coach will help him.
Quote from: thanooj on January 28, 2010, 11:20:48 PM
this made me think. . .I hope jimmy is jimmy and the offense goes through DJO.
what say you?
Are you prepared to face the wrath of the Elder Butler! I think not!
(http://www.yourbutler.ca/images/butler.jpg)
"Yo! Buzz! I want to see Jimmy getting some quality touches at the 3!"