Who are the top 10 NJCAA contenders for this year's POY?

[77ncaachamps]

Wondering if we're on any of them.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Wondering if we're on any of them.

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I sure hope so. Unlike some people, I don't think there is any shame in going to the JUCO ranks for a player or two a year. They are ready to step in and contribute right away, and don't have some stupid superiority complex.

[mugrad2006]

Here's a list I found of JucoJunctions top 150 juco's for the upcoming year.  FWIW, Jae was ranked 16th on this list in 2010 as a 3 star recruit.
Unfortunately I didn't see MU anywhere on the list.  It's a little hard to sort the lists for prospects by college as you have to click the link for their target list individually. 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/jucojunction/basketball/recruiting/rankings/rank-2769;_ylt=AqV828Sdbh7.gOL9YrDiCAtrWpB4

[Silkk the Shaka]

Is there any doubt that we have gotten the best JUCO player every year, whether or not they have been officially named player of the year?  Butler was honorable mention JUCO all-American, but I have a hard time believing anyone making the jump to DI with him has come close to approaching his production.  DJO was first team, but not POY, and he's putting up 20/game in Big East play.  No way there's a better JUCO player from his class.  Then we finally got the POY in Crowder, and he has to be blowing away everyone from his class. 

No matter where he's ranked, the next JUCO player Buzz signs will be the best JUCO player in the country.  I can't wait to find out who it is.

[mikem91288]

Number 19 on the list anyone?

[GOMU1104]

Is there any doubt that we have gotten the best JUCO player every year, whether or not they have been officially named player of the year?  Butler was honorable mention JUCO all-American, but I have a hard time believing anyone making the jump to DI with him has come close to approaching his production.  DJO was first team, but not POY, and he's putting up 20/game in Big East play.  No way there's a better JUCO player from his class.  Then we finally got the POY in Crowder, and he has to be blowing away everyone from his class.  

No matter where he's ranked, the next JUCO player Buzz signs will be the best JUCO player in the country.  I can't wait to find out who it is.

Decided to look at this because, well, Im bored.


2008 Class...We got Jimmy Butler and Joe Fulce
Other Notables:
-Devron Bostick (1st team JUCO AA Minnesota)
-Bobby Maze (1st team JUCO AA/Tennessee)
-Derwin Kitchen (1st team/FSU)
-Mario Little (1st team/Kansas)

-Kitchen had a solid first year for FSU in 2008-09 (better than Jimmy's), but has leveled off since then. Butler has been far better in years 2 and 3.

2009 Class...We got Dwight Buycks and Darius Johnson-Odom
Other Notables:
-Casey Mitchell (JUCO POY, West Virginia)
-Jarrid Famous (1st team, South Florida)
-Dwight Hardy (3rd team, Buycks' teammate at Indian Hills, St. Johns)
-Trevor Mbakwe (3rd team, Minnesota)
-Darrington Hobson (New Mexico/NBA)

-Hardy has been pretty good for St. Johns both last year and this year...Here is is comparison to DJO and Buycks: http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/compare?add=darius-johnson-odom&p1=dwight-buycks&p2=dwight-hardy

-Hobson was an AA in 2008, but not in 2009. He played one very good year at New Mexico before entering the NBA draft.

2010 Class...We got Jae Crowder
Other notables:
-Matt Pressey (1st team, Missouri)
-Ricardo Ratliffe (1st team Missiouri)
-Eloy Vargas (2nd team, Kentucky)
-Freddy Asprillia (Kansas...Left the team a couple weeks ago to play overseas)

-Pressey and Ratliffe are contributing to Missouri, but neither are having the impact that Crowder is.

[77ncaachamps]

Thanks GOMU1104 for the compilation!

I think Buzz has a good handle on his recruits and roster.
So far, he's done a stellar job recruiting Jucos.

Unfortunately, Clark got himself into some trouble but something tells me that he'd still have a solid impact.

[Pakuni]

Thanks GOMU1104 for the compilation!

I think Buzz has a good handle on his recruits and roster.
So far, he's done a stellar job recruiting Jucos.

Unfortunately, Clark got himself into some trouble but something tells me that he'd still have a solid impact.

Speaking of Monterale, he's the leading scorer at Highland CC, averaging 17.8 ppg. But he was suspended for their most recent game for a "violation of team rules."
The more things change ...
But seriously, if he's playing ball in Illinois, I'm wondering if the criminal case down in Texas worked out in his favor. Anybody know anything about that?

[MU_Iceman]

Here's a list I found of JucoJunctions top 150 juco's for the upcoming year.  FWIW, Jae was ranked 16th on this list in 2010 as a 3 star recruit.
Unfortunately I didn't see MU anywhere on the list.  It's a little hard to sort the lists for prospects by college as you have to click the link for their target list individually.  

http://rivals.yahoo.com/jucojunction/basketball/recruiting/rankings/rank-2769;_ylt=AqV828Sdbh7.gOL9YrDiCAtrWpB4

This list and the "interests" are probably updated even less frequently than Rivals or ESPN, but that being said, there are several uncommitted big guys in the top 25...I'd love to see Buzz reel in one of them...sure a JUCO would come in with the same amount of eligibility left as O'Tule, but it wouldn't hurt to have that kind of depth temporarily while we work on the 2012 Senior class...there are a lot of highly regarded big men coming in that year...

[MU_Iceman]

Actually, just did a little homework (clearly I'm hard at work this Monday)...Stan Simpson (#7 on that list) was a redshirt freshman at U of I who left because they were recruiting over him...he's the type of player I'd love to see Buzz make a run at.  He graduated from Simeon in Chicago (a basketball powerhouse in Chi-town that's currently PACKED with 2012 and 2013 players) and he's had a few years to mature physically while redshirting and now at JUCO...this is what ESPN said about him when he was a high school senior:

Simpson is a big, physical, bruising type of player. He is an excellent athlete, who really runs the floor. Stan is very raw offensively at this point in time, but what he does do is rebound, defend and play very physical. Simpson needs to develop his offensive game. He is very lacking in offensive skills. He must develop a low post game, learning how to play with his back to the basket in order to play in the high major college basketball leagues. However, many schools will recruit him right now because of his size, his physique, his shotblocking skills and his ability to rebound the basketball.

This is exactly the type of player I'd like to see us bring in; and again, after the Reggie Smith flop, grabbing a kid like Simpson may help us with future recruiting efforts around Chicago.

[GOMU1104]

I believe Simpson was recruited over at Illinois because he wasn't any good.

[MU_Iceman]

Perhaps...but I agree with something I read somewhere else on another board...I don't care if we have a big guy who can put up 10pts a game...I want a big, physical guy who can use his body effectively to take up space, rebound, and defend...if this kid is capable of that AND can keep us plugged into the Chicago recruiting scene...I'm all for him...

Think how much better this current team would be if we had another O'Tule...Gardner's got potential, but we need someone who can match COT's ability...

[StillAWarrior]

I believe Simpson was recruited over at Illinois because he wasn't any good.

I think sometimes the instant gratification thing goes both ways.  Kids want to play right away and get frustrated if they don't and transfer.  Fans (and to a lesser extent coaches) want kids to develop right away and sometimes give up on them if they don't (or at least question whether they're the "real deal) (see,  Blue, Vander; Williams, Eric; Otule, Chris; etc.).

We all know that it usually takes a while for a "big" to develop.  If Buzz thinks he's a good player and a good fit (and I'm not sure if he does), then I'm not particularly concerned that Illinois recruited over him "because he wasn't any good."