*** Otule Commits!!! ***

[NCMUFan]

Why?

[thisists]

I just got home from work and I've been so excited to tell you all this since about 10pm tonight.  Crean and company rolled into the Miller Time Pub with Otule and his pops for steak dinner after the game. Matthews was there too. I had to restrain myself from chanting "we are marquette", demanding high fives or maybe something even more embarrassing.

[downtown85]

  However, 2008 is proving to be another mediocre recruiting class which doesn't seem to address the weaknesses of this team.  I am personally worried that we won't have the talent to be part of the upper echelon of the Big East in a couple of years.

Hoopscoop already had it as a top 25 recruiting class before the Otule committ, and has the other 3 players ranked in the top 100.  They split the players into distinct groups, 1-10, 11-40, 41-70 and 71-100.  They have Williams and Taylor in the 41-70, and Fulce in the 71-100. 

That's not mediocre by any stretch of the imagination.

I think RSCI is probably the fairest assessment of a recruit as it is a composite of all the recruiting services.  We have exactly 1 top-100 recruit in Nick Williams who is ranked 95.  The rest of the recruiting class isn't ranked. 

http://home.nc.rr.com/rsci/RSCI_100_Fall_2008.htm

I think this recruiting class is perfectly fine for the Conference USA days.  It is even o.k. by big east standards as long as every year isn't like this.  It is just that we are now having 3 years in a row of similar recruiting results.  2005 was our last great class.  I was just hoping that 2008 would be similar.  My hopes are dashed again.   

I do hope that our players this year do some damage in the tourney so we can become even higher profile to snag some of our 2009 prospects like Murphy and/or Wilson. 

Thing about the RSCI is that it can mislead you if you don't know about the individual rankings.  For example, Fulce can't be a part of RSCI because he's a JUCO, and the rankings of JUCOs are done separately by nearly everyone.  The other thing is, one good ranking can severely skew the rankings of the player involved in either direction which is exactly what happened with Williams.

Take a look at Williams and Taylor, and you'll see that despite Williams being in the RSCI, Taylor is higher ranked by nearly every service.  HoopScoop has Taylor at #56 and Williams at #70.  Rivals has Taylor at #104 and Williams at #149.  Scout has Taylor as the #18 PG and Williams as the #33 SG.  Rob Harrington has Taylor at #82 and Williams isn't in the top 100.  In fact of every ranking service that the RSCI uses to make their list the only one that has Williams more highly ranked than Taylor is Scouts Inc.  Which is generally regarded as the worst ranking service out there.  In fact their information is so bad, they don't even know that Tyshawn Taylor is a PG, they have him listed as a SG.

My point is, you can't take the RSCI that seriously, because it's a flawed system.  Nearly every ranking service out there thinks Taylor is a better player than Williams. But you'd never know that just looking at the RSCI.

Good points. RSCI is a composite of something like 7 recruiting services, it tends to catch players who are missed by some.  Also, you are correct that it doesn't say which recruiting service is better  It weights them equally.  I am not able to judge that Scout is better or not than Rivals, etc. especially when it comes to a specific recruit therefore I tend to look at the composite.  I personally think that RSCI can be taken more seriously when looking at the top 50 recruits.  Anything beyond that may or may not be skewed.  However, relying on any individual recruiting service is also flawed as these have regional biases and may simply just miss some recruits for various reasons.   I actually hope you are right that Taylor is better than Williams.

My main point is still valid. I am just calling a spade a spade.   2008 is a ho-hum year with potential that some of the recruits break out but it hardly compares to DW's recruiting class or the three amigos' class.   We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed.     

[NYWarrior]

I'm excited to have Otule, but don't you think this will hurt our chances with Jamil Wilson and Erik Murphy for the '09 class?

Nah......Burke will be a senior next year and he STARTED last night.  There's plenty of room for high-ceiling baseline talent

[1990Warrior]

" We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed."

Does the fact that we are one over the scholarship limit mean that DJ is definately gone after this year?  I would think so but would like to know other theories.  I don't think we would want to redshirt Otule or any of the other freshman but I guess that would be the first possibility.  Thoughts?

[bma725]

My main point is still valid. I am just calling a spade a spade.   2008 is a ho-hum year with potential that some of the recruits break out but it hardly compares to DW's recruiting class or the three amigos' class.   We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed.     

You may want to check the RSCI for Wade's year just to see who made it from MU.  There is only one, Scott Merritt.  ODB was only mentioned in one top 100 list just like Fulce.  And Wade and Sanders while they each made more than 1 list, were not consensus top 100 guys, just like Williams and Taylor. 

To say that this class doesn't compare to that class is just dead wrong.  They likely won't end up having the college production of Wade's class, but out of high school the rankings are eerily similar for 3 of the 4 players.  Obviously Merritt being consensus top 100 and Otule not makes a big difference, but the rest are nearly identical in type of ranking.

[downtown85]

My main point is still valid. I am just calling a spade a spade.   2008 is a ho-hum year with potential that some of the recruits break out but it hardly compares to DW's recruiting class or the three amigos' class.   We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed.     

You may want to check the RSCI for Wade's year just to see who made it from MU.  There is only one, Scott Merritt.  ODB was only mentioned in one top 100 list just like Fulce.  And Wade and Sanders while they each made more than 1 list, were not consensus top 100 guys, just like Williams and Taylor. 

To say that this class doesn't compare to that class is just dead wrong.  They likely won't end up having the college production of Wade's class, but out of high school the rankings are eerily similar for 3 of the 4 players.  Obviously Merritt being consensus top 100 and Otule not makes a big difference, but the rest are nearly identical in type of ranking.

You are right.  I stand corrected.  In terms of RSCI rankings the classes are comparable.

I would just think TC would be attracting higher profile players now that the program is higher profile, with 1 final four, a couple more NCAA appearances, and the BE to offer.  Remember in 2000 we were in CUSA!

I know it is a long shot but perhaps one of these guys from the class of 2008 will be a pro prospect some day.  Otule is intriguing.  I will try to follow his development closely his senior year of HS. 

[downtown85]

" We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed."

Does the fact that we are one over the scholarship limit mean that DJ is definately gone after this year?  I would think so but would like to know other theories.  I don't think we would want to redshirt Otule or any of the other freshman but I guess that would be the first possibility.  Thoughts?

I see essentially 5 options:

1) DJ goes pro.
2) somebody else goes pro (Wes or Jerel)
3) somebody transfers
4) one of the new recruits is declared academically ineligible
5) something else that I haven't thought of. 

I put the most likely scenario on (3).  I think that he have a lot of talented guards and more talented guards coming in next year and perhaps some of them would see more playing time in another program.  Redshirting someone is not an option as that still eats a scholarship. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

My main point is still valid. I am just calling a spade a spade.   2008 is a ho-hum year with potential that some of the recruits break out but it hardly compares to DW's recruiting class or the three amigos' class.   We need another one of those soon as DJ, Wes, and Jerel graduate in 2009 (maybe sooner).  Keeping my fingers crossed.     

You may want to check the RSCI for Wade's year just to see who made it from MU.  There is only one, Scott Merritt.  ODB was only mentioned in one top 100 list just like Fulce.  And Wade and Sanders while they each made more than 1 list, were not consensus top 100 guys, just like Williams and Taylor. 

To say that this class doesn't compare to that class is just dead wrong.  They likely won't end up having the college production of Wade's class, but out of high school the rankings are eerily similar for 3 of the 4 players.  Obviously Merritt being consensus top 100 and Otule not makes a big difference, but the rest are nearly identical in type of ranking.

You are right.  I stand corrected.  In terms of RSCI rankings the classes are comparable.

I would just think TC would be attracting higher profile players now that the program is higher profile, with 1 final four, a couple more NCAA appearances, and the BE to offer.  Remember in 2000 we were in CUSA!

I know it is a long shot but perhaps one of these guys from the class of 2008 will be a pro prospect some day.  Otule is intriguing.  I will try to follow his development closely his senior year of HS. 

In the past, this would have been considered a "great class", while this year we are considering it out "safety class" having lost out on a couple of guys.

I think you have a good point that we should probably be seeing some higher ranked classes... but realistically its more important where this group is ranked when they leave MU then when they come in.

Obviously MU needs to bring in talented kids, but player development is more important then having a "top ten" recruiting class. I'll take a lower ranked class with good kids who have some good upside.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see a top ranked recruiting class, but the program has had some good success with similarly ranked classes in the past.

PLUS: Shumpert and Wilson can be "program changers"... and MU is/was high with both of them... so if we keep having solid classes, it's only a matter of time before we land a "big fish".

[Harrison]

When will the D WAde was not a top 100 recruit legend ever die?

While he was clearly missed y a few services Bob Gibbons a legend in the game had him top 50 as did 3-4 other services.  Now clearly he was missed by a few services ...primarily do to being "overshadowed" a future HS to NBA player and a loaded AAu team.
Nevertheless, when 3-4 gurus see you fit to be top 50 you are not an unknown entity.  the "not a top 100 recruit" legend is nuts.  furhtermore, if his grades were in order the bigs would have been all over him.
Lastly, Bullseye who knows the Midwest as well as anyone had him rated #2 in Illinois behind said HS to NBA player...Darius Miles.   If you still think the not a top 100 player legend holds true look at the rankings,.. Check out the #2 rated player out of Illinois for the past number of years every year that player is a top 100 recruit, most typically top 50 or higher...like this year's Shumpert...who will most likely be playing at the Bradley Center...in the McDonalds AA game!  Give it a break

[bma725]

When will the D WAde was not a top 100 recruit legend ever die?

While he was clearly missed y a few services Bob Gibbons a legend in the game had him top 50 as did 3-4 other services.  Now clearly he was missed by a few services ...primarily do to being "overshadowed" a future HS to NBA player and a loaded AAu team.
Nevertheless, when 3-4 gurus see you fit to be top 50 you are not an unknown entity.  the "not a top 100 recruit" legend is nuts.  furhtermore, if his grades were in order the bigs would have been all over him.
Lastly, Bullseye who knows the Midwest as well as anyone had him rated #2 in Illinois behind said HS to NBA player...Darius Miles.   If you still think the not a top 100 player legend holds true look at the rankings,.. Check out the #2 rated player out of Illinois for the past number of years every year that player is a top 100 recruit, most typically top 50 or higher...like this year's Shumpert...who will most likely be playing at the Bradley Center...in the McDonalds AA game!  Give it a break

3-4 didn't see fit to make him top 50, otherwise he would have made the RSCI top 50 since it is just a composite of the others rankings.  Two services had him top 50, but most had him outside the top 100, and some had him well outside the top 100.

[Bob "Big Daddy" Wild]

Desert,

No chance, Murphy and Wilson are blue chip players would would come in and contribute immediately (if not start).  Otule has 0 impact on their recruiting. 

Our wanted sign in front of the Al used to read "Wanted: Any big man, PT available"

It now reads "Wanted: Skilled big man, PT available"