Yeah, the gods of HD hate me. I don't think they can overlook my team this year though.

So, since I'm finished recruiting, here's a quick summary of my recruits:

David Howard (PG) - Finally a guard who can play some defense at Elms.. long overdue. Should develop well with a decent WE (62) and decent speed/defense. Nothing to write home about.. average cores, but should still be able to handle the point in a couple of seasons. (Side note: I 'stole' him from RC.. LOL)

Victor Simpson (SF) - Another decent defender to throw into the mix in my notoriously horrible line of recent "defenders." Pretty well rounded SF who will most likely serve as a placeholder/role player throughout his career. With a redshirt, the kid could be great, but I feel that I've got better options with this class.

Ron North (SF) - This kid excites me. A bit of a SF/PF hybrid who has above average offensive cores. Only lacks BH/P, though I plan on getting those to improvable levels while still pumping minutes into his REB/LP/PER. The current plan is to give him backup minutes at PF this season while Wolinski takes a redshirt, and then throw a redshirt on him next year as a sophomore.

Lawrence Wolinski (C) - Another exciting player in my eyes. Definitely lacking in the defensive ratings, but could be another offensive force, especially after a redshirt year. I'd love to get his BH up to serviceable levels as well. 72% high school FT shooter along with a decent WE (62) should lead to a bright future for this big guy.

All in all, I'm extremely pleased with this incoming class. Elms was in dire need of the boost that these kids could potentially bring, and I'm going to be anxious to see how they develop. The thought of two fifth year, potential 700 clubbers (North and Wolinski) playing side by side in a few seasons is promising.. should give teams fits.

Elmo, very nice class indeed. Your best by far. Congrats

My recruits in the order I got 'em:

Tyrone Cobb (C) - Cobb was a DIII recruit which I tend to avoid, but he seemed good enough and maybe he actually was a DII recruit that I saw early due to prestige. I didn't see many DII centers that I wanted more than Cobb that I thought had a reasonable chance of dropping down. Cobb has average athleticism/speed and slightly above average rebounding and low post ratings. The real key to him is having a 73 WE rating. He'll be a good redshirt candidate. I consider myself somewhat "lucky" to get him. Going out to Alaska to get him wasn't cheap.

Christopher Norman (C) - I stole Norman from rcoffey and given that he was in California, that wasn't cheap for him. (It wasn't cheap for me either as I had to pump more money than him than I expected since after my first round he wasn't considering anybody.) Norman is *very* similar to Cobb. The only real difference between the two is that Norman's low post skills are about 15 points less than Cobb's. With an outstanding work ethic of 79, he'll be a redshirt candidate as well. Just like Cobb, he was on my DIII board from the start and I was really nervous about going that far to get him. I got quite lucky here as well.

Terrance Coppola (PG) - I'm hoping he'll be a good point guard. His speed, ball handling, and passing are all above 55. That's a good foundation. He won't be great since he doesn't have much of a perimeter rating and I'm worried about his so-so WE of 37 but not to the point that I wasn't going to offer him a scholarship. I only have 1 1/2 point guards on my returning roster so I wanted to get somebody to play the point out of this class.

David Hollowell (PG) - Love the player, but I'm rather unhappy about this. I wanted a big man with this spot but I couldn't find anybody I wanted that would drop down. I had my eyes on Frank Brassfield from Alaska - but the distance worried me if there was competition for him. When Brassfield wasn't dropping, I decided to go for Hollowell. It's probably for the best since Brassfield ended up with Ohio Northern that had me beat not only in geography, but more importantly in prestige. Hollowell is very solid player with excellent speed and good perimeter, ball handling, passing, and work ethic. He'll probably be more likely to be a SG than a PG.



Overall, I'd give this class a 'B-'. I'm not terribly excited about any of the four players in the way I was about Dennis Davis and Domingo Diaz two class ago, but I also think that they all have a chance to be real contributors. On talent alone, I probably give the class a 'B+'. The real problem is that I only recruited two post players to replace Meader-Whitmarsh-Scott. And since I really only have two current post players in Davis and Diaz and when you take into consideration that Davis has major fatigue problems, it makes it very difficult for me to redshirt either player despite the fact that each is a perfect candidate with the WE over 70. That lowers the grade from this class. The talent was more than acceptable, but the position distribution wasn't what I was setting out to accomplish.

I don't recruit next season, but I probably need to rethink how I recruit for season 29. I think I'm probably closing the door on too many recruits who are plenty good enough but have slight problems with WE, GPA, or FT% that I should be able to ignore but right now am not.

UMPI Recruiting Analysis:

I had three open spots and a ton of cash to start with. My strategy was to get 3 guys early and relatively cheap so that I could cut someone and sign a 4th. The reason for cutting a player was twofold. First, I will be switching to a press defense; a slow unathletic PF wasn't going to fit into those plans. Second, I had too many players in my junior class and wanted to even that out. Cutting Manners accomplished that.

My three early targets all signed with ease, leaving me over half of my budget to sign a 4th. I had to promise minutes to one of them, but thats ok since signing him meant I was going to cut Manners and cutting Manners meant that I would need to play him a fair bit.

Now onto the players:

Melvin Zahniser (PG): He's pretty much at the low end of what I look for in a guard, but thats ok. My biggest concern is his speed. I target him, a SF, and a C right of the bat; he was slower than the two bigger guys. He actually has high enough LP and REB to consider developing as a SF, but I won't need to do that as I have better options. WE and FT are at the lower end of my limits. Still, he does fit what I am looking for and will develop into a solid player.

Curtis Binder (SF): Possible redshirt candidate. Awesome speed/ath combo for a freshman SF. Improvable in all areas except for defense. He would have been the perfect recruit if he had a slightly higher work ethic (though he is still a mighty fine one).

Carl Preston (C): Great speed for a center. His rebounding is already at a level where he can compete. Stamina is a bit low, but manageable. Decent passer.

Robert Toro (PF): Signing those three early allowed me to snag another potential SF. His inside game is already well developed for a freshman SF. His guard skills need some work, but are all improvable. Work ethic is a bit of a concern, but it should improve as he may end up seeing a fair bit of time as a back up SF.

Overall, this is an average class at best. Still though, considering my school's prestige, I have to be happy about how it turned out.

Before I start I would like to take a moment.... and flip Elmo and KuJay the bird..... now for my recruit....

PG Dale Peterman - He'll play, and he can shoot free throws (Boo Ya, KuJay). Debating right now if my team can survive if I RS him. Howard (who went to Elms) was my first choice, so this kids only goal in life is to be better than him.

Wanted to get a bigs, but invested too much money in players stolen by conference mates and had to basically poach to get Peterman (I wasn't going to fight to hard for the kid in Cali). So again, I take a walk-on.

Quote: Originally posted by rcoffey45 on 4/25/2008Before I start I would like to take a moment.... and flip Elmo and KuJay the bird..... now for my recruit....

PG Dale Peterman - He'll play, and he can shoot free throws (Boo Ya, KuJay). Debating right now if my team can survive if I RS him. Howard (who went to Elms) was my first choice, so this kids only goal in life is to be better than him.

Wanted to get a bigs, but invested too much money in players stolen by conference mates and had to basically poach to get Peterman (I wasn't going to fight to hard for the kid in Cali). So again, I take a walk-on.

ROFL

Season 30: Hope for Elms

Provided yet again despite little demand, it is kujayhawk's NAC Pre-Season All-Conference Awards:

SEASON 25 SOPHOMORES – 1st Team

PG: Richard Chambers, Lasell
SG: Ryan Miller, Lasell
SF: Charles Katz, Husson
PF: Carter Brubaker, Elms
C: Willie Coder, MMA

SEASON 25 SOPHOMORES – 2nd Team

PG: Richard Slemp, MMA
SG: Steven Webster, MMA
SF: Shaun Mercier, Mount Ida
PF: Christopher Shadrick, Lasell
C: Marion Mason, Husson

JUNIORS – 1st Team

PG: Richard Chambers, Lasell
SG: Ryan Miller, Lasell
SF: Charles Katz, Husson
PF: Carter Brubaker, Elms
C: Willie Coder, MMA

JUNIORS – 2nd Team

PG: Richard Slemp, MMA
SG: William Mincy, Mount Ida
SF: Alex Cole, Lasell
PF: Christopher Shadrick, Lasell
C: Marion Mason, Husson

SENIORS – 1st Team

PG: Richard Chambers, Lasell
SG: Ryan Miller, Lasell
SF: Charles Katz, Husson
PF: Carter Brubaker, Elms
C: Willie Coder, MMA

SENIORS – 2nd Team

PG: Richard Slemp, MMA
SG: William Mincy, Mount Ida
SF: Shaun Mercier, Mount Ida
PF: Bobby Mueller, MMA
C: Marion Mason, Husson

Notes: Pretty sure that the top 5 players are the best 5 in the conference right now – and they have been at the top of this particular class for a while. (And yes, that includes Lockhart from the Junior class since he still has stamina issues.) Alex Cole stole the 2nd team backup spot from Shaun Mercier in his Junior campaign, but Mercier reclaimed it for his Senior year. Cole is ridiculously talented and it is shocking he is not on this list. My formula has Christopher Shadrick as a better player than Bobby Mueller, but the difference in free throws (D- vs. A-) gives Mueller the nod. Since it’s a Lasell vs. MMA, it shouldn’t be too surprising there is that big a discrepancy at the line. Special recognition to UMF’s Harold Gehlert as he just missed the cut at PF and C.

SEASON 25 FRESHMEN – 1st Team

PG: Reed Mendenhall, Husson
SG: Adam Jackson, Elms
SF: James Tuttle, Lasell
PF: Darrel Moore, Lasell
C: Michael Lockhart, Lasell

SEASON 25 FRESHMEN – 2nd Team

PG: Rafael Carrillo, Castleton State
SG: Robert Bozek, UMPI
SF: Dustin Griffin, Lasell
PF: Glen Smith, UMF
C: Cameron Terry, Elms

SOPHOMORES – 1st Team

PG: Reed Mendenhall, Husson
SG: Adam Jackson, Elms
SF: James Tuttle, Lasell
PF: Darrel Moore, Lasell
C: Michael Lockhart, Lasell

SOPHOMORES – 2nd Team

PG: Robert Bozek, UMPI
SG: Joel Cole, Lasell
SF: Dustin Griffin, Lasell
PF: Glen Smith, UMF
C: Cameron Terry, Elms

JUNIORS – 1st Team

PG: Reed Mendenhall, Husson
SG: Joel Cole, Lasell
SF: James Tuttle, Lasell
PF: Darrel Moore, Lasell
C: Michael Lockhart, Lasell

JUNIORS – 2nd Team

PG: Adam Jackson, Elms
SG: Robert Bozek, UMPI
SF: Dustin Griffin, Lasell
PF: Glen Smith, UMF
C: Cameron Terry, Elms



Notes: Joel Cole makes his way on the first team and reinforces just how much of a force Lasell is going to be in this conference. The same 10 from last year are the 10 this year. UMF might be a step behind Lasell – but they had the next two spots for the post positions under wraps so nobody should look past them, including Lasell.

SEASON 25 FRESHMEN REDSHIRT – 1st Team

PG: Earl Smith, Mount Ida
SG: Michael Chadwick, Castleton State
SF: John Ward, Becker
PF: Dennis Davis, Thomas
C: Joseph Barker, MMA

FRESHMEN – 1st Team

PG: Earl Smith, Mount Ida
SG: Mike Townsend, Castleton State
SF: Domingo Diaz, Thomas
PF: Dennis Davis, Thomas
C: Adam Hale, Mount Ida

FRESHMEN – 2nd Team

PG: Tony Colyer, Thomas
SG: Phil Krier, Mount Ida
SF: John Guy, Husson
PF: Joseph Barker, MMA
C: Joseph Krueger, Husson

SOPHOMORES – 1st Team

PG: Earl Smith, Mount Ida
SG: Mike Townsend, Castleton State
SF: Dennis Davis, Thomas
PF: Domingo Diaz, Thomas
C: Adam Hale, Mount Ida

SOPHOMORES – 2nd Team

PG: Tony Colyer, Thomas
SG: Phil Krier, Mount Ida
SF: John Guy, Husson
PF: Joseph Barker, MMA
C: Joseph Krueger, Husson

Notes: Nothing really changes here. Same 10 players – Davis and Diaz change spots which correlates a bit better with their talents. Davis’s rebounding edge and Diaz’s speed had them flipped flop last year even though Diaz isn’t really a SF. The four post players are likely to remain on this list in some form for the next couple of seasons as they do not have much competition. The guards could be much more fluid.

FRESHMEN REDSHIRT – 1st Team

PG: Shawn Jones, Becker
SG: Wendell Foster, Elms
SF: Michael Ingram, Mount Ida
PF: Paul Redford, Husson
C: Clifford Robinson, Lasell

FRESHMEN – 1st Team

PG: David Howard, Elms
SG: Wendell Foster, Elms
SF: Paul Redford, Husson
PF: Clifford Robinson, Lasell
C: Tyrone Cobb, Thomas

FRESHMEN – 2nd Team

PG: Leonard Rees, Husson
SG: Shawn Jones, Becker
SF: Ron North, Elms
PF: Carl Preston, UMPI
C: Vincent Severino, Husson


Notes: What might be interesting here is that nobody really stands out. Clifford Robinson seems to be the best player in the class, but it isn’t cut and dry like it is with the others. My wacky formula probably has a lot of these rankings wrong, but most of the time the choices are so obvious that even with its flaws, it gets the players right. This class has enough competition that it wouldn’t surprise me if half of these players are the wrong ones. Also worth noting that a certain team had 12 shots to get a player on this list and failed.

FRESHMEN REDSHIRT – 1st Team

PG: Dale Peterman, Lasell
SG: Larry Denmark, MMA
SF: Jake Watlington, Husson
PF: Lawrence Wolinski, Elms
C: Christopher Norman, Thomas

Notes: Cyben’s got a fantastic SF prospect that took the redshirt and he’s not even good enough to make the list. And RDB might too – I’ve got his redshirt Connell profiling much better as a SF than as a post player. I’ll go out on a limb and say that this five can run with any five from any other conference. And Cyben and RDB’s players would make for a nifty 1-2 off the bench that could fill in at any spot.

/Applaud

Great work, Chris! Much appreciated!