Lots going on with Penn State football and it's all very recent. I hope I don't forget anything.
Sean Lee and Darryl Clark were named captains for the 2009 season. Looks like we're only going to have two and they're excellent choices in my opinion. Outstanding.
The more I think about the move of the start time of the Penn State - Ohio State game the more it grinds my gears. The November 7 scheduled 8:00 pm kickoff has been moved up because of a new Big Ten rule stating that there will be no outdoor night games in November. Digging deeper I found out that their reasoning being rowdy fan behavior coupled with late season weather is too much for local law enforcement to handle at night. I say bullshit! The conference doesn't want their sweetheart Buckeyes to leave State College with another loss thus tempering enthusiasm for the annual conference game of the year: The Ohio State - Michigan Game. Wake up Big Ten, the game of the year is Penn State - Ohio State and it will continue to be Penn State - Ohio State.
Quarterback recruiting
Paul Jones - this Pittsburgh product has reaffirmed his commitment to Penn State and as of now plans on enrolling early next January. While Jones has the ability to scramble, he much prefers to do all of his damage from the pocket or throwing on the run.
Robert Bolden - this dual-threat quarterback from Michigan is still considering Penn State but does not plan on making a decision anytime soon. While not the scrambler that Barry Brunetti is (see below), he can move better than Jones. I'm hearing this one's become a Penn State - Michigan State battle.
Barry Brunetti - hailing from Tennessee, Brunetti was a relative unknown until recently. This dual-threat quarterback is a shorter Terrelle Pryor without the attitude or hype. Brunetti recently picked up offers from both Penn State, Ohio State and West Virginia. I honestly cannot remember the last time we received a commitment from a Tennesssee player, let's keep our fingers crossed because Brunetti is a good one.
Running Back recruiting
Silas Redd - this Connecticut product brings speed to the table. A solid verbal commitment to Penn State, Redd was the fourth player to commit to the 2010 class. Despite his slender physique, Redd is said to be very muscular up top. The general thought at this point is that if we bring in another running back that Redd then moves over to defense and if we don't then he won't. Whether we get another running back or not, I like Redd at corner way more than I like him at running back. Quite frankly, I don't think Redd cuts it at running back for Penn State with backs like Curtis Dukes that are most definitely going to be ahead of him on the depth chart. I see Silas Redd as a faster Lydell Sargeant. Redd is NOT as fast as current Nittany Lion running back Stephfon Green.
Marcus Lattimore - this South Carolina running back is considered by some as the nation's top running back and those who do not have him at number one certainly have him at number two. Either way, this is a national top five recruit. Lattimore has genuine interest in Penn State. If we can get him on campus for an official visit to witness gameday in Happy Valley then we have a chance. As for his running style, he's the total package. Speed, power, vision, Marcus Lattimore has it all.
Corey Brown - hailing from the same high school as redshirt freshman tight end Mark Wedderburn (Cardinal O'Hara in Sprinfield), Brown is being looked at as more of an athlete than a pure running back. Many questions surround Brown and his recruitment. It is thought that he has more interest in Ohio State than in-state power PSU. Brown is a speed back who is even smaller than Redd and even though he has good speed, Brown does not possess elite speed. Brown missed most of his junior year due to injury so how he performs his senior season will say a lot about this prospect. Brown is set to narrow down his list in the near future. I see Penn State making the cut but at this point I would be more than surprised if University Park is Corey Brown's ultimate destination.
Zach Zwinak - before Zwinak Penn State hadn't recruited a fullback to play fullback since they brought in Matt Hahn and Dan Lawlor as part of their 2004 class. Zwinak is a devastating blocker and oh boy can he run. The Mike Alstott comparisons have already started. The nation's top fullback, Zwinak has the option to play for any program willing to take a fullback in their class. Being a prospect from Maryland, Penn State could very well be the option that Zwinak selects.
Wide Receiver recruiting
Adrian Coxson - this Baltimore receiver is the real deal. Unlike most high end receivers, this kid is humble and a team first sort of guy. Coxson is plenty fast and if you watch his film you would swear you're watching Michael Crabtree rip up inferior competition. Strong hands and a strong will to win are what make Coxson special. He could improve his route running skills but that will come with time. Adrian Coxson is the player I am most excited about so far in Penn State's 2010 recruiting class.
Kyle Prater - arguably the nation's top receiver, this Illinois product has officially eliminated Penn State this week from the running for his services.
Shakim Phillips - another very good receiver, this one is from New Jersey. At this point I am under the impression that Phillips has very little interest in Penn State. I have no idea how much interest Penn State has in Phillips. I don't think Phillips is anywhere near making a decision. I think we'll hear more about Phillips regarding Penn State after the season starts.
Kenny Stills - the story with this California receiver is pretty cut and dry. Stills' dream school is USC. The general consensus regarding this recruitment is that if USC were to offer Stills then Stills would go to USC and if not then Stills would very likely go to Penn State. Last week USC offered Stills. Don't be fooled by anything you read or hear, this one's over. Kenny Stills will not pull the trigger until he absolutely has to but I'm calling it now, Stills to USC.
Alex Kenney - Kenney is State College High's biggest star since Larry Johnson. He is the definition of the word athlete as he is able to play offense, defense, or special teams at the next level. I like Kenney as a WR/RB in the Derrick Williams role. Kenney is bigger than Corey Brown and would absolutely smoke Brown on a track. Kenney is the favorite to win state titles in every track event he competes in this season as a junior. Kenney has game breaker speed and tons of offers but for some unknown reason is not getting the national media attention he deserves. Penn State is definitely in this one; in fact, I expect Kenney to stay home and be a Nittany Lion.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Basketball
People argue about who exactly is the top recruit for 2009 and how the order goes but nobody really is arguing about who are or are not at the top (the top nine are basically the top nine for the most part wherever you look). Point guard John Wall has made his decision and now it's time to break it all down. Here are the top nine players (in alphabetical order).
Avery Bradley - Texas - This shooting guard just keeps on rising up the charts. Bradley is the only one on my list that you would not have seen on this list a year ago and now is all the way up to #1 on ESPN's list. If you watch his film you have to question why he is on this list but the thing you would be missing is that highlight films do not take into account defense. He is an elite defender who can also score. One word: defense.
DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky - This big man excels on the offensive side of the ball. He has a variety of post moves that he uses well to score the basketball. Not as athletic as Favors and not as naturally gifted as Sidney, at this point Cousins may be better than both of them. One word: balanced.
Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech - This big man is extremely athletic and can do things other big men only wish. With his speed and leaping ability he has the potential to be dominant both in college and in the pros. One word: athletic.
Jordan Hamilton - Texas - This wing is a big time scorer. Hamilton can score, and score in a variety of ways. While Bradley is the gem of Texas' incoming class, there is little doubt that Hamilton will be the Longhorns leading scorer next season. One word: versatility.
Xavier Henry - Kansas - While Henry is not the only wing on this list (Stephenson, Hamilton), he is the best wing on this list. Henry decommited from Memphis to select Kansas. I would love to ask John Calipari if it was Henry or Wall that he was hoping to build his Memphis class around before leaving for Kentucky. Henry is a left-handed Kobe Bryant who is a step slower than Kobe is. He needs to work on his handle as well. If he could learn to play a little quicker he would be absolutely unstoppable on the offensive end as he is a great finisher and also has range. One word: NBA body.
John Henson - North Carolina - This 6'10" forward prefers to play his game on the perimeter. In a couple of years if Henson can work hard in the weight room you might hear comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. I think at this point many Carolina fans are expecting too much from Henson. One word: upside.
Renardo Sidney - Mississippi State - This big man has elite size to go along with elite talent. Unlike Cousins and Favors who stand at 6'9", Sidney is a full 6"11" and has recently filled out that frame. With more talent and natural ability than the rest of the big men on this list, Sidney's problems are all above the shoulders. Despite being an LA product, neither UCLA or USC would touch Sidney with a 10-foot pole (and that's saying a lot considering USC's blatant disregard for recruiting violations). Questions still surround this prospect's eligibility as there are tons of rumors regarding Sidney's contact with agents, etc. One word: talent.
Lance Stephenson - undecided - This Coney Island sensation makes Jesus Shuttlesworth look humble. This wing has college coaches thinking twice about whether they want him on their team or not. With Sidney it was a no-brainer no thank you but "Born Ready" is a different situation altogether. Stephenson's eligibility is not in question but his me-me-me attitude is. Despite only being 210 pounds, Born Ready's game is eerily similar to that of LeBron James. I'm hearing the only person with a bigger ego than Lance Stephenson is his father who also happens to be his personal manager. Ready to commit to Kansas a couple of months ago, Kansas head coach Bill Self told Stephenson to hold off when he heard Henry was back on the market. While I'd love to see Born Ready play college ball my guess is that he will play a year in Europe before becoming some NBA GM's headache. One word: confidence.
John Wall - Kentucky - This point guard is THE point guard of the 2009 class. Incredible speed and able to finish at the rim, Wall was the point guard every college coach was going after. While I think he is a top 2 or 3 player in the country, the hype surrounding Wall is just not warranted. People are making him out to be the top point guard coming out of high school in the last 20 years and that is simply not the case. One word: speed.
I want to give a top five for next season but I can't as I only see four teams with a legitimate shot to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Here they are in order.
1) Kansas - Not only do the Jayhawks return their entire team intact, they bring in some more pieces as well. The only losses were two transfers who averaged less than a minute a game last season. Kansas brings in an excellent recruiting class that was big on filling needs. Highlighted by Xavier Henry, the Kansas class also includes a big-time rebounded in Thomas Robinson and a very athletic point guard in Elijah Johnson to back up Sherron Collins. Most casual fans think the strength of this Kansas squad will be in the star power of Collins, Henry, and the nation's top returning center Cole Aldrich, and it might but it might also be in the ridiculous depth the Jayhawks will boast. The Jayhawks will be so deep that Bill Self might have to consider redshirting a player.
2) Villanova - Yeah they lose Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson and Scottie Reynolds may stay in the draft but the real talent on the team remains (Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Reggie Redding). Add to it an elite recruiting class (four top 50 players with Dominic Cheek and Mouphtauo Yarou barely missed the top nine cut) and the best head coach in the country in Jay Wright and you have my pre-preseason #2 team in the country. I also have a feeling Scottie Reynolds changes his mind and returns.
3) Kentucky - Pat Patterson said he's coming back, and now it's time for Jodie Meeks to join him. John Calipari almost pulled the impossible by bringing in every player he wanted; the only one that got away was Xavier Henry. What Calipari did bring in was John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and four others who amount to be what the media is billing as quite possibly the greatest recruiting class ever assembled. While that most definitely is a stretch, what is not is Calipari's ability to coach and motivate. With Meeks this team will be very good from the beginning of the season. Without Meeks this team will struggle but should pull it together and be very dangerous by tournament time.
4) Texas - Yes Texas will miss seniors A.J. Abrams and Connor Atchley and yes I believe Damion James will stay in the draft but Texas is also bringing in a top recruiting class to add to the talent returning to Austin. Texas head coach Rick Barnes has been quoted as saying he believes Dexter Pittman will be a lottery pick following next season and I believe that Dogus Balbay will be the nation's most improved player and a household name by season's end. Balbay showed flashes of greatness last season and an extreme lack of consistency. Imagine a point guard version of Manu Ginobili and that is Balbay's game. While I don't think either Avery Bradley or Jordan Hamilton is a top five player they both reside on the consensus top nine list and I think they will both be impact freshmen. Joining Bradley and Hamilton in this class is another wing in 3-point specialist Shawn Williams who chose Texas over offers from powers Kentucky, Louisville, and Illinois among others.
Avery Bradley - Texas - This shooting guard just keeps on rising up the charts. Bradley is the only one on my list that you would not have seen on this list a year ago and now is all the way up to #1 on ESPN's list. If you watch his film you have to question why he is on this list but the thing you would be missing is that highlight films do not take into account defense. He is an elite defender who can also score. One word: defense.
DeMarcus Cousins - Kentucky - This big man excels on the offensive side of the ball. He has a variety of post moves that he uses well to score the basketball. Not as athletic as Favors and not as naturally gifted as Sidney, at this point Cousins may be better than both of them. One word: balanced.
Derrick Favors - Georgia Tech - This big man is extremely athletic and can do things other big men only wish. With his speed and leaping ability he has the potential to be dominant both in college and in the pros. One word: athletic.
Jordan Hamilton - Texas - This wing is a big time scorer. Hamilton can score, and score in a variety of ways. While Bradley is the gem of Texas' incoming class, there is little doubt that Hamilton will be the Longhorns leading scorer next season. One word: versatility.
Xavier Henry - Kansas - While Henry is not the only wing on this list (Stephenson, Hamilton), he is the best wing on this list. Henry decommited from Memphis to select Kansas. I would love to ask John Calipari if it was Henry or Wall that he was hoping to build his Memphis class around before leaving for Kentucky. Henry is a left-handed Kobe Bryant who is a step slower than Kobe is. He needs to work on his handle as well. If he could learn to play a little quicker he would be absolutely unstoppable on the offensive end as he is a great finisher and also has range. One word: NBA body.
John Henson - North Carolina - This 6'10" forward prefers to play his game on the perimeter. In a couple of years if Henson can work hard in the weight room you might hear comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. I think at this point many Carolina fans are expecting too much from Henson. One word: upside.
Renardo Sidney - Mississippi State - This big man has elite size to go along with elite talent. Unlike Cousins and Favors who stand at 6'9", Sidney is a full 6"11" and has recently filled out that frame. With more talent and natural ability than the rest of the big men on this list, Sidney's problems are all above the shoulders. Despite being an LA product, neither UCLA or USC would touch Sidney with a 10-foot pole (and that's saying a lot considering USC's blatant disregard for recruiting violations). Questions still surround this prospect's eligibility as there are tons of rumors regarding Sidney's contact with agents, etc. One word: talent.
Lance Stephenson - undecided - This Coney Island sensation makes Jesus Shuttlesworth look humble. This wing has college coaches thinking twice about whether they want him on their team or not. With Sidney it was a no-brainer no thank you but "Born Ready" is a different situation altogether. Stephenson's eligibility is not in question but his me-me-me attitude is. Despite only being 210 pounds, Born Ready's game is eerily similar to that of LeBron James. I'm hearing the only person with a bigger ego than Lance Stephenson is his father who also happens to be his personal manager. Ready to commit to Kansas a couple of months ago, Kansas head coach Bill Self told Stephenson to hold off when he heard Henry was back on the market. While I'd love to see Born Ready play college ball my guess is that he will play a year in Europe before becoming some NBA GM's headache. One word: confidence.
John Wall - Kentucky - This point guard is THE point guard of the 2009 class. Incredible speed and able to finish at the rim, Wall was the point guard every college coach was going after. While I think he is a top 2 or 3 player in the country, the hype surrounding Wall is just not warranted. People are making him out to be the top point guard coming out of high school in the last 20 years and that is simply not the case. One word: speed.
I want to give a top five for next season but I can't as I only see four teams with a legitimate shot to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Here they are in order.
1) Kansas - Not only do the Jayhawks return their entire team intact, they bring in some more pieces as well. The only losses were two transfers who averaged less than a minute a game last season. Kansas brings in an excellent recruiting class that was big on filling needs. Highlighted by Xavier Henry, the Kansas class also includes a big-time rebounded in Thomas Robinson and a very athletic point guard in Elijah Johnson to back up Sherron Collins. Most casual fans think the strength of this Kansas squad will be in the star power of Collins, Henry, and the nation's top returning center Cole Aldrich, and it might but it might also be in the ridiculous depth the Jayhawks will boast. The Jayhawks will be so deep that Bill Self might have to consider redshirting a player.
2) Villanova - Yeah they lose Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson and Scottie Reynolds may stay in the draft but the real talent on the team remains (Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Reggie Redding). Add to it an elite recruiting class (four top 50 players with Dominic Cheek and Mouphtauo Yarou barely missed the top nine cut) and the best head coach in the country in Jay Wright and you have my pre-preseason #2 team in the country. I also have a feeling Scottie Reynolds changes his mind and returns.
3) Kentucky - Pat Patterson said he's coming back, and now it's time for Jodie Meeks to join him. John Calipari almost pulled the impossible by bringing in every player he wanted; the only one that got away was Xavier Henry. What Calipari did bring in was John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and four others who amount to be what the media is billing as quite possibly the greatest recruiting class ever assembled. While that most definitely is a stretch, what is not is Calipari's ability to coach and motivate. With Meeks this team will be very good from the beginning of the season. Without Meeks this team will struggle but should pull it together and be very dangerous by tournament time.
4) Texas - Yes Texas will miss seniors A.J. Abrams and Connor Atchley and yes I believe Damion James will stay in the draft but Texas is also bringing in a top recruiting class to add to the talent returning to Austin. Texas head coach Rick Barnes has been quoted as saying he believes Dexter Pittman will be a lottery pick following next season and I believe that Dogus Balbay will be the nation's most improved player and a household name by season's end. Balbay showed flashes of greatness last season and an extreme lack of consistency. Imagine a point guard version of Manu Ginobili and that is Balbay's game. While I don't think either Avery Bradley or Jordan Hamilton is a top five player they both reside on the consensus top nine list and I think they will both be impact freshmen. Joining Bradley and Hamilton in this class is another wing in 3-point specialist Shawn Williams who chose Texas over offers from powers Kentucky, Louisville, and Illinois among others.
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