1. Why did you decide to sign with Cornell College?
I really like everything they offered me. They are very high on academics, which really interest me, and also the football team has a fresh new coach staff, so change is coming. They treated me like I was family on my visit and welcomed me with open arms.
2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?
I’m very excited there aren’t words to even explain how excited I am for this opportunity. I dream about being in Iowa every night. I’m just training and counting my days down.
3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?
The advice I would give is to be at the top of everything. If someone runs extra sprints or does extra work you do double what they do and lead your team. Also, never get discouraged when things don’t go your way, because at one point in time I lost an offer because of coaching changes and I hung up my cleats. But nothing is ever given to you, you have to go out and take it.
4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?
My biggest influence has been my uncle Rick and mother. My uncle Derek “Ricky” Newman attended Illinois State, and then played Arena football for the Cleveland Thunderbolts. He was shot 3 times in his car and killed. I want to finish what he started and play pro football one day. If I have to start from the bottom, I will and work my way up the chain to the top. My mother has done so much for me and has attended every single one of my sporting events since I started playing flag football. She has always wanted the best for me and I just want to give back to her all the love she has showed me. She is like my heart that keeps pumping and keeps me going when I’m down.
5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?
I would like to be one of those players that everyone talks about how hard he worked and how he led the team. I want people to say, “Yeah Dentist Hall, he was one of the greats I played with.” Also, I want to break a couple records and leave my name on the school.
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. Why did you decide to sign with College of Mt. Saint Joseph? I liked the coaching staff, they were real welcoming and they had a lot of confidence is their program. Also, for the school of course; they have a great educational program overall. I liked the location and it seemed like a lot fun down here.
2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?
I’m very excited. I can’t wait to see exactly how everything is going to play out. I can’t wait to get there and compete for a position. I can’t wait to get there; I’m ready for everything
3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?
My first word of advice is, never get sold on any college until they offer you a serious offer. Keep an open mind about everything and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
4. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?
My first goal is to graduate, get that foundation. My secondary goal, I do wanna play at the next level, I know it will be a whole lot of work, but football is my life.
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. Why did you decide to sign with Huntingdon College?
I decided to sign with Huntingdon because it’s a place I fit in perfectly, and it’s not very far from home. It’s a great school.
2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?
I’m very excited to become a student-athlete at the college level. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. It’s a sweet feeling.
3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?
To other athletes looking to get recruited, I advise them to work hard, maintain good grades, and be disciplined on and off the field.
4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?
The biggest influence in my sports career has been my dad. He always pushes me to another level and encourages me to work hard. He also trains me.
5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?
During my college sports career I would like to accomplish a lot. I would like to help Huntingdon College win their first NCAA DIII title and many more. I’m just excited I get to live out my dreams and I would also like to join Cody Pearcy in the NFL.
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?
I chose UC Davis because it felt like it was a perfect fit for me. I felt at home there, where as I hadn’t felt that anywhere else. I also loved the campus and all of the people that I got to meet there, especially my future teammates. Finally, the last reason I chose UC Davis was because it excels in the field I want to major in and the professors are some of the most knowledgeable minds in the teaching world.
2. Share your recruiting story and status
My recruiting process started in the fall of my freshman year. I was going to be participating in a huge National tournament and some of the older girls on my team had suggested that I should put together a resume that contained a photo, my name, academic accomplishments and of course athletic accomplishments. They also recommended that I email this resume to the coaches from any school I was thinking about looking into. Although the NCAA rules said they could not reply to me, this allowed me to enter the recruiting radar of some of the coaches. I followed the same process for a few more tournaments I attended that year and hoped that my constant introductions and level of play would interest some coaches. During my Sophomore year, I had my video done by the wonderful SportsForce team! They did everything I could have asked for and more! They even went back and added 10 clips of footage that I had obtained from a tournament in February of my sophomore year. I also followed the same process with tournaments, but the coaches were still not allowed to contact me due to the NCAA rules. That summer between my Sophomore and Junior year, I attended many field hockey camps on both the west and east coast. I also toured about 15 colleges on the east coast. While I was there I wanted to see if I would feel at home on the campus and to view the facilities that I could have possibly played on. I would recommend touring any colleges that a student-athlete is seriously thinking about during that summer because your Junior year is a big year for the recruitment process. It is best to know what you like and what you do not like in a school as you will be spending four years of your life there! Finally in my Junior year, I was invited on a few unofficial visits to campuses and I instantly fell in love with UC Davis. The team, coaching staff, facilities, professors, and the campus itself instantly made it feel like a home away from home. I also attended a few more tournaments that year and sent out both my resume and video. Now that it was my Junior year, I could have limited interaction with coaches via email and I was able to narrow down which ones were interested in me and which were not. In December, I was given a verbal commitment offer from the UC Davis coach and they asked me to think about it. I seriously thought about it and when I was invited to their Junior Day in April, I accepted the verbal offer and could not have been happier with my decision!
3. When did you start your recruiting process?
I started my recruiting process in the fall of my freshman year.
4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process (ex. start early, get a highlight video)?
Advice that I would give to players and parents is to definitely start early with the recruiting process. Your freshman year is an excellent time to organize a list of colleges that the player is interested in and focus on both the athletic and academic programs. My parents made sure that I am going to the school I want to go to and not just for the athletic aspect of it. It is important to find a place where the student-athlete will be happy and successful as they will be spending four years of their life there! Another tip is to make sure you get a video done in your sophomore or beginning of your junior year, as this is the prime time to start sending the video as well as the resume off to college coaches. Lastly, make sure that both the student-athlete and their parents go and tour the colleges in question before any commitments are made so you can get a good a sense of where the student-athlete may eventually end up and where the parents would be coming to visit.
5. What excites you the most about starting college?
The thing that excites me most about starting college is being able to meet people from not only all over the country, but also all over the world. I love interacting with people so I am definitely excited about meeting new people with different upbringings and stories and hopefully making life long friendships with them. This will especially apply to my future team, as I am positive that connections will be made during the years that will continue long past the end of college!
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. Why did you decide to sign with the Stephen F. Austin State University?
I decided to sign with SFA because it gave me the great opportunity of playing Division 1 ball, as well as being a very reputable school in the teaching field. This gives me the chance to play with, and learn from, some great upperclassmen, and an amazing coaching staff.
2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?
I’m very excited and blessed to have this opportunity! It’s great to finally see all my hard work pay off! It’s very humbling and exciting to be playing at the highest level of college baseball.
3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?
I would advise you to continue to work hard. God has a plan so try not to get frustrated! I know it was hard for me not to question why, but try hard to stay focused and understand there’s a place for you. It’s about being at the right place at the right time!
4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?
My biggest influence is my family. They’ve sacrificed so much to help support my baseball goals. I’m very appreciative of them for sticking with me and believing in me. They gave me the best they good in terms of equipment and certain select teams so I get the best opportunity possible to get noticed.
5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?
I would like to better myself physically and mentally and become the best ball player I can. The stats and winning will take care of themselves if I prepare the right way. But I hope to continue playing as long as I can and when I’m done, I plan to coach high school baseball!
Over the last five years, SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. Why did you decide to sign with the University of Tennessee?
I had it narrowed down to Georgia, Tennessee and Clemson. Tennessee just felt like home. It has a monster stadium, the faculty staff was real nice, I met some of the players and felt like it was a good atmosphere to play in.
2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?
I’m so excited, it ain’t even funny
3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?
Don’t give up in school, in God, in football because you never know how far you can make it. Don’t be afraid to step out of the box and enjoy life.
4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?
Probably my parents. We moved into another home and I went back to football. They were always there for me. They always took me to camps; my mom would wash my clothes, and my dad would be the one to drive me. One weekend we drove to the University of Kentucky on Friday night and drove back down to Lincolnton on Saturday to come back home and go to church on Sunday.
5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?
I’m thinking 10-12 years in the NFL, retire when I’m about 35 and live on the beach (laughing).
Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
1. Share your recruiting story and status (ex. what was the process like? when did you commit/sign?)
My recruiter was head coach Alex Smith. The process was long because he did not have my film and therefore was not able to make a proper evaluation of me. Once my film was submitted to the coach he became much more interested because I showed that I was committed. I wanted to show them that I was not only interested in their baseball program but in their education program as well. Once they had seen one of my games the coach had asked me if I would like to play for Luther and so I signed on April 14, 2012.
2. What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?
I am attending Luther College in Iowa. I chose Luther because I knew that this school has what it takes to provide me with a successful future academically and athletically.
3. How did SportsForce help in the process?
SportsForce provides you with the means necessary to find coaches and schools of interests, while also providing the coaches with information about yourself.
4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process (ex. start early, get a highlight video)?
Advice that I would give to others is to start playing ball at an early age and to have as much fun with the game as possible. While playing always make highlight videos of yourself to show off your skills and the progress that you make.
5. How excited are you on your future in college?
I am very excited to go to a school that will provide me with a great education as well as be playing the game that I have always loved since I was a child.
With the NBA Playoffs starting Saturday, we had a couple of our bloggers makes some predictions for how things will pan out.
What’s the most intriguing 1st round matchup?
Kyle Williams – Definitely the Memphis/Clippers series. Both teams have the talent to win the West and the athleticism of both teams should make this series a really fun and exciting one to watch. The Celtics/Hawks and Lakers/Nuggets matchups also have potential to be very interesting.
Dave Vinluan – Clippers vs Grizzlies. Interested in seeing how CP3 plays in the postseason with his new squad.
Jeff Morgan – The one I’m looking forward to the most is probably the Grizzlies vs. Clippers. Tons of young talent on both teams, both with something to prove, should be a really entertaining series to say the least. Close 2nd would be Knicks-Heat, If Melo continues his torrid pace and Amare can be Amare, Knicks just might be able to give the heat a series, at the very least a couple of close games. Should be a fun one.
Biggest Potential 1st round upset?
Kyle Williams – Nuggets over the Lakers. The Lakers are definitely a more talented team, but they have struggled with consistency this season and if that continues, the Nuggets have the athleticism and depth to run the Lakers into the ground. The Knicks also have a shot at upsetting the Heat as they have a lot of talent on that roster, but so does Miami so I find it hard to see the Knicks winning more than 2 games.
Dave Vinluan – Knicks over Heat.
Jeff Morgan – If Atlanta was any team besides Atlanta I would say they have a good shot at upsetting the older Celtics. They’re more athletic, and have more size than the C’s down low and if they put everything together I can see them pulling off the upset. Watch out for Denver too. They have always played the Lakers well, especially at home, if the Lakers lose either game 1 or 2, Nuggets have the talent to capitalize.
Who wins the West?
Kyle Williams – Thunder. While the Spurs and Grizzlies are playing great basketball, it will be hard for anyone to compete with the athleticism and scoring ability that the Thunder bring to the table. They are a great team at home and the Durant/Westbrook/Harden combination will be very hard to stop along with Ibaka and Perkins anchoring the defense down low.
Dave Vinluan – OKC Thunder. Westbrook and the scoring champion, the Durantula will take this team far.
Jeff Morgan – As much as I want to say the Lakers, to me the Thunder are the team to beat. They’re super talented, they have size down low, Durant and Westbrook are one of the best 1-2 punch in the league, with a healthy James Harden I can’t see a team beating them 4 times. If they get past the Lakers (potentially) in the 2nd round, look for them in the Finals.
Who wins the East?
Kyle Williams – Heat. Miami is just too talented and Derrick Rose’s health is a big time question for Chicago. Chicago has a potentially brutal series lined up with Boston that could wear them down a bit. I think the Bulls are the best team in the East, but Rose’s health is too uncertain for my liking.
Dave Vinluan – Chicago Bulls. Managed the #1 seed without Derrick Rose for most of the season, and it helps when you’ve got the White Mamba…
Jeff Morgan – This one is tougher because I can legitimately see 3 teams coming out of the East: Bulls, Heat, and Celtics. However, ECF we most likely be Heat and Bulls again, this series is a toss up, it all depends on who’s healthy and who’s playing the best coming into the series. I think the Heat have an easier path – NY and IND then the Bulls – PHI and BOS, so I’ll give the Heat the slight edge here and say the win it in 6.
Who wins the NBA Title?
Kyle Williams – Thunder. They have the talent and athleticism to compete with Miami and Westbrook will be a very difficult matchup. I will have to see Lebron win a title to believe it.
Dave Vinluan – OKC Thunder
Jeff Morgan – Who wins the NBA Title? I got Thunder-Heat in the FINALS. Which would be a hell of a series, and even though the Heat have more experience, I think the Thunder are too tough on their home court and win the championship in 7. Lebron and Co. will have to wait yet another season.
After yesterday’s NFL Draft we asked a panel of our experts to break down the draft and give their two cents about how the draft unfolded.
Biggest Winner?
Daniel Ornelas – Believe it or not, I have to say that the Rams came away the biggest winner in this draft because they did something that is very necessary for them: get more picks to fill the holes they have in their team. They may have made fans a bit disappointed, trading out of the No. 2 and 6 picks, but I think receiving all of those Washington draft picks was a huge win for them in the first place. Then they went and traded the 6th pick to move back, got more picks in the process, and still wound up with a solid player in Michael Brockers.
Kyle Williams – I really like what the Patriots did getting Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. The Patriots desperately needed some athleticism in their front 7 and Jones and Hightower should fit in very well in their system. I’d also look at the Chargers who got a nice value in Melvin Ingram. Ingram will give the Chargers some much needed pass rush ability and will be ability to play multiple positions in the 3-4. David DeCastro was also a great value pick for a Steelers line that has had major struggles the last few years.
Dave Vinluan – New England Patriots. Bill Belichick moved up twice in the draft and picked up two defensive players that can bring the ruckus in DE Chandler Jones and LB Dont’a Hightower.
Jeff Morgan – There are a lot to choose from here. But you gotta love what the Patriots did here. They traded up TWICE and grabbed two playmakers on the defensive side of things. Both LB Dont’a Hightower and DE Chandler Jones will make an immediate impact this season, and help a defense that was one of the worst in the league last season. Don’t forget, the Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance last season too! Patriots prove once again that they’re the best-run organization in the NFL.
Biggest Loser?
Daniel Ornelas – The loser in this draft has to be the Kansas City Chiefs. They used the 11th overall pick on somebody that has had issues with motivation and pure desire. We are talking about a guy who came out of nowhere and dominated the combine test sheet, not the stat sheet, much like Stephen Hill (teams have been passing on him after he has been so hyped up). This pick reminds me of the Taylor Mays (Safety from USC) pick in 2010 where defensive-minded head coach Mike Singletary just had to have his physical guy. The 49ers and Singletary gambled and reached for Mays, and now the Chiefs and Romeo Crennel reached for Poe. Didn’t work out for the 49ers, let’s see how it plays for KC.
Kyle Williams – A lot of people will talk about the Seahawks here, but I’m going to go with the Bucs picking Mark Barron at #7. In my eyes, for a saftey to warrent a top 10 selection they need to be an absolute stud of a prospect (i.e. Sean Taylor, LaRon Landry, and Roy Williams). Barron is a very good player, but is not nearly the prospect that other top 10 safties were. In my eyes his draft position was the result of a very weak saftey class.
Dave Vinluan – St. Louis Rams. They waited patiently in hopes of landing big play WR Justin Blackmon, just to get leap frogged by the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is great potential with Michael Brockers, but he can’t help their abysmal offense score any touchdowns.
Jeff Morgan – I’m going with the Broncos here. I realize they didn’t even make a pick, but that’s the whole point. They traded down twice out of the 1st round, and while they grabbed a few more picks, they needed to make a selection here. They were plenty of OT’s available, or even pass rushers to help the Broncos next season. Peyton Manning isn’t getting any younger, and a solid 1st round pick would go a long way into helping the Broncos chances.
Biggest Surprise?
Daniel Ornelas – I was most surprised by the fact that AJ Jenkins was picked ahead of Stephen Hill. As a 49ers fan, I expected to see a guard taken considering Cordy Glenn was still there. If Glenn wasn’t selected, I was thinking some other guard, TE Coby Fleener (once coached by Harbaugh), Stephen Hill, or some cornerback. When I heard Jenkins, I immediately thought Janoris Jenkins of Northern Alabama. Boy was I surprised when they said AJ.
Kyle Williams – It’s pretty hard not to go with Bruce Irvin here. There is no doubt that Irvin is a prolific pass rusher, arguably the best in this year’s draft, but I figured Irvin’s one-dimensional game and major character concerns would push him down draft boards.
Dave Vinluan – Seattle Seahawks selecting DE/OLB Bruce Irvin. Although he shows great flashes of being a premier pass rusher, that’s all Irvin may be. At WVU he excelled on 3rd downs with his speed, but that might not be enough to get by at the next level.
Jeff Morgan – All the trades! I knew there would be movement in this draft, but 8 first round trades is ridiculous. Jags and Patriots traded UP, Vikings traded back and STILL got their guy in Kahlil. Cowboys surprised everyone by grabbing Claiborne from LSU, a great pick for them. And then there were the questionable picks of the Seahawks and the Bears who both picked positions and players that they didn’t really need and could have drafted a better player. All in all, it was a draft full of surprises all across the board.
Who ends up with the best career in this years 1st round?
Daniel Ornelas – I could go with the consensus and say Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin, but I have to go with Morris Claiborne. I have no doubt that Luck and Griffin will be great players in the NFL, but in a passing league I think Claiborne has a chance to shine. When you think shutdown corner, you think Jets CB Darelle Revis. I think this will changed in the future with Claiborne’s name alongside Revis. He is an excellent corner and will be playing for “America’s Team” in the Cowboys and will have high expectations that I believe he can exceed. In a league with Johnsons, Fitzgeralds, and other dominant receivers on pass-heavy offenses, Claiborne will have a chance to show his stuff.
Kyle Williams – We all know QB’s get the headlines so Andrew Luck is a safe pick here, but I think Luke Kuechly will be absolute stud alongside Jon Beason in Carolina. Kuechly should make a lot of pro bowls before his time is done.
Dave Vinluan – David DeCastro. He will be put into a great situation at Pittsburgh playing next to Maurkice Pouncey. DeCastro was one of the top rated linemen in the draft and he will fit right in the Steelers smash mouth offense.
Jeff Morgan – There’s a loaded question. The easy answer is Luck or RGIII, but I can see greatness from Claiborne, Blackmon, and Richardson. It’s a deep 1st round draft, but when all is said and done I think the best player out of this draft will be Matt Kahlil. It’s not the sexiest pick, but he’s as sure a perennial pro-bowl left tackle as it gets. He’s going to be a cornerstone the Vikings have desperately been missing, and could go a long way in the development of Christian Ponder. He ends up with the most Pro-Bowl selections out of any player in this draft. Count it.
When we look back at this year’s 1st round it will be most remembered for…?
Daniel Ornelas – The day the Luck-Griffin competition started. This draft was very surprising with all the trades that happened before and during the draft, but it will be known as the day someone made a huge mistake, or the day someone scored big. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are two top-notch quarterbacks and the fact that they were picked number 1 and 2, respectively, will draw critics toward always making comparisons between the two. The Redskins paid a high price in trading up to get Griffin so if he turns out to be a bust, they will look back on this draft as the day they gambled and it didn’t pay off. As for Luck, the Colts new GM’s biggest move was made today when he selected the new leader to fill the big shoes that Peyton Manning left Luck to fill in Indianapolis. I think both will be just fine and this draft will be looked at as one of the best drafts in recent history.
Kyle Williams – The trading frenzy in the top 10. Every pick from 2-7 was taken by a team that was not initially slotted to draft in that spot. I can’t remember a draft that has been this trade-happy at the top, but it certainly made this one exciting.
Dave Vinluan – The trades. Along with Melvin Ingram and Roger Goodell’s ball so hard handshake.
Jeff Morgan – Defining 4 franchises. The Colts, Redskins, Dolphins, and Browns all selected who they think will be their franchise QB. Very rarely do all QB’s drafted in the 1st round work out. A few of these teams will look back at this draft and point to it as the beginning of something great, and a few will look back and remember where it all went wrong.
Jeff Morgan: Calipari is kind of like the Phil Jackson of NCAA basketball. He always seems to have all-star filled rosters, and success seems a foregone conclusion. However, people forget his success at UMass was largely with unknown players, and not until he got to Memphis did he start getting some of the top recruits in the country. So, is he the best coach in the NCAA…far from it, but the man does get the maximum effort out of his ridiculously talented players.
Dave Vinluan: With him claiming his first National Championship, Calipari is as good if not better than any elite level NCAA coach right now. His coaching style allows for his players to mesh well together. What’s so good about Calipari is his ability to have his players believing in his team first philosophy, and it doesn’t hurt that he is the master of one and done recruiting.
Kyle Williams: Great coach and an even better recruiter. There is no doubt Coach Cal is one of the great coaches in college basketball. While many focus on his recent success with top recruits at Memphis and Kentucky, this is the same coach who led UMass to 5 straight tournament bids including an Elite 8 and a Final Four trip. Calipari’s free-flowing, high-paced offense allows his athletes to get out and run and has been dominant at UMass (193-71), Memphis (252-69), and on the highest stage with Kentucky (102-14 and a recent championship). Coach Cal has been able to sell his free-flowing style to the elite high school prospects that are looking to play the way they want to play and win while doing so.
Did Calipari need this win to solidify his legacy?
Jeff Morgan: He keeps pushing this question aside like it doesn’t matter, but he absolutely needed to win a title in order to solidify his legacy. Now that he got the monkey off his back however, he’s going to have to win multiple championships to be considered in the same class of some of the best college coaches in the country. While this win was important, he still has a long way to go to become a legend on the hardwood.
Dave Vinluan: Yes. Calipari has reached the Final Four and National Championship previously with stacked line ups and lost both in heartbreaking fashion. Not to mention he has produced first round talent ranging from Derrick Rose to John Wall. This championship solidifies his status as one of the best ever.
Kyle Williams: Absolutely. While Calipari has made numerous deep tournament runs with every program he’s been with, no one can deny the power of championship. Amongst the swirling controversy over the one-and-done rule, along with Calipari’s recent exploitation of that rule, this year’s title possessed significant clout for Calipari. Not only does it add a championship to his resume, but it also silences the critics who said his teams stacked with freshman stars didn’t have the experience to win it all.
Does the 1 and done rule help or hurt high school prospects?
Jeff Morgan: I suppose 1 year of college basketball can help refine a high school player’s game, but I think the impact is minimal. Kids going into the NBA with 1 year of college under their belt are hardly as polished as a 4-year college player. This rule was put in place to make sure that kids weren’t drafted before they were ready to play in the NBA. In that sense, the 1 and done rule hasn’t really done much to change that perception. Hell, even Anthony Davis, the consensus #1 pick in the draft is a project. There are no guarantees he’ll be an all-star player in the NBA.
Dave Vinluan: I think it hurts high school prospects that have no interest in pursuing a college education. Coming out of high school most of these athletes are convinced they want to make Basketball a career. Playing one year in college and having an injury filled year or just not performing well would hinder the chances of them getting to the NBA greatly.
Kyle Williams: The one-and-done rule hasn’t so much impacted high school prospects as it has the college game as a whole. In terms of high school prospects, the rule has generally been helpful in that we no longer see high school players, who have no business being in the league, entering the draft. When looking at college basketball, the negative impact of the one-and-done rule can be seen. College teams are put in a difficult recruiting situation where they have to decide whether or not to focus on top recruits who may spurn the program after just a single year of play. If there is a side that pushes hardest to increase the rule to more than one year, that push should come from the NCAA.
Can other programs compete with the recruiting style of Calipari?
Jeff Morgan: If this 1 and done recruiting strategy continues to breed success and championships, it’s going to be extremely hard for other schools to compete from a pure talent standpoint. The allure of a full college experience is starting to lose ground in favor of a quick 1-year path to the NBA. You watch, if Calipari starts reeling off championships, all the major college basketball programs will adjust their recruiting efforts to entice players to come play for them instead, even if it’s only for a year.
Dave Vinluan: Not now, with the majority of the Kentucky roster expected to enter the NBA draft, that’s an open invitation to become a starter for the Wildcats. It’s hard to compete with his style because of what he has done for his players. Taking them far in the tournament and producing first round talent.
Kyle Williams: Some programs may try, but Calipari is clearly in the best spot to capitalize on one-and-done recruiting. The things he has going for him: coaching at a top program, coaching a system that top players want to play in, and a recent championship to stand for it. While the UCLA’s and Duke’s of the world have similar programs in terms of tradition and success, they both have coaches that bring strict, structured, defensive-minded systems to the table. The program that has the best chance to compete is UNC, with some of college basketball best tradition, Roy Williams’ high-paced style, and Jordan’s legacy hanging over the Dean Dome.
Does Calipari win it all again next year?
Jeff Morgan: Who knows. How can you even speculate on Kentucky’s chances next year when their starting 5 players are going to be completely different? Even if Calipari gets 6 more McDonalds All-American’s to fill out his roster, he still has to basically start from scratch with a whole new group of players. Calipari has had loaded rosters in the past and failed to win it all. If he can’t get his players to work together for a common goal, they could easily have an early exit in next year’s tourney. So for now, I’ll take the field over Kentucky.
Dave Vinluan: As long as he’s got the pulse on the next Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, then absolutely yes.
Kyle Williams: That’s tough to say, as there are so many moving parts for Calipari next season that are yet to settle. While it seems to be a lock that Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist jump to the league, we will have to see if see if Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague decide to follow them or stick around for another year. Calipari already has 5 star recruits Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress committed as well as 7-foot center Willie Cauley. Undoubtedly the biggest factor will be the decision of unanimous #1 recruit Shabazz Muhammad, who is still deciding between Kentucky, Duke, and UCLA. If Coach Cal lands Muhammad and keeps a player or two from this year’s squad, I like his chances. If not, I see Calipari’s squad as another one of his highly talented young teams that just doesn’t have quite enough to cut down the nets in 2013.
1. Why did you decide to sign with the Stephen F. Austin State University?
1. Share your recruiting story and status (ex. what was the process like? when did you commit/sign?)
