RECRUITING ON THE SOUTH PLAINS Measurables MICHAEL CAREY Position: PG/SG Ht: 6'5" | Wt: 190 lbs High School: Lamar Consolidated (Rosenberg, TX) DTN Profile Video: Clip 1 Rivals | Scout ESPN 88 | 24/7 Sports N/R Cumulative Ranking: INC Offers Houston, Florida St.

This is the second part of the thought that this is a combination commitment from PF Wannah Bail and now we get to PG/SG Michael Carey. For me, perhaps the biggest positive about Carey is that he's a big guard that can play both the point and shooting guard positions. Height at the guard spot is something that this team lacks other that Toddrick Gotcher and it's good to have a player with some decent measurables that could play at both guard spots.

I mentioned in Bail's profile that Carey and Bail are both from the Bahamas and both moved to Texas at about the same time and have been virtually inseparable as they play both high school and AAU basketball together.

The other thing that I should note is that Carey only has an offer from Houston and Florida St., at least this is what I could determine, which means that he's probably not that sought after as Bail, but I'm still really liking Carey as a player because I think he offers something, height and ball-handling, that is not readily apparent on this year's roster.

The Player Speaks

Nothing yet, but will update as information is available.

Scouting Report

There isn't quite the detailed scouting reports that I was able to find like I did on Bail. Carey is averaging about 13 points per game for his high school team (compared to about 18 points per game for Bail). There is a nice post from CBS Sports Jeff Borzello:

“I want to become an elite point guard in the country,” Carey said. “People are starting to see me as a point guard, that’s what they’re going to see at the next level.”

The 6-foot-5 Carey is an offensive-minded player who can handle both guard positions. He is extremely aggressive off the dribble, getting past defenders into the lane and using his length and athleticism to finish strong at the rim. With his size, Carey is able to see over most opponents and also make plays inside.

In order to get recognized as a full-time point guard, Carey realizes there’s work to do.

“I can run a team and break down anybody,” he said, “but I need to get faster. I’m fast, but not fast enough. I need to get quicker.”

From the Beyond the Arc post that I linked in Bail's profile (which will also give you information regarding Carey's and Bail's move to Texas from the Bahamas):

More than just Bail’s sidekick, Carey should also help down the road. He possesses nice size at 6-5 to play both guard spots, though it isn’t entirely clear what position he ultimately will play. Most likely, Carey projects as scoring guard with the ability to slash and score. With the significant roster turnover in the Texas Tech program Billy Gillispie became coach, Carey could also figure to have an early impact under the right conditions.

Here's the free portion from Carey's ESPN profile:

Carey is a strong and athletic guard that plays with great energy and urgency at all times. He is a competitor on both ends of the floor. Carey has great size and pushes the ball in transition with good pace.

The only video I could find on Carey also featured Bail, which is just fine with me:

Michael, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!

RECRUITING ON THE SOUTH PLAINS Measurables WANNAH BAIL Position: PF Ht: 6'8" | Wt: 205 lbs High School: Lamar Consolidated (Rosenberg, TX) DTN Profile Video: Clip 1 | Clip 2 Rivals | Scout ESPN 89 | 24/7 Sports 89 Cumulative Ranking: INC Offers Houston, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Florida St., Kansas, LSU, Marquette, Texas

Thus far, I think it's safe to say that PF Wannah Bail is the most high profile recruit that Texas Tech has had in a long time, maybe in the history of the program.

A legitimate top 100 player by at least one service, #66 by Rivals, and if you watch his video, it's easy to see why he received such a high ranking.

The interesting thing is that Bail and fellow high school teammate and also Texas Tech commit, Michael Carey, are supposedly a package deal in that they wanted to play together.

If that's the case, then I'll take it. Beyond the Arc (an NBC basketball blog that I really didn't know existed until I looked around for info on Bail) had this to say about Bail and Carey:

"The numerous reports of high school basketball players being a 'package deal' (meaning they intend to attend college together) greatly exceeds the amount of times it actually happens. With that said, there was little doubt that 6-8 forward Wannah Bail and 6-5 guard Michael Carey, both of Lamar Consolidated (Texas), would attend college together.

Bail and Carey came to play high school hoops in Texas from the Bahamas, and were on the same team on the AAU circuit, the Houston-based Franchize All-Stars. So when it came time to pick a college, there was little doubt that the duo wouldn’t be broken up. Originally set for a decision in October, Houston was presumed to lead to land both players, but apparently didn’t have the ability to offer both prospects scholarships. Oregon, Florida State and other programs were considered by the tandem, but on Monday both players committed to Texas Tech."

The Player Speaks

I haven't found anything yet, but I'll update this as needed.

Scouting Report

There are a litany of scouting reports and I don't know that I could add any more than what's already been written about Bail. The only thing that I'd add is that I don't think that Bail is a true power forward, as he is listed on most of his profiles, but most likely is a really nice small forward with the length to play power forward. He's got a nice jump shot, left handed, and he's got leaping ability that you don't see on Texas Tech's current roster. From Bail's Scout profile:

In terms of natural ability, Bail is one of the best in the class. He can score inside and to the mid-range, and is an incredible athlete. He rebounds well and has the ability to defend multiple positions. Right now he is still raw, and needs to expand his skill set to capitalize on his vast potential.

From the above referenced Beyond the Arc post:

Bail is easily the more talented of the pair and a top-100 prospect who could have an immediate impact at power forward for the rebuilding Red Raiders. He’s a long interior player who can defend and use his athleticism to score near the hoop. There’s still some polishing to be done on the hardwood, but when it’s all said and done, Bail could potentially end up as a multi-year starter in Lubbock.

From Inside the Hall, an Indiana basketball blog:

+ Wanaah Bail, Trent (TX), Franchize All-Starz: In two short viewings of Bail at the adidas Invitational, it was difficult to not fall in love with his explosiveness. His athleticism seemed to be near the same level of Hanner Perea, which is quite the compliment. It was tough to get a sense for his offensive skillset in the fast paced environment that is AAU basketball, but Bail was impressive on the offensive glass where he managed to get his fair share of put backs. Defensively, his length makes him a threat to block a shot at anytime. His agility at 6-9 and ability to guard the wing or the post will likely allow him to play multiple positions at the next level.

And to see for yourself, here's the video:

Wannah, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!

This will be the most sparse recruiting profile that I think I've ever done, but I've pieced together as much information that I can in the hopes that you can at least get an idea as to who Jamal Williams is. First, I have not seen any confirmation that Williams has actually signed his letter of intent, which means that Texas Tech has not obligated itself to Williams as a scholarship player next year. Once the LOI is signed, then I think that is at least one year that a team has committed itself. As I've been reminding you in these basketball profiles, there are only two scholarships available, Robert Lewandowski is graduating and SF Cameron Forte has left the program. There are four players that have committed and the table is after the jump. This means that two players on this team will not have their scholarship renewed if Robinson and Williams end up signing letters of intent.

The Measurables:

JAMAL WILLIAMS
Position: PG
DTN Profile
Video: N/A
Rivals N/R
Scout N/A
ESPN N/A
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 6'3" | Wt: 185 lbs
JUCO: Lake Land College (Matton, IL)

The Player Speaks: When Williams committed, way back in November, there was little fanfare and few stories. I don't know why, but National Signing Day is usually a pretty big deal, but I'm thinking that the scholarship issue, i.e. more commits than spots available, folks are being quiet. As you can see above, the only profile is from Rivals.

Offers and Rankings: Since there is only one profile, I can only go to Rivals to tell you that Williams didn't have any other offers, but was being looked at by Creighton and Wis. Milwaukee. Apparently, it is a big deal to be on Mullen's JUCO Top 100 (PDF) and Williams, along with Daylen Robinson, were on that list.

Continue reading this post »

I've been waiting for quite some time to try to wrap my head around the basketball recruiting, in particular the idea that there are four players that I believe have committed, but as I've stated beofre there is only one scholarship opening up, Robert Lewandowski. Some time ago, I ran across this tweet that said that SF Cameron Forte has left the program, so now that makes two scholarships opening up. Up until now, I've only been able to confirm that SG Dusty Hannah's has signed a letter of intent and as you'll see below, it appears that from a link Silva is signing something, which I assume is a letter of intent. I really wish that someone would ask Gillispie about the roster attrition and where the scholarships will open up. As of right now, there will be two players that will be cut that are currently on this team because there are four players who have committed to Texas Tech, SG Dusty Hannahs, PG Daylen Robinson, PG Jamal Williams and Silva. I'll be doing a profile on Williams later on Thursday.

The Measurables:

RODRIGO SILVA
Position: PF
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1
Rivals
Scout N/A
ESPN N/A
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 6'10" | Wt: 225 lbs
JUCO: Laramie County C.C. (Cheyenne, WY)

The Player Speaks: Back in November, I wasn't checking this much, but apparently Silva did sign his letter of intent and there's even a photograph with Silva sitting at a desk signing something with a small quote from Silva about playing for Texas Tech::

"I believe I can play for this team and help this team be better," he says. "It’s the best school for me."

Short and sweet.

Offers and Rankings: Not much here. Silva said that he had interest from UAB, Wichita St., Washington St., Hawaii and Utah, but the Rivals profile, the only profile I could find, says that he only had an offer from Wichita St.

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This is commitment #3 in the 2012 Texas Tech recruiting class and given some of the accolades about PG Daylen Robinson, may have an immediate impact on the Red Raiders.  The table is below and although Kravic is listed, he's actually on the team now, but sitting out as a transfer.  Let's get to it.

The Measurables:

DAYLEN ROBINSON
Position: PG
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1
Rivals
Scout N/A
ESPN 40
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 6'0" | Wt: 178 lbs
JUCO: Moberly Area C.C. (Kansas City, MO)

Offers and Rankings:  Robinson actually has some pretty decent offers, but it was apparently just a handful of schools other than Texas Tech interested, including Houston, Iowa and Nebraska.  Obviously, we're not talking about top-tier schools, but that's not a bad list.  No real rankings other than the Rivals 3-star ranking.

The Player Speaks:  Last year for Moberly, Robinson was pretty darned effective for a freshman point guard, giving the Greyhounds the following stat line (I also enjoyed his player profile for Moberly):

16.39 PPG | 3.50 RPG | 5.96 APG | 1.46 SPG | 4.14 TOPG| 71% FT% | 49% FG% | 33% 3FG%

He was also named to the all-region team:

Moberly Area Community College freshman basketball  player Daylen Robinson was named to the 2010-11 NJCAA Region 16 All-Region Team in voting conducted by member coaches.  Robinson, a 6’0 guard from Northeast High School in Kansas City, led the MACC Greyhounds in scoring at 15.9 ppg, free throws (74%), and assists (6.1).

But life hasn't been so easy for the point guard, via the Kansas City Varsity Sports:

There’s a chance that everything that Daylen Robinson dreams about — a college scholarship, a law degree, a better life — will never happen. That’s because dreams usually don’t come true for kids like him.

Robinson, the senior point guard on the Northeast High School boys basketball team, has been arrested, served probation, faced academic suspension and has been shot, perhaps as many as five times — no one’s really saying for sure. The odds are seemingly not in his favor.

I can't recommend enough that you read the entire article.  Robinson seems to have received a couple chances in life and I hope he makes the best of it and I'd love for Robinson to continue in his path to success at Texas Tech.  I'll let Robinson take it from here:

"I’m not the person that everybody thinks that I am. They think I’m a gangsta. They think I’m not going to be nothing in life," Robinson says. "It’s really nothing I can do for real to show them. I’m showing myself. I’m going to be successful because I want to be successful."

More after the jump.

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I'm trying to keep up with Billy Clyde, but it's tough.  Since the last time we checked in, Texas Tech has two more basketball commits, SG Dusty Hannahs and PG Daylen Robinson.  We'll have to get to Robinson later, but for now, Hannahs was Gillispie's second commit and Robinson is the third commit for the 2012 recruiting class.

The Measurables:

DUSTY HANNAHS
Position: SG
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1 | Clip 2
Rivals N/R
Scout N/A
ESPN 85
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 6'3 | Wt: 200 lbs
High School: Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, AR)

The Player Speaks:  You can find the video here at iHigh where Hannahs committed to Texas Tech, but I didn't have the patience to listen to the whole thing, so if someone does have the time, feel free to add a non-transcript in the comments. I did find this article from ARPreps.com from 2010, where Hannahs said that he had offers from some smaller schools, but larger schools were starting to take notice of what he's doing:

"I didn’t have many schools besides Wisconsin and Ole Miss earlier in the year," Hannahs said. "I kept playing and I got more and more schools interested. I knew it would pay off because I got into the gym every day. I don’t miss a day. This is what I want to do the rest of my life. I really want to stay in basketball and be a coach or something."

So as a sophomore, he averaged 20 points a game.  Hannahs also talked (remember this was 2010) trying to work on his game:

"I like to use that as an advantage to get by people when they get up too close," Hannahs said. "I like to finish with floaters and moves around the basket. I’m trying to get my handles to be the best they can be. I think I’ll be playing a lot of point guard for the school this year. I want to get my overall game and defense better."

He hopes to take his skills to a school known for its basketball tradition.

"I want to go to a somewhere with a good history," said Hannahs, who claims a 32-inch vertical. "A school that’s more about basketball."

Offers and Rankings:  The only ranking is from ESPN and the only other profile is with Rivals.  Hannahs apparently had offers from SMU, Arkansas St., Central Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Rice and Southeast Missouri St.  Right now, Texas Tech is Hannah's best offer.

Video and more after the jump.

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You could possibly consider Dejan to be part of the 2011 recruiting class, but we're going to throw him into the 2012 class since he'll be a transfer and he'll have to sit out the entire year.  Dejan Kravic (6-11/230) signed with Texas Tech right as classes started and he's a transfer from York University in Ontario Canada. Kravic will most likely replace C Robert Lewandowski, who will have graduated at the end of the 2011-12 season.  Let's get to it.

The Measurables: 

DEJAN KRAVIC
Position: PF/C
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1 | Clip 2
Rivals N/A
Scout N/A
ESPN N/A
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 6'11" | Wt: 230 lbs
College: York University (London, Ontario, Canada)

The Player Speaks:  Per the official site, here's Kravic:

"I am excited about being at Texas Tech. I think it is a good fit for me and I am glad to be here," said Kravic. "I look forward to working with one of the top coaches around in coach Gillispie and improving my skill level."

That's all I could find. 

Offers and Rankings:  The official site says that he had interest from California, Rice, Nevada, Tulane, South Florida and Louisiana Tech.  I'd also add that York University is a four year university, so I guess Kravic was looking to transfer.  He could have stayed all four years at York University, but I'm guessing he wanted to get to the U.S. to see if his game would get him some exposure.

More after the jump.

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Billy Gillispie's first commitment for the 2012 class and from all accounts, this is a pretty darned good pick-up.  The biggest problem with Goodman's commitment is that he's committed to Georgetown, then de-committed when an assistant coach left, then committed to Rutgers when said assistant coach was hired at Rutgers, and then de-committed for some reason, and then committed to Texas Tech.  This is one of those commitments where it may be best to be excited about the pick-up, but don't be surprised if he changes his mind. 

Still, Goodman is talented, really talented, a nice combo-forward, although I have him listed as a power forward, and one of the top players in the country.

The Measurables:

JORDAN GOODMAN
Position: PF
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1 | Clip 2
Rivals
Scout
ESPN 91
24/7 Sports 89
Ht: 6'9" | Wt: 210 lbs
High School: Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, FL)

The Player Speaks:  CBS Sports Jeff Borzello reported about Goodman's commitment and Goodman's AAU coach, Antwain Tennell, talked briefly about Goodman's commitment to Texas Tech:

"It was just a good choice for him," Tennell said. "They need a wing to step in right away and play."

I told you the comment was brief.  Anyway, Goodman apparently has played with his Washington D.C. AAU team for quite some time, despite changing high schools four different times.  That's also a bit concerning and when Goodman committed, I noted that Goodman had played a year of high school ball at Christian Life Center in Humble, Texas.  This is most likely when Gillispie was able to develop a relationship with Goodman.  When Goodman committed to Rutgers one of Goodman's AAU coaches talked about Goodman's game:

"In my opinion, he’s one of the Top 10 players in that class, no doubt about it," Handon said. Rutgers is getting a Top 10 player."

He added:  "He’ll bring some versatility. He can play on the perimeter as well as play on the inside. I think he’ll cause some matchup problems when you play him at the four because he can step out and shoot the 3. A lot of four men have a difficult time guarding him. I also think his best basketball is definitely ahead of him."

Goodman said he feels comfortable on the wing and in the post.

"Whatever position they need me to play, that’s what I’ll play," he said. "I’m more of a wing player but can go in the post."

This article also talks a bit about how Goodman's father is trying to get him out of the D.C. and inner-city area, which is why he's gone to some of these private schools.  Here's Jordan's father, Deon Goodman:

"We’re trying to relocate him to get him into the suburbs, somewhere in New Jersey or somewhere in North Carolina," he said.

"We have to get Jordan out of here. We have to put him in a more secluded place so he can focus more on his books and his academics instead of the inner-city life."

You can also check out this profile from ESPN Rise, with a video, where Goodman talks about an auto accident when he was 11 where he lost his best friend, broke his legs and went through a lot.  In addition to this, Goodman's mother passed away a few years ago. 

Offers and Rankings:  All of the scouting services are pretty consistent about Goodman's ranking, which is that he's a 3-star player.  Only ESPN has Goodman ranked as the #25 power forward in the country.  Not a lot of offers, but of the offers, they're quality schools, including Georgetown, Maryland and Rutgers (who may have cooled on Goodman and yes, this is a he-said she-said sort of thing).

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