FanPost

Basketball Future

With Angelo Chol eliminating UDub from consideration, I believe it’s a good time to look at where our team stands for next year.  This is probably premature but, no I am not giving up on this year, but unlike John, I am having a slow day at work.

Current Roster

Seniors (3) Class of 2011

MBA PF

Justin Holiday SF

Venoy Overton PG

Juniors (3) 2012

Isaiah Thomas SG

Darnell Gant SF

Scott Suggs SG

Brendan Sherrer PF (non-scholarship)

Sophomore (2) 2013

Abdul Gaddy PG

Aziz N’Diaye C

Freshman (3) 2014

Terrence Ross SF

Antoine Hosley PG (non-scholarship)

CJ Wilcox SG

*Kevin Davis PF (Tacoma CC)

RS/Recruits (4) 2015

Desmond Simmons PF

Hikeem Stewart SG

Tony Wroten JR PG

Jernard Jarreau PF (projected RS)

 

2011 recruit Rankings

ESPN 18

Rivals 16 (best I could tell)

Overall it is a good class but lacking a low post player. Hopefully, one appears in the next couple months. Wroten was recently named to play in the Jordan Brand all-star game televised April 16 on ESPN2.

2016

Andrew Andrews PG (prep school)

Some analysis after the jump...

I count 11 scholarship athletes. I believe Tyreese Breshers counts for 12. There are 9 currently suiting up (might be part of our problem) With three leaving that means we only return 7 players (Gaddy from injury is the extra) with experience.  There will be 4 newcomers for a total of 11 with Breshers being number 12 (max allowed by NCAA is 13). Gaddy will have plenty of time to recover but will be a big question mark in the offseason. With Chol eliminating UDUB this team is not faced with having to "force" a player to transfer to give his scholarship to someone else. A scenario that has played out a couple times in the past, and has been more prevalent on the football team under Sark. Does this mean that Hosley will earn a scholarship for next year? I don’t think so. I think Romar will keep it in his pocket for future classes or he maybe looking for a big man in the JC ranks he can bring in next year?

So the question becomes does Hosley transfer? Does anyone else transfer? Hosley may transfer but does it really matter? I don’t see him ever being a big part of this team, maybe a leader as a senior but nothing more. The recruits coming in behind him a far more talented. I brought up the point a few weeks back that I could see Wilcox transferring. This was coming off of Scott Suggs having back to back games where he looked like the next coming of Brandon Roy. Suggs (and myself) were brought back to earth, and I no longer want Wilcox transfer but he still may. Our starting lineup and depth chart for next year look like this.

PG Abdul Gaddy/Tony Wroten

SG Isaiah Thomas/Scott Suggs

SF Terrence Ross/Darnell Gant

PF Desmond Simmons/Darnell Gant

C Aziz N’Diaye

This projected lineup is why I think Wilcox is still a flight risk. He is still probably the 9th guy on the roster. I would love for him to stay as he would be the best 9th player in the conference, but if he is hungry to become a starter somewhere else sooner he is gone. Hopefully he is patient and realizes that he could be a starter in 2012-2013 and his senior year. But every year someone seems to transfer and if I look at the roster, Wilcox seems to be the most likely candidate. The other glaring aspect of this lineup is the lack of front court experience and talent. N’Diaye has improved but still a project, Simmons is somewhat unknown and Gant has turned into more of small forward than power. This should lead to smaller lineups that could see up to 4 guards (if you include Ross) on the floor at one time with either N’Diaye, Simmons or Gant at the lone big man.

The other thing that stands out to me about this class is the lack of upper classmen we will have in two years. This is due to health (Bressers) and transfers (Trent, Turner). We are projected now to only have 4 upper classmen if no one leaves early or transfers. This could be a good thing, with many young players like, Simmons, Wroten and Stewart contributing often and early. Or it could also be a detriment.

2012 recruiting

Andrew Andrews gives us one verbal commitment already from the 2012 class. ESPN lists 6 more players that are interested, including Anrio Adams of Garfield High and South Kent Prep School, and Jordan Tebbutt of Portland. Tebbutt appears to be headed to Oak Hill and most likely never considers coming back to the NW again. He claims to have 18 offers. Both are 4 stars athletes. ESPN also includes in state C Zach Banner. Banner is the number 20 C in the country according to ESPN, but most of us hope he plays at UDUB in the fall instead of winter as he is a ESPN150 OL. Banner has stated he wants to play both football and basketball in college and is an AAU teammate of Tony Wroten. He has also been quoted as saying USC is his dream school and they have offered in football.  The last regional player listed by ESPN is 6’9" C Landen Lucas of Findlay Prep (Las Vegas, NV) via Portland.

Rivals list 22 players interested including the four already mentioned. The list also includes Lucas’ teammate 6’6" PF Anthony Bennett. Brandon Ashley is another highly talent big man that lists Washington. I mention all these big men, because for this team to take it too the next level it will be imperative to have a low post stud. Romar has always recruited guard/wing players, and I expect that to continue in 2012, but outside of Hawes and Brockman there hasn’t been an elite big man. And one wonders if they had not been from the state would they ever consider coming?

There is not a lot of information on 2012 recruiting yet, but this years class seems to be set.  I am hoping Romar finds a big man in the coming weeks to take that 13th scholarship. 

*Kevin Davis added after post.  Davis is 6'9" PF.  From what i read though he is more of small forward too.  Very raw player (one year of HS), and has had some off the court issues.  He is athletic big man that could eventually provide a lot of help, but probably very little next year.