2013 America East Recruiting Thread

[Jim Patrick]

Originally Posted by UVM7680

I can only agree with that. Being Mr Basketball in Vermont is great, but very small pond.. previous Mr Basketballs Matt Glass and Clancy Rugg both seemed to have benefitted greatly from doing a PG year at NMH.

I am up in the air on this kid...seen him a few times and thought a lot of what has been said in previous posts. A little slow for D1 but a good shooter, but I thought the same thing about Kyle C. and that turned out pretty well. could use a year of prep....obviously anyone could use a year of "prep". Plays against much lower competition, well so didn"t Coppenrath, Sheftic, Russin, Rugg, Powlovich, Cieplicki, Orciari, and others. It comes down to if he has offers from comparable schools, and there is a chance to get him than we should take the chance.

[Blakely4Prez]

Originally Posted by Jim Patrick

I am up in the air on this kid...seen him a few times and thought a lot of what has been said in previous posts. A little slow for D1 but a good shooter, but I thought the same thing about Kyle C. and that turned out pretty well. could use a year of prep....obviously anyone could use a year of "prep". Plays against much lower competition, well so didn"t Coppenrath, Sheftic, Russin, Rugg, Powlovich, Cieplicki, Orciari, and others. It comes down to if he has offers from comparable schools, and there is a chance to get him than we should take the chance.

A close source to me has said that St. Amour wants to go somewhere he can play a sport. Keyword in "a" sport. He might not go to school to play bball. He wants to go D1 if possible, but has floated around the idea of going D3 and playing both basketball and soccer. He may have the opportunity as well to walk on and play both soccer and bball at UVM which he is looking in to. It will be interesting to see where he decides to play, and what sport he decides to play. He will most likely end up playing what will take him further and get him to the highest level. He is a very intelligent kid and has many academic options. If he walked on to the UVM BBall team, that is a win for the program if they aren't using a scholarship.

[Jim Patrick]

Originally Posted by Blakely4Prez

A close source to me has said that St. Amour wants to go somewhere he can play a sport. Keyword in "a" sport. He might not go to school to play bball. He wants to go D1 if possible, but has floated around the idea of going D3 and playing both basketball and soccer. He may have the opportunity as well to walk on and play both soccer and bball at UVM which he is looking in to. It will be interesting to see where he decides to play, and what sport he decides to play. He will most likely end up playing what will take him further and get him to the highest level. He is a very intelligent kid and has many academic options. If he walked on to the UVM BBall team, that is a win for the program if they aren't using a scholarship.

If we could get him to walk on that would be ideal, but have a feeling that there will be other offers on the table for him...as I have said before, this staff knows what they are doing and if they offer him it is because he can play.

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Is St. Amour a D1 scholarship player for Soccer? That would be great if he could get a scholarship for that sport and still walk-on for basketball. I remember when Sean Benoit from South Burlington was on the baseball team but walked on to hoops team. Big dude.

A school like Middlebury he'd probably have a nice career being big man on campus for both sports and getting a a great education.

I still maintain he should prep for a year then we could offer him a scholarship as part of the upcoming big 6 man class. I like the comp of Cieplicki, but there were no doubts Kyle was a D1 player. Kid seems good, but I wouldn't have offered him as part of a 2 or 3 man class either. If he's happy to walk-on, even better.

[Blakely4Prez]

Originally Posted by UVM Hoop Cat

Is St. Amour a D1 scholarship player for Soccer? That would be great if he could get a scholarship for that sport and still walk-on for basketball. I remember when Sean Benoit from South Burlington was on the baseball team but walked on to hoops team. Big dude.

A school like Middlebury he'd probably have a nice career being big man on campus for both sports and getting a a great education.

I still maintain he should prep for a year then we could offer him a scholarship as part of the upcoming big 6 man class. I like the comp of Cieplicki, but there were no doubts Kyle was a D1 player. Kid seems good, but I wouldn't have offered him as part of a 2 or 3 man class either. If he's happy to walk-on, even better.

That is one of the D3's I've heard he's looking into for both bball and soccer, and he could most definitely play both there, and has the grades for Middlebury as well. Tufts is the other says my source.

[Jim Patrick]

in addition to basketball St. Amour is one of the best soccer players in the state as well as one of the best pitcher/baseball players in the state., and has been since his freshman year, perennial all state in all 3 sports... the kid is an athlete, and yes could play at least 2 sports in D2, not sure about D1, Sean Benoit was a 6' 4" 4 man/football player that barely played for a much less talented UVM team.

[dnapolit]

Blakely4Prez your source is solid. I'm a teacher at Missisquoi and have been following Matt closely his whole high school career. I spoke to him last week and he told me he's narrowed his list to five. UVM, Siena, Middlebury, Tufts, and Babson. He has been offered a walk-on to both the UVM soccer and basketball teams with the understanding that at some point he'd have to choose one sport. Siena doesn't have a scholarship on the table so that would be walk-on as well. I mentioned the idea of prepping and he's considered it but feels it would be a wasted year since academically he's absolutely college ready. Not long ago I would have agreed that the prep school route would be the way to go for him but now that he's been offered a walk-on spot I think he has just as good a shot of earning a scholarship as a preferred walk-on. In addition he would learn the system, coaching style, and players. He said if he chooses UVM he'd probably red-shirt his freshmen year.

As far as athleticism goes I agree with Jim Patrick. Matt definitely plays below the rim but so does/did Sandro, Trimboli, Cieplicki, Sorrentine, etc. Lots of great UVM guards play/ed below the rim. Matt has good size and a strong frame. He won't wow you with athleticism but he compensates with some many intangibles. Another factor to consider is that last season Matt had almost no help on the team and he averaged 27 points and led the team in assists and rebounds. Every team's game plan was to keep the ball out of Matt's hands and he still was unstoppable in many games despite facing double and triple teams.

I'm not saying the kid will be a star at the D1 level but I do think his lack of flash is causing some programs to sleep on his ability. He brings so many intangibles to the table. He's a steely competitor, he's understanding of the game is through the roof, he has an incredible work ethic, and off the court/field he's just a tremendous student and person.

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Originally Posted by dnapolit

Blakely4Prez your source is solid. I'm a teacher at Missisquoi and have been following Matt closely his whole high school career. I spoke to him last week and he told me he's narrowed his list to five. UVM, Siena, Middlebury, Tufts, and Babson. He has been offered a walk-on to both the UVM soccer and basketball teams with the understanding that at some point he'd have to choose one sport. Siena doesn't have a scholarship on the table so that would be walk-on as well. I mentioned the idea of prepping and he's considered it but feels it would be a wasted year since academically he's absolutely college ready. Not long ago I would have agreed that the prep school route would be the way to go for him but now that he's been offered a walk-on spot I think he has just as good a shot of earning a scholarship as a preferred walk-on. In addition he would learn the system, coaching style, and players. He said if he chooses UVM he'd probably red-shirt his freshmen year.

As far as athleticism goes I agree with Jim Patrick. Matt definitely plays below the rim but so does/did Sandro, Trimboli, Cieplicki, Sorrentine, etc. Lots of great UVM guards play/ed below the rim. Matt has good size and a strong frame. He won't wow you with athleticism but he compensates with some many intangibles. Another factor to consider is that last season Matt had almost no help on the team and he averaged 27 points and led the team in assists and rebounds. Every team's game plan was to keep the ball out of Matt's hands and he still was unstoppable in many games despite facing double and triple teams.

I'm not saying the kid will be a star at the D1 level but I do think his lack of flash is causing some programs to sleep on his ability. He brings so many intangibles to the table. He's a steely competitor, he's understanding of the game is through the roof, he has an incredible work ethic, and off the court/field he's just a tremendous student and person.

Well, he has some fantastic options- no doubt about it. Seems like he needs to answer a few questions- how important is continuing soccer in college, and most importantly, if he goes D1 is he committed to the grind it will take to compete at that level? For some kids, using Chris Santo as an example, it may not suit them. Might be facing limited to zero minutes early on, that's tough for some kids.

Middlebury and Tufts are fantastic academic schools. Middlebury is also one of the top D3 hoops programs in the country. If St. Amour wants to major in business in college, then Babson is by far the best choice. I am a Babson graduate as well, and the Corporations that recruit undergraduates from Babson are the top corporations in the world, including private banks and consulting firms that simply will not be on other campuses apart from Wharton, Michigan, MIT, NYU.

As far as prep school route, he will be academically challenged and can make it as rigorous as he wants it to be. I'd venture to say that he could make it more rigorous than anything he'd learn freshman year at UVM. I had friends at UVM that came from Groton School, Phillips Exeter, and Deerfield Academy among others and the course work at UVM was a breeze for them.

The benefit on the basketball side is he'd be playing against much tougher competition which would make him better as a player. Many schools have multiple D1 players at all levels of D1, so just playing games against and practicing with kids like that on a daily basis would help his game immensely. Imagine going from playing at Missisquoi to a school with 6-8 other D1 players on it?

While it's great the UVM soccer and basketball programs are willing to let him walk-on and have given him the option of trying both sports, seems like it would be in his best interest to decide sooner rather than later and choose one now, especially since he'll be working towards earning a scholarship in one of them.

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Originally Posted by dnapolit

As far as athleticism goes I agree with Jim Patrick. Matt definitely plays below the rim but so does/did Sandro, Trimboli, Cieplicki, Sorrentine, etc. Lots of great UVM guards play/ed below the rim.

I look at athleticism a lot more than being able to dunk. Sandro, Trimboli, and Sorrentine wouldn't dunk in a game but all three possess far superior quickness and ability to move laterally than St. Amour does (now). Those three players were very, very quick and have the ability to change-pace, accelerate, and get to the rim in traffic.

Just watching UVM play against Northeastern the other night and watching this video, I don't even know how St. Amour would try to defend a NU player or be able to even get a shot off, at this point in his career.

St. Amour does have the shooting ability and the size, as well as fundamentals, and being a Vermont kid is someone that I'd take in a second though in a preferred walk-on spot.

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Originally Posted by Jim Patrick

Sean Benoit was a 6' 4" 4 man/football player that barely played for a much less talented UVM team.

Not comparing the two obviously, just pointing out he had a scholarship for baseball but Brennan was able to use him on the basketball team.

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Originally Posted by Jim Patrick

Coppenrath, Sheftic, Russin, Rugg, Powlovich, Cieplicki, Orciari, and others. It comes down to if he has offers from comparable schools, and there is a chance to get him than we should take the chance.

Sheftic, Rusin, and Orciari were all ready for D1 after VT HS careers. Sheftic because he was simply a mountain and both Orciari and Rusin were explosive players in HS and clearly D1 talents. Conley from BHS I'd put in that category as well.

Orciari is the best combination of Vermont HS player and UVM player..ever, I'd argue.

Players like Matt Glass prep helped elevate his recruitment- UMass and Northwestern among others offered him- and players like Clancy it really helped turn into a D1 player.

[Blakely4Prez]

Originally Posted by UVM Hoop Cat

Sheftic, Rusin, and Orciari were all ready for D1 after VT HS careers. Sheftic because he was simply a mountain and both Orciari and Rusin were explosive players in HS and clearly D1 talents. Conley from BHS I'd put in that category as well.

Orciari is the best combination of Vermont HS player and UVM player..ever, I'd argue.

Players like Matt Glass prep helped elevate his recruitment- UMass and Northwestern among others offered him- and players like Clancy it really helped turn into a D1 player.

Disagree....Coppenrath

[UVM Hoop Cat]

Originally Posted by Blakely4Prez

Disagree....Coppenrath

I knew this would catch someone...Coppenrath by far the best player from Vermont ever no argument from me but combination of HS career + UVM career Orciari has him beat. Orciari scored 1700+ pts in HS and at UVM...and was probably the most sought after recruit from VT (save for Henry Dalrymple who wasn't from VT) ever.

Orciari's HS career >>>>>TC's HS career

[GoCatsGo]

Originally Posted by UVM Hoop Cat

I knew this would catch someone...Coppenrath by far the best player from Vermont ever no argument from me but combination of HS career + UVM career Orciari has him beat. Orciari scored 1700+ pts in HS and at UVM...and was probably the most sought after recruit from VT (save for Henry Dalrymple who wasn't from VT) ever.

Orciari's HS career >>>>>TC's HS career

Totally agree.

The majority of the Coppenrath legend is based on the fact that he was an undervalued high school player. Only playing two years on the varsity would do that. If he had a high school career like Orciari did...he wouldn't have been at UVM.

Orciari, meanwhile, was the Magic Johnson of VT high school ball: any position, any time. Just give him the ball.

[uvm4life20]

college bball >>>>>>>>> VT highschool bball. College should get way more credit. You dont put the accomplishments on the same page.

Coppenrath's college career >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Tony's. Coppenrath is light years ahead of Tony in college. You can look at points which Taylor is way ahead in but that wasn't Taylor's main accomplishment in college. 3 ncaa trips and a win is on a whole nother planet light years away. You dont mention Coppenrath and tony in the same sentence in college careers.