Today is NLI Signing Day - Page 2 - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

DistrictBaller · 11-19-2012, 06:17 PM

VCU's release with comments from ESPN's recruiting co-ordinator Dave Telep on each of the 2013 signees (Telep's comments in bold):

http://vcuathletics.com/sports/mbkb/...2012111557i0u5

Quote:

RICHMOND, Va. – The VCU Basketball family got bigger on Thursday afternoon with the start of the NCAA signing period.

Head Coach Shaka Smart and his staff received national letters of intent from guards Jarius Lyles (Silver Spring, Md./DeMatha) and JeQuan Lewis (Dickson, Tenn./Dickson County), along with big man Antrevious Simmons (Miami, Fla./South Miami).

"We're extremely excited about the addition of these three young men to our program," Smart said. "All three come from high quality basketball teams, and possess the skills and make-up that will allow them to be successful at VCU."The highly-touted trio of new Rams drew praise from ESPN recruiting expert Dave Telep.

"The Rams are recruiting the level of player that ensures them a position amongst the elite programs in the A-10. Coming off a season in which they landed two Top 100 players under the banner of the CAA, Shaka Smart wreaked havoc again this time around. Two guards and a big man, all committed before signing day, is mission accomplished," Telep said.

Lyles (pictured, left) is a three-star recruit out of national power DeMatha High School. The 6-1 combo guard averaged nearly 11 points and three assists en route to leading the Stags to Washington Catholic Athletic Conference finals, which included a 20-point, six-assist outburst against Bishop O'Connell. He chose VCU after being pursued by Oklahoma State, Penn State and Virginia Tech.

"Jarius is an explosive scorer who can play either guard position. His ability to create his own shot and pressure the ball defensively make him an ideal fit for our style," Smart said.

"Smart talks about culture and winning in his pitches to kids," Telep added. "This guy hails from both an AAU team and a high school program where winning is ingrained in its players."

Lewis (pictured, right) is a three-star recruit out of Dickson County High School. The 6-1 point guard has been praised for his speed and ability to create plays for his teammates, as well as finish around the glass. He averaged 19.6 ppg, 3.9 spg, 3.7 apg during his junior season when he led the Cougars to 21 victories. He landed with the Rams after receiving interest from Georgia and Wichita State.

"JeQuan is a very talented point guard who has all the makings of someone who can excel at the position in our program," Smart said. "Specifically, his quickness and ability to change speeds will allow him to thrive in our system."

"He could go down as the steal of the A-10," Telep stated. "VCU spent time in Tennessee cultivating relationships and when Lewis showed he had the mental and basketball makeup of a Ram, they were there ahead of the pack. This is a BCS conference level guard."

Simmons is VCU's third three-star recruit. The 6-9 big man out of South Miami was recently rated as the 25th overall center in the class of 2013 by ESPN.com and gives the Rams valuable depth on the interior. As a junior, Simmons averaged 26 ppg and 15 rpg and is praised for his ability to run the floor and score with his back to the basket. He chose VCU after gaining interest from Alabama, Georgia, Kansas State, Miami and Memphis.

"Tre possesses a great body and doesn't mind using it," Smart said. "He carves out space and seals extremely well around the basket. He also possesses very good skill and touch for a big man. His ability to finish around the basket makes him a great addition to our frontcourt."

"Four years ago, the Rams went to California for their center," Telep said. "D.J. Haley played in two NCAA tournaments and his size had to be replaced. Smart did it a year ahead of schedule with this aircraft carrier."

**xu95** · 11-20-2012, 12:20 PM

Kamall Richards has signed his and Xavier has received it. Four Star Brandon Randolph has signed his and Xavier should have it shortly. Not too shabby seeing as three weeks ago we had no commits for this year.

Muddy Waters · 11-20-2012, 12:43 PM

3-Star SG Brandon Randolph (Rivals HS Class of 2013 Profile)

6'-2" SG. Not ranked by Rivals.

Muskeagle · 11-20-2012, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muddy Waters

3-Star SG Brandon Randolph (Rivals HS Class of 2013 Profile)

6'-2" SG. Not ranked by Rivals.

4* guard Brandon Randolph has confirmed his commitment to Xavier after visiting Missouri.

Scout *4
CBS Sports #84 in 2013

Excellent late pick up by Mack his staff.

The above was pointed out by X Factor.

Another example of Muddy picking and choosing his sources to try to paint X in a negative light. Interesting obsession. Nice try, Muddy.

__________________

Muddy Waters · 11-20-2012, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xu95

Kamall Richards has signed his and Xavier has received it.

Brandon Randolph has signed his and Xavier should have it shortly.

xu95 - according to Shannon Russell, Xavier has not received signed National Letters of Intent from Brandon Randolph nor Kamall Richards.

Randolph: "Xavier it is!" (Shannon Russell - November 20, 2012 - 3:24 PM)

Class of 2013 point guard Brandon Randolph announced via Twitter that he has chosen Xavier as his college destination.

Xavier will confirm this when it receives a signed Letter of Intent.

It’s also expected to announce Kamall Richards as the other member of the 2013 class.

Six-foot-one Randolph is from Inglewood, Calif., a short hop from XU’s destination (Anaheim) later today.

He chose XU after wrapping up a final recruiting visit to Missouri. Richards is a 6-5 forward who attends the South Kent School in Connecticut.

**xu95** · 11-20-2012, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muddy Waters

xu95 - according to Shannon Russell, Xavier has not received signed National Letters of Intent from Brandon Randolph nor Kamall Richards.

Randolph: "Xavier it is!" (Shannon Russell - November 20, 2012 - 3:24 PM)

Class of 2013 point guard Brandon Randolph announced via Twitter that he has chosen Xavier as his college destination.

Xavier will confirm this when it receives a signed Letter of Intent.

It’s also expected to announce Kamall Richards as the other member of the 2013 class.

Six-foot-one Randolph is from Inglewood, Calif., a short hop from XU’s destination (Anaheim) later today.

He chose XU after wrapping up a final recruiting visit to Missouri. Richards is a 6-5 forward who attends the South Kent School in Connecticut.

If you read my post earlier I said that Brandon Randolph has not sent one in. As for Kamall Richards I have been told his is in. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Shannon is. Who cares. Thanks for making a point of pointing it out though. Bottom line is both will be in Muskie Blue next year. Add Myles Davis, Jalen Reynolds, and Matt Stainbrook to that and things aren't looking too bad. I think the predictions of Xavier's demise were a little premature.

**xu95** · 11-20-2012, 02:16 PM

And actually going back and reading Shannon's article she isn't saying that Kamall's isn't in, she is just saying that they haven't announced it yet. Once again, thanks for pointing it out. I was really concerned that they weren't coming.

**xu95** · 11-20-2012, 05:43 PM

Everyone can sleep better tonight. Xavier has two signed LOIs in hand.

Sent from my iPhone using Verticalsports.com Free App

xavierhoops · 11-20-2012, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muddy Waters

xu95 - according to Shannon Russell, Xavier has not received signed National Letters of Intent from Brandon Randolph nor Kamall Richards.

Randolph: "Xavier it is!" (Shannon Russell - November 20, 2012 - 3:24 PM)

Class of 2013 point guard Brandon Randolph announced via Twitter that he has chosen Xavier as his college destination.

Xavier will confirm this when it receives a signed Letter of Intent.

It’s also expected to announce Kamall Richards as the other member of the 2013 class.

Six-foot-one Randolph is from Inglewood, Calif., a short hop from XU’s destination (Anaheim) later today.

He chose XU after wrapping up a final recruiting visit to Missouri. Richards is a 6-5 forward who attends the South Kent School in Connecticut.

Muddy, sorry you wasted your time yet again....

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-bas...112012aac.html

Silly Muddy... keep dreaming my man, keep dreaming.

JHG722 · 11-20-2012, 09:14 PM

Chris Thomas to Manhattan lol

A10fan2 · 11-21-2012, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHG722

Chris Thomas to Manhattan lol

He's following Rasheen there. Hope he's eligible and gets to play.

A10BBall · 11-21-2012, 06:02 AM

Amar Stukes signed with La Salle.... In the end, it was between Drexel and La Salle

Not really scouted by ESPN or Scout til late...

He has been described on a couple occasions, if you are looking for a comparison, as a slightly taller and rangier Tyreek Duren.

ExplorerSteve · 11-21-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A10BBall

Amar Stukes signed with La Salle.... In the end, it was between Drexel and La Salle

Not really scouted by ESPN or Scout til late...

He has been described on a couple occasions, if you are looking for a comparison, as a slightly taller and rangier Tyreek Duren.

La Salle also may have another signing today as word has it that Top 13 center Amida Brimah is down to 3 schools. He may wait until the spring though.

AdamtheFlyer · 11-21-2012, 10:22 PM

Top 13 center? Are these the LaSalle-Explorers.com rankings?

I like Dayton's (fall) class a lot, and you add Jordan Sibert in as well. Three guys with strong offensive pedigrees and a guy in Pollard who would seem to strikes me as a much more polished version of 17 year old Devin Oliver. From all accounts the kid is good at pretty much everything, but great at nothing right now. Any time an A10 program can add two almost unanimous top 150 type guards, you've got a heck of a class to build on. And Sibert got shuffled out of one of the toughest rotations in the country to crack, but he was ranked in the 30s for a reason. The kid can flat play. The talent level of the program from top to bottom has gotten better in both of Archie's classes. That's a good thing.

I imagine a player of size will be signed in the spring. It's not a must with them only graduating Benson, but it sure would be nice.

I like what Chris Mack did at Xavier. He didn't have much time and found a couple of nice looking prospects. Randolph is a dream for the posters who love to measure their junk. He's very highly regarded by Scout, less so by Rivals, and even less so by 247. Y'all can spin yourselves in circles for months presenting other people's opinions as your own.

The Richards kid is interesting. Reading between the lines, I see raw athlete. 6'6" grow on trees, sure, but I mean, trees are good. I didn't think that analogy through. Oh well.

Mack still needs to get two or three more in the spring, but at minimum he went from nothing to something, plus a transfer and hopefully two other kids waiting in the wings. Very productive fall.

If you want a tool to use that isn't dependent on just a few voices, check out 247's composite rankings. It sends every major national ranking into an algorithm. Of course, this is still far from an exact science, but this gives you a better idea of how the prospects look in a much larger sample.

http://247sports.com/Season/2013-Bas...oup=HighSchool

**FlyingElvis** · 11-22-2012, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamtheFlyer

And Sibert got shuffled out of one of the toughest rotations in the country to crack, but he was ranked in the 30s for a reason. The kid can flat play. The talent level of the program from top to bottom has gotten better in both of Archie's classes. That's a good thing.

I imagine a player of size will be signed in the spring. It's not a must with them only graduating Benson, but it sure would be nice.

I was impressed with Sibert at the practice game this year. He is the approximate size and shape of Vee Sanford, with what I thought was equal skill of slashing to the hoop and making contested shots on the move. I'm not sure what kind of outside shot he is or is not, having not seen him attempt those. He also had good length and very good athleticism, and I liked his defensive ability. I'm convinced that he is a very nice addition to the team next year.

We are going to be super-stocked on guards and small forwards next year. I think that a big is a need just based on depth at PF and C. We only have three guys to cover those two positions (unless we go small), although I think they are all good players. I think you have to have another big for depth protection. If one of the three is sick or injured, the other two will be pressed into service heavily. I will be shocked if Archie doesn't have another big lined up for next year.

11-20-2012, 12:20 PM	#17 (permalink)
xu95 Community Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cincinnati Age: 40 Posts: 3,580 Rep Power: 332174	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day Kamall Richards has signed his and Xavier has received it. Four Star Brandon Randolph has signed his and Xavier should have it shortly. Not too shabby seeing as three weeks ago we had no commits for this year.

11-20-2012, 12:43 PM	#18 (permalink)
Muddy Waters All-Star Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Westmont Illinois Cemetery Age: 98 Posts: 5,291 Rep Power: 64500	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day 3-Star SG Brandon Randolph (Rivals HS Class of 2013 Profile) 6'-2" SG. Not ranked by Rivals. __________________ BIG EAST CONFERENCE IN 2014-15 Butler • Creighton • Dayton • DePaul • Georgetown • Marquette Providence • Seton Hall • St. John’s • Saint Louis • Villanova • Xavier

11-20-2012, 02:16 PM	#22 (permalink)
xu95 Community Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cincinnati Age: 40 Posts: 3,580 Rep Power: 332174	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day And actually going back and reading Shannon's article she isn't saying that Kamall's isn't in, she is just saying that they haven't announced it yet. Once again, thanks for pointing it out. I was really concerned that they weren't coming.

11-20-2012, 09:14 PM	#25 (permalink)
JHG722 Star Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Wynnewood, PA/Philadelphia, PA Posts: 2,600 Rep Power: 6196	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day Chris Thomas to Manhattan lol __________________ Temple Owls football and basketball BU Terriers hockey

11-21-2012, 06:02 AM	#27 (permalink)
A10BBall Player Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 560 Rep Power: 3986	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day Amar Stukes signed with La Salle.... In the end, it was between Drexel and La Salle Not really scouted by ESPN or Scout til late... He has been described on a couple occasions, if you are looking for a comparison, as a slightly taller and rangier Tyreek Duren.

11-20-2012, 05:43 PM	#23 (permalink)
xu95 Community Moderator Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Cincinnati Age: 40 Posts: 3,580 Rep Power: 332174	Everyone can sleep better tonight. Xavier has two signed LOIs in hand. Sent from my iPhone using Verticalsports.com Free App

11-21-2012, 10:22 PM	#29 (permalink)
AdamtheFlyer Star Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 4,819 Rep Power: 157851	Re: Today is NLI Signing Day Top 13 center? Are these the LaSalle-Explorers.com rankings? I like Dayton's (fall) class a lot, and you add Jordan Sibert in as well. Three guys with strong offensive pedigrees and a guy in Pollard who would seem to strikes me as a much more polished version of 17 year old Devin Oliver. From all accounts the kid is good at pretty much everything, but great at nothing right now. Any time an A10 program can add two almost unanimous top 150 type guards, you've got a heck of a class to build on. And Sibert got shuffled out of one of the toughest rotations in the country to crack, but he was ranked in the 30s for a reason. The kid can flat play. The talent level of the program from top to bottom has gotten better in both of Archie's classes. That's a good thing. I imagine a player of size will be signed in the spring. It's not a must with them only graduating Benson, but it sure would be nice. I like what Chris Mack did at Xavier. He didn't have much time and found a couple of nice looking prospects. Randolph is a dream for the posters who love to measure their junk. He's very highly regarded by Scout, less so by Rivals, and even less so by 247. Y'all can spin yourselves in circles for months presenting other people's opinions as your own. The Richards kid is interesting. Reading between the lines, I see raw athlete. 6'6" grow on trees, sure, but I mean, trees are good. I didn't think that analogy through. Oh well. Mack still needs to get two or three more in the spring, but at minimum he went from nothing to something, plus a transfer and hopefully two other kids waiting in the wings. Very productive fall. If you want a tool to use that isn't dependent on just a few voices, check out 247's composite rankings. It sends every major national ranking into an algorithm. Of course, this is still far from an exact science, but this gives you a better idea of how the prospects look in a much larger sample. http://247sports.com/Season/2013-Bas...oup=HighSchool __________________ Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism. Last edited by AdamtheFlyer; 11-21-2012 at 10:41 PM.

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