2016 Recruiting

[gmujim92]

2016 wing Nick Sherod is also off the board. He's joining De'Monte Buckingham at Richmond.

While it's been a good week for the Spiders on the recruiting front, those two commitments conceivably could help Mason, as well.

PG Ako Adams from O'Connell was one of Richmond's top targets, but no way they're taking another guard in what was already a very crowded and young backcourt.

Ako still has several other very good offers, though, so I'm not holding my breath waiting for him to choose the green and gold.

 

[Pablo]

Virginia Elite Hoops‏@VAElite
@VerbalCommits @VantageHoops @hatfieldsports @MarcusHelton 2016 F Grant Golden adds another offer from George Mason University (GMU)

Vantage Hoops ‏@VantageHoops 10h10 hours ago
George Mason is the latest to offer 6'10 PF Grant Golden (@GrantGolden2) (St James/VA Elite, 2016). One of July's biggest stock-risers.

 

[gmutom]

Jack Herron ‏@jwherron10 36m36 minutes ago
2016 JJ Matthews of Millwood and @RiverCityReign picked up an offer from George Mason #VaHoops

 

[GMUSig03]

Jack Herron ‏@jwherron10 36m36 minutes ago
2016 JJ Matthews of Millwood and @RiverCityReign picked up an offer from George Mason #VaHoops

That kid looks like a BCS level athlete who can hit 3's at 6'8, would we have a shot with him?

 

[gmutom]

That kid looks like a BCS level athlete who can hit 3's at 6'8, would we have a shot with him?

gmujim92 lives in that area and follows high school stuff pretty closely, so maybe he can shed some light on this for us. Kid is definitely big and fairly mobile, although his vertical leap doesn't seem great.

 

[gmujim92]

Yes, Millwood is literally a 5-minute drive from my house. The school just launched its basketball program 2 years ago -- much to the chagrin of a couple local public schools that have lost their top kids -- and I'm pretty sure they won a state championship this past season.

I've seen JJ in person a couple times and he was literally a man among boys on both occasions. Just strong as an ox. He definitely already has a college-ready body, which would be a huge plus for us because most of the guys we sign in 2016 are gonna need to play right away.

Unfortunately we're a little late to the party. He's had a really nice summer and picked up some good offers. But he'd be as good as any of the other PF prospects on our board if we could land him.

 

[gmujim92]

That said, the guy I really, really want at PF is John Fulkerson.

Skinny 6-8 lefty with MAJOR bounce. I have no clue whether he has any real game because I can't stop watching him dunk all over people. For a white kid, he can really get up.

Here's a link to his recruiting page, with video:

http://www.ncsasports.org/mens-basketball-recruiting/nc/arden/christ-school/john-fulkerson

Tennessee has offered him, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's one of those "offers" where he's the Plan C or D in case Barnes' first two priority recruits don't pan out.

He's still mostly under the radar, probably because he doesn't play for a big-time AAU program and he looks to be about 185 pounds soaking wet. Hopefully he jumps at a chance to come in and play at Mason instead of sitting, eating and lifting at a "major" school.

 

[GSII]

It will take a few years and lots of success with our current roster and recruits to get 3 and 4 star guys to commit here. DP is doing it low and slow right now bc he knows he can. Down the road, if higher level recruits start coming, great, but im not putting much faith in these type recruits even when in direct competition with a team in the top half of the CAA or other similar conference. Our tradition has always been to make something out of nothing. I think DP knows how.

 

[gmujim92]

Two more bite the dust. PF Dylan Painter and SG Lindy Waters III both trimmed their lists today and we didn't make the cut for either.

Not surprising, really. Painter just picked up an offer from Villanova and also has Xavier on his list, while Waters has Oklahoma, Okie State, Butler and Creighton among others.

As GS accurately observed, we're not going to be serious players for kids on that level until DP gets this thing turned around. Hopefully that happens sooner than later.

 

[gmujim92]

PG Jeff Dowtin (St. John's) just picked up an offer from Wichita State.

Dowtin was DP's first offer as Mason coach. He was way under the radar, but like a lot of the kids we've offered, he had a very nice summer and should have some really good offers rolling in. The kid is special.

This kinda reminds me of how recruiting used to go under Larranaga. You know you have a staff that has an eye for talent when higher-profile schools start throwing scholarships at guys you had offered months earlier. To me, that is a very promising sign for our new coaches.

Everything I'm hearing about Fischer, Simpkins and Kelly is that they've hit it very hard on the trail this summer. They've offered a bunch of really good kids, most of whom have a number of quality offers to choose from.

The difference now, of course, is thanks to Hewitt, we're starting all over from the bottom instead of recruiting as a perennial conference title contender. Somehow the staff is gonna have to convince some of these kids to buy in and start building the foundation of an A-10 powerhouse program.

Or they could just sign another George Evans. Either way works just fine for me.

 

[Pablo]

Or they could just sign another George Evans. Either way works just fine for me.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTzRQjdJMZI

 

[gmujim92]

6-10 PF Grant Golden trims his list to 5 schools, including GW, Richmond and JMU ... but no Mason.

No great loss, though. We have other PF targets who are far more physical and athletic.

If we somehow land John Fulkerson, nobody at Mason will ever remember that we even offered Golden.

 

[gmujim92]

As I suspected, we got in on J.J. Matthews too late.

Cut his list to 6 schools: JMU, Murray State, ODU, Temple, Providence and Towson.

If he winds up at JMU, quite frankly I'm gonna puke.

The new staff keeps swinging, but is still looking for its first base hit in the '16 class.

 

[Pablo]

Quentin Jackson removed Mason from consideration:


Jamie Shaw‏@JamieShaw5
6'3 2016 Quentin Jackson (Carlisle/SEBL) Cuts College List to 5:

Charlotte
Lehigh
Rutgers
Cincinnati
Providence

• 

3:05 PM - 10 Aug 2015

 

[GSII]

When did us getting cut from a kids list become news?

 

[GMUgemini]

When did us getting cut from a kids list become news?

Seconded...but then...Lehigh!?!?

 

[gmujim92]

When did us getting cut from a kids list become news?

So you don't want to know which players are no longer interested in us?

Novel concept, I guess.

 

[GSII]

So you don't want to know which players are no longer interested in us?

Novel concept, I guess.

Just dont think an FBI style probe that many delusional fans seek into recruits works for me. However, if we are in a kids top 2 or 3, its pretty exciting. Getting cut isnt.

 

[GMUSig03]

Pablo/Jim, I appreciate the updates. Not like the info is burying all of the other relevant discussions currently going on...

 

[GreenLantern]

I like to keep tabs on things. Helps to narrow down the ones serious about coming here!