Wednesday, March 21, 2012

recruiting board update

Just to be all honest and stuff up front, there aren't a ton of changes to this week's edition of the recruiting board.  There are some, but the main thing is all the star ratings that've been updated.  The services are getting this done noticeably earlier this year.  Normally I don't start recruit profiles til June, but I may get a head start this time.

This will also be a good excuse for me to post the updated football depth chart.  Don't panic about all the red; it's just guys who're out for the spring.  There's a lot of 'em, though.

Here are the board updates:

-- Added OT Sadiq Olanrewaju to orange.  Yay?  Yay!  Olanrewaju is a high three-star to Rivals who got his first offer - from UVA - last week, and that was immediately followed by a host of others.  Dude is a very solid start to the OL class, which doesn't need to be very big.  Three is the bare minimum for any O-line class, and we can get away with that.  If we get Mike McGlinchey I'd be a happy camper and we could take Bozo the Clown as the third guy for all I care.  Or.....

-- Added OL Braxton Pfaff and LB Oren Burks to green. .......we could just gobble up all the instate guys like Pfaff and Parker Osterloh.  Why would this be fun?  Because VT is at Code Red status on O-linemen.  Their 2010 class was pretty good in that regard, but they've taken four total between 2011 and 2012, and two of them were lightly-regarded two-star types.  The Hokies NEED linemen, and they know it.  Pfaff and Osterloh, along with Donta Wilkins, are among the better instate linemen in another down year for that position in the state, so just to be dicks we should take them all.

-- Moved OT Marcell Lazard and WR Zach Bradshaw from red to yellow.

-- Removed ATH David Prince from red.  Prince was a Hokie all the way, so much so that his Rivals picture was taken on the sideline at Lane Stadium.  Hence why he was in the red section.  No biggie.

One last thing: Everything I know about this is behind paywalls, so I can't get all specific on you, BUT....Tony Bennett did allude, this week, to "acquisitions" via the transfer route.  The way things look now, what with us being way, way under the scholarship limit and it not being very wise to take enormous recruiting classses to fix that (because two-thirds of them then transfer out, leaving you in the same place you were before) I would call it just shy of a guarantee that we get us a transfer player in the next month.  It could be a point guard or it could be a big man, but it's almost certain we'll go that route.  No, I don't know who exactly it might be, and neither does anyone else really, it's just that all signs point that way.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Andre Levrone's twitter background is of Cavman...

https://twitter.com/#!/AndreTheeeGiant

Can't be a bad sign right?

Brendan said...

Damn, nice catch. Might as well call him committed right now.

Anonymous said...

If Levrone signs, I really can't see anymore than 1 more receiver, perhaps Zack Jones.
____

If we take a transfer solely for the 2012-2013 season, the priority should be a big. There's enough ball-handling depth to survive, but a legit big man down low would be nice.

I also wouldn't grab anymore than 1 multiple year transfer (I mean, if they want to add 3 1 year eligibility guys, by all means, go ahead). With only Jontel definitely leaving us next year, we really shouldn't overload things too much.

But adding a transfer, or two, would be nice. Furthermore, if it's a big (or two), that could allow for some flexibility to redshirt Nolte or Tobey (I've got an awfully hard time seeing Anderson get red-shirted I guess, but he shouldn't be ruled out either). That would give a little more flexibility to how we stack the classes.

Adam said...

I think they could use any help they get, but a 2 year big transfer would be nice, especially if that big has a bit of scoring touch. This team (as it is now) has proven they can play defense, can't say the same for scoring. I think Bennett could find a place for a guard as well for a year, maybe even two.

Brendan said...

Getting a transfer wouldn't let us redshirt anyone....it's the transfer that would redshirt, per transfer rules he'd be sitting out. Either Tobey plays or we go small 40 minutes a game.

IMO a PG would be just as good a fit as a big. Obviously we NEEEED a big man or three. But a PG works out nicely too, because in 2012-13 we'll have Evans (a senior) and Teven Jones (a freshman) and then Evans graduates. For 2013-14 we could maybe recruit a PG like Big Cat Barber, which would of course be cool, or else a transfer could step right in as well.

Anonymous said...

Brendan, I'm thinking more of a graduate transfer, someone that can play right away for 2012-2013. I don't see the point in picking someone up for the 2013-2014 class right now, unless it's a top talent that's moving on for some reason. Otherwise, I'd wait to let the 2013-2014 recruiting class play out and see if we can get that PG/big man backup that we need for that year.

Let's look at it another way. As of now, we have 9 scholarship guys for 2013-2014. Chances are high that Bennett's going to add at least 2, if not 3, from the prep ranks for that class. With only Harris/Mitchell scheduled to leave after 2014, and with the hope of a big class for 2014/2015 (led by, hopefully, Hall and BJ Stith), any transfer would lead to a very clogged roster, unless transfer occur, which I'm assuming that Bennett is prepared for, but isn't anticipating at this early stage.

Brendan said...

Nothing wrong with a clogged roster. You're supposed to have 13 guys. At the very least, I'd prefer that to going into the NCAA tourney with six and a half players.

Besides, I'm not getting real good vibes about the recruiting class of 2013. We don't have to take three guys, and we very well might not, if we get transfers instead. It's a pretty rich year for transfers, for one, and you know what you're getting when you take one. Whereas the recruiting class....it seems that, by design, a lot of our eggs are in a few baskets, and those particular baskets are being very patient in their recruiting. I just have not seen many reports on players that Tony Bennett and staff like unequivocally. I think this is a year where you take the birds in the hand (transfer class) to relieve the pressure of the gamble that this year's recruiting class would be. 2014 looks like the safest in years (Hall and the Stith brothers) so really you just need to bridge that gap between now and them getting here.

Look at it this way: even if we fill up 2013 with two transfers this spring and two recruits - which would put us at the limit of 13 - then there's room in 2014 for Devon Hall and the two Stiths for the easiest recruiting class in history.