A Louisiana Tech recruiting summary

Here's another in our on-going series covering the recruiting styles, preferences and outcomes of each WAC coach.

In searching for an overarching theme in summarizing Louisiana Tech basketball recruiting in the Kerry Rupp era, other than Kyle Gibson (who was inherited), Rupp has so far expressed a preference for a mix of D-1 transfers, junior college players and some prepsters.

Out of these, some have worked well, some haven't. A few have yet to reach campus.

Regarding the transfers, Jamel White came over from Nebraska and never played a game before his departure while Kenneth Cooper made it a little more than halfway through the WAC schedule before he was dismissed. We are unsure regarding any previous concerns about Cooper but White definitely had a string of troubles while in Lincoln so it wasn't surprising that he never wore the Bulldog uniform. He was a gamble from the get-go.

Point J.C. Clark came from Trinity Valley Community College and played a season before he was also let go from the squad.

On the contrary, Magnum Rolle slid over from LSU and has performed quite admirably. Small forward David Jackson isn't starting material but has done a good job for the Bulldogs after initially playing at Idaho and then Mesa CC in Arizona. Guard Jamel Guyton was a major factor in several Tech victories last season after coming in from Odessa Junior College.

As for the high schoolers, Canadian D.J. Wright is the most prominent by far even though he has yet to don a Bulldog uniform. Wright is still scheduled to check into Ruston after a second season at Salt Lake Community College and he is most definitely a difference maker. At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, he will be the top Bulldog talent when he arrives. It will be interesting if he can play the three in D-1 but we expect Rupp to have him positioned mostly at the four spot.

Yonas Berhe is also a Canadian -- he played little as a freshman backcourter. Berhe seemingly was the replacement for fellow recruit Juevol Myles. Myles was another high school signee -- a fellow Canadian point -- who couldn't establish eligibility. The last we came across a mention of him indicated he was at Tallahassee Community College. But the Tallahassee CC roster doesn't list him for 2008-2009 and neither does he appear in their stat compilations.

Brandon Gibson got his feet wet last season after a former Florida high schooler. He was injured late in the season but showed flashes of promise.

Another LA TECH prep signee, backcourter Josh Brown, is at Odessa Junior College in Texas because he was also academically ineligible. Like D.J. Wright, he'll also be in Ruston after the 2009-2010 season. Brown scored 13.3 points a contest this past season, shooting 50% overall and 43% from three-point range.

Plus, Kentucky prepster Arrez Henderson was another high schooler who completed his letter-of-intent for Coach Rupp but didn't meet NCAA academic requirements. He is a 6-foot-2 guard currently playing for Cincinnati Tech. Henderson scored 9.7 points per game as a junior college frosh, shooting 44% from the floor and 59% on free throws. We believe he is still connected to Ruston but haven't read anything of certitude lately.

High schoolers Kadeem Coleby and Darius Redding are two of the latest Tech recruits. Coleby is a power forward and Redding a shooting guard. Barring any unexpected changes, both are expected to be on the 2009-2010 roster.

Also, point Holton Hunsaker is in the middle of his LDS mission and is projected to be on the Ruston campus for the 2011-2012 season.

By the way, Ro Russell of the Grassroots Canada club team organization, is the primary factor behind the number of Canadians associated with Rupp's team. Russell also had Coleby on his team even though our understanding is the freshman isn't Canadian.

As for background, Rupp inherited about the strangest situation any coach can find himself. Coming to Ruston, he found a depleted and a not particularly talented roster. It seemed reasonable and actually a necessity to take some chances. He did and it primarily backfired.

The appearance is that LT would really benefit from a couple of high school recruits blossoming during their four-year program tenure as continuity has been troublesome for Rupp.

But there doesn't appear to be that type of promise currently on the squad but maybe the newcomers -- Coleby and Redding -- will provide the young base from which Rupp can build his program.

Gibson and Rolle, plus Jamel Guyton, will depart after the 2009-2010 season and who on the current Ruston roster is ready to step up and fill those shoes? We see Olu Ashaolu as a possibility but that's about it from our perspective. Again, Wright should be an immediate ALL-WAC player but he will be gone after just two seasons.

We see a foundation still to be set in Ruston.