Craig Hislop has a very important post up about the possibility of college athletics basketball revenue sharing -- it's overused, including by PTW, but this is a must read.
Just as important is Sam Wasson/Bleed Crimson being all over the new NCAA APR proposal. Plus, Sam generously offers links galore on the subject. Picture this: Utah State versus Idaho consisting of the WAC tourney? Otherwise, what would happen if either of the above don't take the tourney and overall records exclude the Aggies and Vandals from an at-large bid? Would the default then be which of the two had the best conference record? Or the highest RPI?
+++++
Not to rain on his parade (hey, that's impossible, plus Wendell is PTW's choice for MVP in the WAC next season) but look at YayAreasFinest mixtape on McKines in the SF Pro-Am and you'll notice how different the play is outside of organized college hoops. In summer, most of the time there are very few defenders in the paint while the opposite is true November through March.
Speaking of W, ESPN's Diamond Leung offers a feature.
+++++
Dave Rogahn covers the state of California basketball. Here he makes mention of former Louisiana Tech star Kyle Gibson, Wendell McKines and former San Jose Stater Justin Graham.
+++++
Dayton Morinaga reports it's Jefferson and not Bermudez in with UH basketball. Dayton also has trip updates here and here. Scott Fisher still has ice in his veins.
+++++
Stacy Davis, a 6-foot-7 Arizona 2012 prepster, has offers from Utah State and Fresno State as well as many others -- Anthony Ray has the details (a Rivals sub is required).
Friday, August 12, 2011
A jam-packed Friday WAC basketball digest
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Will this effect any WAC teams down the line?
It's all still a bit hazy -- any specific date, numbers that must be met, etc. -- but the NCAA is making the APR number a benchmark for participation in the Big Dance.
Steve Wieberg/USA TODAY reports.
It's PTW's guess that Utah State should have no concern -- not sure about others.
Thursday's WAC basketball report
Dayton Morinaga has been ultra busy -- here, here and here -- in covering the UH basketball sojourn in Asia. Rainbow Warrior fans should be thanking the many donors who made this possible.
+++++
Sportsbow reports that CA JC backcourter Garrett Jefferson has indeed signed with Hawaii. He'll be a sophomore.
Does this mean that prep guard Victor Bermudez is no longer in the picture?
+++++
Fresno State basketball will have a 7 p.m. version of Midnight Madness on October 25, which only makes sense since Coach Rodney Terry and a number of the players are brand new.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The WAC basketball world on Wednesday
Anthony Ray reports (a Rivals sub is required) that former Hawaii backcourter Bo Barnes has landed at Arizona State University. Coach Herb Sendek's backcourt is lacking a guard who shot at least 30% from long distance last season and Barnes can do better than that with his eyes closed.
+++++
Dayton Morinaga goes print, photo and video with UH's initial game in China. It's way too early to extrapolate but point Shaquille Stokes is looking like the real deal so far.
+++++
Wendell McKines' 51 points led his squad to the San Francisco Pro-Am championship last night.
+++++
We love it: Facemask -- read Pete Thamel's article about the preferred methods of communication for prep athletes. PTW is Luddite and proudly so as we deem it important to be able to string sentences together beyond a certain number of characters whether in speaking or writing.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Chris Murray with some Arik Armstead news
Chris Murray has a post up on Arik Armstead who says the Wolf Pack is in the running. Hey, there's no downside to this whatsoever even if the 6-foot-8 two-sport star keeps his commitment to USC (where his brother plays football).
We recently saw Armstead play in Las Vegas with the Compton Magic squad. Keeping in mind this is a one game analysis, here's what we witnessed:
Armstead loves and initiates contact. A couple of plays in a row, he lowered his shoulder and bulldozed his opponent, which unfortunately resulted in a pair of offensive fouls. He then took to the perimeter a bit (10-15 feet) and effectively popped some faceup jumpers. He moves well but that being qualified as quickness for a 270 pounder. It seemed unlikely he could keep a quality big as tall or taller than himself away from earning good looks at the basket but the reverse is also true.
Our guess: he is a future pro football player, not necessarily so in the direction of the NBA even though it appears he enjoys hoops more. But he has a great dream and more power to him.
A dunking video courtesy of Jason Groves
Jason Groves tweets a video link to the leg juice display of Eric Weary, Daniel Mullings and Renaldo Dixon.
Adam Zagoria with a Norvell Arnold update
Adam Zagoria has a blog entry up all about former USU recruit Norvell Arnold, his latest legal adjudication and his D-1 college basketball options.
It's not Ruby Tuesday -- it's WAC basketball Tuesday
Nevada basketball without A.W. Prince's coverage? That ain't right. Here's hoping A.W. re-surfaces (which he undoubtedly will) quickly as there is now a gaping hole in hoops news.
+++++
San Jose State's Calvin Douglas says he is even more dialed in from long distance and that should be on display as the Spartans head to Rome for some matchups and gelato, not necessarily in that order.
Here is more on the games itinerary.
+++++
Dayton Morinaga offers more from the InZane video channel.
Plus, why did the chicken cross the road?
To tempt Davis Rozitis. Read about it here.
Monday, August 8, 2011
An Arizona prep point connected to Fresno State
An excerpt: "Balark advised me that his college recruitment is going very well at this point, and that he is currently hearing from such schools as Colorado, Fresno State, Pepperdine and Saint Mary's..."
Here is ESPN evaluation.
A few words about Wendell McKines
It's true that Nevada's Dario Hunt will also likely achieve such a status but his scoring won't be close to that of McKines, who ruled the San Francisco Pro-Am this summer, earning most valuable player honors. Granted, there are no actual systems of play employed in the Pro-Am and team defensive effort is nowhere near as intense as in conference play but an honor is an honor and McKines earned such by putting up some wild figures.
He has the spectacular down, probably blessed with such from the initial time he picked up a basketball. That's a given. But what about the other elements of the game?
Two seasons ago (McKines sat out last year), he displayed an accurate set shot from long distance and some dribble-drive prowess but that generally finishing with a kickout to Jahmar Young or Jonathan Gibson for a jumper. Both of these aspects of his game have likely improved -- that's another given.
Plus, it's McKines' team in 2011-12 and Coach Marvin Menzies needs a creator on offense, with the 6-foot-5 forward being the Aggie best suited for such a role.
What will be even more fascinating though is to watch to see if McKines can he set a tone defensively. The Aggies have never demonstrated a persistent attention towards defending but New Mexico State won't have tremendous firepower in the coming season so a consistent defensive tenacity will be critical in order to succeed.
Can McKines get his teammates to focus on reaching the 39% defensive field goal percentage Utah State achieved or even the 41% earned by Hawaii and Idaho last season?
Watch for that.
Such would go a long ways towards McKines easily wearing the MVP crown as well as the Aggies fighting for the top spot in the conference.
The Monday morning coming down WAC basketball chronicle
David Kay of The Sports Bank offers an assessment of the 2011 Utah State Aggies. He ranks Stew Morrill's squad as #89 in the nation.
+++++
Dayton Morinaga matches Zane Johnson up with a video camera. Dayton also provides a pair of other videos, documenting the early stages of the Rainbow Warrior journey.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
WAC talents in the SayNo League
Received this from RS and we thank him for sending it along because PTW was unaware of the WAC affiliations:
"4 WAC Players in the Sayno Classic Championship GameWillis, Burris and Elliott are playing for the I-Can All Stars while Burton leads the Top Prospects, leading to what should have been some interesting matchups at times.
Hey Kevin,
Maybe you noticed but there are four WAC Players in the championship game for the Sayno. Jonathon Willis from Fresno State, Jordan Burris, Devonte Elliott, and Deonte Burton from Nevada ... By the way Burris and Elliott had pretty strong games last night in the semi-finals."
Burris tallied 23 points on 10-12 shooting in the semis.
The Top Prospects won the championship yesterday afternoon but no box has been posted as yet.
Sunday and the state of WAC basketball
The new subscribe-for-access deal at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser eliminates any chance for PTW posting links to HSA articles -- here's hoping Brian McInnis' blog remain free.
+++++
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Makhtar Diop is doing better.
+++++
Thanks for Sam Wasson/Bleed Crimson for catching this: Bob Meseroll's feature on former New Mexico State Assistant Coach Mick Durham.
+++++
WSUGuy 1982 has posted on the Scout Go Vandals basketball message board that Coach Don Verlin has extended an offer to a 2012 Washington state backcourter. Here is a June 2012 interview by Kevin Cacabelos. Here is an ESPN evaluation.
+++++
Per Blue Zertuche/Texas Hoops (a Rivals sub is required), 6-foot-7 Texas prepster Zeldric King has 14 offers, including one from San Jose State University.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Jordan Loveridge checking out BYU
Alex Kline/The Recruit Scoop has posted this (of interest to USU fans):
"BYU will host Jordan Loveridge, a 2012 forward from Utah Pump N Run, for an unofficial visit today"Alex is another one who should be a daily (or more) read.
Posts
