Basketball Recruiting Primerby Chris James and Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 4/12/05 It's easy to see that Seth Greenberg has gotten off to a good start at Virginia Tech. Two consecutive winning records, a trip to the NIT and an ACC Coach of the Year Award are all the proof needed. He has brought good basketball back to Blacksburg and managed to revive a once dormant fan base that is rapidly turning Cassell Coliseum into a very tough place to play. While Greenberg has done very well in his first two years, his ultimate fate will be based upon how he does in the long term and if he is able to bring ACC caliber players to Blacksburg.
Another phase of the rebuilding process will end with the 2005 spring signing period, which begins this Wednesday, April 13 and runs until May 18. College basketball recruiting is much different than football recruiting in many aspects, not the least of which is the two signing periods in basketball (one in the fall and one in the spring). Back in the fall, Greenberg inked two inside players, Hyman Taylor and Terrance Vinson, and as we were posting this article, got a commitment from another player, Cheick Diakate, for the late signing period. You won't find Taylor, Vinson, or Diakate on any National Top 100 lists, as they were not the object of much attention from any major basketball programs. All three are considered good athletes who will need time to develop their games, mostly offensively. Terrance Vinson is a 6-7, 218 pound power forward from Valdosta, GA. Vinson is regarded as a very good athlete with a nice upside, provided that he can develop on the offensive end. He averaged 13.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 3.8 bpg his senior year at Lowndes High School. He is not considered a player that will help the Hokies a great deal his first year in the program. Instead, he is a player who can contribute defensively and on the boards, while gradually developing an offensive game. Not a polished player by any stretch of the imagination, Vinson makes up for it with his competitive nature, which will fit in well in Coach Greenberg's program. The best thing about Vinson is that he realizes his strengths and weaknesses, and knows what his role will be with Tech this fall. In a recent interview with Chris Horne, Vinson stated, "It'll be a comfortable change. I'll just go in and help where I can. I'm not a selfish player. I'll get a few boards here and there and play hard. That's all I want." As Virginia Tech was one of the worst teams in the ACC in rebounding margin this past season, rebounding would seem to be the key for Vinson if he wants to see some playing time in his freshman year. That applies to Hyman Taylor as well, a 6-9, 235 pound post player from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Taylor is a player who was more well-known that Vinson, with schools such as Auburn, Kentucky, Virginia and Florida evaluating him. Ultimately, Taylor chose the Hokies over Auburn. Taylor is a raw athletic talent who grew from 5-9 to 6-9 in a span of 16 months. He is still developing an inside game following such a growth spurt, and the coaching staff sees a lot of potential in him. A shot blocking machine, Taylor once had 17 blocks in one game. He must continue to develop a back-to-the-basket game, but he has the potential to be a very solid player for the Hokies at some point. While a bit of a sleeper, drawing interest from schools such as Auburn, Kentucky, Florida and Virginia shows that Taylor is somewhat of a known factor. He was rated the #36 player overall and the #6 power forward at the 2004 Adidas Superstar All-American Camp. One thing to remember about Hyman is that he committed to the Hokies on October 5, when other teams were getting their first look at him. With his early commitment to Tech, it is impossible to say what kind of scholarship offers he would have garnered down the road had he remained uncommitted. Not much is known about Cheick Diakate, a 6-8, 225-pound power forward from Bridgton Academy in Maine, via Mali. Diakate, like Taylor and Vinson, is an athletic player who excels at blocking shots and has been described as a ferocious rebounder. We'll find out more on Diakate soon. 2006 Recruiting Unlike the 2005 recruiting class in which the Hokies will be depending on sleeper prospects developing into ACC caliber players, Coach Greenberg and his staff are in on some polished recruits that are being courted heavily by other ACC schools and nationally for the class of 2006. After a visible, successful first season in the ACC, the caliber of player that is showing interest in VT is increasing. One indicator: Of the 21 juniors currently listed in the TSL basketball recruiting database, every one is a known player and rated three or four stars. While the Hokies don't have any commitments as of yet, the 2006 recruiting class could be shaping up to be one of the best, if not the best, recruiting classes that Virginia Tech has ever signed. Unfortunately for the Hokies, they currently have only two scholarships to give in 2006, while standing a very good chance with three or four times that many prospects. The number of scholies available could grow to three, if point guard Marquie Cooke does not return to Blacksburg for his sophomore season, but it is looking more likely that Cooke will stay with the Hokies. Cooke took a leave of absence from the team after a post-game locker room blowup following VT's loss to Georgia Tech in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, but sources tell us that Cooke is back and working out with the team, with an improved attitude and outlook. Time will tell if it will last, but things look good for now. The following players are the top known prospects on Tech's 2006 recruiting board as it currently stands. This list could potentially change on a daily basis. With AAU play starting and even more evaluations taking place, the Tech coaching staff could see other players they like as well. Let's take a look at some of the players that the Hokies have a legitimate chance to sign, in alphabetical order by last name. A 6-6 forward from Bethel HS, Crews is ready to hit the national scene. Throw out his height and weight, because when Crews hits the floor, he scores and rebounds no matter who he's up against. Crews is playing for Boo Williams' AAU team this spring and is already making a splash against some of the top recruits in the country. Crews averaged 18 points as a junior and is known as a very good rebounder. Crews holds offers from VT, UVA, St. John's, FSU, Clemson, Villanova, and ODU, and he'll get more. Some say Lawrence, who hails from Las Vegas, is the best point guard on the west coast. He's diminutive (5-11, 155), but his game is not. Lawrence is a four-star player who is a pure point guard and will receive interest from high-major programs mostly on the west coast. Despite the geographic distance, Lawrence is highly interested in Tech. He visited VT unofficially for the Maryland game and had a great trip. Mack is a 6-5 wing guard with a nice jump shot. Mack wants to play in the ACC, but unfortunately for the Hokies, he currently he favors Miami, Florida State, and NC State, with the Hokies on the outside looking in. But VT is still in the picture and will continue to work Mack. Munson is a 6-1, 170-pound guard from DeMatha HS in Hyattsville, MD. Muson is a pass-first true point guard. Munson, who averaged 12 points and 7 assists as a junior on a 29-2 team that included Virginia commitment Mamadi Diane, has already broken the career assists record at DeMatha … and he has one more year to play. The Hokies are in Munson's top three or four, and may even lead. Petrukonis is originally from Lithuania and now plays at Norfolk Collegiate School in Norfolk, VA. Standing 6-10 and weighing 250, Petrukonis is the true center that Virginia Tech – and everyone else – needs. He is currently playing for the Boo Williams AAU squad. If he has a good summer, like Lewis Witcher his stock could rise and he could earn some offers from a lot of ACC teams. A four-star, 6-5 swingman, Earl Pettis is known for his outside shot. Pettis has offers from VT, Rutgers, and Seton Hall, plus interest from St. Joe's and a long list of teams with pedigrees: Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Villanova. A 6-2, 180-pound guard from Charlotte NC, Raley was the Charlotte Observer's Gaston-area boys' basketball player of the year as a junior, when he averaged 28 points a game. Rivera is a highly rated four-star point guard who is a tremendous leaper for his size (6-1, 170). He is from St. John Neumann HS in Philadelphia, the same as Earl Pettis, and Seth Greenberg would very much like to start making an impact in the big cities. VT, La Salle, Seton Hall, and St. Joseph have offered Rivera, who was MVP of the Dell Curry shootout in Charlotte over this past Christmas break. Roche is a tremendous shooter from the state of New Hampshire. There are many needs that the Hokies will have to fill in the next couple of season in recruiting, and a big time shooter is one of them. According to Rivals.com, Roche has offers from VT, St. Bonaventure, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and New Hampshire, with big interest from ACC schools BC, UNC, and NC State. Classified as a three-star, "high-major" prospect, Roche averaged 19.2 ppg as a sophomore. Shamari Spears is a 6-5, 240-pound power forward who plays for Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ. Spears is originally from Salisbury, NC and knows departing Hokie senior Carlos Dixon very well, as Dixon also hails from Salisbury. Spears has been described by many as an old school, throwback type player. He has an arsenal of low post moves and can score in a variety of ways. Spears is a four-star player and ranked the #47 prospect in the nation by Prep Stars. Virginia Tech assistant coach Stacey Palmore is Spears' godfather, so it appears in this case that the Hokies have the advantage as far as connections go. Spears is rumored to be a VT lean. A 6-2 guard from two-time state champion Woodside HS, Welsh is a four-star recruit who is currently ranked #58 in the nation by Rivals.com. Welsh is also an outstanding football prospect but is expected to play basketball in college. 6-4, 185-pound wing man L.D. Williams is a three-star prospect drawing interest from major programs like Arizona, Maryland, UNC, Wake Forest (whom he is said to favor), and more. Williams is a fantastic athlete who can really finish around the basket. Like most great young athletes, he needs to work on his all-around game, but he has great potential. Witcher is a 6-8, 200-pound forward from Franklin Co. High School in Rocky Mount, VA. Witcher appears the be a prospect that is poised to have a breakout year on the AAU circuit. Witcher is playing for a very talented Boo Williams AAU squad this spring/summer, and thus far has been a standout and a surprise. Witcher averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds for Franklin County this season. He is an athletic player who runs the court well, plays hard, rebounds and shoots the ball well out to about 17 feet. He currently holds offers from Virginia Tech and Richmond. Wake Forest and NC State have been recruiting him for a while as well, and Georgetown and Maryland have recently entered the picture. How Witcher performs in AAU play will determine what kind of options he will have when making his college decision. His situation is comparable to a professional athlete in their contract year. If he performs well over the summer, then other schools such as NC State and Wake may come through with offers. Conclusion If the Hokies can manage to get a couple of early commitments from players in the 2006 group – Spears and Petrukonis are the ones to watch on this front -- they can get a very early start on 2007 recruiting. Whether the Hokies take two or three players in the 2006 class, which hinges on whether or not Marquis Cooke "sticks" with the team or there is any other attrition, the 2006 recruiting class looks to be a very strong class. Related Links: |
