DEN
Miners => Den => Topic started by: SisyphusMiner on April 13, 2018, 07:14:41 AM
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On the board that must not be named there are lots of rumors of basketball possible signings and transfers. Obviously nothing confirmed yet. Have we lost interest though? No news here, no rumors here, no comments here. I hate that other damn board, and hate having to go there for news. Come on guys!
Strong rumors of a couple transfers from Fresno. Isaac Likekele who someone tweeted was transferring here. Looks like a great pickup. Possible Efe Odigie who is a very large man.
Nigel Hawkins, Cypress Falls. Only a two star, but watched video and one of the few that actually impresses me on high school video. Usually I worry about high schoolers finding the college game too fast. But he looks like he finds the high school game very slow. He doesn't rush but always mentally ahead of the other players. Amazingly soft touch on his shots. And willing to play some D.
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There hasn't been a whole lot on twitter Sis. I did see that a sophomore from San Diego asked for his release yesterday but until I see some other tweets that might indicate an interest in UTEP, there's nothing out there.
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You are correct about other boards getting recruit info 1st. That is because those members have nothing better to do and follow the Twitter world. You also have to deal with Trolls, bickering, & self image rants. I will take getting news a little late here than deal with the other sites B.S.. plus, this site more trustworthy on relaying facts & our opinion on facts. I'll get a few gems here & there.
When I have time, I'll sift through Twitter & the other sites & post the relevant stuff.
That being said, it looks like a couple of kids that were Fresno bound/transfers have UTEP as the top option. No o e of relevance or that jumps off the page. We're talking about the same talent level as the kid's that just transferred out of our program. All under the radar talent. If a big name comes up, you can pretty much bet I'll be on top of it.
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So I did a little extra digging on Odigie & Likekele.
Odigie is 6'9" big guy that looks like a project. Because of his size, he doesn't play above the rim and seems uncoordinated with footwork. He does have a soft touch & likes to use the hook shot & fade away.
Likekele is listed as a 6'4" 4star wing player. He's built on the strong side as opposed to long. Which means he doesn't play above the rim either. He performs well with contact, has an OK release on his shot, some video shows his defense looking OK as well. He likes to drive to the hoop, but relies on strength & not speed. He will get destroyed with D1 level big men in the paint if he doesn't get quicker. The one thing that stood out to me was he has large hands which gives him better ball control.
Conclusion: Odigie is visiting this weekend and looks more than likely to sign. He doesn't have Titus Smith power which is a good thing, because he won't get in foul trouble. Likekele also needs work transitioning to the D1 level, however, he plays very smart and will have a shorter transition period than most.
Personally, these players look to be like Floyd recruits for a Pro style offense, than the run & gun type of player Terry claims he likes to play.
We still have a lot more slots to fill & I hope we pick up some quick SF's. As y'all are, I'm curious to see how this year plays out.
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Thanks Chanson!
Having a job does make it harder to keep up with the Miners.
I've long said the main thing wrong with this country is too many people with way too much free time on their hands.
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"He will get destroyed with D1 level big men in the paint if he doesn't get quicker. The one thing that stood out to me was he has large hands which gives him better ball control." Chanson quote.
This reminded me right away of Matt who was slow and had terrible hands in his first three years. Shorter guys would just wait until he grabbed the rebound and then hit his hands to take it away and they usually succeeded.
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Efie Odigie on visit to Utep this weekend according to Texashoops/GAZO. Kappy mentioned it a bit this afternoon on Sportstalk.
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Jon Rothstein CB Sports insider says PER source that Efie Odigie has committed to UTEP. He tweeted that Saturday night at 8:52 mst. He's a big kid!
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What I forgot to mention about Odigie is he can finish with either hand. The kid needs to get to 265lbs. He looks above 300.
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Sometimes it seems like its harder for underweight kids to add weight than overweight kids to lose it. Hope thats the case here.
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Utep has offered 3 star 6 1 guard Neftali Alvarez of San Juan, Puerto Rico and plays at Miami Christian Academy. Main interest on his website was Wichita State. Others interested
are Akron, dayton, FIU, UMass, Virginia...
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@alvarez2neftali offer from UTEP! @UTEP_MBB
https://twitter.com/alvarez2neftali/status/985696740425764865
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It's gratifying to know that he is going full bore on recruiting. More happy with the Efie signing. We needed a BIG man and we got him. Now, with only one guard with talent I hope we get Neftali too.
I was watching his career video skills and I'm afraid. Afraid that he might be a one and done. He has some mad skills. He can rebound with force, smart in defense and he can shoot with both hands accurately. We got ourselves a GEM. I hope we keep him for four years. I can just imagine how good he will be in his senior year. He reminds me of LeBron with maybe LeBron a little bit better in his dribbling skills. Otherwise, he's our next Jim "Bad News" Barnes. :D
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It's gratifying to know that he is going full bore on recruiting. More happy with the Efie signing. We needed a BIG man and we got him. Now, with only one guard with talent I hope we get Neftali too.
I was watching his career video skills and I'm afraid. Afraid that he might be a one and done. He has some mad skills. He can rebound with force, smart in defense and he can shoot with both hands accurately. We got ourselves a GEM. I hope we keep him for four years. I can just imagine how good he will be in his senior year. He reminds me of LeBron with maybe LeBron a little bit better in his dribbling skills. Otherwise, he's our next Jim "Bad News" Barnes. :D
Comparing to Lebron is a lot much. Lebron plays above the rim, moves like a guard, and shoots like a wing. This kid has none of that. This kid is a touch more advanced than Tirus was. This kid separates better, can finish with either hand, and is a smarter player. Tirus was all power and hops which got him in trouble with fouls. We really need an experienced big until this kid gets used to D1 play. Also, that Puerto Rican kid looks to be signing with us pretty soon. This comes from a somewhat credible source.
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the guard?
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the guard?
Odigie
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6'5" Guard Isaac Likekele visiting UTEP Wednesday for his recruiting trip.
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6'5" Guard Isaac Likekele visiting UTEP Wednesday for his recruiting trip.
We all knew that was coming, but can Terry keep him now that other big Texas schools are showing interest? The kid giving Terry another shot amongst the big schools means the kid comes from a solid and disciplined home. That goes a long way in my book. While he would be a good pick up, I've yet to see anyone with Omega speed. That is something we need. I'd be ecstatic if we can pick up a Clay Thompson, Reggie Miller, type wing player.
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It appears Likekele is late bloomer that Terry's been recruiting for several years. I think we're in the top 3 of his choices. Speaking of wing type players he's recruiting, I've been specifically watching for news on 6'6" Marlon Taylor from Panola College, averages 49.5 fg%, 44 3pt%, and 80ft%, 17th rated JC player Terry's been recruiting for a while. He's got to get some JC players if we're going to be competitive, I'm hoping Taylor is a an option.
6'5" Guard Isaac Likekele visiting UTEP Wednesday for his recruiting trip.
We all knew that was coming, but can Terry keep him now that other big Texas schools are showing interest? The kid giving Terry another shot amongst the big schools means the kid comes from a solid and disciplined home. That goes a long way in my book. While he would be a good pick up, I've yet to see anyone with Omega speed. That is something we need. I'd be ecstatic if we can pick up a Clay Thompson, Reggie Miller, type wing player.
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So I did a little more research and Terry has some really interesting recruits.
Madiaw Niang 6'9" 200lb SF and Nigel Hawkins 6'4" SG. Niang is from Senegal and plays very much like our own Isaiah Osborne. The kid is agile, can shoot, can drive, times blocks very well, & has OK ball skills. He moves like a guard and that caught my attention. This is truly a run and gun tall man.
Hawkins is a wing from Houston that is quick, loves to drive, and dunks with contact. Best of all, he is a scorer (not necessarily a shooter). He reminds me of that Moore kid who played 1yr here a few years ago. He is quick. Not Omega quick, but quick enough. He will be visiting on Thursday with Nikekele. I also saw a 6'3" PG from Canada for 2019 that is really good & only has offers from small schools. We'll have to wait on that one.
Anyway, both Niang & Hawkins have emerged above the radar recently. Looking at video, I like Hawkins game better than Nikekele. When Artis, Moore, & Omega were on the floor, UTEP was a scoring force. Gilyard, Nikekele, & Hawkins would bring that back if Terry can land the 2 kids this weekend. All we would need is rebounding and defense.
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Watched a video of Niang. Smooth, athletic, and versatile. Agree he moves like a guard, but without the ballhandling. Also skinny as hell. David Van Dyke skinny. Another 30 pounds would help a lot. Seems fairly quick, but I think that's more about the opposition than him. Nice shot, nice touch. Has a tendency to put the ball on the floor in the paint. I think he's a project, but a fairly promising one. He can probably find ways to contribute.
As I mentioned earlier I liked what I saw from Hawkins.
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Does anyone know if Avery Martinez stayed? If so, we should be covered if Terry can bring in only 1 of this weekend's visitors. I was looking at Avery's very recent video's and the kid can flat out hustle, defend & run. Good speed and stamina for a 6'5" wing.
Anyway, we need some height at this point.
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Coach Terry said that he released both Martinez and Ochieng in a radio interview with Kappy a week or so ago. I believe that Terry said that he was familiar with both of them as they were California high school recruits while he coached at Fresno. It came across to me like Terry felt he could do better with those two scholarships.
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I saw a posted video of lots of Miner fans at the airport welcoming Lekekele & Hawkins. Terry is really laying it down thick as honey. I love it.
If Terry can land these 2 with Niang, UTEP will put a hurting on any CUSA team.
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Just ran into our recruits @ UTEP. Coaches are walking them through the campus.
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Just ran into our recruits @ UTEP. Coaches are walking them through the campus.
I hope this dusty wind doesn't turn them off. If it doesn't bother them then they will truly be Miners.
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Coach Terry & staff pulled out all the stops on campus. I'm sure they got them some good Mexican food, & showed some great EP highlights. 1 pick up would be huge. Both would be crazy.
Anyone with Intel on big men?
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I saw on Twitter that Likekele thought his visit to EP was great. He will still be visiting Tech & (I believe) OK State. Those are bigger money schools have the facilities, etc. I didn't see anything about Hawkins. I would like our chances better if we were last.
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Nigel Hawkins Twitter says he is a Miner. Great pick up from this weekend's visitors. The kid is an athletic 6'3" shooting guard. I mentioned earlier that he is a quick athletic kid. Not Omega quick, but quick enough.
The Miners were up against a few Power Conference schools. What Terry & company are doing, I don't know, but it is working.
More to come.
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Just saw Adrian Broaddus's tweet! That's big! In what I've heard when coach T speaks is a very caring and honest man. If I had skills and eligibility I'd commit to Utep!
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More from the Twitter world. A kid named Ezeagu 6'11" 240 beast is visiting UTEP next weekend. The kid is strong, athletic, and specializes in protecting the paint. He looks like a project, because he is a bruiser, can't shoot, and would commit fouls left & right, but just DAMN. Please YouTube the kid. You won't be disappointed.
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Big, strong, has a nasty streak. Can't shoot, but runs the floor. Butler is recruiting him. That should tell us something.
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Things seem to be falling into place quite nicely.
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Does anyone have anything? I know Likekele will be in Lubbock this weekend. I hope the visit is not to his liking. Also, we need some long athletic bodies.
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Does anyone have anything? I know Likekele will be in Lubbock this weekend. I hope the visit is not to his liking. Also, we need some long athletic bodies.
I hope they have a Haboob that day.
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They'll probably have some West Texas boobs showing that day.
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They'll probably have some West Texas boobs showing that day.
Ay, Kyyote, que cochino. Tsk.
:D
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Here is a pretty good interview with Isaac. I think we might get him but it will be a very tough battle. Right now I think it is 60% in our favor.[url]https://247sports.com/college/texas-tech/Article/Mansfield-Timberview-guard-Isaac-Likekele-Previews-His-Visit-to-Texas-Tech-117681178/Amp?__twitter_impression=true/url]
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I read the interview & I'm not so sure UTEP is at the top. Those 2 Big 12 schools have a huge aspect we don't offer and that is a higher quality of competition.
I also wanted to reiterate what I posted earlier and that is the type of player this kid is. He is not quick, he's not fast, and he doesn't play above the rim. What he does do well is he creates space, he is strong, and has OK ball skills. I think what gives this guy his 3 or 4 stars is his IQ. His game reminds me of Marcus Smart (OK St/Boston). I really hope we get him.
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It'd be pretty tempting to say yes to a school that made the Final Four the previous year.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DcEO5OjXkAAsmTa.jpg
That pic makes you think Isaac is going to pick UTEP.
GO Miners...
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DcEO5OjXkAAsmTa.jpg
That pic makes you think Isaac is going to pick UTEP.
GO Miners...
Unfortunately, Isaac did not create that picture or even place that picture on his Twitter. That is just an edit that a UTEP fan made.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DcEO5OjXkAAsmTa.jpg
That pic makes you think Isaac is going to pick UTEP.
GO Miners...
Unfortunately, Isaac did not create that picture or even place that picture on his Twitter. That is just an edit that a UTEP fan made.
Isaac did like the pic. Which is a positive.
On another note Deon Stroud committed via Twitter lat Tuesday night.
[url]https://twitter.com/stroud_deon/status/991543276984459264?s=19/url]
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Nice way to sneak that in Stan! Ha ha!
DEON STROUD 6 5 3-star FORWARD HAS COMMITTED TO UTEP!
Of course the fear that they never get into a Miner uniform still looms, but we have a new coach! And he appears to be rallying troopers fairly quickly and effectively.
Meanwhile Tim Floyd gets the Don Quixote award for his accomplishments in chasing dreams and a return to the old ways of knighthood.
How appropriate this quote is from a synopsis of the Don Quixote story. In this instance the princess was Hamilton--Don Quixote rides the roads of Spain in search of glory and grand adventure. He gives up food, shelter, and comfort, all in the name of a peasant woman, Dulcinea del Toboso, whom he envisions as a princess. On his second expedition, Don Quixote becomes more of a bandit than a savior, stealing from and hurting baffled and justifiably angry citizens while acting out against what he perceives as threats to his knighthood or to the world.
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Stroud & Likekele are 2 totally different players. Likekele is a smart, create space, smooth, & strong player that will frustrate defenders. Stroud is an athletic jumper, race to the bucket, above the rim, and long 6'4", but plays like 6'7" player. This Stroud kid is a spark plug. All we need is 1 long kid like Marcus Canby or Antonio Davis & we can actually win the conference.
I know that's a big statement with all Freshmen coming in, but we haven't seen this kind of quality recruiting in a while. Anyway, getting Diang and stud 4 or 5 position JUCO/transfer would make my day.
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I agree with Fanaticoog on the other board, if we can land Niang(SF)and Ezeagu(C), then this will be a well rounded and impressive freshman recruiting class, with some scholarships still left over for either transfers or to use next year. Getting Isaac would obviously be nice, but I think that Niang and Ezeago are the two most important targets for us at this point based on need.
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I agree with Fanaticoog on the other board, if we can land Niang(SF)and Ezeagu(C), then this will be a well rounded and impressive freshman recruiting class, with some scholarships still left over for either transfers or to use next year. Getting Isaac would obviously be nice, but I think that Niang and Ezeago are the two most important targets for us at this point based on need.
I agree 100%, UTEPDefense.
While that Ezeagu (Canadian) kid would be huge, I don't think that one is likely. Then again, Terry has been landing some gems. Terry is picking up Fresno commits and nothing beyond that at this point. It's obviously a great start and I don't want it to end. Likekele at this point would be icing, as mentioned, but not a game changer. Adding some longer kids is what is needed right now. Either or both Niang & the Canadian would be really good, but bringing in an experienced Big Daddy Latin would change our basketball culture back to glory sooner than later.
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If I was to guess, I would currently place Ezeagu as more likely than Niang. Ezeagu is due to visit here this upcoming weekend. It's possible that we might know by this time next week if Ezeagu is going to be a Miner or not?
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exciting news! Whatever else, we are scoring a high percentage of commits from players we are targeting.
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Getting two of those 3 Isaac, Niang or Ezeagu would lead to a bright future.
Terry can than go after Juco's or transfers to help this upcoming season.
Ezeagu would be the best recruit due to our needs.
Go Miners...
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It would be nice if there were people to welcome him like they did that other guy whose name I can't remember.
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It would be nice if there were people to welcome him like they did that other guy whose name I can't remember.
Likekele. Come on, MOJO! Ezeagu, Niang, & Likekele. Very common, bro.
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Very big weekend starting today. Likekele will be visiting Stillwater OK for his last official visit. I'm betting he makes his decision in a few weeks. In also believe Ezeagu is visiting UTEP this weekend for an official. We could really use that kid here. If Terry can pull that off, we should have a pretty exciting team for a few years. If Terry can bring in a JUCO/Grad transfer big man, we can possibly make a run for the top 4 in the conference.
Jim Senter has been very vocal for production NOW and not just down the road. If Terry can bring in some seasoned big men, we will see winning right now.
1- Gilyard (Magee, Hawkins)
2- Osborne (Stroud, Highler)
3- Likekele? (Wingett?)
4- Thomas (?)
5- Odigie (Ezeagu?)
I really like our guards. We need wings & size.
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I would like to be competitive this year. Realistic? Maybe not. But it would make me happy.
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If I was to guess, I would currently place Ezeagu as more likely than Niang. Ezeagu is due to visit here this upcoming weekend. It's possible that we might know by this time next week if Ezeagu is going to be a Miner or not?
Reason why I said unlikely is because Butler wants him & Frank Martin @ S. Carolina. Martin is my favorite coach aside from Izzo. If Terry lands that kid, then he truly would be the best recruiter I have seen here. Yes, more so than Billy G. Never better than El Oso, obviously. Winning games is another story.
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What's impressive about Terry is that he has already beat out: Texas A&M, San Diego State, UNLV, New Mexico, Houston, Fresno State, and others in just his first 3 UTEP commitments. All of those schools had offers to at least one of our first 3 commitments. He is now battling it out with Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and Butler for some other recruits. Putting this together so quickly shows that Terry knows what he doing in recruiting and college basketball success is probably more than 50% due to recruiting than it is coaching.
What Terry is already doing is also a big step up and at a different level compared to what we have been used to here lately under Floyd. For instance Terry's early signee is now being recuited by Tech and OSU. By comparison, Floyd's early signee Jacob Eyman is currently being recruited by Cal State Northridge and Eastern Washington. I have also not seen any high level of recruiting interest in Martinez or Ochieng either since we let them out of their scholarships. The fact that Terry previously signed Isaac and now the major programs are after him is also a good sign about Terry's ability to evaluate talent and secure that talent before they draw too much attention.
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Last night on news, Newton was signing LOI to a school in Indiana. Reporter asked why not UTEP and the kid responded he wasn't offered and had to move on.
1st off, congrats to the kid. He will make an excellent student athlete. I wish him all the success in the world. 2nd, I'm OK with UTEP passing on him. While the kid would have made a great walk on here, Terry is under huge pressure to win NOW. The only way to do that is by picking up kids he knows that will fit in his system and have the high talent level to execute it. Kuglar got very local hoping to push ticket sales and not only didn't it work, but they couldn't win a game.
I'm a firm believer in leaving for college, unless a full ride presents itself and inferior programs are competing for the same thing.
My 2 boys will not be staying for school. They need to see the world outside of El Paso in order to appreciate where you come from. Newton leaving town will benefit him.
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Last night on news, Newton was signing LOI to a school in Indiana. Reporter asked why not UTEP and the kid responded he wasn't offered and had to move on.
1st off, congrats to the kid. He will make an excellent student athlete. I wish him all the success in the world. 2nd, I'm OK with UTEP passing on him. While the kid would have made a great walk on here, Terry is under huge pressure to win NOW. The only way to do that is by picking up kids he knows that will fit in his system and have the high talent level to execute it. Kuglar got very local hoping to push ticket sales and not only didn't it work, but they couldn't win a game.
I'm a firm believer in leaving for college, unless a full ride presents itself and inferior programs are competing for the same thing.
My 2 boys will not be staying for school. They need to see the world outside of El Paso in order to appreciate where you come from. Newton leaving town will benefit him.
The military can do that too, Chans. What do the Drill Sergeants tells us, "let us make a man out of
you". It works.
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Me friends and I got to speak to Coach Terry at "dinner with the miners" on Thursday. I stopped him and welcomed him to El Paso, and I swear he must have talked with us for about ten minutes without even a hint of "I need to be somewhere else". He said that its been very hard to get settled here and recruit at the same time, but there's no doubt he's been working it hard. He told me that he actually turned down the UTEP job the first time it was offered because Rick Barnes and staff sat him down and talked him out of it. He really regretted not taking it at that time so when he heard that Floyd was stepping down, he kept one eye on how things were developing here in El Paso and one eye on preparing his team with the Mountain West Tourney. His mom told him that God puts where you oughta be, when you oughta be there. We also met coach Lamont Smith who didn't stay that long because he didn't have his name tag on.
Listening to him speak, if I was talented and young again I'd come here. He really thinks this is a great job to have and that we could build something nice. He's thinking about having a pre-basketball banquet to introduce himself and the team. They did it at Fresno and it became a big thing.
He also said that when he first got to Fresno he went out and filled his squad with the best athletes he could. He said he learned from that so this time he is going to be more picky about his choices. He really liked Trey Wade and hoped he would stay, but he likes his core team. Both Trey and Tyrus weren't feeling it. Coach asked Tyrus you came on a recruiting trip and liked it then, what happened?
The coaches now are really really different from the elitist attitudes we had from some of the coaches in the past. I feel very enthusiastic. Senter wasn't there and darn Nattylosio gave yet another lame apology for not being there since Dancing With The Stars finals were on that night.
At our table was Darren Gatewood offensive line and Josh Fields. Both love the new coaches and are very pumped to play this next season. They were also great kids. Told Josh how I used to "hate" him in high school with his duels against my cousin, but that I recognized how talented he was. He laughed especially when I told him I was realty glad he was playing with my cousin then against him.
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Nice, Dawg
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I don't know if everyone is up to date or not but according to their twitter accounts basketball recruits Isaac Likekele wont make his decision till Friday and Kaosi Ezeagu wont do it till next week on Wednesday.
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So...,
Likekele is supposed to make his decision tomorrow. Tech twitter accounts are guaranteeing he will be a Raider. With what that team last year, how can you say no. I'm hoping the fact that oyher kids will get the start and eat at his playing time his first two years will change his mind. Other than that, he will be playing with a proven coach and superior players.
My view on Lekekele is it would be great to have him, but we also have some pretty good SG/SF right now.
The Canadian we must have. The kid will be the difference between a good year and year to grow on. We are competing with Western Michigan, Butler, and S. Carolina. While the two better teams are not pushing as hard, it still will be a tough get. He is scheduled to makemhis pick sometime next week.
Personally, I love how Terry is not just going after big time kids, but is getting there interest. UTEP should be a top mid major like Gonzaga, Wichita St, St.Marys, etc. Our management lost sight of that after Rabs. We need glory back. This school and this town are fantastic and deserve it. I truly believe that if a mid major wins a championship in this age of the Power 5, then it will tilt the scales in the mid majors favor and the NCAA will have to account for it and make changes. The NBA going 2yrs college or even No college will be a good step. IMHO
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Alvarez lists his top 3 & they are all in Florida in which UTEP is a better school than those 3 combined. Kid obviously wants to stay close to home. I wish him well, we move on. We don't need a back court right now & Terry knows it. We need big men in a big way (pun intended).
Even if we land Ezeagu, we still need 2 more big men. We have 1 unproven Frosh Center and that is it. Thomas can't play PF based on last years activity. I hope he is really serious about a few JUCOs or Grad trans.
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Ezeagu lists W.Michigan, S.Carolina, & UTEP as 3 finalists. S.Carolina doesn't really need the kid. The other 2 really do. Coach Terry better be throwing hookers in his bedroom. He will announce on Wednesday.
We really need this kid.
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What's with the crickets you assholes? How about some contribution, thoughts, etc.
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We need some bigs. I sincerely hope CRT has something up his sleeve or it will be another long season. I don't expect a lot out of coach and team this year in terms of wins, just a glimpse of great things to come. But it will be hard to do that without some beef inside.
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Did Ezeagu say exactly what time he'll be announcing his decision tomorrow?
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Did Ezeagu say exactly what time he'll be announcing his decision tomorrow?
Don't know, but this current squad needs help inside. He would be the biggest big man pick up since Caracter.
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What's with the crickets you assholes? How about some contribution, thoughts, etc.
Good point. I wish I had something worthwhile to add, but I don’t. I do appreciate all the info you’ve been posting, though. Many thanks.
lieb
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Kaosi will announce his decision via Instgram today at 6. Not sure what time zone that may be. I actually think he will be coming to UTEP. Only speculation on my part for a couple of reasons.
1. He posted something with pictures of him in uniforms from all thee schools and he had a big smiles in the UTEP and South Carolina pictures.
2. He mentioned on Instgram yesterday that the love he got from fans on twitter helped him make his decision. UTEP fans were way more active in this area
3. He was wearing Nike in his latest Instgram video and UTEP is the only one of the three schools that has a Nike contract.
Hopefully I am not reading too much into things but when you have to wait, speculation is always fun.
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Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated. Go Miners! ⛏
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Kaosi Ezeagu is not a take for South Carolina. Has not been for some time. I am a member of SC 247 site.
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SC wants to fill the center position with a instate player DJ Burns who reclassified to 2018. https://247sports.com/Player/DJ-Burns-90322. I believe Frank Martin really liked Kaosi Ezeagu.
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SC wants to fill the center position with a instate player DJ Burns who reclassified to 2018. https://247sports.com/Player/DJ-Burns-90322. I believe Frank Martin really liked Kaosi Ezeagu.
Welcome back, Gumby. It's been a while.
Anyway, when you play for CUSA, you get to travel a whole lot more and see more cultures. Texas, Florida, Virginia, and everywhere in between. Along with a few west coast tourneys and non conference match ups. W. Mich will stay up North, while SEC stays in the South. If you want to travel, you come to CUSA.
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Eze will announce his decision today at 6 PM eastern time.
Go Miners...
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We got him. He's a Miner. HE'LL YES
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This is a great get for us! Awesome ability, kid could be a fantastic player. That's 5 filled spots with Freshmen Odigie, Hawkins, Straud, Ezeagu, and transfer Senior transfer Evans. Impressive job so far from Terry and staff.
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The future looks bright. We need another 4 and 5 to have some back-ups for this years.
I am sure Coach Terry still has something up his sleeve.
Welcome to UTEP Ezeagu.
Go Miners...
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SC wants to fill the center position with a instate player DJ Burns who reclassified to 2018. https://247sports.com/Player/DJ-Burns-90322. I believe Frank Martin really liked Kaosi Ezeagu.
Welcome back, Gumby. It's been a while.
Anyway, when you play for CUSA, you get to travel a whole lot more and see more cultures. Texas, Florida, Virginia, and everywhere in between. Along with a few west coast tourneys and non conference match ups. W. Mich will stay up North, while SEC stays in the South. If you want to travel, you come to CUSA.
Thank you Chanson. I've been a lurker. Really impressed with new BB coach Terry. Frank Martin has connections in Canada and has had a lot of success developing foreign imports. Martin landed Duane Notice from Canada who was lightly recruited and he turned into one of SC best defenders.
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I'm starting to get excited about UTEP basketball. I'm a little worried about it though. The last few years have got me cringing like an abused dog when someone tries to pet them. I want to believe...
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You've got to give the new coach the benefit of the doubt. He is starting off better than any coach since The Bear. Terrys agenda is to coach a big Texas program. Either he has to make that happen here or he has to get picked up by A&M, Texas, Baylor, or Texas. Which ever direction he goes, he must gain recognition in the NCAA tournament. This is a win/win in my book. Floyd and Doc started off the best, but with someone elses players. Terry was stripped of that luxury and has responded brilliantly at the 11th hour.
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Chanson, thank you for keeping things going. It is the first time in my 35 years or so of UTEP basketball that the coach, players, and fans are starting with a blank slate. Not an evolution but a rebirth. Actually, right now it is just a pregnancy. We are expecting! The real excitement will come when the team takes the court for the first time. My guess is that the Miners fans of El Paso, reflecting the people of El Paso and UTEP Miners fans, will pack the house in welcome. Scheduling will be very interesting, seeing which way he goes, build chemistry or baptism by fire.
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Anthony Tarke has committed to UTEP. He will have to sit out a year.
Ben Perez has been offered, he could be an impact player right away.
Williams would be the icing on the cake for this recruiting period.
Coach Terry has answered our prayers. He and his staff have done
an outstanding job.
GO Miners...
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I guess it's time to renew my season tickets. When will the new basketball schedule be released?
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That Tarke kid 6'7" 230lbs can flat out play ball. He likes to bang inside and is super athletic. I'm guessing he went the JUCO route because of grades. It doesn't matter anymore, because he is here now. With Thomas leaving after this year, he should fill in nicely.
The Perez kid is a really good 6'4" wing & has such a quick release on his shot. He would for sure be a dbl digit scorer if Terry can land him.
I'm not very familiar with the Williams kid. What's his full name & what school is he transferring from?
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Sorry wrong one.
GO Miners...
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Sorry wrong one.
GO Miners...
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Sorry for the confusion...
Here we go it's Bryson Williams...
http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/bulldogs-basketball/article208614654.html
GO Miners...
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NJIT is a Div 1 school, not a Juco. He averaged 10 as a freshman, 15 as a soph. Tarke is a great get. Ben Perez stepped in a helped South Plains win the Juco National Championship this year when one of the top national Juco players, Jordan Brangers their best player, went down with an injury before the tournament. He averaged 15 per game and almost 50% from 3 during the tournament. Kid can really shoot! Williams played for Terry at Fresno St, 2nd leading scorer, good FG percentage.
That Tarke kid 6'7" 230lbs can flat out play ball. He likes to bang inside and is super athletic. I'm guessing he went the JUCO route because of grades. It doesn't matter anymore, because he is here now. With Thomas leaving after this year, he should fill in nicely.
The Perez kid is a really good 6'4" wing & has such a quick release on his shot. He would for sure be a dbl digit scorer if Terry can land him.
I'm not very familiar with the Williams kid. What's his full name & what school is he transferring from?
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For as shit poor as this program has been, these are really exciting times to be a Miner fan.
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For as shit poor as this program has been, these are really exciting times to be a Miner fan.
Agreed.
Our future looks very bright with one of the best recruiting classes I've seen in a while. We are still in dyre need of experienced big men to be relevant in 2018. I'm thinking we will pick up some fillers until the end of the recruiting season. Filler players are important because they get little valuable minutes while the talent rests.
Let's face it, we are too young to win any awards or be relevant in 2018. I'm actually OK with it. I think it's plain as day to see what direction Terry is going & I like what I see.
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Another thing I wanted to point out is Terry hasn't picked up any point guards. That means he likes what he has here. I like McGee & Gilyard as well.
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Gilyard really came on strong at the end of the year. I liked McGee on offense, as well. But both guards struggled defensively against bigger guards last year due to their their small size. The problem is that Mcgee and Gilyard are both the same size, likely both at 5’10” or even smaller. I kept getting mad when Phil Johnson would bench McGee during the closing stretches of certain games last year, so in the following games I watched McGee more closely and saw how he really struggles defending bigger guards(that’s why Phil would bench him late in games). My concern is how McGee is going to fit in, when we might have a hard time finding playing time for one small guard due to defensive match-up issues, much less trying to find playing time for two small guards with the same defensive issue.
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Apparently Juco SG Ben Perez from South Plains is off the table, he committed to Iona today. Go figure.
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Defense can be learned especially in zones. All you need is hustle & drive. Playing man is a bit tougher, especially against the pick & roll.
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Much like rebounding. It's mostly about attitude. Sure you have to learn skills, but the main skill is never take a play off. To use a blast from the past as an example, I always loved about Johnny Melvin that his motor never stopped running.
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I appreciate all the news and updates. Thanks everyone! 8)
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So... I'm reading other sites on fans wanting confirmation of LOIs from our basketball recruits. At this time I can only confirm Hawkins & Tarke. Odigie, Stroud, & the Canadian only show verbals. However, I believe late signing is over & I don't believe a school can come in and sweep a player away, unless they pull an IH. In which is a stupid move since they would have to sit a year & only play 3yrs max. Anyway, I'm pretty confident we will keep all who we are expecting. On a side note, if a transfer has not signed, they can be swept away from another school up to the cut off date which I think is in Sept (?).
We need LOIs ASAP when dealing with transfers. Luckily, Tarke did his. We are waiting on Williams (6'9" PF) from Fresno to sign his. I hope we get him. Only bad thing is if we do, we won't see him or Turke until 2019. But...we will be loaded with big man talent. That is why I'm super exited.
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So are we done signing players for this coming season?
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Waiting on what grad transfer & JUCO players are interested. I don't think that window closes until beginning of season.
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This would be outstanding if both these guys signed. Not eligible until 2020 per transfer rules. Boum is a freshman 6'3' guard, average 10 pts w 20 minutes playing time, great shooter, all Freshman Team WCC. Williams was Fresno St's 2nd leading scorer as PF, will have 2 years eligibility.
Jon Rothstein
Verified account @JonRothstein
13h13 hours ago
Fresno State transfer Bryson Williams and San Francisco transfer Souley Boum are both currently visiting UTEP, per a source.
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Jon Rothstein
Verified account @JonRothstein
1h1 hour ago
San Francisco transfer Souley Boum has committed to UTEP, per a source. Nice get for Rodney Terry.
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Bryson Williams would have to sit out a year, is that right? So, we may be looking at JC or grad transfers to fill gaps for this coming season, but unless something like that comes up, we're pretty much done recruiting for the upcoming season?
Would anyone who is better able to keep track of these things mind posting where we stand in terms of players returning next season, new players coming in for that season, and players coming in for the following season?
I'll start, but not sure I'm right on all of this, please correct and fill in as necessary
Returning
McGee PG So
Gilyard PG So
Thomas F Sr
Incoming this year
Nigel Hawkins SG Fr
Ezeagu C Fr
Incoming next year
Odigie F Jr?
Stroud G
Tarke F
Boum G
Who else am I missing? That's barely 5 players for the coming year?
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I haven't heard anything about Isaiah Osbourne leaving...Anyone?
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Odigie and Stroud are incoming Freshman like Ezeagu and Hawkins.
Osbourne is staying.
Tomorrow is the last day for those who declared for the draft, without an agent, can declare their intentions to return to college. Many have already declared their intentions to return, but some have said they'll return as grad transfers. This is where I'm guessing Terry gets a big man who can contribute right away, it's an obvious need. Many are still available.
Bryson Williams would have to sit out a year, is that right? So, we may be looking at JC or grad transfers to fill gaps for this coming season, but unless something like that comes up, we're pretty much done recruiting for the upcoming season?
Would anyone who is better able to keep track of these things mind posting where we stand in terms of players returning next season, new players coming in for that season, and players coming in for the following season?
I'll start, but not sure I'm right on all of this, please correct and fill in as necessary
Returning
McGee PG So
Gilyard PG So
Thomas F Sr
Incoming this year
Nigel Hawkins SG Fr
Ezeagu C Fr
Incoming next year
Odigie F Jr?
Stroud G
Tarke F
Boum G
Who else am I missing? That's barely 5 players for the coming year?
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Returning:
Ryaness C 6'9" Sr (walk on)
Osborne SG/SF 6'5" JR
MaCGee PG 6' Soph
Gilyard PG 5'10" Soph
2018 Freshmen:
Hawkins SG 6'3"
Odigie C 6'9" 270lbs
Stroud SF 6'5"
Ezeagu C 6'10" 240lbs
2019 incoming:
Boum 6'3" SG Soph
Tarke 6'7" SF/PF 225lbs JR
I hope I'm not missing anyone.
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Returning:
Ryaness C 6'9" Sr (walk on)
Osborne SG/SF 6'5" JR
MaCGee PG 6' Soph
Gilyard PG 5'10" Soph
2018 Freshmen:
Hawkins SG 6'3"
Odigie C 6'9" 270lbs
Stroud SF 6'5"
Ezeagu C 6'10" 240lbs
2019 incoming:
Boum 6'3" SG Soph
Tarke 6'7" SF/PF 225lbs JR
I hope I'm not missing anyone.
According to digs, Stroud is not a one hundred percent done deal. He still needs to take qualifying classes and while committed to UTEP, is still marketing himself on social media. He may be a Prop 48 or just not come here if he wants to play immediately. Does anyone know anything else about him?
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It was the same situation with Vince Hunter. Digs tends to jump to conclusions because most is based on Twitter info. Don't get me wrong, because some of those guys have tons of time on there hands and are constantly combing the Twitterverse, but that grades thing is a speculation. There could be truth to it, but I don't believe until I see it. The reason why in Stroud situation, the kid was a 2019 prospect, originally, then changed to 2018. It tells me he is ahead of the game with grades & classes. We will see.
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There are some differences regarding Stroud at this moment:
1.) He is the only incoming freshman that UTEP has not officially announced as a signee. Even though the signing period ended a couple of weeks ago.
2.). He is still playing AAU ball and was posting daily videos from this past weekend's tournament. The legitimate question is why is he still playing AAU ball if he is a D1 signee?
3.) He is the only current UTEP commitment who did not take an official visit to UTEP. His visit was structured as an unofficial visit, instead of an official visit.
He transferred schools for his Senior year and he went to a prep school. He also reclassified from 2019 to 2018. So his NCAA clearance might be taking more time due to these variables? Maybe it's as simple as that. I think a good point has been made, in that why did he reclassify to 2018 unless he felt he could become eligible? So hopefully that is a good sign that things will eventually work out.
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Thanks guys! Thomas is not returning?
Wow, crazy young team. Lots of Freshmen and sophomores will have to step up.
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Thanks guys! Thomas is not returning?
Wow, crazy young team. Lots of Freshmen and sophomores will have to step up.
Holy Crap. Thomas is totally coming back. I forgot to add him to the return list. He & Rayness will be the only Sr's. Although, Rayness didn't see any action last year & can grab an extra year if coach Terry decides to see 2017 as a Red Shirt year.
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So, that Williams kid that was visiting this weekend will be visiting Oregon next weekend. I'm not sure if you all are aware, but there facilities are tip top for athletes. I'm not talking in Pac 10, but in the country. Like Likekele, Williams won't be back. Even so, Terry has put something together very special in a short period that no one else has done. Not even the great recruiting of Gillespie did what Terry did in a short span. While I think Terry will surpass the wins Billy had his 1st year, I hope his teams are just as good or better in the up coming years.
Williams or not, still really want 1 more big guy for 2018.
Go Miners
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I had heard about the Oregon visit but wasn't aware of the quality of Oregons facilities. I should know better since that is Nikeville U.
Crud! I was really waiting for the cherry on top with a Williams signing...anyone else on the radar for 2018-19....?
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Nike has put a crazy amount of money into Oregon. It's a fairly brilliant plan. They turned Oregon into a force in football and track, and to a lesser extent in basketball as an advertising campaign. Really its probably a very cost-effective nationwide marketing campaign.
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UTEP offered 6'3" SG Landon Goesling grad transfer from St Edwards (Div II). Averaged 23 pts a game, 39% from 3. He originally signed with App St and transferred after his Soph year. Also being recruited by Houston. Several more names have become available on the Grad Transfer market in the last few days, I'm confident Terry will get a couple of impact players out of here.
Fairly up to date Grad Transfer tracker.
https://gradtransfertracker.com/potential-transfers-1/ (https://gradtransfertracker.com/potential-transfers-1/)
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It looks like the recruiting is done for the year. I don't think we will see anything until a month before the season starts. That means if we do see anybody, he will just be a filler complimenting our current players.
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Any buzz on the football team? Thank you for keeping the trickle of information coming on all things Miners.
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Goesling signed with Houston.
UTEP offered 6'3" SG Landon Goesling grad transfer from St Edwards (Div II). Averaged 23 pts a game, 39% from 3. He originally signed with App St and transferred after his Soph year. Also being recruited by Houston. Several more names have become available on the Grad Transfer market in the last few days, I'm confident Terry will get a couple of impact players out of here.
Fairly up to date Grad Transfer tracker.
https://gradtransfertracker.com/potential-transfers-1/ (https://gradtransfertracker.com/potential-transfers-1/)
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I don't think any of us are sad about Goesling. We have the guards. If it was a 6'10" kid we lost, then I'd be a bit more upset.
Saw that Goesling went to St. Edwards per Verbal Commits.
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It seems apparent that Terry is still looking for a strong 3 pt shooter with him looking at this kid and the JC player Perez from a week or so ago. Goesling is transferring from St Edwards, VerbalCommits just got the memo that he transferred from App St to St Edwards and updated their site, he signed with UH. Agree we need a big dude who can step in right away.
I don't think any of us are sad about Goesling. We have the guards. If it was a 6'10" kid we lost, then I'd be a bit more upset.
Saw that Goesling went to St. Edwards per Verbal Commits.
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Agree on the need for a big man. However, I think the game has transitioned a bit, at least for the mid-majors. Pretty nearly every mid major that has made a deep run in recent years has done it by having a crap ton of three point shooters on their team that force the game to spread out and be wide open. On those teams, 1-4 can all shoot the three. You have lots of gunners so if someone's cold, you keep sticking other guys in until you find who has the hot hand on that day.
Also, I would say that's the one area that has sucked most consistently under CTF. If we found a top shooter I'd take him. But I wouldn't just sign a warm body that's just OK from 3. A guy that was 39% from 3 in Div II is a warm body.
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Reading more on tweets that Bryson Williams is being courted by Oregon, Arizona, & UTEP. I with we have a 10% shot in getting the kid at best. He must really be a stud. The kid would take over Thomas's position right away. Like I said before, we move on.
I was also looking at clips of the Canadian kid and Odigie. I really like them both, but they are going to get in early foul trouble often. If Terry plays 3 good shooters, it will take off a lot of pressure from the paint.
Osborne, Hawkins, and Gilyard are OK shooters. Not good. I think the 1st year will be as interesting as the football team.
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I have seen some stuff tying UTEP to 6'11" Nick Marshall. He played a year at Memphis then transferred to a JUCO. When he first came out of high school he was a top 100 recruit with 4*. Would be a great late pick up if we get him.
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Agree on the need for a big man. However, I think the game has transitioned a bit, at least for the mid-majors. Pretty nearly every mid major that has made a deep run in recent years has done it by having a crap ton of three point shooters on their team that force the game to spread out and be wide open. On those teams, 1-4 can all shoot the three. You have lots of gunners so if someone's cold, you keep sticking other guys in until you find who has the hot hand on that day.
Also, I would say that's the one area that has sucked most consistently under CTF. If we found a top shooter I'd take him. But I wouldn't just sign a warm body that's just OK from 3. A guy that was 39% from 3 in Div II is a warm body.
Getting decent 3-point shooters at UTEP has always puzzled me. My university never seemed to have any problem getting those guys. In fact, one year SHSU played Kentucky (there, of course) and one of the SHSU guards set a Rupp Arena record for most 3-pointers made in a game. Yeah, they lost of course, but UK could not guard the guy.
lieb
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I agree with you, lieb. It seems like forever since we had a kid that could just drop bombs at will when needed.
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To respond to Stan, that Marshall kid was being recruited by Floyd last year. All has dropped since. Nothing from Terry or staff on working this kid.
I'm also with Lieb on the shooter issue. Those kid of kids are a dime a dozen, but they end up everywhere else. I would actually take a scorer over a shooter all day long. Antoine Gillespie, Omar Thomas, & Stefon Jackson come to mind. Those guys could put up points whenever they wanted. We haven't had that guy since Stefon.
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I blame the coach. How many times did we lose the ball to the time clock just because Floyd didn't want to shoot before most of the clock had disappeared. How many times did I yell at them to shoot because it was at the 10 second mark. I just hope Terry doesn't have that stupid mindset that used to drive me crazy. A shooter cannot wait until the last seconds to take a good shot, all he'll really do it chuck it towards the basket like my grandson used to do in peewee basketball.
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I agree with you, lieb. It seems like forever since we had a kid that could just drop bombs at will when needed.
I would actually take a scorer over a shooter all day long.
Not disagreeing with Chanson, but who would you guys say was the last one that fits Kyyote's description?
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I just remembered Lee Moore. He could have been magnificent here, but didn't want to put up with the Floyd old school bull crap.
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I'm just thinking out loud here, but a lot more SG are being sought after right now. Could it be because Stroud will not make it to UTEP? Just a reminder, he is the only kid who has not signed a LOI.
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Not disagreeing with Chanson, but who would you guys say was the last one that fits Kyyote's description?
To answer my own question, I think the last player we could really count on nailing a 3 was Christian Polk. Before him, you have to go back to 04-05 season with St. Amant and Ayala, and the previous year with Chris Craig.
If you can't make the other team fear the 3, it's tough to make anything work.
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Culpepper was close. With the threat to shoot and hit he forced the defender to get close enough to drive on. A nice mix. But, I was thinking like a Chris Craig.
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That's going a long way back. Funny, i don't remember us having a lot of conversations about it throughout the CTF era, but looking back on it now it was a glaring weakness that had a huge effect on our results. Look at W/L over the last 15 yrs vs us having a quality SG. Obviously not the whole picture, but clearly an important factor.
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That's going a long way back. Funny, i don't remember us having a lot of conversations about it throughout the CTF era, but looking back on it now it was a glaring weakness that had a huge effect on our results. Look at W/L over the last 15 yrs vs us having a quality SG. Obviously not the whole picture, but clearly an important factor.
Which makes me wonder if Floyd considered 3-point shooting some sort of passing fad. But that might be unfair on my part as I have not been able to see too many UTEP games in the past 10 - 15 years. The one or two I did see on TV had UTEP players taking 3’s but not being very successful at making them.
My hope is that the new head coach can make watching Miner basketball fun again.
lieb
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I think SG was that position that Floyde was always trying to fill with a 4-5 star recruit and could never get on campus.
Personally, I thought it was important, but not the be-all and end-all. If you live by the three you die by the three. I thought living by the three was how the 3rd tier of schools had a chance to win. However, I am reconsidering the possibility that in today's NCAA skewing heavily towards a spread offense with lots of 3s might be the only way for a mid-major to make a splash. You can get 25+ wins and not get an invitation unless you win your conference tourney.
It's still high-risk / high-reward, but it is beginning to seem like your only chance of moving up in the world is to make the tourney, then make a deep run in the tourney by beating cartel schools from the 3. You're certainly not going to do it by pounding the ball inside.
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The last 4 years of CUSA champs did it because of the long ball. Obviously they had a mix of speed & defense. We can't live on 1 good shooter. When that shooter is off, you need others to fill in.
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The game of basketball hasn't changed but the style certainly has. It is all about analytics now. A team needs 5 guys that can shoot the three. Can anybody name an NBA player that is a low post presence? The game started to change with Kevin Garnett, and it continued with Dirk, Bosh and the change was completed with KD. When people bring up the idea that you need a big to rebound I disagree. You need a guy with quickness, and a feel for how shots come off the rim. I am not talking about guys smaller than 6'6" just a guy that can get off the floor quickly. The reason that Floyd was not successful here was because he refused to change with the times. Guys did not want to be coached by a someone that was not allowing them to play a style of basketball that would get them ready for the pros. That is why guys transferred. When was the last time UTEP had a stretch 4 player? It was under Barbee and it was Arnet Moultrie. Just look at the "centers" for the NBA teams that were in the conference finals: Cappella, Iguodala, Tristan Thompson, Aaron Baynes. I think Kaosi will be fine for us next year. He will defend the rim and he will finish when at the rim when he gets the chance to. The percentage say even if you shoot 38% from three point that is better than shooting 60% for inside the arc. Last season UTEP attempted 24.3 shots per game and our opponents attempted 24.4. UTEP made 43.4 percent of them and the opponents made .428. Looking at those stats UTEP should have had a winning season but didn't because of the difference in 3 pt shooting. UTEP opponents took 62 more three pointers and made 2% more and it killed the team. My long winded point is that we need more players that can shoot the three point shot and not guys that play with their back to the basket.
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My personal theory is that basketball started to change in the USA during that 4 or 5 year period when we finished 3rd in the Olympics and we also failed to win the World Championships(the time around 2002-2006). The US was struggling against the European style during those losses, so we adjusted and became more like the European style. The European game has always been more perimeter based, with big men shooting outside and stretching the floor. The US learned to adjust to that style and implemented it during those years when we struggled against it. Now that style is a big part of our game and our adjustment to it has helped us to re-establish our dominance again in the Olympics and World Championships. There also are more Europeans playing in the USA now, compared to 15 years ago, which has also helped incorporate that influence here.
An example of this was during the NBA draft last night, when a 6'7" guy got drafted, they mentioned that he might be able to play the 5 position when that team plays small ball. It got me thinking that 10 years ago 6'7" was considered too small for a NBA PF, much less a NBA Center. Now the current style of play can allow for a 6'7" center who also helps stretch the floor.
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Great comments here guys. I love the insight you can get on this board. People that are truly students of the game.
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Just to keep the discussion going maybe, but I don't think the time has passed for a bruiser inside. Tony Barbie played a style of basketball in which Character was a beast in the paint. Hunter never hit a shot from more than five feet away from the basket. I think in the last ten years we have had some of the nicest, gentlest 7 footers in the world. I used to pray for them to stop pussy-footing around inside and start breaking arms put in the way mode, It didn't happen. Think about our big men and what might have been had they played like Hunter or Derrick instead of perimeter shooting guards. Attitude! Break arms and see if that doesn't start making a little more room for a nice jump shot. Americans playing basketball are jazz musicians. Euro players are classical music. The two types used to play different music. Now they have been merged. Classical jazz? The combination is still being figured out. But, just because it is different music, a powerful drummer, laying down a pounding beat is still a really nice sound.
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Duquesne transfer Tyrus Verhoeven has committed to Utep per Jon Rothstein!
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Just to keep the discussion going maybe, but I don't think the time has passed for a bruiser inside. Tony Barbie played a style of basketball in which Character was a beast in the paint. Hunter never hit a shot from more than five feet away from the basket. I think in the last ten years we have had some of the nicest, gentlest 7 footers in the world. I used to pray for them to stop pussy-footing around inside and start breaking arms put in the way mode, It didn't happen. Think about our big men and what might have been had they played like Hunter or Derrick instead of perimeter shooting guards. Attitude! Break arms and see if that doesn't start making a little more room for a nice jump shot. Americans playing basketball are jazz musicians. Euro players are classical music. The two types used to play different music. Now they have been merged. Classical jazz? The combination is still being figured out. But, just because it is different music, a powerful drummer, laying down a pounding beat is still a really nice sound.
The game has changed from inside out to outside in. The Warriors and Rockets are the present and future style of basketball.
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Duquesne transfer Tyrus Verhoeven has committed to Utep per Jon Rothstein!
It's a fact. Kid came to campus with his mother and committed. He is now closer to home (Cali) and doesn't look to be eligible until 2019. The kid is a shot block freak at 6'8". I think we are set for success in 2019. Im still waiting on a big man to fill a much needed spot for 2018.
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More on Verhoeven. I read he wasn't happy playing post in Pittsburg. Terry tried recruiting him a few years ago & the kid wants to be a SF/PF combo guy moving in and out of the paint. That means he wants to do what Drammond Green does for Golden State. I like it. It is the direction basketball is going. I saw some clips of the kid & his footwork & ball skillsare there. Let Odigie & the Canadian clear the paint while Tarke & Verhoeven assist them.
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Yes, as we've been discussing, the game is currently all about spreading out the defense as much as possible. The more range and mobility your forwards have, the more you can do that, which creates more opportunities for every player.
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Great story on Verhoeven below if you haven't seen it...
https://www.mantecabulletin.com/sports/collegiate-sports/verhoeven-now-miner/
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Unless Terry can pull more rabbits out of his hat, I think we are done with 2018.
1- Gilyard & MaGee
2- Osbourne & Hawkins
3- Stroud
4- Thomas & Odigie
5- Ezeagu & Rayanes
This means we have no room for injury. Also, Rayanes is a walk on Sr and should be good filler for the big guys. We've got lots of experience coming in for 2019 and we should start off strong there, but 2018 is 100% a rebuild with only 4 schollies returning in Thomas, Osbourne, Gilyard & MaGee. 1Sr, 1 Jr, 2 Soph, & the rest freshmen. I will say I really like our freshmen, though.
Anyway, both sports will struggle this year, we have systems in place that look promising.
Have I missed anyone for 2018 that anyone can think of?
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Steve Kaplowitz said he had a crazy wild(man) rumor from Asher Wildman yesterday regarding basketball, but i got home from work and forgot to turn Radiopup back on to see what it was...
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No sites reporting anything, so I think it's done.
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I doubt we're done with 3 scholarships available. Especially when new grad-transfers are still declaring every week. I've never followed this part of recruiting until this year but there's a lot more quality guys than I thought. And with Arizona on the schedule, I doubt Terry would throw these guys into this arena without more firepower and experience. One name I'm hoping to transfer is Deshon Taylor from Fresno St, I read he will be eligible to transfer after the summer session ends August 10. No rumor to this that I'm aware of, but considering the circumstances and relationships Terry has with his players I wouldn't say it's not possible. Still quite a few serviceable bigs out there too.
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We can always use a few more guards as well. New coach means rebuild. Floyd's last few years were not rebuilds & the teams just declined. That was super frustrating.
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Giddy up!! And then there were two schollys left. The 2019-20 could be exceptional!
Jon Rothstein
Verified account @JonRothstein
Fresno State transfer Bryson Williams has committed to UTEP, per a source. Rodney Terry loading up for Year Two.
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A few pics of our bball team came up in Twitter & I thought I would post them. 1 is an on campus pic a few weeks ago and the other is at Chophouse day before the 4th of July. There are a few kids I don't recognize.
Let's use more recent pic.
1) White kid standing next to Terry. Terry is about 6'1-6'2, which makes him about 6'3". Who is he?
2) White kid to the left of Rayanes. He's about 6'5" since his is next to Osbourne (6'5"). Who is he?
3) Black kid to left of #2 & under Eze. He looks about 6'3". Who is he?
I think I know the rest, but if anyone can, will you name all the new kids?
Thanks.
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Update on #3 mystery player. It is Tarke. The kid is at least 6'7", so he is slouching over so Efe can get in the pic.
That leaves the 2 mystery white boys that should be walk ons. If they were big time players, we'd know about it.
Anyone with info on them?
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Unless Terry can pull more rabbits out of his hat, I think we are done with 2018.
1- Gilyard & MaGee
2- Osbourne & Hawkins
3- Stroud
4- Thomas & Odigie
5- Ezeagu & Rayanes
Since I lose track easily, this is 2018 team, and in 2019 we add Boum, Tarke, and Williams, and we lose Thomas and Rayanes? Plus whoever else we sign prior to 2019
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We also add Verhoven in 2019. I also got word that Stroud will not play this year & will have to pay his own way in 2018 as Prop 48. If I had to guess, it would be because of grades. Does anyone out there have names of walk on newbies?
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Forgot Verhoven.
So no #3 for 2018? I guess we play small ball?
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We also add Verhoven in 2019. I also got word that Stroud will not play this year & will have to pay his own way in 2018 as Prop 48.
Thanks for the info Chanson. I wonder why Stroud re-classified to 2018 knowing that he was going to have to Prop 48 this year? Maybe he had no choice? Regardless, that is still good news for us and getting him to do this could turn out to be a major recruiting accomplishment for Terry if Stroud turns out to be a real player. Had Stroud not reclassified to 2018, then it is completely possible that Stroud could have turned into a Likekele situation, where his recruiting could have sky rocketed over the next year to where we would no longer have a chance to get him.
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We have another signee. Garrett Sullivan out of Massachusetts just signed & looks to be eligible for 2018. He is a 6'4" SG. I saw some video on the kid and he can really shoot the long ball. He does seem like a project lacking in ball skills & footwork, but we really need some backup guards right now & he fits the bill. Especially since Stroud is holding off a year.
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Tried to send that out at lunch but couldnt find any quick info on him plus was with my wife and couldn't stare at my phone, the Brazil game and her all at the same time without repercussions... Thanks for the research Chanson.
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Looked at some highlights. He has a nice high release, and a fairly quick setup and shot. I don't think he's going to do a lot of creating, at least in the early years, but he also doesn't look like he's going to need a ton of open space and time. Not real quick on his feet, he will probably get burned defensively.
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The D1 basketball signing period for high school players ended back on May 16th. I’m leaning more to towards this guy being a walk-on.
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The D1 basketball signing period for high school players ended back on May 16th. I’m leaning more to towards this guy being a walk-on.
I think you are right, D.
On his Tweet, he stated he was happy to play for a D1 team. A talented player wont even use the "D1" reference. He can shoot it well, but everything else needs work. Like I said, he is a project & projects need to EARN D1 scholarships.
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The D1 basketball signing period for high school players ended back on May 16th. I’m leaning more to towards this guy being a walk-on.
I think you are right, D.
On his Tweet, he stated he was happy to play for a D1 team. A talented player wont even use the "D1" reference. He can shoot it well, but everything else needs work. Like I said, he is a project & projects need to EARN D1 scholarships.
The logic here is just that if he was going to get a D1 scholarship anywhere, it would have been during the signing period? In theory, there is nothing that would prevent a late signee from being offered a scholarship though, right?
This whole business with scholarships confuses me. There appears to be no risk to the college to give a scholarship if you have one available because you can just yank it if you want. CTF did that all the time. is there still some kind of weird deal limiting how many you can give out per year? I never understood the point of that.
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A few pics of our bball team came up in Twitter & I thought I would post them. 1 is an on campus pic a few weeks ago and the other is at Chophouse day before the 4th of July. There are a few kids I don't recognize.
Let's use more recent pic.
1) White kid standing next to Terry. Terry is about 6'1-6'2, which makes him about 6'3". Who is he?
2) White kid to the left of Rayanes. He's about 6'5" since his is next to Osbourne (6'5"). Who is he?
3) Black kid to left of #2 & under Eze. He looks about 6'3". Who is he?
I think I know the rest, but if anyone can, will you name all the new kids?
Thanks.
Update.
Player #1 is walk on Brandon Averitt 6'1" out of Cali. Kid set a bunch of records at Jewish schools in bball & is a great walk on to back up our SG's.
Player #2 is another walk on Giles Dekoninck 6'6" who played for Belgian National team. The kid is athletic & can shoot, but like most Euro players, he lacks defense & speed. Yet another good walk on that has potential to be a schollied player.
Terry is doing this program right by bringing on kids with proven records with schollies & potentials/projects as walk ons. I love it and I can't wait until our sports programs start picking up momentum this season.
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More on our big men.
Was listening to a Pod Cast with Paul Thomas & he was asked to talk about Eze & Efe. He said Eze is a freak & blocks anything in the paint. He said he is raw, but very athletic. He also said Efe has lost 25lbs so far and has crazy post movies in regards to pivoting, spins, & use of size. He said he would start Efe for his O, but would start Eze for his D.
I love it.
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Was on YouTube and punched in Deon Stroud. Damn. This kid looks like a shorter Shawn Kemp. Just, Damn. He will for sure play the 3 position. His 1st step is quick, he has an OK jumper, but his elevation skills are off the chart.
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Chanson, you know I love you brother, but this is maybe one of the funniest things I have seen written in years!
" Kid set a bunch of records at Jewish schools in bball"
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Chanson, you know I love you brother, but this is maybe one of the funniest things I have seen written in years!
" Kid set a bunch of records at Jewish schools in bball"
That's the only positive crap I could find on the kid. I get it. He's a pretty good baller...for a Jew. Haha. I guess I'll throw my talents to comedy during this down time.
There's only two kinds of people I hate...racists & black people. I might as well throw Jews in the mix.
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I didn't see it exactly that way. I saw it more as a faint(beyond faint to invisible?) praise. The Jews at Jewish schools may be really good for all I know. It just sounded so out of left field for me at that time of the morning. I am very familiar with Catholic schools and the very, very high quality of their programs. That would have been impressive. lol
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Now I hate all Catholics as well. I need UTEP sports now.
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When I was on the freshman BB team at Cathedral HS, we would go up the alley a couple of blocks to practice at the Jewish Temple gym. No, we didn't have to put on skull caps to play. 8)
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When I was on the freshman BB team at Cathedral HS, we would go up the alley a couple of blocks to practice at the Jewish Temple gym. No, we didn't have to put on skull caps to play. 8)
Gym rat paradise! Orthodox ball is on the rise!
https://nypost.com/2018/02/27/maccabees-soaking-up-spotlight-after-earning-1st-ncaa-berth/ (https://nypost.com/2018/02/27/maccabees-soaking-up-spotlight-after-earning-1st-ncaa-berth/)
Today D3, tomorrow Duke!
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Was on YouTube and punched in Deon Stroud. Damn. This kid looks like a shorter Shawn Kemp. Just, Damn. He will for sure play the 3 position. His 1st step is quick, he has an OK jumper, but his elevation skills are off the chart.
So, I was on a website called The Buzz and low and behold Deon Stroud was on it doing a between the legs 360 dunk DURING a game. I seriously can't wait to see that kid ball in an orange jersey. I hope Terry can keep the kid. I think he will since he will be out of the lime light.
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I'm sure you old farts already heard Osborne decided to transfer. I thought the kid had potential, but it appears the young bucks are outplaying him. It's always tough to see a kid go & I wish him the best success.
As I see it, this year is shot anyway & it's a matter of working the newbies. We are all set with the SF position for next year. I just hope these extra schollies bring in some 4 star talent.
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Huge News!!
4☆ Jordan Lathon from MO coming to UTEP. He should be able to play right away. 6'4" PG who is lighting fast and drives to the hoop like its nobodies business. Now we know why Osborne left.
Lathon 4☆, Hawkins 3☆, Gilyard 3 1/2☆, & MacGee working the perimeter makes my nipples perk through my winter coat.
All 4 kids are legit D1 starters.
How did we pick this kid up, you ask? On May 30th, Northwestern revoked his admission & scholarship. I don't know why, but we have him now. Please understand teams like Louisville, SMU, OU, GT, Butler, TT, Iowa St, Kansas St, etc were recruiting this kid hard & we somehow got him.
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A friend at work texted me about him. Kappy says he was ranked as the 27th BEST GUARD IN THE NATION! I am floored by this surprise out of left field! And despite my intense excitement, my nipples remain soft....maybe I should see a doctor about that....
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In CUSA, a PG of this caliber could guarantee success. And make it far easier to recruit top talent around him.
Now to keep CRT in place for several years so all the talent doesn't follow him when he moves up...
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That's pretty amazing talent. I don't remember the Miners ever having this caliber players ever. In the 60s they weren't rated but I'll bet we had a few 4s and 5s that won the nat'l championship.
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Evaluating talent was a lot less formalized back then, I think. You didn't have access to all the web sites and videos of players. There had to be a lot of talent that never got found.
I think Bad News Barnes was pretty highly sought after, wasn't he?
What Terry is pulling together here is exciting. For the first time I actually believe he could accomplish something this year. I won't hold it against him if we see flashes of excellence followed by droughts of struggling however. The following season my expectations are sky high.
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definitely my feelings as well Sis...I'm like a kid counting the hours until Christmas comes.
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A friend at work texted me about him. Kappy says he was ranked as the 27th BEST GUARD IN THE NATION! I am floored by this surprise out of left field! And despite my intense excitement, my nipples remain soft....maybe I should see a doctor about that....
It's called causious optimism & the good thing is you don't have to see a doctor about it. I feel the same way about this season, however, I have higher expectations about the 2019 season. That being said, a kid named Marcus Sasser out of S. Dallas trimmed his list to SMU, UH, Colo St, & UTEP. He's a 2☆ 6'2" combo guard. He looks like a project with an OK jumper & ball skills. The kid looks a little slow for my taste, but in Terry I must trust.
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Wonder if he's related to Jason and Jeryl Sasser out of the Dallas area? Sometimes genetics take over. I'd sign anyone with Cromartie genes to play football.
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Wonder if he's related to Jason and Jeryl Sasser out of the Dallas area? Sometimes genetics take over. I'd sign anyone with Cromartie genes to play football.
I read a write up that Jason is his uncle & his high school HC. And no, he doesn't have his uncles skills. Not yet, anyway.
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Jordan Lathon is officially on UTEPS roster.
https://utepathletics.com/roster.aspx?roster=1136&path=mbball
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I little birdy told me that McGee has improved so much that he might just get the start over Gilyard. The 1 position is super important & I'm happy those 2 are battling.
So...here is how I see the line up starting.
1-McGee
2-Hawkins
3-Lathon
4-Thomas
5-Odigie
I read my entry and it occurred to me that we only have two other schollied players in Ezeagu & Gilyard. The rest are walk ons. Yes, these players are young and have proven skills, but to have walk ons as back ups to only 7 schollied kids is going to be interesting. Terry is going to want to play up tempo ball and the walk ons will slow it down or make most of the mistakes.
I like our current players and how we are set up for the future, but this year is going to be long. I think we all are prepared for that. Like I said before, I will be looking more at new player development than I will wins this year.
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Sports is coming up & no one is communicating on this board.
Let me get it started.
Within the last week, 3 recruits PF's have rejected UTEP for 2019 play. One of them being a 3☆ player.
I have a reasonable theory on that.
Terry put too much energy and big talent into the PF position for 2019 that no one thinks they'll have a chance to start. Especially with William's & Tarke waiting in the wings. I also don't think Terry is pushing hard at those positions right now either. Let's face it, big talent has shown interest & sign with Terry & company. If they really pushed it, UTEP would be too 3 choices for most recruits.
I think it's time for fans to put less interest in recruits (for now) & concentrate on who we have & how we are going to play in 2018.
Has anyone seen a practice? No other sites are reporting status, etc.
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Not a whole lot to say right now Chans. Pieces are in place and both football and basketball programs seem to have made great strides to bring in talent. Guess we're waiting for the other shoe to drop--for play to begin. Its clear that football will have the harder road, but to see any improvement and a more entertaining style will satisfy a lot of us this year. I'm still as excited as hell and sincerely hope that UTEP's new president will allow for growth in athletics. Our current university president made ground-breaking changes to UTEP academics. I have the feeling that somehow athletics paid a price for those advancements.
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I share Dawgmas very insightful post. There's nothing to post about as we only have the names and some videos of their play but that's high school and that level is way below Div 1 sports. It's like going from college to pro, the level is not even close.
But, I'm sure as soon as the first kickoff starts we'll be here lauding or criticizing our team. ;)
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I am going to make a bold prediction. Kugler built his offensive line and was running against teams that knew he refused to pass. Our new coach has a bruiser son running back. Difference is, this coach will throw passes and the amount that puts teams on their heels will be huge. The first game will set some kind of UTEP record. The power will be unleashed. May even make up for the damned orange uni's.
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just don't be predictable. That's huge. The last OC we had that you couldn't be certain what the play was given down, distance, and formation was Eric Price. Prior to him, the last non-predictable OC might have been Dirk Koetter.
The two most predictable OCs may have both been named Patrick Higgins. To be fair, the 2nd time may have been more Kug's fault.
I am noticing a strong correlation between success vs failure and predictability of the offense.
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Back to basketball.
I was reading other sites & a good question was brought up. In regards to players, did we gain better than we lost? The answer to this question should get us an educated guess on if we do better than last year.
My answer is Yes.
Willms- hurt & weak. V Ezeagu- strong & hungry
Omega- quick but hurt V Lathon- = to Omega, but healthy
Flaggert- good D no O V Hawkins- good O & D is a ?
Osborne- good shot, weak & no D V Odigie- a scoring bruiser
Here is the deciding factor
Floyd- XO master but lost touch w/players, the game, & fans
V Terry- In tune w/college game & players. XOs=?
Based on players & coaches, we have a better squad this year. Which means we should have more wins.
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Just the big fact that Terry has been able to keep those players he sign tells me a lot. Those players seem to be hungry and ready to listen to their coach. I rate the talent much better even though we haven't seen them play a quarter of D1 ball. I think those big centers is what was needed the most as we couldn't even keep up with the ones Enemas U had. I think we'll compare favorably against them now...I hope.
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Not a bad looking bunch. That Verhoeven kid is bigger than I thought. While I still have hope that we will be over .500 this year, next year we are going to be big.
Ezeagu- 6'11" 230lbs
Odigie. - 6'9" 260lbs
Verhoeven-6'8" 235lbs
Williams- 6'8" 235lbs
Tarke- 6'7" 230lbs
That Lathon kid looks like he will be a problem to guard. Whike we have size & ball control, at this point Terry should be looking for deep ball shooters.
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I'm going to write here a bit more. If I don't, my sanity will be lost because of our football team. As you know, we picked up a few shooters for next year. One out of San Antonio and the other out of Houston. We should be good to go for the next 3-4 years. We have size, ball skills, shooting, and speed. That all needs to come together with some defense. The basketball season can't start soon enough, because I know for a fact they will win some basketball games this year. We have a lot of new developmental kids, but those kids have the talent to transition quicker than the two year minimum we are used to seeing with Floyd. I'm willing to bet that rebounding will be Terrys point of emphasis. I know this because a run and gun team is dependent on the rebound. Unfortunatetly, defense sometimes suffers and takes a back seat to scoring and rebounding. I just hope our kids are willing to work through the defensive woes.
Has anyone been to an open gym practice to see what these kids look like?
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I am excited. I'm sure this team will lose some games they shouldn't, but they may win a couple they shouldn't as well. We will be getting a sneak preview of next year, and the years to come.
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So, a few months ago i ran into Tarke and Williams. Both of those kids are built like Derick Caracter. Just strong. I don't know what there footwork is like, but if it's good, then we should have a great inside scoring game and rebounding game. Odigie is also a really big kid. He just needs to get those 1st year jitters out of the way. Ezeagu is just flat out beast mode. He will for sure be that big man athletic spark. He's our Denis Rodman without the tats and funky hair. He's gonna be loud, obnoxious, and will get the crowd pumped after a block or a dunk. How can you not like that kind of energy?
I really don't know what Ryaness will bring except relief for Odigie and Ezeagu this year. When I find out more about the guards, I'll post, but on paper they look very run and gun type of guys.
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So, a few months ago i ran into Tarke and Williams. Both of those kids are built like Derick Caracter. Just strong. I don't know what there footwork is like, but if it's good, then we should have a great inside scoring game and rebounding game. Odigie is also a really big kid. He just needs to get those 1st year jitters out of the way. Ezeagu is just flat out beast mode. He will for sure be that big man athletic spark. He's our Denis Rodman without the tats and funky hair. He's gonna be loud, obnoxious, and will get the crowd pumped after a block or a dunk. How can you not like that kind of energy?
I really don't know what Ryaness will bring except relief for Odigie and Ezeagu this year. When I find out more about the guards, I'll post, but on paper they look very run and gun type of guys.
I also saw a few BB players and one of them especially was HUGE! He was almost as big sideways as height wise. I think Character would look puny next to him. We have to teach this kid to take those charges that the guy that left was good at. He'd be a wall.
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We have to teach this kid to take those charges that the guy that left was good at. He'd be a wall.
Flaggert?
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We have to teach this kid to take those charges that the guy that left was good at. He'd be a wall.
Flaggert?
That's the one. Thanks.
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Was roaming around in the Twitter world & came across this pic. Jalen Green is a 5☆ 6'5" SG recruit for 2020 from Fresno. I'm not sure about you guys, but you dont see our past coaches with pics like this & top recruits. We have a shot in getting this kid. Not a good shot, but a shot nonetheless.
Go Miners.
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While I will not be getting excited about this until I see him on the court for UTEP in a game, wouldn't it be something if CRT got an athlete like this after all the swings and misses by CTF.
Not bagging on Floyd, but CRT just seems like he's the Energizer bunny. In an odd sort of way, it sometimes seems like teams take on the personalities of their coaches. Here's hoping the Miners are as relentless on the court as he seems to be on the recruiting trail.
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I agree, SISY. This guys energy for a Head coach is off the charts. I just like how he gets out there with nothing to lose. I dont think his 1st year is going to be a success & I am curious how he will recruit after his 1st year of failing. That being said, he has set himself up for success for his 2nd year & I think that is the nugget we all have our eyes on.
In regards to his 1st year, I hope he proves me horribly wrong.
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I think he can still sell the rebuild in year 2. He can still show progress and talk about the incoming players and expectations for the program. I think players look at where the program is going. Particularly if they come to visit, they will pick up on the mood of the players. If they think the trajectory is up, they are OK, in fact some want to be part of the excitement of being one of the guys that made it happen.
Something needs to happen in year 2 though, because it'll be hard to sell year 3 of a rebuild if no progress is shown.
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I had heard the Belgium kid that transferred from Fresno St had to sit out this year,, but found this tweet from the twitter feed earlier today. IMO, I think this player and Ountae Campbell could be much better walk-on players than we've seen in recent history. Campbell had transferred from Fresno to Casper College last year since Fresno was deep at his position but only played the first few games for Casper then left the team. Not sure of the reason.
#Blu⛏
@UTEP_MBB
7h7 hours ago
3️⃣3️⃣DAYS➡️TIPOFF
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Gilles Dekoninck | SO | F
Transfer from Fresno State is eligible for the 2018-19 season. Fun Fact: Gilles is from Belgium 🇧🇪 and likes to play soccer⚽️.
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Met with Coach Terry Friday evening at the Distinguished Alumni event. He felt very out of place, but made the best of it. He said this years team is very young and not to get upset when they screw up, because it's going to happen with frequency.
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Anyone go to open practice?
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:I'm sure some of you heard, but UTEP played Grand Canyon yesterday & lost 100-75. Hawkins scored 27 points. It was only a scrimmage & I wouldn't look too hard into the loss only because coach is teaching kids D1 style defense and with most being soph & freshmen, it makes sense. They also played a very established Dan Majerly team.
At least we know we have a sharp shooter.
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A buddy of mine sent me this pic who is a huge Tech fan. He said only 8 played & 3 fouled out. He said Lathon, Gilyard, & McGee can really ball, while the big men seemed lost & compensated by fouling.
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Game 1 tonight. Finally something I've been looking forward to for a long time. Keep in mind, I don't think we can expect to see a graceful team out there. We are looking at development and energy. I don't expect to see much of a crowd. Only the loyal few.
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I saw earlier today that we had a 6'11" JUCO coming in next year named Vila. I also noticed that I dont see Stroud on the sidelines with the other Red Shirt kids.
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I'm not sure if any of you have looked into this Vila kid, but he plays exactly like Arnette Moultrie except Vila hits the 3 with frequency. He was trained in Spain which we all know footwork, agility, and shooting is a priority. I urge you to YouTube the JUCO transfer from Florida. You won't be disappointed.
Anyway, I've been speaking with a couple of folks that have seen practices and all arrows point towards a Top 2 in CUSA and Top 30 in the country. I hear the Boum kid moves like a water bug.
I'm going to list schollied players on next years roster and I dare you to look into the individual talent.
5- Efe & Eze
4- Williams, Vila & Verhoeven
3- Lathon, Stroud, & Tarke
2- Hawkins, Zarzuela, & Wenzel
1- Gilyard, Boum, & Magee
That is 14 players and one needs to either pay his own way or someone is either not coming back or not coming in. I'm hoping Terry can get Stroud to continue paying his way (if he gets his grades right).
So, I put Lathon as a SF because he is the lock down defender we have & is not a shooter. We recruited him because he drives and as soon as he gets comfortable out there, I anticipate him doing what we expected in the middle of the year.
No matter who we lose (if we lose), the team is still very deep, athletic, fast, & proven to play well at this level.
My starting 5 next year, so far.
5- Efe +footwork & scoring/ -defense
4- Williams + scoring, rebounding & paint D/ -foul prone & sat out a year
3- Lathon + D, driving, & rebounding/ -shooting
2- Hawkins/Boum (toss up) H +scorer /-still green B +quick, rebounds, drives, & shoots/ -passing & D,
1- Gilyard + quick, scorer, & drives well/ -free throws, D, & passing