UTEP Mens Basketball Recruiting

[SisyphusMiner]

Derek Hamilton has signed

[Chanson]

Yup. He committed a while ago. Now he needed to get his big ass in shape. 280lbs is no bueno if he wants to see significant minutes.

[SisyphusMiner]

I feel like the early season might have been different if Hollins had reported for duty in playing condition.

[Chanson]

We might have won 2 more games & possibly an NIT invite. Not a big difference maker. Well...we move on. Here is who we have so far for Fall 2022.
No Sr's at this time.
Jr's
4☆Keonte Kennedy 6'5" SG/SF
2☆Jonathan Dos Santos 6'7" SF
2☆Derick Hamilton 6'10" C
Soph
4☆Jamari Sibley 6'8" PF
4☆Che'Evans 6'5" SG
2☆Ze'Rik Onyema 6'8" PF/C
2☆Kevin Kalu 6'9" C
Fresh
2☆Jamal Sumlin 6'3" PG

That is 8 players with more coming. We have size & some speed. We need PG's & wings. Luckily PG's are a dime a dozen & Golding can afford to be picky. Sharp shooters that can create their own shot. This has been a Miner issue since I can remember. KK is trying to be that guy, but needs more work. We had Boum for 2yrs & his loss will hurt. Who will be the next kid to not be afraid to drive to the paint & create?
Other boards have people talking that Golding has failed with recruiting. Those idiots can sweep my porch. We have an above 500 team with this 8 player young team & its only getting better. Golding came in last year & picked through the left overs & somehow got most of the starters to stick around. He's not just good, he's really good.

[SisyphusMiner]

Other board has a lot of dummies and drama queens.

"Sharp shooters that can create their own shot.   This has been a Miner issue since I can remember."

Who was the last one?  Chris Craig?

I'm hoping Che' Evans will fit that category.  Kennedy will presumably continue to develop assuming he stays.

[Chanson]

The promise of Evans is he is a pure shooter, however multiple sources say his defense is a big challenge. Finesse kids usually don't transition into getting down & dirty on D. Boum fit that bill mostly. He wasn't really a sharp shooter, but he did create his own shot & his defense picked up tremendously.
The key is for Golding to recruit long & quick shooters or scorers. He can make a defender out of most.
When I went to a practice, his positioning, footwork, & shuffling drills were epic. I saw vids of the Sumlin kid & he is quick & not afraid to drive. I'm just wondering about transitioning to D1 speed. After that, everyone else has practiced or played college ball.

[Chanson]

I'm sure lots of kids visiting the Miner campus during these next few weeks. Once all is done, I'm hoping to hear we get some quality & experienced players.
Go get 'em CJG.

[Chanson]

4☆ NMSU 6'2" PG Mario McKinney signed with UTEP today. That makes 4 4☆ kids playing for UTEP.
I don't feel he did enough with NMSU to prove his worth. Kid will get his chance here. Like a lot of NMSU kids, he has a record, but being with the right program can change a kid. If Golding trust him, so do I.
He is a much needed point guard. This is our 2nd true PG pick up & 8 scolley players. Remember Onyema is a walk on using Mom & Dads GI Bill.
Keep them coming, Golding. I love it.

[SisyphusMiner]

Agree that on paper he's not all that exciting.  But he's gotta have a pretty good idea what he's getting into, and Golding's got a pretty good idea what his capabilities are.  All the players last year developed while they were here, so maybe he will as well.

PG fills a critical need.  Oughta be able to win at our current low-mid competition with four 4 star players and a good coach.

I suppose right now my biggest questio is do we have a reliable SG?  Of returning players Sibley had the most consistent 3...   Kennedy?  Right now I think of him more as a SF

[kyyote]

New Mexico State Transferred   2/24/2021      
Mario McKinney, Jr.(JUCO)(RS)(ERS)

Missouri
Transferred   12/4/2016      

Mario McKinney, Jr.(JUCO)(RS)(ERS)

So, he was a four star recruit in 2016 and he is a shown as a juco then he is shown as a rs fr in 2019.  So, is he a sophomore and 30 years old now. lol  I am just curious about the six years(?). Mizzou in Dec of 2016 and he was already at a juco.  Then he transferred to nmsu in feb of 21 still as a freshman.  What was he doing for the years between dec of   2016  and feb of 21?  What class is he and how many years of eligibility does he have?

[Chanson]

Hell of a question, KY. Verbal Commits has him to be a Soph next year. I am scratching my head on this one as well. I know Covid gave an extra year, but he is at his 4th school now. Maybe it's something like Evans where he didn't lose a year when at San Diego St. I don't think he played for Missouri & the 1 JUCO year was a wash with Covid. NMSU swallowed up his 1st year of eligibility & now has 3. Will he be able to play right away, I don't know. Golding seems to think so & we will find out soon enough what his story is. I do like how he is older & will have a chip on his shoulder that no young Buck is gonna outplay him.
I did see some vids on the kid & his strength is ball control, athleticism, & finding the open man. He's yet to prove scoring ability, rebounding, & defense. The biggest & more important question is being a dominant Floor General. JB was a good Floor General, not a great one. More recent Floor General I can remember were Stone & Artis. It would be great to see that again.

[kyyote]

Lol. If he was 19 in 2016 he could be 25 balding and with a long grey beard using a walker. Jk. But seriously he is old enough to have already graduated and gotten his master?s degree playing with 19 year olds and 20 year olds. He should be a steadying influence?  I am just curious how he was able to go so long without burning more something up. Witness protection program?  It was nmsu so lost academic progress would make some sense I guess. Jk. He is a Miner now, and that indicates to me that is has some good sense.
Golding is a stone cold serious control freak I think.   If I am right I think McKinney knows what he was signing up for. Remember that this kid had visions of the NBA coming out of high school. He also knows what El Paso is like. He knows it is as quiet as can be. A person can concentrate on learning here. He obviously has basketball skills. He wasn?t his own constellation because he was 7 feet tall. So concentration and guidance may be what he is looking for. And to trade up in a year or two. No sweat. Play so damned great this next season to be the best player in cusa and move up. Or maybe even wait a year and stay at UTEP and get an education first.

[Chanson]

Was doing some vid watching on Sumlin & he reminds me of Omega Harris a lot. Maybe just a hair slower, but better with ball skills. He & McKinney can be a Hell of package if they both can score.
I'm also seeing why he is a 3☆PG w/VC, but a 4☆SG w/ESPN. He is a score 1st guard, but because he is so quick & has handles, he can transition to a true PG with ease.
All in all, we have a team that can perform right now. The good thing is Golding will sit your ass if you can't D up.
Let's see what else CJG has in store for us.

[SisyphusMiner]

Omega played full speed every second and his first couple years was a little out of control.  Obviously a great player.  But I'll take a hair slower with better handles, especially if he can shoot like Omega

[kyyote]

I may have missed this but if you haven?t watched the video you have to;
https://www.news5cleveland.com/sports/local-sports/student-athlete-of-the-week/student-athlete-of-the-week-jamal-sumlin
I personally have a new favorite. I hope he takes advantage of the opportunity and if he does he will find a whole new world can be his. He may be good enough to play right away. Optimism. They have had him in their sights for a long time.