Guest Columns
« Previous EntriesNewcomer Spotlights - Paul Williams & Brett Thompson
Friday, September 26th, 2008
Paul Williams (Dayton): 6′3″, 210 lbs., Guard
Renaissance High School
One of the most talented basketball players in Michigan, Williams will help to fill the gaping hole left in UD’s roster by the loss of leading scorer Brian Roberts. The Detroit native played at Renaissance High, whose recent graduates include Oregon standouts Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston, highly touted Kentucky recruit Joe Crawford and former Fordham guard Marcus Stout.
Williams is an explosive guard with the build for success at the college level. He was recruited by Florida, Tennessee, Michigan State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Illinois, but ultimately chose Brian Gregory’s program for the chance to step right in and play significant minutes for the Flyers this season. Gregory has spoken about Williams’ ability to create and his scorer’s mentality, while also highlighting his excellent defense and knack for rebounding from the guard position.
Bottom line - The loss of Roberts means Williams should team with Marcus Johnson to, sooner than later, form one of the more explosive guard combinations in the A-10.
Brett Thompson (Saint Louis): 7′0″, 260 lbs., Center
Vienna High School
Newcomer Spotlights - Orion Outerbridge & Rashad Coleman
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008Making the leap from high school to Division One college basketball is a monumental change. One night its preparation for the SAT, the next its road trips and cameras rolling. “Newcomer Spotlights” - appearing over the next few weeks - will take a look at some incoming A-10 players looking to make an impact in 2008-09 and beyond. While not every player highlighted is necessarily a heralded recruit, each may play a significant role for his respective school this coming season.
____________________
Orion Outerbridge (URI): 6′9″, 210 lbs., Forward
The New Hampton School
Outerbridge is a lanky forward who has the potential to soften the blow the Rams will undoubtedly feel with the frontcourt loss of Will Daniels. The Boston native most recently played his high school ball in New Hampshire, at New Hampton, which has seen former UNC products Rashad McCants and Wes Miller succeed under the tutelage of Coach Pete Hutchins. Outerbridge played on the Huskies with four other players heading to Division One schools, including Mississippi State signee Antiquawn Beckham.
The 6′9″ forward was recruited by Pittsburgh, Virginia, Miami, Fordham and Saint Joseph’s, but ultimately chose Jim Baron’s Rhode Island program for the style of offense the Rams play. One of the complaints he cited in his recruiting process was that many coaches recruited him as a back-to-the-basket forward, but former Ram assistant Pat Skerry, now at Providence College, saw Outerbridge’s ability to play facing the basket and would allow him to use, what is by all accounts, a solid mid-range jumper.
The A-10 Recruiting Haul
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008By: Guest Contributor, Julian Gompertz
The Division I college basketball recruitment process is the cornerstone of a program’s success. For the BCS conference schools, recruiting the elite in high-school basketball is often as fierce as the rivalry between those same teams playing each other later in the year. For the programs given - whether justifiably or not - the “mid-major” moniker, it is rare to see four and five-star recruits suiting up. Yet with the resurgence of the Atlantic 10 this past season, assistant coaches in the league have landed some of the most talented recruits in the country for their programs.
In fact, for the first time since 2003, the league has seven recruits ranked in the Rivals.com top 150. It is not coincidental that the quality of this incoming talent directly correlates with the improved play in the league during the past year.
(Atlantic 10) NBA Draft Preview - Part 1
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008By: Regular Guest Contributor, Ian Nolan; along with CCT Staff
Thursday night in New York City, the lives of 60 basketball players from around the nation, and world, will be changed forever. For NBA and college basketball fans alike, the names Derrick Rose (Memphis), Michael Beasley (Kansas State) and O.J. Mayo (USC) are the year’s Holy Trinity of the draft. After these three names are called, however, the debate is on as to who will shake hands with Commissioner Stern.
Waiting for their names to be called along with hundreds of other players will be a few graduates from the Atlantic 10 Conference. Below is Part 1 of an A-10 NBA Draft Preview, examining three of six players with draft hopes from the conference. Part 2 will follow tomorrow.
Will Daniels, Forward- University of Rhode Island
Daniels enjoyed a fine senior season as a Ram, averaging over 18 points per game while pulling down 6.5 rebounds. Equally as important, his NBA Draft potential soared in 2007-08, aided in-part by Rhode Island’s sprint out of the gates, which garnered national attention… and coverage for Daniels. Various mock drafts have Daniels slotted anywhere from being selected in the mid-second round to remaining undrafted.
Duquesne: Low Risk. High Reward?
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008By: Regular Guest Columnist, Patrick Herward (Onthebluff.com/Rivals); along with CCT Staff.
As reported last week by several outlets, Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart wrapped up one of the strongest recruiting classes ever seen by the Dukes, adding 6′11″ Kentucky transfer Morakinyo Michael Williams to the roster. Williams played a combined thirty minutes of game action at Kentucky last season, averaging a shade under a point and exactly one rebound per contest.
Williams was viewed as a late bloomer before signing with the Wildcats out of high school. Originally from England, the center reportedly received interest from Jacksonville, American and Kentucky at that time. To the surprise of nobody, he chose the SEC school. Unfortunately for Williams, the man who recruited him, Tubby Smith, exited Kentucky for the Minnesota job after the 2006-07 season. It became clear this past season that Williams would be best served to look elsewhere for playing time.
Enter Duquesne and Ron Everhart, who recently added former Tubby Smith assistant Scott Rigot to his staff - undoubtedly a factor in Williams surfacing in Pittsburgh.
Williams will have three years of eligibility remaining after he sits out the upcoming season per NCAA transfer rules. In 2009-10, he should have a legitimate opportunity to battle for the starting center spot on the Dukes.
| « Previous Entries |
