2017 Recruiting - Overview thread

[ictjay]

O sparkling comments/reports on my boy Slam Dunkum. Assuming he will continue on as a walk on.

[gtmoBlue]

I like him. He's got a bit of attitude (in the paint) to go along with some upside. He's 7-0 and 235 now, with a bit of chowing down he'll be 250 by next January. He's got some skills and mainly needs to be a defensive presence next season. With good chow, Weight training & conditioning, and good coaching ol' Slam will be as servicable as Artino and Groselle (both of whom are Euro Pros today). That will be great for the team and for Slam.

I don't expect a 2017 scholie to be available as several 2017 hs and juco bigs are on the radar (and Tugs), but Sam may get a 2018 ride depending on how he does in 2nd Semester of 2017-18 season. He's gonna be a good Jay.

[vivid_dude]

Next person to suggest Patton is leaving for NBA after this season get a slap in the face. He has a lot to develop still. He is a prospect at this point. Not a polished product.

How do you have time to do anything else with all the slapping you've been doing recently?

[LJay]

Bwahahahaha, Dunkum weighs about a buck ninety ... tops!!

He is one skinny dude. Thing is, I don't think he has the frame to put on much weight.

[fritzpointer]

per twitter Jays Staff was in to watch New Mexico JC and South Plains. Don't know who we were watching. Go Jays!

[JacobPadilla]

per twitter Jays Staff was in to watch New Mexico JC and South Plains. Don't know who we were watching. Go Jays!

Roosevelt Smart is at NMJC and averaging almost 19 ppg as a freshman. I think Creighton was recruiting him while he was in the high school. That's the only name I recognize on the two rosters.

[hilltopalum]

it is rather telling that a majority of the players outside Tugs we are actively looking at seem to be bigs. It's clear that while the staff thought Patton would leave early, they didn't think he would leave after this season. I believe we lead for Epperson, however if Patton leaves Epperson won't be afforded the luxury of a red-shirt year, he will have to play some sort of role being Martin and Toby.

[bluejayfan00]

Hilltop, couple questions. Obviously Bowen is the top target left for 17, so what's the scenario we do moving forward if we get him and then if we don't? And what's your gut feeling?

Moving forward to 2018, who do you consider the jays top targets (realistic)?

[hilltopalum]

Ideally for 2017 we take Bowen and Epperson. That would put us at the max for 2017-2018, barring anyone transferring out. From the sound of Epperson's interviews it seems like the coaching staff is promoting the Patton Plan, ie. red-shirt, learn offense, put on weight and by the end dominate the scout team. That likely assumes Patton is coming back. My gut tells me the Jays would rather take Epperson, even if that meant he'd have to play his freshman year behind Martin and Toby if Patton does leave, instead of the other Euro big men they been monitoring. Obviously if Bowen signs up he jumps right into the starting lineup. That would diminish the role for guys like Kobe and Ronnie and it will be interesting to see what role they would fill in 2017-2018.

If the Jays don't get Bowen I can still see them landing Epperson, and then going after a transfer. I'm in the process of going through the possible grad transfers around. The Jays will need a big if Patton leaves and big man grad transfers who can play in the Big East are few and far between. If there are no obvious big men, or Patton stays I can see them going after a sit one play two transfer if they have a scholarship available. I have no insider info but guys like Matt McQuaid of MSU has seen his role diminish greatly in Spartyland and if Izzo lands Bowen theres even less PT for him. The Jays played bridesmaid to him the first go around, and despite his struggles and poor shooting he'd be a good kid for the program and a nice piece moving forward. The Jays will naturally be in on some of the better transfers around. Again no insider knowledge here but if South Dakota State’s Mike Daum, a western-Nebraska kid who Coach Otzelberger coaches for now decides to look elsewhere I could see the Jays having lots of interest in him. He’d fit in perfectly at the 4 for the Jays with his skill set and shooting ability and is considered by many as one of the best NBA prospects outside the major conference level as a red-shirt Sophomore. I don’t see them reaching for a guy like Taylor Bruninga in 2017 as he would likely not play in 17-18 and they would likely rather take their chances with a transfer. I think the guard position looks settled for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 (Joseph, Mintz, Ballock, Alexander) years so wings and bigs will be coveted by the staff in the transfer market. The Jays are high on Torrence Watson, Tyger Campbell, and Ayo Dosunmu so I don't think any transfer PG or SG would be considered a creighton transfer target unless they were a game-changer like Marcus Foster.

Gut: 2017: Epperson & Bowen. Yes, I actually think we’ll land Bowen.
If no Bowen and Patton stays: transfer best available wing/forward
If no Bowen and Patton leaves: transfer big

2018 is interesting as the Jays will more than definitely be without Patton at that point. Toby and Marcus graduate as well. They will have 3 available spots, assuming Justin leaves. If they do land Epperson I would imagine he will be seen as an option alongside red-shirt Junior Martin. But they will need to add some size in this class as well as a wing. This class is also for the Jays to land their PG of the future. They are hot on Ayo Dosunmu of Chicago and rumors around Des Moines native Tyger Campbell re-classifying to this class have legs. Both have the talent to play significant minutes right away. Jays will push HARD for one of those two. Jays also in one Team Charlotte (Ty’shon Alexander AAU squad) PG Devon Dotson, yet he seems very interested in Kansas or ACC. Jays also in on Eric Ayala and Eric Hunter but I see the Jays prioritizing Dosunmu and Campbell. Jays in awesome shape with Dosunmu who has interest from Xavier and Northwestern as well. Fringe 5 star lead guard with Chicago toughness. Campbell is likely a lean to wherever Bowen ends up, which is one of the reasons I think he’ll re-classify as he wants to re-up with Tugs. Jays are also chasing Gerald Liddel, 5 star wing from Texas. Sounds like he’d likes UCLA, Arizona, Texas and Baylor, but if the Jays land Bowen who goes on to star in our system that would make other elite scorers take notice and make Creighton a much more likely landing spot for a guy like Lidell who has one -and-done potential. If Jays stay in his top 5 and get a visit, anything is possible. I’ve also heard Creighton really likes Torrence Watson who is more of a 2 out of Missouri. He’s a multidimensional scorer. Jays also like Ed Chang the Papillion 4 who has really developed a stroke. He’s the typical stretch four that needs to add weight. He would really fit the role Toby filled for so many years. Lastly, it seems the Jays will be competing with the rest of the Big East for stretch 4 Cole Swider. He is a great shooter and the staff sees him in the same mold as a Cole Huff who is less able to bang around on the glass but a mature scoring 4 with a great 3pt stroke.


Gut: I think we land Dosunmu or Campbell who will have the keys to the car, Chang and Swider.

[gtmoBlue]

Great post HilltopAlum. Answers many, many questions for this recruiting cycle and the 2018 recruiting cycle.