SF Ezra Talbert (Liberty commit)

[LJay]

Nothing since December. Well, I snooped around and per Ezra's MaxPrep's page, he ended up at 13.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg both tops on his team and they say he has grown to 6'8. Solid season!

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/tIFeXy2OK0aevk_4rC3Nbw/basketball-winter-12-13/profile-ezra-talbert.htm

[Chicagojayfan]

Nothing since December. Well, I snooped around and per Ezra's MaxPrep's page, he ended up at 13.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg both tops on his team and they say he has grown to 6'8. Solid season!

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/tIFeXy2OK0aevk_4rC3Nbw/basketball-winter-12-13/profile-ezra-talbert.htm

he's a really interesting prospect. He's putting up numbers now, but he really looks to be one of those guys who will end up maturing and really coming into his own later, after he gets to college. Definitely athletic and long with the potential to gain weight and strength.

[hilltopalum]

Good weekend for Ezra

Talbert put together a really nice game, benefiting some from the penetration of KC’s guard play. The 6-8 small forward put shots off the glass with great efficiency and knocked down the shot of the night with a 30 foot fade-away walk-off homer as time expired.

Talbert had a great weekend for KC Run GMC, showing off his athleticism and skill-package. Talbert is long, moves well up and down the floor and is versatile on offense. He can spot up for three’s on the outside and knock them down consistently, or he can go inside and finish around the hoops as he did often this weekend. He had a great 17-point effort in one of KC’s wins Saturday.

[mredle]

Good weekend for Ezra

Talbert put together a really nice game, benefiting some from the penetration of KC’s guard play. The 6-8 small forward put shots off the glass with great efficiency and knocked down the shot of the night with a 30 foot fade-away walk-off homer as time expired.

Talbert had a great weekend for KC Run GMC, showing off his athleticism and skill-package. Talbert is long, moves well up and down the floor and is versatile on offense. He can spot up for three’s on the outside and knock them down consistently, or he can go inside and finish around the hoops as he did often this weekend. He had a great 17-point effort in one of KC’s wins Saturday.

Hey GTMO are you sure you want to question the verbal commits?

[Chicagojayfan]

Good weekend for Ezra

Talbert put together a really nice game, benefiting some from the penetration of KC’s guard play. The 6-8 small forward put shots off the glass with great efficiency and knocked down the shot of the night with a 30 foot fade-away walk-off homer as time expired.

Talbert had a great weekend for KC Run GMC, showing off his athleticism and skill-package. Talbert is long, moves well up and down the floor and is versatile on offense. He can spot up for three’s on the outside and knock them down consistently, or he can go inside and finish around the hoops as he did often this weekend. He had a great 17-point effort in one of KC’s wins Saturday.

Good to hear. For a while, I've thought Talbert might be a very underrated recruit for us. Length, athleticism and versatility are excellent things - and his skill level will fit in excellently with our offense (imagine him, Hegner and Hanson on the floor). I've heard others say that he would have been on the radar for some B12 and other BCS schools if he hadn't already been committed to us.

[gtmoBlue]

Never said anything negative about Talbert. He has good upside. Should have a good Senior season in HS and may move up a bit in the eyes of recruiting sites/coaches. AND he IS a KCMO area guy - I like him.

However, I wonder why it is that the coaching staff is out looking at SFs /wing players? Could it be they are looking for better talent to meet the rigors of BE play?

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130420/B ... 09780/1001

“Strength is very critical as you watch Big East games,” McDermott said. “The bodies are a little bigger and stronger. We have to make that jump.”

In many cases, Creighton will battle bigger, stronger and more athletic players than it faced in the Missouri Valley. That will require an even greater commitment in the weight room, although Xavier's Mack believes the notion of just working harder might be a bit simplistic.

“I don't know how much of a different approach you can take,” he said. “Our guys already work very hard in the offseason to compete for a league championship and to put themselves into a position where we can be vying for a spot in the (NCAA) tournament.

“Certainly, we have to be ready for some different challenges, but our guys are already putting in a lot of effort.”

The weight room can provide a short-term answer, but Mack, McDermott and Stevens all say they must re-evaluate their recruiting practices to address long-term concerns about athleticism.

“I think the thing that stands out when you compare the leagues is that the guards in the Big East are generally bigger and more physical,” McDermott said. “As we recruit over the next couple of years, adding bigger, stronger and more athletic guards is a need we've already identified.

“We don't want to sacrifice the skill level, the work ethic and the character of the guys we're bringing in. That has to remain a constant, but we also have to try to attract some bigger, more physical guards.”

...
One thing the new league will provide for Creighton, as well as Butler and Xavier, is something money can't buy. Playing games in Madison Square Garden... will add a dash of prestige for the three schools.

It also raises the stakes on a nightly basis.

“It's easier to beat a team that is superior athletically or stronger in a one-game deal,” McDermott said. “It's much more difficult to survive an 18-game schedule if you're inferior in those areas.

“You might be able to hide it or mask it for one game, but it's hard to do over 18 games. That will be our biggest challenge.”

[Chicagojayfan]

Never said anything negative about Talbert. He has good upside. Should have a good Senior season in HS and may move up a bit in the eyes of recruiting sites/coaches. AND he IS a KCMO area guy - I like him.

However, I wonder why it is that the coaching staff is out looking at SFs /wing players? Could it be they are looking for better talent to meet the rigors of BE play?
...”

[/quote]

I don't think your premise works because I really don't think Talbert is a pure wing anymore - he's pretty much at combo forward or PF territory now. He's up to 6-8 and is likely to gain even more strength and size prior to getting to campus. On the list of guys we are looking for I can remember only one that is over 6-5 and most are shorter.

When I look at this roster, I don't see a lack of people who can play in the Big East (the new Big East), but I do see a lack of people who can create off the dribble. Usually guys who create off the dribble are SG/wing players, so if we are looking to fill that gap, it's not surprising we are looking at wings. That reason really has nothing to do with Talbert.

5's: Artino, Groselle, Hanson
4's: Artino, Wragge, Hegner, Hanson, Talbert
3's: Dingman, Harris, Hegner, Talbert
2's: Manigat, Brooks, Yates, Zierdan, Harris
1's: Chatman, Brooks, Yates, Zierdan, Norton

[gtmoBlue]

We have 2 verbal comittments for 2014.
We have 3 seniors playing in 2013. If we give the Dad to a transfer in 2013, we will only have two
available scholies for 2014 - with 2 recruits who have already verballed. The staff is recruiting a big group of 2014 players, including several top 150 guys. I'd say it has a lot to do with Talbert and the other verbal committment.

You think the coaches are just recruiting 2014 kids as a "dry run" for 2015? Wake up and smell the coffee ChicagoJay.

[Chicagojayfan]

We have 2 verbal comittments for 2014.
We have 3 seniors playing in 2013. If we give the Dad to a transfer in 2013, we will only have two
available scholies for 2014 - with 2 recruits who have already verballed. The staff is recruiting a big group of 2014 players, including several top 150 guys. I'd say it has a lot to do with Talbert and the other verbal committment.

You think the coaches are just recruiting 2014 kids as a "dry run" for 2015? Wake up and smell the coffee ChicagoJay.

A. you never stop recruiting
B. as I've pointed out repeatedly, we've had an unprecedented and unusual lack of turnover and we are likely to have some turnover going forward

All of that said, nothing indicates that the coaches are anything but happy about Talbert -- and importantly they are RECRUITING FOR OTHER POSITIONS.. not for his.

Perhaps you should get some coffee prior to tossing out sloppy analysis of the situation.

[AttyAlum]

According to a tweet from Eric Bossi (big Rivals guy), Talbert has reopened his recruitment.