Telep’s Top 100

Basketball Recruiting General50

Dave Telep has released the Scout.com’s post-summer Top 100 High School Basketball players.

(In order of curent ranking)…I’ll take a JJ Hickson, Chris Wright, Tracy Smith and Jamelle McMillan to go with that Johnny Thomas please.

Imagine a core of Courtney Fells, Gavin Grant, Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley supported by an influx of that talent?

Ok. Come back to earth.

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Basketball Recruiting General

50 Responses to Telep’s Top 100

  1. packbackr04 08/11/2006 at 9:01 AM #

    i tend to think that Wright wont be coming, which makes Jamelle an even more crucial recruitment. Dont get me wrong, i want Wright to come to State, i just dont think its in the cards. And it looks like Jamelle played his way into that top 100 ranking. and chris wright slid a little from his previous ranking

  2. StateFans 08/11/2006 at 11:08 AM #

    We don’t have as pessimistic of a view of that quite yet.

  3. RamblinRed 08/11/2006 at 11:14 AM #

    The staffs late start for ’07 recruits has them swimming upstream a little as other schools got an earlier start.

    Now things can change very quickly in recruiting once recruits make visits but as of this week on the 4 you mentioned NC ST’s best shot imo is Smith.

    Of the other 3 the current situation is
    McMillan – AZ ST is #1 on his list, followed by Clemson at #2 with NC ST #3.

    Wright has G’town #1, Pitt #2, Wake/NC ST sort of co-third.

    Hickson – I actually live about 10 minutes from Wheeler. While he has NC ST on his final list of 7 everything I hear has him going to the SEC, most likely FL.

    RamblinRed

  4. nycfan 08/11/2006 at 11:33 AM #

    Interesting list for McMillan. Herb is certainly on fire at the moment in his recruiting efforts at ASU (with a bit of a lucky break having a top 15 target being the son of two ASU grads) …

    It is weird that Smith seems to be emerging as the most likely “get” of those top 4 targets, considering that he is probably at the position of least need (relatively) for the Pack.

    Hickson is a tough read, but from everything I’ve read seems like a strong lean to play in the SEC.

  5. packbackr04 08/11/2006 at 11:43 AM #

    i didnt even think hickson had us listed in his top schools? anyway, I have seen Dominique Sutton listed as a prospect on Packpride occasionally. What is the G2 on this kid?

  6. wolfpack80 08/11/2006 at 12:04 PM #

    I read over on the Pack Pride boards that Smith is making a visit this weekend with Wright making an official the weekend of Sept. 2 and McMillan the weekend after that.

  7. ShootingGuard 08/11/2006 at 12:14 PM #

    RamblinRed,

    You are definitely right about Lowe having an uphill battle. Old Lee Fowler couldn’t have put a new coach in a worse situation—hiring a guy who would have accepted very early after a LONG embarrassing coaching search. It’s a shame, to really succeed, a new coach needs to have some success early to create a buzz to build on—like your boy Paul Hewitt did signing a solid class immediately and getting the Jackets back to the NCAA’s immediately. Thanks to Foulup, Lowe’s team will suck this year and Lowe may miss out on 2007 recruiting which would ensure that 2008 has no buzz and sucks as well. Will 2008 and 2009 recruits get excited about the “new regime” and “new style” after watching State lose to Carolina by 40+ this year and next (plus plenty of other blowouts at the hands of Duke, GT, and others)?? Lowe’s career hinges on getting lucky in 2007 recruiting and/or bailing himself out in 2008 recruiting…Thanks a lot, Lee Fowler, you stupid SOB!!!!!

  8. johnny 08/11/2006 at 12:20 PM #

    “The staffs late start for ‘07 recruits has them swimming upstream a little as other schools got an earlier start.”

    Noticed that 25 out of the top 35 are already committed. Noticed that in one service McMillian interest level in us is listed as low. Can understand why Sid wanted and got any extra year on his contract.

    SFN: The McMillan interest level in us is simply wrong. 100% incorrect. Bad reporting from the recruiting services.

  9. packbackr04 08/11/2006 at 12:33 PM #

    ive never really followed scouting until this yr. will these players make announcements shortly after visits? I mean i know they are going to other schools, but if one of these players comes to raleigh and likes it, could we start getting commits in the next few weeks??

  10. ShootingGuard 08/11/2006 at 12:39 PM #

    wolfpack80,

    That sounds good. Despite my fears and negative post above, the opposite is also true. If Lowe were able to pull Wright, Smith, etc. out of the hat this year with so many factors stacked against him, I would be stoked for the future because it would show that Lowe is an above average recruiter and, ultimately, to have an above average team, you have to have above average players. Not to get the Herb debate going, but, the problem with Herb was that he would have just enough recruiting success to look like he had something, but he never recruited a full team with all the necessary parts (just set shooters and combo forwards). If Lowe pulls in the point guard that it took Herb 10 years to recruit, then I will be very optimistic about the future…I’m betting Lowe is going to lay it on the table with Wright on Sept 2 that it is his job to take with a week’s “first right of refusal” and, if he doesn’t take it, then Jamelle gets his offer the next weekend and it is the first to accept from that point on (or maybe he takes both if they both want to come, although that is probably unlikely since our transfer pg fills the need for 2 pg’s)…Hopefully we don’t whiff on both of them or we are in BIG trouble (see post above)…

  11. Mr O 08/11/2006 at 12:47 PM #

    Shootingguard: How do you know Lowe woud have accepted early? The Pistons season was still going on. He still hadn’t graduated from college nor had he passed the recruiting exam.

    Are those issues Lee Fowler’s fault?

    You are right that Lee Fowler could have tried to hire a coach who could have taken over immediately as he tried with Barnes, Calipari and others who turned us down for a variety of reasons.

  12. ShootingGuard 08/11/2006 at 1:17 PM #

    Mr O,

    The Pistons, college degree, and recruiting exam were never the problem—if they were, LOGICALLY, Fowler wouldn’t have hired Lowe in the end with a start date that was STILL months away.

    The problem that Lee created, after Barnes and Calipari fell through, is that he took us through incredibly LONG and EMBARRASSING scenarios with seemingly EVERYONE on the planet ending with Lavin and Beilein. Regardless of what is true or not, PERCEPTION is reality in this case—Marketing and Public Relations 101.

    In mishandling the Marketing and PR and taking a zillion years to name a coach, Fowler made the program look like crap to recruits and everyone else leaving Davis, Werner, Wright, Simmons, etc in terrible limbo and allowing jackasses like Jim Rome and other media hacks to continue bashing us with “reckless abandon” and say “I told you so, you suck and no one can/wants to compete with UNC and Duke…”

    After qucik whiffs with the big names, a lesser name like Lowe would have been MUCH better served getting it together early. Lowe stayed with the Pistons anyway, so your doubts about that have no logic. Had he been named early, a month extra with the Pistons would have just been more tv time for him but, more importantly for the program, a chance for the future to be known earlier to all present and future recruits, the staff to get to work earlier, and Lowe to text message and/or have recruits call him earlier, etc. as well as save more of the face of the program or spin things better. Missing on Barnes and Calipari were not surprising or damaging. Being perceived as missing on everyone else in the world was TERRIBLE and damaging. I think Davis’ coach was an asshole for saying what he said, but, hey, he said what plenty of people across the country were thinking and saying in more politically correct terms.

    I have hated the Herb debates for years, although both sides have managed some good points, but please don’t tell me there is any debate about Fowler—other than helping get Harris back from ASU, FOWLER sucks and has done nothing, absolutely nothing that helps this program. I can’t see that there is any debate about that…

  13. redfred2 08/11/2006 at 1:18 PM #

    I don’t agree with it and don’t like it, but I guess I kinda understand the hesitation to sign on with NCSU at the moment. But for crying out loud… Arizona State???… Herb Sendek??? I do not understand the draw of either.

    What does Jamelle McMillian, or any of those sign ons, plan to accomplish or desire out of four years of college basketball? Unless Herb Sendek has finally come to his senses in Tempe and done a 180 turn around, there is a decade of documentation that I could offer as proof of what they will receive for signing with the man. If they already have the skills coming out of HS enough to propel into the pro’s, or have no professional aspirations at all, then maybe. But why play for an unexciting coach zzzzz, in a totally boring style of play zzzzz, and at ASU zzzzz, a place with no basketball tradition and not even a rivalry to get excited about, in that sport anyway???

    There is a decade of definite proof on film and in documentation of what Herbert Sendek brought to the table and how too many good players have come and gone without any personal growth as basketball players, or without having any real impact on the program. Some came in enough to get them through, but I did not see the confidence that should have developed with age and experience in any player over his whole ten year period. In fact most were depleted in that aspect after year or two of playing in that system. Just ask our kid who is now devoting most of his to the baseball diamond. If that has all changed in a couple of short months then I say good luck to Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils, but there was never one ray of hope of it ever happening here.

    Maybe Nate McMillian has no desire for his son to play in the NBA, who knows. But if I was him I would advise my son to seriously look at those factors I listed above, and weigh all his options elsewhere, if it’s not NC State then anywhere.

    Sidney Lowe is an unproven, and that is a fact. Herb Sendek is a well documented and proven commodity in coaching who is now plying his trade a less than desireable basketball enviroment.

    I’d take all of the positives and enthusiasm involved with the unknowns, over the headstrong, refusal to budge, and undeniable track record that showed less than stellar progress for over a decade.

    If McMillian eventually signs with Sendek, it has nothing to do ASU, it is just further proof that the university he is working for is not any consideration in his recruiting. Therefore none of these lost recruits we’ve been so upset about were ever sold on NCSU at any time.

    Is that is considered honest effort with honorable intentions to improve the basketball program at the university? The university you’re supposed to develop a feeling for, especially over a decade of time, and view it as much more than a building where you pickup up your check?

    I respected and loved Jamelle McMillian’s dad as a player and hope that Jamelle signs with NCSU. But for all of those same reasons, if he decides not to, I hope he keeps searching. There are too many places that offer a great deal more than he would gain by spending four years of his life in Tempe.

  14. SuperStuff 08/11/2006 at 1:27 PM #

    Lowe didn’t even consider himself a candidate. He just worked as a consultant in the process early on. As things went on he probably started thinking he might be able to do it.

    Herb will have success recruiting players from California. That is a huge state and has tons of talent. I’m just tryng to figure out who will teach that offense without Larry Hunter around. Let’s face it that was the guy was the real reason Herb started having some success in the 6th year. He bailed for a job at Western Carolina. That guy is ranked something like 13th in the NCAA in wins.

  15. choppack1 08/11/2006 at 1:33 PM #

    For 2007 even though we are swinging for the fences we are facing some distinct disadvantages. However, there is no such excuse for 2008. If Sidney’s teams underperform – they under perform. Many coaches walk into bad situations – the key is how you respond.

    I believe Lowe will respond well to this challenge. His optimistic attitude will be the key. We may have to bite the bullet. Coach K is famous for biting this proverbial bullet – and installing a system, that though it failed in the short term, would eventually allow him to attract the kind of talent which turned Duke into the top program in the country. OTOH, we’ll never know truly what kind of b’ball Sendek really wanted to play (maybe we would have seen it if we had signed Chris Paul, Mustafa Shakur or if Chris Wright played for us). If Sidney wants to run and gun and run pro sets, I hope he does it immediately. If Sideny wants his guys to play balls out in your face man-2-man D – I hope he does that immediately too.

    Things may not be that bad next year – we’ll have 4 solid starters w/ good skills and size in Atsur, Fells, Grant and Costner. Granted, aside from that, there’s a lot of unknowns – but I think we’ll be able to compete.

  16. vtpackfan 08/11/2006 at 1:39 PM #

    I am a little more concerned with then others here with all the attention two or three guys seem to be getting from State, none that can replace Ced. Would I like to see Wright and McMillan sign on with Sid, ofcourse. What would be real exciting is to think that there would be a chance someone would come to Raleigh who could rebound the ball and outlet it out to some superstar guard. Having Wright and McMillan receive the ball every time from out under the basket after the other team drives the lane and lays it in sounds kinda boring.

  17. nycfan 08/11/2006 at 2:38 PM #

    If you get Wright and McMillan, I doubt that is the scenario you would see.

    I think Lowe was behind the 8-ball for the 2007 class and has to proceed cautiously — as badly as State may need warm bodies in the paint next year, the long term goal has to be to get top 25 and top 50 players and the better chance to do that at almost any position at this point is in the 2008 class. Lowe and company are a little boxed in to taking what they’re given in terms of recruiting kids with essentially an independent interest in NC State for 2007; they’ve got to spend a lot of time identifying and getting involved with 2008 kids in a way they simply couldn’t do for the upcoming recruiting class.

    IMO, unless State’s program can’t afford to use scholarships on ** “filler” kids in 2007 — better to take the hit in the ’08 season and have the playing time to offer the ’08 class of kids with whom Lowe has a chance to build a foundation.

    That said, State is still in the hunt for some nice players for 2007 and things could become much more positive after Lowe gets some kids on campus for official visits and serious one-on-one time that he frankly hasn’t really had with ANY recruits to this point. Until that starts happening, I think reporting on State recruiting is going to be a bit of a bummer b/c the recruits lack the contacts needed to get excited about State.

  18. redfred2 08/11/2006 at 2:50 PM #

    “we’ll never know truly what kind of b’ball Sendek really wanted to play (maybe we would have seen it if we had signed Chris Paul, Mustafa Shakur or if Chris Wright played for us).”

    I would love to believe that there was still a ? about what could have been but I think all of that has already been answered? All this says to me is that Herb couldn’t develop anyone and he knew it. If he could have he would recruited a prospect with raw talent and developed his own point guard to fit the bill. Either way, if you can’t get the five recruit of your chosing, you get somehow who can at least particially fill the requirements, which player(s) was evidence of that? There was no pattern or anyway to tell what Herb was searching for so I don’t think he had any idea of the missing element himself. He was just continually searching for a nameless, positionless, personal savior.

  19. choppack1 08/11/2006 at 3:17 PM #

    “I am a little more concerned with then others here with all the attention two or three guys seem to be getting from State, none that can replace Ced.”

    Well, you’re already at a disadvantage there. There aren’t alot kids like Ced in the high school ranks – solid student, great frame, super hands, good athleticism and freakish arms. I’ll put this way, if he had stayed here one or two more years, he would have been a Top 5 pick and possibly the #1 pick. He had/has enormous potential.

  20. choppack1 08/11/2006 at 3:25 PM #

    “He was just continually searching for a nameless, positionless, personal savior.”

    I don’t think that’s accurate. He had Justin Gainey on the roster. He signed Arch. He signed Cliff Crawford as a PG prospect. He signed MOD. He recruited Chris Paul – and he had rec’d a committment from Chris Wright.

    To me, this indicates that he valued the PG position, during his 10 years, he had 4 true PGs on the roster.

    However, you have to remember, these days in b’ball – the 2-4 spot are virtually interchangeable. You are looking for almost the same skillset in the 2 and 3 spot – good shooting, solid handle, quickness, finishing skills and rebounding. The 4 spot may not need the perimeter skills – but in today’s game – he needs the other stuff. I don’t think you’re hurting if you have a 6-9 guy who can do it all.

  21. redfred2 08/11/2006 at 3:37 PM #

    I hope that Lowe is out there promoting the NC State of old, and for all of the reasons he remembers, the totally forgotten ones. If he can sale just a few kids each year on those ideals, and not today’s new look NC State where the recruiting around here has said, we’ll always be second rate, just forget about school and the program, but please, please give ME a chance, come play for ME.

    After a couple of years of recruiting for the right reasons and being an example of all the reasons to love an respect the university where he played and now coaches, the kids get that same feeling, one that wasn’t shared or promoted by the previous, then we’ll start to see a true turn around. And in a major way. It may not show immediately in the W/L columns, but it will be mean more to the program as a whole, than any of the last ten seasons combined.

  22. RamblinRed 08/11/2006 at 4:09 PM #

    Probably the biggest change in the last couple of years in college basketball is the recruiting calender – it has been sped up immensely.

    Even 2-3 years ago this time period is when the majority of recruits would be getting ready to take their official visits and make Setp/Oct decisions for schools.

    Now most schools work hard at getting recruits to visit on unofficial visits as soph and Jr and get commits much earlier. (And there is alot more perceived pressure on the recruits as they tend to want to jump on offers for some schools before someone else claims that ‘ship).

    For example, looking at the new Scout ratings. 15 of the top 25, 30 of the top 50, 45 of the top 75 and 61 of the top 100 players are already committed before official visits have even really started.

    With the way recruiting goes now, if you aren’t spending probably 50% of your time at this point recruiting ’08 and ’09 kids you are already a little behind on those kids (though with time to catch up still for most of them).

    That is the issue Coach Lowe and his staff are running into. By the time they got to start talking to the ’07 kids other schools had already been recruiting them for as much as a year or more already. It starts to get hard to catch up unless you make sure that you are spending a significant amount of your recruiting time recruiting kids in classes farther down the road.

    Will be very interesting to see how NC ST recruiting plays out. The two advantages it has with kids still available is that it is in the ACC and can offer alot of early playing time – that should help to some extent. But in the end recruiting is more than anything about relationships. Most kids will ultimately choose to attend a school where the coach has a developed a strong relationship with the young man and has put alot of effort into recruiting him.

    the AAU tournaments are as much about the coaches being seen by the players as it is about the coaches evaluating the players.

    RamblinRed

  23. redfred2 08/11/2006 at 4:16 PM #

    choppack1

    Pattern?

    Irregardless of those scattered through time names and enormously varying talents, at least the ones that actually played in Wolfpack RED, that you mentioned, if the point was the key to the whole scenario who developed greatly in that aspect over the past decade. When I say developed I mean don’t mean came in at certain skill level and left later with essentially the same skill level after four years of play.

    If we had the ability to pick up one two extremely talented high school players every recruiting period who didn’t need further development we’d could have possibly challenged. But probably not. Last year throughout the season it was the center position, Cedric Simmons who didn’t live up expectations. I was never on his case or one of the harping about it but I’ll ask you WHY? Why do you think he didn’t absolutely and totally own the paint? For that single reason, among others, I do not believe that any player at any position, or any skill level, whether their talents be enormous or barely noticeable, would have ever made that big a difference. It was proven over and over again at the other four spots.

    Why would the point guard be any different???

  24. redfred2 08/11/2006 at 5:03 PM #

    ^RamblinRed

    Chris Wright being a prime example of your thoughts.

    I cannot help but believe that if the former coach HAD Chris Wright heading in our direction, and taking into account all of the player development issues that I noted too many times already, that someone with Sidney Lowe’s personality and love for university wouldn’t be able to beat that limited success by leaps and bounds.

    It will take one full season, which amounts to basically an audition period developing some interest in his coaching ability and his style of play. Along with the media coverage during pre and post-game interviews, where future recruits will get a feel for who he is, what he wants for the program, and where he thinks NC State belongs in the big picture of the ACC, and on the national scene.

    In his third season some of the pieces should start to fall into place. That would be a reasonably fair amount of time for a normal coaching change, but this one has disintegrated far beyond that.

    I think the direction that Sidney Lowe wants to take this program in now is no more recognizable to the average Wolfpack fan these days, than Sidney Lowe himself. Besides that Sidney Lowe is no more a factor in college basketball than the university he is now coaching at, he has to present one properly to the public while at the same time reinventing the other. BIG CHALLENGE AHEAD!

    I know one AD who may not help the situation in any way, but he is rooting for Lowe so hard that his that his nose is starting to take on the appearance of a megaphone.

  25. StateFans 08/11/2006 at 5:05 PM #

    Of the other 3 the current situation is McMillan – AZ ST is #1 on his list

    That is not true.

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