While watching the Pokes play SDSU, I started to wonder if we might be interested in a JC big this upcoming spring if any attrition occurs (it might have been the 50-26 rebounding advantage, or the fact that Spencer and Sheperd looked like 16 year old me playing against my 11 year old brother in the driveway).
I haven't seen anything to indicate we are recruiting a JC big (or anybody in the 2016 class for that matter), but for amusement I thought it might be interesting to throw out some names of potential JC players we could pursue. The following list are JC frontcourt players that are productive on the glass at the JC level and have some sort of potential tie (however nebulous) to our program:
1. Kavell Bigby-Williams (Gillette CC) - Reminiscent of Chris Boucher in terms of recruiting. To those that aren't familiar with him, Bigby-Williams is a 6'10" 215 big man who plays at Gillette College. He is currently leading the JC ranks nationally in both rebounds and blocked shots and is a primary reason that Gillette is a Top 10 team in NJCAA. He is a native of the UK and originally signed with Montana State as an international high school player (I assume credit/transfer issues forced him to JC as occurs with many international players). He was recruited to MSU by their assistant coach Chris Haslam (former UW big man and a UK native). I expect he will sign high major (Utah was among the programs reportedly interested). He is averaging 16 ppg, 13 rpg, and 7 bpg.
2. Pape Diatta (College of Southern Idaho) - A name that may be familiar to those that follow recruiting closely. Diatta was a prospect that the Pokes were reportedly interested in coming out of HS (Wyoming signed Tyrell Williams that spring). He played at a prep school in Florida (The Rock School in Gainesville), but has played the last two years at CSI (Twin Falls, ID). He is more of a 3/4 than a true post at about 6'7" 210, but is averaging 11.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg for CSI.
3. Tyrell Williams (Western Nebraska JC) - Speaking of Tyrell Williams, since I don't know the reasons for his departure from Laramie, I might as well list him. He is currently at Western Nebraska JC (former school of Pako Cruz) where he is averaging 11.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg as a RS Fr.
4. Leo Edwards (Santa Fe CC) - 6'8" 225lb forward. He played his first two years at La. Tech where he redshirted for a year and then played sparingly as a RFr. He transferred to a JC and this year is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.6 rpg for Santa Fe CC in Florida, the same school that we signed Morris Marshall out of (I am really stretching it here to come up with a UW tie).
5. Clint Robinson (State Fair CC) - 6'8" 235lb forward. Currently averaging 15 ppg, 9rpg and 2 bpg. Was originally listed as having interest from Wyoming coming out of HS (per Verbal Commits). Not sure how serious the interest was or if we have kept tabs, but based on his production I would guess he will be a high major prospect this spring.
Obviously, it is highly unlikely that any of these players will even actually be recruited by UW much less sign with the Pokes (this type of exercise would hardly have yielded Derek Cooke in 2012 or Hayden Dalton in 2015 for example), but I think there are plenty of prospects out there in the JC ranks that could help us with our rebounding woes. If a scholarship does open up, I think that is the route we need to take (or a 5th year grad transfer like we pursued with Glaze last year, but I can't predict right now who will be available).
I haven't seen anything to indicate we are recruiting a JC big (or anybody in the 2016 class for that matter), but for amusement I thought it might be interesting to throw out some names of potential JC players we could pursue. The following list are JC frontcourt players that are productive on the glass at the JC level and have some sort of potential tie (however nebulous) to our program:
1. Kavell Bigby-Williams (Gillette CC) - Reminiscent of Chris Boucher in terms of recruiting. To those that aren't familiar with him, Bigby-Williams is a 6'10" 215 big man who plays at Gillette College. He is currently leading the JC ranks nationally in both rebounds and blocked shots and is a primary reason that Gillette is a Top 10 team in NJCAA. He is a native of the UK and originally signed with Montana State as an international high school player (I assume credit/transfer issues forced him to JC as occurs with many international players). He was recruited to MSU by their assistant coach Chris Haslam (former UW big man and a UK native). I expect he will sign high major (Utah was among the programs reportedly interested). He is averaging 16 ppg, 13 rpg, and 7 bpg.
2. Pape Diatta (College of Southern Idaho) - A name that may be familiar to those that follow recruiting closely. Diatta was a prospect that the Pokes were reportedly interested in coming out of HS (Wyoming signed Tyrell Williams that spring). He played at a prep school in Florida (The Rock School in Gainesville), but has played the last two years at CSI (Twin Falls, ID). He is more of a 3/4 than a true post at about 6'7" 210, but is averaging 11.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg for CSI.
3. Tyrell Williams (Western Nebraska JC) - Speaking of Tyrell Williams, since I don't know the reasons for his departure from Laramie, I might as well list him. He is currently at Western Nebraska JC (former school of Pako Cruz) where he is averaging 11.6 ppg and 7.0 rpg as a RS Fr.
4. Leo Edwards (Santa Fe CC) - 6'8" 225lb forward. He played his first two years at La. Tech where he redshirted for a year and then played sparingly as a RFr. He transferred to a JC and this year is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.6 rpg for Santa Fe CC in Florida, the same school that we signed Morris Marshall out of (I am really stretching it here to come up with a UW tie).
5. Clint Robinson (State Fair CC) - 6'8" 235lb forward. Currently averaging 15 ppg, 9rpg and 2 bpg. Was originally listed as having interest from Wyoming coming out of HS (per Verbal Commits). Not sure how serious the interest was or if we have kept tabs, but based on his production I would guess he will be a high major prospect this spring.
Obviously, it is highly unlikely that any of these players will even actually be recruited by UW much less sign with the Pokes (this type of exercise would hardly have yielded Derek Cooke in 2012 or Hayden Dalton in 2015 for example), but I think there are plenty of prospects out there in the JC ranks that could help us with our rebounding woes. If a scholarship does open up, I think that is the route we need to take (or a 5th year grad transfer like we pursued with Glaze last year, but I can't predict right now who will be available).
