Now that it seems everything is wrapped up, I took a little bit closer look at the entire class and here are a few thoughts/comments:
Headliners (IMO):
1. Gavin Gores (HS, 6'10" 215) - I do not know what type of impact Gores will have as a true freshmen and it's a shame that the current environment means we are robbed of dreaming about what he could look like as a Senior because his profile is impressive. I feel the same way about Gores that I felt about Cam Manwayu and Justin James when they were recruits. In each case, as I dove into their profiles I just felt like we had no business landing them. All of them were not necessarily that highly rated by recruiting services, but in each case I felt that missed the mark. In Gores' case, this is a guy that is 6'10" (saw a comment from hirta in another thread about him being 6'8" but that is from a profile from a couple of years ago. Everything current says he is 6'10") and while he is certainly not a beefy player, he isn't scrawny or underdeveloped physically. I see (4) elements that make me very confident that by the time he is an upperclassman he will be a very successful high mid-major to power conference player:
- Size - As noted, for a college PF, after a little time in the weight room expect a guy that is 6'10" and 225-235.
- Recruiting profile - Had offers from Big 10 schools and that doesn't just happen.
- Athleticism - If you hadn't seen his tape you might worry about tall white kid from Wisconsin (just being honest) but he is quite athletic.
- Production - Dominant at the High School level (35 ppg, 14 rpg, leading his team to levels that school rarely hits)
Having said all of that, it's always hard to count on a true freshman but I expect him to contribute and be a key part of the rotation.
2. - Leland Walker (transfer from FAU, will be a Senior, 6'1' 185) - I really like this signing. I felt like prior to signing Walker that we had a lot of combo/scoring guard types but no floor general. Walker fits the bill as a floor general. He has 3 years of D-1 experience, played in over 100 games, tons of starts, and comes to the Pokes after being the starting PG on a solid AAC team (a team quite a bit better than us last year). He averaged 4.5 apg and almost 2-1 A:TO ratio last year playing at a similar level to the MWC. He is also a career 80% FT shooter. This is a guy that can run the offense and a guy who you can trust late in the game to make good decisions, handle the ball and close the game out at the FT line. I would be shocked if he didn't play over 30 mpg this year for the Pokes. Downside is that he has struggled with his perimeter shot (he can score in other ways though, averaged 15 ppg as a Sophomore at Eastern Kentucky), but if he as a knockdown shooter combined with his other talents he wouldn't signing with Wyoming would he? He isn't a lost cause from behind the arc (32% on decent volume), but needs to improve for defenses to really respect it.
3 - Naz Meyer (HS, 6'7" 185) - Along with Gores, I think Meyer is a huge HS signing for us. Obviously skinny, but a guy that played at a very high prep school level against and with some of the top talent in the country and held his own and has decent size for a wing. Watching clips of him, i am struck by the diversity in his game. He can shoot from the perimeter but I was impressed with his ability to maneuver in the lane and the vision he showed with some passing (not necessarily common among young wing players). Will need to get stronger and learn how to defend at this level, but I think we should be very excited to see Naz in Laramie.
Remainder of Class (in no particular order):
4. Uriyah Rojas (JC, will be a Junior, 6'3" 195) - The mystery man. I can't really come up with a good comp for him. Some interesting/confounding tidbits:
- Production - You want production? You got production. 25/8/5 on 46/39/85 shooting splits. Led his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and blocks and was 2nd in steals. 2.7 A:TO Ratio as well.
- Winning - So what if he scored a ton of points, did it help his team? They went 15-1 in their conference and 25-6 overall. Obviously Cali JC is not the highest level of JC ball, but that's solid.
- Recruiting - Wow, so he must have had a lot of recruiting interest right? Not that I can find. He had minimal recruiting profile/presence prior to us signing him. Why? Who knows.
- Eligibility - With the new JUCO rules, he should have 4 years right? I have no idea because he actually graduated High School in 2021. How does that effect things? I don't know. He was actually announced to be joining D2 Cal-St. San Bernadino at one point but I don't find any evidence that he ever played there or what he did for 2 years before ending up at Chaffey (if we played in a market that cared about basketball our beat reporters would have told us his story but that doesn't happen here).
- Can he play? Hell if I know. The clips I have seen show a proficient shooter with NBA range but I think the 6'3" may include his hair. Could be an Obi Agbim level find or a Morris Marshall level not so find (nothing against Marshall but his JC production never materialized at the D1 level and there are plenty of other JC recruits with similar stories).
5. Khaden Bennett (D1 transfer from Quinnipiac, will be Junior, 6'4" 205) - D1 transfer with solid production (10 PPG, 4 RPG, 35% from 3) on a team that won a lot at it's level (D1, but very low major, bottom 3 conference in D1. They did win the regular season though). A few thoughts:
- Pros: Coaches son (Dad coaches HS), Good size for a guard, big jump in production from Freshman to Sophomore (1.4 PPG to 10.3 PPG).
- Cons: Not very efficient (40% overall from the field) playing in the NEC, seems doubtful that will improve in the MWC. Big jump in level
- Other note: One random comparison is Luis Kortright, a 6'3" 200 guard who played at Quinnipiac and averaged 10/4 before jumping to Rhode Island for a year and then played for Washington last year. Whether that is good or bad probably depends on your POV. Kortright maintained his production level in the A-10, but then struggled in the Big 10 this past year. I am not sure how valid the comparison is but I was struck by the similarities.
6. Demarion Dennis (D1 transfer from TAMU-CC, will be Sophomore, 6'1 170) - D1 transfer who had solid production for a true freshman. An analytics darling as his KenPom Offensive Rating was 124.7 (would put him around the 100th best in the country). A few more notes:
- Pros - As mentioned, he was extremely efficient. Over 40% from 3 against D-1 competition, over 50% from 2, and over 80% from the line. He also did not turn the ball over hardly at all. Impressive for a true freshman and while the Southland is not that great of a league, TAMU-CC was probably better than we were last year (by a decent margin if you believe KenPom).
- Cons - Regardless of our struggles, the Southland is not the MWC and life as a 6'1" scoring guard is a lot tougher at this level. Can his efficiency translate? Also, for all his efficiency, at the end of the day he only played 18 minutes per game.
- Notes - This is a bet on the future and I like the bet. A player that played well on both sides of the ball as a true freshman and I think if he had stayed at TAMU-CC one more year he would probably be in high demand on the transfer circuit. Still, we have to take bets like that while our competitors just take the best players already (TAMU-CC's best player signed with CSU).
7. Jared Harris (D1 transfer from Memphis, Will be Sophomore, 6'2" 180) - This is kind of the opposite of the Rojas signing. Harris has a huge recruiting profile as a former Top 100 guard, but very little production as a freshman at Memphis (obviously on a pretty good team). When you watch clips of him, it's easy to see why he was a high level recruit. Athletic, long arms, looks like he is playing a different sport in the clips against middling HS competition. However, there is certainly chatter that his attitude was not up to par at Memphis and that really never encourages me. I am hopeful that he puts it together, but I am fearful that it could be more of a Scottie Ebube type of thing (flashes of brilliance interspersed with "Cultural Conduct" issues).
8. Adam Harakow (D2 transfer from Lake Superior State, Will be Junior 6'7" 215) - A very interesting signing that I can't make up my mind on. Sometimes I talk myself into this being a great signing with an up and coming player that has some really impressive facets and then othertimes I remind myself that he came off the bench for a D2 team. Some notes:
- Size - Good size for a wing player at 6'7" 215
- Production/Efficiency - Another analytics darling. His FT rate was off the charts (would have been Top 35 in the country if he did it at a D1 level, got to the line at a rate higher than Scottie Ebube as a Wyoming comparison except Harakow is a 76% FT shooter) and he also shot 40% from 3 on a good number of attempts. He actually led his team in scoring per minute by pretty healthy margin, however he was only the 3rd leading scorer on his team because...
- Role - He didn't start! If he couldn't start on a D2 team (albeit a very good one, Elite Eight in D2), what should we expect in the MWC? Another guy that improved a lot from Freshman to Sophomore and is originally from Edmonton so probably a big learning curve even at the high D2 level.
- Final Thought - I actually like the signing a lot because I love the combination of size, FT rate, perimeter shooting, and rapid improvement. However, it's another signing that is betting on player development and trajectory.
Next Post: Center Position
Headliners (IMO):
1. Gavin Gores (HS, 6'10" 215) - I do not know what type of impact Gores will have as a true freshmen and it's a shame that the current environment means we are robbed of dreaming about what he could look like as a Senior because his profile is impressive. I feel the same way about Gores that I felt about Cam Manwayu and Justin James when they were recruits. In each case, as I dove into their profiles I just felt like we had no business landing them. All of them were not necessarily that highly rated by recruiting services, but in each case I felt that missed the mark. In Gores' case, this is a guy that is 6'10" (saw a comment from hirta in another thread about him being 6'8" but that is from a profile from a couple of years ago. Everything current says he is 6'10") and while he is certainly not a beefy player, he isn't scrawny or underdeveloped physically. I see (4) elements that make me very confident that by the time he is an upperclassman he will be a very successful high mid-major to power conference player:
- Size - As noted, for a college PF, after a little time in the weight room expect a guy that is 6'10" and 225-235.
- Recruiting profile - Had offers from Big 10 schools and that doesn't just happen.
- Athleticism - If you hadn't seen his tape you might worry about tall white kid from Wisconsin (just being honest) but he is quite athletic.
- Production - Dominant at the High School level (35 ppg, 14 rpg, leading his team to levels that school rarely hits)
Having said all of that, it's always hard to count on a true freshman but I expect him to contribute and be a key part of the rotation.
2. - Leland Walker (transfer from FAU, will be a Senior, 6'1' 185) - I really like this signing. I felt like prior to signing Walker that we had a lot of combo/scoring guard types but no floor general. Walker fits the bill as a floor general. He has 3 years of D-1 experience, played in over 100 games, tons of starts, and comes to the Pokes after being the starting PG on a solid AAC team (a team quite a bit better than us last year). He averaged 4.5 apg and almost 2-1 A:TO ratio last year playing at a similar level to the MWC. He is also a career 80% FT shooter. This is a guy that can run the offense and a guy who you can trust late in the game to make good decisions, handle the ball and close the game out at the FT line. I would be shocked if he didn't play over 30 mpg this year for the Pokes. Downside is that he has struggled with his perimeter shot (he can score in other ways though, averaged 15 ppg as a Sophomore at Eastern Kentucky), but if he as a knockdown shooter combined with his other talents he wouldn't signing with Wyoming would he? He isn't a lost cause from behind the arc (32% on decent volume), but needs to improve for defenses to really respect it.
3 - Naz Meyer (HS, 6'7" 185) - Along with Gores, I think Meyer is a huge HS signing for us. Obviously skinny, but a guy that played at a very high prep school level against and with some of the top talent in the country and held his own and has decent size for a wing. Watching clips of him, i am struck by the diversity in his game. He can shoot from the perimeter but I was impressed with his ability to maneuver in the lane and the vision he showed with some passing (not necessarily common among young wing players). Will need to get stronger and learn how to defend at this level, but I think we should be very excited to see Naz in Laramie.
Remainder of Class (in no particular order):
4. Uriyah Rojas (JC, will be a Junior, 6'3" 195) - The mystery man. I can't really come up with a good comp for him. Some interesting/confounding tidbits:
- Production - You want production? You got production. 25/8/5 on 46/39/85 shooting splits. Led his team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and blocks and was 2nd in steals. 2.7 A:TO Ratio as well.
- Winning - So what if he scored a ton of points, did it help his team? They went 15-1 in their conference and 25-6 overall. Obviously Cali JC is not the highest level of JC ball, but that's solid.
- Recruiting - Wow, so he must have had a lot of recruiting interest right? Not that I can find. He had minimal recruiting profile/presence prior to us signing him. Why? Who knows.
- Eligibility - With the new JUCO rules, he should have 4 years right? I have no idea because he actually graduated High School in 2021. How does that effect things? I don't know. He was actually announced to be joining D2 Cal-St. San Bernadino at one point but I don't find any evidence that he ever played there or what he did for 2 years before ending up at Chaffey (if we played in a market that cared about basketball our beat reporters would have told us his story but that doesn't happen here).
- Can he play? Hell if I know. The clips I have seen show a proficient shooter with NBA range but I think the 6'3" may include his hair. Could be an Obi Agbim level find or a Morris Marshall level not so find (nothing against Marshall but his JC production never materialized at the D1 level and there are plenty of other JC recruits with similar stories).
5. Khaden Bennett (D1 transfer from Quinnipiac, will be Junior, 6'4" 205) - D1 transfer with solid production (10 PPG, 4 RPG, 35% from 3) on a team that won a lot at it's level (D1, but very low major, bottom 3 conference in D1. They did win the regular season though). A few thoughts:
- Pros: Coaches son (Dad coaches HS), Good size for a guard, big jump in production from Freshman to Sophomore (1.4 PPG to 10.3 PPG).
- Cons: Not very efficient (40% overall from the field) playing in the NEC, seems doubtful that will improve in the MWC. Big jump in level
- Other note: One random comparison is Luis Kortright, a 6'3" 200 guard who played at Quinnipiac and averaged 10/4 before jumping to Rhode Island for a year and then played for Washington last year. Whether that is good or bad probably depends on your POV. Kortright maintained his production level in the A-10, but then struggled in the Big 10 this past year. I am not sure how valid the comparison is but I was struck by the similarities.
6. Demarion Dennis (D1 transfer from TAMU-CC, will be Sophomore, 6'1 170) - D1 transfer who had solid production for a true freshman. An analytics darling as his KenPom Offensive Rating was 124.7 (would put him around the 100th best in the country). A few more notes:
- Pros - As mentioned, he was extremely efficient. Over 40% from 3 against D-1 competition, over 50% from 2, and over 80% from the line. He also did not turn the ball over hardly at all. Impressive for a true freshman and while the Southland is not that great of a league, TAMU-CC was probably better than we were last year (by a decent margin if you believe KenPom).
- Cons - Regardless of our struggles, the Southland is not the MWC and life as a 6'1" scoring guard is a lot tougher at this level. Can his efficiency translate? Also, for all his efficiency, at the end of the day he only played 18 minutes per game.
- Notes - This is a bet on the future and I like the bet. A player that played well on both sides of the ball as a true freshman and I think if he had stayed at TAMU-CC one more year he would probably be in high demand on the transfer circuit. Still, we have to take bets like that while our competitors just take the best players already (TAMU-CC's best player signed with CSU).
7. Jared Harris (D1 transfer from Memphis, Will be Sophomore, 6'2" 180) - This is kind of the opposite of the Rojas signing. Harris has a huge recruiting profile as a former Top 100 guard, but very little production as a freshman at Memphis (obviously on a pretty good team). When you watch clips of him, it's easy to see why he was a high level recruit. Athletic, long arms, looks like he is playing a different sport in the clips against middling HS competition. However, there is certainly chatter that his attitude was not up to par at Memphis and that really never encourages me. I am hopeful that he puts it together, but I am fearful that it could be more of a Scottie Ebube type of thing (flashes of brilliance interspersed with "Cultural Conduct" issues).
8. Adam Harakow (D2 transfer from Lake Superior State, Will be Junior 6'7" 215) - A very interesting signing that I can't make up my mind on. Sometimes I talk myself into this being a great signing with an up and coming player that has some really impressive facets and then othertimes I remind myself that he came off the bench for a D2 team. Some notes:
- Size - Good size for a wing player at 6'7" 215
- Production/Efficiency - Another analytics darling. His FT rate was off the charts (would have been Top 35 in the country if he did it at a D1 level, got to the line at a rate higher than Scottie Ebube as a Wyoming comparison except Harakow is a 76% FT shooter) and he also shot 40% from 3 on a good number of attempts. He actually led his team in scoring per minute by pretty healthy margin, however he was only the 3rd leading scorer on his team because...
- Role - He didn't start! If he couldn't start on a D2 team (albeit a very good one, Elite Eight in D2), what should we expect in the MWC? Another guy that improved a lot from Freshman to Sophomore and is originally from Edmonton so probably a big learning curve even at the high D2 level.
- Final Thought - I actually like the signing a lot because I love the combination of size, FT rate, perimeter shooting, and rapid improvement. However, it's another signing that is betting on player development and trajectory.
Next Post: Center Position
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