Recruiting, Recruiting, Everywhere

Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe24

This entry helped us set the tone for what is to come in NC State Basketball recruiting this year. In the piece, I commented as to why I had given up on following recruiting years ago; I also commented on my renewed excitement around recruiting in the entry.

SFN is NOT going to become a recruiting site… but the summer months are perfect for some elevated recruiting coverage. (See related 2006 information by clicking here.)

We highlighted that Sidney Lowe was the first in the door at the Nike Camp last week. And, over the last few days many local media outlets have engaged in enhanced coverage of college basketball recruiting from the angle of NC State and Sidney Lowe. This deserves a little more focus from us today.

As we look forward to 2007 Basketball Recruiting, Pack Pride has built a very nice “Basketball Recruiting Board” for premium subscribers. (Link) If you don’t pay the premium subscription, this link to the ACC Area Sports Journal has its own mini-version of a “recruiting board” of 2007 targets for all of the ACC schools.

On Saturday, The Charlotte Observer highlighted that Coach Lowe is learning the ins & outs of recruiting.

…rising high school seniors Dorenzo Hudson of Charlotte and Chris Wright of Washington, D.C., had good things to say about Lowe at the Nike camp. Wright withdrew his commitment from N.C. State after Sendek left, but said he still plans to visit N.C. State and get to know Lowe better.

“He’s a great guy,” Wright said. “I’ve talked to him a couple times. He seems like a very down-to-earth person, a home-based, family-oriented guy. I think he could be a fit for me. But I really don’t know. I’m going to have to go check him out myself, talk to him myself and see how he really is.”

The point guard position is N.C. State’s most urgent need in recruiting, in part because Sendek’s motion offense didn’t rely on a traditional point guard to create shots off the dribble and distribute the ball.

Because of center Cedric Simmons’ departure for the NBA draft after his sophomore season, the Wolfpack also needs a big man.

I had originally believed that Johnny Thomas’ commitment and the presence of Courtney Fells, only a rising sophomore, would have negatively impacted State’s interest in shooting guard/swingman, Dorenzo Hudson of Hargrave Military Academy. Hudson is currently listed as the #48 player in the country by Scout.com. But, some of Lowe’s comments in the article may provide some insight into his recruiting philosophy that may work to Hudson’s advantage:

“But you can’t turn down players” at any position, Lowe said. “If you’ve got a good player, you’ve got to get him and try to make it work.”

On Sunday, the N&O focused on the challenges of NCAA rules in “Lowe is Learning Quickly”.

Lowe passed his NCAA coaches certification test — a required step before he could go out on the recruiting trail — several weeks ago on the first try. But while studying the 500-plus page Division I rule book, Lowe realized he faced other, more complicated challenges.

“The main thing for me is just normal things that I would do as courtesy for people, you can’t do,” Lowe said.

Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe

24 Responses to Recruiting, Recruiting, Everywhere

  1. bTHEredterror 07/09/2006 at 3:00 PM #

    Thanks Jeff. Just to hear of Sid’s gentlmanly, intent approach eases my mind. I like the tone he’s setting. First in, last out. Strictly business.

  2. JeremyH 07/09/2006 at 3:30 PM #

    this is all very, very encouraging. I haven’t said much lately, because many of you have echoed a similar sentiment: this new energy to the program is very refreshing. I can only image (or hope?) how much excitement Sid will instill in the players he is recruiting to be apart of his passionate, growing program. Boy could we use a Chris Wright for 07.

  3. apexpacker 07/09/2006 at 6:39 PM #

    Strong recruiting classes for 07 and 08 may take some of the sting out of what could be a rough freshman season for Sidney. I think his optimism and openness will go a long way towards quieting the ‘lunatic fringe,’ at least for a while.

  4. sf59 07/09/2006 at 7:38 PM #

    call me an idiot… i still think we can be a bubble team

  5. JeremyH 07/09/2006 at 9:56 PM #

    sf, I would have trouble trying to make any kind of reasonably accurate prediction at this point. We have the Grant deportation thing, and how good are Fells, Costner, at the college level? Do we know anything about this Ferguson kid? We really don’t know. Add in a new coach and any assembled probability model is rendered useless. Let’s not forget though, Atsur was one of our best three-point shooters percentage-wise. So as long as his arms are in shape.. sometimes a clean palette really does present opportunities though, nobody knows our plays ; ]

  6. StateFans 07/09/2006 at 9:59 PM #

    Assume the following:

    * Grant plays
    * Brackman is 50/50 for next year
    * Expect no impact from Ferguson
    * Costner is solid

  7. tooyoungtoremember 07/09/2006 at 11:44 PM #

    From the N&O article:

    “No more saying hello to a player, more specifically a recruit, if he happens to see one he knows at a camp or tournament this month”

    I’m clueless about how this stuff works. Somebody please fill me in. The coaches can’t talk to the players at these camps? When can they talk face to face besides home visits and school visits? Thanks!

  8. sf59 07/10/2006 at 12:00 AM #

    Expect no impact from fergie ever? or just until he strrngthens up.

    good post JH. I agree on all accounts. Just think that fells, costner, grant will be formidable. we will be weak without brack though, although i suspect he will play. Hopefullu Ben will show imrpvement and atsur can maintain his scoring even at the point. we will definately need some help off the bench, just done’t know where from at this point. if sid really gets this team defending well that will be a great start… and a chance in every game

  9. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 12:30 AM #

    ^sf59, That’s what I like to hear.

    Good to hear that Wright is really worth all of the attention. I was beginning to wonder if he was just being touted as such by the usual “wait until next year” crowd. I hope Lowe somehow gets a real opportunity and it isn’t already too late, which I am very afraid it already is.

    SFN- I read in an article out of Pitt a while back that said Ferguson was very versatile with some definite skills. Was that all just hype or has he already proven otherwise during practices?
    May be wise not to answer that right now.

    If Brackman’s basketball confidence and enthusiam hasn’t already been sapped out of his body like some others I’ve witnessed, I think that he can be a real factor on the inside and outside. Don’t forget he was a head banger and very aggressive all over the court, maybe too much so, as a freshman. Hopefully he will stick around for all four years in both sports.

    What is the latest on Grant? He can’t really be deported can he? A kid entering his third year of college with millions of unskilled illegals running around unchecked every day? I haven’t heard too much about it, there must be a whole lot I don’t know.

  10. yannes 07/10/2006 at 9:57 AM #

    We have a decent chance for Hudson, just not for the 2007 class. Rumors are abound that he may be academically ineligible for the 2007 (unless this change during his senior year) and may end up being part of the 2008 class.

  11. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 10:04 AM #

    ^Sorry to repeat the same stuff from another thread but my previous post on the C Wright thread didn’t show up immediately when I first checked. I thought that my previous BS had been lost somewhere in cyberspace.

  12. johnny 07/10/2006 at 1:56 PM #

    Thanks for the link to the ACC Journals recruitng inf. One look at the 2006
    recruits compared to the other ACC teams IMHO would tell anyone we have a ways to go. Think Lowe and his staff have a good chance of being successful in time. Hope all pack fans will give him a few years. IMHO in the short term we could be in for a very rugh ride. We won’t know what kind for team we have in 2006/07 until 2007 after the cupcakes are gone.
    Just give Lowe some time!!

  13. roon7723 07/10/2006 at 2:49 PM #

    i know its hard to tell with highlights and especially since he’s sat out a year but heres some of ferguson’s videos….

    http://pinellashoops.com/whatsnew.htm

  14. Rick 07/10/2006 at 4:30 PM #

    “I was beginning to wonder if he was just being touted as such by the usual “wait until next yearâ€? crowd.”
    I have seen Wright play and he is a monster. He jumped center for his team and they had a 6’11” player on his team.

    The Ferguson hype is oh so reminiscent of all of the “sleeper” recruits Herb picked up. Alot of build up about how they are better than their ranking and then pssssttt. I do not expect anything from him and will be pleasantly surprised if we get something.

    As for Brackman, IMO he would be a fool to play basketball. He should concentrate on what will make him $$$. I hope he plays though as we will need him but common sense screams that it is a bad idea (can you say injuries caused by too much work).

    It is impossible to tell how good or bad we will be. We are so guard poor I cannot imagine us being anything other than inconsistent. Atsur is the only guard we have with experience.

  15. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 5:23 PM #

    Rick

    Thanks for the info on Wright but I am afraid he is Georgetown bound.

    Sounds like you too, are speculating on Ferguson.

    I have to agree with you about Brackman. Some kids love to compete no matter the sport and he looked like loved being on the court as a freshman. We’ll just have to wait and see.

    Wins this year may be at a premium that’s for sure, but I’m thinking every player might prove to be better than we ever expected under a new and different system. That would be including Atsur and Fells. That’s my, possibly over optimistic, view of it anyway.

  16. JeremyH 07/10/2006 at 5:57 PM #

    Brackman was much more impressive as a freshman than as a sophmore. he probably has something to prove this year, and will have the opportunity. i agree about protecting your investment, but what kid is going to simply pass up the opportunity to continue playing ACC basketball if not for the pros. If he is on campus he is going to want to be apart of it.

    thanks for that post on Fergy roon. I know those clips are HS, but can anyone say 2nd string point guard? Can handle the rock and look over defenses. surprise us Trevor.

  17. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 6:23 PM #

    I couldn’t get, or didn’t have the patience to wait for the Ferguson clips to play. Impressive coif though!

  18. roon7723 07/10/2006 at 8:10 PM #

    yeah i had to use internet explorer to get those clips to work. in the clips he seems to have pretty good vision and seems to be able to shoot but i could put out a highlight reel of myself and look pretty decent. but then again i always pick a new recruit, latch on to him, and talk him up to everyone. last year was fells and this year its trevor. i swear he’s gonna get like 13 points a game and dish out at least 5 assists. you just watch!

  19. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 8:26 PM #

    roon

    I had read some press before he even commited to Pitt, I thought he might have been a sleeper. Whether he is suited to up tempo is the question.

  20. roon7723 07/10/2006 at 8:47 PM #

    i’ve seen him around campus a few times and he doesn’t look like the kind of white guard that would be able to dunk. hope we’ll be surprised.

  21. redfred2 07/10/2006 at 11:43 PM #

    roon

    “i swear he’s gonna get like 13 points a game and dish out at least 5 assists. you just watch!”

    Was that statement in reference to Fells or Ferguson? Must be Fells.

  22. JeremyH 07/11/2006 at 12:23 AM #

    roon, i wouldn’t encourage him to dunk, he broke both wrists on his landing.

  23. roon7723 07/11/2006 at 2:14 AM #

    yeah apparently he got his hands tangled in the netting on the way down or somethin like that. he averaged somethin like 27 points in high school but was only on a 1-A team so he didn’t seem to get much exposure and was only like a 2 star recruit comin out of school. i meant ferguson when i was talkin bout the 13 points and 5 assists but thats just wishful thinking. just felt like bringin him up becuase i love researching and talkin recruits.

  24. redfred2 07/11/2006 at 10:09 AM #

    roon

    Try to gather your thoughts for me here and answer this question directly. Have you seen something else besides the clips on Ferguson that would make you type a bold statement about 13 pts and 5 ast, or are you just wishing and hoping along with the rest of us.

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