BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — Now that July is upon us, the University of Dayton’s Class of 2010 basketball recruiting will really start to get interesting. For one thing, BG and staff can once again hit the road to evaluate players during their AAU season after sitting on the sidelines for the month of June. I have often referred to Coach Gregory’s efforts as filling the “BG Sales Funnel.” Not enuf quality prospects going in the top of the funnel leads to crappy recruiting classes emerging at the other end. Let there be no doubt about it: recruiting is sales, perhaps one of the more difficult marketing efforts on the planet.
First off, you have to sell the player. How would you like to have your future and that of your basketball program dependent upon the decision making processes of 18 year old kids? Me neither. I believe it was Bucky Bockhorn who said that if we can get a player on the UD campus, let him see the facilities and drink in the atmosphere then we have a pretty good shot of inking him.
Of course, the sales job doesn’t end there. Next, you gotta sell mom. One only has to look at CW’s mother, Ernestine Grigsby, to see how important a parent can be in recruiting. One of my all time favorite UD basketball quotes is Ms. Grigsby referring to Coach Gregory as “my dog.” Chris’s mom has been a goodwill ambassador for the program ever since he committed.
Then there’s the posse. Some players like everybody’s All American Adreian Payne don’t have one — it’s just him, his Grandma and his HS coach Art Winston. Others have AAU coaches, mentors, family, friends, hangers-on, etc. who will have a say in where the young man will sign. Finally, there are those players who have street agents, runners and ‘advisors’ like World Wide Wes or the nefarious Edgar Padilla. Thankfully, BG has not had to mess with too many of those guys.
So who is in the “BG Sale Funnel” and where do we stand with each of them? I actually started this column before Doug Harris posted two excellent pieces on this very subject on the DDN website. Rather than plagiarize them, here they are:
Lets’ break it down, shall we:
Already Committed
Ralph Hill, SF, Westerville North HS
Kind of an under-the-radar guy but has shown he can be a prolific scorer. Think Chris Johnson. What I like about Ralph is that he wanted to be a Flyer and didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Juwan Staten, PG, Oak Hill (VA) Academy by way of Dayton Thurgood Marshall HS
For a guy who played PG himself in college, BG has never been able to close the deal on any of the truly premier PGs that he has pursued. That changed with Wan. Having one of the top PGs in the country already firmly committed to UD (and playing next year at nationally known Oak Hill, no less) will serve as a recruiting magnet to attract other quality players.
The Big One
Adreian Payne, PF, Dayton Jefferson HS
If you look up the phrase “high upside potential” in the Hubie Brown dictionary of clichés, there is a picture of AP next to it. He’s a freak athlete who is a stud on the defensive end of the floor and has shown flashes of manliness on offense, like when he dunked on 6’11” uber prospect Fab Melo at the NBA Top 100 camp recently. Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal called it his “Dunk of the Week.” Everybody has an opinion on where he will sign and when…and everybody is dead wrong. Only Adreian himself really knows and he ain’t saying. Juwan has been in his ear about joining him in Flyerland, while AAU teammates Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger and Jordan Siebert are trying to steer Adreian to Rat Face U in Columbus. AP has certainly spent enuf time around the UD program to feel totally comfortable here and will have all of the tools at his disposal to succeed when he does.
My .02 worth:
I believe AP will commit to UD in September after BG fills the other two remaining slots in the class of 2010.
The Next Three
Brandon Spearman, SG, Chicago Simeon (IL) HS
He’s got size and range, two things that UD can use in this class. The list of schools who have offered him a full-ride thus far is not overly unimpressive but the big boys –- like Marquette — have started calling. He’s already visited UD with his folks.
My .02 worth:
BG has been on Brandon longer than most and that fact gets it done sometime in July.
Jalen Steele, SG, Knoxville Fulton (TN) HS
This two-time State Champion and deluxe shooter has been to UD for games and told Doug Harris that Dayton was the first school to offer him a scholarship and that UD is his leader. Is he waiting for a bigger offer?
My .02 worth:
Jalen better not ruminate for too long or he might just get left out.
Jesse Berry, Lafayette Jefferson (IN) HS
It’s safe to say that a kid who scores 51 points in one game and follows that up by hitting 55 a week later can score a little. Has unlimited range on his jumper. Me likey.
My .02 worth:
If the 2008 season taught us anything, it’s that you gotta have shooters and this kid is an assassin.
Rest of the Pack
Cameron Wright, SG, Cleveland Benedictine HS
The former OSU commit has an offer on the table from UD so he could just as easily be listed above with the other 3 guards. Cam is also being pursued by Indiana (where he just visited again) and Wisconsin among others.
Nick Kellogg, SG, Columbus DeSales HS
Clark’s son has basketball bloodlines in his favor. Too bad he didn’t get dad’s height.
Trey Ziegler, SG, Mt. Pleasant (MI) HS
A coach’s son who is on every BCS school’s hit list including UCLA, coached by his dad Ernie’s mentor, Ben Howland. UD beat out UCLA for Donald Smith back in the late ‘60s…it ain’t gonna happen again this time around with Trey.
Isaiah Sykes, PG, Detroit Finney (MI) HS
I saw Sykes play twice last winter. He’s a PG in a SF body. His recruitment has been kinda quiet lately, although Tennessee was supposedly his leader.
Devin Oliver, SG, Kalamazoo Central (MI) HS
His HS team came down to UD for BG’s team camp and the coaching staff got to see him firsthand. Another SG with length.
Anthony Fields, CG, Detroit Southeastern (MI) HS
Transferred from Lake Orion HS to Southeastern last year and had to sit out the first semester. The problem is that Southeastern is incredibly deep including high major prospects Brandon Kearney and Percy Gibson, so getting PT is an issue.
J.D. Weatherspoon, SF, Columbus Northland HS
‘Spoon originally committed to Eggs over Easy. Has an offer from Rat Face. Scout.com still lists UD in contention, but this ‘ship has sailed.
Matt Kamieniecki, SF Clarkston (MI) HS
Matt has been to UD on three different occasions, so clearly he likes us. The question remains: is the feeling mutual? Nice kid; well coached.
Corey Petros, PF, Utica Eisenhower (MI) HS
Developing big man is the prime target of BG’s college coach, Greg Kampe at Oakland University. He’s a Plan B kinda guy for UD at this point.
Jon Horford, PF, Grand Ledge (MI) HS
Al’s little brother seems destined to be an MSU Spartan.
Roy Marble, Jr., SG, Southfield Lathrup (MI) HS
Nice player with size who seems to be ticketed to follow his father’s footsteps as an Iowa Hawkeye.
Ge’Lawn Guyn, SG, Scott County (KY) HS
Guyn recently committed to Coach Bobby Lutz at fellow A-10 member Charlotte.
Xavier Jones, SG, Gary West Side (IN) HS
I don’t know about you, but I would have a high degree of difficulty cheering for a kid named ‘Xavier’ in a UD uni.
Mike McCall, SG, Chicago Foreman (IL) HS
Not overly big but he is getting interest from some pretty good programs.
Josh Sewell, SG, Louisville Trinity (KY) HS
Same situation as Kamieniecki –- he likes UD, but BG has yet to offer him and there is a line of better players in front of him.
Kyle Vinales, PG, Farmington North (MI) HS
A SG in a PG body; at this point he is a backup to the backup option at best.
Kevin Glenn, SG, Louisville Male (KY) HS
See Vinales, Kyle above.
Allen Payne, SF, Cincinnati Winton Woods HS
He’s kinda fallen off the UD radar screen since Ralph Hill verballed.
Geron Johnson, SG, Dayton Dunbar HS
Johnson has the skills but has some serious work to do grade-wise in order to qualify. Prep school may be an option, in which case he would become a 2011 prospect along with another former Class of 2010 player, Aaron Cosby from Louisville.
Jordan Manuel, PF, Howe Military School (IN)
Got an early offer from UD, but appears now to be, at best, in the mix for the Adreian Payne contingency plan.
How It Plays Out
My .02 worth:
Obviously, if AP wants to be a Flyer, he is one. But what if, for some unknown reason, he doesn’t? Does BG take all of “The Next Three” and call it a day? Or does UD sign 2 of the 3 and go for one of the other bigs (Petros, Horford or Manuel)?
If AP goes elsewhere, I say grab those guards, Coach!
The “BG Sales Funnel” is full to overflowing. There are a bunch of different commitment combinations that are possible. It remains to be seen from the many guys that have been called, evaluated, faxed, emailed, FaceBooked, texted, Twittered, letter bombed and visited, which three will choose to be Flyers.
But know this: whoever they are, 2010 has the makings of one of the best recruiting classes in UD hoops history.
Stay tuned!
That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.