The news couldn’t have been any better last week when 6-3 perimeter stud Paul Williams chose the Flyers over the likes of several BCS schools including Cincinnati. His commitment did two things for Coach Gregory: it added another quality player to the 2008 class and kept the momentum going after two prior commitments from Josh Benson and Chris Johnson. With one scholarship still available in this recruiting period, Dayton is ¾ of the way home to securing a Top-35 recruiting class. But the last ride must go to a player on par with the other three and that’s never easy.

Fans are currently licking chops over what appears to be BG’s primary target at this point in Lewis Jackson, a 5-10 dynamo of freakish athleticism out of Michigan prep powerhouse Detroit Renaissance HS. Jackson recently crossed off a bevy of BCS suiters hoping to land him by trimming his list to just five institutions: Dayton, Bradley, Purdue, Indiana, and Tennessee. Jackson has all the tools to be a league terror in a conference like the A10 and brings skills that remind fans of guys like Jamal Walker, Shawnta Rogers, Marques Green, and Drew Lavender. Jackson is more athletic than all three however and over the summer had teammates tossing him alley oops on the fast break.

What makes Jackson so intriguing is how well he fits with the direction of the Flyer program, let alone the 2008 class. Thus far, Gregory has hit a home run at each of the major needs. Dayton needed a big man capable of running the floor, finishing near the rim, stepping out to shoot the short jumper, and with an unlimited ceiling. That’s Josh Benson (who sounds a lot like Devin Searcy). The next need was a tough wing player used to battling inside for points and rebounds. With the loss of Monty Scott, Chris Johnson was the perfect fit of size, strength, and ‘get er done’ attitude. To replenish the backcourt after Brian Roberts leaves, someone had to follow the likes of Mickey Perry, Stephen Thomas, and Marcus Johnson to balance the recruiting cycle. Paul Williams has a diverse game and ability to make plays all over the court, which is why several BCS schools were on his tail. It’s another great fit at a great time with a great prospect.

So all that’s left is point guard. The only true PG remaining after Sandoval and Roberts leave town is London Warren. Warren projects as the heir apparent – at least next year – but has a lot of work to do and deserves someone capable of pushing him in practice. Whether Thomas or Perry can fill in at PG remains to be seen, but we already know Marcus Johnson is not a candidate. Unless there’s something fans don’t know (and oftentimes that’s the case), I don’t see how UD can avoid taking a true PG this year unless all of our top choices head elsewhere and leave us picking up scraps.

A Jackson commitment would give the Flyers the best two-year recruiting cycle since Don Donoher roamed the sidelines. Dayton has pieced together Top-25 classes from time to time, but haven’t been able to string it together and carry momentum. Jim O’Brien brought in Top-125 player Ryan Perryman and Top-75 stars Rodney Horton and Chip Hare, but book-ended those talents with slow, one-dimensional outcasts to handicap their gifts. Oliver Purnell landed Ashman, Young, Hall, and others, but suffered the same fate when it came to stockpiling starting talent on the bench. Therefore, finishing up 2008 recruiting the way it started might be a bigger story than we think. In speaking to a reporter near Jackson’s hometown, he seems to think Purdue is the team to beat.

If Jackson goes elsewhere, look for UD to seriously consider Eric Evans, another undersized but talented PG from Michigan. Many Wolverine fans up north have listed PG as a primary target and felt Evans was a more immediate answer to roster needs than Paul Williams. Evans has offers from the entire MAC and is now getting looks from the BCS. Perhaps he’s a fallback option at the moment, but Evans is probably good enough to take if Jackson falls through. Some think Jackson will decide before the end of the month, so the wait may not be long to see how everything shakes out.

Another potential solution is Jacksonville, FL, standout Shaquille Johnson, a longtime Flyer target and former AAU running mate of London Warren. The Flyers have been on Johnson longer than just about anyone, but is the 6-3 combo guard well-suited to one day become a full-time point guard? Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Missouri, Jacksonville, and Dayton have all reportedly offered. With Paul Williams incoming and Stephen Thomas and Mickey Perry already on deck, UD has the off-guard position well-stocked at this point. Marcus Johnson fits in there somewhere too as a shooting guard or quick forward. If the staff thinks Johnson has point guard skills, it’s fair to say we’re still in the hunt, otherwise Williams’ commitment probably sends Johnson elsewhere.

One last name on the radar is a new one – at least to most of us. Most of the scouting services have added Andre Cornelius to UD’s recruiting list and very much like Jackson and Evans, he fits the mold of an undersized PG with serious quicks and a pass-first mentality. The Charlotte, NC, prospect has offers from schools out of the Colonial, Horizon, and apparently Tennessee and possibly South Carolina. He turned heads this summer at the Real Deal on the Hill event and was reportedly the toughest backcourt player to guard. Scout.com ranks him #28 at his position nationally.

Finishing off the 2008 class the way it started is significant. The class could end up more important than the 2007 class because of the new ground it breaks in Flyer recruiting. What it lacks in a bona fide superstar (Chris Wright), it makes up for in balance and needs. On paper, the 2008 commitments might even have more upside as a group. Any way you look at it, things are looking up. No longer will the Flyers be able to excuse losses at the hands of poor recruiting – or even a poor recruiting class that stymies program building like Purnell’s last recruiting haul. It’s the coaching staff’s job to take the talent and mold it into a winner. Those grades will be handed out in due time. For now, it’s an A average in Sales and Marketing with an Incomplete in Management.