Recruiting: Zags reportedly out of the running for Skylar Spencer; is it time to panic about 2012?
by Zach Bell on Aug 18, 2011 8:26 AM PDT
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When Demarquise Johnson's father announced last week that his son would take an official to Gonzaga in September, many Zag fans took a collective sigh of relief. Last night, however, Greg Hicks of Scout.com posted an update on the recruitment of Skylar Spencer, an athletic power forward from the state of California. The Zags have been on Spencer for about as long as any other prospect in the 2012 cycle but Hicks reports that Skylar is is still considering four schools: Washington, Washington State, San Diego State, and Nevada. Wait...what?
Up until this last update, Skylar had made it clear that Gonzaga was one of the leaders for his signature. In a May update from Scout.com, Spencer had this to say:
"I'm really liking Gonzaga right now," Spencer said. "I plan on taking a visit up there to check it out. I like their playing style and coaches. I want to go up there and see it."
Spencer is hoping that visit will happen in the next few months and he wouldn't rule out making a decision if everything goes well.
"Possibly," Spencer said of pulling the trigger to Gonzaga on his visit. "But I might want to wait. It all depends on who else offers me."
Obviously, school lists are extremely fluid in the summer months but I don't see many cases when a kid discusses committing to a certain school in May and then completely removing them from his list in August.
What's even more head-scratching is that it is not like the staff is in on mulitiple high major big men in the 2012 class. Zena Edosomwan appeared to be an option but is no longer listing Gonzaga and there has been virtually no connection between GU and Richard Longrus over the past few months, either. The one player that still might be an option is Chris Reyes (yay! more international players), who seems to be a decent offensive player but there are concerns about his ability to play at the next level as he is a tweener. Hence why his best offer is from Gonzaga.
For as good as things were looking in May and June, they have begun to look pretty atrocious in August. One offical visit lined up and a whole bunch of nothing else. There is still time left to put together a decent class but I can't remember a year when there was such little interest in the program in mid-August.
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Chris Reyes..
PF out of LaVerne CA…I dont see him on our recruiting list.. It seems like all of the WCC is after him, especially St.Mary’s. Seems to be a pretty solid player, obviously not as exciting as Spencer. At this point I would take him, but not to confident right now we can win a recruiting battle. Zach have we been in contact with reyes?
JSH
Reyes claims he was offered by GU over the summer.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Carrera
My favorite big man. Think he’s still available. Fingers crossed.
I really liked Spencer
and when I heard this news my mood went south in a hurry! For some reason I felt like it was a done deal. Apparently not, and instead he could be a husky?!
I wanted Space after we choked on Wiltjer, then was so so on Spangler after we spaced out on Space. Now skylar is quits on us, or us on him. Not happy about this one.
PLEASE do not get that big slow Pole. He looks like KO’s twin brother but ssssslower!
Just save it for 2013 I guess since we blew it everywhere else. Why is it impossible for GU to throw two great recruiting classes together back to back? Daniels feels like dead weight at this point.
If we could possibly pull out a Bennett or Shabazz I would change my mind in a hurry though, lol.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Ok, now I I get it,
This is just proof that KO is red shirting this year. Right?? We are good to go til 2013.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Gaz
Anybody I could beat in a foot race………………………………should redshirt! Besides, I think Coach Few is working on eventually having all the recruits only as tall as he is! This is his devious plan!! Don’t worry though, for I, “The Midnight Skulker”, with my cape flowing in the wind shall scurry into the gymnasium late after practice and foil his dastardly scheme. How was that, Gaz?
Mike, that was perfect!
But yer almost scarin me…get off the coco.
Yer actin like a teenager again. :o)
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I actually think
you are 100% right. KO redshirting spreads out the current bigs and makes getting a 2012 post player not as big a need. Worst case scenario, the Zags lose Rob and Elias but still will return Dower, Spangler, and KO for two more years. I still would like to snag a bouncy post player but it seems like the staff is content with what is in the stable.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Well I hope so, otherwise the staff is losin it.
I do know one thing about our stable of bigs though…I asked Spangler if he was going to red shirt. His answer was: “I honestly don’t know.”
Just thought I would help clear that up, haha.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I saw that on facebook...
and i KNEW it was you who had asked!
Oh Yeah!
Got most of em on facebook. I banter back and forth with lots of them in emails too. Funny guys.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
What we have learned.
1) Donny Daniels is not the recruiter we thought. In fairness to him, though, it is MUCH easier to recruit at UCLA. Top SoCal kids line up to go there.
2) Winning in the NCAA tournament helps recruting.
3) Flaming out early in the NCAA tournament hurts recruiting
4) It doesn’t matter how long a school recruits a kid or if a school is on him first.
4b). Especially if it's Kentucky that comes a callin.
{see: Kyle Wiltjer}
I agree w/ what you are saying. Add in all the recent transfers too though. Maybe the news on Giacoletti {Salinas investments} is also having a slight effect?
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I disagree...
recruiting a kid early on shows your interest, and sticking with him down the road shows consistency and loyalty, not just jumping on the train because everyone else is. Saying that, do kids really care about that…meh..I hope so.
JSH
I disagree with #1 & #4
There’s no way in my mind that Skylar was all about Gonzaga in May and had a massive change of heart by August. If he picked up offers from Kansas, UCLA, etc.. then I could see the argument but this situation screams that Gonzaga said “we are interested anymore”. I don’t think this is an indictment on Donny’s recruiting abilities, I just think the staff decided to go another direction. For as mentioned as Gonzaga was over the summer, there never seemed to be a clear direction. One week we are all over Katin Reinhardt, then its Demarquise Johnson, but then there is Zena, well don’t forget about the Polish big, etc. It has been a very hectic cycle which tells me the staff isn’t in love with any prospect out there.
In terms of #4, I can point you directly to the recruitment of Gary Bell Jr. There is no way in the universe Gonzaga gets him unless Mark Few is at his late sophomore-early junior year high school games. He was on Gary, personally, before everyone including Washington. Without that, he’d for sure be a Husky or a Bruin or a Golden Bear; there’s no doubt in my mind.
The Skylar news is unfortunate because I think he’d be a great addition but I never gathered that he shut the door on the Zags; it sounds like the other way around.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
by Zach Bell on Aug 18, 2011 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Spencer
I dont think you can deduce from his quote about Gonzaga that he “was all about Gonzaga in May”. These kids say the same thing about most schools looking at them.
He said he may commit on a visit, .. . . . “But I might want to wait. It all depends on who else offers me.” Hardly a ringing endorsement.
I just think he liked his other options better. We dont have to agree with his decision. We sometimes assume that it was Gonzaga who cooled on a former recruit. Sometimes they just like other schools better.
I think the jury is still out on Daniels as a recruiter. I think he is finding that it is hard to recruit to Spokane and the WCC when these kids see bigger arenas, bigger conferences, etc. He needs to land someone good if he wants to silence the doubters.
I honestly think we are perceived as a big fish in a small pond. We dominate a perceived weaker conference and get blasted by the big boys in the Tourney.
We need to go deep in the NCAAs and soon!!!!!
A deep run..
We need to send a statement deep in March that we are here to stay and that we are not fading! I dont care what players we get, lets just make a deep run in March!
Spencer is on the back burner now, its time to forget about him and move on. We know there are players out there who want to be in a Zag uniform..lets go get em and make some shit happen!
JSH
KO
1. Honestly do you really think KO is ok with RS…
2. So if KO does RS and come back in the PF position the following year then is Spangler going to be content coming off the bench in his 2nd year? I dont think KO will be content being a bench player. either way I think you will run into a minor problem…if Spangler RS than we are not as stable at that position 2 years from now…if KO RS this year, than you may run into players that are not happy down the road because of playing time.
But really what options are left..JC transfer? there is still time left maybe we end up grabbing a solid recruit.
JSH
KO
KO was very, very unhappy about being asked to RS. He thought about transferring. That has been reported. I think he is only back because they dropped the RS idea.
It must have been embarrasing to be asked to redshirt as a Junior.
So if you are KO
When you look at this year at the 4/5, how much time do you “realistically” think he is going to get? With Sacre, Harris and Dower at the same position, he will get maybe about 15 minutes. Then next year he would get his 25 to 30 minutes. Harris and Sacre about 25 to 28 and Dower and KO maybe 15.
I am not sure what I would do if I were KO, but if I could get a college degree and a masters degree and then play 2 years with 25 to 30 minutes a game, then I would at least have to consider it. This would give him 2 great years of experience to prepare him for the pros. After he finishes college, he wants to play pro, but that might only last 2 to 5 years. Injuries or other conditions may end his career. Then what? With a good degree and a masters, I would think this would open a lot more doors. How many of you (over 40) are in the same job you started? Probably not many, so I think he would better himself preparing for the many years and not the immediate.
"I think he would better himself preparing for the many years and not the immediate."
Yes….this is true. But, this is the age of entitlment, he is young, and he wants it NOW.
It does make sense though and if it were me, I would do it. I would be driven to also PROOVE I deserved to play and not red shirt, and I would show them what was what my last two years.
But that’s just me.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
So he is guaranteed more minutes if he redshirts?
He is not good enough to get minutes now, so what makes you think he will be good enough in 2 years? You’re assuming he will make a major leap over a redshirt year and then step in and be great in 2012-3013. Spangler and Dower will still be here and maybe other bigs as well.
He is good enough
I think that he is good enough to split the time with the other players. That would just mean that Harris, Dower, Sacre and Spangler would have less minutes. I think that the key is the following year Sacre will not be here and if Harris has a year like his freshman year, then he will also be gone. That would mean that Dower, Spangler and KO would be playing for the 80 minutes (@ 27 minutes each). That would be solid minutes, versus this season be would be getting maybe 15 to 20. Also, look what he walks out with (if HE DECIDES to RS). He will have a great degree and a masters to take him through the rest of his life. The RS will not be a coaches decision as much as it will be a KO and family decision. And this would be decided because he feels that it will do him the most for the rest of his life.
Do you really believe KO is PRO material? (NBA)
Or are you saying, anywhere but the NBA? Legit question
Recruting is
Guys, college recruiting is a winnowing process.
If you happen to be a top drawer recruit, you pretty much have your choice of any school you want. Indeed, until these guys commit, the other 98% are in a bit of a void.
GBJ is a good example of that top drawer recruit.
Then there’s the next tier of players. These guys may well be as good as the top tier but for one reason or another they do not actively come into play at the top schools until that top tier commits. The last thing Duke wants is to have a good recruit accept a scholarship if there is a Micky D player that is likely to use that scholarship.
Well the process repeats itself over and over. The top programs landing what they feel are the best players out there.
Now if you don’t happen to be a ‘top program’ you have to approach life differently. You can still get those top players but you have to gamble. So you offer a kid early hoping you can turn his head and establish a relationship with him. This approach has a risk in that you may turn off other recruits simply because they view the situation as ‘not good for them’ for one of a hundred reasons. If you are in this position, you can offer several kids but once those offers are accepted, the door closes on other recruits you might want more so.
Needless to say the urgency of the situation has a lot to do with how you approach recruits. If the cupboard is bare, you need to be more aggressive and take more risks. If you have a long bench, you can be more selective.
Please note, none of this has anything to do with Donny Daniels or any other recruiter for GU.
Lighten up people. You are reading way too much into what is going on out there. Contrary to what you may want to believe, the most important element is the perception of an 18 year old adolescent.
Remember when you were 18?
Nuff said.
mjc
by quidveritas on Aug 18, 2011 8:32 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
Thanks man
I feel a little better. Maybe I’ll put the Daniels rope back in the closet {for now}. It’s just that I wanted Skykar sooooo baaaad!
And hey, things are looking up, the wifey just brought me dinner. Some bbq ribs, corn on the cob, fresh strawberries….heck, I may even have a beer!
GO ZAGS!!~ we may not have anyone for next year but we got hellla team this year a comin!!
Final 4 or Bust!!~
"Winnowing"
Thanks QV……..had to look that one up. My word for the day. Oh yeah, you’re right!
wiltjer
all will be well when wiltjer tires of kentucky and transfers to zags.
Do we really want sloppy seconds?
screw him….he dumped us at the alter, lol.
I s’pose I could get over it if he came back… and after a few double doubles….who knows?
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Micah Downs?
Don’t burn any bridges unless you absolutely must.
W can come home any time he likes (assuming there is room on the bench that is!)
mjc
by quidveritas on Aug 19, 2011 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions
Darian Henry-Nelson
Havent heard anything on this guy out of the West side of Washington. True center 6’10 big body. I found some articles that had him listing Gonzaga as #1 priority, this was Aug 3rd 2011, also interested in WSU. Looks like we offered. Seems to be a solid player, not much else out there. Anyone know anything about this guy?
JSH
The espn scouting report
sounds promising…..but…who knows.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
S49
Try Darian Nelson-Henry.
As a Soph, I watched him once. Reminds me of a bigger Sean Mallon but looks like a potentially better player. Not polished at all! You know, thinking back…….a taller Cory Violette? A little blubbery but heh, he’s young.
You are welcome Sir!
As always JMO. He is on my list to get out to see this fall. I will make a point of doing (my) comparison from the first time to what I see this year. Maybe Yakazag will be out in force this year as well.
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