Recruiting: Good stuff on Dranginis, Spencer

-- I guess it is hard to call it recruiting when the player is signed, sealed, and nearly delivered.  2011 signee Kyle Drangins is having another fantastic year in Idaho prep hoops.  Kyle is averaging 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists a game for Skyview.  Dranginis' team has been a mainstay in the top five this season in Idaho and Kyle will be ready for all the attention Gonzaga gets from its' WCC peers as he receives similar respect from those who know Idaho prep hoops.  This story, written by Fox 12 Idaho's Matt Loveless, does an outstanding job at giving the average Gonzaga fan a deeper look into Kyle's recruitment and his time in Idaho.  Overall, this article is very intriguing, particularly this: 

"Since last year, I've been shooting about 200 shots a day," he said.  "I'm supposed to do that like five times a week, because Gonzaga wants me doing that."

"Right now he's staying after practice shooting after everyone's gone home," said Sanders, who spends time with Dranginis as he gets his reps, "that's why a lot of the shots he takes in the game go in."

If you've read the site over the past few weeks, you know that I attribute a great majority of Gonzaga's issues this year to this team not having any consistent offensive threat from the perimeter outside of Steven Gray.  This is a view I'm sure many Zag fans share so it is great to see Kyle obviously showing a whole lot of dedication to become a better shooter.  From what I've seen of Kyle, it remains to be seen if he can be an instant impact type player.  It will all depend on how well he adapts to the speed and athleticism of playing at this level.

-- The 2012 picture is starting to become a bit more clear and a guy that both Max and I really love at this point is Price High School forward Skylar Spencer.  Spencer is from the Los Angeles area and is widely regarded as one of the top forward on the west coast in the 2012 cycle.  Standing at 6'9'' with a 7'5'' wingspan, Spencer is a serious threat and at the recent Fairfax State Preview Classic, Spencer showed off what makes him such an exciting prospect:

Spencer dominates the paint with his length and shot blocking prowess. Due to their upside and approach, when it's all said and done they could be mentioned in the same breath as ESPN Super 60 prospects 6-8 Brandon Ashley (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd) and 6-8 Grant Jarrett (La Verne, Calif./Lutheran).

Gonzaga hasn't really dipped into the fertile Southern California recruiting ground since Austin Daye in 2007.  Marquise Carter is a San Diego native but attended Three Rivers Junior College.  Spencer would be a huge get and expect the Zags to be after a number of California prospects in the not too distant future.