College Hoops Coaches Are Animals, and I Love It

Memphis Coach Josh Pastner is one of the best recruiters out there.
While his wife gave birth, he was talking to a recruit on the phone.

So college coaches could start contacting recruits Wednesday morning at 12:01. Let's just say that most coaches don't wait until 7 in the morning when prospects are getting ready to start their day. The Dagger had a post about recruit Brannen Greene:
"At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, the barrage of calls began when new Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory dialed Greene's cell phone. Soon afterward calls, tweets and Facebook messages poured in from coaches at Florida, Florida State, Xavier and Wake Forest. By the time an exhausted yet excited Greene turned off his phone, shut down his computer and crawled into bed at 2:30 a.m., he had already fielded calls from 24 different coaches."

I love Brian Gregory. If you're not first you're last. Just classic stuff. I hope he brings in a Calipari like recruit class soon. Number one grinder right there. You wanna know the difference between Coach K, Calipari, and Roy Williams compared to the other coaches. They call them a week later and usually move ahead of all the other teams.

KP's Jake Layman is Making Some Noise

This year KP Basketball came on the rise quickly and it was all due to big man Jake Layman. Layman is 6'8 and was King Phillip's go to man. While I was reading Rivals today, I came upon an article that mentioned him. It says he already has offers from UMASS, BC, and Providence with gaining interest from Maryland and Notre Dame. Layman has to be the biggest hoop prospect in a high school around here in a long time.

You can see Jake play a little in this video starting at the 44 second mark.

Duke Gets a Pleasant Surprise

Duke 2012 commit and Rhode Island native Alex Murphy will enroll a year early to join Duke's stellar recruit class including Austin Rivers. Murphy was ranked 11th by Rivals and 15th by ESPN in the 2012 class rankings. Many scouts have declared Alex Murphy the second coming of Kyle Singler. With the early departure of Kyrie Irving and graduating seniors Singler and Nolan Smith, Duke will have a solid class to bounce back.

UPDATE: Rumor is Duke is expecting Alex Murphy to redshirt his first year on campus. If this is true him enrolling early will just help him be more physically prepared.

Kentucky Loses Three But is Reloading

This morning Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, and DeAndre Liggins announced they were entering the draft. They said they were not signing with agents so they could come back, but the only player I could see doing that of the three is Liggins. Jones and Knight should be lottery picks or at worst mid first round picks. Some people may think this is a blow to Kentucky since Josh Harrellson is graduating also, but truthfully they should be better next year. With Doron Lamb staying and the arrivals of Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague along with Kyle Wiltjer, another Rivals five star. As I said about North Carolina yesterday, Kentucky should be a top team right up there with them.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #1 Austin Rivers

You can think I'm bias because number 1 is a Duke signee, but you'd just be stupid. Austin Rivers is the best scorer in this class. He can beat anyone off the dribble and finishes unbelievably when driving. rivers mid range game is elite and has a floater that can go in the NBA right now. His three point game is great, only second to Brad Beal. As I said with Quincy Miller, swagger is extremely important in elite players and Rivers has it for sure. ESPN and Rivals both have him as number 1. He initially committed to his home state Florida but decommitted and decided to play for the soon the be winningest Division 1 hoops coach ever. If Rivers and Beal were at Florida together, that offense would have been electrifying. The biggest place for improvement in his game is on defense, but he can still hold his own. Austin Rivers is the real deal. He's been comapared to Kobe Bryant by ESPN. With the graduation of school legends Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler and Kyrie Irving declaring for the draft, Rivers should be given the keys at day one. Here's three videos to show you why the kid is the best scorer in the class and overall number 1.

P.S. It takes some balls to guarantee 40 before a game.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #2 Anthony Davis

Today's impact upcoming freshmen is the third Kentucky signee on the list.  Anthony Davis is enjoying his seven inch growth spurt in the past year and has really taken advantage of it. Being a former guard DAvis his incredible handles for 6'10. He runs the court well and is a put back machine. He can play multiple positions on offense and can basically defend anyone on the court. His shot blocking is great, and the only other player to have a chance in competing in this category would in this class would be Khem Birch. Davis is number 2 for ESPN and 6 on Rivals. When Rivals regrades I guarantee he will be higher as analyst Jerry Meyer after the McDonald's All American Game said, "Anthony Davis is by a significant margin the top prospect in 2011." The only concern for Davis is since his growth spurt, he's a slim jim. He must gain some weight to be able to move guys down low, and his frame can easily fit another 15-20 pounds.

P.S. checkout the posterize at the 14 second mark.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #3 Michael Gilchrist

Todays impact freshmen is the second Kentucky signee on the list. He played high school at St. Patrick's as a teammate of Kyrie Irving last year. Michael Gilchrist was a Co Player of the Game for the McDonald's All American game. The 6'7 swingman can play multiple positions on the court and could be the most balanced player in the class. On offense Gilchrist is a slasher with a great mid range game. What he truly prides himself on is defense and rebounding. Rivals put Gilchrist at number 3 and ESPN has Gilchrist at 3 also. His incredible athleticism will be a great fit for Calipari's dribble drive. I expect Gilchrist as the Superman version of Chris Douglas Roberts. He has been compared to Andre Iguadala of the 76ers. Coach Cal always has a way of bringing in the cream of the crop.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #4 Quincy Miller

Today's feature impact freshmen is the one I think has the scoring capability to be a Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant. The 6'9 Baylor commit is an offensive mismatch for anyone and is ranked number 5 by Rivals and 4 by ESPN. He has exceptional ball handling skills, drains from behind the trey mark, and can play with  his back to the basket. Miller has the most potential of any player in this class. Miller's attitude may be misunderstood but his skill is undeniable. Personally I love the way Quincy Miller plays the game. He expects to dominate everyone on the court. To be a dominant player in this game you need a swagger to make you exceptional and Miller definitely has that along with his skill.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #5 Brad Beal

Today's Impact Freshmen is the best shooter and possibly scorer in the class. The Florida commit is a 6'4 offensive assassin that can score from virtually anywhere. Brad Beal is ranked number 7 by Rivals and ESPN. Beal has drawn comparisons to the new 3 point record holder Ray Allen for his insane 3 point game and quick release. Beal will be an instant success in Florida's 3 point offensive attack with SEC Player of the Year Chandler Parsons graduating. Beal's defensive ability is often overlooked because of his offensive repertoire, but he has the ability to man up on any guard at the collegiate level.  Beal is the real deal.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #6 Lebryan Nash

Todays player is the 6'7 Oklahoma State signee Lebryan Nash. Nash is ranked at the number 4 spot by Rivals, and ESPN has him at 6. He is the most athletic player in this class. The only thing that stops him from being ranked higher is that he doesn't play with the sense of urgency that some of the guys higher than him play with. Also his long range game is good, but not elite. Nonetheless, Nash is possibly the best slasher in the class and is the only person that can dunk harder than Adonis Thomas. He won the McDonald's All American Dunk Contest last week. Nash is very similar and often compared to Ron Artest with the Lakers. Nash will put Oklahoma State on the map next year.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #7 Marquis Teague

Number 7 for Impact Freshmen is the first of three Kentucky commits on the list. Marquis Teague is the most physically gifted Point Guard in this class. Rivals has Teague as the number 2 player while ESPN has him at number 8. The big question with Teague is his motivation and leadership in his play which is vital for running the point. Without a doubt Teague is the top Point Guard, but I think his rank will slide on Rivals. Even though Brandon Knight has done a great job at Kentucky, he is more of a shoot first Point Guard. Teague on the other hand, has exceptional ball handling and acceleration will make him a menace in Calipari's dribble drive.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #8 Khem Birch

Today's impact Freshmen is penis the second Canadian that we've seen. Khem Birch spent this year in the same state is the NSHL for a prep year at Notre Dame Prep. The 6'9 Canadian Colossus is the best defensive big man in this class hands down. Rivals put Birch in the 2012 rankings for some reason and have him as number 4 there. ESPN has him at the 11 spot. Birch is an absolute animal on defense and a beast on the boards. The Pittsburgh signee will flourish in the transition game and is extremely effective cutting to the hoop. I picture Birch as a smaller Hasheem Thabeet that actually has skill on offense to back it up. I just hope Khem won't foul anyone off a free throw with a second left in the game and the lead.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #9 James McAdoo

Today's Impact Freshmen was about to take an accelerated track to graduate last year but instead opted to wait of. James McAdoo the 6'8 Power Forward is sitting at my number 9 slot. The UNC commit is ranked 8th by Rivals and ESPN put him as 5th. McAdoo is a great shot blocker and rebounder. He also finishes extremely well in the paint. The big man runs the court like he's on a mission and is great playing with his back to the hoop. McAdoo was the 2009 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: #10 Adonis Thomas

Number Ten in our countdown is Adonis Thomas. Adonis chose to stay in his hometown and play for Memphis next year. The 6'6 swing man has blown recruiting services away with his improvement in his long range game. Adonis was already highly touted due to has slashing ability and overall athleticism. Rivals ranked him as 15th while ESPN put him as 10th. Josh Pastner will have a very strong team next year if Barton decides to stay and not test the waters. I think Thomas could be the hardest dunker in the class. This kid is going to be instant offense in Conference USA and will probably only last a year with Memphis.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: Myck Kabongo

The last Honorable Mention for the list is Texas bound Myck Kabongo. the Canadian legend is part of the talented Findley Prep team which is easily one of the premier high school basketball teams in the country. Rivals puts him as number 24, while ESPN ranked him as number 9 in the class. Myck is a pure point guard who excels in transition and is a great up tempo player. He is a pass first player but has no problem finishing in transition and his defense is what puts him into top player contention.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: Josiah Turner

Another Player on the Honorable Mention list is Arizona signee Josiah Turner. Josiah is most noted recently as the biggest snub in the McDonald's All Star game. Rivals has Josiah is the number 10 player in his class while ESPN has him as number 26. He is a quick explosive point guard that attacks the basket fiercely. He sees the court exceptionally well and has a solid mid range jumper. With big man Derek Williams departure being inevitable, Turner will look to take the reigns for Arizona next year.

2011-2012 Impact Freshmen: Deandre Daniels

The first Honorable Mention for impact freshmen next year is IMG Academy's Deandre Daniels. Rumor was Daniels had some problems with eligibility so he attended IMG. Because of this ESPN didn't give him an overall rank but gave him a 95 out of 100. Rivals ranked him ninth in this years class. Deandre is a 6'8 sharp shooter that runs the floor well and can handle the ball exceptionally for his size. He's been compared to Kyle Singler, which I agree with but I think Deandre is more versatile on offense and runs the court better. He is the highest ranked player without a commitment on Rivals, and is looked at as a slight Duke lean while still considering Kansas and Kentucky.

We're Back!

Sorry for the lack of posts in the past week, I've been in some serious negotiations with the league and higher powers. Hopefully it will all be sorted out in a week or two. If my time off can tell anything, it just proves that LED can't take the blog by the horns and post everyday. The NCAA Tourney has been crazy and I'll keep posting about it. Since college hoops is coming to an end this year, I'm going to do the top ten impact freshmen for next year. Today will be the three that just missed the cut.


P.S. There will never be another player with a flat top fresher than Brandon Jennings had in high school. Easily my favorite high school baller of all time.

Feel Good Story of the Year

Fennville High wins first game after star player's death

HOLLAND, Mich. — In a touching tribute, just four players from Fennville were announced during pregame introductions Monday night before a Class C boys district tournament basketball game against Lawrence.And just four players from Fennville walked onto the court for the opening tip in DeVos Fieldhouse at Hope College. The fifth Fennville player, Wes Leonard, was absent in body but not in spirit. Leonard, 16, died Thursday night from cardiac arrest because of dilated cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart. After a dramatic pause, Leonard's replacement, Xavier Grigg, was introduced. The crowd erupted in applause, many wiping away tears, as the game began. It was Fennville's first game since Leonard died.
-USA Today


This could be the feel good story of the year. I couldn't think of a better way to go, hitting a game winning shot to seal an undefeated regular season for my team. But whats amazing is the heart of the team, to go out and win the next game to keep the streak alive and to continue a run to the state championship. Just makes all the news about Charlie Sheen seem worthless.