2009-2010 Recruits

[jacksfan]

We should try to get this guy. He'll still have 2 years of eligibility when he's done this season...

YouTube - Old school baller: 73-year-old makes the team at Roane State

[jacksfan]

On the serious side, I'm extremely excited that Brian Morris, a player that's redshirting this year, will have 2 years of eligibility here at Humboldt. In 2005, when he came out of high school, he was one of the top 100 players in the NATION according to one service. Check out the list of players he's associated with. Brian is #82, and there are some big time players listed behind him that you'll recognize...

http://www.techsideline.com/recruiti...mmertop150.htm

I think that when he comes aboard and is combined w/ Tiedeman, Spada, et. al, Humboldt will be a real force nationally...not that they can't be this year, but if this group stays together for another year they could be scary. See y'all at 1:30 today.

[jacksfan]

Will Portland Forward Visit BC?

By Jed Tai
Insiders Report Staff
Posted Aug 6, 2004

Al Skinner and staff have offered a prospect from Portland (OR) Jefferson High School built in the Craig Smith mold. "BC absolutely loves him - they are intrigued by his potential."

Through all of his travels all over the country this past spring and summer, Brian Morris- a skilled 6-8.5, 260-pound post from Portland (OR) Jefferson High School- has picked up interest from colleges all over the nation. All are intrigued by the still-growing big man's skill level and potential and several have already offered scholarships - including Boston College.

Morris finished the summer with a bang, helping his high school team - playing under the name Friends of Jefferson - put together strong showings in the Main Event in Las Vegas and the Best of Summer Tournament in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Morris got a chance to work on his games at several camps including the U.S. Youth Developmental Festival and Nike All-American Camp. He's been seen by practically every program in the country and he and his advisors are now sorting through all of his options before he sets off on some official visits.

Jefferson HS assistant coach Paul Kelly - nicknamed "Duper" by the kids on the team - has been instrumental in helping Morris with the entire recruiting process. According to Kelly, Boston College is very much in the mix in Morris's recruitment.

"BC absolutely loves him - they are intrigued by his potential," said Kelly. "They've been on him ever since the spring. He'll probably take a visit to Boston College."

Kelly noted that other programs that have stepped up and offered Morris include the likes of Oregon State, Gonzaga, Fresno State, San Diego, Cal Poly, and Niagara. Washington and Kansas still have him on their list as well. In addition to BC, Kelly listed Oregon State, San Diego, and Fresno State as two other locations that will likely receive an official visit from Morris.

A big man with fundamental post moves and a soft touch around the basket including a near-unstoppable baby hook, Morris can also face up and knock down the elbow jumper with consistency. With his large posterior, Morris establishes position down low well and isn't afraid to get down and dirty rebounding or on defense. Morris isn't the sleekest athlete around and there have been concerns about Morris's propensity to put on weight, but once he gets into a structured weight and conditioning program, some of those issues should be resolved. Morris is also still growing, and could top out at 6-10, according to his doctors.

"Brian's got the potential to be a great basketball player," said Kelly. "Guys are excited to see what they can make with a kid like him."

[jacksfan]

Here's an interesting article about a Washington U. player that's transferring to a D-II school. He's 7' 0" tall. How would the Jacks look w/ Brian Morris at the power forward spot instead of the center? Oh man...

Wolfinger transfer official

Posted by Bob Condotta

Had a chance to talk quickly this morning with UW coach Lorenzo Romar and he said Joe Wolfinger has made it official that he will leave the Huskies to transfer to a Division-II school.

UW coaches have met with all of the team's players over the last week or so and the decision was made then. Romar said Wolfinger had not yet picked a D-II school to attend. He will be immediately eligible to play at a D-II school. Wolfinger remains enrolled at UW for the spring quarter and will finish up his degree, Romar said.

The reason for Wolfinger's transfer is obvious --- he wants to go somewhere he can play to finish out his career. The 7-foot center from Aloha, Ore., played just 94 minutes in 16 games this season, scoring 39 points.

And his time decreased drastically after the first three games of the season. Wolfinger played nine minutes or more in each of the first three games, including 22 in a win over eventual NCAA tourney team Cleveland State, scoring 12 points.

But as Darnell Gant cemented his role in the starting lineup and Matthew Bryan-Amaning returned from injury to become the first big man off the bench, Wolfinger lost his place in the rotation.

"We've been successful with those bigs who have been versatile and very quick on defense,'' Romar said earlier in the seaon. "It's nothing against Joe at all. But again, we've played some of the best defense this year since we've been here and it has something to do with the lineup we have out there.''

And with Charles Garcia Jr. and Clarence Trent coming in next season, there was no guarantee Wolfinger would see more time next year despite the loss of Jon Brockman.

Wolfinger arrived at UW in 2005 amid much fanfare, part of the seven-man recruiting class that also included Jon Brockman and Martell Webster. He redshirted his first year to add weight to a then 240-pound frame and work on his inside game, then missed the following season while battling a foot injury. That led to speculation Wolfinger might appeal for a sixth year of eligibility, but that has not happened to date --- it's possible that's something he could still do once he picks a Division-II school.

He had some breakout moments as a sophomore in 2008, including a career-high 17 in a win at Cal that had Romar extremely optimistic about Wolfinger's future, saying at one point he didn't think it unrealistic Wolfinger could play in the NBA.

But as UW's style shifted again this season to a quicker, more athletic team Wolfinger's unique skill set --- a 7-footer whose strength was three-point shooting --- just couldn't work its way into the rotation.

Wolfinger's transfer now closes the books for UW on that 2005 class that also included Roburt Sallie (who never got eligible at UW and later played at Memphis), Harvey Perry (who transferred after sparing playing time, ending up at Colorado State), Justin Dentmon and Artem Wallace, who each finished up their eligibility this season.

One possible destination for Wolfinger is Chaminade University in Hawaii, where two former Huskies played this season --- Joel Smith and Zach Johnson, who signed with the Huskies in 2004 but never played while battling knee injuries. Smith averaged 15.3 points a game there this year while earning first team Pac West All-Conference honors. Johnson averaged 1.8 points in 16 games. However, Wolfinger may prefer to stay closer to home.

[Marching Lumberjack]

he has a facebook page, should we get him the message? LOL

[EDAllen17]

This is an interesting player. He has been at UW for four years and will graduate with a degree in sports management this year. He redshirted for one year and then he played only one game in his first season of play at UW. It would appear that if he transfers to a D-II school, he could get an additional year due to the foot injury he had after his redshirt year. That would mean that there is a possibility that he could have two years of D-II eligibility.

My guess is that he will go to a GNAC school. I doubt that he would go to one of the Hawaii Schools, although two former Huskies did go to Chamindae.

This is a Portland kid, so he probably played against Ernie and Brian Morris in school or AAU ball. Morris and Wolfinger will both be in their 5th year "post high school" next year. I would imagine that Wolfing knows Ernie, Morris and Babcock-Krenk.

That should give HSU a chance to get this guy, but then, can he help HSU? The knock on Wolfinger is that he is a "soft" seven-footer who doesn't defend or rebound well, however, he is a very good shooter with 3-point range. Wolfinger has been Jon Brockman's roommate for four years, yet it doesn't look like Wolfinger has done much weight training. Would he be a strong post player at the D-II level, or would he play like he did at UW? It looks like he really never got a chance to play at UW, so he might have a lot of game when he is facing D-II, or maybe not.

If Wolfinger were to come to HSU and start with Morris, I would expect Morris to play the post and Wolfinger would play more on the outside. HSU could have a very big starting lineup, with Morris (6'9"), Wolfinger (7'0"), Howard (6'7"), Baxter (6'9"), and Tiedeman (6'1").

A lot also depends on what Wolfinger wants to study. He will graduate this year, so I'm guessing that he would work on a Master's Degree. If HSU has a MS program that Wolfinger was interested in, that would take two years, HSU might be able to get the guy for two years, provided that Wood and Kinder think that Wolfinger can make an impact.

[jacksfan]

The letter of intent signing dates are less than a week away...

April 15, 2009 to May 20, 2009 is the window for basketball players to sign their letters. Let's see what kind of magic Kinder, Wood, Robinson, and crew can muster this season.

Wolfinger interests me greatly. I wonder if he'll visit. A 7-footer that can move in D-II would be a huge advantage, even if he's more of a Nowitzki type of center. The Jacks would have mismatches all over the court for teams to deal with if he were to come aboard. They're going to be a power regardless with Morris becoming eligible. It should be fun to see what they get.

[Humboldt Super Fan]

I'm going to offer my opinion on the matter. I think there are some possiblities for improvements to the Men's Basketball team. How many recruits will be signed starting on April 15th, remains a mystery to me? I think it will be a low key and quiet period for Humboldt State this year. I think retention of the current team will be one big key. I'm not saying that the team will not sign any one this season. If a talented player come and signs, that would be nice. We can speculate all we want, but I got the approach to play it patient and wait for the news from Humboldt and we can go from there.

On the Women's side, we know about the three players that signed during the early signing period. We could see a signing or two at the most from the Women's Basketball team. I think one area that can be addressed is a little more depth in the post. That would be the area I would address.

Next year will be an exciting year of basketball at Humboldt State. I would not be surprised to see two top three teams in the West Region. For the Women's, I think the teams that they need to worry about are Seattle Pacific and UC San Diego. I think Alaska Anchorage takes a step back with Rebecca Kielpinski graduating this year.

On the Men's side, the teams to watch are: BYU-Hawaii, Seattle Pacific, Cal State San Bernardino, and Cal Poly Pomona. The Alves factor will keep the Seasiders in the hunt next year. The Falcons are a young team and I think will be the early favorites in the GNAC next year. The Coyotes are the Coyotes for a reason. Brown will be a factor next year and give the few San Bernardino fans a shot in the West. The Broncos do lose Larry Gordon, but the run to the title game could give Cal Poly Pomona a boost they need in recruiting.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the signing period. I do see a strong run next year by both basketball teams.

[EDAllen17]

If Wolfinger is healthy and in shape, he could have a signficant impact on next year's Jacks.

By Bob Condotta
October, 2008
Seattle Times staff reporter

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Joe Wolfinger is a 7-foot UW junior.
Related

Bob Condotta's Husky Basketball Blog
As the Washington men's basketball team enters its first full week of practice, coach Lorenzo Romar says this team has fewer questions to be answered than any since Brandon Roy left town.

But here's an intriguing one that remains unsettled — just what is junior Joe Wolfinger, anyway? A three-point specialist buried inside a 7-foot body? Or a player capable of also taking advantage of all that height, potentially turning him into one of the team's most dangerous weapons?

At the team's media day last week, Romar seemed content to let Wolfinger be what he was a year ago, when more than half of his shots (47 of 93) were taken from beyond the three-point line.

"He may be our best shooter," said Romar of Wolfinger, who made 40.4 percent of his three-pointers, the second-best percentage on the team behind the since-departed Joel Smith. "And I just think we are missing the boat if we try to make him this power center under the basket. We need to look at what he does well."

But while Romar may be satisfied with that role for the Portland native, Wolfinger is anything but.

"I don't want to just rely on shooting threes," he said. "Because it's just not very fun."

Indeed, Wolfinger spent part of the summer working with former UCLA and NBA center Swen Nater on his inside game, trying to make that a bigger part of his arsenal.

"He taught me some good techniques," Wolfinger said. "I've been working on my post moves a lot and trying to work on my jump hooks."

If he can translate that into games, Wolfinger could be an X-factor for UW, pushing what looms as the most talented Huskies team since the Roy era to even greater heights. Romar acknowledged last week that Wolfinger is one player whose ceiling could be a lot higher than advertised.

In fact, while Romar knows some people think he's just waxing a little hyperbolic when he talks of Wolfinger, he maintained this week that Wolfinger could someday be in the NBA.

Romar became even more convinced after re-watching every Huskies game on tape during the offseason.

"It surprised even me how many good games Joe Wolfinger had," Romar said.


As evidence, Romar pointed to UW's two games in the preseason NIT when Wolfinger scored 12 points with four rebounds in 20 minutes against Texas A&M, then had seven rebounds and five points in 17 minutes against Syracuse.

"After that tournament, a couple of NBA scouts said to me that he was the best prospect on our team at that time," Romar said.

But Wolfinger struggled to stay on the floor consistently due to conditioning issues that led to problems playing defense and rebounding, and he finished with averages of just 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds.

In fact, even getting on the floor at all had been uncertain in the summer of 2007 as Wolfinger battled chronic foot problems that forced him to miss the 2006-07 season. He was able to practice only 45 minutes a day in the preseason and ballooned to more than 280 pounds during the summer.

"It was just all about my defense, being able to move," he said. "Coming off the injury, just all the time [he missed]. I was kind of overweight and slow, and I just kind of relied on shooting threes."

But he gradually got into shape as the season wore on, which he highlighted with a pair of appetizing performances late in the season in the Bay Area, scoring 12 points in 18 minutes against Stanford's Lopez twins, each taken in the first round of the NBA draft, and 17 points in 18 minutes going against California's DeVon Hardin, who was taken in the second round.

Romar notes that Wolfinger was a late bloomer in high school who wasn't really a highlight player on his team until his senior season. Then after a year at prep school, he had a redshirt season and a missed season due to injury at UW.

"The fact that he did what he did last year was pretty impressive given his past history," Romar said. "Now he can go every day, and he has been able to condition again. He just can't help but get better."

Huskies coaches told Wolfinger after last season he needed to be quicker and more agile on the floor, so he has dropped to about 250 pounds.

"I've lost a lot of body fat and still kept my muscle," he said. "I'm finally back to where I was before I got hurt, able to use my height down low, block shots, and hopefully just get more athletic. I can't just be a 7-foot stiff guy out there. So I want to get away from being a 7-foot stiff guy."

[jacksfan]

Here's one of the two players that have signed thus far...an interesting Q & A w/ him...

10 questions with Newbury Park's Charles Benton


Benton

One of the most productive boys' basketball players in the Marmonte League this season has been Newbury Park High senior Charles Benton.

Benton, in his third year with the NPHS varsity squad, was averaging a team-leading 21.7 points per game before Wednesday night's contest against Calabasas. The 6-foot-4 forward/center is also tops on the team in rebounding.

After Monday's practice at Newbury Park, the Thousand Oaks Acorn got together with Benton for 10 questions. Here's what he said:

Q) Your team is 5-11 overall, but 2-2 in league play. What's it going to take over the next 10 league games to get somewhere you've never been—the playoffs?
A) It's going to take a lot of team chemistry. We have it, but not all the time. We need it every game. If we just continue sticking to the game plan, we should be just fine.

Q) Who is the big man in the Marmonte League that gives you the most trouble, both offensively and defensively?
A) I would have to say Evan Smith of Calabasas. At 6-foot-7, he's a little taller than me. He can shoot, dribble and is pretty quick. When we play each other, it's a tough matchup for both of us.

Q) Being 6-foot-4, I'm sure complete strangers ask you all the time how tall you are and if you play basketball? What do you tell them?
A) I get asked at least twice a week. Now I tend to have fun with it when they ask. I tell them I play tennis, croquet or cricket.

Q) You don't tell them you're a jockey?
A) That's a good one (laughing). I'll use that one next time.

Q) So, when was the first time you dunked?
A) I was in the eighth grade at Sequoia Middle School. I remember it feeling great and saying to myself, 'Finally.' I felt accomplished. My biggest problem was gripping the ball. I still have to hold the ball with two hands when I throw it down.

Q) Being a pretty big guy, how come you never went out for the football team?
A) I wanted to, but my mom was scared I would get hurt. After a while, with me going for a basketball scholarship, it was easy to stick to just basketball.

Q) Which former Los Angeles Laker is the best big man of all time—Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Shaquille O'Neal?
A) Hmm, I'd say Wilt. I mean, he changed the game. Rules were changed because of him. He also scored 100 points in a game. That's pretty impressive. The most I've ever scored is 31.

Q) Do you still call, 'bank' before you make a shot that goes in off the glass?
A) I always call it. I just don't always call it vocally. Sometimes I say it only in my mind, like telekinetically. I won't say it, but I definitely meant to say it.

Q) During the last Olympics, everyone wanted to know what Michael Phelps was listening to in his iPod before his swimming races. What music do you listen to before your games?
A) I listen to a lot of Lil Wayne. My favorite song to play before games is "Last of a Dying Breed" by Lil Wayne and Ludacris.

Q) If I start listening to Lil Wayne before I play basketball, will I be able to score 31 points in a game?
A) I don't know, maybe (laughing). It works for me; it gets me pumped up. Why not?
— Thomas Gase