Well before getting to that, incoming recruit Lamar Patterson got a review of what he is still working on from the ESPN Rise National HS Invitational.
Patterson (#93 Scout, #109 Rivals, #94 ESPN) will bring his tough style of play to the Big East next season, but looks like he is still making the transition to perimeter player. The undersized forward spent a lot of his time in the post and was able to be successful thanks to his excellent strength and toughness with the basketball. Patterson got the bulk of his points on offensive rebounds and sealing hard on the block. We didn’t see too much in the area of extensive ball handling, but he did attempt a fair number of shots from the perimeter in catch and shoot situations. Patterson has a bit of an inconsistent release point, but having knocked down a couple of threes, he appears to have the range to develop into at least a decent shooter at the next level. The biggest key for him now will be improving his quickness and his ball-handling skills in order to transition smoothly to the small forward spot full time.
With Nasir Robinson and Gilbert Brown as the only other small forwards on the team, Patterson does stand a good chance at getting some early playing time in 2009-10. The descriptions of his toughness, liking to play inside and rebounding is a lot like Robinson. Patterson, though, seems to be a bit of a better shooter coming out of HS.
Of course, it could be that Patterson won’t be the only small/wing forward that comes in this class. Pitt still has a scholarship that is burning a hole in its pocket. The coaching carousel might bring back a player they were not getting. Kevin Parrom was a Xavier commit, but is reopening.
Providence and Rhode Island made sense as early thoughts being that they were listed by him in his initial process, and word is Parrom would be interested in taking an unofficial visit with a hopeful date of this coming Monday if a release from the LOI with Xavier is granted prior to that.
Pittsburgh and St. John’s also previously offered Parrom and both were said to have asked about his situation, along with Connecticut and Boston College.
Arizona is in the picture as well. It should be noted that former Xavier and now Arizona head coach Sean Miller hired Emmanuel Richardson at Xavier and offered him to join the staff at Arizona as well, which Richardson accepted. Richardson is a New Yorker who helped recruit Parrom to Xavier.
He’s not exactly dissimilar to Patterson in that his perimeter and ball-handling skills still need work, so that would be question. Still, he’s a 4-star and a top-100 player.
In another case where Arizona and Sean Miller are pursuing the same big man, JUCO player Jarrid Famous is the man in play.
“Jarrid plans to visit Arizona this weekend,” WCC assistant Dave Vandiver said in a text. “Mizzou head coach Mike Anderson and assistant Melvin Watkins visited with Jarrid this past weekend at his home.”
Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon and associate head coach Tommy Herrion and Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez watched Famous work out last Friday.
Famous has taken officials to Seton Hall, Missouri and South Florida.
Seton Hall, Missouri, South Florida, UConn and a few others had been in the mix for a while, but Arizona and Pitt are now making a hard push just days before the late signing period is to begin.
Seton Hall needs another big man now that Mike Davis (yes, the same Mike Davis who several years and schools ago was a Pitt commit) is transferring.
And because Pitt might only have one scholarship for 2010 (already filled with Isiah Epps) if they use this final one on a player now, the focus of recruiting increasingly has to look to 2011.
Pitt has interest in a number of guards that Pitt has interest were at the Virginia’s Hoop Magic Sports Academy for a tournament. The names to watch are: Quinn Cook, Juan’Ya Green, Terry Brutus and Tavon Sledge.
Wish I heard more about Dixon looking at guards now rather than in 2011. We know Epps is coming, but that’s a year away. There have to be a couple guard prospects who were late developers or recruits who were casualties of a coaching change.
I guess it’s always incumbent on these coaches to look for size, but I’d feel better about grabbing another big man if I knew McGhee were leaving.
Finally caught the McDonald’s game on replay. Taylor looks solid, but certainly not the kind of freak who’s going to tear up the BE in his freshman season or even his sophomore season.
That Avery Bradley kid (guard) headed to Texas was the most impressive player I saw………wow.
Regarding Taylor, who has a similar game to him in the Big East right now? Also, how does he compare to Blair as an incoming freshman?
There were 6 or 7 big guys. Some were clearly bigger and more developed physically and have bigger upsides (Favors, Cousins, Gallon), but Taylor held his own and seemed like he knew how to play.
Blair could out-rebound people the minute he walked on the court in the Big East, but he couldn’t always finish and was an adventure at the foul line. Taylor won’t dominate the boards for a while, but he’ll score easier and probably shoot free throws better, too. His stroke wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either.
That’s my best guess at this point. He’s solid, and not a one-and-done type, which is great. Hope he’s around 3 yrs.
