Any update on when these guys may visit? Last I heard it was Sept. for Franklin and either Sept/Oct for Jones? Obviously I know things change in recruiting but hadn’t heard anything in awhile. Seems to be like these are our top two realistic targets left at the forward/big spots.
Javon is still working on a date for this month. I would assume it doesn’t happen this weekend with football on the road, but it’s happened in the past.
Right now, I’m not too sure Jones visits. We’ll see.
Geez…we are looking at the lean years of '14, '15 right in the eyes again.
Not understanding what you’re saying here.
That doesn’t make any sense. Again, we have very limited scholarships available for the next two years.
Just saying that the top priority for this class was to get a big (top 50-150 range) to help replace Gafford and we can’t even get these guys to give us a whiff of interest. With limited options, as you guys have stated, if we can’t get one of those guys there is a guy or two we shouldn’t be offering due to the lack of scholarships that we are in the running for.
Best hope is that everyone on campus looks like they can contribute and looks like a high D1 player (and Garland can be cleared) because the prospects for 2019 are getting slim to none with whiff whiff whiff and we need open spots for 2020 instead of offering 2019 reaches at this point.
I’m not saying 100% he won’t visit. I would let this play out.
My man, you go 0-100 really quick.
What are all these whiffs you are referring to? I follow basketball recruiting really close and the only players that have eliminated us from their lists that we were recruiting is Will Baker and Chris Walker, both who are 5-star out of state players, most of us used common sense and looked at history and figured these guys were long shots at best.
Also, you keep ignoring the fact that we have a grand total of 0 scholarships available. Even if Gafford leaves early, Hill is already committed and Gafford’s scholarship will be his. Now we can speculate and say maybe Hill gets a football scholarship, Garland doesn’t get cleared, and we lose 1-2 guys in the Spring, but none of that is confirmed. Also, Gafford’s replacement could already be on campus, Ethan Henderson is a ESPN 4-star Top 100 player, Reggie Chaney is a ESPN 4-star, Ibby Ali was decommitted from Baylor to become a Hog. I don’t think it’s outside of the realm of possibility one of these guys step up and starts at the 5 for us next year.
And my guess just looking at the situation and following RD and the other Arkansas recruiting guys I would be looking at Javon Franklin, BJ Mack, and Issac McBride as the current top targets that we have a realistic shot at. RD already said that Franklin is working on setting up a visit, we know Mack will be on campus next month, and we know the staff just offered McBride and working really hard to try to land him. As far as Jared Jones, I do know McPherson was reporting that he still planned to visit, so we’ll see what happens with him.
I don’t get this either.
Arkansas was unlikely to get Baker - something I believe you stated yourself. I thought they had a chance to get a visit from Walker, but it didn’t work out.
No doubt those would have been fantastic kids to add to the program, but there are still enough out there to have a very good - albeit small class.
Justice Hill gets the first scholarship available - one that will not be available when he first arrives in Dec/Jan. but should become available when Gafford leaves.
Arkansas needs to sign a big man to replace Gafford although there is no scholarship available if he does. Garland’s?
It should also try to sign a play-making swing man. Obviously Gafford and two others would have to leave for that to happen if Garland gets cleared, one more if he doesn’t.
There are 8 true freshmen on this year’s roster, one redshirt freshman, three sophomores and one junior.
I was in Vegas and talked to everyone I needed to at the time.
Comments- very strange perspectives of yours, surely you must know the next couple of seasons the cupboard is tight as it relates to players on the hill, besides all of the newcomers are keepers. Why not just chill and let this season play out, as oppose to stirring the pot. as it relates to Garland from a faith perspective I believe he will play this season and become a force to deal with. For a first time since the nineties they will say Arkansas has to many weapons
I’m big on this class, but I still think we maybe about two years away
Alot of there and not sure who to reply to.
But the goal for this class was to get a top 50-125 kid who could come in and help with the impending loss of DG. This staff seriously offered 12-15 4 star prospects for 2019 (counting guards and combo forwards and bigs) and didn’t even get a VISIT out of any of them. No real interest. Basically every 2019 kid they watched this summer has said nah thanks to our staff (besides a kid who has no other high major offers in his top 5).
This is year 8 of this staff. We were suppose to be able to recruit these caliber of recruits when the new practice facility was built (remember that excuse?). I’m not asking for McD’s AA’s or anything. Not even top 50 guys. I think it should be reasonable for this program to bring in top 100-top 125 players on a very consistent basis. But we are getting that every 3 or 4 years, not every year currently.
And I know they are trying. They were all over the place in Vegas, even got it mentioned by some national guys in terms of how many games they are at. But for whatever reason it just isn’t clicking consistently.
I also don’t think it helps to look over to the football side and seeing the amazing things they are doing. A coach that has never won more than 6 games in his HC’ing career to a school who won 4 games last year is going to end up with a top 15-20 class. Everything they are doing seems so exciting and new and makes the basketball staff seem prehistoric in what they do in recruiting.
As I said before I hope all the young guys turn out and look to be high D1 guys and don’t transfer because I want low schollies available for 2019 because it is getting slimmmmmmm folks.
Anyway that is my opinion and we are all entitled to them. I like Mike, I want him to win, I want him to consistently recruit good but IMO right now something just doesn’t click.
You do realize we have signed 7 players the last two years that were in that top 100-125 category (Embery, Chaney, Henderson, Joe, Phillips, Gafford, and Garland). In 2016 we went the JUCO route and it turned out pretty well, 2015 signed top 75 player (Whitt). In 2012-2014 we had 2 top 150 players in each class.
I wouldnt call this extraordinary recruiting by any means but its far from the “Every 3 or 4 years” you mentioned.
I don’t post much in here but, this lynnsanity person seems to get a kick out of baiting people to respond to his/her posts so he/she can then go into full negativity mode. He/she only made the OP as an opportunity to say what the/she really wanted to say all along. It seems to be a clear pattern with them.
I love Chaney but he wasn’t top 125 anywhere. Same for Phillips. And I do like those guys, just saying. Garland was only top 150 in one ranking. Also we are talking two classes out of 7 here, not consistent.
Also the 2016 was NOT good. Macon and Barford were amazing stop gaps that otherwise would have made for some nasty years. But it looks like they have batted 2/6 of that class and it hasn’t offered any long term stability.
I don’t think it’s bad/awful or anything, but isn’t where it needs to be to get the program as a consistent top 25 program.
How? Everything I’ve said is truth. I’ve batted .1000 since I’ve been here. Just because I see it both ways doesn’t mean I roll into full negativity mode.
I’d love for you to tell me the positives in offering 10-12 4 star players in '19 but not even getting a visit from any of them? Please shower me with rainbows and sunshine so I can see the light.
And we don’t make Jared Jones top 10 BTW…the slim gets slimmer.