Recruiting news

[bleedingTNorange]

“@JoshPaunilNRS: '14 SG D'Angelo Russell (@dangelorussell3) has "great" UK visit & is "surprised": SG Russell has “great” UK visit, Tennessee up next « National Recruiting Spotlight. Tennessee trip next.”


So Jaquan Lyle visits the other day now visiting UK, and Russell just visited UK and is coming to UT to visit. Impressed CCM is getting in and getting vists from some of these elite recruits.

[germanicus]

Originally Posted by Chris4Vols22

I actually do not. I was thinking the same thing about Chicago.

I know Chicago is tempting, but there's so much Big 10 competition and the city has such a bad reputation for agents and deals for recruits, I don't see how a guy who tries to play it squeaky clean like Cuonzo would have much of a chance getting kids from there.

[colvol]

Originally Posted by germanicus

I know Chicago is tempting, but there's so much Big 10 competition and the city has such a bad reputation for agents and deals for recruits, I don't see how a guy who tries to play it squeaky clean like Cuonzo would have much of a chance getting kids from there.

Because he's got tons of connections.

[Chris4Vols22]

Originally Posted by germanicus

I know Chicago is tempting, but there's so much Big 10 competition and the city has such a bad reputation for agents and deals for recruits, I don't see how a guy who tries to play it squeaky clean like Cuonzo would have much of a chance getting kids from there.

What?

[germanicus]

Originally Posted by Chris4Vols22

What?

Shorter version. Chicago has a rap for being a dirty recruiting environment. Cuonzo's rep is squeaky clean. Doesn't seem like a good match.

[Chris4Vols22]

Originally Posted by germanicus

Shorter version. Chicago has a rap for being a dirty recruiting environment. Cuonzo's rep is squeaky clean. Doesn't seem like a good match.

But he has connections there, and it's a hotbed. Would be silly not to recruit there IMO. We already got Chievous from the area.

[germanicus]

Originally Posted by Chris4Vols22

But he has connections there, and it's a hotbed. Would be silly not to recruit there IMO. We already got Chievous from the area.

I was talking about the difference maker kids and connections usually don't overcome $$$ in recruiting them. As for Chievous, you can get guys like him a lot closer to home. However, Cuonzo's the guy deciding where to put in effort. I suspect that, over time, you'll see him trying to recruit fewer and fewer players out of upper Midwest and more in the Southeast.

With all his connections, Pearl recruited a lot of Indiana kids early on, but the only one he signed was Marques Johnson. His efforts migrated South and I think Cuonzo's will as well.

[Chris4Vols22]

Fair enough. I don't agree with generalizing all the Chicago HSers as suspect characters though.

[germanicus]

Originally Posted by Chris4Vols22

Fair enough. I don't agree with generalizing all the Chicago HSers as suspect characters though.

And that's a fair point, too. I'm sure every kid isn't suspect. Most of the time it's an agent, parent, sibling, cousin, etc., who is marketing the really good kids. I lived in Chicago for six years, though and remember too many weird deals involving kids there all the way back to Deon Thomas. The reason Illinois got smacked that time is they had grown so frustrated with not getting Chicago kids they decided to play fast and loose to try to compete. Most prominent recent shady deal was Cal, WWW and Derek Rose. And there were questions around the Anthony Davis signing last year, too. I know that there are street agents everywhere, but throw that in with the atmosphere of corruption that permeates the city - from the Mayor's office on down - and Chicago is just a generally shady place.

I love the city and it's a wonderful place to visit, but graft, bribes and payoff are a way of life there.

[UTCVol]

Looks like UT is right in the thick of it for Quinton Stephens.

[UTCVol]

'14 4-star PG Kaleb Joseph says UT stands out the most to him right now.

Kaleb Joseph - Yahoo! Sports

[CagleMtnVol]

Wasn't sure where to put this...

From a Wes Rucker tweet

4 of the top 36, 6 of the top 60 prospects in 247Sports new Class of 2013 national hoops rankings are from Tennessee.

[bleedingTNorange]

Originally Posted by CagleMtnVol

Wasn't sure where to put this...

From a Wes Rucker tweet

Yea they've got Nichols top 40, Johnson and Crawford top 60.

Interesting to say the least.

[bleedingTNorange]

Taishaun Johnson is a name to watch, attended Tennessee elite camp in June and Tennessee staff followed him closely this weekend(he put on a good show).

Another 2013 PG that we're looking at, appears Johnson and Newkirk are the 2 the staff is eyeing the most. As I said last week, being rumored if we get a committ from a PG we will be parting with Landry, TIFWIW.

Kid can stroke it...
Taishaun Johnson & Tony Wills - YouTube

[zansdad]

Originally Posted by bleedingTNorange

Taishaun Johnson is a name to watch, attended Tennessee elite camp in June and Tennessee staff followed him closely this weekend(he put on a good show).

Another 2013 PG that we're looking at, appears Johnson and Newkirk are the 2 the staff is eyeing the most. As I said last week, being rumored if we get a committ from a PG we will be parting with Landry, TIFWIW.

Kid can stroke it...
Taishaun Johnson & Tony Wills - YouTube

They would take Johnson over Landry? I thought Landry was considered one of the better players out of Alabama in 2013.