'22 NY PF Tobe Awaka (Tennessee commit)

#276
#276
VolArmy74 said:
He was a 2022 recruit that was going to prep school for a year to try and get a scholarship.
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So that would mean he was originally a 2023 recruit would it not?

You seem real concerned about this young man for some reason...ON, Aidoo, Phillips, JJJ, Uros are all on campus...Awaka isn't playing any meaningful time here this season unless he's an absolute diamond in the rough (like ZZ). So playing AAU for a few more weeks and then coming in and RS for a season he'll still be further ahead than had he stayed in the '23 class at the prep school and arrived next summer.
 
#277
#277
MoCo_Vol said:
So that would mean he was originally a 2023 recruit would it not?

You seem real concerned about this young man for some reason...ON, Aidoo, Phillips, JJJ, Uros are all on campus...Awaka isn't playing any meaningful time here this season unless he's an absolute diamond in the rough (like ZZ). So playing AAU for a few more weeks and then coming in and RS for a season he'll still be further ahead than had he stayed in the '23 class at the prep school and arrived next summer.
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No. It means that he graduated when he should have and was going to participate in a year of college prep, which is independent of high school (grades 9-12). Oak Hill Academy and IMG, for example, have a high school team, and they also have a college prep team of high school grads who are looking to get noticed. Jordan Bowden attended a year of college prep at 22 Feet Academy after graduating from Carter High School. Most kids who do it do so in an effort to get noticed for athletic pursuits.

25 years ago, kids attended prep schools for a year in order to avoid going to JUCO for two years. They may have needed to raise their GPA a few points or up their SAT score, but it allowed then to delay enrollment in college and still maintain the 4 years of eligibility without burning two years in a JUCO.
 
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#278
#278
cncchris33 said:
No. It means that he graduated when he should have and was going to participate in a year of college prep, which is independent of high school (grades 9-12). Oak Hill Academy and IMG, for example, have a high school team, and they also have a college prep team of high school grads who are looking to get noticed. Jordan Bowden attended a year of college prep at 22 Feet Academy after graduating from Carter High School. Most kids who do it do so in an effort to get noticed for athletic pursuits.

25 years ago, kids attended prep schools for a year in order to avoid going to JUCO for two years. They may have needed to raise their GPA a few points or up their SAT score, but it allowed then to delay enrollment in college and still maintain the 4 years of eligibility without burning two years in a JUCO.
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So he's always been in the 2022 class then?
 
#279
#279
MoCo_Vol said:
So that would mean he was originally a 2023 recruit would it not?

You seem real concerned about this young man for some reason...ON, Aidoo, Phillips, JJJ, Uros are all on campus...Awaka isn't playing any meaningful time here this season unless he's an absolute diamond in the rough (like ZZ). So playing AAU for a few more weeks and then coming in and RS for a season he'll still be further ahead than had he stayed in the '23 class at the prep school and arrived next summer.
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No, was reclassifying to 2023 because he had no meaningful scholarship opportunities until late in the process. He is a class of 2022 member. He isn't arriving here early like Bates did at Memphis.

I've given the reasons I'm concerned about it. He has a whole lot to lose and little to gain by playing AAU. If he was my son or my player I would want him getting on campus and getting his academic and athletic path started as soon as possible. I blame his AAU coach. If I were his coach there and he had the opportunity to go play high level D1 basketball secured, I'd tell him it was time to move on to that.

The cavalier attitude about him doing this seems to be focused on people having no expectation of him playing next year anyway. That same attitude wouldn't be given to Julian Phillips for making the choice to not arrive and play AAU instead.

My feelings about it have nothing to do with his potential playing time next year. Only the risk to his career both academically and athletically versus the reward of AAU games that mean nothing, win or lose. AAU is a vehicle to get kids scholarships supposedly. Though it's also a money racket for coaches and handlers too.
 
#281
#281
Any chance that we see a future home and home series with Syracuse so that the home folks can watch Awaka and eigler?
 
#287
#287
BruisedOrange said:
Welcome, Tobe!

As for his desire to play with his AAU team this summer, I'm sure discouraging loyalty would never come back to bite us someday.
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I'm on the same page, think that giving the kid a few weeks is a small price to pay for someone who exhibits loyalty to his team and wants to finish what he started.
 
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#291
#291
Definitely has to work on defense but that shouldn’t be an issue under Barnes. I watched half a games highlights and he gets torched consistently
 
#295
#295
Volprofch05 said:
I'm on the same page, think that giving the kid a few weeks is a small price to pay for someone who exhibits loyalty to his team and wants to finish what he started.
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He’s also a very high IQ kid that is quite grounded. He seems to be a high-character kid and these attributes will pay off handsomely for the price of losing a little early prep time on campus.
 
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#300
#300
TRUEFANVol said:
I don't think Grant and JJJ were anything alike as recruits
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The UT staff knew what they had in Grant Williams. I’m sure they viewed him at the same level as JJJ during the recruiting process. GW was prioritized by the UT staff as the key piece to their foundational class. He was and then some.

It was the recruiting rankings folks who dropped the ball completely on Grant. He was ready to play at the high major level from the time he stepped on campus. He was a five star level recruit who was mistakenly characterized as a three star recruit.
 
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