2021 Recruiting







Another wing prospect offered. I have to wonder who will get a virtual visit so we can identify who our coaching staff is recruiting the hardest.
I am not sure official visits will be allowed anytime soon.
 
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Another wing prospect offered. I have to wonder who will get a virtual visit so we can identify who our coaching staff is recruiting the hardest.
I am not sure official visits will br allowed anytime soon.

Another plan B/C kid. I really want to like some of these kids games, but this guy looks hugely developmental. Odd shooting form and very slight frame. Good defensive instincts I guess, but nothing standout from a skill standpoint or from a physical standpoint. Would stay on him to see how he develops but the film isn't too impressive. Maybe he's a better passer than showcased in the videos, which is always a big plus. I like him more than the other wing we offered earlier(Holt).
 


Since two bigs came off the board today, it was expected that Miami would offer another one.

Finally got around to watching film of this kid, first video I saw he looked alright, nothing special. Very lanky and has upside as a stretch big but plays very hesitantly in the paint on offense, good shot blocker. Would be a very development if he went to a D1 program.



Then I watched a more recent video from him and understood why we offered him



Plays a lot more confident overall and seems to have filled out a little bit. Plays with much more authority at the rim, shows a good feel for the game. Super high upside kid, would take him in the class. Showed that he can be a true 5 more than a 4. I would still prioritize Kepnang and Etienne, but we should still make a hard push for this kid.
 
@JB7FTW agree with both assessments. I will say I am happy to see us actually trying to fill out a class though. Whether these are plan b/c kids or not I’m happy to see offers still being pushed out. That’s improvement from last few years of putting our eggs in a few baskets and sticking it out.
 
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Finally got around to watching film of this kid, first video I saw he looked alright, nothing special. Very lanky and has upside as a stretch big but plays very hesitantly in the paint on offense, good shot blocker. Would be a very development if he went to a D1 program.



Then I watched a more recent video from him and understood why we offered him



Plays a lot more confident overall and seems to have filled out a little bit. Plays with much more authority at the rim, shows a good feel for the game. Super high upside kid, would take him in the class. Showed that he can be a true 5 more than a 4. I would still prioritize Kepnang and Etienne, but we should still make a hard push for this kid.


I agree with your evaluation about him. You are absolutely correct, Etienne, Kepang and Reid are the priorities because they could be immediate starters for Miami.
I am expecting 2 of those 3 to commit to Miami.
In fairness to Jonas and you brought up a good point. If we feel he is a developmental kid then he needs to redshirt to gain weight and improve his skillset.
The situation I feel we need to avoid a roster with Deng Gak starting at the 5 with two developmental players behind him who cannot contribute much immediately as freshmen.
 
Another plan B/C kid. I really want to like some of these kids games, but this guy looks hugely developmental. Odd shooting form and very slight frame. Good defensive instincts I guess, but nothing standout from a skill standpoint or from a physical standpoint. Would stay on him to see how he develops but the film isn't too impressive. Maybe he's a better passer than showcased in the videos, which is always a big plus. I like him more than the other wing we offered earlier(Holt).

Good point. Just to clarify, this is how I view kids on the recruiting board.

Option A: potential one and done or two year player max. Immediate contributor and/or starter with All freshman honors.

Option B: two years then turn pro with a three year max. Contributor off the bench as a freshman and starter as a sophomore if needed.
All conference as a junior.

Option C: Four year player who starts as a junior after solid contributions in his first two years.
All conference as a senior.

If we look back three months ago and rank these 6 players (Jalen Warley, Trevor Keels, Benny Williams, Quincy Allen, Wesley Cardet and Alex Fudge) using the above system, this is how it would look.

Option A: Jalen Warley and Trevor Keels

Option B: Benny Williams and Quincy Allen

Option C: Alex Fudge and Wesley Cardet.

In fairness, any kid at this point that gets a Miami offer is an option C kid unless he takes a huge jump in his development.
Honestly, perimeter help is not the priority so the staff can take two Option C kids in this class. Remember, Miami has Isaiah, Harlond, Earl, Elijah, Matt and now Bensley so any wing who gets playing time has to be elite.
I am not saying that Miami should turn down talent, I am saying that perimeter help was behind paint help (two 5s) and a PG on the priority list.
Yes, roster management factored into my decision.
 
Good point. Just to clarify, this is how I view kids on the recruiting board.

Option A: potential one and done or two year player max. Immediate contributor and/or starter with All freshman honors.

Option B: two years then turn pro with a three year max. Contributor off the bench as a freshman and starter as a sophomore if needed.
All conference as a junior.

Option C: Four year player who starts as a junior after solid contributions in his first two years.
All conference as a senior.

If we look back three months ago and rank these 6 players (Jalen Warley, Trevor Keels, Benny Williams, Quincy Allen, Wesley Cardet and Alex Fudge) using the above system, this is how it would look.

Option A: Jalen Warley and Trevor Keels

Option B: Benny Williams and Quincy Allen

Option C: Alex Fudge and Wesley Cardet.

In fairness, any kid at this point that gets a Miami offer is an option C kid unless he takes a huge jump in his development.
Honestly, perimeter help is not the priority so the staff can take two Option C kids in this class. Remember, Miami has Isaiah, Harlond, Earl, Elijah, Matt and now Bensley so any wing who gets playing time has to be elite.
I am not saying that Miami should turn down talent, I am saying that perimeter help was behind paint help (two 5s) and a PG on the priority list.
Yes, roster management factored into my decision.

I think another thing to look at is the development that isn't seen because of the lack of camps this year due to Covid. A lot of these could be late bloomers so if the staff even thinks they have the ability to be an option B, while looking like an option C on film, then they should make a hard push. I think more than just position based recruiting, I would look to add height. our 4 guard lineup last year was ok, but top ACC teams like Duke always pull a premier big/wing and we need the bodies to throw up against them. Looking at FSU too, it's become almost a meme how many 7 footers they recruit every cycle. I'm not expecting a stunning class, but with how many offers are out there to kids who will at least be solid contributors by their second or third year, I have a feeling this will be a decent class, maybe even a steal of a class if some of the guys jump up in ranking once more camps open up/season starts.
 
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Miami: “The head coach said they are losing a bunch of seniors the year I would come in, so I would make an impact my freshman year. They shoot a lot of three’s, which is my area.”

I am glad to see the staff is trying to add a shooter to the recruiting class.

RIVALS' REACTION​

Holt mentioned he’s not too far away from a decision, but don’t necessarily expect one before the end of the month either. It’s probably safe to assume he’ll be one school’s commitment list by the end of September if all goes as planned.
Right now, Xavier is probably in the best spot with the four-star prospect out of Georgia. Travis Steele and his staff were among the first to offer him a scholarship. Having his former teammate Dwon Odom on the roster now can only help the Musketeers’ chances. However, don’t sleep on the home state Georgia Bulldogs and don’t count out Alabama yet either. Both of those SEC programs have done a really good job with him lately. Tom Crean’s player development and Nate Oats’ playing style certainly have his attention.

Let's see if he gets a virtual visit from the staff soon, maybe that will swing the momentum in Miami's direction.
 
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As I watch more film on him, I like the idea of having him in the recruiting class. He probably needs a redshirt year to add weight but his ability to block shots, dribble and make jump shots will make him big time.
Miami would still need to add Etienne, Kepang and/or Reid first but with two of them then Jonas can redshirt.
Add two shooters on the wings with Bensley Joseph and our recruiting class is complete.
 
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I’ve had the same Jakai Robinson prediction for months which is in favor of Seton Hall and Kevin Willard. Assistant coach Tony Skinn has done an outstanding job with his recruitment after offering him last fall. NC State, Miami, Georgetown are among the other programs making a push at Robinson.

If Seton Hall lands him that would mean another four-star prospect in the 2021 class for Kevin Willard that includes Brandon Weston, Tyler Powell, and Ryan Conway.


The crystal ball says Seton Hall and I agree with that. However, it seems that Seton Hall already has two wings so he could be an option for Miami. Georgetown has one scholarship left and he is probably not an option for them.
 
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Recruitment: Offers from Georgia Tech, Miami, Ole Miss, Missouri, N.C. State, Texas A&M, VCU and Wake Forest among others.

Why his stock is rising: A thin two guard, Kelly had a strong junior season in the Atlanta area and excelled in the summer for ATL Hoops. Blessed with good size for a two guard, Kelly can flat out fill it up from deep and has also shown some promise off the dribble. With the importance of deep jump shooting in today's game, his stock has soared and he could be on his way to a big senior season.


He is in the group of players (Nasine Poplar and Jusann Holt) that are legitimate options for Miami at the second guard spot in the 2021 recruiting class. Holt is probably the best shooter out of the group follow by Kelly but Poplar is easily the best athlete. All three can score the ball.
 
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