http://louisianastate.scout.com/2/1297936.html Tigernhornedland! Good to see you back buddy. I've been a bit slow the last month or so but here are a few updates with basketball as a whole. Coach JJ replaced Coach Kirby with UCLA assistant Korey McCray. This is a good hire for several reason. McCray is known for working with big men, most notably Dwight Howard, that's got to help with the recruiting pitch. Also I've read McCray was UCLA's lead with Victor Craig. Adding a coach who already has a relationship with Victor gives us a better chance. McCray has connections to the Atlanta area and the Atlanta Celtic's. I wish Kirby would have stayed longer but Memphis was his home and you can understand a coach going home but McCray on paper looks to be a great replacement. I'll say it again, when coach Jones was hired I wasn't thrilled but since his first week on the job coach JJ has had me excited about the possibilities with the things he's putting in place. You can see Coach JJ is trying to make LSU a basketball school. Recruiting wise Coach JJ himself has connections in the DFW area, a hotbed for hoops. McCray has connections in the ATL area, a hotbed for hoops. Coach Patrick gives us some international flavor and Coach JJ did a great job of grabbing two of the best Louisiana players in 2013 and I think he can continue to do that in years to come with the buzz he has created around LSU hoops. 2013 recruiting hasn't died yet...LSU has interest from Keith Hornsby a 6'4 PG. Hornsby played for UNC-Ashville last season and would be a transfer who would have to sit out the 13-14 season. Hornsby put 15ppg 4rpg and 3apg. When looking at guys who played at smaller schools, I like to look at their stat lines against bigger schools. Against Tenn Hornsby had 9 points 1 assist and 1 rebound...Against #16 at the time NC State he had 23 points 4 assist and 1 rebound on 8-14 shooting (nice!)...against #7 Ohio St he had 26 points 1 assist and 5 rebounds on 9-12 shooting...St. Johns 14 points 5 assist and 4 rebounds with 6-14 shooting. I guess the point is he can play with the big boys. Lastly Morehead St is opening a pipeline to LSU. Last week Corban Collins signed to play for Morehead St who also picked up Jalen Cortney about a month ago. Both will have to sit out a year but should see good minutes for a pretty decent mid major. I wish the two ex tigers lots of luck!
More tidbits about our new assistant coach... http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspo...tant-korey-mccray-to-join-lsu-coaching-staff/ "Korey McCray’s work over the years with the Atlanta Celtics proved to be a key reason why former UCLA head coach Ben Howland added him to his coaching staff a couple years ago. Thanks to McCray’s connections the Bruins would land Jordan Adams and Tony Parker, one half of what was considered by many to be one of the best recruiting classes in the country entering the 2012-13 season" This is an older article back when he was about to take the UCLA job but it gives you some background on him.. http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/201...es-aau-coach-korey-mccray-of-atlanta-celtics/ "McCray, 32, had been CEO of the Atlanta Celtics, one of the top AAU basketball or summer travel teams in the nation. Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudamire, and Josh Smith are a few of the Celtics alumi playing in the NBA."
Almost no basketball info on this guy at all...I can tell you he's 5'9, white, can shoot was all academic and had a 3.9800 GPA. I take that back I see an article that says he had 18 against Parkview and 22 against Plaquemine. ESPN updated it's top 100 for 2013 with a few changes Kelly Oubre is now listed as a 5 star prospect and #20 over all Craig Victor is listed as 4 star and #31 overall Jalen Lindsey is listed as a 4 star and #33 over all Dominic Mcgee is listed as a 4 star and #71 over all Dante Exum and James Thompson are both listed with 4 stars but not in the top 100.
Random tidbits... Recruiting this time of year for college basketball always seems a little bit slow... for the uninitiated and those not in the AAU scene. The reality is that it's actually a very busy time as summer tournaments are going on, and coaches are on the road scouting. Frankly, this is when a lot of the groundwork is laid and come fall, visits are based upon work done in the summer. In some cases, even sooner. Case in point, Craig Victor is apparently blowing up at the Top 100 tourney in VA. Unfortunately, he continues to shower his love of Kentucky everywhere in hopes of a Calipari offer. http://www.courier-journal.com/arti...s-basketball-America-s-team-Craig-Victor-says I personally would love LSU to get this guy, but wow, this is always the tense time of "what is this kid really thinking" for LSU fans, who don't enjoy the football/baseball sort of rep in basketball (yet). Went through it with Ricardo Gathers. Went through it with Greg Monroe. Went through it, for a little bit, with Jarrell Martin. Now, it's Victor's turn. I think the summer has also been alot about filling gaps. Particularly at PG. With Collins leaving, news of guards on the transfer hunt abound. Whether it's Shelden Mclendon of UTexas (who committed to transfer to Miami) or Keith Hornsby of NC-Asheville, I think it's no secret why CJJ is after more guards. Depth. Henry Shortess, the preferred Walk on is also an interesting situation. More than likely this is the story of a local kid, who is going to LSU anyway, but who is good enough to really provide good minutes on the practice court. He WAS all district for U-High. But, more importantly, I believe, he was a senior point guard on a talented, underclass-laden U-High team: http://theadvocate.com/sports/preps/5526748-123/all-district-basketball-teams. You've got some rising 2016 kids on that U-High squad that LSU is clearly keeping its eyes on. They already made an offer to Stan Mays (first college to do so), 2016 PG candidate, who is supposed to be a very heady player: http://lsu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1515831 I think the back story here is LSU needs point guard depth, there's no guarantee that Hickey doesn't get hurt and then you have Quarterman who as a 6'6" "combo" guard isn't really going to be the point in all cases against all match ups. Stringer could play point in a pinch, but it'll be interesting to see if this summer the staff is working with him more there. If you put a gun to my head right now, between Exum and Victor, I'm all about Exum. The kid was amazing in the US vs worlds high school game earlier this spring and the kid is quick as heck, athletic and pretty smart. I also just think that at the college level, a kid with the ball in his hands on the perimeter will always have more impact, then a power forward. Victor will be one of those kids you'd like to land just cuz he's from LA. But Exum is way underrated if he's not in the top 100.
[quote="TGer'nLHornLand, post: 1334170, member: 5075"I think the summer has also been alot about filling gaps. Particularly at PG. With Collins leaving, news of guards on the transfer hunt abound. Whether it's Shelden Mclendon of UTexas (who committed to transfer to Miami) or Keith Hornsby of NC-Asheville, I think it's no secret why CJJ is after more guards. Depth. [/quote] Well, what do you know... Keith Hornsby IS A TIGER!!!! Rivals breaks the story... http://lsu.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1516828 Damn, Coach Johnny Jones doin' some WORK. We won't see Hornsby on the court for another year, but heck the kid can shoot. 38% from three point land, and 92.5% from the line? Crazy. Sets up a nice little progression as well between Stringer, and our young guns like Malik Morgan and Quarterman. Also makes you wonder about CJJ not wanting to hold back too many schollies if there are kids that can help now. Although Hornsby will again, have to wait to play. Congrats CJJ and staff!
Hornsby appears to be a great get for down the line, but I was hoping for a Carmouche type transfer to help now.
Although, for once LSU isn't crying about depth. You can see the logic of CJJ looking out beyond the horizon and saying beyond Andre Stringer I really don't have a pure "spot up shooter". Right now potential guards are Hickey, Stringer, Morgan, Quarterman and Hammink for next year. The minutes are already going to be hard to come by in that back court, given that Morgan was making noises about leaving. Quarterman gets a lot of PT as a freshman and hopefully Hammink starts to see some more minutes as 2/3 if he can show more consistency. With Stringer leaving after this upcoming year and Hornsby is a nice fit, as more experienced back up to Hickey, given that LSU is in on plenty of guards for the next few classes. I think that CJJ was obviously keyed into transfers, and transfers that might be able to give him 2 years as opposed to a play right away Carmouche type of transfer. In any case, a 6'4" SG/PG who can stroke it is what the doctor ordered on this team. A down stream backcourt of Hickey, Quarterman, Morgan, and Hornsby, plus another impact freshman recruit that CJJ may sign, and you're looking at a pretty solid diverse set of options. More quotes from Keith: http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2013/06/former_unc_ashville_guard_keit.html Time to focus on 2014 recruiting. Interestingly, though, given the numbers, CJJ doesn't have a lot of offers to give next year. According to my count 2, and it's more only if someone leaves early (which is likely you'll have at least one). So, maybe 3 schollies is what we should think about for Victor, Exum, and perhaps a LA kid or another out of stater. Alot of mystery seems to abound for the 2014 class.
I think this is a super nice pick up for for us...It looks as if Coach JJ is going after tall versatile guards. A few tid bits...I would love to pick up Exum but it seems as if Indiana is in the lead for his services. I havent seen an explanation why but it is also said that Exum doesn't have to go to college and could enter the draft next season(2014). Now with that being said he is looking into reclassifying and becoming part of the 2015 class... http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2013/06/australian_5-star_guard_dante.html This may be wishful thinking but I think that helps us out a bit because that puts him in the same class with his good friend and fellow Australian Ben Simmons who's God Father happens to be one of our assistant coaches...Again wishful thinking but we will see... I would love to see a class of Victor, Exum and Oubre... I agree do with tigernhornedland about Victor he seems to have a little Rico Gathers in him. I saw in article written by and Arizona writer and it sounded like Victor was a heavy AZ lean. Then I saw an article by a Kentucky writer and it sounded as if he was a heavy UK lean. He did make mention of LSU in the UK article saying LSU has a "tremendous staff" and that he didn't think it was a coincident that LSU hired Coach McCray and it showed that LSU really wanted him... I think Coach JJ can make up the difference with Victor...Oubre is a different story, kid is really blowing up this summer and in the last few interviews i've seen there has been no mention of LSU by him...I think that could change if we could pick up Victor before he decides because he stated before he and Victor are good friends and have talked about playing together...Again wishful thinking I think we will have 3 spots open with the 3rd being the departure of JOB....The word on JOB is that he didn't like the way the season ended and also took to heart what NBA scouts told him. As a result It is said that since the end of the season he has put himself on 2adays...I have read 2 articles (both pay or I would link) that stated JOB is noticeable leaner and stronger. If JOB starts the season in shape along with the talent we have coming in, we are in for a ride!
Hearing reports that Craig Victor is Arizona bound...hope its just www.pointguardu.com/content/craig-victor-arizona-imminent-1929
