The Hogs have finally turned to little piggies. Loss of Nolan, several great propects, and you got yourself a team victim to even Tulsa. Im sad....vury sad.
This year's failure was not caused by the coaching change. That could not be further from the truth. Everytime a team switches it's coach it is usually tough on the team, but it's rarely the new coaches fault. I believe that recruiting is 50% of coaching in college basketball, and when new coaches come in they should be given time to get their own recruits before they are judged. I think that Stan Heath, a former Michigan State assistant coach, is doing a great job at Arkansas. This was his first year ever head coaching any team, and he has gotten a top three recruiting class for next year. He will be recieving Olu Famutimi from Flint, Michigan. Olu, who is originally from Canada, was named to the McDonalds All-American game, but he was unable to play due to injuries. He is 6-5 and very lengthy. Arkansas fans should love him. He is a real crowd pleaser. I got the chance to see him last summer and he gave me my moneys worth. He is a prolific scorer and he has a vertical leap greater than forty inches. The next player that Arkansas recruited is Julius Lamptey out of Oklahoma. Lamptey was regaurded by most High School sources as a top twenty recruit. Lamptey stands tall at 7-0. He knows how to use his size to his advantage which is something most young Centers struggle with. Lamptey and Famutimi should make a great team. One might compare them to Kobe and Shaq of a lesser extent. In the future Arkansas has already made the 'Top Schools' lists of many young Juniors and Sophomores such as 6-8 Power Forward, DJ White, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Many sources think that he will go to Arkansas for the 2004 - 2005 season, but he is right in Alabama's backyard so expect them to make a strong effort to get this top prospect. There are three other young prospects who have considered or commited to the Univerity of Arkansas. These three players are Shawne Williams, Al Jefferson, and Steven Hill. All of these players will usually be found ranked in the top twenty-five, especially Al Jefferson. Al Jefferson is one of the best, if not the best, high school Juniors. He will go down in history as one of Arkansas' biggest recruits ever. He is the real deal in my mind. He has potential to be the Freshman of the Year, a First Team All-American, and the Player of the Year. If LeBron James wasn't hogging all the High School media attention then you'd be hearing a lot more about Jefferson. You'll likely here a lot of people compare Jefferson to a baby Shaquille O'Neal, just like Eddie Curry and Sofoklis Schortsanitis. He is 6-10, he is 280 lbs., and he plays Power Forward. He's a true Southerner from Prentiss, Mississippi. He is described as a quick and agile guy, but I saw him as more of a chunky, but powerful player. He is also a real team leader. When Jefferson leaves to go pro he will definitely be the favorite to be the number one pick overall. Some say he may leave as soon as his Freshman year though. Steven Hill is a country boy from Branson, Missouri, which is right on the Arkansas border. He is a 6-11 Center and weighs 240 lbs.. He has already commited to Arkansas like Jefferson has. Hill has made an impact on the High School game when he averaged just over twenty points per game last season, but critics question whether or not his game can translate to the college level. I have never seen him play so I can't comment on that, but from what I have heard he is very skinny. I don't think that will be a problem though, because he is destined to be a backup for most of his college career behind Lamptey. The last of the three prospects I mentioned has not commited to Arkansas yet, but he has them on his 'Top Schools' list. His name is Shawne Williams. Shawne, a former High School teammate of the Baylor murder suspect Harvey Thomas, plays High School basketball in Memphis, Tennessee. I have sen him on many occasions and I can tell you that he will have an immediate impact on Arkansas if he choses them. There are other schools making strong efforts to get him though, such as Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, UAB, and Alabama. Williams is a 6-9 and 215 lbs. gunner who plays both Shooting Guard and Small Forward. Then if you consider that Arkansas' top three scorers last year were all Freshman recruited by Stan Heath it makes your point look even further from the truth. It also makes their future look brighter. Next year their best players will all be Sophomores and Freshmen so they are bound to struggle again, but wait a year or maybe even two and you will see Arkansas back in the top 15. C - Julius Lamptey PF - Michael Jones SF - Jonathon Modica SG - Olu Famutimi PG - Eric Ferguson That starting lineup above will soon be one that opponents will fear.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "aTTiCuS":</div><div class="quote_post">how big is julius?</div>Julius Lamptey is 7-0 and 270 lbs., but he looks more like he is 300 lbs.. He is downright massive with little body fat. Here is his picture -
Great post Spartan. That's amazing getting that many great recruits. It sounds like there may be another Syracuse like team full of great freshmen who lead their team to the Championship. Do you have any links on these high school players?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "BC":</div><div class="quote_post">Great post Spartan. That's amazing getting that many great recruits. It sounds like there may be another Syracuse like team full of great freshmen who lead their team to the Championship. Do you have any links on these high school players?</div>Thanks for the kind words. There are many links for these players, but the best place to get information on all High School recruits is http://www.rivals.com.
Good. Personally I don't like the state of Arkansas. In my opnion, it's boring. Great posts Spartanfan! :thumbsup:
