I was asked to identify some transfer targets ECU should look at that are in the portal and the truth is I was already on it. I have a few names that I think might be undervalued. Now the real question is how hard ECU will look. The early reporting is they reached out to BJ Mack from Wofford, so that's a good sign they may be more active this season with higher-up prospects.
Mack is easily one of the best prospects in the portal currently, and his reported offer sheet reflects that. Last season schools like Southern Miss and South Alabama signed players I think were the level of Mack, so it's not out of the question.
I could list the Jaemyn Brakefield, Fardaws Aimaq, and even BJ Mack type of players everyone will be after that are the class of what is in the portal right now. That's not interesting to me though. Even though it's still very early and the portal is just getting started I'm going to list a few deep sleepers in the portal I think ECU would have an inside track on if they got on early, which I think could help ECU. They are all from the area or have ties.
Jadyn Parker-N. Florida
6-10, 190 from Shallotte, NC. He's really skinny and doesn't play but 20 to 22 minutes and averages 7ppg, 5rpg, but 1.8bpg and great ball handling. Before you say back up from the Atlantic Sun UNF's SOS was 21 spots higher than ECU's this season. He's doing it vs some good relative competition.
After seeing the big lineup, working with Ausar's ball handling and Johnson's outside shooting, this guy replacing Debaut defending around the rim I think would work. He would be a nice back up big that does something proven ECU doesn't have, blocks shots. He'd also be playable with Ausar and Johnson in some matchups and probably even defend the perimeter some as light as he is unlike Debaut. He seems gettable too.
His defensive ratings are a little worse than I like, but I think that was more the players around him since overall his was better than the teams. He'd fit nicely in that big lineup here IMO the way he handles the ball and blocks shots and moves or beside of Ausar.
I watched his High School highlights at West Brunswick and he can really handle the ball exceptionally well for a 6-10 guy.
Paxson Wojcik-Brown
Justin Wright -NC Central
Zack Austin- High Point
Bradley Dean- UVA Wise
D2 player from Gates City Virginia. 6-2 and averaged 21ppg. 4apg while shooting 43% from three. I think ECU needs to look for one knockdown shooter. There is a guy from VMI (Conway) and one from Towson, (Timberlake) that fit the bill, but this is the one I think would be less recruited. Everyone seems to be after the other two I mentioned. Quick release on his shot, and he also seems like he could play some point guard too or get his shots.
These are my early names, I'm sure I'll have some more. Now they might all end up in the P5 but my guess is ECU would have a shot at this tier of players with ties from the area. It will be interesting to see where they end up.
Replacing Small 3-16
It will likely be hard to replace Small as a talent with another equal talent. Probably the closest reasonable option is Justin Wright. The other way to approach this is take a high level shooter that can play a little PG like Bradley Dean. I think if ECU could land dean the fit of him with Walker might even be better overall. Walker and Felton both have the size to guard the wings and he seems to have some PG and getting his own shot abilities. ECU probably needs to look at better fit option that can play off the ball with Walker and essentially take Dibundje out of the starting lineup and hope the better overall product is better as a result. Bringing in another non shooting PG that needs the ball in his hands hurts Walkers value. I also don't see a lot of PG's that seem realistic who can facilitate and still shoot pretty well. Maybe get the shooter who can still do some PG things. Here are some low end options I don't think are great individually but fit wise could help.
Xander Rice- Bucknell : 6-3, 14.1ppg, 3.8apg career .375 three point shooter. Only a 16.8 PER though in one of the worst conferences as are all these players. (committed to Monmouth since)
Jonathon Cisse- Incarnate Word: 6-1, 16.6ppg, 2.8apg, .40.2% three point shooter 18.6 PER.
Landon Moore- St. Francis (PA) : 6-3, 13.1ppg, 3.6apg 36% from three 16.7 PER.
Brycen Long- Houston Christian: 6-2, 14.8ppg, 2.3apg .416% from 3. 16.9 PER
Kaden Methany- Bowling Green: 5-11 10.7ppg, 2.6apg .382% three
Nate Clamese - Lamar: 6-2, 17.6ppg, 2.0apg .367% three's 20.3 PER
If you want to try to squeeze out a similar type talent
Braylon Freeman- Rhode Island- 6-2, 14.3ppg, 2.8apg 34% from three.
The name that would have worked great is Mike Saunders who was at Cincy two years ago. He's already committed to McNeese State. Just another example of teams getting it done in the portal. They have already landed two former Cincy rotation players.
3-17
Jalen Benjamin from Raleigh. He's only 5-10, 160. He started his career at UAB and averaged 12ppg as a freshman. He transfers to Mount St Mary's where he averaged 16ppg, 4apg 17 PER and shot .373% from three there.
3-18
Xander Rice committed to Monmouth. I didn't realize that was King Rice's son. Going to play for King Rice now.
3-20
The teams in serious stalks with Justin Wright are Loyola Marymount, Murray State, Youngstown State, St. Bonny, UMass, Richmond, Winthrop, Southern Illinois. Can we stop saying ECU can't compete on guys like this in the portal. Apparently the staff has "higher" priorities, so we'll see where he goes and what ECU ends up with instead.
The duel tarheel fans that went to ECU and sometimes pretend to be an ECU fan are all about Dontrez Styles coming to Greenville. It's pretty easy to spot the ones talking him up around the community like this would be some amazing development. It sounds like the staff has been in contact as well.
On3 even says he's a top 10 transfer prospect in their rankings. Yeah right, maybe in the top 200 and ten right now. I don't get it.The guy isn't even in the rotation on an NIT caliber team this season. He's playing garbage time in 15 games and mostly in his career and still isn't efficient at all.
This isn't a typically end of the bench small sample at this point. He has played 264 minutes in 2 years now and has a career 10 PER and .476 true shooting in garbage time mostly vs back ups and probably some walk ons. UNC has talent, I get why he might be buried on the bench but if he's not coming in killing it when he does play or even playing average when he does play who cares.
I certainly don't care what some person at On3 or 247 recruiting thought about him 3 years ago in high school at this point when he's played 264 minutes like that. That's what their rankings seem mostly based on. Maybe he will come here and make me look stupid which would be great if it actually happened and he was good. ECU could do much better IMO and needs to be taking players that are known. This guy is as unproven as a freshman. Probably worse being proven bad.
Just being from UNC isn't everything.
Seventh Woods played real minutes at UNC as a freshman and was similarly bad. He transferred and couldn't even make an impact at Morgan State as a 5th year senior like 5ppg there. Maybe he was hurt or something I don't know or care since I'm not an UNC fan, but it doesn't automatically make you good.
There are examples the other way of course, probably more, but this seems more like a case of being over your head and not what ECU really needs more than a future star. Maybe you take him as a lottery pick upside if you are moving on from multiple other players and taking like 5 or so transfers and he's the 5th. If ECU is only taking 1 or 2 and he's one of them that's less than ideal IMO.
3-20
Link Tyzhaun Claude from Goldsboro.
This is a player that I listed last spring as a player that I thought would be a great get for ECU. He was coming off a season where he averaged 3.4ppg at Morehead St. What I liked is he had averaged 9ppg 6.4rpg with a strong PER
He transferred to Western Carolina last year in that cycle and averaged 15.4ppg, 8.6rpg with a 26.8 PER. Being his 2nd transfer and only a Jr it wouldn't seem like he would be a graduate yet. He might need a waiver is the only drawback. The risk of not getting it having burned his first transfer. He's a big time talent.
3-21
Blake Preston from Liberty. The guy is a stud that was shafted by a coach only playing him 13 to 18 minutes a game the last 3 years. He should have transfered 2 years ago after he had a 32 PER and only played 18 minutes. He's 6-9 , 220 from Charlotte. Don't play your studs multiple years and they should and probably will transfer. He should go P6 but maybe there are coaches that only see his dumb role at Liberty and sleep on him for ECU to have a chance. He has elite defensive ratings too.
3-22
Bradley Dean is going to Miami...........
........of Ohio. He should have been gettable. Also I don't think anyone noticed but Jaxon Ellingsworth hit the portal a few minutes ago.
Keep adding to the list. I really think the 6-10 is viable and so is the UVA Wise shooter. 43% will travel. I like the philosophy of going to the ASun and leagues of that caliber like the CAA and get proven 15-20ppg shooters. Guys who arent going to go to the top conferences but want to step up.
ReplyDeleteDean has been contacted by Clemson, LSU and mid majors per reports. Coach Mack said once as long as a guy only has two major conference offers ECU can compete, and that was when ECU was in CUSA. When you look at the recruits of the last 20 years, most good ones usually had 1 or 2 in line when with what he said. I believe he may have even said from mid to lower half to, but that's generally who we competed with anyway like Virginia Tech, Clemson etc. I've seen no interest list for Parker, but he's so skinny that might still scare P6's away. He's the only high-block-rate guy in the portal currently I can find though. That's a stock booster with the market.
ReplyDeleteThe guy ECU reportedly contacted from Winthrop and that has since signed at Georgia State I liked too. I thought ECU posters were to hard on him saying "could he help ECU". The correct context is could he help ECU more than some of the freshman ECU got nothing out of last year. I think certainly. I liked all these guys more writing this up, but he would have helped ECU and I was pleased to see the staff kicking the tires on Mack and even prospects at his level. It's a willingness at least that didn't seem to be there last year.
I like the kid from High Point. You mentioned the 33% from 3 but you can factor in that HP basically ran and chucked up the first 3 they found. When they played us they forced a ton of shots and never really looked for a high quality shot and that hurt his %. I think in the right offense he can hit close to 40%
DeleteI like Austin from High Point, he's got a better-reported offer list than I expect though. It will be interesting to see where he actually ends up.
ReplyDeletePitt is on him hard, I feel like he is going to end up there.
DeleteI see Pitt got him. That's a good addition I wish ECU could have made.
ReplyDelete