Recruit Overview S39 (Class of 43)

Dayton - The top freshman class, ranked 8/11. 6'11" Andre Morgan is NOT one of those fluffy 20ppg centers - he shot 57.8%. Not to mention the 62 blocks. With the talented, workmanlike Terry Ridenour at his side, Andre will be a top frontcourt player in the conference for his entire four seasons. 6'7" Nick Kamber is a taller version of graduate Larry Graves, which is a good sign for this team's offense staying the course.

Blalock may or may not have chosen a starting lineup, but it looks like he has a very good situation brewing. Carroll and Vaughan are locked in at guards, while Ridenour and Morgan are clearly their best post players. SF could go to seniors Molinar or Palacios (both fine scorers), or an all-purpose guy like junior Hernandez or freshman Kamber.

Pontiac - Ospete got the 2nd best class at 25/41, but perhaps the best individual player in Harold Bland. It'll be fun (sorta) watching Bland's career opposite Andre Morgan, as both could potentially dominate their positions at both ends of the court - I expect Bland will gravitate towards SF if Ospete brings in more size. Don't miss Ralph Janke; He's an incredibly-efficient 6'8" guy who will bring much-needed size to the lineup.

Suddenly, this team may not have enough shots to go around! Bland is odds-on favorite to the lead the team in scoring (and a prime CFOY candidate), but Paige (56.6%), Janke (58.1%) and Williams (19ppg, 40.7% 3pters) will all want 7-12 FGAs per game. Ospete will need some solution, whether it be a boost in pace or some kind of starter/bench rotation.

St Louis come in third at 40/33, with a trio of guards. Cole and Nieves are gunners from short and long range (and watch for Cole's defense), while Duffy is a high-end PG in a big 6'6" frame. This looks like the best three-deep class in the conference, helping St Louis maintain their edge in depth, but they'll need help from their teammates in off-setting the studliness of the other freshmen.

Hard to tell if the freshmen will impact St Louis' lineup right away. Duffy is a starter candidate, but the gunners won't challenge Hopson, Jaggers, or Gilden for time on the wings. And the squad is plainly 11-players deep, ready to handle any injury scenario. JB's boys will be improved based on experience alone, but a tougher schedule will provide a different set of challenges. 15-0 in conference? If they're lucky.

Peoria has solid back-to-back mid-sized classes, the newest kids ranked 49/74. Well-rounded 6'6" guard Marquez Crist looks to be the highlight player, and a much-needed low-turnover guy. Dennis Wampler is the key to this class being a real success, though - the 6'7" scorer hit 50.8% of his shots while earning an astounding 153 FTAs...yet the computer has him on NA.

Peoria's offense didn't deliver last season, shooting just 46.3%. The addition of Crist should bring that up to 48ish, while the other freshmen should thicken up a bench group that didn't show ANY skill last season (unless you want to argue for their ~10rpg). Wampler could be the difference there - he could be a 10ppg bench guy easily, and if he keeps his accuracy around 50%, Peoria will be in the hunt for a top-3 finish.

Cincinnati's 70/99 class takes 4th place, though like all the Hitmen they're a kinda-solid-kinda-bland group of players who don't stand out in a crowd (of basketball players, that is). 6'8" Albert McGrew looks the most likely to succeed, with his decent shooting at 53.5% and strong rebounding at 9.4rpg.

I figure SF Silva (43.0% FGs) is a candidate for benching, and McGrew would bring good skills to a lineup that lost the overall rebounding battle last season. Having graduated their three worst players while going 14-10, Cincy is a good bet to have a good season, and they have the benefit of (historically) playing well against teams that are built around an individual.

Milwaukee will probably be disappointed with their 167/123 class, but they did bring in the size they wanted which should allow their talented junior guards to play a more comfortable brand of basketball. 6'8" Marvin McGuire is a great Center candidate, a potent rebounder with a good head on his shoulders. And with three non-essential seniors, the team can continue to build on their current foundation.

Pontiac picked up a decent 6'4" kind in William Erickson. I expect more than 4 wins this season, but they're a lock for another bottom-two finish in C16.

Sioux City must have gambled (and lost) on a bunch of ties this season, because their freshman are pure sewer sludge. Fullofit better play it smart with his recruiting this time, and he better watch out for the Pontiac game. Last place would NOT look good on his resume.