First of all, if you did not check out Doc’s post on the Wear twins’ transfers or C.Michael’s rundown of the potential recruitment of Kadeem Jack, check those out. A big thanks to both of them for covering the story from every angle.
As of this morning, not much has changed, well except the fact that Zags Blog is saying Kentucky has jumped into the mix for the services of Kadeem Jack aka the kid who we all hope is going to backup the post play this season:
The Kadeem Jack Sweepstakes now includes two of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball.
The 6-foot-9 Jack plans to visit North Carolina and Kentucky sometime in the coming weeks, although no dates have been set.
“According to him, he said that he’s going to set up visits with North Carolina and Kentucky,” said South Kent (Conn.) coach Kelvin Jefferson. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to visit Kentucky and North Carolina.’”
Swell…UK is involved because they missed out on C.J. Leslie and Terrence Jones though the situation with Jones is still in flux. I guess Jack can expect a phone call from Lebron James or something. At any rate, Jack has to feel like he won the lottery. He had been recruited by some named programs but apparently none of them impressed him enough to entice him to campus this fall. Jack was readying himself to attend a prep school to work on his game. Now? He has the #1 and #2 teams on the all-time wins list knocking on his door. What’s more is he knows he will play. The frontcourt depth for both schools is thin as one of my running shirts.That means he will play for a great coach in either case and see time on the court. Win-win situation for him.
The question for Roy Williams remains: Should he offer the kid a scholarship? As C.Michael pointed out, you can roll the dice on the basis of the present need for more frontcourt depth or you can pocket the scholarship and begin working in earnest on a big 2012 recruiting haul. And if these decisions were made in a vacuum then it might be easier but coming off a hugely disappointing season in 2010, Roy is feeling the pressure to make 2011 closer to UNC’s average handicap. That would seemingly made the decision a no brainer. You offer the player now because you need help now. In many ways this is not unlike Duke getting Andre Dawkins a year early to mitigate a similar issue in their backcourt prior to 2010. Duke only has two serviceable guards heading into last season, Dawkins gave them three. The other caveat is UNC has one scholarship out there to SG Austin Rivers. If he comes in 2011 then no problem. Getting Jack and Rivers is certainly an upgrade over the Wears by most standards. If Rivers heads to Duke(which I think will happen based on UNC’s logjam at SG in 2011) then you have a scholarship to use for 2012 and plenty of time to use it.
As for further evaluations of Jack, long time recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons weighed in with the Winston-Salem Journal:
“He’s about the best high-school kid left,” Gibbons said. “He would give them a 6-9 body. He’s not real physical or strong, but he would at least be as effective as one of the Wears.”
Not the kind of ringing endorsement Dave Telep at Scout.com has been offering up. Gibbons is giving you the basics here by saying: “He is at least good enough to plug into the particular leak in the dam UNC has right now and he also happens to be the only player left worth plugging into said leak.” Nothing beyond that because either Gibbons has not seen him play or has and is not impressed. I do know some of the buzz surrounding Jack may be based on a 24 point, 20 rebound performance he had versus Villanova recruit JayVaughn Pinkston.
Take that with a grain of salt.
![[Bloglines]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Technorati]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://www.tarheelblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
i think you have to go with what you got right now. focusing on 2012 will look silly if we have early defections from a henson or a barnes, plus with larry and zeller graduating (and who knows if watts or mcdonald will still be here), then there are two guaranteed slots (right?) and possibly one or more extra slots to fill….i’d vote for fill this slot w/ jack. we all know bigs take more time to develop and it’s nice to have some big bodies in the bank for future use. too many question marks to really bank this scholarship for 2012 imo
Of course there is also the possibility I have to sit around and listen to you guys complain about how Jack is getting 15-20 mpg in two years when he is no better than Marcus Ginyard or something.
That is the dilemma. Not that you are focusing on 2012 but rather you are taking into account the fact you could get stuck with the next Mike Copeland or Justin Watts for four years when a year from now you could really use that offer to bring in someone infinitely better.
At any rate, I am glad I am not making the decision.
^^ I was a little confused about your comments on Zeller’s and Drew’s graduating, as far as their scholarships being available. Zeller and Drew will be seniors in the 2011-12 season, the season that McAdoo and Hairston will be coming in. If UNC offers Jack, and he accepts, it will have one scholarship left for the 2011-12 season…the one that has been offered to Austin Rivers. If he declines, it will be offered to someone else.
I kind of agree with the “offer now” approach, regarding Jack. Yes, there will be no more available scholarships for ’11-’12, but if everyones stays (primarily meaning Henson and Barnes) then why would one realistically be needed anyway? Just another freshman to have to bring up to speed, and the enticement for a really elite player is just not going to be there, PT-wise, with such a loaded roster.
Of course if Henson or Barnes leave, the the available scholarship will take care of itself. Yeah, I see hardly any reasons not to offer Jack, short of Roy not being convinced he’s a player.
I don’t want it sugarcoated. Gibbons has a right to his opinion, but I am not sure how to interpret what he is saying.
People on THF, for the most part, seemed to be pretty happy with the play of the Wears this year. Just because they left, that shouldn’t change the past.
So, is Gibbons’ statement that “he’s not real physical or strong, but he would at least be as effective as one of the Wears” a positive or a negative about Jack, or is Gibbons actually trying to sneak in his own opinion about UNC’s mistake in recruiting the Wears?
I do not know as much about Kadeem Jack as I would like. One thing in his favor is a soccer background. That usually develops good feet coordination and agility. So he may have post ability or could be taught proper footwork, defensive and offensive. If you don’t have good feet you never will: Byron Samuals, Mike Copeland, Ed Geth, etc… His upside could be good considering his relative lack of time playing basketball. Based solely on what I’ve heard Jack would be an athletic improvement over either one of the Wears. Lastly, I despise Sleazipari and Kentucky but I’ll give the guy credit for recognizing talent.
“So, is Gibbons’ statement that “he’s not real physical or strong, but he would at least be as effective as one of the Wears” a positive or a negative about Jack, or is Gibbons actually trying to sneak in his own opinion about UNC’s mistake in recruiting the Wears?”
I don’t see that statement as saying too many things, one way or the other, about the Wears or Jack. He said Jack could be “at least” as effective as one of the Wears. Since the Wears were not all that effective (so far), and since Jack is unproven (so far), that seems to be a fairly non-committal type statement, an more or less a wash.
With some of the game film I’ve watched on Jack, and with the results of some of his performances in the second half of the year (New York championships, regional Jordan Classic game, etc.) it seems he has a much greater upside. Still, not enough of a body of work to make too many assumptions on. The fact that a lot of his best play happened this last late-winter, early-spring is why he has not been on the radar. He also has not participated in all the elite, all-star camps and squads.
But he does seem to be an athletic, late bloomer who is coming on strong. And it looks like he can flat out jump and swat….the type of innate qualities that you just don’t teach. I do kind of cringe, though, thinking about a kid who has only played ball for 4 years trying to learn Roy’s schemes, and on a much more difficult college level . Hey, if he’s a real player, though, he may take to it like a duck to water.
shoot larry, you’re right…i guess i thought we had two slots to fill, plus one more with an early defection and that’s plenty to bring in 3 studs….so mcadoo and hairston’s scholly’s are coming from graves and ed davis, and now we have two more for (potentially) austin rivers, kadeen jack, +1 in 2011 or in 2012.
so if hypothetically we got jack and rivers (big IF of course), then we have zero for 2012 unless we have a departure from a transfer or nba defection? hmmm, of course that would be a GREAT thing to have henson and harrison be around
i’d take that over having two more top billing freshman anyday.
back to jack though, none of us truly know if they’re a justin watts or a true diamond in the rough. i guess i’m (probably foolishly) going by the fact that he’s getting late in the game interest from not just us, but from texas and kentucky….
plus the theory that bigs are just tougher to develop and are more likely to make early jumps before ever making a significant impact on the college level.
He said, “would”, not “could”, similar though they may be.
Granted, he doesn’t specify exactly whether he means the Wear play of this year or next year, but the most likely implication is that he is saying that that last guy available in the country, who was going to prep school for more preparation, will be just as good as a freshman for the Tar Heels, as Travis would have been as a sophomore.
Probably, given how bad last year was, if this kid wants to come, Roy pretty much has to offer him a scholarship. He sounds to me as though he could have Rick Fox upside, and at worst, will be a good citizen and practice player without provoking parents.
This situation reminds me of Ol’ Roy’s own aphorism, that it’s easy to get stuck with a lot of mediocre players.
^^You’re right. I did incorrectly use could instead of would.
I guess that maybe says a little more, positively, about Jack, as a freshman, considering T. Wear (this is the one Wear I think we really have to measure against) likely would have improved some, as a sophomore, and especially since Jack is such an unknown quantity.
Not that it really means anything, but Jack was the last guy available by choice ( He has standing offers from Ariz., Ark., U Conn…maybe others I don’t know about), and had hoped to improve his profile by improving his game at a prep school. (Although U Conn is hardly a lower-tier program)
have you guys watched the video of the nyc high school championship with jack? this kid is not some stiff. he just came onto the scene much later than most kids i believe, so his rankings aren’t high.
but, major programs are recruiting him now so he must have some talent.
I don’t know if this matters, but here is something I read on HSH:
I don’t know the significance of this, or if I am trying to read too much, but I don’t think an elite recruit will want to play behind 2 other players, let alone 3 others. The only plausible scenario is if Henson declares for the draft next year.
You have to have backup players. Right now, in the post, we don’t have one. So I think they should recruit him.
^Don’t know what McAdoo’s comment means, but I’m not worried about it since, until last week, he was looking at the possibility of being part of a roster with 4 other post players instead of 3.
mcadoo will be fine, he’s a blue chip recruit who will come in and play a major role right away. plus he seems like he’s in the harrison barnes mold where he has a good head on his shoulders, comes from good pedigree, and (what i took the article to mean is that) he’s looking forward to enjoying his senior year.
where i got confused is how this will impact our longer term scholarships. we have two avail for either jack, or 2011. for the c/o 2012 we’ll be graduating 3 kids, watts, zeller and larry. i think having an option for 3 kids in 2012 and 3 in 2011 (if we get jack) should be plenty to keep the old cupboard full.
after last year’s recruiting “issues”, i think roy is due for a nice diamond in the rough type of player. and like 850 said, you definitely need role players/backups. otherwise you’re UK in 2010, decent, but not building anything.
^Roy is a great recruiter, and the blue-chippers seem to be coming this year and next. Unfortunately, none of it will mean a lot if they end up playing “musical chairs” and your star players do not stay together, as a core unit, long enough to gel and win a national championship.
It can possibly be done, year after next, even if Henson leaves (though it will be tough) but it is essential that Barnes stays through his sophomore year for a realistic chance…..and have Marshall and Bullock end up being the players we hope they’ll be.
well said, only time will tell….
“I don’t know the significance of this, or if I am trying to read too much, but I don’t think an elite recruit will want to play behind 2 other players, let alone 3 others.”
Elite recruits don’t care who is on the roster because they know they are good enough to supplant any player on the roster for a starting spot. Players that are concerned about other players at their position on the roster are marginal players like the Wear twins who are not gifted enough to beat out a player for a roster spot on their own merit. An elite recruit like McAdoo would not care if Worthy and Perkins were own the roster because he thinks he is good enough to play a major role once he steps foot on campus and doesn’t shy away from the competition to prove how good of a player he is.
I think that is true, except maybe for pure point guards. They seem to scatter once a team signs another elite point guard. I think most of the other positions can be shuffled around somewhat.
Speaking of the twins, I’m told that they packed up and bolted at 11:30 at night without telling anyone their plan. Something weird about all of that.
I don’t think so. Any kid would be embarrassed or seek to avoid having to deal with an adverse situation. I remember being sheepish about going to campus after a bad haircut.
Now I want Jack just beacuse I don’t want UK to have him.
agreed MissBumptious–it’s odd as hell. In fact, the only similar circumstance that comes to mind is Larry Bird’s hasty exit from Indiana, but he was still reeling from his Dad’s death, and probably Bob Knight. But then again, an anonymous freshman with a bad haircut, and two scholly players on one of the top teams in the Country have a lot in common so maybe leaving without notice in the middle of the night isn’t so strange (shrug).
Speaking of Larry Bird….
The HBO or showtime special about Bird and Magic Johnson is a must see. Five stars!
On the other hand getting Kadeem Jack may be a plus. As things go it seems Austin Rivers is well on his way to becoming a dookie. Roy may be better off offering someone like Adonis Thomas.
william – hilarious re: haircut!
i was disappointed to see this article about austin riveres
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2010/05/austin-rivers-seems-ready-to-be-a-dukie/1
does not make me happy.
Yeah, somehow, I don’t think I would be comparing the Wears departure to Larry Bird leaving Indiana, as my six year old would say, duh!
Jack, apparently, didn’t get invited to play in the McDonald’s Game, which shows how much stock to put into being a burger boy.
Duke and Kansas have lost several players who have been just as high profile as this, or more so, and it hasn’t hurt either program.
Let’s face it, our twins were a poor imitation of the Lopez twins at Stanford or the Morris twins at Kansas, or the Bryan brothers in tennis, or even the Olsen twins in acting. Check out some old episodes of Full House and tell me they are not more fun than watching re-plays of UNC games this year when Travis and David were out on the court.
The twin thing becomes tiresome quick if either or both of them lag from the expected team norm. First, you have to try to figure out which of the twins is responsible for screwing up, which is hard enough. But when they both lag, you just despise seeing either one of them in the game. It is just not a good situation for either the twins or the fans. The Wears both need to go to a school where they are the best two players on the team, hands down. They will be much happier, as will their new fans.
Why isn’t anyone going after the juco prospect Eloy Vargas?