RUTGERS RECRUITING NOTES

August 21, 2008


Kyrie Irving has had a big summer and the 2010 recruit is a Summer Stock booster (Northstar Basketball) that has been getting a lot of recruiting interest. Irving recently told Alex Schwartz that Wake Forest, Ohio St., Providence, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Memphis, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Rutgers, among others have shown great interest with offers from the New Jersey contingent of the Big East, RU and SHU.

Adam Zagoria also has a Givon Crump Update (ZagsBlog.net) as the 6-foot-6 small forward has several Big East schools on his list after an impressive summer. Givon Crump lists Rutgers and Seton Hall, as well as Oregon State, Michigan, DePaul, Wake Forest, South Florida and SMU.

Crump has already taken unofficial visits to Rutgers and Wake Forest and the Scarlet Knights made a nice impression on him. For now, only the official visits the have been decided are to Oregon State and Michigan.

Raymond Balter of the NBE Basketball Report Tevin Baskin, rising senior from Trinity Catholic in Stamford, Conn to get a feel for his recruiting situation.

“Right now, everyone is equal.” Those schools that would all seem on equal footing in their pursuit of him would be UMass, St John’s, Xavier, Providence, Rutgers, Auburn, and “a couple of others,” he said. He paused for a moment, perhaps drawing a momentary blank, then added that “Virginia had been coming pretty hard, Clemson too.”

“Right now,” he went on, “I’m just trying to see what everyone has to offer aside from basketball. I’m trying to see what schools really want me or need me.” He said distance is not a factor, and also said that at the moment there is nothing that specific education-wise about any school that would be a factor, although he did state that he would like to look into the graduation rate for student-athletes at each school.


Rutgers is definitely a long shot in the Odds to Win the 2009 NCAA National Championship (400/1), but adding some of these recruits will definitely help in the future.

Adam Zagoria reports that Seton Hall, St. John’s and Rutgers, among others, are Trying to Get (Jarrid) Famous (ZagsBlog.net), a 6-foot-11, 235 pound C from Westchester Community College.

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RU and St John's new assistant

Adam Zagoria writes this morning that Norm Roberts has hired Kimani Young as an assistant coach on his staff at St John's. This is a move that certainly impacts Rutgers. For one thing, the two schools not only play in the Big East, but are also close neighbors. They have and will continue to recruit many of the same kids.

That is what this move is all about - recruiting. Young is the director of the New Heights grassroots program (AAU to you old-schoolers), and as such has enormous influence with the D-1 prospects who are on New Heights: Jayvaughn Pinkston, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier, and Devon McMillan.

Let there be no doubt about it: Young has clout with these kids. Even though Pankey and Collier will both play their final two seasons at St Anthony's, Young still remains far more influential in each of their recruitments than Bob Hurley does now.

Not that RU is necessarily recruiting either that hard, though. Same for Bishop Loughlin's Jayvaughn Pinkston. RU under Fred Hill has made New Jersey a top recruiting priority. That makes enormous sense, considering the abundance of talent in NJ, and the fact that Rutgers has never been a dominant recruiting force in its home state.

They've indeed succeeded in making massive inroads in New Jersey, but New York City just got that much tougher for them.

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Rutgers Notes: Another Wing in RU's Future?

A reader on this Rutgers forum wonders about the news that Adam Zagoria posted a couple of days ago about Kevin Parrom, and asks a very good question: would the Scarlet Knights take another wing?

The question, specifically as it pertains to Parrom, might be moot at this point, as he appears to be further trimming his list, and RU may have not made the latest cut. However, RU has been pursuing other wings, specifically Dominic Cheek, and one other young man that they may have an even better shot at landing - Givon Crump.

There could be one big hitch to this, though. Crump's biggest concern, expressed to yours truly, is an opportunity for immediate playing time. For that one, Fred Hill may need to don a wizard's cap. Entering this season, Rutgers will return one wing, Earl Pettis, who is just a sophomore, and are welcoming another, 6'7 freshman Patrick Jackson. Add to that mix next year (which will be Crump's first as a college freshman) highly regarded 6'7 Dane Miller, and one wonders just how Hill will be able to mollify Crump's concerns.

Also factor in sweet-shooting Florida transfer Jonathan Mitchell, who will eligible next season, and, well, you get the picture.

One thing is for certain though: should Hill land Crump, one of the country's deadliest pure shooters, to go along with Mike Rosario and Jonathan Mitchell, the Scarlet Knights become a team it might be suicidal to play zone against. The games against Syracuse will certainly be interesting.

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