*This is long overdue, but I wanted to get some thoughts out from the NY2LA event this weekend in Mequon. I was going to deliver this in Whispers on Sunday, but then Tyler Beach changed my entire evening.
First off, these NY2LA events are really well run and Antonio Curro does a very good job. I was able to take in action Friday, Saturday and Sunday and if you ever get the chance, I'd recommend it if you're a hoops junkie.
*I'll start with Jordan McCabe because he's certainly been a hot topic of conversation, especially after winning a state title a few weeks ago. He's been discussed and picked apart at length, and no one can argue that he's not an intriguing player. But talking to a few people who attended the event, they aren't sold that Wisconsin and McCabe are a good fit, and that's putting it lightly. This is coming from national people, so I think it's good to get an outside perspective here. You have to ask yourself, when was the last time the Badgers took a player like McCabe -- a small point guard with average athleticism who excels in an uptempo pace?
Now, I'll stop myself right here and say that I really enjoy watching McCabe. He's an excellent passer with a great vision and a high basketball IQ. He's also a volume shooter who can load up the box score in a hurry. But Wisconsin has made the tournament for the last 17 years because it recruits to a specific fit. This formula is not going to change under Greg Gard and I wonder how UW fans would view McCabe if he lived outside the state. Could the Badgers pick up the pace and push the ball down the road? Sure, but McCabe, according to some people, is going to struggle to defend Big Ten guards and is likely better suited for a style of play like Green Bay currently runs under Linc Darner. A handful of people who are more qualified than I am feel McCabe is a mid-major prospect, though he currently holds an offer from West Virginia.
The point of this post is not to bad-mouth McCabe. He's a great kid and an excellent basketball player. But he has his limits and things that fit him more appropriately in comparison to what Wisconsin offers. Could he get an offer from Gard down the road? Absolutely, but if he winds up playing for a different school, these are things we have revisit down the road.
*Next up is Tyler Herro, McCabe's teammate with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors. As I mentioned in the interview I did with him, Arizona, Kansas, Xavier and a number of other schools are now showing interest. And once he gets a chance to play in front of college coaches, his offer sheet is going to double. Right now, I feel very strongly about the Badgers getting him, but I'm not sure if there's a school(s)/offer(s) out there that could change that. Herro loves Gard, there's no question about that.
From a few people I watched his games with, they noted that Herro's knees bend in a bit when he shoots, something I never paid much attention to. He's an excellent shooter and there's a feeling that he could grow another inch or two and be a legit 6-foot-5/6 shooting guard at the next level. The Warriors 16u team is ultra talented with Adam Trapp, Keshawn Justice, John Diener and Jack Plumb also on the roster.
*Talking to Justin Smith and Kyle Young, I think Wisconsin has a lot of work to do with both, specifically Young, who basically said communication dropped off during the coaching change. With Smith, who I thought was the top player at the entire event, his camp was very high on the Badgers and Bo Ryan when they first offered. I think Wisconsin could jump into the race, but he's another kid who could explode this summer.
*In the 2016 class, there was a lot of buzz surrounding guard Zion Morgan. I thought Morgan played pretty well this weekend but a few others labeled him a mid-major player, which is probably accurate. Now, in any other class, he's probably not someone UW would offer. But if you feel you absolutely need a point guard in this ccyle, he's worth a shot if you think he can buy into a specific role for the Badgers. From what I've been told, Howard Moore is really pushing for an offer here, but Gard is keeping his options wide open. Moore has compared Morgan to Michael Flowers, who was very much a combo guard.
Morgan is around 6-foot-2 -- that's pretty generous -- and is still adjusting to his role as a point guard. But at the bare minimum, I think he can give you what Jordan Hill brings to the table. He's essentially working as a lead guard right now to show the Wisconsin coaches he can have success there and would jump at the chance to play for UW. He's a scorer with a pretty good shot and someone who could be a good defender if he bought into it.
With Morgan in mind, here's some updated film of Jared Armstrong, another 2016 PG UW is still involved with:
*This was in the interview I put up, but Kobe King expects to be back in early May. He had a cast on his non-shooting hand after tearing a ligament in his hand.
*This is not tournament related, but I continue to hear good things about Nate Reuvers. Some even feel UW can land his commitment this summer, at the earliest.
First off, these NY2LA events are really well run and Antonio Curro does a very good job. I was able to take in action Friday, Saturday and Sunday and if you ever get the chance, I'd recommend it if you're a hoops junkie.
*I'll start with Jordan McCabe because he's certainly been a hot topic of conversation, especially after winning a state title a few weeks ago. He's been discussed and picked apart at length, and no one can argue that he's not an intriguing player. But talking to a few people who attended the event, they aren't sold that Wisconsin and McCabe are a good fit, and that's putting it lightly. This is coming from national people, so I think it's good to get an outside perspective here. You have to ask yourself, when was the last time the Badgers took a player like McCabe -- a small point guard with average athleticism who excels in an uptempo pace?
Now, I'll stop myself right here and say that I really enjoy watching McCabe. He's an excellent passer with a great vision and a high basketball IQ. He's also a volume shooter who can load up the box score in a hurry. But Wisconsin has made the tournament for the last 17 years because it recruits to a specific fit. This formula is not going to change under Greg Gard and I wonder how UW fans would view McCabe if he lived outside the state. Could the Badgers pick up the pace and push the ball down the road? Sure, but McCabe, according to some people, is going to struggle to defend Big Ten guards and is likely better suited for a style of play like Green Bay currently runs under Linc Darner. A handful of people who are more qualified than I am feel McCabe is a mid-major prospect, though he currently holds an offer from West Virginia.
The point of this post is not to bad-mouth McCabe. He's a great kid and an excellent basketball player. But he has his limits and things that fit him more appropriately in comparison to what Wisconsin offers. Could he get an offer from Gard down the road? Absolutely, but if he winds up playing for a different school, these are things we have revisit down the road.
*Next up is Tyler Herro, McCabe's teammate with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors. As I mentioned in the interview I did with him, Arizona, Kansas, Xavier and a number of other schools are now showing interest. And once he gets a chance to play in front of college coaches, his offer sheet is going to double. Right now, I feel very strongly about the Badgers getting him, but I'm not sure if there's a school(s)/offer(s) out there that could change that. Herro loves Gard, there's no question about that.
From a few people I watched his games with, they noted that Herro's knees bend in a bit when he shoots, something I never paid much attention to. He's an excellent shooter and there's a feeling that he could grow another inch or two and be a legit 6-foot-5/6 shooting guard at the next level. The Warriors 16u team is ultra talented with Adam Trapp, Keshawn Justice, John Diener and Jack Plumb also on the roster.
*Talking to Justin Smith and Kyle Young, I think Wisconsin has a lot of work to do with both, specifically Young, who basically said communication dropped off during the coaching change. With Smith, who I thought was the top player at the entire event, his camp was very high on the Badgers and Bo Ryan when they first offered. I think Wisconsin could jump into the race, but he's another kid who could explode this summer.
*In the 2016 class, there was a lot of buzz surrounding guard Zion Morgan. I thought Morgan played pretty well this weekend but a few others labeled him a mid-major player, which is probably accurate. Now, in any other class, he's probably not someone UW would offer. But if you feel you absolutely need a point guard in this ccyle, he's worth a shot if you think he can buy into a specific role for the Badgers. From what I've been told, Howard Moore is really pushing for an offer here, but Gard is keeping his options wide open. Moore has compared Morgan to Michael Flowers, who was very much a combo guard.
Morgan is around 6-foot-2 -- that's pretty generous -- and is still adjusting to his role as a point guard. But at the bare minimum, I think he can give you what Jordan Hill brings to the table. He's essentially working as a lead guard right now to show the Wisconsin coaches he can have success there and would jump at the chance to play for UW. He's a scorer with a pretty good shot and someone who could be a good defender if he bought into it.
With Morgan in mind, here's some updated film of Jared Armstrong, another 2016 PG UW is still involved with:
*This was in the interview I put up, but Kobe King expects to be back in early May. He had a cast on his non-shooting hand after tearing a ligament in his hand.
*This is not tournament related, but I continue to hear good things about Nate Reuvers. Some even feel UW can land his commitment this summer, at the earliest.
