I just read the following on another BYU Board from someone listed as MJMill. I thought you might find it interesting:
This year’s ESPN class recruiting rankings by team shows that the top 10 classes of 2016 all have between 3-5 ESPN 100 recruits. If you evaluate the “true recruiting class” of 2016 for BYU, i.e. players coming off missions and players signing in '16 who will actually be on the team in '16, BYU will be adding 4 ESPN 100 recruits to the 2016 team:
Eric Mika (class of '13) ESPN 100 (#28) player grade = 89, 4-star
TJ Haws (class of '14) ESPN 100 (#51) player grade = 86, 4-star
Yoeli Childs (class of '16) ESPN 100 (#50) player grade = 85, 4-star
Payton Dastrup (class of '14) ESPN 100 (#95) player grade = 80, 4-star
Elijah Bryant (transfer, Elon) who held transfer offers from Texas A&M, Miami, Butler, etc. he would be equivalent to at least a 3-star recruit, possibly 4-star.
Connor Harding and Gavin Baxter are also class of '16, each 4 star player, but neither in ESPN100, and I don’t know about mission plans. But your point is well taken. We are loaded.
This is all fine and wonderful, however, 3 of those guys will be competing for the same two spots against current players Davis and Kaufusi. So, we will have 5 quality players competing for the same two spots. Then, we swap our current senior, record setting, point guard with a freshman, straight off his mission, and our current senior two guard, who is starting to perform at a consistent high level both home and away, with an untested transfer. In addition to losing the two seniors (Austin doesn’t factor in because he is replaced 3 times), we lose Seljaas to a mission. So, our depth on the guard line goes down.
I’m not sure that a freshman straight off his mission and a transfer from Elon compensate for a record setting senior and a consistent high performing senior, especially with less depth on the guard line.
I thought Selijaas already went on a mission? That hurts. However, if Toolson gets his head together he was once a deadly point guard shooter. Calvert was just plain selfish and stupid to have left.
I agree, Calvert was an unfortunate transfer. It hurts our depth. He would have gotten playing time on next year’s team.
I also agree that a healthy Toolson would make a huge difference for our depth at guard.
I think the future is bright for BYU, I’m just worried that the future might not get here until Emery’s senior year when we add Baxter and Harding to the mix.
That’s good too! Mika and Dastrup added to Davis and Kaufusi is going to be tough to stop. Even next year. Aytes has to work a lot harder or he won’t get any playing time. He’s totally lost out there and that isn’t because of playing time.
I also think you can’t leave Chapman out either. He works hard he may be another guard that will make a difference.
You make good points. Replacing seniors with true freshmen does not sound like an upgrade but we are talking 3 amigos from Lone Peak getting back together after a 2 year hiatus…guys that grew up together playing ball. I don’t know of Childs will be heading out on the mish or spending a year but he is a Dennis Rodman type beast. Dastrup is similar to our Davis but at 6’10 and 260.
Give TJ summer to work out the rust and the 10 games before WCC play and I think he will surprise folks.
Here is an interview from his senior year.
"
SLAM: Is there a Utah state championship you guys are aiming for?
TJ: Yeah, our goal at Lone Peak is always to win a state championship.
SLAM: Did you win it last year?
TJ: Yeah. I’ve actually won it freshman, sophomore and junior year.
SLAM: Are you more of a point guard or shooting guard, and how would you describe your game to someone who’s never seen you play?
TJ: I mostly played shooting guard during my first three years in high school. But this year I’ve been playing point guard. As a player, I try to be consistent in making the right “basketball play.” That means getting a teammate an open shot, or if I have to score, I feel like I try to make the right basketball play. I don’t force things. I use my speed really well. Lone Peak likes to push the ball—we’re a fast team, so I try to use my speed as best as I can, which leads to transition, where the court opens up. I feel like I’m a pretty good 3-point shooter. I like to shoot from outside, and I feel like I have range, so I can extend the defense.
SLAM: Is there a specific NBA player you look up to, or try to model your game after?
TJ: Steph Curry. He’s my favorite player. I love watching his game, and I try to pick up after what he does."
Hopefully he has the character of Chase Fischer. I think we will surprise folks. We could go big at the 3,4,5 like GU was until one of them got hurt. Always a possibility!
TJ and Emery and Bryant and Chatman are plenty of guards, especially with a roster where for the first time in years we can play 3 bigs and not kill our offense.
