Recruiting 8th Graders

#3 posting 9.30.2007
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

RECRUITING YOUNGSTERS
Now that the 2010 barrier has been breached with the Shakila Boler, Bloomington Kennedy verbal to Minnesota, where will it go to next. However there was a player last year in Memphis (Lauren Avent) that made a verbal to Tennessee on Thanksgiving. She too is a 2010 player. A few years ago Amanda Zimmerman of Ballard made a verbal to Iowa State before stepping on the court for her high school team (Iowa doesn't allow 8th graders to play high school ball). Time magazine has an article in this week's edition Courting 8th graders. The focus is on basketball and Ryan Boatright who has verballed to Southern Cal as an 8th grader.

Boys have more maturing physically, and that is why I think dipping down to the younger grades like 8th grade is not the wisest move on the male species. Who knows what physical development may be in store, and will the passion still be there later.

They talk about the rise of the internet in the recruiting battles. It definitely has helped illuminate and keep coaches, players and parents informed. I originally started this blog to update my yearly publication and it has morphed into almost a daily paper, media content center.

Why the early rush and is it good? Who is it good for? My opinion is that for girls it may be all right, but players should do their homework. Coaches that are at the school now, may move on to better opportunities.

My research indicates that girls, by the time they are sophomores, have already established a pecking order that doesn't change very much. My old line is that "if you aren't an impact player by the time you are a sophomore, you probably aren't an impact player." I can count on one hand the players that blossomed, went from nothing to something after their sophomore year, and they usually are big players. The best example I can think of Toni Melancon, Osseo 1994 who was 6-6 and didn't really turn heads and make an impact, or start even, until her senior year. Look at the recent Miss Basketballs and where I had them rated after their 8th grade year;
2007 Angel Robinson--I had her projected as an 8th grader #2. Ebony Black was #1 at the time. That is pretty close.
2006 Jenna Smith---I had Cory Montgomery, Cannon Falls first. She is now at Nebraska and led her team to the AA title her senior year. Smith, after her sophomore year (she didn't show up in the 9th grade rankings, because she didn't play as an 8th grader) was one point away from #1 with Maria Boever of Worthington (now at South Dakota State) as #1.
2005 Katie Ohm---I had Ohm #1. This was the first year I ranked by graduating class. previously I had only rated by position.

So what about the 2008 class? After their 8th grade year I had these the top 3 1. Courtney Boylan, Chaska; #2 Hannah Draxten, Fergus Falls; and #3 Kamille Wahlin, Crookston.

At this point I think you can see that my number system has delivered prescient results through the years. Maybe one player is a lucky break, but I think the track record speaks for itself. Who will be the #1 player in my 2011 class? You will have to buy my publication which will be ready soon. In fact after this posting I will be getting it wrapped up for the printer. I will have more details on that soon.

Caveat emptor on both ends.

FALL LEAGUE
Today I traveled to Forest Lake to watch a Green Division game---White Bear Lake vs River Falls. I will have more details on this later, but it was RF rallying from a 24-18 second half deficit to go ahead 36-31 with 1:20 left. WBL closed to 36-35 with 35 seconds left. Free throws put RF up 38-35 to end the scoring. WBL was #10 in my Fall poll on Friday.

I will have the two games from the North Tartan/43 Hoops event and four games from the MN Stars event starting tomorrow. And of course the RF/WBL game.

next up: tomorrow morning.