2008 Recruit Profiles (Musketeers)

I wanted to post information I recently received from Prep Stars Recruiters Handbook. I have been a loyal subscriber to that publication for over 12 years now. I trust their information more than any others. They have a great capsule recap for all the major programs each issue and I WILL NOT share that information. I would encourage anybody to checkout their website prepstars.com for subscription information.

XAVIER:

Kenny Frease (#46 overall)

6-11 270 C Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS

"While he's just an ok athlete and neither a leaper nor especially quick, he's very big and potentially quite strong, and he has improved his skills considerably over the past year. He must continue to hone his post moves (which aren't bad), stop forcing ill advised passes, and become more of a defensive force, though his shot blocking timing is ok now. On the positive side, he hit's smooth open jump shots from mid range and even three point territory, uses his height and relatively wide body to rebound adequately, has a promising jump hook and does a good job of catching difficult passes."

Brian Walsh (#82 overall)

6-4 180 WG/PG Moon Township, PA/Moon Area HS

"He's unselfish, intelligent, and very smooth and accurate jump shooter to 22 feet. That said, he needs more strength and is neither explosive with the ball nor an outstanding leaper. His athelticism is just moderate. He does, however, boast some other assets: he can put the ball on the floor and dish alertly or finish, his defense is at least adequate, and he's proven to be reliable in the clutch. His sweet jump shot is his primary weapon and must be respected at all times."

Mark 'Cheeky' Lyons (Top 300)

6-1 175 PG/WG Schnecteday, NY/Brewster Academy (NH)

"Blessed with outrageous athleticism overall and particularly as it pertains to his leaping ability, this little dynamo is among the most exciting guards in the senior class. He elevates spectacularly for slams, tips, blocks, you name it, and he also boasts very deceptive dribbling skills. Unfortunately, too much of the time now he gets out of contol and makes poor decisions, which means that in the immediate future he projects as a wing guard despite his stature. Players fitting this description typically require a year or two of college before their coaches grow to trust them well enough to play extensively, and that likely will be the case here as well. That said, Lyons physical promise is grand, and he may be too valuable as a pesky defender to keep off the court."

Brad Redford (Top 400)

6-0 160 PG Frankenmuth, MI/Frankenmuth HS

"Every team has a spot for a category killer, and Redford's is fantastic three point shooting. This slender guard is a dead-eye three point marksman who also runs the point intelligently, if not with great speed. Our concern is that he may lack the quickness to become a penetrator or be an effective defender against big time athletes. In the worst case, however, he should develop into a valuable zone buster."

Jamel McClean (Transfer)

6-8 230 PF Hampton, VA/Bethel HS-Tulsa University

"Spent just one season with the Golden Hurricane, averaging six points and five rebounds per game and leading the team in blocked shots. The Tulsa coaching staff was suprised and disappointed that he chose to leave."

Andy Taylor (Transfer)

6-7 205 PF Toledo, OH/St. John's Jesuit HS-Hillsdale College (MI)

"From the perspective of an XU fan, this was the bigger surprise transfer. He averaged 12 points and five rebounds a game as a freshman."


MY TAKE:

Frease: I had the opportunity to see him play briefly at the elite team camp Coach Miller held back in May of last year. I have no issues with the comparisons to Bill Laimbeer. This is XU's first true 'big' man and it is obvious Miller is going to build a team around him. That said I am afraid the expectations for Kenny are so high he will never meet them. I hope I am wrong but I want to give this kid one full year of college action before criticising too harshly. All the sites (what are there now 20 or more) have him in the top 50.

Walsh: He flat out chose us over Maryland which is a credit to Sean and staff. My overall thoughts when reviewing this class are 'WE ARE GOING TO MISS JOHNNY WOLF NEXT YEAR' because we will not have any experience at the lead guard. Brian is more of a '2' but is capable of playing some '1'. I do not see him getting much time at off guard to start his career at X with Raymond, Graves, and Jackson all in front of him. His shooting may get him on the floor but his defense will determine how long he plays. Prep Stars rates him the highest of all sites I have seen but he is consistent top 250.

Lyons: He may have the biggest impact out of all the newcomers next season. It is hard not to get excited watching his YouTube clips and reading the reports. However Coach Miller is tough on his lead guards and I hope 'Cheeky' has some thick skin. We are going to suffer some growing pains with him but I believe this is who Sean envisions running the team next season. His defense and athleticism will dictate he gets the lion's share of minutes to start the season at point IMO. Rivals feels he is a top 150 player.

Redford: I usually have a favorite with each class and 'Opie' gets my vote this season. I absolutely love the way he shoots the basketball. Again the only concern is his defense. I think Sean will use him in rotation if he can guard with Lyons very heavy next season. It is easy to see that Sean is surrounding Mr. Frease with shooters so opposing defenses can't collapse on him without paying the price. Overall it appears Sean and staff make great shooters a high priority in recruiting. All that hard work you do on offense to get open doesn't mean much if you can't make the shot.

McClean: He is on par with DBrown athletically and will be a great addition to our front line next year. Coach Wojick at Tulsa was really looking forward to him being a big part of their rotation this year. His redshirt year will benefit him and he should be in a regular in our rotation.

Taylor: I think he has actually grown to 6'8" and has put on some pounds. Before the UVA game I saw him working out with Doellman and it is obvious this is what Miller has as a template for him. He has a nice touch, but may be a tad slow of foot to guard the wings in the A10. He could suprise by his senior year if he continues to develop but with all the talent we have a guy who knows his role is needed.

Overall a solid class with depth. Not much athleticism outside of McClean and Lyons but we will have plenty of that with Brown, Raymond, Jackson, and Graves next year. Add Anderson to this mix and our real questions will be out front next season. Miller will find a way and if he can hit a few home runs with the '09 class (he is getting close) we will be in fine shape.


I plan on recapping UC, UD, IU, UK and Miami in the near future.