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Post by MIKE MACALUSO on May 12, 2006 7:41:39 GMT -5
Basketball: Dukes add 3 recruits from junior colleges Friday, May 12, 2006
By Phil Axelrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Duquesne coach Ron Everhart has signed three more junior-college players, including a ready-made backcourt and a power forward.
The guards are from Southern Union State Community College in Wadley, Ala. -- 5-foot-11 playmaker Reggie Jackson and 6-2 Gary Tucker. The power forward is 6-7, 220-pound Sam Ashaolu, who averaged 16 points and six rebounds at Lake Region Community College in Devils Lake, N.D.
"Jackson is the set-up guy, and Tucker is a flat-out scorer who can take anybody off the dribble," Southern Union coach Ron Radford said. "Those two will compete on every play in practice and in the games."
Jackson, who shot 48 percent from beyond the arc, averaged 9.7 points and was among the nation's leaders with 8.5 assists per game. Tucker averaged 16 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
"Jackson can score if you ask him," Radford said. "He's quick, he's got a strong body and a good IQ for the game. Gary came into his own this year. Duquesne did its homework. I've known coach Everhart for a while."
Both players will have two years of eligibility at Duquesne.
"They give us two guys who are very familiar with each other and bring a lot of game experience to Duquesne," said Everhart, who still is recruiting 6-10, 265-pound Luis Colon from Miami and 6-4 Stephen Wood from New York City.
Wood is expected to visit Duquesne's campus this weekend, and Colon will visit Kansas State before making a decision next week.
Jackson visited Duquesne three weeks ago and came back with such a glowing report that Tucker signed without making a visit.
Ashaolu, a native of Toronto who made his visit to Duquesne this past weekend, also will have two years eligibility.
Everhart has signed seven players and received a commitment from 5-9 Lewis Newton from Miami during the spring signing period that ends Wednesday.
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Post by mangham on May 12, 2006 7:46:47 GMT -5
we recruited Ashaolu out of high school.
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Post by Phantom on May 12, 2006 9:13:52 GMT -5
Have to admit I am a bit envious!
How can a school that has to go back much further than us to find a winning season, whose team seemed in dissarray, and now has a new coach, be doing so much better with their recruits?
(Here is an opportunity to bring up the scandal again)
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Post by magnusbu on May 12, 2006 10:16:36 GMT -5
I don't see how you can say this Phantom.
This would worry me if it was happening at Bonas right now.
"Five players are transfering from Duquesne including sophomore forward DeVario Hudson of Decatur-Columbia, Ga; rs-freshman forward Brian Kelly of Decatur-Columbia, Ga; rs-sophomore forward/center Sean McKeon of Phoenixville, Pa; freshman forward/center Ronnie Thomas of Middlebury, Ind; and guard/forward Chauncey Duke of Springfield, Mo. Duquesne has signed guard Gary Tucker of Pensacola-Woodham, Fla/Southern Union State CC, Ala; guard Reggie Jackson of Hogansville-Callaway, Ga/Southern Union State CC, Ala; forward Sam Ashaolu of Toronto, Ontario/Lake Region State CC, ND; guard Lucas Newton of Weston, Fla/Westminster Academy; forward Stuard Baldonado of Colombia/Miami Dade CC, Fla; forward Scott Grote of Centerville, Ohio/Massanutten MA, Va; and forward Robert Mitchell of Brooklyn, NY/ND Prep, Mass. Center Hernol Hall of Costa Rica/Lon Morris CC, Tex., a fall signee, has been reconsidering. "
The Dukes have 9 new players arriving for next season. They lost their top player who was a A10 first teamer if I recall correctly. A lot of people criticize Bonas for getting so many JC players. They just signed 5 and one of them may end up leaving. Their prize recruit may not end up there in the end. Our recruiting class is fine.
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Post by Phantom on May 12, 2006 10:45:24 GMT -5
That is my point... look at the defections (dissarray), yet they continue to sign talent. And judging by some of the stats our recruits seem to pale against theirs! Too many role players for us, when what we need are dominant players. Players that average more thab 1/2 a game in playing time and are at least better than the 7th leading scorer on their team. I wish I could share your optimism!
A few posters here were salivating over the chance of getting Baldonado!
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Post by Copenhagen on May 12, 2006 13:00:55 GMT -5
Looks like the new coach is bring an infusion of talent! He inherited a demoralized squad that won 3-games and will lose his All-A10 senior guard.
The players that are transferring? good luck, a change of address is probably better for both player & university.
Question? does SBU have any players you would rather have than Hall, Baldonado or Colon?
Like it or not, there seems to be some excitment in Pitt, it will be interesting to see how well they do next year...
---------------------------------------
C Hernol Hall 6-10/245/14.3 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PF Stuard Baldonado 6-7/220 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
SF Sam Ashaolu 6-7/217/16.0 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
SF Antonio DiMaria 6-6/200/17.3 Soft Verbal to Duquesne, Bowling Green, James Madison, Seton Hall, Syracuse
SG Robert Mitchell 6-6/185 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
SG Scott Grote 6-5/190/23.0 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PG Destin Damachoua 6-2/- Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PG Matthew Garth 6-0/165/24.0 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PG Gary Tucker 6-0/182 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PG Reggie Jackson 5-11/164 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
PG Lucas Newton 5-9/165/21.0 Verbal Committed to Duquesne
----------------------------- Still in the running with:
C Luis Colon 6-10/260
SG Stephen Wood 6-3/170
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Post by mangham on May 12, 2006 13:07:18 GMT -5
Hall wants out of his commitment but the university is holding firm.
otherwise a good class.
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Post by brownglory on May 12, 2006 13:29:39 GMT -5
No need to even play the games. Obviously the Dukes will challenge for the league championship. That recruiting class is SO GOOD, we can start calling Duquesne the new Temple. Duquesne bringing in JUCOs=brilliant Bonas bringing in JUCOs=program on the decline I know those JUCO stats are such a good indicator of D-1 performance (see every JUCO player in history), but seriously, can we at least wait until the exhibition games before we determine this offseason was a complete waste of us and a complete rebirth for Duquesne.
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Post by rcarty on May 12, 2006 13:49:46 GMT -5
I agree brownglory, there's a double standard here. We've all heard, it's late in the spring, there is no talent left, but the Dukes sign these players (late) and they're going to be great! If they all are that good, why were they still available? I know Hall (early signee) and the kid from Miami are highly regarded but the rest must have some question marks. The Bona recruits will upgrade the talent base. The better the Bonnies get, the better the recruiting.
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Post by Copenhagen on May 12, 2006 14:00:27 GMT -5
not trying to stir things up.....at all! just think its a good story.....
Coach Sol had some of that momentium when he landed Burch & Boggins... (I suppose) but it faded and as everyone knows he has some urgency/pressure this year to "March Forward"...
The A10 as a league will be much better if both programs (Bonnies & Dukes) work there way up the Div1 ladder...
Here was an AP-article I saw in today's NYTimes, a nice little summary:
------------------------
The New York Times
May 11, 2006 Dukes' Everhart Trying to Overcome Losing By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 2:46 a.m. ET
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Duquesne basketball coach Ron Everhart must feel like the new homeowner who's discovered his dream house needs a new furnace, a plumbing overhaul, a total rewiring -- and, yes, a new foundation.
And trying to cover up all this mess with only a touch of paint just won't do.
In the five weeks since Everhart took over what was one of major college basketball's worst teams -- the Dukes went a school-record 3-24 last season -- he and his staff have raced around the eastern seaboard lining up what may be as many as nine new recruits.
They also instituted mandatory 6 a.m. running sessions for the returning players, who, by the time fall practice rolls around in October, are expected to number only two. They will be 6-foot-9 Kieron Achara, a senior who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, and sophomore Aaron Jackson.
The other players from the 2005-06 team have used up their eligibility, transferred or are in the process of finding new schools -- a process that, considering Duquesne's record last season, might be called addition by subtraction.
Losing-record teams in pro sports commonly replace half their roster from one season to the next in an effort to rebuild quickly, but total overhauls are rare in major college sports. Everhart was part of such a transformation once before, but the circumstances were much different.
''From a coaching perspective, you almost never have anything like this,'' Everhart said Wednesday. ''I was an assistant when we had to recruit an entire team at Tulane in 1988, but the school was coming off the death penalty. Here, we've had to spend a lot of time and energy getting involved with players and making tough decisions on the run.''
Duquesne, a Pittsburgh-based Catholic university, was a long-standing Eastern power in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s with players such as Norm Nixon, Willie Somerset, Dick Ricketts, Sihugo Green and Chuck Cooper, the first black player drafted by an NBA team. But the Dukes haven't been to the NCAA tournament in 29 years or had a winning season in 12 years.
Selling the chance to play immediately, and in a proven conference (the Atlantic 10), has helped Everhart and aides Kim Lewis, Daryn Freedman, Anthony Serro and Richard Pitino -- yes, he's Rick's son -- compete for players who normally wouldn't take a second look at Duquesne.
Now, Everhart is dangling this get-in-on-the-ground-floor opportunity to try to recruit against big-name schools, something Duquesne hasn't done consistently for 30 years. The Dukes beat out Oregon State for 6-7 forward Stuard Baldonado from Miami Dade College, and Cincinnati and Southern Cal for 6-6 Robert Mitchell from Notre Dame Prep.
In perhaps the most telling sign Everhart is setting his recruiting sights higher than Duquesne coaches of recent vintage, the Dukes are in the running for 6-10 Luis Colon of Miami, considered the best unsigned center prospect in the country. Colon is also looking at Connecticut, Kansas State and -- surprise -- Pittsburgh.
Since Pitt significantly upgraded its program by moving into the Big East in 1982, about the only time Duquesne coaches saw prospective Panthers recruits was if they bumped into them at the airport.
''We're trying to sell that this is a great opportunity for someone to come in and make an impact in this program, and now,'' Everhart said.
Duquesne also has added 6-6 Scott Grote of Massanutten Military Academy, 6-1 Destin Damachoua of the Master's School in West Simsbury, Conn., and 5-9 Lewis Newton, the point guard on the Miami Tropics AAU team that Colon and Baldonado play for.
Former Duquesne coach Danny Nee also signed 6-10 junior college center Hernol Hall, but Hall is seeking his release and apparently wants to sign with Oklahoma. Duquesne has not yet given him that release.
However, more help may be on the way: 6-7 power forward Sam Ashaolu, a strong inside player who averaged 16 points and six rebounds at Lake Region (N.D.) Community College, is expected to be the Dukes' next recruit. The Toronto native would provide some toughness Duquesne has been lacking.
The Dukes also are involved with two quick guards from Southern Union State Community College, 6-2 Gary Tucker (16 points per game), from Pensacola, Fla., and 6-0 point guard Reggie Jackson (8.3 assists per game), from Hogansville, Ga.
Stephen Wood, a versatile 6-4 guard who was the New York City area's leading Catholic league scorer this season, also is making a campus visit this week.
''We're getting great support from the president (Charles Dougherty) and the athletic director (Greg Amodio),'' Everhart said. ''And once we get the players here, it hasn't been as difficult as you would think (to sign them) because of the quality of the school and what we can offer.
''Now we've just got to get them here.''
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Post by Phantom on May 12, 2006 14:04:43 GMT -5
but seriously, can we at least wait until the exhibition games before we determine this offseason was a complete waste of us and a complete rebirth for Duquesne. It's a message board can we at least be able to express our opinions or vent our frustrations? Their guy has accomplished a lot in five weeks!
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Post by MIKE MACALUSO on May 12, 2006 14:32:52 GMT -5
do you think that the dukes prez, charles daugherty [sbu grad] understands how important the fortunes of the hoops team are to the university as a whole ? you bet your behind he does. i will wager two white sox home game tickets that the dukes have a better A10 record than the brown indians do at the end of the 2006-07 season
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Post by Phantom on May 12, 2006 14:36:58 GMT -5
Hope your wrong, but I am afraid you might be right!
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Post by gcbona69 on May 12, 2006 15:35:10 GMT -5
From the University of Oklahoma site on Scout.com--Hernol Hall is at home in Costa Rica chilling until he receives the release from Duquesne that he has requested. Oklahoma is ready to move in as soon as it is granted. I think we have all seen enough over the years to realize that once a player requests his release there is not much sense in holding him to it. You can chalk him up as a goner for the Dukes. If OU is after him you know he's a good one. They suffered some serious losses of their own when Sampson took flight and Doug Capel is trying to pick up the pieces for that program. You may be able to look forward to see HH on the tube wearing the Crimson and Cream in the next two seasons.
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Post by jh on May 12, 2006 21:16:01 GMT -5
Hey Phantom (our guy) Solomon has accomplished a lot in the last 5 weeks too but its incredible how you continuously refuse to extend any credit but practically have Duquesne in the Final 4 without having seen one of their recruits ever dribble a basketball........but it seems that the Dukes signings might make Sol look bad therefore the signings are great !?? Is this the thought process??? Why do you extend the 'glass is half full ' with the dukes...but we are always empty... This from a recruiting site.......(not my opinion) We also have confirmed that St. Bonaventure has beaten out schools like Dayton, UC-Santa Barbara, Denver, and Oregon for 6'8 Lounceny Kaba from Monroe (JC) NY. We're talking about an athletic power forward who rebounds and blocks shots and played great in the National Junior College Tournament in Hutchinson, KS two months ago. Kaba also should be an excellent complement to all of the perimeter players - 6'5 James Williams from Cloud County (JC) KS, 6'6 Jourdan Morris from Greenbelt (Eleanor Roosevelt) MD, 5'10 Jermaine Calvin from Southern Idaho (JC) ID, and 6'5 Zarryan Fereti from Southern Idaho (JC) ID - that the Bonnies already have in the fold. However, even more important, at 6'8, 250-pounds, Kaba should provide the physical presence that St. Bonaventure needs inside, if they want to make a dramatic improvement next season.
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