OT - VCU lands 2nd top 100 2017 recruit

[Mr_Twister]

Always have quietly rooted for VCU and Dayton hoops. Like the way both teams play and compete and reload each year.
How does a school like VCU land two top 100 players in its 2017 class?

http://www.richmond.com/sports/college/atlantic-10/article_e456bac6-1e96-5030-b9b3-47bcf0119c06.html

 

[TDIrish27]

They win and their style of play appeals to kids.

 

[PiscatawayMike]

They win and their style of play appeals to kids.

...and VCU's arena is simply awesome to play in.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I have always liked VCU, ever since a friend and a really great basketball player from Linden went there, Calvin Duncan. Then , another friend from Linden, Don Franco went there several years later. I played on the same playgrounds in Linden as them. Of course, both were way better than me.

 

[RU MAN]

When we start winning on a regular basis and coach Pikiell is able to show off our brand spanking new practice facilities, lockers and the future of the RAC expansion, we too will start seeing top 100 players land here on a regular basis. And I believe we're not that far off--maybe three years away.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

When we start winning on a regular basis and coach Pikiell is able to show off our brand spanking new practice facilities, lockers and the future of the RAC expansion, we too will start seeing top 100 players land here on a regular basis. And I believe we're not that far off--maybe three years away.

I'm hoping for a break thru with the 2018 class with Brandin Knight getting a few. That class will have the new practice facility ready by the summer going into their Sophomore .year.

 

[4theknights]

2018 recruiting class will be huge for our program.. Hoping we land
Some top kids especially from NJ.

 

[Russ Wood]

They win and their style of play appeals to kids.

That and Coach Will Wade is a terrific recruiter

 

[MadRU]

I have always liked VCU, ever since a friend and a really great basketball player from Linden went there, Calvin Duncan. Then , another friend from Linden, Don Franco went there several years later. I played on the same playgrounds in Linden as them. Of course, both were way better than me.

I played against Calvin in HS, summer leagues, and pickup games. If I recall he was a second round draft pick by the Bulls but opted not to go pro to become a preacher.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I played against Calvin in HS, summer leagues, and pickup games. If I recall he was a second round draft pick by the Bulls but opted not to go pro to become a preacher.

@MadRU , Are you from Linden? I was two years behind Calvin and two years ahead of Don Franco. Yes, Calvin is a preacher now. I follow him on Facebook. He walked away from basketball. At VCU he transitioned to PG, but, he was a scoring machine. I think he could have been a good Pro. He could have been Jordan's teammate.

 

[MadRU]

@MadRU , Are you from Linden? I was two years behind Calvin and two years ahead of Don Franco. Yes, Calvin is a preacher now. I follow him on Facebook. He walked away from basketball. At VCU he transitioned to PG, but, he was a scoring machine. I think he could have been a good Pro. He could have been Jordan's teammate.

Yes, from Linden, went to Roselle Catholic where I played. I was a year ahead of Calvin. Played against the great Linden teams with Aaron Howard, Daryl Devero, Rosie Peoples etc.

Played many times at the pond, McManus etc.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Yes, from Linden, went to Roselle Catholic where I played. I was a year ahead of Calvin. Played against the great Linden teams with Aaron Howard, Daryl Devero, Rosie Peoples etc.

Played many times at the pond, McManus etc.

@MadRU I know all of those guys, back to the school 4 days where they first became Legends, with Byron Stradford......summer league under the lights at the Pond, That brings back memories. So, you must know one of my favorite Linden players ever.......Gordon Austin. What a PG and shooter, did some really good things at American U.

 

[MadRU]

@MadRU I know all of those guys, back to the school 4 days where they first became Legends, with Byron Stradford......summer league under the lights at the Pond, That brings back memories. So, you must know one of my favorite Linden players ever.......Gordon Austin. What a PG and shooter, did some really good things at American U.

Yes, was one year older then Gordon and Meach (sp?). Played against Bryron too.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Yes, was one year older then Gordon and Meach (sp?). Played against Bryron too.

@MadRU. Last questions....do you remember the State Championship tourney game when a team 'went into a stall against the Linden team with the Big 3? Was that Clark? Maybe it was Roselle Catholic . I was at that game...final score was like 13-7.

Also, you must know the Mack family...Rocky and his brothers. Cool guys back then. I first met them during PAL basketball. Did you ever play there ?

 

[MadRU]

@MadRU. Last questions....do you remember the State Championship tourney game when a team 'went into a stall against the Linden team with the Big 3? Was that Clark? Maybe it was Roselle Catholic . I was at that game...final score was like 13-7.

Also, you must know the Mack family...Rocky and his brothers. Cool guys back then. I first met them during PAL basketball. Did you ever play there ?

No don't recall that game. Wasn't RC, we never stalled. I remember the Linden vs Camden final that Camden beat Linden.

Don't know the Mack family.

 

[Mr_Twister]

My son met VCU Coach Wade's parents years ago at Marco Island, FL. Wade, then coaching at Chattanooga, had an interest in the Rutgers opening. Very similar to the interest that a young Winthrop University coach named Gregg Marshall had years earlier for a Rutgers opening. Neither made any headway in terms of throwing their hat in the hiring ring. Both were considered too young and having no NJ connection, despite being up-and-coming coaching talents.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

That and Coach Will Wade is a terrific recruiter

I know former Rutgers recruit and ex-teammate of Cory Sanders , D. Jenkins mentioned his solid relationship with Coach Wade when he canceled his Rutgers visit and committed to VCU. Jenkins was also top 100, so VCU and Wade is tearing it up recruiting.


@Russ Wood Do you think Jenkins will be an impact player for them?

 

[e5fdny]

They win and their style of play appeals to kids.

...and VCU's arena is simply awesome to play in.

That and Coach Will Wade is a terrific recruiter

And no football. Plus only 6 other men's sports.

Go to VCU for BB and you're THE guy.

 

[Russ Wood]

I know former Rutgers recruit and ex-teammate of Cory Sanders , D. Jenkins mentioned his solid relationship with Coach Wade when he canceled his Rutgers visit and committed to VCU. Jenkins was also top 100, so VCU and Wade is tearing it up recruiting.


@Russ Wood Do you think Jenkins will be an impact player for them?

Not right away but I think De'riante Jenkins will be a good player for them.

 

[Mr_Twister]

Jenkins ... double-double in 3rd game.

http://www.richmond.com/sports/coll...cle_eec37740-b6d4-561c-a069-e608ab9d9215.html

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

No don't recall that game. Wasn't RC, we never stalled. I remember the Linden vs Camden final that Camden beat Linden.

Don't know the Mack family.

I remember now it was Union. I was at the Camden game in the Group 4 final. I think it was at Jadwin gym. The big 3 got in foul trouble and we lost it in the 4th qtr.

 

[knights1212]

I attended the game at Princeton. Devero, Howard and Peioples were all 3 studs on the back line and Gordon Austin was an outstanding point guard. LHS led for almost the entire game. Still I think was 6'10" or so for Camden and I think became an outstanding defensive end in college as I recall. He got almost every call down the stretch and all 3 LHS big guys fouled out in the last few minutes. I think Camden won like 81-78. I thought I had finally seen LHS win a state championship but they lost again. They had lost to Bloomfield in about 1958 or so by 2 points and than Weequahic that was selected the top high school team in the country beat LHS in a final in 1966 I believe by a couple points. After the Camden loss LHS lost to Cinnaminson at the Meadowlands final when LHS was in Group III after leading almost the entire game. That made 4 losses in a state final game. Finally LHS won over Bridgewater and won 3 other state finals as well. Thus I have seen them win 4 state titles in like the last 12-15 years. LHS led by Phil Colicchio as coach should be very good again this season.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

I attended the game at Princeton. Devero, Howard and Peioples were all 3 studs on the back line and Gordon Austin was an outstanding point guard. LHS led for almost the entire game. Still I think was 6'10" or so for Camden and I think became an outstanding defensive end in college as I recall. He got almost every call down the stretch and all 3 LHS big guys fouled out in the last few minutes. I think Camden won like 81-78. I thought I had finally seen LHS win a state championship but they lost again. They had lost to Bloomfield in about 1958 or so by 2 points and than Weequahic that was selected the top high school team in the country beat LHS in a final in 1966 I believe by a couple points. After the Camden loss LHS lost to Cinnaminson at the Meadowlands final when LHS was in Group III after leading almost the entire game. That made 4 losses in a state final game. Finally LHS won over Bridgewater and won 3 other state finals as well. Thus I have seen them win 4 state titles in like the last 12-15 years. LHS led by Phil Colicchio as coach should be very good again this season.

@knights1212 Refs definitely called it one sided and they all fouled out. Linden ended the game with John Krotulis (sp) at center. Gordan Austin had a big game. My old history teacher at Linden a few years later was the coach....Coach Imbriacco (sp).

knights .....do you remember the game the year before at Linden against Bloomfield with Kelly Tripucka ? It was sold out and I could not get in to see it. I was a freshmen at McManus at the time. I still remember Tripucka's quote in the paper after the game, "Those 3 big guys are tough"

 

[knights1212]

Yes, I believe that was the game that LHS beat Bloomfield pretty good. The game was at the Barn at RU. All I read about all year was Tripucka and LHS came away with the W. That was a very happy day. I was sitting in the first row in the balcony for that game.

 

[knights1212]

There was a game in the Union County finals when Linden defeated Roselle Catholic. I would have to check the year. Roselle Catholic froze the ball and I think the score was 4-2 at the half. As I recall the 5 starters for Roselle Catholic were all from Linden as well. It just showed how good the basketball players are in Linden. I would have to check the final score but I think the 13-7 score mentioned above was something like it was. Linden did win the game. I have the boxscore for every LHS game since 1960 so I would have to check what year that game was and what the final score was.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

There was a game in the Union County finals when Linden defeated Roselle Catholic. I would have to check the year. Roselle Catholic froze the ball and I think the score was 4-2 at the half. As I recall the 5 starters for Roselle Catholic were all from Linden as well. It just showed how good the basketball players are in Linden. I would have to check the final score but I think the 13-7 score mentioned above was something like it was. Linden did win the game. I have the boxscore for every LHS game since 1960 so I would have to check what year that game was and what the final score was.

I thought it was Roselle Catholic at first....but, I think it was Union.

also, that Bloomfield game against Kripucka was at Linden. I remember because I was standing outside and could not get in....the line was very long with people trying to get in.

 

[knights1212]

I just checked a few things. LHS lost to Weequahic in the state finals in 1966 by a 67-57 score. In 1978 they lost to Camden 82-75. They lost in the Group III state final in 1982 to Cinnaminson. In 1978 they defeated Union in a stall game by a score of 12-6 in the second round of the state tournament. LHS had beaten Union twice that year during the regular season and won each game by about 30 points. I believe the stall game with Roselle Catholic was in 1993 in the UCT semi finals. The final score was 37-30 but I believe it was 4-2 at the half. In 1977 LHS lost to Bloomfield 74-72. . I'm not sure if that was the game I remember at the Barn. LHS has won 4 state championships in 2000 over Bridgewater, 2007 over South Brunswick, 2014 over Trenton and 2016 over Atlantic City. They lost in the state finals to Atlantic City in OT in 2013.

 

[knights1212]

Thus you were correct on the stall game with Union and probably the 74-72 loss to Bloomfield must have been at LHS when you could not get into the game with a sellout.

 

[MadRU]

Thus you were correct on the stall game with Union and probably the 74-72 loss to Bloomfield must have been at LHS when you could not get into the game with a sellout.

Yes the game was at Linden HS vs Tripuka. I remember we asked our coach if he could end practice early so we could try to get in to see it. He let us go, but like Ohio said, it was sold out. We were checking Windows to see if we could get in.

 

[knights1212]

That happens at every big game in Linden. It is a shame that they can't get a bigger gym. I know there is no place at the high school to build a new gym but maybe they could find an area at Trembley Point. The baseball team plays at Memorial Field in Trembley. I played many games there before the field was made to be beautiful. When I played for LHS the JV team played at Wheeler Park and the varsity played at the Athletic Field but that was a long time ago. They now have a beautiful track which I think is 8 lanes. When I was at LHS the track was 5 laps to the mile and was a very soft cinder track.