2010 Recruiting Class

[bigcatlover]

I left for a week and came back to hear that Haggerty and Walker were leaving, even though they were playing more at the end of the season. There is a Journal article today saying they are both returning. When did this happen, why, and is it common knowledge?

[JG Panthers]

Mar 29, 2010 15:50:42 GMT -6 bigcatlover said:

I left for a week and came back to hear that Haggerty and Walker were leaving, even though they were playing more at the end of the season. There is a Journal article today saying they are both returning. When did this happen, why, and is it common knowledge?

No, Haggerty is not leaving. When he signed with Milwaukee it was agreed that he would redshirt his first year and be given a scholarship for 4 of his 5 years. There is a chance that next year would be the year he would pay his own way. Not sure how you took that as him leaving the program. Riley has decided to move on to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond, and I hope he dominates that league...he certainly has the talent to do so. The Journal article was written, or published, last Friday, so they have no idea.

[JG Panthers]

I typically really enjoy the Player Rankings over at wissports.com, produced by Mark Miller. But this year I can't help but have one huge question about this year's class. How is Evan Anderson still ranked as the 5th best in his class? He hasn't produced after his standout summer following his Sophomore year, and his career has been less than stellar. I fear the only reason he is listed as 5th is because he received a scholarship from Wisconsin. That's too bad... I'm not sure I would list him in the top 10... Of course, I could be way off base on this assessment... He's the expert after all

[PantherU]

I saw Tone play pick-up today and he looked more ready to play than since the beginning of his junior year. Granted, it's pickup, but he had a full range of motion with his back and he was playing hard.

Haggerty is not leaving. Riley is transferring to UMD.

[BBFran]

I'm sure Mark will explain, but I believe those player rankings are based almost entirely on how the player projects to college. If they were based on how good a high school season players are having they would be vastly different. Anderson may be a question mark based on his high school work but he still projects as a high major recruit.

[yuhayden]

Mar 29, 2010 17:15:41 GMT -6 BBFran said:

I'm sure Mark will explain, but I believe those player rankings are based almost entirely on how the player projects to college. If they were based on how good a high school season players are having they would be vastly different. Anderson may be a question mark based on his high school work but he still projects as a high major recruit.

Definitely. At this point he's projecting to be a high major recruit in the grand tradition of J.P. Gavinski.

[BBFran]

And no doubt you base this on the hours you have spent watching him personally.

[FTA1982]

Mar 29, 2010 21:37:34 GMT -6 BBFran said:

And no doubt you base this on the hours you have spent watching him personally.

This coming from the guy that used Quinton Gustavson as a comparison to Ben Mills.

[buppie05]

Mar 29, 2010 17:15:41 GMT -6 BBFran said:

I'm sure Mark will explain, but I believe those player rankings are based almost entirely on how the player projects to college. If they were based on how good a high school season players are having they would be vastly different. Anderson may be a question mark based on his high school work but he still projects as a high major recruit.

By high major recruit do you mean Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa ect. or do you mean Michigan St., Louisville ect? Maybe (big maybe) lowly Nebraska would take a risk on a guy that didn't even get named "honorable mention" in the state of WI. The guy averaged 12 pts a game and 8 rebounds in a northwoods league, where he has to be the tallest player by at least 4 inches, how that translates to big time recruit is beyond me.

I'm not trying to be combative Fran, as it seems you are still jacked about your team having this recruit, but do you think Bo Ryan would rescind this scholarship if he could tactfully and without public scrutiny? I think he would. From an outsiders perspective it seems as though Anderson was offered early while he showed great promise, and plateaued hard. Lucky for him he committed early and stuck with it.

I also think the comparisons to Gavinski are justified, at least from a wissports.com rankings point of view. I remember Gavinski's ranking jumped up after he committed to Wisconsin to like #3 I think. I remember saying to myself "Man I've seen this guy in person, and if hes #3, Milwaukee better recruit out of state". Maybe Mark puts higher emphasis on Height? who knows, it is what it is.

[buppie05]

Evan Anderson= poor mans Ben Mills

[uwm97]

After watching Jamil Wilson and Antwon Oliver run circles around Anderson in last year's state tournament, it was evident to me how much he was overrated. A 6'11" guy ought to dominate against guys guarding him in the post who are 6'5" or 6'7". Instead he lit it up for six points in 19 minutes and looked very intimidated out there. Nate Mielke showed more of a pulse out of there than did Anderson.

[BBFran]

Get your "Tuesday" panties unbundled, boys. I'm not predicting success or failure for Evan Anderson or Ben Mills. I'm telling you that from a college coach's point of view, one projects as a high major player, one does not, based on their physical capabilities. That's why Anderson had offers from a number of big time programs while Mills never has. You can look at all the high school stats you want and it doesn't change that. Whether Anderson meets his expectations or Mills exceeds his is strictly up to them now. Nate Mielke is actually a very good analog for Ben Mills by the way. I could see Mills contributing at about the same level some day to a mid-major.

[JG Panthers]

Mar 30, 2010 8:06:09 GMT -6 BBFran said:

Get your "Tuesday" panties unbundled, boys. I'm not predicting success or failure for Evan Anderson or Ben Mills. I'm telling you that from a college coach's point of view, one projects as a high major player, one does not, based on their physical capabilities. That's why Anderson had offers from a number of big time programs while Mills never has. You can look at all the high school stats you want and it doesn't change that. Whether Anderson meets his expectations or Mills exceeds his is strictly up to them now. Nate Mielke is actually a very good analog for Ben Mills by the way. I could see Mills contributing at about the same level some day to a mid-major.

Respectfully, I just don't see Anderson making the impact of say Brian Butch or even Greg Stiemsma. Of course, I've only seen him play once in person. Also, he received the vast majority of his scholarship offers after a stellar summer on the circuit following his Sophomore year. Since then, his progress and play has been a total disappointment, and I imagine it has to worry the Badger staff at least a little bit. I have to believe they hoped for more out of him up to this point... I, too, see him going the way of a JP Gavinski. A rarely used, overly hyped big man from the state of Wisconsin. I hope he fares better than I predict, if only for the sake of Fran the Badger Fan

[BBFran]

You guys do know that the vast majority of Milwaukee fans are also Badger fans, don't you? Ever notice how many people wear Badger clothing to UWM games? I hate to tell you this, but the two schools aren't rivals. If someone is sporting "Nixwear" to a game, then you'd have legitimate reason to take issue.

That minor point aside, I agree Anderson will never be at Butch's level. Butch was an elite college player, a skill player with true size who became a first team All Big Ten player. There aren't many guys like that around (although I have some optimism for Kyle Kelm, considering his skill set). But I wouldn't write Anderson off yet as far as contributing down the line like Stiemsma did. True bigs take time to develop, and with the exception of Gavinski Bo has never had a player who didn't contribute as an upperclassman. Why people always want to argue from the exception rather than the rule mystifies me.

[JG Panthers]

Mar 30, 2010 8:20:51 GMT -6 BBFran said:

You guys do know that the vast majority of Milwaukee fans are also Badger fans, don't you? Ever notice how many people wear Badger clothing to UWM games? I hate to tell you this, but the two schools aren't rivals. If someone is sporting "Nixwear" to a game, then you'd have legitimate reason to take issue.

That minor point aside, I agree Anderson will never be at Butch's level. Butch was an elite college player, a skill player with true size who became a first team All Big Ten player. There aren't many guys like that around (although I have some optimism for Kyle Kelm, considering his skill set). But I wouldn't write Anderson off yet as far as contributing down the line like Stiemsma did. True bigs take time to develop, and with the exception of Gavinski Bo has never had a player who didn't contribute as an upperclassman. Why people always want to argue from the exception rather than the rule mystifies me.

I sincerely hope the first paragraph was not in response to my "Fran the Badger Fan", especially since that was more of a fact and statement, and not at all a dig. Take a breather...

Also, I don't at all doubt that Anderson can become a serviceable big man by the time he's an upperclassman. But to be ranked in the top 100 in Rivals, to have been as hyped as he was, ranked the top player in the state going in to his junior season, and to now be no better than then (in fact, he may have regressed)...to me he should be an instant contributor...and he won't be. That's all I'm saying. Maybe he will contribute by his junior or senior year, which would be better than Gavinski, but you mean to tell me you weren't expecting more than that??