I know we've talked about most/all of these guys individually, but with some of the news coming out of LV this week, I wanted to recap the upcoming talent in Colorado. Also, a lot of credit for the coverage of these kids goes to Yung, whose Twitter is definitely must-read right now.
2013 (2 projected schollies)- There's really not much to note here in-state. I'm not sure we're pursuing anyone for '13.
2014 (3 projected schollies):
Dominique Collier (PG)- Not much to add to what's already been said. A possible top-50 national recruit and CU seems to be at or near the top of his list.
Chase Foster (SF)- A solid wing prospect, Foster reportedly showed well Thursday and is one to watch for 2014.
Jeremiah Paige (PG/SG)- A good athlete, he's overshadowed by Collier and Perkins. He reportedly has a big ceiling, though, and would be a nice back-up plan should Collier and/or Perkins leave the state.
Josh Perkins (PG/SG)- Similar to Collier, he's a top-50 prospect who is blowing up in Vegas. William, Daniels and Gershon were raving about him, with Gershon calling him one of the top-3 PG's in the West for 2014 (Collier wasn't named). He's also drawing a ton of interest and I'd expect to see several new offers here. We've supposedly been in good shape for a long time here, but it'll be interesting to see what happens as interest picks up.
2015 (2 projected schollies):
Brian Carey (PG)- He's on the small side (5'8"), but is another very talented CO PG. He'll push the tempo and is already viewed as a potential high-major recruit.
Austin Conway (PG)- William has been raving about his speed and he's reportedly shown well in Vegas. I'm guessing the staff will wait on Perkins and Collier before pressing Conway (there just isn't room for everyone), but Conway's already said that CU is his favorite school. He's also teammates with De'Ron Davis, so he may help us there a little bit too.
Ronshad Shabazz (SG)- He'll be at Overland next year, transferring from NC. He's said to be an athletic scorer and is another high-major prospect. Hopefully spending his last 3 years in Colorado will help the Buffs here.
2016 (6 projected schollies):
De'Ron Davis (PF/C)- He's been discussed a lot here as a 6'9" rising freshman, but he continued to impress in Vegas. We need to continue to have success to be in contention for Davis, but he's a truly elite prospect.
David Thornton (PF)- I really don't know much about Thornton, but he's on William's radar. He's reportedly very athletic, with a good size for his age.
Combined with 2012 class that featured Scott, Gordon and Talton, it's undeniable CO basketball is taking a giant step forward, and it looks as if CU may be able to field a competitive (albeit undersized) roster composed almost entirely of in-state talent. I don't foresee that happening, primarily because of the lack of size in the next 3 classes, but I do think we can pretty much stay in-state for our guards. And the best part of it all: this talent is coinciding with the rise of CU basketball, so we're seeing heavy CU interest from most of these kids. If this trend continues, it's a HUGE advantage for CTB, as there just isn't the in-state competition for these recruits. Unless a kid is set on leaving the state, or starts seeing stars from a UNC, Duke, or Kentucky offer, we should be in good position to keep them home.
2013 (2 projected schollies)- There's really not much to note here in-state. I'm not sure we're pursuing anyone for '13.
2014 (3 projected schollies):
Dominique Collier (PG)- Not much to add to what's already been said. A possible top-50 national recruit and CU seems to be at or near the top of his list.
Chase Foster (SF)- A solid wing prospect, Foster reportedly showed well Thursday and is one to watch for 2014.
Jeremiah Paige (PG/SG)- A good athlete, he's overshadowed by Collier and Perkins. He reportedly has a big ceiling, though, and would be a nice back-up plan should Collier and/or Perkins leave the state.
Josh Perkins (PG/SG)- Similar to Collier, he's a top-50 prospect who is blowing up in Vegas. William, Daniels and Gershon were raving about him, with Gershon calling him one of the top-3 PG's in the West for 2014 (Collier wasn't named). He's also drawing a ton of interest and I'd expect to see several new offers here. We've supposedly been in good shape for a long time here, but it'll be interesting to see what happens as interest picks up.
2015 (2 projected schollies):
Brian Carey (PG)- He's on the small side (5'8"), but is another very talented CO PG. He'll push the tempo and is already viewed as a potential high-major recruit.
Austin Conway (PG)- William has been raving about his speed and he's reportedly shown well in Vegas. I'm guessing the staff will wait on Perkins and Collier before pressing Conway (there just isn't room for everyone), but Conway's already said that CU is his favorite school. He's also teammates with De'Ron Davis, so he may help us there a little bit too.
Ronshad Shabazz (SG)- He'll be at Overland next year, transferring from NC. He's said to be an athletic scorer and is another high-major prospect. Hopefully spending his last 3 years in Colorado will help the Buffs here.
2016 (6 projected schollies):
De'Ron Davis (PF/C)- He's been discussed a lot here as a 6'9" rising freshman, but he continued to impress in Vegas. We need to continue to have success to be in contention for Davis, but he's a truly elite prospect.
David Thornton (PF)- I really don't know much about Thornton, but he's on William's radar. He's reportedly very athletic, with a good size for his age.
Combined with 2012 class that featured Scott, Gordon and Talton, it's undeniable CO basketball is taking a giant step forward, and it looks as if CU may be able to field a competitive (albeit undersized) roster composed almost entirely of in-state talent. I don't foresee that happening, primarily because of the lack of size in the next 3 classes, but I do think we can pretty much stay in-state for our guards. And the best part of it all: this talent is coinciding with the rise of CU basketball, so we're seeing heavy CU interest from most of these kids. If this trend continues, it's a HUGE advantage for CTB, as there just isn't the in-state competition for these recruits. Unless a kid is set on leaving the state, or starts seeing stars from a UNC, Duke, or Kentucky offer, we should be in good position to keep them home.