1. Jaron Hopkins
Hopkins gives us a big combo guard at 6'5" who has elite athleticism. "Explosive" is the term most often used to describe him. He chose the Buffs over offers from Pac-12 programs Arizona and Wazzu along with several other national offers. Rated as a 3* or 4* player, the general consensus of the recruiting sites is that he's right on the edge of top 100 overall. Hopkins is lethal in the open court and the best parts of his half court game are the mid-range and his ability to finish at the basket (highlight reel dunks, floaters, and runners).
2. Dustin Thomas
With Thomas, we get a long forward at 6'8" and 210 lbs who has the tools to play the "3" and "4" in the Dre/XJ role. He chose the Buffs over an offer from Oklahoma. Very skilled catch and pop player who has some range to his jumper and can also mix it up in the post. Rated as a 3* or 4* player on the recruiting sites and a Top 150 talent, Thomas hit a late growth spurt of 4" that turned him into a high D1 player
3. Tre'Shaun Lexing
Here we got another versatile player who can play the "2" or the "3". Also offered by Pac-12 rivals UCLA, ASU, OSU and Wazzu along with top mid-major programs in the west such as Gonzaga and Santa Clara, Lexing is generally considered a 3*, top 30 SF and top 200 overall prospect by all of the recruiting services. What we're getting here is a 6'6" athletic wing with a great first step to get to the basket.
This is a huge upgrade to the overall athleticism of our team and will also provide Tad with a ton of lineup versatility. We're developing a roster that can run teams into the ground, create matchup problems all over the court, and put a ton of defensive pressure on opponents by jumping passing lanes with superior athleticism and length. This is going to be exciting basketball for fans and, most importantly, winning basketball.
As far as our 2013 lineup is concerned, we really only had 1 scholarship that was definitely available (graduation of Sabatino Chen). By taking 3, it's clear that Tad knows something we don't. An educated guess would be that it's a certainty that Dre will be going pro after this season. Therefore, we had a need for a player like Thomas who can play Dre's hybrid forward position. The third spot is more difficult to figure out.
Here's the roster for 2013 as we know it:
Seniors: Jeremy Adams, Shane Harris-Tunks, Ben Mills
Juniors: Askia Booker, Spencer Dinwiddie
Sophs: Wesley Gordon, Chris Jenkins, Xavier Johnson, Josh Scott, Eli Stalzer
Frosh: Jaron Hopkins, Tre'Shaun Lexing, Xavier Talton (RS), Dustin Thomas
Most likely, it's going to be one of the projected seniors graduating early or transferring that opens up that spot in the freshman class.
Tad is in on several game changers for the 2014 class. It's looking like we'll only have 2 definite openings. My suspicion is that Spencer will go pro after 2013 and we'll have room for 3 recruits. I'd expect 2 guards and a big in that class. Future is bright, folks. This is a program that is looking like it will be able to match up with anyone and be an annual participant in the Dance with a shot of going deep with the right draw.
Hopkins gives us a big combo guard at 6'5" who has elite athleticism. "Explosive" is the term most often used to describe him. He chose the Buffs over offers from Pac-12 programs Arizona and Wazzu along with several other national offers. Rated as a 3* or 4* player, the general consensus of the recruiting sites is that he's right on the edge of top 100 overall. Hopkins is lethal in the open court and the best parts of his half court game are the mid-range and his ability to finish at the basket (highlight reel dunks, floaters, and runners).
2. Dustin Thomas
With Thomas, we get a long forward at 6'8" and 210 lbs who has the tools to play the "3" and "4" in the Dre/XJ role. He chose the Buffs over an offer from Oklahoma. Very skilled catch and pop player who has some range to his jumper and can also mix it up in the post. Rated as a 3* or 4* player on the recruiting sites and a Top 150 talent, Thomas hit a late growth spurt of 4" that turned him into a high D1 player
3. Tre'Shaun Lexing
Here we got another versatile player who can play the "2" or the "3". Also offered by Pac-12 rivals UCLA, ASU, OSU and Wazzu along with top mid-major programs in the west such as Gonzaga and Santa Clara, Lexing is generally considered a 3*, top 30 SF and top 200 overall prospect by all of the recruiting services. What we're getting here is a 6'6" athletic wing with a great first step to get to the basket.
This is a huge upgrade to the overall athleticism of our team and will also provide Tad with a ton of lineup versatility. We're developing a roster that can run teams into the ground, create matchup problems all over the court, and put a ton of defensive pressure on opponents by jumping passing lanes with superior athleticism and length. This is going to be exciting basketball for fans and, most importantly, winning basketball.
As far as our 2013 lineup is concerned, we really only had 1 scholarship that was definitely available (graduation of Sabatino Chen). By taking 3, it's clear that Tad knows something we don't. An educated guess would be that it's a certainty that Dre will be going pro after this season. Therefore, we had a need for a player like Thomas who can play Dre's hybrid forward position. The third spot is more difficult to figure out.
Here's the roster for 2013 as we know it:
Seniors: Jeremy Adams, Shane Harris-Tunks, Ben Mills
Juniors: Askia Booker, Spencer Dinwiddie
Sophs: Wesley Gordon, Chris Jenkins, Xavier Johnson, Josh Scott, Eli Stalzer
Frosh: Jaron Hopkins, Tre'Shaun Lexing, Xavier Talton (RS), Dustin Thomas
Most likely, it's going to be one of the projected seniors graduating early or transferring that opens up that spot in the freshman class.
Tad is in on several game changers for the 2014 class. It's looking like we'll only have 2 definite openings. My suspicion is that Spencer will go pro after 2013 and we'll have room for 3 recruits. I'd expect 2 guards and a big in that class. Future is bright, folks. This is a program that is looking like it will be able to match up with anyone and be an annual participant in the Dance with a shot of going deep with the right draw.