******Official Boog BBall 'Crootin Thread*******
- Thread starter MomentInTheSun
- Start date
One of the national recruiting experts for rivals had an article that largely focused on Auburn.
Predicted Auburn to have top 5 class for 2020.
Said Shariffe Cooper was almost a lock for Auburn.
Predicted Kessler would go to Duke but wouldn't be totally shocked if he ended up at Auburn
Predicted Auburn to have top 5 class for 2020.
Said Shariffe Cooper was almost a lock for Auburn.
Predicted Kessler would go to Duke but wouldn't be totally shocked if he ended up at Auburn
Lol at this poor UK fan. Click on the tweet and read all his hAUt takes
for Auburn to sign a top 5 class without signing Kessler we’d probably have to sign Boston and Brown
I’d take it
Hope Bruce let him down easy. Call us back when you get 5* status young buck.
Shariffe Cooper is ranked 15th by rivals.
Jayden Stone is ranked 60th.
Rongie Gordon is 115th.
I think Justin Powell will eventually make the top 150. He is already that high or higher on other sites.
If you added Kessler just to that group, it would probably be top 10.
That is probably a worse case scenario for Auburn except for Kessler
USAB U19 Tryouts: No timeline for five-star point guard Sharife Cooper
Sharife Cooper (Courtesy of USA Basketball)
Eric Bossi • Basketball Recruiting
@ebosshoops
COLORADO SPRINGS -- Five-star point guard Sharife Cooper put his best foot forward on opening night of USA Basketball's U19 team tryouts. He was locked in on his game and isn't letting the recruiting process muddy things up.
A six-foot tall senior to be at Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern, Cooper is excited about his opportunity to make the team and in a setting where high schoolers are mixed with rising college freshmen and sophomores, he wasn't nervous.
"I have kind of played with older guys all my life," Cooper told Rivals.com. "At my high school a lot of college guys come and play in the gym so I'm kind of used to it, the more physical and better basketball.
"Definitely the pace and definitely the physicality are different. You've got to be strong, stay low and just get to your spots quick."
There are no shortage of schools involved as the likes of Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oregon and many others are in the mix.
More: USA Basketball Saturday Takeaways
Two weeks ago, Cooper hit Auburn for an unofficial visit. He's been there before but enjoyed checking in on the Tigers.
"It was about going to see my teammate (Isaac Okoro) and going to see him practice," said Cooper. "I was just watching how they do things and staying familiar with the coaching staff. Coach (Bruce) Pearldoesn't have to do too much. When it's like a family atmosphere there's not anything you really have to do. It's just having fun."
Cooper hasn't set any dates for future visits yet, but said that Kentucky would get one and detailed why.
"Coach (John) Calipari definitely gets straight to business," said Cooper. "He's looking forward to helping me make the next step and getting me ready for the NBA. I know a lot of guys at Kentucky and it's definitely a great atmosphere there. So I'm looking forward to that on the business."
Ben Howland and Mississippi State will get an official visit as well per Cooper's father and the skilled floor general has also been to UGA and Georgia Tech multiple times among the other visits he's taken.
Where he's been, where he's going, Cooper isn't too worried about that yet. He's never even really put out a true list of schools he's considering. He's got no timeline for a decision and doesn't anticipate making any moves in the near future but does have an idea of what will be most important when he does look to move towards ending his recruitment.
"I don't know yet," said Cooper of when he may move closer to a decision. "Time will tell. I need to talk to my dad about that. We haven't talked about a timeline, I haven't decided.
"I'm looking for somewhere that I can get better and develop my game. A coaching staff that trusts me, a family atmosphere and somewhere that I can have fun playing basketball."
Sharife Cooper (Courtesy of USA Basketball)
Eric Bossi • Basketball Recruiting
@ebosshoops
COLORADO SPRINGS -- Five-star point guard Sharife Cooper put his best foot forward on opening night of USA Basketball's U19 team tryouts. He was locked in on his game and isn't letting the recruiting process muddy things up.
A six-foot tall senior to be at Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern, Cooper is excited about his opportunity to make the team and in a setting where high schoolers are mixed with rising college freshmen and sophomores, he wasn't nervous.
"I have kind of played with older guys all my life," Cooper told Rivals.com. "At my high school a lot of college guys come and play in the gym so I'm kind of used to it, the more physical and better basketball.
"Definitely the pace and definitely the physicality are different. You've got to be strong, stay low and just get to your spots quick."
There are no shortage of schools involved as the likes of Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Oregon and many others are in the mix.
More: USA Basketball Saturday Takeaways
Two weeks ago, Cooper hit Auburn for an unofficial visit. He's been there before but enjoyed checking in on the Tigers.
"It was about going to see my teammate (Isaac Okoro) and going to see him practice," said Cooper. "I was just watching how they do things and staying familiar with the coaching staff. Coach (Bruce) Pearldoesn't have to do too much. When it's like a family atmosphere there's not anything you really have to do. It's just having fun."
Cooper hasn't set any dates for future visits yet, but said that Kentucky would get one and detailed why.
"Coach (John) Calipari definitely gets straight to business," said Cooper. "He's looking forward to helping me make the next step and getting me ready for the NBA. I know a lot of guys at Kentucky and it's definitely a great atmosphere there. So I'm looking forward to that on the business."
Ben Howland and Mississippi State will get an official visit as well per Cooper's father and the skilled floor general has also been to UGA and Georgia Tech multiple times among the other visits he's taken.
Where he's been, where he's going, Cooper isn't too worried about that yet. He's never even really put out a true list of schools he's considering. He's got no timeline for a decision and doesn't anticipate making any moves in the near future but does have an idea of what will be most important when he does look to move towards ending his recruitment.
"I don't know yet," said Cooper of when he may move closer to a decision. "Time will tell. I need to talk to my dad about that. We haven't talked about a timeline, I haven't decided.
"I'm looking for somewhere that I can get better and develop my game. A coaching staff that trusts me, a family atmosphere and somewhere that I can have fun playing basketball."
USAB U19 Tryouts: Bossi's Saturday Takeaways
Eric Bossi • Basketball Recruiting
@ebosshoops
COLORADO SPRINGS -- The tryouts for USA Basketball's U19 kicked off on Monday night and 2020's No. 1 player
Evan Mobley
as did fellow West Coaster
Josh Christopher
The setup in Colorado Springs isn't one that's usually seen in a high school evaluation setting. Trying out for the team are rising high school seniors, rising college freshman and rising college sophomores. So it creates a situation where the high school guys are going to have to compete with older and more experienced players for valuable roster spots.
MOBLEY PLAYED LIKE A NO. 1 SHOULD
EVAN
MOBLEY
Even playing against some older and stronger players, 2020's No. 1 player
Evan Mobley
looked like the best big on the floor Saturday night.
He disrupted shots with his length and timing as a shot blocker. He also showed the ability move his feet to show and recover in the high ball screen. Offensively he was able to get what he wanted around the rim and his jumper continues to look like it is going to be a major weapon down the road.
Cade Cunningham continues to charge, but Mobley is backing up his status at No. 1 overall. The only question is when he'll elect to join his father and brother at USC.
CHRISTOPHER JUST LOVES TO PLAY
JOSH
CHRISTOPHER
Over the years, I've learned to appreciate the guys who just want to show up and play. No event is too big, no event is too small and chances to get better aren't passed up.
Josh Christopher is one of those guys who wants to get better.
After a little bit of checking the water temperature with his toes, he dove right. in and made the most of his opportunity to compete against older, stronger and more experienced players. What we learned is that his own strength, his own skill and his own competitive juices translated. Christopher found success as a playmaker, got to the rim and was raising up to shoot with confidence even on tires where the ball wasn't going in.
Arizona State (where his brother
Caleb Christopher
will be a freshman) and Missouri continue to figure large in his recruitment, Kentucky has been stepping things up and then there are the local programs like UCLA and USCtrying to keep him home. Most recently, Arkansas, Michigan and Vanderbilt have dropped in offers in hopes of luring him off the West Coast.
KESSLER FOUND HIS COMFORT ZONE
WALKER
KESSLER
A little tentative early on, five-star
Walker Kessler
found his stride as Saturday night's first session wore on. He's started to fill out nicely, runs the floor hard and he found spots to unleash his dangerous jump shot.
Getting the chance to compete against older, stronger and quicker players for a few days (and possibly longer if he makes the team) in Colorado Springs should be huge for Kessler's development.
On the recruiting front, don't be surprised if Auburn starts to make a strong charge here. Duke, Georgia, Gonzaga, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia are also prominent but word is starting to circulate that the Tigers could be strengthening their standing.
POINT GUARD SLOT LOOKS WIDE OPEN
SHARIFE
COOPE
Based on a not so large sample size of of one workout, it looked to me that the fiercest competition to make the team will come at the point guard spot. By nature of college experience, guys like Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, Alabama's Kira Lewis, Baylor's Jared Butler and possibly even Oklahoma State's Isaac Likekele
(if they want to try him at point) have a little bit of a leg up on the competition.
But, five-star Sharife Cooper, five-star
Jalen Suggs, top 35 Caleb Love and 2020's No. 2 ranked player Cade Cunningham all look to have legitimate shots at making the team.
Cooper impressed with his quickness, shifty ability to create off the dribble and lack of fear against bigger and stronger players. Suggs is physically capable of hanging with the older guys and can score around the rim as well as any of the high school guys. Love has been a work in progress over the last year making the move from shooting to point guard and he looked comfortable playing both spots on Saturday. Also surprising was that he wasn't as far behind the curve from a strength standpoint as I might have expected. Cunningham, well Cunningham looked like he has all spring. Confident, tough, poised and skilled and always making the right call on both defense and offense.
As for the college guys, I loved Haliburton's ability to read the floor. Lewis is incredibly quick and still surprisingly thin but doesn't back down from anybody. Butler is a tough shot maker with strength while Likelele competes on every possession and has all kinds of leadership qualities.
COLLEGE BOUND PLAYERS IMPRESS
JEREMIAH
ROBINSON-EARL
I just want to wrap up first day coverage with some quick notes on a few of the college freshmen to be.
.... I will be very surprised if Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
isn't an immediate and impactful contributor at Villanova. He told me "Jay Wright has my confidence at an all time high. He's just always pushing me to shoot and be aggressive." Those words are sinking in too as Robinson-Earl confidently stroked three point jumpers in addition to rebounding on both ends.
.... Arizona bound Zeke Nnaji
still needs to learn to use his size to his advantage but he has really added good weight and strength since I saw him during his senior season. He's extremely bouncy off the floor and has as much upside as anybody in the Wildcats touted 2019 class.
.... USC freshman Onyeka Okongwu
should be ready to compete. The former five-star is ready for the physicality of high level college hoops and he is explosive off the floor as a shot blocker, rebounder and finisher on the interior. He continues to become more confident hitting spot up 15 footers.
.... FInally,
Samuell Williamson
has already added some strength since we last saw him at the McDonald's All-American Game. Look for his jump shooting -- especially from the corner -- and mid post game to allow him to help out right away at Louisville.
Eric Bossi • Basketball Recruiting
@ebosshoops
COLORADO SPRINGS -- The tryouts for USA Basketball's U19 kicked off on Monday night and 2020's No. 1 player
Evan Mobley
as did fellow West Coaster
Josh Christopher
The setup in Colorado Springs isn't one that's usually seen in a high school evaluation setting. Trying out for the team are rising high school seniors, rising college freshman and rising college sophomores. So it creates a situation where the high school guys are going to have to compete with older and more experienced players for valuable roster spots.
MOBLEY PLAYED LIKE A NO. 1 SHOULD
EVAN
MOBLEY
Even playing against some older and stronger players, 2020's No. 1 player
Evan Mobley
looked like the best big on the floor Saturday night.
He disrupted shots with his length and timing as a shot blocker. He also showed the ability move his feet to show and recover in the high ball screen. Offensively he was able to get what he wanted around the rim and his jumper continues to look like it is going to be a major weapon down the road.
Cade Cunningham continues to charge, but Mobley is backing up his status at No. 1 overall. The only question is when he'll elect to join his father and brother at USC.
CHRISTOPHER JUST LOVES TO PLAY
JOSH
CHRISTOPHER
Over the years, I've learned to appreciate the guys who just want to show up and play. No event is too big, no event is too small and chances to get better aren't passed up.
Josh Christopher is one of those guys who wants to get better.
After a little bit of checking the water temperature with his toes, he dove right. in and made the most of his opportunity to compete against older, stronger and more experienced players. What we learned is that his own strength, his own skill and his own competitive juices translated. Christopher found success as a playmaker, got to the rim and was raising up to shoot with confidence even on tires where the ball wasn't going in.
Arizona State (where his brother
Caleb Christopher
will be a freshman) and Missouri continue to figure large in his recruitment, Kentucky has been stepping things up and then there are the local programs like UCLA and USCtrying to keep him home. Most recently, Arkansas, Michigan and Vanderbilt have dropped in offers in hopes of luring him off the West Coast.
KESSLER FOUND HIS COMFORT ZONE
WALKER
KESSLER
A little tentative early on, five-star
Walker Kessler
found his stride as Saturday night's first session wore on. He's started to fill out nicely, runs the floor hard and he found spots to unleash his dangerous jump shot.
Getting the chance to compete against older, stronger and quicker players for a few days (and possibly longer if he makes the team) in Colorado Springs should be huge for Kessler's development.
On the recruiting front, don't be surprised if Auburn starts to make a strong charge here. Duke, Georgia, Gonzaga, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia are also prominent but word is starting to circulate that the Tigers could be strengthening their standing.
POINT GUARD SLOT LOOKS WIDE OPEN
SHARIFE
COOPE
Based on a not so large sample size of of one workout, it looked to me that the fiercest competition to make the team will come at the point guard spot. By nature of college experience, guys like Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, Alabama's Kira Lewis, Baylor's Jared Butler and possibly even Oklahoma State's Isaac Likekele
(if they want to try him at point) have a little bit of a leg up on the competition.
But, five-star Sharife Cooper, five-star
Jalen Suggs, top 35 Caleb Love and 2020's No. 2 ranked player Cade Cunningham all look to have legitimate shots at making the team.
Cooper impressed with his quickness, shifty ability to create off the dribble and lack of fear against bigger and stronger players. Suggs is physically capable of hanging with the older guys and can score around the rim as well as any of the high school guys. Love has been a work in progress over the last year making the move from shooting to point guard and he looked comfortable playing both spots on Saturday. Also surprising was that he wasn't as far behind the curve from a strength standpoint as I might have expected. Cunningham, well Cunningham looked like he has all spring. Confident, tough, poised and skilled and always making the right call on both defense and offense.
As for the college guys, I loved Haliburton's ability to read the floor. Lewis is incredibly quick and still surprisingly thin but doesn't back down from anybody. Butler is a tough shot maker with strength while Likelele competes on every possession and has all kinds of leadership qualities.
COLLEGE BOUND PLAYERS IMPRESS
JEREMIAH
ROBINSON-EARL
I just want to wrap up first day coverage with some quick notes on a few of the college freshmen to be.
.... I will be very surprised if Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
isn't an immediate and impactful contributor at Villanova. He told me "Jay Wright has my confidence at an all time high. He's just always pushing me to shoot and be aggressive." Those words are sinking in too as Robinson-Earl confidently stroked three point jumpers in addition to rebounding on both ends.
.... Arizona bound Zeke Nnaji
still needs to learn to use his size to his advantage but he has really added good weight and strength since I saw him during his senior season. He's extremely bouncy off the floor and has as much upside as anybody in the Wildcats touted 2019 class.
.... USC freshman Onyeka Okongwu
should be ready to compete. The former five-star is ready for the physicality of high level college hoops and he is explosive off the floor as a shot blocker, rebounder and finisher on the interior. He continues to become more confident hitting spot up 15 footers.
.... FInally,
Samuell Williamson
has already added some strength since we last saw him at the McDonald's All-American Game. Look for his jump shooting -- especially from the corner -- and mid post game to allow him to help out right away at Louisville.
Top hoops crootin analyst for Rivals, Corey Evans, crystal ball’d Walker Kessler to the Boogs
Lol. Young man eliminated his family legacy school
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings
Our white HYG is up to #60 in the latest ESPN crootin rankings
Our white HYG is up to #60 in the latest ESPN crootin rankings
I think that’s as high as they’re allowed to rank a chalkie under 7 feet.
Future draft looks bright for our beloved Boogs. Just noticed an article on Brown from the Longhorns site and the first school that he talked about from his list of favorites was the Boogs. I’m starting to think we really have a legit shot at landing our next Dr.C.
Premium article but safe to assume the gist is:
“ Auburn was one of my first offers. Love the boog style of play. Bruce is the goat wish he was my dad irl”
Jabari Smith discusses his national ascension, ongoing recruitment
ATLANTA – Not many have enjoyed a better spring than
Jabari Smith.
Slotted now as the fifth best rising junior in America, Smith discussed his national ascension, winning gold with the under-16 USA team earlier this month and the first three phone calls that he received on June 15.
“It was amazing. Just seeing NBA players win it and all of the USA teams win it, to win one for my country, it was a huge moment for me,” he said. “It was such an honor just to make it since there are so many guys that get cut but also so many good guys that made it. It was just a good feeling to be a part of it.”
On June 15, the date that allows for direct contact between rising high school juniors and college coaches, Smith told Rivals.com that Auburn, Georgia and LSU were the first to give him a phone call. Each has already offered, and Arkansas, Kansas and Maryland are a group of others in close contact.
2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team| Position
2021 Rankings: Rivals150
IN HIS OWN WORDS
RANK 5
JABARI
SMITH
6'8" | 185 LBS | SF
SANDY CREEK
TYRONE, GA
CLASS OF 2021
UNDECIDED
Auburn: “I feel like they are not big on recruiting high name guys. They might pick under-the-radar guys but once they get to college, they blow up. They see stuff that normal people don’t see usually and they just recruit differently and off of effort and how you carry yourself.”
Georgia: “You know that (Nic) Claxton
just got drafted, so (Tom Crean) has been telling me about him and about the opportunity there at Georgia and getting a name for yourself and not going to the blue bloods but doing your own thing.
“Just to have my family come and watch me and staying close to home so that my dad could be a part of it is an element, so that would be pretty cool.”
Kansas: “It is a big-name school and they are all about winning. They just informed me about the program, how they play, their philosophy, and stuff like that.”
LSU: “They basically just keep saying to carry the legacy and to do what my dad (Jabari Smith Sr.)did. I have always thought about what it would be like to go to LSU and to wear his number and to wear Smith on my back. It would be very cool.”
WHAT'S NEXT & RIVALS' REACTION
Having already taken visits to the local schools in Georgia and Georgia Tech, Smith is hoping to take two others in the nearby future.
“I plan to go to Auburn and Clemson,” he said. “We haven’t scheduled a date just yet but we have agreed on a visit.”
Making a giant leap in the recently updated Rivals150, Smith is intent on getting better.
“I just take it like nothing really changes. Just keep going hard,” he said. “Keep doing what I have been doing and playing with a chip on my shoulder and that nothing is proven.”
Smith is everything that one looks for in a next-level prospect. While he has to get stronger and continue to refine his game and skill set, his upside is tremendous. Capable of playing multiple spots in the frontcourt, Smith will soon become a national, blue blood priority target. However, the regional powers have already made it known that he is one of their top targets in the 2021 class including LSU, a program that his father played his own college ball at.
A few tweets and vids on Okoro in this tweet thread
Allow me to set the scene on this one gents. This child, who is way down on the boogs list of targets, is hearing from Duke because we are about to pluck the 5* they’ve tabbed as the next Christian Laettner.
My second appearance on Twitter Tuesday gang. Relish it
Man what a world we live in where boog hoops may not have room for a top 10 croot.
BRUUUUUCE
Wrote the question as a joke hoping to incite some UK fans. But since the goob analysts responded, he clearly thinks the Boogs are a legit threat to land both of those children for sure
