Derrick Jones (Committed to UNLV)

[caw]

Mack postponing his announcement may actually be due to Briscoe and Jones and Ollie asking him to wait and see where they go. Or it could be that Mack wanted UConn but one of Jones/Briscoe beat him to it and he is mulling over his second choice. Or maybe none of it is related and they are all going elsewhere. Glad to have helped everyone out.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The speculation is the fun part..until the classes are signed. I love the inside info, but I prefer sitting back and letting things play out. Trying to predict the will and wants of 18 year olds making the biggest decision of their lives while being tugged in 30 different directions is a waste of time. And hell, it is all a crap shoot anyway

I remember a regular poster hear being pissed about the fact the best PG Calhoun and Staff could recruit was some small kid out of Massachusetts named Napier. He was only a 4 Star recruit and the poster felt the staff had dropped the ball.......

 

[Burnsbros23]

8 min mark. But have we stopped recruiting jones like these other guys? Kasongo was a mess everyone knew that. Rathan Mayes had bounced around. And Jones Offcially visited UNLV so I guess he has taken the SAT. Maybe you guys are right I just havent heard the grade issue anywhere other than here.

 

[donyell34]

I like getting all the recruiting news that's out there for the huskys. Rumors, so called sources, speculation and all. Its not live or die more like entertainment. Some of us are just wrapped to tight. Need to lighten up man.

 

[caw]

For all his failings as a coach, Rice is one insanely good recruiter.

If they do get Jones, this would be something like their third top 25 recruit in two years.

Okonoboh, Morgan and Vaughn were all top 25 at some point during the recruiting process and he's gotten quite a few others along the way. Never really does anything with them though.

 

[Silk31]

Okonoboh, Morgan and Vaughn were all top 25 at some point during the recruiting process and he's gotten quite a few others along the way. Never really does anything with them though.

Don't forget Anthony Bennett went to UNLV as well, he is an ultimate bust as the #1 pick but it was still rather shocking to see him go to Sin City.

Like you said the Rebels have not had an issue with landing some top notch talent, they have had issues with developing them and getting them to the league (sans Bennett). Jones goes to the desert and you may never hear from him again outside of some ESPN highlight reel jams.

I can't believe I'm saying this but Bruce Pearl would be a better option in terms of coaching than Rice

 

[HuskyHawk]

Sometimes the arrogance around here is remarkable. UNLV has a lot of history, and plays in a place that is probably pretty appealing to a lot of kids. This notion that some 17 to 18 year old kid is going to choose a college based solely on what coach can "get them to the NBA" and that they think Kevin Ollie is always that guy, is just crazy. 99% of them aren't going to the NBA. Looking at the draft, you increasingly see that kids are drafted from all kinds of schools. If you have the talent, you can get drafted from most D1 schools.

So we should never be shocked if we lose a recruit to any P5 or strong mid major program any more than when a non-athlete student chooses to go elsewhere.

 

[Mooch82]

Mack postponing his announcement may actually be due to Briscoe and Jones and Ollie asking him to wait and see where they go. Or it could be that Mack wanted UConn but one of Jones/Briscoe beat him to it and he is mulling over his second choice. Or maybe none of it is related and they are all going elsewhere. Glad to have helped everyone out.

You certainly have optimism, but you're over complicating this.

Briscoe is going to UK or SJU - most likely UK. We've been a distant 3rd for a while.

I don't know the last time we spoke to or watched Jones - he's going to UNLV.

Mack is the one we have a shot with - I'd say 40%. 40% doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. I'll be disappointed if we don't get any of the three, but it's what I'm expecting.

Need to hope we get Stone (who we have a better shot with than anyone else at this point) and then get an under or de-commit wing in the spring. We'll be fine.

 

[upstater]

Sometimes the arrogance around here is remarkable. UNLV has a lot of history, and plays in a place that is probably pretty appealing to a lot of kids. This notion that some 17 to 18 year old kid is going to choose a college based solely on what coach can "get them to the NBA" and that they think Kevin Ollie is always that guy, is just crazy. 99% of them aren't going to the NBA. Looking at the draft, you increasingly see that kids are drafted from all kinds of schools. If you have the talent, you can get drafted from most D1 schools.

So we should never be shocked if we lose a recruit to any P5 or strong mid major program any more than when a non-athlete student chooses to go elsewhere.

Check your stats. Much much more than 1% of the top 20 list makes the NBA.

And by the way, the only school racking up top 20 kids outside the top 6 or 7 conferences (includes P5 + AAC/BE and A10) is UNLV.

I went back over a decade on ESPN, and outside of Detroit snagging McCallum (his dad was coach) and Nevada grabbing Luke Babbitt, UNLV is the only school managing to get more than one.

It's also evident when you look at the top 20 that there are a lot of NBA players each year.

I'm looking at ESPN's top 20 in 2007 and I count 14 of the 20 as being in the NBA right now. Another, Nolan Smith, was drafted in the NBA's first round and is currently playing in Europe. The other 5 are playing bball overseas.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Check your stats. Much much more than 1% of the top 20 list makes the NBA.

Who said anything about the top 20? But using that argument, do you think it matters whether someone like Stone goes to UConn on Wisconsin for his NBA hopes? It doesn't. If anything, it's the three star guys where great coaching might get them a shot.

 

[aceboon]

8 min mark. But have we stopped recruiting jones like these other guys? Kasongo was a mess everyone knew that. Rathan Mayes had bounced around. And Jones Offcially visited UNLV so I guess he has taken the SAT. Maybe you guys are right I just havent heard the grade issue anywhere other than here.

there seems to be conflicting reports on that, I've seen it listed as unofficial and official. he hadn't even taken his SAT until October so that is why there wasn't much movement on visits with him.

http://runrebs.com/2014/10/15/jalen-poyser-derrick-jones-among-recruits-to-attend-unlv-showcase/

Class of 2015 | Small forward | Highlight video
Jones is one of the more athletic players in his class, capable of using his 6-foot-7 frame and athletic ability to attack the rim. The Pennsylvania native is also being recruited hard by UConn and Auburn, but he’s been drawn to the Rebels’ fast-paced system. Jones is ranked No. 41 in the nation by Rivals; his visit will be an unofficial.

 

[upstater]

Who said anything about the top 20? But using that argument, do you think it matters whether someone like Stone goes to UConn on Wisconsin for his NBA hopes? It doesn't. If anything, it's the three star guys where great coaching might get them a shot.

Huh? We're discussing why highly touted top 20 kids are going to UNLV. No one begrudges UNLV grabbing 3 star kids.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Huh? We're discussing why highly touted top 20 kids are going to UNLV. No one begrudges UNLV grabbing 3 star kids.

They go there because they like the school, coach, other kids on the team, location...all of the above. Same as any other school. When they are that good, it doesn't matter where they go with respect to their pro prospects, especially at the very top.

 

[upstater]

They go there because they like the school, coach, other kids on the team, location...all of the above. Same as any other school. When they are that good, it doesn't matter where they go with respect to their pro prospects, especially at the very top.

Forget it. You're not catching on.

 

[UCweCONN]

What time is the Jones announcement and is it televised so I can torture myself again today??

 

[UConn4ever]

What time is the Jones announcement and is it televised so I can torture myself again today??

6pm espn u

 

[Silk31]

I would like to get out in front of this and proactively declare: NEXT

We are going to miss out on Birscoe, Mack and Jones today, oh well who cares.

The main prize is Stone and KO has done one helluva job in positioning us to steal him away from hometown 'Sconsin, let's keep our eyes on this prize and we can all look back at today and laugh at how little we care about "missing" on these guys and how happy we are to land Stone

But if we miss on Stone then everybody freak out!

 

[UCweCONN]

You'd think players would be lining up to go to UCONN after a title year. Despite being the most successful program in the last 15 years we're constantly making kids' final lists only to be lest at the altar or rather, at the podium. I wouldn't trade the success for Kentucky's or Duke's success but I have to say I really hate this process. Kids that choose UCONN choose us quietly, without the fanfare.

 

[3rdbass]

You'd think players would be lining up to go to UCONN after a title year. Despite being the most successful program in the last 15 years we're constantly making kids' final lists only to be lest at the altar or rather, at the podium. I wouldn't trade the success for Kentucky's or Duke's success but I have to say I really hate this process. Kids that choose UCONN choose us quietly, without the fanfare.

I think our conference is killing us. If we were in a stronger conference I think we would be doing better. Oh well we have to make the best out what we have. I have faith in Ollie!

 

[upstater]

I think our conference is killing us. If we were in a stronger conference I think we would be doing better. Oh well we have to make the best out what we have. I have faith in Ollie!

People!!!

Stop this.

The arguments that UConn is too stacked at these positions or that UConn's conference is killing us cannot be supported when you realize that...

1. VCU has Williams and Larrier at the 2/3
2. VCU is in the A10 and UNLV is in the Mountain West.

We are not losing these kids to either better conferences or schools with automatic playing time.

I don't think anyone can say Mack is afraid of competition, not when he will be competing against Williams and Larrier for PT.

Our conference will likely be a huge reason that we lose Stone to Wisconsin, but it plays practically no part in losing kids to VCU and UNLV.

UConn will have a better strength of schedule than both these schools, and will appear on premium national TV 5x as many times.

 

[UCweCONN]

People!!!

Stop this.

The arguments that UConn is too stacked at these positions or that UConn's conference is killing us cannot be supported when you realize that...

1. VCU has Williams and Larrier at the 2/3
2. VCU is in the A10 and UNLV is in the Mountain West.

We are not losing these kids to either better conferences or schools with automatic playing time.

I don't think anyone can say Mack is afraid of competition, not when he will be competing against Williams and Larrier for PT.

Our conference will likely be a huge reason that we lose Stone to Wisconsin, but it plays practically no part in losing kids to VCU and UNLV.

UConn will have a better strength of schedule than both these schools, and will appear on premium national TV 5x as many times.

And how many national championships will VCU or UNLV be winning in the near future?

 

[Shabazzkets]

3rdbass, I think you hit the nail on the head. Other schools can negative recruit the heck out of UConn because of the conference...Tevin, enjoy travelling to Houston, Tulane, Central Florida and East Carolina...Derrick, enjoy your "big rivalry" against Memphis while UK plays Louisville, et al.; Stone, we play in the best conference in college hoops, but by all means, go someplace where your games land on ESPNU...etc.

Winning the national championship last year was so huge, one of the best things to ever happen to this school. It gave Ollie the platform to recruit elite kids despite this negative crap. And he will...just not as well as many of the P5 schools do. He'll get what he needs to win, though.

 

[8893]

3rdbass, I think you hit the nail on the head. Other schools can negative recruit the heck out of UConn because of the conference...Tevin, enjoy travelling to Houston, Tulane, Central Florida and East Carolina...Derrick, enjoy your "big rivalry" against Memphis while UK plays Louisville, et al.; Stone, we play in the best conference in college hoops, but by all means, go someplace where your games land on ESPNU...etc.

Winning the national championship last year was so huge, one of the best things to ever happen to this school. It gave Ollie the platform to recruit elite kids despite this negative crap. And he will...just not as well as many of the P5 schools do. He'll get what he needs to win, though.

But UVCU is not a P5 school.

 

[Jluc]

Usually I say the conference is the biggest factor but it is not in the case of these three. Jones is going to UNLV...not a power 5 school. Mack is going to VCU...not a power 5 school. And Briscoe could be choosing St. Johns also not a power 5 school. Idk what the reasons for these kids not coming here are but it is a little concerning for future recruiting.

 

[Shabazzkets]

Usually I say the conference is the biggest factor but it is not in the case of these three. Jones is going to UNLV...not a power 5 school. Mack is going to VCU...not a power 5 school. And Briscoe could be choosing St. Johns also not a power 5 school. Idk what the reasons for these kids not coming here are but it is a little concerning for future recruiting.

You are right, and the P5 thing may or may not have been issue for Mack, Jones, et al. My point was, I think recruiting would be through the roof if we were still in a P5 conference. Recruiting might still end up at an elite level, I am just saying that we'd be sitting pretty right now if we were in the ACC.