In retrospect, CIAC made the right call. FYI - member schools were pulling out of state tournaments and gave CIAC no choice in this matter. Look at the schools that are closed or will be closing. Need to be early on this rather than late - may not be popular decision but is correct decision.
I have not seen him play, but it sounds like at best he's a border line D1 prospect per the article and the fact that he's not on Verbal Commits: <<However it turns out, Laput said he intends to make his collegiate decision after the season ends. Navy, Sacred Heart and Hartford have shown interest. There are others in the Ivy League and the Patriot League, and even others that Laput will not disclose.>>
Saw him play the other night. One game (I had watched him play one time last year too), but I agree, border line D-1, at least from these limited views.
Well I was wondering when they were going to come out with this list. Just a few comments after perusing. First of all, Knowling is entirely deserving of the POY designation. As solid as they come in almost all areas of the game. I think the Stags tried to recruit him at one point (under Sydney), but when Yale came calling that was it. Anyway, he should eventually do well as a Bulldog, although because they are so strong now (or have been), he probably is going to have to wait his turn to contribute.
The fact that Clingan is listed is no surprise at all. Future high major that will continue to attract a lot of attention next season whether he stays with his Bristol Central team or goes somewhere else. He's a beast with skills, a deadly combination!
A comment on the two Windsor players. McKeithan is a fast and skilled rather small guard who can really shoot. I'm sure he might become a problem for the Stags and other MAAC schools as he competes for Rider down the road. And his running-mate Spears has the chance to be a very good PG in college because he is extremely quick plus is a very unselfish passer who makes plays for others. I thought beginning the season that he was maybe the best senior in the state, but his shooting fell off a little this time around and that held him back a bit. But he could certainly play and play well at the mid-major level, therefore I'm glad to see that Fairfield is "showing interest," especially because he is outstanding defensively. That said, a source has told me that he will probably go for one more year as a scholastic player to a prep school, so we'll see. Football is also a consideration for him.
I do want to say that at least right now, Jackson (from this list) will be the best returning junior in the state. He is future D-1 and might make a good target for the Stags down the road.
Finally, the fact that Matt Curtis of Northwest Catholic is not on this list is an injustice I think. He's only a sophomore so that's probably why. But without mentioning names, I'll guarantee you that he was a better player than at least three or four of the other guys listed here. Anyway I'm glad to see he is listed on the Fairfield verbal commits page. He could become a highly recruited player by his senior year.
Post by nashvillestag on Apr 24, 2020 13:40:53 GMT -5
Guy Ragland, a 6'7" senior from Northwest Catholic who was selected to the 2nd team Connecticut All-State squad, has just picked up an offer from Central Connecticut St. He also has offers from New Hampshire and D-11 NYIT. Possible star in D-11 circles, maybe not so much in D-1, I was thinking an extra year of scholastic ball in the prep school ranks might help his stock for the future. OTOH if he were to accept the offer from the Blue Devils I guess he would be a teammate of Wassef Methnani. Based on the fact that Central was really weak up front this past season I imagine there would be a lot of opportunity for both of them to get quite a bit of playing time.
Donovan Clingan just picked up another offer, this one from Iowa.
And now add Boston College to the list. Syracuse, Georgetown, Providence, UConn and UMass (just from memory) are also others who have offered. I'm sure he would have had a lot more schools besides Iowa from other parts of the country offering by now if he could have been out there performing against national competition for his AAU team. Hopefully he gets some summer action to help his stock take off to another level.
Guy Ragland, a 6'7" senior from Northwest Catholic who was selected to the 2nd team Connecticut All-State squad, has just picked up an offer from Central Connecticut St. He also has offers from New Hampshire and D-11 NYIT. Possible star in D-11 circles, maybe not so much in D-1, I was thinking an extra year of scholastic ball in the prep school ranks might help his stock for the future. OTOH if he were to accept the offer from the Blue Devils I guess he would be a teammate of Wassef Methnani. Based on the fact that Central was really weak up front this past season I imagine there would be a lot of opportunity for both of them to get quite a bit of playing time.
Looks like Ragland is going to do what I suggested and play an extra year of scholastic ball at St. Thomas More. Great competition all the time, this can only be good for him basketball-wise. I would look for him to get better offers by this time next year.
First impression, both are a bit raw but talented, especially athletically. Joseph might be a bit further ahead at this point. They should help the Crusaders become league and possible state contenders. Both kind of remind me at the same point in their careers as the Norwalk duo a few years ago of Steven Enoch and Roy Kane Jr. Enoch is now a star at Louisville while Kane had a decent if not great career at D-11 New Haven. Who knows what will happen with these kids, but there is potential and I think colleges will take notice.
I saw the Crusaders again in a loss to Fairfield Ludlowe earlier this week. The Falcones with a deep senior class are very good and should compete for an FCIAC championship this year. Anyway, the two big guys had bad games and were not impressive. Doesn't mean however that they won't create interest with D-1 schools, because as juniors with size and athleticism as a feature, the potential will always be there to garner a scholarship in a couple of years. Actually however, and the reason I am putting this up here, is that the third big guy on the team, 6-5 senior Rahsen Fisher, was very impressive in almost single-handedly keeping TC in the game by scoring 36 points from all over the floor. Also rebounded, blocked shots and ran the court well. I saw a rating that had him as #22 in Connecticut CIAC. That's not impressive, but OTOH his performance in this game would seem to indicate that maybe that number should be adjusted upward, especially if he can have more games like this one. Another local player to keep an eye on.
Fisher has just committed to Albertus Magnus, a strong D-111 program in New Haven. They have been playing great basketball there for many years. Eastern power actually. So this should be a good fit for Rahsen.
Post by nashvillestag on May 20, 2020 12:30:13 GMT -5
More basketball news related to the now closed Trinity Catholic. Brian Kriftcher, the coach who took over for the the legendary Mike Walsh two years ago, has now been hired as the head coach at Notre Dame-Fairfield. Walsh BTW, who has been an assistant in sort of a "retirement" type role for Kriftcher, apparently will also come to the Lancers and remain in the same position. But what is also important to note here is that with Brian coming over to ND, certainly it's quite likely a couple or more of his players will follow him, thereby making the Lancers a much better team than this past season when they only won 4 games. For instance if noted rising seniors Akim Joseph, Abdul-Rassoul Abakan and Andrew Saint-Louis were all to come, that would make them one of the best teams in the area if not the state. Maybe a return to glory from a program that had been on top of the mountain with a state championship in 2018 but had fallen on hard times last year.
Last Edit: May 20, 2020 13:08:45 GMT -5 by nashvillestag
Donovan Clingan just picked up another offer, this one from Iowa.
And now add Boston College to the list. Syracuse, Georgetown, Providence, UConn and UMass (just from memory) are also others who have offered. I'm sure he would have had a lot more schools besides Iowa from other parts of the country offering by now if he could have been out there performing against national competition for his AAU team. Hopefully he gets some summer action to help his stock take off to another level.
The big guy just picked up 4 more offers. Add Notre Dame, Michigan State, Rutgers and Yale to the list. Good article with that info in the Bristol Press. His junior year should see him garner a lot more offers considering he hasn't been able to play any AAU games this summer in order to showcase his talents. Great publicity for state basketball and Bristol in particular, an angle BTW that Pikiell of Rutgers is using as a connection based on the fact that Steve grew up and played in that area so many years ago.
Last Edit: Jun 17, 2020 8:46:44 GMT -5 by nashvillestag
The article says Matt Curtis is involved with Stags. I also think Primo Spears s on Fairfield's radar.
Matt Curtis, Northwest Catholic, 6-3, So., G: As a freshman, averaged 17.5 points, three rebounds and 2.5 steals. Over the summer, he picked up his first Division I offer from Fairfield University. Primo Spears, Windsor, 6-2, Sr., G: One of the state’s top guards a year ago, averaged 27.5 points and nine assists, leading the Warriors to the Division I state title game. Likely a Division I caliber guard, Spears was an All-State football player this fall, too.
Primo Spears recently announced he will be going to St. Thomas More for a post graduate year of scholastic ball. Those of you who have read this thread throughout the year will know that I've been a fan of his game for quite a while, and for that reason I hope the Stags could still be interested in getting him if the opportunity arose. Not sure if he is still considering football, but anyway, as a hoops player he should be getting a lot of mid-major offers (maybe even a little higher) because of his athletic ability and pass first mentality he possesses as a PG. STM means big-time competition almost every game, and that can only help him improve his options I think.