Nord wrote:Ryan James of Gopher Illustrated (Rivals/Yahoo) had these tweets today:
Ryan James @RyanJamesMN · 5h
Bigs in the SPTS group of teams have had a terrible time scoring over, running with, and keeping Justin Patton in front. High potential.
Ryan James @RyanJamesMN · 5h
After seeing PF/C Justin Patton in Omaha and KC in April, I say the commitment to Creighton is a great frontcourt pick-up for the Jays.
That's an independent vote of confidence. Sounds like a high potential kid.
And I must say that for as much fun as it is to follow recruiting, we shouldn't forget that it's largely a fools paradise to think that the rankings are very reliable. Yes, the top 25-50 are typically damn good, but beyond that it gets to be about buzz more than ability. Best Jays in recent times: McBuckets, Korver, Tolliver ...how did they rank? Yes, I want the guys toward the top of the list. And I sure hope that at least a couple guys in the class are highly touted, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the least touted guy in any class turn out to be the best. I enjoy following this stuff as much as anyone, but to be disappointed because we didn't see stars is losing perspective. Cheers.
This is all very true. Does anyone remember that Zach Hanson didn't even have an ESPN bio/ranking? To me, I"m guessing that this kid was a classic late bloomer. We may have gotten lucky by having him close to home and getting in on him prior to everyone else realizing the talent he had.
The comments above tell me he has length, athleticism, and can defend. I've also heard that he has nice touch and good hands.
Finally, reports said he gained 20 lbs in the past year and it looks to be good weight. We'll find out a lot more in the next few days, but I trust Mac, Merfeld and Sellers on big men.